Gold Diamoth and Brown Lilioth
But there were drawbacks. The dragon eggs on the sands, for instance. Technically, they could be said to exist in two places at one time. And that just would not do. There were so many dragon riders taking family, friends and such through the nexus to cover for their absence on one world, that they did not have much time to assemble their ranks and fight against the Ants on Paniya. Nor did it seem that their old dragons, and those found in Blackstone, would be able to fight with their flames put out. Without the vital charcoal substance they fed the dragons, their flames were extinguished forever. How the local Alskyr dragons did it was still a mystery to the white-haired man, but one that he would have more than ample time to learn about later. The gryphons of the area intrigued him greatly, and he had watched them fighting off the Ants while touring the Isle.
The Ants weren’t the end of the threats, but at least those blasted things usually wore themselves out and could be turned away. This nest of eggs upon Alabaster’s sands would be the last of their kind, true. But, Engell smiled to himself and straightened out the paperwork in front of him, there would be something new to replace them soon enough. Tirin guaranteed him that the Aerie would be in full working order within half a year at most. There were already a couple eggs in nests, but they were not fit for bonders yet. Engell put himself back to work, for his own bonders sake.
Looking over one set of tacked-together papers, Engell sighed. “Where have you gone, beautiful Marian? Diamoth was certain you would be good for an egg. And your husband is waiting...” He blinked and leaned back. Shani would be there, at the hatching. He was certain of it. But how? Either she had been left behind at the old Protectorate, which was unlikely, or she had gone somewhere and not known how to return. Verelan was beside himself, but fortunately his young bronze Montaroth kept him from being too distraught. The honor and the responsibility of a dragon kept his mind occupied. Engell tried to console the furred male, but could not really explain where his mate had got to.
J’rin cleared his throat after sticking his head through the slightly-cracked door. “Sir? Everything seems to be going fine. I’ve located a couple other candidates. Did you need me for anything else?”
Engell swung his eyes up from the papers, not paying any attention to them anyway. “Right now, search rider, your job is done. Go have yourself something to eat. Or,” he pressed his fingers together, “why not go see your candidates? Surely it must be getting close to hatching time. The dragons and flitters are restless.”
“You know signs as well as any rider, sir.” J’rin said, and begged out. He seemed relieved, and somewhat confused. He would be returning to Ryslen of course, but Engell figured it was only a matter of time before Ryslen and many other of their old-world locales would be making the desperate, impossible jump from there to Alskyr.
Moments after J’rin left, Leilani knocked gently at the Lord’s door. He bid her to enter, and she stood with her back leaning against the smooth wall. “Sir, I should like to look for her. Two of them, actually. Do you think they’re together?”
“Two? Ah, the... sort of gypsy?” Engell asked, and Leilani nodded slowly. “Yes. But ... Diamoth will not leave the sands. And will she allow you to leave either?”
A sly grin had already crossed Leilani’s heavy and red-washed lips. “We have left and come back already, sir. That’s the way with these modern day time traveling dragon riders. They don’t know when to quit. And so you know? Kalkin didn’t get lost this time.” She swayed out of the room, laughing, as Engell blinked away the surprise.
With a sigh, he ground his teeth and finally admitted a smile onto his face. It would have been disasterous to have the queen of the clutch off galavanting – especially with Kalkin and his little blue to guide them. But apparently, Engell pondered correctly, the queen did not go anywhere until after the clutch hatched, then went at her leisure off with whomever her attendants were. They picked up the errant candidates. Would pick them up. Whatever. Engell was not a rider, never would be. But he did at least know some things ought to be done carefully if at all. And time traveling, especially around the Nexus and so early after having left the old locale, was always dangerous. Too much memory of their old world could bring a rider back to it, they’d already had to rescue a number of riders.
Leilani and the Alabaster group of riders were not among those who needed rescuing. They were determined, and most of them had managed to adjust in this short time, quite admirably. They too would be given time to learn their new niche in this world.
