Day 40
Afternoon

"Come to the hatching sands with me" Rosie pleaded with her sister as they
left the small room they shared in the searchling dorm and stepped out into
the afternoon sunshine. "Come one - we never do anything together anymore!"

*That's because all you do is go an watch those damned eggs* the elder twin
admonished her.

"That's because my future is contained within one of those eggs" Rosie said
with certainty.

Daisy only shook her head. She'd long since accepted Rosie's choice, and
hoped that her dream would come true - and soon. She felt like an
expectant mother herself waiting for those eggs to hatch, waiting to find
out whether or not her sister would be chosen this time around, or whether
they'd have to go through this all again next time.

"Oh come on then" Daisy said, taking Rosie by the hand and leading her in
the direction of the hatching sands. "I can stay for a little while before
I have to get to work."

In truth she couldn't think of anything more boring than sitting and
watching twenty or so eggs. There were already to BIG dragons - the tiny
dragon's mothers - watching over them. Surely Rosie could trust them to
look after her dragon.

"Why don't we go somewhere else?" Daisy said suddenly turning to her
sister. "The lake?" she suggested enthusiastically, but Rosie was leading
her now, still holding her by the hand, and starting to run like an
excited child as they approached the hatching sands.

Both girls were chuckling and out of breath by the time they reached the
sands. Rosie stopped running as they reached the sands. She glanced at
both Queens and had a quick count up of all the eggs.

Daisy had managed to stay away from the hatching sands since the eggs had
been laid. She'd grown used to living in the warren with dragons in her
few weeks since coming to Whiteriver, but she still had no desire to
join. She stumbled as she entered the hatching cavern, turning to see why
her sister had stopped running. As she felt herself trip she instinctively
put both hands out in front of her to stop herself from falling flat on her
face. She managed not to fall, but as she took a couple of large steps to
keep her balance Rosie screamed.

"Daisy NO!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the cavern as her sister
stumbled into one of the eggs.

Chrysthal and Daetyn both hissed at her, and Daisy found herself on her
rump, shifting backwards away from the huge beasts that were threatening
her. She screamed in terror, and tears sprang into her eyes. "I'm sorry"
she choked backing out of the cavern on her rump. "I didn't mean to."

One of the Queens, Daisy didn't have a clue which one was busy inspecting
the egg she had manhandled while the other one wasn't taking her eyes off
the twins.

*What did you do that for?* Rosie asked her sister telepathically as she
followed her out of the cavern. She'd been to there every day since the
eggs had been laid. She would never have touched one. *You're so clumsy*
she said angrily, hoping the Queen's wouldn't hold her sister's stupidity
against *her.*

"I didn't mean to" Daisy said again, still crying, still sitting as she'd
fallen, on her bottom.

*I don't BELIEVE you* the younger twin shot angrily, and stalked off
leaving Daisy sitting there.

The elder twin sat there for a moment, tears streaming down her face. She
didn't know if anyone had seen what had happened, and she didn't care. She
hadn't meant any harm, *She* of all people had no desire to touch the
eggs! Eventually she hauled herself up and ran back to the dorm.

Rosie wasn't there, and Daisy was relieved. She didn't want to see her
sister. She didn't want to see anyone, she decided as she climbed into the
bed she shared with Rosie and curled up into a ball. She lay there
crying. From shock, from embarrassment, from fear. She cried for a long
time, and eventually she cried herself to sleep.

Day 40
Late Evening

It was dark when Daisy eventually awoke much later to a strange voice
inside her head. <I'm okay> the voice said, but it was hazy like a
dream. Rosie still wasn't home, and Daisy was mildly worried about her as
she got up and threw some cold water over her face to freshen up. Her eyes
were red and swollen from crying.

She remembered what had happened earlier at the hatching sands, and fresh
tears welled in her eyes. She hated dragons, why had she gone there - WHY
had she come to Whiteriver.

There was a strange presence in her head, and she felt suddenly hurt. It
was so overwhelming that she turned around to see if there was anyone else
in the room, but there wasn't.

*Rosie?* she put out a mental feeler, but got nothing back.

<No me> a faint voice said.

The strange voice startled her and she screamed, only to have the scream
echo back at her when she startled whomever or whatever it was that had
spoken inside her head moments before.

*Rosie* she put out again *please come home.* She was frightened. Both
girls had shown telephathic tendancies before, but they were weak telepaths
at best. Daisy knew she could sometimes sense strong emotions or thoughts,
but this was different.

Rosie was off having a most enjoyable evening with J'red at the
tavern. Somehow she was still managing to convince the man she was her
sister, and after Daisy's behaviour that afternoon at the hatching sands
she had a very good mind to give her sister a very bad name!

The elder twin knew she had missed work, but she didn't care. She was
terrified of leaving her room. She'd come so far in overcoming her fear of
dragons to have it all undone in a moments carelessness.

There was that presence again, reassuring her. Daisy couldn't understand
it, but she was grateful for it, and eventually she went back to bed and
fell quickly into a dream fueled sleep.

~~~
Day 40 - Afternoon - Daisy has an accident at the hatching sands
Day 40 - Late Evening - Waking up Daisy hears strange voices, but she
doesn't understand them

~~~
Respectfully submitted by

Kas