Malys jogged out towards the back of her house and found the black dragon, Delduwath, standing there. He looked directly at her as she slowed her pace and eventually stopping about a hundred feet from him.

J’ril, who had his looking the other way, turned to face her. “Don’t worry, it’s not like he’s going to hurt you.”

Malys walked up to J’ril, setting her two suitcases down. “Oh I know he won’t hurt me. I’ve just never seen a black dragon before. I thought there were only gold, bronze, brown, blue and green.”

J’ril nodded in understanding and lashed the suitcases to the saddle. After that was done he jumped back down from his dragon’s shoulder and said, “Well technically those are the tradition colors. However, Delduwath was hatched at Falas Weyr, out of Gold Naiyith, who was one of the first dragons created by the F.G.P.C.”

Malys nodded and climbed to Delduwath’s back, leaving J’ril on the ground looking up at her in surprise. “What? You think I would need help climbing to a dragons back?”

J’ril laughed and said, “I suppose not. Forgive me,” he said as he climbed up and sat in front of her. “I guess it was just that gown that you were in before.”

Malys smiled and said, “Yes well don’t think I wear those all the time. Anyway, let’s go!”

J’ril smiled and gave his dragon the signal to take off. The black leapt off from the ground so quickly that Malys’s neck snapped back. She shook it off quickly however, and watched as her dwelling became smaller and smaller.

Delduwath warbled and Malys looked towards the black’s head, and was surprised to see him looking back at her. She smiled and then asked, “Are we going to be flying all day or will we stop and rest? Falas Weyr is a long ways from my Hold.”

J’ril shook his head and turned around to face her. “It may be long for you,” he called out so that he could be heard over the wind. “But not when you’re on the back of a dragon. We’ll go between which will only take a few moments.”

Malys nodded, not really knowing what this between was but if dragon’s travel it then in must not be anything to worry about.

J’ril turned around to face his dragon again and gave him the signal to go between after picturing Falas Hold in his mind.

Malys gasped as they entered the icy cold nothingness of between, and looked around her, seeing nothing but a thick darkness. Just when she was getting used to the feeling they were out about a large Hold. “What was that exactly?” She asked when she found her voice again.

J’ril laughed and said, “You don’t sound very scared of it, which is a plus. Most people are when they go through between for the first time.”

Malys shook her head. “Not scared, just curious. What is it?”

J’ril shrugged and told Delduwath to land outside the entrance of the Hold. “It’s a place between here and there, hence the name.”

Malys nodded, trying to figure out how that worked exactly when she realized that they weren’t at the Weyr. “We’re not going to Falas Weyr?” She asked as Delduwath landed.

J’ril shook his head and slid down from his dragon’s back after unlatching the suitcases. Malys slid down soon after. “No, the F.G.P.C. is at Falas Hold. You’ll stay here until the eggs hatch and then you’ll be transferred to the Weyr. I think anyway, I didn’t raise Delduwath here, he was Weyrborn.”

Malys picked up her suitcases and said, “Well thank you for Searching me. I guess I’ll let you get back to your duties.” She was about to leave when J’ril put a hand up, stopping her.

“No I’ll accompany you, that’s part of my job as well.” He took one of the suitcases from her and then led the way into the Hold. As they crossed the courtyard a young woman waved at the blackrider. He waved back but continued walking towards the far side of the courtyard, where a huge, double door was.

Malys looked it over, amazed at the craftsmanship that must have gone into it. The door was made of skybroom which was treated so that is glimmered and caught the sunlight, arching rainbows across its surface. “It’s amazing,” Malys said.

J’ril nodded and pulled one of the doors open. “I agree. I have a feeling the geneticists sit out here and just watch the rainbows dance around and mix together to get ideas for the clutches.”

Malys tore her gaze away from the door and followed J’ril into the hallway behind the door. As they walked down towards another set of doors, J’ril started whistling a tune that her Harper taught her when she was young. Just as she was about to join in the doors were flung open, startling both of them.

“Oh I’m sorry,” a young man said. “You know, we really should have made these glass. I don’t know how many times I’ve done that today to you poor searchriders.”

J’ril smiled and clapped the man on the back as he walked by. “Don’t worry about it Kellen, it keeps us on our toes.”

