At the Harper Craft Hall

Robinton—Masterharper; bronze fire lizard, Zair

Masters:

Jerint—Instrument maker

Domick—Composition

Morshal—Musical Theory

Shonagar—Voice

Arnor—Archivist

Oldive—Healer

Journeymen:

Sebell; gold fire lizard, Kimi

Brudegan

Talmor

Dermently

Apprentices:

Piemur

Ranly

Timiny

Brolly

Bonz

Menolly; 9 fire lizards:

Gold: Beauty

Bronze: Rocky, Diver

Brown: Lazybones, Mimic, Brownie

Blue: Uncle

Green: Auntie One, Auntie Two

Students:

Amania

Audiva

Pona

Briala

Silvina—headwoman

Abuna—kitchen worker

Camo—half-witted kitchen drudge

Dunca—cotholder of girl’s cottage

At Fort Hold

Lord Holder Groghe; gold fire lizard, Merga

Benis—son of Groghe

Viderian—fosterling

Ligand-journeyman tanner

Palim—baker

T’ledon—dragonrider

At Half-Circle Sea Hold

Yanus—Sea Holder

Mavi—Sea Molder’s Lady

Alemi—son of Yanus

Petiron—old Harper

Elgion—new Harper

At Benden Weyr

F’lar—Weyrleader

Lessa—Weyrwoman

T’gellan—bronze dragonrider

F’nor—brown dragonrider; gold fire lizard Grall

Brekke—queenrider; bronze fire lizard Berd

Manora—Headwoman

Felena—second in charge

Mirrim—fosterling of Brekke; 3 fire lizards

As she attacked the sea in rage

A holderman came nigh

Along the sand

Fishnet in hand

And saw the queen midsky.

He saw her plight and quickly

He looked up the cliff he faced

And saw a cave

Above the wave

In which her eggs he placed.

When Menolly, daughter of Yanus Sea Holder, arrived at the Harper Craft Hall, she came in style, aboard a bronze dragon. She was seated on Monarth’s neck between his rider, T’gellan, and the Masterharper of Pern, Robinton. For one who had been told that girls could not become harpers, who had run away and actually lived holdless because she could not continue life without music, this was something of a triumphal success.

Yet it was also frightening. To be sure, music would not be denied her at the Harper Hall. True, she had written some songs that the Masterharper had heard and liked. But they were just tunings, not anything important. And what could a girl, even one who had taught her Hold’s youngsters their Teaching Songs and Ballads, do at a Harper Hall from which all teaching songs originated? Especially a girl who had inadvertently Impressed nine fire lizards when everyone else on Pern would give a left arm to own just one? What had Master Robinton in mind for her to do here in the Harper Hall?

She couldn’t think, she was so tired. She’d had a busy, exciting day at Benden Weyr on the opposite side of the continent where night now was well advanced. Here in Fort Hold, the sky was just darkening.

“Just a few minutes more,” said Robinton in her ear. She heard him laugh because just then bronze Monarth trumpeted a greeting to the Fort Hold watch dragon. “Hang on, Menolly. I know you must be exhausted. I’ll put you in Silvina’s care the moment we land. See, there,” and she followed the line of his pointing finger and saw the lighted quadrangle of buildings at the foot of the Fort Hold cliff. “That’s the Harper Hall.”

She shivered then, with fatigue, the cold of their passage between and apprehension. Monarth was circling now, and figures were pouring out of the Harper Hall into the courtyard, waving wildly to cheer the Masterharper’s return. Somehow, Menolly hadn’t expected that there’d be so many people in the Harper Craft Hall.

They kept well back, though their shouts of welcome didn’t abate, while the big bronze dragon settled in the courtyard, giving him plenty of wingroom.

“I’ve got two fire lizard eggs!” shouted Master Robinton. Hugging the earthen pots tightly against his body, he slid from bronze Monarth’s shoulder with the ease of considerable practice in dismounting dragons. “Two fire lizard eggs!” he repeated joyfully, holding the precious egg pots above his head and striding quickly to show off his prizes.

“My fire lizards!” Anxiously Menolly glanced up and about her. “Did they follow us, T’gellan? They’re not lost between.”

“No chance of that, Menolly,” T’gellan replied, pointing to the slated roof behind them. “I asked Monarth to tell them to perch there for the time being.”

With infinite relief, Menolly saw the unmistakable outlines of her fire lizards on the rooftop against the darkening sky.

“If only they don’t misbehave as they did at Benden…”

“They won’t,” T’gellan assured her easily. “You’ll see to that. You’ve done more with your fair of fire lizards than F’nor has with his one little queen. And F’nor’s a trained dragonrider.” He swung his right leg over Monarth’s neckridge and dropped to the ground raising his arms to her. “Bring your leg over. I’ll steady you so you won’t jar those sore feet of yours,” and his hands braced her as she slid down Monarth’s shoulder. “That’s the girl, and here you are, safe and sound in the Harper Hall.” He gestured broadly as if only he could have accomplished this mission.

Menolly looked across the courtyard, where the Masterharper’s tall figure and presence dominated those surrounding him. Was Silvina one of them? Wearily Menolly hoped that the Harper would find her quickly. The girl could put no reliance on T’gellan’s glib assumption that her fire lizards would behave. They’d only just got used to being at Benden Weyr, among people who had some experience with winged antics.

“Don’t worry so, Menolly. Just remember,” said T’gellan, gripping her shoulder in awkward “every harper on Pern has been trying to find Petiron’s lost apprentice…”

“Because they thought that apprentice was a boy…”

“That made no difference to Master Robinton when he asked you to come here. Times are changing, Menolly, and it’ll make no difference to the others. You’ll see. In a sevenday you’ll have forgotten you’ve ever lived anywhere else.” The bronze dragonrider chuckled. “Great shells, girl, you’ve lived holdless, outrun Thread, and Impressed nine fire lizards. What’s to fear from harpers?”