The eggs lay on the Sands in varying positions, gold Breylith hovering possessively behind them. Trips to the Hatching Grounds had been a daily thing their last two weeks of Candidacy, yet Kylie felt a difference in the soles of her feet, in the air, in her very being. Maybe it's the humming, she thought as she took her place amongst the rest of the hopeful candidates. This sand on bare feet doesn't make it any easier, either. She stood there, first standing on her tippy-toes, then on her heels, then the sides of her feet trying to find a comfortable stance. Nothing was working.

It'll be over before you know it.

"What?" Kylie asked.

"I'm glad we were one of the last, instead of one of the first in," Haneset whispered to her, and Kylie nodded. She looked down the half-circle which had formed, searching out Mareena and allowed herself a slight malicious smile. That one had been here longer than she and Haneset had, so she had to be even more uncomfortable. Good, she thought.

Now now, nothing good ever came from petty jealousies. Let it go.

Kylie whipped around. "Who said that?" she asked sharply, but no answer was forthcoming. Some of the candidates looked at her oddly, and a couple even edged away from her. Sighing, Kylie gave an abashed smile. "Nerves," she said, pointing to the eggs, a few of which were now rocking. The others nodded and took their places back, and soon everyone's attention was once again on the eggs.

Candidate Master R'mez had already informed the group that he would not be making any speeches once they were on the Grounds. Now Kylie understood why - the humming of the dragons was getting louder as they stood there, staring at the eggs on the Sands. The mottling on the eggs had a motion to them, a rhythm that matched itself to the humming of the dragons. Distantly Kylie wondered how humming could have a rhythm, but that was lost in her fascination of watching the shadows on the eggs swirl and eddy as if they were the living beings and not the sentient lives they held. The humming swelled, coiling and eddying around Kylie until she felt enclosed by the palpable existence of sound - the sound of life, of regeneration, of renewal. The humming built to a deafening crescendo - then stopped.

Nothing moved. No one spoke, coughed or even breathed. Even the slight breeze which had been giving scant relief to the candidates was gone. One of the eggs was rocking frenetically.

***CRA-A-ACK***

The sound of the egg shocked everyone out of their stupor, and the sound of multiple breaths exhaling was heard. Kylie let out a whoosh of breath along with hundreds of others - observers and participants. The sides of the egg fell away, and a dark draconic head was seen as the hatchling shook to rid himself of eggshell fragments. He raised his face to the sky and creeled in hunger.

Breylith creeled back but otherwise did nothing. Her children needed to find their partners like she had found hers - without draconic interference. As if he understood that, the first Hatchling swung his ungainly head around and began to scan the crowd.

"Bronze!"

"It's a bronze!"

"A good omen for a good Hatching!" Whispers were running rampant throughout the crowds. The onlookers were almost as excited as the candidates themselves and Breylith sat back with her mate, Gorth. Both seemed to have pleased expressions on their faces.

The Hatchling stumbled towards the crowd, his head still weaving around, as if taking the mettle of each and every candidate. As he walked closer, his movements became stronger and more sure. Suddenly, with a churrup of success, he launched himself at one of the boys down at the other end of the semicircle. The crowd cheered. Nalesoki, Kylie thought, one of the candidates she hadn't had much truck with. Wonder what he'll go by now?

N'soki.

Yes, N'soki is a good name. Brushing the tears out of her eyes, she watched the two as N'soki carefully led his dragon away from the commotion. At the joy on his face, Kylie's stomach clenched.

Dragonman, dragonman,
'tween thee and thine,
give me a glimpse of love
greater than mine

Anne's words drifted through her mind. She closed her eyes and shook her head at her own hubris. How could she ever think she deserved that kind of happiness? This was reserved for those far more deserving than she!

The touch on her shoulder made her jump. She turned, and Haneset was smiling softly. "That will be us, you know," she said in Kylie's ear. Kylie nodded, but had her reservations. Haneset deserved a dragon, true, but not Kylie. Not by a long shot.

Another loud crack was heard, though this one was muffled by the noise of the excited crowds. This one was a brown and he, too, made his choice relatively quickly. Soon there were eggs splitting and breaking simultaneously and the grounds were cluttered with eggshells and hungry dragons. Standing at the outskirts, Kylie and Haneset watched and waited. Kylie noticed it did no good to force yourself upon a hatchling. Another boy she was not well acquainted with tried to force a bronze to look at him. While he didn't Impress the young dragon he was instrumental in helping to feed the Hatchling. Kylie hoped that he was right-handed, then wondered at her blasé attitude.

It's because you know they don't know any better.

Well, that was true. They didn't know any better and that boy shouldn't have gotten in the dragon's way.

As dragons seemed to pour around her, finding their mates and leaving her stranded, Kylie realized her prediction was going to come true. She wasn't going to Impress today. Suddenly she heard a noise behind her and turned.

The gold egg, set dead center amidst the rest of the eggs and upon a slight rise, had a hairline fracture the length of one side. Soon more hairline fractures were seen creeping down the egg from its pointy top until the shards fell away from the little queen at the center. Regally she surveyed the onlookers first then sniffed, as if she found them lacking. Opening her wings, she preened for her audience then turned her attention to the ten or so females left. Standing up she shook herself and began walking towards the gaggle of girls holding their collective breaths. Head weaving much like the first bronze who had hatched, she took the measure of all standing in front of her. Then, something in the little queen's eyes told Kylie that her choice had been made.

Kylie exhaled.