The sun’s red light shone on the Hatching Grounds as it rose. Suddenly Ionath started to bugle. The eggs were about to hatch! Azura ran down to her dragon’s side to calm her. Zh’ck her mate was right behind her. Fertath was already on the ledge right above the eggs. Ionath bugled again. People began rushing in to get seats. The candidates were led in be Weyrleader T’rin. The eggs began to rock.

The first egg didn’t crack. It exploded. As the candidates ducked flying pieces of shell, they caught a glimpse of a large brown hatchling. The brown shook his wings. Then he stumbled forward. He wobbled towards the boys and stopped. He looked at each one. His gaze finally settled on a young man who looked to be about 19 turns. Latran had Impressed the brown. “His name is Credeth,” Latran yelled to the waiting people. Then he led his new lifemate off the Sands.

The rest of the candidates shifted nervously as the hot Sands burned their feet. A second egg had cracked open while the brown had Impressed. A beautiful green hatchling stumbled forward. She picked herself up and began to move towards the girls. The girls looked at the hatchling. Each of them was hoping to Impress. The green, however, had already made up her mind, and her choice was a tall, blonde-headed girl. Fancesca looked down at the waiting green. Their eyes met and Impression was made. “I’m so glad you chose me, Narasath,” Fancesca said leading the green off the Sands.

Azura watched the new pair walk off the Sands. It didn’t seem so long ago when she had Impressed Ionath. A tear ran down her cheek, but she was distracted as another egg cracked into hundreds of little pieces. A blue hatchling walk out of the rubble that was once his egg. He walked towards the guys. He began walking towards a short, tan young man. The little blue fell nose first into the sand at Lantarun’s feet. Lantarun helped the blue up and looked into its eyes. Impression was once again made. “I know you’re hungry, Rimtath,” Lantarun said leading towards the food.

It was Zh’ck’s turn to remember how he had Impressed his Fertath. He looked up at the blue dragon who was waiting patiently for the next egg to hatch. Azura tugged on his arm and brought his attention back to the eggs. Two eggs hatched simultaneously. Azura gasped as a gold and a brown shook their wings. The brown finished first. He ran towards the boys and tripped. The guys looked at each other. They didn’t know what to do. Padasha walked forward and helped the little brown to his feet. He turned to go back into the semi-circle when he heard a voice in his head say, “My name is Surketh.” Padasha followed the little hatchling off the Sands.

The gold took her time. Ionath warbled to her errant daughter. The gold looked up at her mother and began to walk forwards. She stopped in front of the two girls that were left on the Sands. She butted a girl’s leg. A gold fire-lizard and a blue began screeching. Kiin looked down at the gold. “Welcome to the group, Kasiath,” she said hugging the hatchling.

One of the smaller eggs cracked. A few moments later a blue head poked out of the shell, which then neatly cracked into two parts. The blue walked towards the last guy on the Sands. Then he stopped and went towards the last girl. He stopped right in the middle of the two people and began creeling. He looked really confused. He looked towards his mother and then towards his father. Both of his parents nodded their heads in answer to his creeling. Then the blue began to wobble towards a tall girl who looked a whole lot like Padasha. Myst met the blue half-way and patted his head. “Come on, Yaleth,” she said waving her hand.

The last guy looked after the pair as they walked off the Sands. He wanted a dragon like that. He didn’t care what color it was. He didn’t even notice that there was another egg still left. It hatched to reveal a beautiful bronze dragon. The dragon walked over to the scrawny looking young boy. Xavasian looked down at the bronze. “You do want me don’t you?” asked a voice. “Of course I do, Zarshanth” he said leading the bronze to the feeding area amid wild cheers for the Hatching.

Azura was among those who clapped the loudest. “That was a wonderful hatching for your first one Ionath,” she said looking at her dragon. “Don’t you think so, Zh’ck?” she said putting her arm around the blue rider.

Zh’ck nodded. “I definitely think so a gold and a bronze,” he said smiling at his weyrmate. They walked off the Sands together to congratulate the new dragonriders.