Tai watched as Jethley and Tarymi got into the stands and sat down, Jethley was joined by her family a moment later. A grin split Tai’s face. T’rukel wrapped his arms around Tai from behind. “Well, well, Isifth’s fourth clutch, and the largest.” He layed his chin on her head. “I almost feel like humming myself.” Tai laughed.

“Don’t let me stop you. The dragons will drown out your off-key voice.” Suddenly Isifth let out a bugle and lowered her head at the female candidates gathering around the golden egg and hissed. Her head swayed over it protectively and Tai caught sight of the second golden egg and grinned. It was larger than any of the other eggs, including the first golden egg.

“Isifth…that egg is going to hatch and the dragonet inside is going to them anyway, let them stand around it.”

No! They’ll put their filthy hands all over my precious child! And Isifth pulled the egg closer to her just as a brown arm suddenly shot out of an eggshell towards the center of the clutch. The tail appeared second and then it’s three other limbs. The eggshell shattered as the large brown was suddenly spilled onto the sands. It’s body glistened in the light that came from the entrance of the cavern. His whirling blue eyes looked forward and he bugled as he knew whom he would choose as his bonded. He ran towards the candidates, and knocked into An’ik, sending him sprawling on the ground on his back. Will fighting Thread be enough of a challenge for you, An’ik? Am I…good enough for you? He asked, peering into An’ik’s eyes as his own whirled softly. “Of course you are good enough for me! I could not have expected better. And I am sure Thread will be challenge enough, Narveth.” He replied and walked off the sands with his beloved. It was five minutes before another egg split.

The next egg rocked back and forth violently, rolling around in the sand and creating a divot. This dragonet seemed to be having a little bit of trouble hatching and Tai held her breath. Suddenly, a large green head and part of the long neck burst from the shell. The egg rolled a bit more, it was ever so difficult to get out! The green bugled as her egg started rolling down the sands towards the entrance.

“Wait! Naovith! Wait! I am coming!” Tai’s eyes widened in surprise as the person in the sands ran towards the rolling egg. She caught it just in time and helped the large green out. “It must be hard to get out of eggs, I don’t blame you.” Mivi responded to a silent comment from her dragonet.

“Well…that was interesting.” T’rukel said.

“Hush now, T’rukel.” Tai scolded. Next to hatch was a hugeblue…it had to be the size of a bronze and Tai looked up at Isifth and laughed. She had never seen a blue that big before. Yet…as they watched, the blue stumbled around, bumping into everyone that was standing on the sands.

It was then that Tai noticed the blue was blind and her heart went out to it. “It’s blind.” Tai said sadly to T’rukel.

The blue began creeling in fear, stumbling around. He headed for the entrance and suddenly Maic ran forward and picked the hatchling up and carried him back to the candidates, speaking softly to it. “I am not his chosen!” Maic said almost sadly and he set the blue down. Then, the blue did something Tai had never heard of before in a hatching…it called to Isifth and the gold helped the blue find its way to her. “Isifth?” Tai questioned. He can not find his chosen here, but he feels someone out in the world and will wait for him. He is sad that he is blind, Tai. Isifth lowered her head to the blue and licked him before sheltering him with her wing.

Tai felt sorry for the blue and when she turned back again she felt more sorry for Maic. He looked as if he didn’t have any hope in the world to Impress. Renka, one of the fellow candidates, tried to comfort the poor boy and lift his spirits.

Suddenly a loud bugle was heard and everyone’s attention strayed to the bronze that hatched. It seemed very stressed indeed that no one had noticed him hatch and he bugled again before spreading his wings and showing off his beautifully proportioned body. Tai smiled at the bronze.

“Hey, he looks just like Monrith.” T’rukel noted and Monrith bugled his pride and gave the large bronze a push towards the candidates. But the bronze didn’t need that push, for he already knew who he wanted.

It is nice that you comfort poor Maic, Renka…shall we wait for one of my brothers to hatch and Impress him?

“Braizeth?” Renka looked startled for moment and then a grin split his face. “Of course, it is nice of you to offer.” And Renka explained to Maic who seemed to become more hopeful. Braizeth took his spot beside Renka, rubbing his head against Renka’s knees.

Lady Luck seemed to be with Maic, for at that moment, another bronze hatched, and this one was larger than his sibling…in fact, he would get larger than both of his parents when he was fully grown. The bronze toppled out of his egg and took a nose dive into the sand. The bronze blinked and then got back up.

I am here, Maic! I am here! Now do you doubt that you will Impress? Maic seemed to tremble and he walked forward, his left hand outstretched towards the bronze. We should thank Braizeth and Renka for waiting for me to come to you, shouldn’t we? At least you didn’t have to wait long, Maic. The talkative bronze said and loped over beside his brother as the two boys followed their dragonets out.

