"I shall do what you say, ma'am," Shaya said in what she hoped was a contrite manner. In truth, her cheeks flamed and she felt as if she'd turned the same colour as a redfruit.

Careful not to tip the tray and spill from the pot of klah, Shaya took the refreshments to the Weyrwoman's quarters. She was halfway there, when a particular voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Well, hello there. If it isn't the outlaw girl."

Jeram and five of his cronies stepped out of a side passage, blocking her path. Even though he was a Turn younger than her, Jeram took great pleasure in tormenting Shaya at every opportunity that he found. Of course, what made it more difficult for Shaya, was the fact that Jeram's father was second in command of the Weyrleader's wing. The boy took full advantage of this status to lord it over those who were less privileged – such as Shaya – who could boast no more than her ignoble past and the fact that she was fostered to the Lower Caverns' head cook.

"Leave me be Jeram, I'm on my way to take these meatrolls and klah to the Weyrwoman. I want no trouble."

The boy frowned at her, mischief crinkling his brow. He briefly flicked back his blond hair but his gaze noted that Shaya was indeed carrying the Weyrwoman's personal crockery with their gold dragon decorations.

He sneered. "Oh, so now that you're on official Weyr business you are suddenly giving yourself airs and graces? Oh. We can't have that, can we, Benno?" Jeram elbowed one of his accomplices, a tall boy, who bordered on being chubby, whose dark eyes flicked over Shaya from beneath a mop of lustrous brown curls.

"No, we can't have that Jeram, can we?" he grinned. "We'll have to teach her a lesson later for presumin' tha' she can get all high and mighty on us."

Benno giggled horribly, and the rest joined in.

Shaya swallowed, glad that she was still taller than the majority of her tormentors… but for how much longer? This had been going on for some months now, and was liable to become worse when Kiranth or one of the other queens clutched again. They were all potential candidates for a Search… If Jeram Impressed, his arrogance would know no bounds. With her luck, it would be bronze…

"The klah will get cold, let me pass," Shaya said tersely, silently hoping that her voice didn't come across too high-pitched.

"The klah will get cold, let her pass," Jeram mimicked, making Shaya sound petulant.

Pretending not to care, she rolled her eyes at this and walked through the group of boys, who prudently parted to allow her passage.

They Weyrwoman did look worried. She sat at her desk, consulting reams of bound paper. Judging by some of the covers, Shaya reckoned that some of these bindings were several hundred Turns old. She wished that she could read better, the Harper still despaired at her lack of progress…

"Ah, thank you child," Fessli stated, giving a tight smile as Shaya carefully set down the tray in a hastily cleared space. She tried to catch a glimpse of what the Weyrwoman was reading, but the printed words were illegible at this distance.

Curiosity stabbed at Shaya. They'd been talking of one of the hatchlings. What if she could find out more?

"Is there anything else that I can do for you, ma'am?" Shaya asked.

"No, not for now." The older woman's grey eyes shifted over Shaya briefly before she resumed reading a manual. Absently she reached for a meatroll and grasped one, but didn't make a motion to eat it. Shaya sensed that she had already been forgotten, and nodded in acknowledgement before making her exit. Maybe, just maybe she could take a peak at the Hatching Grounds, for the queen was not here in the Weyrwoman's quarters and she dearly wanted to know what the matter was with that dragonet that had everyone else so excited.

And then it struck her… What had Jeram and his friends been doing loitering in the passages near the Weyrwoman's quarters when the vast majority of the population would be celebrating at the post-Hatching Gather?

A cold, hard knot suddenly constricted her belly. Unless their curiosity about the aberrant dragonet had also resulted in their remaining indoors… What would they…