He trusted the younger woman implicitly, and certainly wasn’t about to chastise her for her actions. She wanted the best candidates on the sands, for her dragon, and whatever she needed to do was fine with him. After this, he’d be able to retire from this dragon business. So many years, so many generations, to come to this? With half a smile on his face, he stood and watched the waves outside, and relaxed. There were diving gryphs there. The future of Alabaster.
***
In half an hour, when the sun was about to set, Engell heard the dragons in their cavern below. He missed the beautiful white-sand Alabaster hatching cave, but this one was almost exactly like it, and the candidates didn’t seem to notice the difference. A small alis-gryph lit into the tower with a hastily-scribed note to the Lord. He chuckled at it, and headed down to the Sands. Dunes, he reminded himself. A dune which was not going to see use again, for some time. The nests above and on the shore would be far busier, of course.
Engell and Leilani met up again near the entrance to the Dunes. The warm room was busy with noise and movement, but they were still. Lo’pez approached with a beaming smile on his tanned face. “This is it! Our eggs hatching at last,” he seemed so perfectly happy with it.
“Our eggs?” Leilani smirked. “Diamoth’s eggs. She’s done all the hard work. You and I have done practically nothing at all. Yet.” They shared a strange ‘we’ve been timing it’ look.
The candidates began to arrive, as the dragons reached their loudest. The room itself was not nearly as large as the Alabaster sands were. For that reason, the dragons were mostly outside. Those who had transported people remained outside, while those Alabaster based dragon riders were priveledged to remain within. There was more than ample light coming from the setting sun, though it cast a clear red-orange glow over everything. The white sand within the chamber turned amber in this light. The number of folk allowed inside to view the hatching was low, especially given that the large clutch needed room to open up, and the candidates would not be crowded. Since there was not an internal exit from the dunes, the visitors made room for the candidates and bonders as they would be leaving, out the front onto the long beach nearby. Above, on the cliffside to the east, lay the Alabaster tower and surrounding buildings. Many people remained there, but stood up on the cliff side in hopes of glimpsing the new bonders as they came up for their feast.
Tents decorated with bright lanterns and slung with banners were everywhere. The beach was crowded with them, mostly along the cliff side, where rope ladders and even a couple ‘elevators’ were draped down the rocky cliff. There was a main tent with cut up meat in large bowls for the hungry hatchlings that would shortly be coming out from the Dunes, and next to it was the medic’s tent. While the candidates arrived, and the onlookers gathered, Engell made sure that everything else was running smoothly. He would be back to the Dunes in time for the eggs to break, he was sure.
“You’re going to look for the women?” Engell asked Kalkin, who started and turned with wide blue eyes.
“I already have. I’m not well. I’m also over there,” this second-version of the man said, nodding a bit to the tent where the ‘first’ version stood preparing salves and ointments and stitching equipment for any accidents that might occur. “I do not want to meet me, Engell, so I’ll be off. The Sixth...es are having a wonderful time. Hear them?”
Engell cocked his head, and sure enough, the sing-song chittering of not one but TWO little blue Sixth floated down from the cliff side.
“Then where are they?” Engell asked, and the second-Kalkin again nodded toward the cliff.
“Preparing, with the others. The Mari needed a bit of medical attention, but she’ll be all right. Her husband is with her.” With that, Kalkin the time-lost went off to get his Sixth – and he truly hoped he hadn’t screwed up by choosing one of them over the other. Confused, he vanished on the blue’s back, apparently going forward in time again until there was no longer a paradox of people.
Engell walked toward the candidates tents, and found that the Mari pair were discussing quietly with one of the more hide-bound of the old-worlders that Shani would not in fact be wearing any such white gown for this event, even if it were tradition.
“Leilani promised me,” Shani wailed, her eyes wide and brimming with hot tears. “She promised me I would not be forced to wear ... this!” She held out the white garment at Engell.
