Aajmaii and Jaamiaa
:Candidates:

When they reached the Weyr Z’rae landed close to the entrance, letting the two girls dismount before he said anything.

“If you walk straight in and then take a left you’ll find a hallway. This will lead you to the sands. You’ll need to sign up for the clutch in order to stand so be sure to do that,” Z’rae said.

Jaamiaa nodded and said, “Where are we to stay?”

“You’ll get your room assignments when you sign up. Don’t worry, the Weyr has thought of almost everything so if you have any questions, someone will be able to answer them. I however, will not be able to,” Z’rae said as he adjusted his position in the saddle.

“You aren’t going to show us around and help us get the hang of things?” Aajmaii asked.

Z’rae shook his head and said, “No I have to find more candidates for this clutch. There are quite a few eggs and if I don’t find the candidates by the time it’s ready to hatch I’ll be in big trouble, not to mention that there will be a lot of unbonded dragonets.”

“What do you mean, unbonded dragonets?” Jaamiaa asked. “You mean they will sometimes not Impress?”

Z’rae shook his head and said, “Not on this planet they don’t. If a dragonet can’t find his or her match when they hatch they will go between. Only on Alskyr and some other planets do dragonets go away from the sands unbonded.”

Aajmaii frowned and said, “But that’s so sad. I couldn’t bear to see a newly hatched dragonet between because his or her lifemate wasn’t present.”

“Me neither,” Z’rae said. “That’s why I must be going. If you do find out that you need help along, find one of the other people that are standing for the clutch as well.”

The two girls stepped back and shielded their eyes as Z’rae’s green took off, blowing dust every which way. After it had settled a little Jaamiaa turned to her sister and smiled. “We’re finally here Aaj, can you believe it?”

Aajmaii smiled slightly and said, “Yes I can Miaa because you said we would get here eventually.”

Jaamiaa hugged her sister and then said, “Let’s go sign ourselves up for the clutch shall we?” She didn’t wait for her sister to answer however, fore she had already darted off towards the Weyr entrance.

Jaamiaa slowed down her pace and waited for her sister to catch up. When she had she grabbed her hand and walked down the hallway to the hatching sands.

“What color do you hope for?” Jaamiaa asked excitedly.

Aajmaii shrugged and said, “I don’t mind really. I just hope a dragon will see me fit for their rider.”

Jaamiaa stopped walking and turned towards her sister. “Aaj I’m sorry. I really am but you can’t sulk around about it for the rest of your life. Nothing happened, thank Faranth, so you have nothing to be disheartened about.”

Aajmaii frowned and said in a barely audible whisper, “Miaa he tried to kill me.”

Jaamiaa hugged her sister again and said, “Thankfully Z’rae picked that moment to Search you.”

Aajmaii nodded and smiled sadly, wiping away the tears that had begun to roll down her cheeks. “Let’s go sign up them,” she said.

Jaamiaa opened the large door leading onto the hatching sands. “Where do you think we sign up?” She asked as she looked around.

Aajmaii shrugged and said, “Why don’t you ask that woman over there.” She pointed to a young woman who was crouching down near the eggs.

Jaamiaa walked over to the woman and when she was about halfway the woman stood up and turned around, smiling broadly.

“I see that Z’rae has brought two more likely candidates. You both wish to stand for gold Velaeth’s clutch?” The woman asked.

Jaamiaa nodded and said, “Yes I think so. How did you know that we were candidates though?”

The woman shrugged and said, “I know everything that goes on at this Weyr, down to the last candidate and lower cavern drudge.” She laughed and said, “I’m Mayhe, the weyrwoman. My dragon Velaeth is the one on the sands currently. I think that this will prove to be quite an interesting clutch as well because the sire is male gold Rerth.”

Jaamiaa cocked an eyebrow and asked, “A male gold? I thought that golds were only female.”

Mayhe nodded and said, “Well technically yes but if they are genetically altered you can have males. I suppose that’s how that all works anyway but I’m not really sure.” She played with her lip in thought and then smiled again. “I suppose that you would like to put your names on the candidate board?”

