McCaffrey, Anne - Pern 05 - Harper Hall 2 by McCaffrey Anne

Author:McCaffrey, Anne
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 7

Don't leave me alone!

A cry in the night,

Of anguish heart-striking,

Of soul-killing fright.

The restlessness of the fire lizards about her woke Menolly from a deep sleep. She wished irritably that they didn't insist on sleeping with her; it had been an exciting and trying day, and she'd had a hard enough time getting to sleep. Her hand ached so from the day's playing that she'd had to slather the scar with numbweed to dull the pain.

Beauty's tail twitched violently against Menolly's ear. She nudged the little queen, hoping to stir her out of whatever dream disturbed her.

But Beauty was awake, not dreaming: her eyes, yellow and whirling with anxiety. All the fire lizards were awake and unusually alert in the dark of the night.

Seeing that Menolly's eyes were open, Beauty crooned, a half-fearful, half-worried sound. Rocky and Diver minced up Menolly's legs and crouched on her stomach, extending their heads toward her. Their eyes, too, were whirling with the speed and shade of fear. The rest, cuddling close against her, crooned for comfort.

Propping herself up on one elbow, Menolly peered toward the open windows. She could just distinguish the Fort Hold fire heights, black against the dark sky. It took her some time to locate the dark bulk of the watch dragon. He was motionless, so whatever distressed the fire lizards did not apparently concern him.

"Whatever is your problem, Beauty?"

The little queen's croon increased its intensity. First Rocky, then Diver, added their notes. Aunties One and Two crept up and nuzzled to get under Menolly's left arm. Lazy, Mimic and Uncle burrowed into the fur at her right side, their twined tails latching fiercely onto her wrist while Brownie piteously paced across her feet. They were afraid.

"What's gotten into you?" Menolly couldn't for the life of her imagine anything within the Harper Craft Hall that would menace them. Covet them, yes; injure them, no.

"Shush a minute and let me listen." Beauty and Rocky gave little spurting sounds of fear, but they obeyed her. She listened as hard as she could, but the only sounds on the night air were the comfortable murmur of men's voices and an occasional laugh from the Hall beneath her. It wasn't as late as it had first seemed to her then, if the masters and older journeymen were still chatting.

Gently disengaging tails, Menolly slipped from her sleeping furs to the window. Several rectangles of light shone on the stones of the courtyard, two from the Great Hall and one above it, from Robinton's quarters, beyond hers.

Beauty gave a worried cheep and flew to Menolly's shoulder, wrapping her tail tightly around the girl's neck and burrowing into her hair, the slender little body trembling. The others set up an anxious clamor from the furs, so Menolly hurriedly returned to them. They were panic-stricken. The Masterharper might not approve of Silvina's moving her into this room if her fire lizards disturbed his studies at night. She tried to quiet them with a soft song, but now Beauty's voice rose querulously above her lullaby.

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