Lelianth shifted restlessly on the searing sands on the Hatching Grounds. The days was young, not late enough to be considered afternoon, but early enough to be called morning. The day was slightly cloudy, but Thread was not due to fall.

The gold swung her head sharply, staring intently at the clutch of eggs before her. One gave a slight shudder, barely perceptive, except to the young queen. Adrienne! Lelianth called to her rider. Come quickly! The eggs are about to hatch!

Adrienne jumped up from the table where she had been eating her breakfast, her appetite forgotten. The other dragonriders gave her quizzical glances, but they understood as the low thrum filled the Dining Cavern. Instantly, everyone was on their feet, calling for the candidates to be readied. The eggs were about to hatch!

The young goldrider didn't waste a moment, rushing to the sands to be at the side of her lifemate. "Are you alright?" she asked Lelianth.

The gold watched the moving eggs, her opalescent eyes whirling with excitement. My children are going to be born, she said. This will be a joyous day.

Spectators gathered in the tiers, listening as the voices of the dragons joined together to form the welcoming melody for the Hatchlings. Mutterings raced among the throng of people, as riders made bets on the outcome of the Hatching.

The murmuring subsided as the candidates were led onto the sand. Twenty-four young people, cloaked in white, ready to begin a new life as a dragonrider. They tried to hide their excitement and their anxiety, but none were successful.

In a sudden change from her welcoming mood, Lelianth hissed warningly at the candidates, as they formed a circle around the clutch. She had the queen egg nestled protectively between her forearms, and she didn't want anyone to approach.

"Calm down, love," Adrienne said softly, patting the gold's hide. "You want your children to find worthy riders, do you not? How will they impress, if you scare away the candidates?"

Lelianth settled back, allowing the candidates to take a few steps closer. Each one was aware, though, of the steady gaze upon them, watching for any wrong move. They shifted uneasily. The tension was building...

Suddenly, an medium sized egg shattered. A brown hatchling was spilled out on the sands, looking dazed and confused. Shakily, he climbed to his feet, swinging his head around to peer at the candidates around him. He locked eyes with one young man, who quickly stepped forward. "His name is Corlith!" Kivellar shouted proudly to the crowd, who responded with a loud roar of approval.

A bronze climbed out of his shell, shaking the moisture from his mighty wings. He held his head up high in a regal manner, as his gaze swept over the males before him. "I'm here, Renuth!" Polin cried as he stepped forward, an expression of awe on his face.

Two eggs shook wildly, spinning with the efforts of the occupants to escape. With a sharp crack, the eggs connected, shattering instantly. Two greens fell over each other, one giving a sharp cry of surprise. Two girls stepped forward out of the ring of candidates, kneeling down to separate the pair.

The smaller green, darker than her sister, stood up, supported by the arms of a short black-haired girl. "It's alright, Aeronith," Leeorna murmured reassuringly to her lifemate.

Anlaya steadied the larger green, a grin on her face. "I know that it wasn't your fault Zoraeth!" she laughed, leading the hatchling off of the sands.

A cobalt blue dragon stood on a short dune, peering at the candidates before him. With careful steps, he began his descent. Suddenly, the sand beneath his feet gave way, and he began to tumble. He came to a stop at the feet of a candidate. "Are you alright, Jhanorth?" Samir asked, his brown eyes wide with concern.

There was a large brown dragon roaming the sands, having hatched while the crowd was busy watching Jhanorth's troubles. He stopped before the male candidates, peering at them intently. Then, impatiently, he butted the knees of his chosen lad, sending the man sprawling in the sand. Arandy looked up at the brown dragon looming over him, his face breaking out out in a smile. "I see you now, Kunith!"

Two eggs hatched simultaneously, revealing a dainty green and a light blue hatchling. The green surveyed the females, examining each one carefully. At last, she stops before one young woman. Tevey laughs, embracing her beloved lifemate. "You are very beautiful, Susonth," she assures the hatchling.

The blue scrambled about, filled with a wild energy that brought smiles to the faces of the onlookers. After a moment, he darted towards the boys, practically dancing around the red-headed lad that he wanted. "Calm down Negonith," Negal laughed.

Lelianth leaned forward suddenly, her voice cutting through the air in a sharp bugle. The crowd turned their attention towards the queen egg, which was shuddering violently. The larger gold drew away from the egg, allowing the remaining females to circle around it. Hair-line thin cracks raced up the side of the golden surface, a lattice of fine lines. Suddenly, startling everyone, a wing burst through the surface, quickly followed a pale gold hind-leg. With a powerful thrust, the queen shattered the egg completely, sending shards spraying at the females. Several stepped back.

The gold tilted her head to the side, letting her eyes travel across the girls before her. One stepped forward, her amber eyes locked with the queen before her. The young hatchling crooned. Without any more hesitation, Bree raced to the gold, her eyes glittering with tears. "Her name is Usodorith!" she announced, letting her gaze sweep across the sands, before turning back to her lifemate. "Come, love, there is food this way."

Lelianth seemed slightly subdued at the impression of her daughter, but she brightened as a bronze climbed out of his shell. The boys watched the young beast clamber across the sands, already revealing the strength that he would possess as an adult. "Mebanth!" Reveil cried, as he met the eyes of the proud hatchling.