“And I will keep that promise,” Engell stated, his voice low and clear. The attendant snatched the white robe from the felinoids hand and passed it to someone else, who set it down without putting it on. Apparently, this was more than too much for the older auntie, and she went from the tent in a huff. Engell chuckled a bit, “well, that takes care of her. If we don’t have you putting this on, I hardly expect anyone else to wear them. It works for others...”
With profound relief on her feline face, Shani bowed to Engell and thanked him in their whispering, growling language. Verelan helped his mate up to her feet, they both towered over everyone else there.
Everyone save one. One extremely odd male, named Eraill, stood taller. But he was slender and not at all humanoid like the Mari were. Oh, he stood upon two legs, but he looked more like a stick-insect than anything else. Engell had long accustomed himself to holding back any disgust or fear of this oddly-faced creature, but still. The Lleisiau emissary no longer had his wing sails, and his face (what could be said to be a face, anyway) had so little in common with humans that Eraill still frightened most people.
“I know you can get around perfectly well, rhannu Eraill,” Engell said, “but would you like an escort into the Dunes? There are many people gathering.”
The low hum of the dragons threatened to burst the poor Anuaeri’s ears, and he hesitated. “I would prefer to remain outside,” he said, his strange calling voice high-pitched and almost elusive to Engell’s hearing. Kalkin cleared his throat and pulled Engell aside.
“He’d be best off out here, until absolutely necessary. His hearing is...” he smiled a bit, “well, like mine. They move by echolocation, so he’s been complaining about the dragons announcing the hatching, all day long.”
“They only started an hour ago,” Engell said.
“That may be true, but to Eraill they’ve been gearing up for it since morning. I tend to agree with him. It’s far too loud.”
“Are you coming in for the hatching, then?” Engell asked.
“I’ve had my fill of them, Engell, too many strays try bonding me. Sixth would get jealous if another one tried it.” Kalkin turned and tended to Eraill’s ruined arm wing-sails again. Engell left the tent, and headed back to the Dunes as the dragons song became more intense.
It was just in time, too, that the Lord of Alabaster came into the Dunes. For right at that moment, the biggest of the eggs began to spin!
The big golden-hued egg thrashed about, while several other eggs also began to buck. But this one would clearly be opening first. The dragons continued their song, Diamoth crooning the loudest and with more pride than all the rest. Her beautiful big golden egg was going to hatch first! What an accomplishment!
The talons which broke free of the egg chipped away at the shell with a sure, determined strength. The golden limb which pushed out was followed very shortly by the snout and neck of a beautiful golden dragoness. She squirmed her way out of the shell, her wings breaking the opening more. The girls whispered to one another, that this lovely vision would be quite strong, if not large. She unfurled her wings and shook the wetness from her skin. Then she deliberated about the girls gathered before her. The other eggs still shook with their hatchlings inside, but it was as if she alone wanted this moment to herself on the sands. The moment that she placed her feet on the sand, the dragons stopped their loud song.
Silence overtook the stands as the dragons ended their crooning. Then, mutterings and quickly placed bets were made. Oblivious to this, the queenlet looked from one face to the next, oddly dwelling on a male named Raydon before fully switching to the girls. She strode before all of them, and each girl or young woman’s heart threatened to explode. But the whirling angry-red eyes of this golden dragon only turned a soft green-yellow when they spied a sixteen-year old darkly skinned girl. The girl’s eyes were mismatched blues, and the dragoness bespoke to her.
You have funny eyes. Will my eyes turn those colors?
“O-only if you let them, Kesshinth!” Cried Sacilla. “Yours are much more matched than mine!” The young mother clung to the golden dragonet’s neck with a fierce happiness in her own eyes. She heard her child, Soam, calling for her. “You must meet my boy, Kesshinth. He’ll love you!” The girl’s golden flitter dived down over head, and Sacilla scolded her. “Acan, you behave! This is our new lifemate!”
