Immediately, all I wanted to do was crawl back into the shattered sanctuary of my egg. The sands were full of people, just watching, and they made me nervous. I would would have run straight to my rider, seeking comfort, but...They weren't there. Being the first dragon to hatch, I had all the available candidates to choose from, yet not a single one of them appealed to me. I knew they all had their own dragons waiting for them, trying desperately to break their shells and join their bondmates. It wouldn't be fair of me to take the rider meant for someone else.
My fear and sorrow soon subsided, but it left an ugly hole in my heart. My rider didn't even care enough to come for me, Ycoelinth! Fine. I thought privately to myself. If my bonded doesn't want me, than I don't want a bond at all! I wanted to cry. I wanted to wail and scream and never stop, that nobody wanted me. But I stayed silent. I was, after all, only a dragon, and dragons can't cry.
So I watched as my first sister hatched, a red-green dragoness. And I watched as she met her chosen, who threw her arms around her. My heart wept, but silently. I wouldn't let them see how much I hurt.
Ycoelinth can't find his bondmate anywhere. I told the senior queen. They should be here! I stated accusingly, but the queen ignored me as she relayed my message to the Weyrwoman.
"Perhaps you will find them at Darkling Dawn." She told me quickly, but her mind was already distracted by more of my clutchmates hatching.
Reluctantly, I nodded my head. I knew my bond couldn't be there. Even if they were, I was no longer sure I would accept a rider. After all, if they left me alone once, why couldn't they do it again?
I knew I wouldn't bond even before I hatched. *Giggles* I guess you could say I dreamed it, though I'm not entirely sure if dragons dream, much less of the future. But it's true! I saw it all in my head, perfectly clear, even as I was curled up in my egg.
-I don't intend to bond today. I would like to go to Darkling Dawn. I saw myself say to a pretty woman and a gold dragon. Though how I knew the green dragon was me, I don't know, since I hadn't hatched yet. Oh well, I guess it's one of those things better left unknown.
Then I began to try escaping my egg. Shards, it was harder than I thought it would be! I had one wing free soon, and by the time my red-green clutchsister had bonded, I had freed both my wings and the top of my head. I was in no particular hurry, since I knew I would not be keeping anyone waiting. By the time my last two brothers had bonded, I was finally free of the confining shell. I began to wander around, exploring things with a seemingly insatiable curiousity.
I hardly even noticed I was the only one left on the sands, until someone cleared their throat behind me, and I turned around to look at them. The sight of all those humans just staring at me made my green face go bright scarlet. I'm sorry. I told them blithely. I thought I had already told you. I must have imagined it or dreamed it or something. I don't intend to bond today. I would like to go to Darkling Dawn.
With my decision made, almost subconsiously, I turned and trotted off the sands, to join my fellow clutchmates in feeding before being taken to my new home.
I had already finished eating, though the other unbonded hatchlings were still gorging themselves. Now all I wanted to do was crawl into an empty weyr and fall asleep. Then I saw her. The small, slightly dazed-looking green dragon must have been the last to hatch, since all the others were already eating. As no human followed her in, I assumed she was unbonded, as I was.
Her green-blue eyes locked on mine, and she loped easily to where I was sitting, half draped in shadows, just watching the others. I regarded her suspiciously at first, but she seemed to be friendly, even a bit silly.
Hi, my name's Esaitonth. She said to me, cheerfully.
Taken aback, I replied, I'm Ycoelinth. I stared at the strange green, blinking my rainbow eyes in startled confusion. I don't have a rider. I added with a tone of bitterness in my 'voice'.
The green, Esaitonth, just cocked her head, regarding me coolly. I don't have a rider, either. She said. But I don't mind. I know I'll find him or her eventually.
How do you know? I asked her scornfully.
Esaitonth shrugged. I don't know. I just...do. The same way I knew I wouldn't bond straight away, before I hatched. I just...see things in my mind, then they happen.
What are you, some kind of dimglow? I asked her suspiciously. Though I knew it was rude, I didn't care.
Esaitonth just blinked, looking up at the glowbaskets that lined the walls. Nope, none of the glows need replacing, so I guess I'm not. She glanced down at herself and giggled.
I just shook my head and turned away from the strange green, intending to go find somewhere dark and quiet to spend the rest of the day. Esaitonth trailed behind me, still asking inane questions. Hey, where are you going? You know, to stay?
Darkling Dawn. I answered moodily, but Esaitonth didn't even seem to notice my grouchiness.
Her eyes whirled faster as she crooned happily. Hey! That's where I'm going, too! We'll be together, Ycoelinth!
I groaned, covering my eyes with my wings in despair.
We rode on a pair of bronze dragons from Darkling Dawn when it was time to leave. Ycoelinth was on the bigger one, tied by spare riding straps to the bronze's back. He didn't look very comfortable. I giggled, and he glared.
I, too, was strapped to the back of the smaller of the two bronzes, and we were taken to our new home of Darkling Dawn. The trip through between was bizarre. It was icy cold, but I couldn't feel anything, not even the bronze dragon underneath me or the rider's arm around my middle. Ycoelinth! I cried out. I was scared, terrified of the freezing blackness surrounding me.
It's okay, little one. The bronze one said to me, but I didn't listen. It was only my clutchmate's voice that calmed me.
Hush, Esaitonth. They wouldn't take us here if it wasn't safe, would they? He crooned reassuringly. I cocked my head and looked at him. Crooning was not a sound he made often, when he made any sound at all. I rather thought it suited him, though.
Finally, we arrived out of between over our new home. My first impression was: It's so green...Dragonwillow, even though it was on the southern continent, was relatively devoid of greenery, despite the grubs, as was traditional for Weyrs.
Ycoelinth explained it to me. See, here, there's no Thread. So there's no need to clear away the greenery, it's perfectly safe.
