"Hello!" he called, his voice echoed back at him. There came a startled screech from further in the cave, and Nugget became defensive of her human, fluttering protectively in front of him. Venemar padded quietly deeper into the cave, searching for the source of the screech. In the back of the cave, he came upon a firelizard nest. "That's odd, firelizards normally nest on the beach..." When he stepped closer he saw, or rather felt why the firelizards had nested there. A natural heat vent was open in the floor near the nest, making the surrounding air and ground hot. It also explained the caves warmth. "How ingenious, they found this warm, protected place to nest." he muttered to himself.

Kneeling down next to the nest, he gently picked up one of the eggs. Suddenly a green firelizard attacked him from the dark. Nugget quickly came to his defense, fighting the smaller green away. "Nugget, stop it!" The little gold settled back on his shoulder, glaring at the green until the hatching egg caught her attention. It was the one Venemar was holding, and he had decided that Nugget could use a companion firelizard. He reached into the pouch on his belt and drew out a peice of dried meat to feed the creature when it hatched. A small brown claw broke through the eggshell, then another. Venemar helped the young brown by picking off a few shell bits. Finally, it got its head though the shell and looked up at Venemar as he fed it bits of the dried meat. He Impressed the brown hatchling. "Hello little one, hows about a name for you, huh?"

Venemar slid back and leaned against the wall. "Hmm, what would be a good name for you?" He watched the brown gobble the meat and thought. "Clint! That's a good name for you." He smiled at the firelizard as it responded to the name positively. The light in the cave began to wain. "C'mon guys, lets get going. They're probably wondering where I am by now." He set the small brown onto his shoulder. "Keep an eye on him Nugget." The little gold churriped and settled lovingly next to the hatchling. Venemar hurried back to the weyr in time to see a familiar brown land outside the weyr. It looked like the one who had come to Search his sister a while ago.

He ran across the field and made it to the weyr, panting terribly. "There you are!" It was his mother, Anala. "Have you been out in the woods all day? You know it's forbidden...and you've got another fardling firelizard! I never wanted you to get the first......" She sighed "Well that man over there is from Tiynarea and they've Searched you. I've already packed your things." Venemar had been doubled over panting all the while his mother had been speaking. "Why.......wasn't I......Searched.....when they came for......Lelandra?" he asked. "I don't know, just go boy! The rider is in a hurry, seems a storms moving in." She pulled him up straight, hugged him and fretted over the state of his clothes. Soon he was off to Tiynarea.