Proudly, Sacilla and her golden dragonet paraded themselves out to the waiting crowd, who were stunned to see that the gold had come first! Many people lost money on that bet!
Three eggs on the Dunes began to crack open at the same time. Two were fairly large, and one seemed dwarfed by them though it was of average size. The biggest two revealed a huge green, and a medium sized brown, while the third egg cracked open with a beautiful green dragonet inside. They collectively shook off their shells and greeted one another. Then they took off to different parts of the Dunes.
The big green strode up to a black-haired girl whose brown flitter chirped loudly. “I know! I know she’s here! What do you want me to do about it, you little pest?”
You do not have to go back to your hold, Pirenamay, bespoke the big green. I am Lielth, and I will accomapany you where you wish to be. And your big pest too. The green nudged Zer as he stretched from the girl’s wrist, and he chittered again.
While they were going out to the sunset and the cheering crowd, the brown dragon was busy looking over the male candidates. He seemed to be rather different in shape than the other hatchlings, sharp where they were smooth, and much longer. He reached over to Adel, whose big hands soon caressed the dark brown hide. I am Gudifak, the dragon announced, you can feed me now, can’t you?
“Of course I can, Gudifak! What an interesting name you have there...” The horse-handler helped his new lifemate off the dunes, and into the tent where the ever-popular fresh cut meat lay.
The smaller green took her time while choosing among the girl candidates. Up in the stands, one of the search riders’ dragons gave off a cheering croon, and Maiahn found herself halfway below this eager new companion. The dragoness stretched up and put her still-sandy paws onto the girl’s shoulders, and creeled in both hunger and happiness.
I have found you! Oh it took so long, I know... I am Yemlith, and your beautiful blue friend over there was right! You are perfect for me!
“Yemlith,” spoke Maiahn, “and you’re just the right dragon for me!” She glanced up at J’rin who was grinning broadly. Their dragons would surely be right for one another!
While they were walking out to the tent, Eraill sensed something inside the Dunes, and finally braved them. He left the medic’s tent and listened intensely to the sounds on the inside of one of the shells. Upon the sands, he heard every movement that the dragons within their eggs made. One of them in particular seemed to call to him. Though he was not at all sure if he was listening in his mind, or in his ears. When the dragon he was paying attention to broke through his shell, everyone wondered in a bluster of whispers, what color that really was? It was a shade between grey, silver and blue, a slate color. Nothing like it ever hatched, anywhere, that Engell knew of.
It does not matter what color I am, the dragon thought to Eraill. You cannot see and do not judge me by it, and I will fly for you. Eraill felt the cold, still-wet muzzle of this exotic dragon press onto one of his hands. The shape of this dragon was a bit like the longer ‘brown’ who had hatched just before. The Anuaeri ran his fingers over the length of the dragonet, and discovered that it would be a great flier. His aerodynamic face and shape would slip through the air... His wings were long and well shaped. Eraill missed his own wings, and they still gave him phantom pains when he thought about them. But this dragon pressed up against Eraill warmly. I am your wings. I am Suonetark, I promise to grow quickly so that I can bring you into the air again.
As the exotic bonder and his equally exotic dragon left the sands again for the cooler silence outside, four eggs then began to break. One of them was a very large egg indeed, but it was well behind the other three. When the first of them burst open, it was with a brightly metallic silver-colored dragon inside. Gasps echoed through the Dunes. A slate, now a silver? The large dragon bellowed and for a moment, most people wondered if she would turn on her newly hatched siblings? Both of those siblings who had come from their eggs were also oddly shaded.
The silver however shouldered her way past the other two, and into the mix of girls. She spun around, slapping her tail against several of the girls’ legs, and causing at least one of them to trip and fall.
“Sinarth, be nice! You’re making me embarrassed...” Said Torea. She then slapped her hands over her mouth in wide-eyed surprise.
