Disclaimer: This is not my world. Though these are my characters, my lives, and my ideas. The world, Pern, is, sadly, not mine.

She stood on the Sands, her eyes fixated on the eggs, shaking and trembling in front of her. Her expression was undeniably one of hope and want and anxiety. This was what she wanted; what she dreamed of and she was lucky enough to have been chosen to get a chance at her dream. They had claimed she was foolish; her head in the clouds. She was at a crafthall; why didn't she just pick up the craft? It wasn't like she was bad at it; she was quite good at it actually, but she always had another dream and today was the day she got to see whether or not that dream could become reality.

Females were only allowed to Stand for so long, or so she was told, and she was already 17 turns. Who knew how many other times she'd get this chance and she was determined not to fail if at all possible. So there she stood, her body clothed in the customary white robe and her blue eyes staring hopefully. She threaded a finger through her brown curls, nervously waiting for the first egg to hatch.

Just as Nady thought the humming, the vibrating of the dragons was going to consume her; the first egg broke open and out tumbled a small brown. He was wet with the remains of his egg and shards from it stuck to him, making him look speckled. He was beautiful; perfect and the first hatching that she had ever seen. Awkwardly, the young one tottered off and Nady knew he wasn't for her. Browns Chose males, not females and she'd never even desired a male bonded. Though, if one wanted her; she would gladly accept the bond, joyfully in fact, but that was just unheard of.

Before he even got to Choose, another dragonet found his way onto the scalding Sands. This one was a green, but before her eyes could even focus on her, another egg opened. Then another, and another, keeping Nady's eyes racing from one to the next, hoping that one would make their way to her. She could see the tears of joy streaming from those who Impressed and the happiness just seemed to fill the air. The tension of an unfinished hatching, though, lingered above it all. She just stood there, watching each of her chances, all six of the greens, Choose another, including the girl next to her, to walk off the Sands with. Was there not one meant for her?

Only a few eggs were left unhatched. Her last three hopes for this turn, for this hatching. She had to remind herself to breathe; to keep hoping. This was what she wanted and she needed to hope for it; to want it for every moment and if she failed, she would allow herself to cry later.

And finally, the hatchings continued. A brown, a bronze, and a little green found their ways onto the Sands. There was nothing else to distract her now. Her eyes, as well as the eyes of every other female left on the Sands, were focused on the little one. She creeled her hunger, but never stopped the motion of her young legs. Propelling herself, moving towards the females, she looked at them all, making her Choice. She knew which one was Hers. How and why, no one ever knew, but she knew.

-Nadymine, your Briakath is hungry. Food Mine.-

And her life was changed forever. How could she ever have doubted that this little green was Hers? Like many of the others who found their bondeds that day, tears of joy forged their wet trails down her smiling face. She refused to tear her eyes from the beauty in front of her, amazed by the feelings that were overwhelming her. She was a dragonrider. She would be one of the ones living in the weyr and defending Pern from Thread. No matter that it was an Interval; she was still part of the dream. Shards, she was going to live the dream.

-Are you going to dream today or tonight? I think now you should feed me.- her dragon informed her, an insistent tone to her young mindvoice. She didn't understand. Couldn't Hers feel the hunger? It hurt and all it took was a little moving and a little food to make it better. Food…food…foodfoodfoodfood.

Nady laughed before beginning to move. Her dragon was so pushy; she was perfect. That hunger was rather painful though, but it was okay. She would take care of it. She would make sure that her small Briakath was fed until she was too full to complain about anything anymore.

"Food, yes, of course my love," she replied as she laid her hand on her dragon's head and began to walk towards the tables. They were the last off the Sands, but she didn't care. All eyes were on her as the people in the Stands watched the ending of a wonderful hatching, but the source of their entertainment didn't even notice. Nady had her dragon and that was the only thing that she cared to see.

Walking to the tables, the new weyrling saw a scribe. She knew exactly what to do, or at least she did after watching the bronze pair in front of her do it. Approaching him, she smiled, "I'm Nady of the green Briakath." Her tone was proud and her eyes were sparkling as she introduced herself and her dragon. It just sounded so right and she knew that it was just how it was supposed to be. But before she could dwell on it for too long, Briakath butted her leg, pushing her towards the tables, laden with food for the hungry babes. This startled a laugh out of the girl, but movement as well as they finally moved towards the tables and reached the food.

-Food,- the young one reinforced as they sat down, hunger evident in both their minds.

"I'm going, I'm going," Nady told her bonded, grabbing the closest seat and beginning to feed the young green. The newly hatched dragon snapped the food up, swallowing it without even chewing. Her bonded kept the flow of meat going, not even noticing as the blood from it all coated her hands and began to run down her arms. Her eyes were for her dragon only and her focus was only on making the hunger and the hurt for the little one disappear.

It didn't take long, but it took a lot of meat, before the hunger was sated enough for the young Briakath to begin complaining of exhaustion. Nady just smiled fondly, rising out of her seat, pausing only to scratch her green's eyeridge, pleased by the rumble of contentment the motion caused.

"Let's go," she calmly stated no sense of urgency in her words. She had all the time in the world; her life was complete; Briakath had found her.

A/N: This is my first attempt at a long fanfic. This is only a short introduction and there is much more to come. So please review...show interest and the next chapter will be up as soon as my fingers and mind cooperate enough to spit it out.

Love to my readers!