"Well, I see that you're making yourself at home here," Rhanda stated, smiling as she and Joslin came into the room. At her entrance, Kailisu and Haneset froze and stood up, guilty expressions on their faces.

Now why did that always have to happen?

Because you run the place, Breylith answered helpfully.

Oh, shush. Rhanda knew that was why, and though she had her own friends to rely on, sometimes it bothered her that people thought they had to stop having a good time just because she was there. Well, no matter. For now, she had an odd person to deal with. At least Haneset was getting along with Kailisu. That went along with her plans for the Weyrbred girl nicely. Turning her attention back to the new girl, she was just in time to hear Joslin reaming out Haneset.

". . . and why you would think that you were exempt from working just because I had you bring the new girl her breakfast is beyond me. Now, get back to . . . ."

"No." Rhanda stopped the tirade with one soft word. The Headwoman whirled on her and without losing a beat continued as if the Weyrwoman were the transgressor.

"If I allowed every worker to slack off like this one . . .," she began, but again was stopped, this time by Rhanda holding up her hand.

"Joslin," she said softly, "this is an unusual circumstance. If you allow Haneset to befriend Kailisu, there is that much less work you will need to take on, and more for her." Her back to the girls, Rhanda held Joslin's eyes, willing her to acquiesce. Shards and shells, did the woman want to undermine her authority publicly? Joslin finally nodded, face impassive, but Rhanda knew she was seething inside. Well, a little chat about who reported to who might be in order, but not until after they discussed Kailisu's position. After all, Qavine's Lleveth had Searched the girl, and there was a Clutch due on the Sands in several sevendays time.

"Now, everyone sit," she ordered, and without a word Kailisu and Haneset immediately sat back down. Rhanda and Joslin took the two empty seats around the table, and the breakfast dishes were moved to the sideboard. Rhanda focused her attention on the stranger.

"Kailisu, Headwoman Joslin and I spoke at length this morning, to decide what to do with you," Rhanda said, speaking slowly and distinctly, then stopped to see if the girl understood her. Kailisu nodded, so Rhanda went on. "You have been officially Searched, so we would like to send a message to your family." Rhanda stopped again, waiting for an answer. With none forthcoming, she looked at Kailisu questioningly.

"Oh." The blonde girl's face turned an unbecoming shade of red. "Uh, I don't think that's possible. They're nottear" Tears filled the girl's eyes, but she blinked them back.

Rhanda frowned. 'They're nottear?' What was a 'nottear'? Oh, it was 'not here'. How could her family not be here? Breylith?

She speaks the truth as she knows it. I get a sense that her parents are . . . I think they are elsewhere like how we go between. She has no family here.

Rhanda chewed her bottom lip as the impact of what Breylith told her set in. Obviously, Kailisu's parents were dead, but she didn't wish to think of them as such. It did make an odd sort of sense, though she wondered if it spoke of the girl's not being able to face reality. The Healer who had seen Kailisu last evening, albeit briefly, had expressed shock and disgust at the physical condition the girl was in, but had not been able to assess her mental capacity.

She's sane. Lleveth would not Search an insane person. By the time the eggs Hatch, she'll be fine. Well, Rhanda thought, if she couldn't believe in her dragon, who could she believe in?

"Well, what about other relatives, or the Hold you looked to," Joslin was saying kindly. Rhanda hid a smile. The Headwoman had such a crusty exterior, but put her in certain situations and she was kindness personified.

Kylie was shaking her head. "No one. There's no one."

Her voice cracked as the tears threatened once more, but again they were thrust back. Rhanda changed her opinion of the girl slightly. If something had happened to cause her whole hold to die, or at least all her relatives, then she was being very brave indeed. Yet, Rhanda had not heard of any plague or disaster that had affected a whole Hold. Maybe she was a part of an offshoot - they were trying to start their own hold before the Pass got underway. The Weyrs were drilling night and day, and when not drilling, Searching. With the upcoming Pass, the queens were on the verge of producing eggs as quickly as they could. The Weyrs were not paying as much attention to the Holds, so it was possible that a starter-hold could disappear through foul means. Plus, if those starting the hold were in disfavor from their Lord Holder, or even subsidiary holder, their disappearance could cause no talk. Breylith didn't think this was the case, but it was obvious this girl was very young, so she probably didn't know what was going on either. Rhanda chose to accept that T'gat had saved the one living person from a dying holding.

"Since you have lost your family, Telgar Weyr has become your new home," Rhanda began, but before she could go any farther Kailisu burst into tears.

For the next few minutes, Rhanda, Joslin and Haneset were busy trying to calm Kailisu down. Noyance was squawking and diving at the three women as if they were causing Kailisu's distress. The young firelizard also seemed to have found quite a few of the Weyr's firelizard population to help her. Rhanda finally had to ask Breylith to tell these little nuisances to STOP! Instantly the room was silent, broken once by a 'cree?' from Noyance, and some sniffling from Kailisu.

"I'm fine, really, I am," Kailisu finally said, blowing her nose into a handkerchief proffered by Haneset. "It finally hit me is all." Rhanda nodded, that was understandable. Her reaction also gave Rhanda a better feeling about the girl's mental state.

"As I was saying," Rhanda continued, taking a deep breath, "you now belong to Telgar Weyr. Joslin and I have decided that you will begin work in the Kitchens. You will also attend the Harper classes we have here since I don't know the extent of your reading and writing knowledge.

"After Breylith has Clutched, you will spend a few hours of each afternoon with the rest of the Candidates. This is to get you all working together as a team, even though you will be working with some in the kitchens. You will also be quartered with the rest of the Candidates, so by the time of Hatching you all should know each other very well."

Haneset was nodding to everything Rhanda was saying. Rhanda turned her attention to the other girl. "Since Haneset here brought you your breakfast, and since you two seem to get along so well, you and she will be paired off until you know your way around here."

"I assume that I report directly to Joslin?" Kailisu asked.

"Oh, no," Haneset answered before Rhanda or Joslin could, giggling. "The Headwoman has overseers in all the areas who report to her. WE report to Wyncia."

"Ah. I see," Kailisu said, though Rhanda held back judgement on that. The Weyrwoman cleared her throat, and all eyes were upon her once more.

"Well then. It seems we have a plan now. Haneset, I expect that you'll see to helping Kailisu get a few more sets of clothing. The two of you can take the rest of the day getting Kailisu acquainted with the Weyr, but tomorrow you both go to work." Her face had turned stern as she looked at Haneset, and the girl blushed, then giggled again.

"We will, Weyrwoman, we will. I'll take good care of Kailisu," she assured both the Weyrwoman and the Headwoman, then grabbed Kailisu's hand. "Come on, I've got so much to show you!" The two girls fled out of the room.

"I hope I'm not making a mistake, Joslin," Rhanda said as she looked at the empty space where the two were sitting just a moment ago.

"With the new girl, I can't tell you," Joslin said, "but with Haneset, I hope not. That girl's flightier than the greenest firelizard. Maybe having this responsibility will be good for her." Otherwise, the Weyrwoman's daughter would never impress.