Young Menolly lives and works in the Fisher's hall, where music is tolerated, but hard work is all. When her father bans her from ever playing or singing again, she runs away, taking shelter in a cave on the beach. Unexpectedly, she is befriended by a fire lizard and soon her life takes on completly new meaning.

One of the shorter stories in the Pern canon, but one that I've always liked. Mainly because Mennolly doesn't just accept the injustice at her father's hold, nor does she seek revenge or to fight - she simply walks away to start a new life. I also like the fact that everything is almost accidental - she effectively bumbles from one minor catastrophe to another, but copes and makes it work to her own advantage. This book also did a great job at introducing life away from the Weyrs and showing Threadfall from below, as it were. A lovely read - looking forward to revisiting the rest of Mennolly's story in the next one.