They watched as all eyes were on the first egg to hatch, a bronze! Then, a blue and brown hatched, then suddenly three greens. They fought and their newly impressed riders all but snapped at one another. Then a bronze and brown hatched, and another green.
There was a bit of a lull.
No one had noticed that one of the larger eggs lay half-buried in the sands. It had cracked but not broken, during the greens' fight. When the bronze came from it, Hendar's eyes lit up. There was a voice in his head, something he'd been known to hear but never this sharp or clearly.
H'ndar, please help me! The sand buries me!
Hendar -- now H'ndar to his beloved dragon -- rushed over to where the large bronze was stuck. His tail and both back legs were almost completely covered in sand! H'ndar dug quickly, and used part of the broken shell to remove the rest. Then, he stood with his friend and listened to the voice in his head.
"His name is Cometh and he's MY bronze!" H'ndar announced. It must have broken the muttering and distracted everyone, for there were other eggs now hatching again.
H'ndar didn't care that many eyes drifted to him. He was used to being seen. He'd been made to leave his fighting blades behind of course, but the first thing that Cometh asked after 'food and scratching' was,
Where are your spines? I know you have them! You could scratch me with those when I get big! I know I will be very big, H'ndar. I may not look it right now, but I will be!
H'ndar laughed a bit. "Cometh, you're already big! Big enough to look most of the other Candidates in the eye!"
It was true! This bronze, while not the first in the clutch to hatch, nor the very biggest anyone would ever see, was quite large at the start and had strong, long legs! Now that they were out of their sandy trap, that is!
"A guy club. So we go out, fight thread, fly golds, and that kinda stuff?"
"Perfectly interpreted!" Shard laughed.
"Then I'm in! Consider it a done deal, once this bronze hulk is full grown!" H'ndar patted the side of the great bronze's neck, and Cometh rolled his head to get a better scratching.
There, just right there.... yes.... more, if this man and his dragon might even help, I would love to be scratched a bit more.
"You always do, Cometh. Now, hush." H'ndar turned back to look for Shard but the man was gone. "Well, I suppose I'll find out where to meet you later..."
