| Raeniel stood on the sands, her feet burning, with the rest of the candidates. The eggs were rocking now. It seemed to take an eternity before the first one cracked, and Raeniel, not past being slightly supersticious, didn't think it boded well that that egg contained a green. But, as if to reassure everyone that she was just as good as any, she strode confidently about, glancing over the candidates, until she saw Nema. Raeniel smiled. Nema, who had stood with her for the gold egg the clutch before, didn't seem at all upset as the little green broke into her life. A brown and a blue hatched next, but Reaniel had only eyes for the blue. His antics were amusing, even more so when he crashed right into his chosen. Raeniel smiled, a perfect match, but was trying to shake off the feeling that somehow a blue would come to her too. Gold candidates Impressed more blues than greens...but Raeniel didn't want a boy dragon. She didn't care if it was the smallest green to ever hatch, she wanted a girl. Males just added to Raeniel's restless nature, perhaps a female would help to calm it. Raeniel watched as one of the boys Impressed that brown, and, hey, that was a brown-bronze! Raeniel drank in the sight of her first "rare" dragon. They, of course, weren't really rare at all-just less common. A silver hatched next, and Raeniel watched that one intently too. Then, to keep the streak, a white. Raeniel didn't move as the tiny creature went to the newest female candidate, Meliva. A few moments hatched before another egg cracked, and Raeniel found herself growing insane with panick as what was to happpen to her. Sure she'd thought it wouldn't matter that much if she didn't Impress, but that was before. Before she realized how hard it would be to walk away without a precious dragonet....again. It would be too much this time. Somehow her destiny, for better or ill, was tied up with this hatching. She knew that this was it, if there was no dragon for her, then she'd be doomed to wander. Perhaps a trading clan would appeal to her sense of adventure? Raeniel shook away the thoughts as the biggest egg cracked. A blueish white dragonet poked his head shyly up through the hole he'd made in his shell. Raeniel smiled at him...no wait, it was a her. How did she know that? "That white was beautiful." Someone whispered, and Raeniel looked over to see Sarabande saying something. Raeniel smiled. "It was the first white I'd ever seen. I'll have to write home to tell my sister about it...she'll be thrilled for me of course." Raeniel's voice was dry, and Sarabande smiled. You could at least pay attention to your bond, Raeniel, and not a white, a voice intruded, and Raeniel spun around to see that little blueish white female at her elbow. Anyway, I'm much better than her. Raeniel, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Xvirith. Raeniel didn't have time to be in awe of the beautiful little female blue before the next words came from her own mouth, unbidden. Raeniel grinned. "Thank you, Xvirith. We'll go and get you fed. You look famished!" Of course I'm famished, I've been famished for a long time. Ever since I started shaking that shell. The bluey-white female paused. It worked out well for us, didn't it? I mean, I heard you thinking that you wouldn't want a boy dragon, and here I am, a girl. There's only a few of us around you know. "Few of who?" Raeniel asked, guiding the dragonet off the sands. She wasn't as caught up in wonder as she thought she'd be, but still couldn't wait to tell Xvirith all the things she felt the young dragonet should know. Us. Us females in male colors, and males in females colores. What's that? "Cross genders?" Raeniel guessed, and Xvirith seemed satisfied. Yes. There's only a few of those around. You'll have to do a lot of traveling, to show me off you know. "But of course Xviri...Is there something shorter you wouldn't mind me calling you?" Raeniel wondered out loud. She got the feeling the hatchling was shrugging. Shorter? Than Xvirith? The dragonet paused. No. I like Xvirith. It's like my mother's name, except with an xs sound at the front. But then she hurridely rushed on. But you can call me anything you want too. I don't mind. Anything you call me is just perfect. Another paused. That is, if I can call you Raeny. Raeniel smiled, a well aimed hit, but the dragonet seemed serious. Raeniel laughed, and shrugged. "Why not? Why not." |