Of course I am for you! Why do you think you knew my name? I do not like how your friends treat you. Would you like it if I went and—
“No no! Sinarth, you’ve got to behave!” Torea escorted the angry silver dragoness off the sands, as the other two found their own bonds.
One of them, a dark coppery-colored bronze, slipped around the boys, inspecting each of them. Most of them obviously did not pass muster, and at last the young innovator Kaak was the one he chose. Two flitters, a green and a white, chirruped happily at him, from either shoulder. “Hush! I can hardly hear a thing!” Kaak suggested to the flits, but then his attention was diverted by the copper dragon near his feet.
I am Hangiventh, and you are my rider. I hope you do not want to add any motors or anything to me...
Laughing, Kaak told him that no, he would be just fine all by himself.
The third of the dragons was a pale creamy color. Not white, but not brown. More like butter-cream, and very smooth indeed. She waited for the others to gather their new bonds, and then headed toward the girls. One in particular she spotted, and seemed to be happy with.
Up in the stands, Verelan smiled widely to himself, pressed in on all sides by these small humans... They were so excitable, and they were quite loud, but all he saw was beautiful Shani bonding to this lovely large cream-colored female. His bronze Montaroth mentally told him that her name was Netsuaith.
But he knew that anyway. Shani looked up at him, joy and pride and bliss all at once. I am devoted to you, as you are devoted to him. We will make a fine family!
Just as they were leaving the dunes, the bigger egg broke open with a loud pop. Inside it was not one but two dragons, both of them very different though the same shade of silver. One was obviously an Alabaster type dragon, with head knobs and a boxy face. The other was the newer breed, with the long body and tail. They hissed at one another, snapping until they were separated. Several candidates brought them apart, one of them getting quite a cut on her arm. Gasping, Zydel had to restrain her silver-gold flitter from chasing after the big hatchling. “You get back here!”
It is all right – I am sorry for injuring you. Are you well? I am Hateshinaith. Endless one, you and I are meant to be together.
“Endless all right,” Zydel laughed. Her friends from Alabaster had had to find her and Shani, and now they were both happily bonded! What luck!
The other silver, the longer and quieter of the pair, slunk beyond to look at everyone from behind. The girls and boys all wondered what was going through the mind of this metallic-shaded wonder. But one, older by ten times than the oldest candidates there, looked at the silver dragoness and grinned. Slow and wide her smile spread.
Kelekonak is my name. Sithrathiel, you are my partner. Do you wish that we could leave one another? I do not think I would like that. But if you wish...
“No! No!” Suddenly aware of her partner’s mind, Sithrathiel realized the power of bonding. Leilani couldn’t hope to understand – even though she and her queen Diamoth tried to explain it to Sithrathiel and her brother/king Isithien, mere words could never truly describe the joy of becoming complete.
A darkish blue snuck out of his shell, almost completely unseen. He had practically made it to the outside corridor to the beach, before Sharla caught his tail. “Where are you going!? Don’t you know the candidates are all in here?”
You are out here with me, he bespoke and she realized they’d bonded. I am Myrrhath, why do you want me to go back in there? The food is out here, and there is space to run! He escaped her grasp, his tail snaking out of her fingers. He bolted into the tent with the feeding bowls, and nearly gulped down three of them before she even got running.
Another of the large eggs shuddered and broke open in a spattering of shell. Kalkin would be needed, as several of the onlookers got battered by the sharp edges, but they had to go to him outside, as he was unwilling to enter the Dunes himself. As a couple of the people injured were brought outside, the two dragons within the shell untwined. They were dark, midnight black and as shining as the silvers who hatched from their shell moments before.
Luck is with you, today, Isithien, bespoke one of the blacks. He was male, that was obvious, and he was of the longer sort of breed. He wove his way toward the dragon-born king, and slipped his tail around Isithien’s ankle. Your sister is gone. My name is Tarakonak, and I am hungry. They will want to fly together with us, and you must show me how to avoid getting bit by her...
