| You pick up the journal that Quamilia handed you with interest, and turn to the first page, and begin to read. 2856.02.28 Dear Diary, I've been looking back at all of my entries from when I was twelve and apprenticed to the DragonHealer Craft, and how I spoke of not wanting to Impress a dragon. Well, now I've changed my mind. I am going to try and Impress. There is a green's clutch on the sands right now, and I've heard that green dragon's eggs hatch faster, because they are smaller and therefore harden faster. I have asked if I could stand, and was approved! It is so amazing! Also, since many dragonriders have firelizards to help them scrub their dragons, I figured that if I'm going to try and Impress, I might as well have firelizards. My chances are not all too wonderful, I understnad that greatly, and the highest that I could Impress would be a green. Not that I'd mind a green, for they are now allowed one clutch before chewing firestone, and the results can be wonderful! Anyway, back to the firelizards. I was out along the beeaches, and heard this thrumming. Firelizard eggs hatching! I can remember all of the times that I looked about for them several days before, without any luck, but I guess that when you try hard enough, you succeed. And I succeeded! I now have a bronze and green flit to show. The bronze is Zekari, and the green Eyrmal. They are so wonderful! The dragonhealer that I was assigned to when I decided to be apprenticed isn't all too happy about having (as he puts it) "two of those screeching nuisances" in his line of vision, but he had to put up with it. The hatching should be soon, that's what many say. I will write more after the hatching! 2856.03.02 Dear Diary, The hatching was today! It was so amazing. There were three blue dragons and three greens, and I was the only female Candidate. It was a bit strange, yes, but if I'd backed out because I felt strange, then I would be so angry at myself. For, you see, the last dragonet, a little emerald green, chose me! Anaketh, the most wonderful dragon on all of Pern, has chosen me! Isn't it amazing? I am so greatful for being a dragonrider now, for many of the other dragon-healer apprentices teased me for being around dragons so much, but not trying to Impress. They said that no dragon was good enough for me, and that's why I was there. They cannot say that any more! I sure did show several of them what it means to be found acceptable by dragons, for I was! I still cannot believe that Anaketh is mine. Everything happened so quickly that you wouldn't believe it. One second we knew that the hatching was going to happen today, and the next we were out on the sands, and the next Anaketh had picked me. However, the time between when the first egg split to when my green did seemed like an eternity, all at the same time. Well, I only had enough time to write a quick entry, because I am exhausted from the hatching and the feast! I shall write more tomorrow. You lay down the book and question, "So Anaketh was the last green out of the shell?" "Yes, it's true, and she was the smallest, but small dragons have done great things." She smiles, her face shining with the hope that Anaketh may do one of those great things. Back to Quamilia's Weyr |