An increasing hum from the Hatching Grounds indicated that the Hatching was ready to start. Seth quickened his pace, his long black hair falling in to his eyes irritatingly. As the humming of the dragons gradually got louder, he really started running, skidding on the dusty floor, and coming out onto the sandy heat of the Hatching Grounds.
"You're late!" Tayna hissed from where she was standing with the other queen candidates. She was his only friend there-they had met once before when her trader's group visited his hold.
"I know!" He replied, anguished. "Do you think the chances of me Impressing are lessened because of that?"
Tayna's blue eyes glimmered in amused sympathy. "Doubt it. But hush! The eggs are cracking!"
Seth shifted his attention to the rocking eggs, and above him, he heard a bronze giving a low hum as the queen egg, rolled carefully to the side, started to rock as well.
One egg split and a blue staggered out, crying and wailing, searching for its weyrmate. It reeled and faced in Seth's direction, but Seth felt nothing other then a light probing at his mind, and then it turned away, and another boy, who had been tormenting him senselessly since he arrived, raced toward it, but the blue cried out and tottered away, and another boy raced toward it, holding its head in his arms and rocking it, glaring at the other boy.
Seth grinned. He knew the other boy, Ragar, wouldn't impress a hatchling behaving like that. All the other eggs started to split, wheeling around looking for their new mates, and he heard a voice in his head.
S'yeth! He thought it was someone outside, the voice was so clear, but it wasn't. There was a dragon looking for him somewhere. He looked around wildly, blue eyes scanning for his dragonet, who he was sure he would recognize. He did. And Ragar was holding him around the little bronze's broad chest, though the dragon was squirming.
Help! Help me, S'yeth!
S'yeth stormed over, glowering at Ragar, though the older boy didn't notice, as he was focused on the hatchling. S'yeth then pulled back his fist and punched Ragar square in the face, stiff with fury. The boy let go of S'yeth's Ozith, and staggered to his feet, glaring at him. Seth squared his shoulders. He wasn't as tall as the other boy, but he was undoubtedly faster and stronger from doing hard work. Ozith scurried to duck behind S'yeth, head peering around with awe and admiration for his rider.
You're so strong! The little bronze exclaimed happily. S'yeth had to turn and smile at his hatchling for that, and as he did, Ragar swung his fist at him.
"Dragon thief!" The older boy yelled at him, spitting as he did so. "That's my dragon! My bronze."
"Then what's his name?" S'yeth demanded.
"Mivith!" Ragar replied fiercely.
"No! His name is Ozith, and he's my weyrmate!" S'yeth said furiously. "Right, Ozith?" The little bronze crooned agreement, butting his head against S'yeth's hip.
"Stop this ridiculous fight right now!" A deep voice said angrily from behind them. S'yeth turned around, eyes widening as he recognized T'mar, the Weyrleader.
S'yeth ducked his head, a little ashamed. "Sorry, Weyrleader." He mumbled.
"What's your name?"
"S'yeth, sir." The new bronze rider replied, eyes still low, and Ozith glancing up at him, eyes swirling anxiously.
"And you?" T'mar turned to the other boy, eyes narrowing. "You jumped for the blue hatchling at the beginning."
"R'gar." Ragar said stubbornly.
"Where's your dragon?" T'mar questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Right there!" Ragar insisted, pointing at Ozith.
"Let me ask Zinerth and he'll tell us." T'mar said, exasperated.
Ozith gave a squeak of surprise as the older bronze bespoke him, but S'yeth gave him an encouraging nod.
"So." T'mar said finally. "You are S'yeth, rider of bronze Ozith."
S'yeth glowed with pride, and bent down to hug his bronze hatchling's head, feeling such an overwhelming feeling of happiness that he expected everyone else to feel it too.
They didn't.
Ragar stormed away, ignoring the queen's hatching, straight to the Weyr. He knew he was going to be sent away for this, but he had no intention of going back.
He was going to be Mivith's rider, no matter what anyone else said.
Tayna shook with anticipation as the queen's egg split, and the queen started wandering around, launching herself at a candidate occasionally. The ones she launched herself at scurried backward, and Tayna watched them go scornfully.
Tayna...Tayna...A voice crooned in her head. Where are you?
She turned and saw the queen looking around helplessly. The blond-haired girl stepped forward, toward the hatchling, and at that moment, the golden hatchling noticed her too, and bounded over, tripping over her own wings and feet as she did so.
I was looking for you! I'm Dakith! The queen crooned, looking up at her with adoration.
Tayna dropped to her knees, tears filling her eyes. Why are you crying? Dakith seemed puzzled. Don't you like me?
I cry because I love you, dear Dakith. Tayna said, tears streaming down her face as she smiled at the gold, meeting the swirling blue-green eyes with emotion.