The other black dragon edged its way toward the girls. With a snap of her short teeth, she separated Ginevera from the other girls. Come with me. We have work that we must do. Your father is not the way you think he is.
“Wh—What?” Ginevera gasped. “How do you-”
I know many things. I am Lethuineth. Do not forget that.
“How could I ever?” Ginevera chuckled, finally unaware of the staring and the people around her. She would never quite relax, but she could depend that this second set of eyes would surely protect her!
Three more eggs spun into one another, one toppling over and spilling out a smallish cream-colored dragoness. She rolled out of the way of the other two eggs, which continued to bump into one another until they shattered. Wetly, a small bronze and a largish silver came out and joined her.
Together they prowled around the dunes, moving a hand off of them with a snarl, or ducking below a candidate’s eager touch. The cream daintily dodged the girls, in favor of moving toward the boys.
All these faces confuse me, Raydon. Please come and find me! Bespoke the cream. Up in the stands, Shard and Nu’lin congratulated each other on having found him for this clutch. Ignore them! I am hungry!
“Sweeth, just relax! I’ll make sure you’re fed... I’m right here...” Raydon soothingly told the cream colored dragoness. She was very delicate looking, but an Alabaster dragon none the less. Her siblings were far less obviously Alabaster-born.
The bronze colored one approached a Patriarch’s son, and pushed his long muzzle into Validassan’s hand. Here you are. Mine. You are mine. I am Makonek, V’san. Come feed me. And I look forward to seeing my new nest.
Validassan’s smile threatened to break his face, and he did a little dance around the bronze. “Father will be very proud of me, and you!” He announced.
I hardly think that a lady would want to ride me, bespoke the silver to Risha. I am Tork, or did you know that already? Did our egg shells hurt you?
“... No, I’m fine. I am just fine.” Risha said, bearing the small silver off the dunes.
A medium sized egg snapped open to show off two small white dragons! The pair of them lounged around in the remains of their shell until the candidates began to approach. Then, one of them dodged out of the way and zipped behind the boys. He nipped several candidates on their bums, causing quite a laughing ruckus in the stands! While he was still busy doing that, dancing around the legs of the boys, his sister spread her wings and walked up to Tiagara.
You comfort me, not like him... She bespoke. I am Dayath, your companion.
“Dayath...” Tiagara whispered, “thank you...”
You should thank your friends and have them take us home now.
“I will...” Tiagara looked up to try and find J’rin, but he was outside already with his love Maiahn.
As if to catch up with his twin sister, the male white drifted around until he was behind Raulpidal. Ra’pid, you’re going to love this. I think your running days are over.
“I don’t think so, Jepath,” Ra’pid replied. “Want to race?”
Of course I do! They bolted out of the dunes, bowling over several people in the process.
Three more eggs, among the last on the sands, hatched as one. Among them was a beautiful if tiny golden dragoness! She hissed at the other two, a little bitty white, and a small sized bronze. She waved her tail in the air, and butted her head against Lilika’s side. You are not alone. You will never be alone. I even want to meet that hideous not-dragon thing you have befriended.
“Love? You mean love? Semonnith, I hope you two get along...” Lilika breathed, “I know I love you...”
As they left the dunes, the tiny white skittered around the edge of the sand. She darted around the candidates, but then whisped up to the stands, where people lifted their feet and laughed as she tumbled around.
“Mirth! Slow down! You haven’t even eaten yet!” Cried Lannia. The crowd gasped as they now knew the dragon’s name as well as who had bonded her! The dragon healer had not thought that she was the bond, but then realized that while the whole hatching was going on, she had not known any other dragons name, until now. She hugged the hyperactive little white, and they left the sands to the lone bronze.