I approve greatly of those Impressions! Isifth commented. Oops. The golden egg suddenly shattered from between Isifth’s claws and a golden dragonet streaked out.

Shestiy! Oomph! Suddenly, the gold took a very un-royal nose-dive into the sands.

“Sindalometh! You shouldn’t run so fast, you might hurt yourself.”

Suddenly, there was a loud very un-happy and angry-sounding brassy bugle. Isifth? Tai asked accusingly.

Yes? Isifth asked innocently, but Tanim was running towards the golden dam. Isifth hissed at Tanim, but she refused to heed Isifth’s warning and tried to get at something that was still hiding in Isifth’s claws.

“ISIFTH!” Tai yelled.

But…she is my daughter and I don’t want her to go. Isifth said sadly but Tanim already had hold of the golden twin and was carrying her away.

“Yes, she is way too protective, you mother. Don’t worry Festyth, I have you now and she won’t ever try to keep you from me again.” Tanim stomped off the sands, still carrying the gold.

Two eggs hatched next, both spilled small whites onto the sands, crying out. Tai grinned as Jethley immediately leapt off the stands and ran towards one of the whites while Embyr picked up the other.

“Well, two whites! My word, Isifth…” T’rukel commented.

Didn’t you expect that of me? I had two whites in my last clutch! Isifth sounded somewhat put-off that T’rukel just noticed. “Millkith is the name of my white!” Jethley shouted.

“Mine’s Safyrth.” Embyr added quietly, stroking the white’s head. Suddenly, one of the larger eggs bounced and it looked rather funny. The egg had been spinning somewhat rapidly and then tipped, causing it to give a slight bounce…now it was rolling towards the entrance at a fast pace and as it sped towards the candidates, it knocked into a smaller egg and they both went rolling down towards the entrance, picking up speed as they went-afterall, the cavern did have a slight hill. The crowd burst into laughter at the sight and barely heard the shattering of the eggs as they reached the entrance to the cavern. Tai climbed onto Isifth’s back to get a better view and saw a bronze and a blue…and both looked very disoriented…dizzy.

Yikran! If you don’t get down here right now, then this bronze is going to have to Impress someone else for I will not show my face in there to be embarrassed further! Tai watched as one of the boys in the stands ran towards the bronze, and he was followed by more laughter.

“I’m coming, Everesth! Don’t Impress anyone else!” Yikran said, horrified at the thought that his bronze might Impress someone else. Talarev, now T’rav, suddenly turned on his heal and ran towards the entrance as well.

“Come now, I know you won’t Impress anyone else but me.” T’rav replied as his blue mimicked his bronze brother. Isifth suddenly bugled and backed away from the second egg that was hatching, careful to help the blind blue away as well. The majority of the candidates as well as the people in the stands hadn’t known of the second golden egg and gasped.

The egg shattered into several large pieces and a queen stood where the egg had been moments before. The queen candidates, too stunned to do anything but stare at the large beauty, just stood there and…stared. The gold seemed to know the scrutiny she was under as the girls looked her up and down and a twinkle in her eye revealed she was expecting more of a response in a minute. Slowly, the gold spread her glistening wings and then let off a brassy bugle.

Everyone stared in stunned silence at the gold. There were very distinct markings on both of her wings. The markings were black, brown, and bronze. Tai clung to her queen’s neck as she looked down, having never had a chance to get down. “She’s beautiful dear.” Tai said, gasping at the beauty.

Do you mind that I am slightly different, Liloran?

“Of course not!” Liloran said, stepping forward.

Good…then I can be different for the both of us. You no longer have to feel different, Liloran! But Liloran shook her head as she fell to her knees and hugged the gold.

“You aren’t different, Abarayath, you’re just prettier.” Liloran said so only the gold could hear her. Tai slid off Isifth’s back and hugged her queen’s leg. The Impression had been so touching, it reminded her a lot of her Impression to Isifth. The remaining gold candidates moved to the stands, saddened that they had not Impressed, but still wanting to watch the rest of the hatching.

The last of the largest eggs suddenly split open, revealing another glistening white. But as she too spread her wings, they were revealed to be golden in color and Tai felt her heart raise in excitement. Who would get this lovely beauty?

Renik moved forward, very curious about this gorgeous wonder. But the white-gold flapped her wings in agitation at the girl and hissed. Renik backed off, understanding. The white-gold turned and raced towards the stands, calling at the top of her lungs.

Why! I can’t believe Tai wouldn’t want you to Impress just because of a stupid age-limit my dam put down! Well, I’ve chosen and she can’t undo it now, Nyreem, now can she? Why, I ought to talk some sense into that stuck-up gold rider! She thinks she can do anything she wants just because she has been declared the official Weyrwoman! When Nyreem didn’t budge, the white-gold bugled, trying to call her chosen down.

