Kendrah, Duck, and Own lie together in the dark; all was quiet. They'd insisted on staying together, even if it was a bit of a hassle to rearrange things on such short notice.
"What are you going to miss most, Duck?" Kendrah asked into the quiet.
"Oh, I dunno Ken. Probably my games… and my coffee mug."
"You're weird!" Kendrah laughed. "I'm going to miss my 'cycle."
"Not for long! You'll have a dragon to ride if we're lucky!" Duck said, a hopeful smile in his voice.
"You know what I'm not going to miss?" Owen said, putting his arms behind his head.
"No, what?" Duck said, propping his head up on one hand.
"Saaanger…. Saaanger…. YOU SUCK!"
The last two words were spoken in unison, and followed by laughter. "I won't miss it either - but we're not done playing Hockey, you know. We've got time ahead of us…" Kendrah said.
"Speak for yourself. This is… was? My last season." Duck said, and edge of melancholy lacing his voice.
"Yeah, sucks, don't it? Wouldn't it be funny if we showed up to play the next game a'dragonback?" Owen chuckled.
The morning brought new surprises - but only in slight ways. They were expected to do chores; basically earn their keep around the place. Duck conned his way into the infirmary like a med student ought, and Kendrah and Owen helped out wherever they were needed.
Each resolved on their own to seek out corresponding fields to that of their education, to continues some sort of normalcy. Kendrah looked forward to sitting down with teachers, and Owen with historians - so it wasn't Earth history anymore, but history was history, right?
At midday meal their first day at Azon, Duck appeared with a small blue critter cradled in his arms. 
"Look guys…" Duck said, coming up to the table. Kendrah gawked.
"A mini-dragon?!"
"They call them firelizards! Isn't he precious?" Duck crooned. The firelizard's eyes twinkled in happy shades.
"He looks like a little dragon…" Owen said, nonplussed. "What're you going to call him?"
"Zam."
"Maybe you should get a second one and call it Boni." Kendrah said with a sarcastic snicker.
"Hey!"
"He reminds me of a puppy." Owen said, breaking the tension that may have become a fight.
"I knew it! I knew it! Owen's a dog person!" Kendrah crowed.
"And what are you? A cat person?" Duck countered.
"Nah. I'm a falconer." Kendrah said quite seriously.
"Falconer!?"
In such a manner passed the says until Kilorith's eggs were due to hatch.
Duck, Kendrah, and Owen are Canidates at Azon Weyr
Background by Tiyanni!