-hatching-
It was lonely in the boy's side of the Candidate barracks. Regeto and Shinju had gone to sleep long since and only Telatl, Sirin half-dozing on his pillow, lay awake. His crutches rested by his bed along with his white candidate's robe. The clutch was expected to Hatch any day now, and all the candidates were told to be ready at any moment.
Personally, Telatl was more afraid than excited for the Hatching. He had been told many times that missing a leg would not make any difference to the right dragon, but he couldn't help but wonder. The rest of the candidates had their little physical faults, but they would overcome those quickly. But could he truly keep up with a growing dragon on crutches?
Shut up and stop worrying, Sirin muttered sleepily. When the right dragon hatches, it won't matter if you had no legs.
Really? Telatl wondered. You're like a dragon, what did you think when you Hatched and found out your new Lifemate only had one leg?
I thought all humans were like that, Sirin told him with a mental chuckle. A second later, I knew they weren't, but it didn't matter. You were already mine, missing leg and all.
Telatl couldn't come up with words for a reply; he didn't need to. Sirin hummed happily and snuggled into the curve of his neck and, at the exact same moment, human and flit drifted off to sleep.
It could have been minutes, it could have been hours later when Gerlana entered the barracks, barking at the three boys to get up and get their robes on. Sirin half snarled at her but clung to Telatl's robe anyway as he shrugged it on, picked up his crutches, and followed Gerlana out to join the girls. He smiled at Sivve when he saw her and the healer offered him a concerned smile back.
The eggs were rocking furiously when the Candidates reached the Sands. Telatl filed in, navigating easily over the soft sands. Sirin glared her dissaproval of the entire situation from her perch on Telatl's shoulder.
The first egg to Hatch revealed a tiny cream who quickly found her rider in Sivve. Telatl tried to catch the healer's eyes before she left but she was talking to her dragon and didn't notice Telatl, much less the rest of the world. Telatl watched them jealously as they headed off the Sands.
Sirin nipped him gently on the ear. Pay attention to the Hatching!
Two greens Hatched and quickly found riders from among the girls. A little black was next to emerge and chose Shinju. Telatl cheered for the former Candidate but couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy.
A blue and then a bronze followed Shinju's black but neither showed any interest in Telatl. Both seemed to have their riders already picked out. Sirin rubbed her head against his cheek reasuringly. When the right dragon Hatches, he'll find you.
Another green found her rider before three eggs cracked at once, revealing two more greens and a white. The greens quickly found their riders as the white struggled. One girl, who had closed her eyes as if against some horrible pain, ran towards the white and to help. Telatl cheered as loud as anyone else.
Only two eggs remained, and only two normal Candidates to Impress them. They swung dangerously close and then into eachother, and then, with a loud crack, sending a bronze and another white sprawling onto the Sands. He didn't know why, but something about this bronze called to him. As if on cue, Telatl moved forward to meet the bronze.
T'latl! the bronze exclaimed, as if being reunited with someone he loved dearly but hadn't seen in ages. In his haste, he nearly ran over his sister. It was only the quick reflexes of the white's rider that saved the dragon.
"Sarinuth," Telatl chided with a shake of his head as the bronze reached him. He quickly found that, like Sirin, it was impossible to even think of being angry with the little bronze, who was gazing up at him questioningly.
Come on, let's go find food, T'latl told his bronze. Your sister looks ready to kill.
She couldn't get her teeth around the end of my tail, Sarinuth scoffed as he toddled after his rider.
Sarinuth... he asked reluctantly as the bronze enjoyed his first meal, do you notice anything... different about me from the other riders?
Sarinuth cocked his head, a bit of meat hanging from his mouth. You have more legs, the dragon said after a minute.
More? T'latl asked amazedly.
Yeah, Sarinuth replied, Two brown ones and a wierd one in the middle.