“Well, who has she chosen from the stands? Get down here now and accept her before she hurts herself!” Tai said angrily when the white-gold began to climb into the stands. “Come now! I won’t be angry at whoever it is!” But Tai was taken aback when Nyreem stood and then ran down to the white-gold. She had never expected the person to be Nyreem! She felt anger flare for a minute and then realized that it was the dragonet’s choice, and not hers. It was a good thing that Nyreem had come here, otherwise the white-gold would have joined her lonely brother and she didn’t think anyone would like that.

Why, she’s bigger than I was at my hatching! And she looks just like me! Well, with the exception of color, of course. But isn’t she beautiful? Isifth asked, bragging about her child’s beauty.

“All your children are beautiful.” Tai said.

You take care of her now, Nyreem. Not that I don’t know that you would never let harm come to her because I do know, but I must appear to be very protective of my children…otherwise, I wouldn’t be acting as much a gold as the others expect me to act…then where would I be if the other golds knew that I was a softie? Isifth spoke to the girl, her eyes whirling rapidly.

As Isifth finished her sentence to Nyreem, four more eggs split, revealing two blues and two greens.

“At least there are some normal colors in Isifth’s clutch. I was beginning to worry that we won’t have anymore fighters.” Isifth snorted at T’rukel’s comment.

My clutches are always normal. Normal for me anyway.

You mean our clutches. And they are normal for us, not just you. Monrith corrected. Causing Tai and T’rukel to laugh. The lighter of the greens sat down with her blind brother and the darker sped towards Cerrel.

Well…I am much prettier than my green sister, Cerrel, aren’t I? And I am bigger, and I am prettier and bigger and... The green repeated herself several times.

Cerrel laughed. “Yes, Histesth, you are prettier than she is.” He said. The green’s body was perfectly proportioned, her eyes were very large, larger than other dragonet’s eyes, and very attractive. Her wings were just the right size for her body. She would be able to fly very well when she got bigger, probably better than the other dragonets that hatched.

The two small blues, which everyone had temporarily forgotten about, hung their heads and dragged their tails as they walked over towards Isifth. They could not find their chosen here, though they could feel their chosen somewhere. The crowd seemed to get a little displeased over the fact that three blues and one green now remained unimpressed.

Another green hatched shortly after the two blues joined their blind brother. She creeled in anticipation of getting to her bonded and streaked away from the candidates and towards away from the stands…towards the exit. Sijxa! I am going straight to the food and if you aren’t there by the time I get there, then I will eat all the food! The green sang at the girl in the stands. Okay…maybe not all of the food, but I will start eating before you can…there you are. You sure move quickly!

Finally, what looked to be the last egg that would hatch, hatched. A snowy-white dragonet sprung from the shards. My name is Faramith, Renik. Do you like me?"

"Of course I do, Faramith!" Renik hugged her dragonet and then they moved off the sands. Tai sighed happily as the clutch finished hatching. She saw the three remaining gold candidates leaving and gasped. “Wait!” She called. “Elfie! Vénæ! Lopa! Come back!” Tai yelled and ran after the candidates. “Wait!” T’rukel ran after Tai, wondering what in the name of the first egg she was doing.

“Tai…what are you doing?” T’rukel asked as Tai finally caught up with the girls.

“Don’t you remember these three from before, T’rukel? You know…from Isifth’s three previous clutches?” The girls seemed confused as the two Weyrleaders talked to each other.

“Uhm…” He looked closer at the three girls and a smile spread across his face. “Yes I do and you weren’t very ki—oomph…” Tai hit him in the stomach before he could say anything further.

“Vénæ, Elfie, Lopa…you three…whom I just recognized and just remembered, were in Isifth’s three previous clutches to Impress. We must have sent you back in time. I can’t go there because I was there with Isifth, but R’es was not there and he can take you on his brown to the three previous clutches.”

“I can do what?” R’es asked, coming up to the group, a wide grin on his face. “Tell me now, Tai…are you sending me on another errand?”

“As a matter of fact, I am.” Tai turned to R’es and returned the grin. “You and Kraiteth must take these three back to Isifth’s three previous clutches. Isifth can give Kraiteth a clear image of where we were.”

“Ah…already done. Seems Isifth is a step ahead of you.” R’es sighed. “Alright girls, hop aboard.” He said as Kraiteth flew down. Tai hurried and got the four unimpressed dragonets, carrying the blind one. She would find some people to take care of them till their bonded came. Tai...Isifth, T’rukel and I kind of like it here. Perhaps you are willing to stay? Monrith asked. Tai grinned.

You don’t have to worry about that, Monrith. I couldn’t leave this Weyr now for anything. I'll tell everyone at the feast that I will remain Weyrwoman of Sidra Weyr.