One clutch had hatched an another laid in the time that Adegometh and her mate, Haralth watched over theirs. Mutters had started over whether there was something wrong. The parents turned deaf ears on the naysayers, knowing that their children would hatch when the time was right.

It was early one morning, the weyr just beginning to stir under a fresh blanket of snow. Pale gray light filtered into the warm sands, where the three clutch mothers and their mates slept. It was the brown Haralth who first noticed the movement. An egg trembled, one near his nose tilted enough to touch him. He lifted his head and blinked, then touched Adegometh with his paw. Beloved, our children are hatching! The green shot up and bugled at the top of her lungs. Everyone come, bring the candidates. It's time!

The line of sleepy candidates was ushered in just as the first egg broke open. "Broke open" was an understatement, really... the egg quite literally exploded from the middle of the clutch, sending shards flying every which way. No one even saw the hatchling it yielded, they were so busy protecting themselves from flying debris. Zlama suddenly felt herself knocked over, and found a little green dragonet perched on her chest, hardening claws deep in her robe. "Irasheeth!" she exclaimed, and the green gaped her jaw in a toothy grin. That's me! Hurry up, will you, that food smells mighty good.

As Zlama and her new bond were exiting the sands, a trio of eggs hatched at the same time, depositing brown, blue and green dragonets onto the sands. It was the blue that stepped first from the remains of his shell, pacing back and forth in front of the three boys on the sands. As the dragonet paced, another egg hatched, and another blue joined the first. The two wrestled with one another briefly, before a gentle rumble from their dam. Stopping their play, they both approached a pair of boys.

So, which d'you want?

Eh, I dunno... neither of them look that great.

Yeah, that one's kinda skinny...

And that one's a little pale...

A pair of flits, one blue and one bronze, both leapt at the pair of blues, the foursome beginning a squabbling match before the two boys broke them up, each grabbing hold of one of the blues and their respective flit. It was Traelan who noticed first, how the blue he held was looking at him. I guess it'll be you, T'lan. I'm Utherith. It was Savlir who held the other blue, and released him quickly when he felt baby dragon teeth sinking gently into his hand. "What'd you do that for, Kelhinith?" The blue trumpeted squeakily, Well how else was I supposed to get your attention S'lir!

Meanwhile, the final two eggs had hatched, both producing greens that were very nearly identical. The brown had yet to make his choice, he was busy watching his blue brothers and their little act. His two green sisters parted ways, ignoring one another in favor of the candidates. Though they looked the same on the outside, their personalities were quite clearly different. The first fairly bounced happily across the sands, humming tunelessly to herself. She stopped, almost absently in front of Sherry. Will you sing me a song, Sherry? I'd love to hear you sing. Kneeling to scoop up the little green, Sherry replied, "Of course I will, Essuzth."

The other green wasn't as flouncy as her sister though, she slunk neatly across the sands and wound herself comfortably around Amir's ankles. She didn't care to speak, though something seemed to pass between them. Amir also carried the darker shaded green from the sands to a shadowed corner, whispering her name in passing, Rynkimith.

Still waiting patiently until all of his siblings hatched, the brown now made his choice fairly apparent. Corvell was the only one left on the sands. He swaggered proudly up to the man, giving him the haughty glance of someone who simply knows too much. Corvell reciprocated with a haughty glance of his own, and by saying, "Got a fly on your nose there, Omssath?" The brown chuffed, Must be related to that one you've got on yours, C'vell.

The last pair left the sands to the kitchens, Adegometh and Haralth stood and beamed at the offspring they had produced. But, what was that? Another egg twitching from the second green's clutch?