Dragonsinger

Beauty came to perch on Menolly’s shoulder, her humming now diminished to a soft murmur of sound. Lord Groghe’s queen, Merga, flew to his shoulder, wrapping her tail about his thick neck, just as Beauty did.

“I don’t know how it happened, Master Robinton,” Sebell said, rising from the hearth with exaggerated care. His ma

“My dear Sebell, I couldn’t care in the slightest. This bronze fellow is everything I could ever want. And frankly, I believe that it might be more advantageous for you to have the queen, going out and above the land as you’ll have to do. Yes, I think chance has worked more for than against us. And I am quite content, oh, indeed I am, with my bronze man here. What a lovely, lovely creature!” He had eased himself back against the bolster, the fire lizard snuggled in the crook of his arm, his other hand protectively cradling the open side. “Such a lovely big fellow!” His head fell back, his eyes heavy, all but asleep himself.

“Now that’s a real miracle,” said Silvina in a very soft voice. “Asleep without wine or fellis juice? Out! Out!” She shook her hands at those crowding the door, but her gesture to Lord Groghe to precede her from the room was a touch more courteous. The Lord Holder nodded agreement and made a great show of tiptoeing quietly across the room. His exit cleared the doorway of onlookers.

Silvina picked up the half-filled bowls by the fire and put one near the Harper’s hand. Menolly beckoned the rest of her fair and they flitted out the window.

“Got them well-trained, haven’t you?” Lord Groghe said once Silvina had closed the door to the Harper’s chamber. “Want to have a long chat with you about ’em. Robinton says they’ll fetch and carry for you. D’you believe, as he does, that what one fire lizard knows, th’others do, too?”

Too disconcerted to reply, Menolly glanced frantically at Silvina and saw her nod encouragingly. “It would seem logical, Lord Groghe. Ah…it would certainly account for…for what happened the other night. In fact, there’s no other way to account for that, is there? Unless you can speak to dragons.”

“Unless you can speak to dragons?” Lord Groghe laughed ponderously, poking Menolly’s shoulder with his finger in good humor. “Speak to dragons? Hahaha.”

Menolly felt herself gri

“Sorry, Silvina,” Lord Groghe said, contritely. “Most amazing thing! Woke me up out of a sound sleep, scared out of my wits. Never happened to me before, I can tell you.” He nodded his head emphatically, and Merga chirped. ‘Wasn’t your fault, pet,” he said, stroking her tiny head with a thick forefinger. “Only doing the same as the others. That’s what I want you to teach me, girl.” The forefinger now pointed at Menolly. “You will, won’t you? Robinton says you have yours trained a treat.”

“It would be my privilege, sir!”

“Well spoken.” Lord Groghe turned his heavy torso in Silvina’s direction, favoring the headwoman with a fierce stare.

“Well-spoken child. Not what I expected. Can’t trust other people’s opinions. Never did. Never will. I’ll arrange something with Robinton later. Not too much later. But later. Good day to you all.” With that the Lord Holder of Fort strode from the room, nodding and smiling to the harpers still gathered in the corridor.

Menolly saw Sebell and Silvina exchanging worried glances, and she moved across the room to stand before them.

“What did Lord Groghe mean, Silvina? I’m not what he expected?”

“I was afraid you’d catch that,” Silvina said, her eyes narrow with a contained anger. She patted Menolly’s shoulder absently. “There’s been loose talk, which has done them no good and you no harm. I’ve a few knees to set knocking, so I have.”

Menolly was thoroughly and unexpectedly consumed with anger. Beauty chittered, her eyes begi

“Those cot girls stay up at the Hold during Threadfall, don’t they?”

Silvina gave Menolly a long, quelling look. “I said I’ll handle the matter, Menolly. You,” and Silvina pointed at her, “will occupy yourself with harper business.” She was clearly as furious as Menolly, and flicked imaginary dust from her skirt with u

She closed the door firmly behind her. Menolly looked at the closed door for a long moment, still feeling the anger in her guts. She’d not really done the girls any kind of harm, so why would they try to prejudice the Lord Holder against her? Or perhaps it was all Dunca’s co

“Leave it, Menolly,” he said in a quiet but emphatic tone. He gestured her to the sandtable. “Harper business is better business for you now. Master Robinton said you were to copy the song onto sheets.” Moving carefully so as not to disturb his little queen, he got supplies from the shelves and put them on the center board. “So, copy!”

“I don’t understand what they thought they’d accomplish, prejudicing Lord Groghe against me. What would he do?” Sebell said nothing as he hooked a stool under him, and sat down. He pointed at the music. “It’s only right for me to know. The insult is mine to settle.”

“Sit down, Menolly. And copy. That’s far more important to the Harper and the Hall than any petty machinations of envious girls.”

“They could do me a mischief, couldn’t they? If they’d got Lord Groghe to believe what they said. I never hurt those girls.”

“True enough but that is not harper business. The song is. Copy it! And one more word from you on any other subject and I’ll—”

“If you’re not quiet, you’ll wake your fire lizard,” Menolly said, but she sat down at the table and started copying. She could recognize obstinacy when she saw it, and it would do her no good to set Sebell against her. “What are you going to name her?” she asked.

“Name her?” Sebell was startled, and Menolly was dismayed to realize how much of his joy in his queen had been diminished by her silly concern over gossip. “Why, I can have the privilege of naming her, can’t I? She’s mine. I think…” and his eyes glowed with affection for the hatchling, “I think I’ll call her Kimi.”

“That’s a lovely name,” replied Menolly and then bent to her copying with a good heart.