It had begun.  When the first purple dragon had poked it's head out 
of its shell, then stumbled it's way until it's boy rider had found it, the 
Hatching Caverns, teeming with people and dragons alike, had grown 
silent.  When the boy cried out, "His name is Berlan," a thundering cheer 
rose sounding as if it were made by one voice.  

	As if on signal, the other eggs hatched at once.  A rainbow of infant 
dragons began stumbling around seeking almost in desperation to find 
their riders.  The candidates felt the same pull and walked carefully 
among the helpless dragonets, each hurrying to find his own, but careful 
not to injure another's.

	Evelle's tapered fingers lifted her skirt as she made her way amid 
the happy chaos.  She heard the cries of joy as searchling and dragonet 
found each other and joined.  Her friend, Darlea, had already found her 
Mikalya.  David, the young man she'd danced with a little while ago was 
had bent down next to a black and grey dragon and was lifting the four-
foot bundle high in the air.  Not many could heft such a weight.

	As she walked, feeling no discomfort from the heat of the sands as 
the grains engulfed her toes, she looked around and felt a tug of 
disappointment in her heart.  She didn't see Wynn among the searchlings.  
Perhaps at the next hatching.... she would continue to encourage him to 
hold onto hope.

	Red, yellow, pink, brown, orange -- the dragonets still lurched and 
stumbled, careening helpless in their search.  Evelle looked at each but 
none called to her heart.  And then, in her mind, she heard,

	*You are mine.*

	Was it only her wishful brain telling her the words she longed to 
hear?  Then she looked down and her breath caught in her throat.  There, 
at her feet, was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.  A dark, 
burnished copper, it's baby wings were flecked with tiny bits of gold.

	*Alicynth!*

	*Evelle*

	In that exchange of names that took but a flicker of a moment, 
Evelle and her dragon knew each other.  It was the queen.  The newborn 
queen had chosen her.  Evelle looked up and saw her parents smiling 
proudly down at her, then embracing each other.  S'brogh was cheering 
so loudly, his throat would likely be sore in the morning.  But that was all 
the time Evelle could spare from her Alicynth.  The rampant need in 
young woman and infant dragon was sated.

	*You are hungry, Alicynth.  I will feed you*

	*Please, please.  I must eat*

	*I will fetch it right away, little one*

	Evelle rose from where she'd been kneeling ready to go get the 
meat her dragonet needed.  But it wasn't necessary.  The Warrenfolk had 
seen the new queen hatch and bond, and a large bucket of raw meat was 
being brought to her.

	"Thank you."  Evelle accepted the bucket, realizing it was her due 
now that she was joined with a queen.  She reached into the bucket and 
offered Alicynth her first meal.  The dragonet's head wobbled as she bent 
to take it lovingly from her rider.  Like infants of every species, dragons 
were born with a need to feed.  Gradually Evelle felt the pangs of hunger 
diminish as the pile of meat grew smaller and vanished.  Alicynth's 
appetite was satisfied for now, though soon it would rise again.

	Dragon and rider looked into each other's eyes, the same gold-
flecked brown in both.

	*You are beautiful* Evelle told the queen.

	*You are beautiful too*

	The baby dragon shifted, trying to flutter her still moist wings, and 
Evelle knew Alicynth was as eager to fly as she was to ride her.  She 
gave a musical chuckle.

	*Not yet, little one.  It's not time.  You must rest and grow strong.  
In not many days, you will be ready to fly and together we'll explore the 
realm.*

	In answer, Alicynth pushed her baby head into Evelle's shoulder, 
pushing her back and down onto the sand.  The copper-haired girl 
laughed out loud.

	*So you want to play, do you?  Well good.  I like to play, too*

	She rubbed the dragon's underbelly and felt Alicynth's shivers of 
delight.

	*You are mine, Evelle*

	*I am yours.  And you are mine*

	*Stay with me*

	*I won't leave you tonight.  Rest, sweet one, and I'll rest with you.  
When you hunger, I'll wake up and feed you*

	Evelle placed her arms around her dragon's neck and rested her 
head where she could feel the dragonet's heartbeat.  Many dragons and 
riders had joined, others were still searching, some searchlings would 
soon leave the grounds in disappointment that this hatching wasn't theirs.  
Evelle heard none of it.  Each of the newly joined riders and dragonets 
knew this night was for them alone.  In half a year's time, Alic
hatch her own new clutch, and Evelle would watch as her dragon's 
children found their riders as she had done tonight.

Evelle
Dragonrider of Alicynth