"Chosen"
Aryella peeled off her dusty tunic and slid into the water, flinching from the sudden heat. The bathing room, steamy from the hot pools, smelled of sweat and sweetsand. She ran a hand over her distended belly as mixed emotions flooded her: anger combined with a strange sense of pride and anticipation. Of all the Lower Caverns workers, she was the one bronzerider D'nel had chosen after a failed mating flight.
This child will grow up strong and smart, she thought, feeling the tiny life stir within her. Perhaps he will even become a dragonrider like his father…