As they walked into the room Malys stopped, looking around in amazement. J’ril kept walking but turned around when he noticed that she wasn’t following. “Are all these eggs from the same pair of dragons?”

J’ril shook his head and grabbed her arm lightly, leading her through the sands to a small room off to the side. “No of course not. There are way too many eggs here for them to be from the same pair. The F.G.P.C.’s policy is not to let anyone know who they are, not even the searchriders. It’d make our job a whole lot easier though.”

Malys nodded and followed J’ril into the side room. He walked up to a desk and looked through some papers before pulling one out and scribbling across it. “What’s that?” Malys asked.

He placed the sheet of paper back where it had been and pick the suitcase up again. “It’s the sign-up list. I just had to write your name, age what color you were going for and such.”

Malys looked at him in confusion. “What color I want? I can choose?”

J’ril shook his head and said, “Oh I’m sorry I forgot to ask you that question earlier.” He pulled the sheet of paper out again and looked up at her. “I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this or not already but the F.G.P.C. geneticists are willing to create any color you want and you can choose from a normal color, normal with a mixed gender. Mixed gender means a male gold for example. There’s also stone coloring, gem, as well as two-tone and solid color rares.” He scratched his head in thought and said, “Of course, you build up on top of the generic choices. So what will it be?”

Malys thought this over for a moment and then the thought of her little talent came to mind. “Well I think I’m going to go for a gem. Though what color exactly I’m not sure. I mean, there’s so many possibilities that it is almost impossible to think of just one.”

J’ril nodded and sat down on the table. “I understand. We’ve got time though so think away.” His eyes clouded over then and Malys frowned but thought that he must be conversing with his dragon. After a moment he laughed and said, “Deld says that he’s glad he wasn’t part of an F.G.P.C. clutch. He doesn’t like the thought that I could have wished him to be a pink-silver male.”

Malys laughed and asked, “What did you say?”

He smiled mischievously and said, “I told him I would have wanted him to be a bright pink-silver, not just plain pink. He didn’t sound to happy with me after that so I told him I was happy with him just the way he was.”

Malys nodded and said, “I think that was a good call.” She rubbed her forehead in thought and then looked up at J’ril again. “I think I’m going to go for a ruby-gold. Can I do that?”

J’ril nodded as he wrote her choice down. “I don’t see why not. Ok, now let’s go get you settled down in the candidate barracks.

As they walked into the barracks all the candidates looked up and greeted J’ril. “This is Malys, she’ll be standing for the clutch as well, obviously.”

One of the candidates, a young girl, jumped off of her bunk and walked towards her. “I’m Elena. What color are you hoping to Impress?”

J’ril placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “I’ve got to get going, but if you need me send me a firelizard ok?”

Malys nodded and thanked him, watching, as he walked from the barracks, no doubt in search of some other worthy candidates. Malys turned back to face Elena and said, “I’m trying for a ruby-gold, how about you? What are you going for?”

Elena smiled and said, “I’m hoping for a gold-purple. I really hope they can manage that. I mean, purple isn’t exactly a color seen around here that often. Well then again, neither is ruby.” Elena pulled her towards a bunk and said, “This one is yours, see you get your own dresser and everything.”

Malys smiled and placed her suitcases by the dresser. “How long do you think it will be until the eggs hatch?” Malys asked as she started unpacking.”

Elena plopped down on her bunk and said, “I don’t know, but the time will pass a lot quicker if you had a firelizard. You don’t have one though do you?”

Malys nodded and said, “Actually I do but he’s still at my Hold currently. My mother had a big gathering today so she’ll probably try to keep him around until after she gets the wash done. He likes hanging it up on the line for some reason.”

Elena laughed and asked, “What’s his name?”

Malys placed a stack of clothes in the drawer and said, “His name is Zomer, and he’s a cream.”

“A cream? Really? I wish I had a firelizard. Hey do you think you could come with me to the F.G.P.C. firelizard incubator?”

Malys looked up at her and smiled. “Sure I will. It will be good for Zomer to have another firelizard to be around.” She stood up and closed her suitcase, leaving the unpacking until she returned. “Where is the incubator?”

Elena grabbed her hand and led her from the barracks through a back entrance. “It’s this way I’ll show you. I’ve wanted to go but no one else wanted to go with me.”

Malys smiled and jogged to keep up with the excited girl. This wait wasn’t going to be that bad.