Nervously, Lelandra stepped out onto the Sands. The call that the clutch was hatching had gone out moments before, and she'd rushed up until it came time to stand on those scorching sands. "What if I don't Impress?" That thought had been whirring through her head ever since she had arrived. Originally she'd been on the list of gold candidates. While this flattered her, she'd politely asked to be out with the regular candidates. A gold was just too much...

First to hatch was a large brown, then a blue and green. Holding her breath, Lelandra had watched the beautiful creature immediately identify her chosen and trip over her wings on the way there. The blue chose her fellow dragonhealing apprentice, Venemar and she waved happily to him as he left the sands. Soon it all became a blur; blue, blue, bronze, green. Her heart caught at every green who hatched, each headed away from her. "Only a few eggs left..."

After a large blue chose his bond, one of the last four eggs cracked and a dappled green flopped lightly onto the sands. She stood up, stretched her wings and then made her way down the sands to the remaining female candidates. Seemingly gazing down her nose, she sniffed at each girl until she caught site of Lelandra. Warbling, she hurried to Lelandra, who had fallen to her knees with a mixture of relief and overwhelming emotion. Hugging the hatchling fiercely, she began to cry.

I'll never leave you, I promise. the little green insisted over and over.

After a moment she stood up and wiped her eyes, turning to the stands. "Her name is Bilaneth!"