Evelle listened carefully to everything the DragonLady was saying.  
A stewpot of mixed feelings stirred in her mind, exhilaration, anticipation, 
trepidation, awe at the new responsibilities that came with riding a queen.  
In a few short hours, her life had changed forever.  She had so much to 
learn and, apparently, not much time to learn it before she would be 
tested.  But first, she had to ask.

	"Have you seen her, Christalla?  Alicynth?  Isn't she wonderful!"

	The DragonLady smiled.  No one understood better than she 
Evelle's occupation with her Alicynth.  Christalla was close to twice 
Evelle's age, but she remembered as if it were yesterday, the day her 
queen, Kaeryth, had chosen her.

	"Yes, yes, of course she's wonderful.  All right, Evelle.  Spend a 
few minutes telling me about your dragon before we get back to work."

	Evelle did.  She couldn't help it; she just had to share the marvel 
that was Alicynth with Christalla, knowing full well that everything she felt, 
the DragonLady had felt before her.  Christalla waited patiently through it 
all, enjoying it really.  The time of first joining was never forgotten.  To her 
credit, Evelle did turn back to business and her training in acceptable 
time.  Her expression took on a hint of worry.

	"You say I am to be Warrenlady and represent the interests of 
Keldarra at the Council meetings.  But, M'ressan, DragonLady... he has 
done so well.  I... I wouldn't want to push him aside."

	"Don't worry.  M'ressan is happy with the turn of events.  In truth, 
he's been waiting for a new queen to hatch so he'd be free to give it up for 
what he loves best."

	Satisfied on that issue, Evelle put it out of her mind.  "I have so 
much to learn," she said.  "I love Keldarra, but I've not paid much attention 
to politics before.  When you told me I was a candidate for the new 
queen, I was so happy to just be considered, and I hoped, but I didn't 
really think it would happen.  And then, Alicynth called me."

	"And now, things have changed.  You wonder if your friends will 
treat you differently.  They will, some of them, but a queenrider must be 
part of the people, and dragons, as well as their representative.  Even 
with your training, you'll still spend a lot of time with the others.  You're a 
warm and loving young woman, Evelle.  From now on, you'll be different, 
but you won't be alone."

	"Different," Evelle said softly.  "Many things have been different at 
this hatching, haven't they?  It's unusual to have so many from outside 
join with the dragons at one hatching.  But there they were, Michel 
Lighthand, Araminta, Darlea's friend, Salinda, David Swordson...."

	"He's a telepath," Christalla interrupted.

	"What?  A landbound, member of the Guild of Swords, a telepath?  
How marvelous."

	"Yes, marvelous to have another, but difficult for him, as your new 
role may be for you until you both learn what you need to know."

	Evelle nodded.  As much had changed for David as had for her in 
this one night.  "And Wynn.  I'm so happy, Christalla, that he found his 
dragon, but that was different, too.  Still, I always knew he was destined to 
be a dragonrider."

	"Wynn is different.  He had to wait until a dragon was born that 
matched his differences.  When the time came, they found each other.  
Thus it has ever been and will always be.  You like him, Evelle."

	"Yes, I always have.  He keeps to himself, and I wish he'd talk to 
me more, but I like him  He's going to be a very good dragonrider," she 
said with confidence."

	<Well done> Christalla thought to herself.