Three eggs cracked next, sending two greens and a brown searching the candidates. The second green found her rider first, giving a faint squeak as she scrambled across the sands. Teyea smiled, reaching up to scratch her eyeridges reassuringly. "Yes, Syborth, I am here."

The brown was only an instant later in impressing, though he did so in a much more amusing fashion. Almost stalkingly, he crept around the male candidates, staring at their backs intently. One brown haired boy seemed to feel eyes upon him, looking over his shoulder hesitantly. Before his eyes could focus upon the figure behind him, the brown had leapt into the air, knocking Tegar to the ground. The boy managed to roll over, finding himself staring into the eyes of a brown hatchling, his muzzle touching his nose softly. "Get off me Galeoth," Tegar groaned.

The green watched her brother with amusement, following him over to the boys. She turned her backs on the girls, staring at the boys intently. At last, she nudged the knee of one white-haired young man. Her touch was gentle. Tighe smiled. "Dyranuth," he said softly, pronouncing the name of his lifemate with obvious satisfaction.

One smaller egg gave a light shake, drawing the attention of the crowd. It broke neatly, and the crowd gasped at the hatchling that stepped out. A white! The small dragon peered about, blinking softly at the brightness of the light. Several candidates rushed forward, causing the white to draw back, obviously frightened. Lelianth rumbled warningly, and the candidates came to a halt.

The white carefully went around the group of candidates that had rushed ahead, peering at the others beyond. One girl broke away from the others, though the hatchling did not run away. Instead, the white increased her pace, meeting Selsa in the middle of the sands. "Oh, Quetialath..." The girl breathed, hugging the dragon softly.

A trio of eggs hatched next, one right after another. A green, a blue, and another bronze were left combing the sands. The blue seemed attracted by a boy with a rainbow firelizard circling about his head. "No, Jeffeth," Jerio grinned. "That is just Yulerol. He is unusual, but he is quite harmless."

The bronze was rather small, about the size of a large brown. He had large wings though, which he held up to dry the moisture. As he did so, he tilted his head to the side, looking directly at one young man. Zeviyar approached the bronze, his eyes filled with awe and adoration. "Yes, Sanqueth, we will fly together, you and I."

The green eyed the remaining girls, walking up to them. She stopped at each one, examining them intently. She searched the faces and the minds of each girl, looking for the one that was meant to be her rider. Finally, she stopped at the feet of the last girl. "You want me, Elanoqueth?" Ncorya repeated softly.

Another green and blue spilled out onto the sands, quickly climbing to their feet. The blue looked up, and gave a pleased bark as he saw a boy with sandy brown hair. "His name is Degituth!" Kellerin shouted clearly, to the delight of the crowd.

Terlia grinned, stroking the soft hide of the emerald green before her. The green gave a pleased croon, her eyes whirling gently. "Yes, Ciamyth, I know that you are hungry." Still talking to her lifemate, the girl led the green off of the sands.

There were only five eggs left. There was a small pause, where the remaining candidates let their gaze focus upon the shaking eggs. After a moment, one shattered, leaving a sturdy brown standing proudly among the shards. He glanced coolly around, listening to the praise coming from the audience. One boy stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest. "Come now, Plerith," Cerimar called out. "There is no need for you to act arrogant!"

The next three eggs hatched at once. A green, a bronze, and a blue. The bronze strode ahead of his clutchmates, giving a loud trumpet of eagerness as he rushed towards the boy he wanted. Hejalian looked around, as if unsure that it was him that the bronze wanted. Seeing no other boys beside him, he looked back at the dragon. "Me, Jumarth?" he repeated. The boy's face broke out in a grin.

The blue snorted at his brother, but he didn't head in the same direction. He turned left, stopping at the last boy standing on the sands. Zadren laughed at the comment spoken by his new lifemate. "You are the only dragon for me, Zenfith," he assured the blue.

The green looked between the last two girls, as if unsure of her decision. She took a step towards Rilea, before changing her mind and racing to Naeria. "Your name is Elabeth?" the girl asked. "Yes, that is a beautiful name."

There was only one egg left, and the crowd watched it eagerly. It shook gently, then with growing force. At last, a dark mahogany muzzle broke through the thick shell. Rilea gasped, before racing forward to claw at the egg, breaking off pieces of the egg. At last, the brown was free from his compressing prison. "You are out now, Vanaith," Rilea assured the hatchling, giving him a gentle embrace. She helped him to his feet, and led him out of the Hatching Grounds.

Adrienne wiped the tears from her eyes, smiling up at her own lifemate. "Your children have found fine riders," she said softly.

Yes, Lelianth agreed. They will grow to be fine fighters.

The goldrider caught a hint of sadness in that statement, and looked up. "Are you upset that they have hatched?"

A little, Lelianth admitted. But I know that it is time for them to begin their own lives. They are happy with their riders.

Adrienne grinned. "Yes, they are. Come. Let's get something to eat. You haven't had a meal in sevendays."

The queen gave a rumble of amusement, before shuffling out of the sands. Only the shattered pieces of eggs gave hint of the hatching that had just occurred.