I'll take these two to the Hatching Sands to get signed up. H'lian thought to his dragon.
Don't bother. The bronze said smugly. Just show them down to the abandoned sands, I think they'll take it from there.
Eyes widening, H'lian cursed the bronze dragon as he realised why the bronze had decided to bring them. Abandoned dragons...Jumarth, you could have let me warn them, first!
Jumarth ignored him as he flew off to their weyr. H'lian rolled his eyes, beckoning to the two harpers to follow him.
Slowly, they made their way to the abandoned sands. H'lian waved them in, smiling reassuringly.
Jaedan blinked, startled, when he saw what was in the dark room. Six large shapes, two brown and four blue, stared up at him and Alaos. Alaos smiled beside him, somewhat nervously, as he realised they were dragons.
"Hello." Alaos said, sounding falsely cheerful. It was obvious these dragons were not down here by choice. "What are you all doing down here? Where are your riders?"
Jeweled eyes, set in a brown face, reminded Jaedan of his fire lizard, Rourn. Except this dragon's eyes were slowly whirling, with blue and yellow. Our riders abandoned us. Why do you care? The brown dragon asked coldy.
Jaedan was taken aback by the brown's cold disposition. Alaos spoke up again. "Abandoned? How could anyone abandon such a magnificent dragon such as yourself?"
The dragon snorted. Spare me your false flattery. I don't want another rider. He said, eyes narrowed.
A blue dragon spoke up, reprimanding the brown. Klassenth! Be polite, even if you don't trust humans enough to re-Impress, some of us do.
The brown dragon, Klassenth, seemed to sneer at his clutchmate. As if anyone would want a petty blue. Isn't that why your rider abandoned you in the first place?
"Hey! That's not true!" Alaos spoke up. "I'd be happy to Impress a blue, or any dragon. And I'm sure I'm not the only one." He said, standing up for the blue dragon.
The blue cocked his head, staring at the boy. Would you? Rather, would you choose to Impress me, Crolteth, and be my rider?
Alaos was clearly startled by the blue's question. "Of course I will, Crolteth." He said as a smile crept onto his face. Crolteth's blue-green eyes whirled happily as he rose to stand beside his rider. Alaos grinned at Jaedan as he scratched the blue's eyeridges.
Klassenth was fuming. His eyes whirled red with anger, and possibly, even jealousy? Jaedan strode to kneel beside the brown dragon's head.
Klassenth glared at him contemptuosly. "You're lonely down here, aren't you? Even if you convince yourself that you don't want-or need-a new rider, you still watch jealously everytime another dragon gets a new rider." Jaedan whispered softly to the brown dragon. He shook his head. "But it doesn't have to be that way, Klassenth. There are people who want you, but you always push them away because you can't trust anyone. I believe there's someone out there for you, a new rider, but if you can't learn to trust in people, you'll miss your chance, and be stuck down here forever."
Klassenth glared at him. How could you know that? You don't know anyone wants me.
"I want you." Jaedan said quickly. Klassenth paused, looking up at the boy. "Will you trust me, Klassenth? Please?" The former harper's eyes were pleading as he stared at the brown dragon.
Klassenth's head dropped as his eyes whirled yellow. Finally, the brown dragon made his choice. He looked up at Jaedan. ...Alright, Jaedan. J'dan, I'll trust you. With my life. J'dan smiled as he reached out to stroke his dragon's eyeridges.