Scene: Darkness
 
        He struggled slightly against the confining walls that had 
previously held him in comfort.  No longer did he find that comfort.  It 
had grown cold around him.  The darkness forever.  But there was no 
exit.  Trapped.
 
        Desperately, he threw his head back, driving his snout into the 
roof of the confines.  A crack!
 
        Again he pounded the roof above him, the crack growing larger 
and larger until ...
 
        Success!  A hole smashed above him, cool night air swirling into 
his small chamber.  He shivered, struggling all the more to free 
himself.  Mother.  She was there, in his head.  Other voices now.  A 
chaos of thoughts swum around in his mind.  He realized suddenly that he 
was free, laying in warm sand as a cool breeze caressed his back.
 
        He was now to find the one to bond with.  The human whom he 
would forever be tied to.  He searched the grounds around him with pale 
blue eyes.  Small dragons and humans milled about with organized chaos.  
Sweeping voices of glee reached his mind, dragon and human finding each 
other.  But there was no one to go to.  Not for him.  All the humans 
here felt wrong.
 
        His wings fluttered slightly.  Drying, but still useless for a 
few days yet.  He searched the Grounds again, but there was no one.
 
                        *    *    *    *
 
        Christalla sat watching the hatching with tired eyes, and yet 
she was still feeling exhilirated.  Kaeryth watched anxiously as her 
children went to find their Bondmates.  She raised her massive head 
slightly.  <He is leaving.>  Christalla heard.
 
        "Who is?"  She asked quietly.
 
        <The small black, near the edge of the Grounds already.  He has 
not found one to bond with.>
 
        "No.  Will he go wild?"  Christalla asked sadly.
 
        <There is no one here for him.>  Kaeryth responded cryptically, 
but the response was clear.
 
                        *    *    *    *
 
        It had grown colder.  Wynn shivered slightly as he gazed out 
over the land.  The trumpeting of dragons and shouts of those of the 
Warrens continued to celebrate the hatching.  At least some people get 
to be happy this night.
 
        The night was clear, only a couple of whispy clouds blocked 
small parts of the sky.  Wynn sighed.  To have been so close, and now to 
stay forever on the ground.  It didn't seem fair to him.
 
        A sound.  Something scaping against rock.  Wynn looked off in 
the darkness, but could see nothing.  Perhaps one of the Warren workers, 
heading back for more meat for the dragons.  The baby dragons would be 
very hungry, and would need the food to grow.
 
        A rock clattered against the ground.  Someone was there, or 
something.  Wynn rose cautiously, peering into the darkness.  "Who is 
there?"  He asked suspiciously.
 
        A weak keening reached his ear. How could that be?  He moved 
forward, his eyes darting about the darkness, when he finally saw it.  A 
small, jet black dragon lay on the ground.  'Why is it here, and not at 
the Hatching Grounds?'  Wynn thought.  The dragonnet looked tired and 
hungry, slumped as it was on the stone and dirt ground.  Was it already 
bonded?  Could it have gone wild already?
 
        A pale blue eye focussed on him, a terrible sadness in the 
dragon's eye.  "Damn.  If you are bonded, your mate does not deserve 
you."  Wynn said hotly, moving quickly over to the black.  He removed 
the vest he had worn to the feast, bending down to wrap it around the 
shivering dragon.  "And if you're wild, then bite me.  But I will not 
see you suffer, little one."  Wynn picked up the dragon and held it 
close to him.
 
        The small black nuzzled against Wynn.  <I am Malekith.>  It sent 
weakly.
 
        Wynn gasped, falling back slightly on his rear.  The dragon ... 
spoke to him.  It wasn't bonded already, it wasn't wild.  It was 
searching ... for him?
 
        No, that had to be wrong.  He wasn't even selected for this 
hatching.  But the dragon in his arms.  It had sent to him.  He had sent 
to him.  Malekith.
 
        Struggling slightly, Wynn managed to get to his feet.  "I hope 
you know what you are doing, choosing me."  He looked down at the dragon 
in his arms.
 
        <You are Wynn.>  Malekith thought.  He was beginning to feel 
warm again.  There was no wrongness here.
 
        "Let us find you some food.  You've travelled far for your first 
steps."
 
        <Food.>  Malekith agreed.
 
                        *    *    *    *
 
        <He has been found.>  Kaeryth sent to the Dragonlady.
 
        "Found?  By whom.  Is he all right still?"  Christalla asked, 
the Empress' own anxiousness still affecting her.
 
        <A young man.  Wynn by name.  He will not go wild.> Kaeryth said.
 
NRPG: There we go ... Wynn has his own little dragon now :)  This won't 
change his outlook much, though obviously he won't be down about not 
becoming bonded.  He'll still be a bit distant and cold with others, but 
will most likely become friendlier with everyone.
 
Hope everyone's enjoying their dragons :)
 
Yep, you guessed it, still sigless,
Wynn and Malekith,
aka Chris Ackney
yu121874@yorku.ca