Their time at this weyr would soon end. Very soon - if not soon at all. That's some interesting thinking you've got there. "Hush, Barneyth." Aemee went back to her thoughts as she sat on a perch near Barneyth as the dragoness began her routinely practice of patterning the eggs in a certain way. She watched absentmindedly as Barneyth lobbed a particularly large egg into a corner and then promptly buried it in sand. Barneyth's eyes no longer followed Lessarth's every move - the brown dragon had been a dutiful parent, showering Barneyth with the ample supply of attention she required as a mother. But now, both dragons were beginning to "separate" - their thoughts were drifting on to other matters and they were more preoccupied with issues that did not have anything in common with nesting.

Aemee, they hatch. Aemee nearly fell off from her perch. "Barneyth!" She was about to bolt for the entrance to alert the others when she saw them arriving anyway. Lessarth told them. came Barneyth's explanation as the green female dragon began to settle away from her eggs, crouching as a cat would. Aemee went to her dragon's shoulder and placed an arm there. "Is this new to you?"

Yes - but I have seen many hatchings during my time. I learned - if not knew what to do. The first egg hatched energetically, shedding bits of egg shell here and there. It was a sturdy brown that crowed loudly for the crowd to hear. His bright eyes fixed on the group of Searched candidates and he began to amble toward them - stopping before Hammersmith.

Why does your name end in 'th'? Are you a dragon as well? the dragonet, Halith, questioned his new rider. Through the commotion of the first hatchling, no one noticed the slender green dragonet that came forward now. Shamelessly she leapt forward toward the girls and her inquiring teeth snagged onto the hem of Lethe's robe. I am Thaliath - rider. Two blues hatched simultaneously and they both sneered at each other - each one's face mirroring sibling disgust. They both headed in the same direction, trading dirty looks and muttering darkly as they went in growls and snorts. One stopped intentionally at Mithfalas's feet and announced his "ownership" of the youth.

I am Frealoth. Don't you forget it either. Frealoth is going to be a very important name - and as I am the bearer of the name, so 'm I. Important, that is. The other was already making conversation with his new rider Eroi. Even better than Frealoth, Rubinorth - me - sounds more important, don't it?. A brown hatchling clawed out of his egg, emerging as soon as Barneyth was looming over him to assist him. He gave her a dirty look of bruised dignity before strutting off.

Ah, little hatchling, don't trip. came Barneyth's wicked response as the hatchling indeed tripped and was sprawled in a heap at his chosen rider's feet when he was through with tumbling. (Barneyth received a light smack on her shoulder from Aemee for her vindictiveness.)

Right, just where I wanted to be, right Whip? asked the young Loireth. "No rares?" was the murmur that was going around in the crowd and Aemee began to stiffen. Barneyth merely ignored the crowd and promptly tapped a smaller rounder egg than the others. It wriggled once in ornery refusal to come out yet and then after another hard peck from Barneyth's claw, a blue head popped out to regard his mother with some irritation. Then he looked past his mother's head and his entire mood changed upon seeing his rider Beatt standing at the edge of the scant number of candidates now.

AZUNETH! AZUNETH! AZUNETH! creeled the young hatchling as he ran headlong into his chosen candidate. As he ran, spectators could notice that his wing sails were a pearly white whereas the rest of his body was blue, shutting up a few of the ill wishers in the crowd. Mnemosyne and Thabite were the two remaining and the last visible egg was wriggling before it finally caved in on itself and out popped a gleaming white head. The apparent last dragonet began to waddle out of its round confinements, taking some time to stomp on all of the egg fragments into bits before striding forward with confidence toward the remaining two. A regal young creature, the pale dragonet paused, sitting up on her haunches and regarding the two candidates with a fixed wicked eye. She was definitely feeling the pleasure of being the last and being able to "find" her rider with all the time in the world. "Quite a dramatic little brat, isn't she?" Aemee frowned while counting the number of eggs mentally in her head. "Barneyth - this isn't right. We're one egg short."

True. Not really. Barneyth would say no more. With a loud harsh cry, a black form hurtled out from the sand - Barneyth's hidden egg - and catapulted forward, hissing at the white overly smug dragonet. The young black dragon trampled over her white sister and promptly raced to Thabite's feet, her slender muzzle peeled back in a scowl at her sister - only older by a few minutes. She shouldn't play with minds like that! Karineath won't do that to you though. On the other side, Mnemosyne was busy comforting the white dragonet who was scowling back at Thabite's hatchling.

They ruined my grand entrance. "Your entrance was wonderful, Calliopeth."

So - is this how our hatching ends?

"I think so, Barneyth - let's go back home."

Ah, it seems so close. There was a pause.

I think the hatching went very well tonight - with a grand finale of rare colors and all.

"Of course."