Jaamiaa nodded and said, “Yes that would help a lot. Where are they?”

Mayhe pointed towards the far wall and said, “Right over there on the wall. Oh and before I forget, you may want to think about bonding a firelizard. They’ll be great company while you wait for the clutch to harden.”

Jaamiaa nodded, thanked the weyrwoman, and then walked over to the candidate board.

“What color are you hoping for?” Aajmaii asked as she looked to board over.

Jaamiaa shrugged and said, “I suppose I would like a gold or a rare, but I’d be just as happy with any other color.” She wrote her name on the board as she said this and then turned to her twin sister, handing her the pen.

“I’m not really sure that I want to be in this clutch,” Aajmaii admitted as she pushed the pen away from her.

“What, why not?” Jaamiaa asked her in surprise.

Aajmaii shrugged and said, “I don’t know really. It just doesn’t seem like the right choice for me.”

Jaamiaa snorted and said, “I’m sure you’ll be fine. You of all people would be the last to be left on the sands, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

Aajmaii sighed and said, “I’m just afraid that the dragons won’t find me suitable.”

Her twin rolled her eyes and said, “Why wouldn’t they find you suitable Aaj?”

She shrugged and said, “I… I just need some time to think about it ok?”

Jaamiaa nodded and asked, “Would you like to bond a firelizard while you think?”

Aajmaii smiled and said, “Oh why not. You seem to get along with Masut fairly well so I don’t think it would hurt.” Aajmaii started to walk off of the sands but then stopped, turning to face her sister again. “Hey, where is she anyway?” She asked as she noticed that the green firelizard was nowhere to be seen.

Jaamiaa shrugged and said, “I don’t really know. She’s always liked going off and doing her own thing. She’ll show up eventually though, she’s never gone for that long.”

Aajmaii nodded and continued on her way off of the sands. When they had closed the large door behind them they looked around, trying to find out where the firelizard hearths might be located.

“Oh over there,” Jaamiaa called out suddenly. She walked briskly over to a door thatwas slightly opened and pushed it the rest of the way.

Aajmaii followed her sister into the room quickly and gasped when she saw the group of tiny eggs on a bed of sand in the fire hearth. “How do I bond one?” She asked as she walked towards the eggs.

Jaamiaa took some meat from a nearby bowl and handed it to her sister. “Pick an egg that looks like it’s about to hatch and then when the hatchling breaks through the shell, feed it the meat.”

“It’s that easy?” Aajmaii asked as she kneeled down by the eggs and picked one of the eggs that was beginning to rock back and forth.

“Well, most of the time. There are some that just don’t want to be bonded and they’ll fly away before you can feed them but most will bond to the first person they see.” She sat down in a chair a ways away from the eggs and watched her twin as she sat by the firelizard egg.

After a few moments the egg began to rock very hard and a large crack formed down the middle of the egg. Creeling could be heard from inside and Aajmaii turned to her sister in question but her sister merely waved her fear away. “It’s just hungry Aaj. I mean, wouldn’t you be too after being in that egg for over two months?”

“I suppose,” Aajmaii said as she turned her attention back towards the egg. The creeling was getting louder, and more insistent when the egg finally broke, revealing a white colored firelizard. “By Faranth,” Aajmaii said in wonder as she quickly handed the little lizard the meat.

After he had had his fill Aajmaii scooped him up and placed him in the crook of her arm. Jaamiaa smiled broadly and asked, “What are you going to call him?”

Aajmaii thought about this for a moment and then said, “I think I’ll call him Lindë.”

Jaamiaa smiled and said, “That’s very pretty, but what does it mean?”

Her twin stroked her new firelizard and said, “It means song in Quenya, which is a type of Elven.” She was quite for a moment and then asked, “You aren’t going to bond another one?”

Jaamiaa shook her head and said, “No I don’t think so, one is enough.”

Her twin smiled and said, “I think I made up my mind about the clutch Miaa.”

Jaamiaa got up from her seat in the chair and asked, “Really, and what did you decide?”

Aajmaii sighed slightly and said, “I think I want to transfer to Falas Weyr and stand for a clutch there.”