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worried sick about her..."
Sanra stared at Menolly for a moment "You mean, you haven't heard about..."
she lowered her voice and glanced about to make sure they weren't overheard,
"... about the queens?"
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"No. No one tells girls anything in the Sea Hold."
Sanra looked surprised but accepted the explanation. "Well, Brekke used to be
at Southern, you did know that? Good. And when FTar banished all the
rebellious Oldtimers to Southern, the Southerners had to go
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somewhere. Tbor became Weyrleader at Fort Hold, Kylara . . ." and Sanra's
usually gentle voice became hard, "Kylara was Weyrwoman for Prideth, with
Brekke and Wirenth . . ." Sanra was having enough trouble telling the tale so
Menolly was very glad she hadn't asked Mirrim. "Wirenth rose to mate, but
Kylara ..." and the name was spoken with intense hatred, "Kylara hadn't taken
Prideth far enough away. She was close to mating, too, and when Wirenth flew
the bronzes, she rose, and..."
TTiere were tears in Sanra's eyes, and she shook her head, unable to continue.
"Both queens... died?"
Sanra nodded.
"Brekke's alive, though... Isn't she?"
"Kylara lost her mind, and we're desperately afraid that Brekke will lose hers
..." Sanra mopped the tears from her face, sniffing back her sorrow.
"Poor Mirrim. And she's been so good to mel"
Sanra sniffed again, this time from pique.
"Mirrim likes to think she's got the cares of the Weyr on her shoulders."
"Well, I've a lot more respect for her the way she keeps on going when she's
worried sick than if she crept off someplace and just felt sorry ion herself."
Sanra stared at Menolly. "No need to bristle at me, girl, and if you keep on
stabbing your knife that way, you will cut yourself."
44WilI Brekke be all right?" asked Menolly after a few minutes' strict
attention to her peeling.
"We hope so," but Sanra didn't sound confident. "No, we do. You see, Ramoth's
clutch is about to hatch, and Lessa is certain that Brekke could Impress the
queen. You see, she can speak to any of the dragons, the way Lessa can, and
GraH and Berd are always with her... Here comes Mirrim."
Menolly had to admit that Mirrim, who only numbered the same Turns as she did,
did assume an officious manner. She could understand that an older
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woman like Sanra might not take kindly to it Yet Me-nolly had no fault to find
with Minim's ministrations. And she let the girl bustle her off to her cubicle
to change the bandages.
"You've been on them all day, and I want to be sure no dirf s in the scabs,"
she said, briskly.
Menolly obediently lay on her stomach in the bed and then tentatively
suggested that perhaps tomorrow she could change her own bandages and save
Minim some work, "Don't be silly. Feet are very awkward, but you're not You
should just hear
CTtarel complain. He got Threadscored during the last Fall. You'd think he was
the only one ever in the world scored. And besides, Manora said I was to take
care of you. You're easy, you don't moan, groan, complain, and swear like
C'tarel. Now, these are healing nicely. In spite of the way it might feel to
you. Manora says that feet hurt worse than any part of your body, but hands.
Thaf s why it seems much worse to you, I expect"
Menolly had no argument and breathed a sigh of relief that the painful session
was now over.
Tou taught the weyrlings how to make those little boats, didn't you?"
Menolly flipped over, startled, and wondering if she'd done wrong, but Minim
was grinning.
"You should have seen the dragons snorting them about the lake." Minim
giggled. "Having the grandest time. I haven't laughed so much in weeks. There
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you arel" And Mirrim bustled away on some other errand.
The following day Mirrim hovering beside her, Menolly walked slowly and not
too painfully through the living cavern and into the main kitchen cavern for
the first time.
"Ramoth's eggs are fust about to Hatch," Mirrim told her as she placed Menolly
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