An hour later, Tristio and Dralina were trying not to stare as Sarla finished her strange tale. She had told more about her first meeting with Tabby, as well as her adventures the day before. Tristio was the first to speak.
"Well," he began slowly, "it sounds like Tabby, or whatever was left of Tabby, has found his way home."
"Yes," Sarla said sadly. "Relly – Nirella - came and helped him. He was just doing what she had told him – she had always said not to go anywhere without her, so he just – stayed, I guess." She shivered again at the thought of being alone in the tunnels for so long, lost and confused, and tried not to wonder what it was like being dead. "Please don't tell anyone, Tristio – it'll only make things worse." She didn't want people making fun of Tabby. It wasn't funny.
"Oh, I won't tell anyone, Sarla," he said, "but would you mind if I wrote about it to the Masterharper? I would change the names. It's such an amazing story, I hate to let it go."
She thought about that for a moment, then nodded. "All right. Just don't tell anyone here."
"About that... Dralina, have you thought about my suggestion yesterday?" he asked gently.
Sarla turned to her foster mother in surprise. What was going on? Dralina cleared her throat. "Sarla," she said, "how would you feel about going to live in the Weyr?"
Sarla's mouth dropped open in surprise. "But – you mean – are we moving to the Weyr? When? How?"
"No," Dralina interrupted. "I would stay here, and you would have a new foster mother at the Weyr. You could see your father every day, and no one would know about... Tabby..." She looked intently at Sarla. "Would you like that?"
Sarla was stunned. Leave the Hold? All of her favorite places rushed through her head – and then she remembered how awful it had been waiting for Tristio to come in for lessons the day before. A few of the children had acted as though they were afraid of her, but most of them had taunted her, bringing her to tears. She had never been very close to any of them anyway, and now... She saw that Dralina was holding back tears, and she started to cry herself. "But I'd miss you," she sobbed. "Why couldn't you come too?"
Dralina was shaking her head. "My place is here, Sarla," she said understandingly. "But you could start over at the Weyr, make new friends. Maybe you could even stand for Impression someday... I really think it's the best thing for you." She took a deep breath and grasped Sarla's hands. "I will let you choose whichever place you want, the Weyr or here. You can always come visit me." She tried to smile encouragingly.
"Well, Sarla?" Tristio asked gently. "You don't have to decide now, if you're not ready. We just wanted you to know, you can leave here if things get too hard for you." He patted her shoulder. "It's always hard being different, and what you've seen means that the people here are always going to see you as different. That's why you might want to consider a new start."
Sarla's head was spinning. She didn't know what to say. "I..." she began, and faltered. "I don't know."
"Take your time," Dralina said. She got up, walked to the door, and opened it; they could all hear people streaming into the Dining Hall. "It's time for midday meal. You can think about it and let us know what you decide." She smiled tenderly at Sarla. "I just want you to be happy." They walked out together and walked toward the serving table.
Sarla sat huddled in one of her favorite tunnels – far away from the rockfall – wondering what to do. She couldn't imagine living anywhere else; she knew the old tunnels better than anyone. And to leave Dralina... Dralina was stern, but she was like a mother to Sarla, and had been for as long as she could remember. Sarla sighed, wishing she had known her mother, Saranda. She knew that she had gone to work in the Weyr and had fallen in love with M'rel, but after Sarla was born she had gotten homesick and finally moved back to Telgar Hold. M'rel had been equally in love with her, for he had continued to visit her and their daughter. Then Saranda had gotten sick; as she grew weaker, she begged Dralina, who was like a sister to her, to take care of her little girl... and then she had died. Sarla sighed again, almost a sob; Dralina always cried when she told the story to her, and Sarla always made her smile again by hugging her and saying, "And you did take care of me!"
She had not thought about her mother for a long time, she realized, stroking Tabby's dragon. Oh, if only she could have it both ways – live at the Weyr, and be able to see Dralina every day as well! Her foster mother's comment about standing for Impression came into her mind, and she began to daydream about Impressing a queen. She wondered how old you had to be to stand for a gold egg, and sighed again at the thought that it would probably be Turns and Turns.
M'rel had taken her to the Weyr several times – never to a Hatching, but once she had been there soon after a Hatching, when the new dragons were still growing. She had watched them playing on the lake shore, with children helping to bathe them. It was pleasant at the Weyr; everyone was nice, especially the Headwoman. What was her name? Nuri... Nurevi, that was it. Nurevi always made Sarla feel special. Nurevi would choose a good foster mother for her... and she would see her father every day... and know one would know about Tabby... she clutched the wooden dragon and began making her way back to the main caverns.