Aummery didn't like this whole hatching business.  It made him nervuos to be at the center of attention of an entire group of dragons.  Despite how much Aummery found he enjoyed the dragon's company, he didn't like to be so scrutinized.  He didn't like to feel like he was being judged.
  Saluvmen, standing a little ways down, as close as he could to one of the larger eggs, just looked up and grinned at him.  He held no grudges, and assumed that because he'd "brought" Aummery here, his friend didn't either.
  But Saluvmen's confidence didn't do anything to help Aummery.  His knees were shaking, and looking out across the eggs, standing underneath a sheath of cold, pouring rain, he felt that he didn't belong here.  Much as he'd love a dragon all his own, he didn't belong here.  Hatchings were for people who had some sort of destiny with dragons, not for people who liked watch-whers and legless cats.
  But it was far too late to change his mind.  The eggs were already rocking, and he was already dressed in the white and waiting, rather uncomfortably, for the hatching to begin.
  And it did, with a black dragon.  Aummery had never seen a rare dragon before, and was suprised at how normal it seemed to look.  No 'oohs' and 'awws' in his mind, the creature just looked like she completely belonged.  Aummery smiled sweetly as the black chose her partner, he was happy for them. 
  He was also slightly taken aback when the next four dragonets made themselves into a large ball of scratching  claws and flapping wings, complete with hisses and cries of outrage.  He didn't know dragonets behaved like this....like, well, the babies of any other animal.  Weren't dragons supposed to be all noble?
  One of the greens broke away, got Impressed, and slowly the other three drifted apart and found lifemates on the sands.  Aummery watched in disenchantment.  Perhaps the rain was dampering his spirit, but he couldn't bring himself to be excited about any of this.
  Another green Impressed, and Aummery wondered where she had come from.  Out of nowhere it seemed.
A brown and a blue hatched a short while later, and when the brown broke shell something in Aummery's skin seemed to jump.  The black may not have been noticably different, but this brown surely was.  How lovely the color seemed to compliment the build of the dragon.  Even the beautiful dark blue couldn't quite match that elegance.
  They both Impressed of course, and neither came anywhere near Aummery.  A sort of ceremonious arrival for the first bronze of the clutch, as the bronze sire appeared from between and bugled his pride.  Aummery watched the dragonet longingly.  He didn't know he could be so easily swayed by the colors.  he'd always thought he surely wouldn't care more for a bronze than a blue, or for that matter, even a green.
  Three more hatchings, a green, blue and brown.  Aummery watched the green as she chose her girl, and the blue, as he went to Xanthu.  But the brown, Aummery watched, wasn't going towards anyone else.  He was going as fast as his akward little legs would carry them,
  To me.  Aummery realized, and everything on the inside stopped.  A sudden panic overwhelmed him, and he looked over at Saluvmen.  His friend was grinning like an idiot and waving him excitidly towards the brown. 
  A tear rolled down Aummery's cheek as he went to the brown.  There was no mistake, this creature was meant for him and him only.  More tears followed, and Aummery didn't bother to check them.  The brown crooned pleasingly, and rubbed his head against Aummery's leg for comfort.
  "Olith."  Aummery wasn't sure how he knew the dragonet's name, or why it was the most perfect sound to his ears.  The dragonet was beautiful though, and brown too.  Aummery felt a warmth coming up from inside him. 
  Why are you crying? The dragonet asked as Aummery hugged him close, and then released him so they could get out of the rain.
  "Am I?" Aummery asked, and wiped the tears off his cheek.  He didn't bother to pretend it was rain coursing down the sides of his face.
  Yes. Olith replied, and crooned.  You shouldn't be you know.  I am here to keep you from crying. The brown paused, and shook his head.  Crying, is that the right word?  I am not so sure...your mind is fuzzy. Olith squeeled with delight, and nuzzled Aummery again.
  "Fuzzy?"  Aummery questioned, and shrugged.  "Yes Olith, crying is the right word.  But people don't always cry when they're sad, they cry when they're happy too."
  That is good. Olith sighed, and then cocked his head and seemed to listen for something.  They have a watch-wher here.  Why?  Dragons are much better at portection than a watch-wher.     Aummery tensed, did his dragon hate whers? 
  No. Olith said, and squeeled again. I like the whers.  I like them because you do. But you musn't mistake one of them as good as dragon ever again! Olith made the loudest sound he could, and Aummery, or A'mery now, thought it sounded very mighty indeed, if not slightly comical.