But why does no Thread fall here, Ycoe'? He seemed a bit uneasy with the nickname, but answered my question anyway.
Darkling Dawn's...not on the Old World. Actually, it's not on any world. It's what they call...between dimensions? He looked up at the bronze inquiringly, who nodded in affirmation. Right. Ycoelinth continued. It's between dimensions, so there's no edges. The forests just go on and on, forever.
Wow...I heard Ycoelinth echo my amazement.
My bond never did come for me, which was exactly what I was expecting. This time, the sense of loss was a bit easier to deal with...Maybe because I'd been prepared for it. Or maybe because this time, I had Esaitonth to keep me company.
We were not bondmates. We never had been, and we both knew that we would never share a bond that deep with each other. We were content just to have the other as a friend, which is what she eventually became to me, as what I suppose I eventually became to her.
The humans treated us kindly, but stayed out of our way. That was fine, since neither of us cared all that much for human company in the first place. We met the other dragonpairs, most of them bonded to another dragon. In a way, they were outcasts, like us. With no human to take care of their needs or communicate regularly with most of the humans, they were more or less left to themselves. They seemed to prefer it that way, and Esaitonth and I were no different.
Esaitonth tended to be friendlier to humans than I, and indeed, most of the other dragon pairs, with the possible exception of Ciqantath and Arajaxth. I kept to myself, the way I'd always done.
But, perhaps it wasn't as bad at Darkling Dawn as I'd thought it would be...
I woke up one day, creeling in fear at what I had dreamed. Ycoelinth stirred from the other side of the weyr we shared, and his eyes whirled yellow with concern. Esaitonth? What is it?
I shuddered to myself, eyes wide and swirling with violent golds and yellows. The Weyrwoman's in danger!
Ycoelinth looked confused. What are you talking about, Esaitonth? Of course there's nothing wro-
No! Come, look! I raced outside, fearful of seeing the scene I'd witnessed in my dreams played out before my eyes. I'd seen the Weyrwoman, Teah, and her gold dragon Eoth...They were killed...I ran into the surrounding forests in a frenzied panic.
A gentle breeze whipped through the trees, making the emerald leaves rustle against each other. A few songbirds chirped peacefully to each other, accompanied by the steady drone of tiny insects. No gold dragon curled in pain, no Weyrwoman lying in a pool of crimson. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Absolutely nothing.
Ycoelinth emerged from the cover of the leafy undergrowth. A large, bright golden dragon followed, carrying a dark-haired woman. The Weyrwoman and senior queen. Perfectly fine. I hung my head, embarrassed and ashamed. I was wrong...
"What's going on here?" Weyrwoman Teah demanded.
Ycoelinth answered before I could speak up. Esaitonth just had a bad dream, that's all. He said, refusing to look at me.
Are you sure you are fine? Eoth asked me.
Ezzy? Ycoelinth's eyes were swirling quickly with bright yellow as he looked at me. He'd never called me that before. Ycoelinth hated nicknames and endearments.
I'm sorry. I've just been a big bother to you all now, haven't I?
Ycoelinth began to protest, but Eoth cut him off. I think you should go somewhere else for a while. She said. Both of you.
Ycoelinth and I both began to protest, but the Queen and queenrider ignored us as they conversed silently. Finally, Teah looked up at us. "Why don't you stay at Abri for a while? I'll talk to Abri's Weyrwoman about letting you stand for the clutches there."
Ycoelinth and I glanced at each other. Neither of us had really thought about Impressing. Ycoelinth was still convinced that he would never bond, I had never wanted to in the first place. But it seemed that now we didn't have much of a choice, the Weyrleaders had essentially kicked us out.
It's not like you won't be coming back. Eoth added gently.
I didn't answer, and turned to Ycoelinth. Sorry...
Don't be ridiculous! Ycoelinth snapped. You haven't done anything...Come on. He added more gently. I barely had time to follow him into the air before we'd jumped between.
Eoth looked over at her rider. "Think we should be careful from now on, Eoth?" Teah asked the gold.
It was just a dream, mine. Nothing is going to happen to us. Eoth said, nuzzling the woman's arm reassuringly.
I looked up, searching through the candidates for my bond. He had to be here!
Then I saw him. A large, hulking brown shape huddled in the shadows, away from rest of the candidates. I stood and dashed towards him. Ycoelinth! He looked up then, and saw me. His eyes widened slightly as he took in my pale blue hide, rippled with lighter and darker shades. I stopped and looked up at him. Still so sure you'll never bond, Ycoelinth? I asked my bond softly.
He stared at me disbelievingly. You're really sure you want me, Emlireith?
Of course. I said, laughing slightly. I'm sorry I couldn't be at your hatching-but will you take me now?
Ycoelinth laughed. Yes! Several people glanced at him in surprise, but neither of us cared. We had each other now.
I didn't really want to leave my egg. It was comfy and-believe it or not-actually cooler in there than it was outside. But C'est la vie, and besides, I had to find my bond. I poked a whole in the shell with the eggtooth on my snout, and after much struggling, poked my head out.
I climbed out and stood on the sands, and watched my blue sister walk towards her bond. My attention was drawn away as I spotted my own bondmate, watching the Impression of the other dragons and not even noticing me yet.
I walked over and nudged her foreclaw with my snout, and Esaitonth jumped in surprise as she looked down at me. Kaaylieth?
I smiled, as much as dragons were able to. Did you dream about me? I asked curiously. For I know your dreams are true, Esaitonth...
Esaitonth looked a bit sad as she answered. Yes...Unfortunately. Puzzled, I glanced up at her. I didn't dream about you...why would I want to spoil the surprise?
We both laughed, and unpleasant thoughts were banished from our minds, for now.