There were several candidates, some who had come from Paniya Caer and some others who had just wandered in and been invited to the sands. But they all realized that they were not even in this bronze’s league. He held his head proudly, even as a hatchling, and moved over to Riker with ease.
I am Sagasuth, Riker. This metal stuff in the ground is not the only gold I will be interested in, later!
Laughing, yet still unsure of his purpose here, Riker embraced the dragon and they went off to the food tent.
That left half a dozen candidates, and what appeared to be one lonely egg. One of the female candidates stomped out of the dunes, into the early evening where it was cooler and quite dark. The stars were not like she remembered them. She hated this place. She hated the weyrs back home too, but this was just intolerable. Every part of her ached to be somewhere away from dragons. They always equated death, and this was no exception – there were Ants and Rampage plants and who knew what else out there... And gryphons! What in the world were they? Achthia met her first gryphon near here, and –
Do you think that you could stop being so angry for just a moment, and come to me? I am stuck. This egg is on top of me, and no one bothered to move the sand away from it. Blame Diamoth for that. She is my mother. I am Cahnath. Unless you do not want me to be. I would just as soon not be with someone who thinks I will bring death...
Achthia’s eyes widened, and as she turned her shaggy hair got into her eyes. There in the middle of the mostly empty sands was one egg, moving a bit but furtively. She bolted back to the dune, throwing shells and shards away from the last egg. People ducked and ran for cover. At last, she reached a darkly colored brown dragon, whose eyes turned from red-gold to a brilliant greeny-blue upon seeing her for the first time.
I was right... You are for me. Angry though you are. We can show people something new, something outside of death, can’t we?
“We can, Cahnath... We can!” She cried, and was helped away from the sands.
As the last of the eggs had broken, and bonded off to its proper person, Diamoth lifted her head and gave a chirrup to several dragons. Brown Lilioth and blue Sixth among them, the trio of dragons left the Dunes as people moved out of their way. Engell leaned against the wall of the Dunes, and nodded at Lo’pez.
“You’re going to find them, obviously. Have fun. Don’t be late.” Engell said. He seemed very relaxed and happy, for someone who usually was seen as quite the bear. Then, as the dragons took off and teleported through time as well as space, a youngish woman approached him.
She had dark slate-brown hair, and her bare arms showed several large tattoos. “Lord Engell, are you going to the nests now? I’ve something to show you. Perhaps some of the new bonders will enjoy them too?”
He jolted a little at her presence, and then nodded. “Tirin. Aerielady,” he amended, “A pleasure to see you. Yes, I think some of the bonders will be quite happy to see you. Even though they’ve already got their hands full.”
“Later then, they’ll get to see. We’ve found a nest of alis-gryph eggs, and I was thinking that this would be the perfect time to hand them out. What with everyone around.”
“How many?” Engell asked, and the young woman smiled.
“More than a dozen. And they’re almost about to hatch... We aren’t sure what kind of gryphs they have in them, but they’re pretty small. I would guess hummers and skitters.”
Engell mouthed the words, and shook his head. “I may never get used to this place...” He muttered. Whatever a skitter was, he was about to find out, as were several lucky bonders!
Congratulations to the new Riders!
Sacilla on Gold Kesshinth
Lilika on Gold Semonnith
Ginevera on Black female Lethuineth
Isithien on Black male Tarakonak
Validassan on Bronze Makonek
Riker on Bronze Sagasuth
Kaak on Copper-Bronze Hangiventh
Raydon on Cream Sweeth
Shani on Cream Netsuaith
Risha on Silver Tork
Zydel on Silver Hateshinaith
Torea on Silver Sinarth
Sithrathiel on Silver Kelekonak
Acthia on Brown Cahanth
Adel on Brown Gudifak
Eraill on Slate male Suonetark
Sharla on Blue Myrrhath
Maiahn on Green Yemlith
Pirenamay on Green Lielth
Lannia on White female Mirth
Tiagara on White female Dayath
Raulpidal on White male Jepath