After the Hatching

"You did it!"

Jin heard the voice before she spotted W'ju. He flew at her out of the crowd, wrapped her in a bear hug, and nearly toppled an entire table full of meat scraps in the process. Hatchlings and their new riders scattered and stared. Jin felt her face flush. She was sure everyone here thought there must be something special in her home Weyr's mountain springs. Between this and that other boy from Meridian vaulting himself onto the Sands during the Hatching, they'd created quite the spectacle.

Xongileth lifted her head elegantly from her share of meat. I like him, she nodded approvingly, her voice like rich silk. Everyone at Meridian should be as proud.

"He's - oof, W'ju, that's my liver - something, that's for sure," Jin managed, struggling to free herself from her brother's grip.

Finally, W'ju relented and released his sibling. Jin shook her head and blinked hard. She was frazzled from the stares and muttering of the people around her, but more than that she was emotionally stunned. The experience of Impression and the knowledge that Xongileth, this little wonder, was hers - it was indescribable. W'ju had talked her ear off after returning from Blackstone with Veoxkaith about it, but even with all his words, there was no way to convey what it felt like.

"It was amazing," W'ju huffed, rather out of breath from the excitement. "You Impressed. You're a rider just like I knew you would be! And a purple - Veoxkaith and I had a bet, what colour you'd Impress - he totally called it! I guess I forgot dragons were telepathic..."

Jin opened her mouth to say something, but her brother kept talking, giving her no room to get a word in. All around her, the former candidates were going back to feeding their hatchlings, but a few pairs of eyes were still fixed on them. Jin shifted uncomfortably.

You should get used to the stares, observed Xongileth as W'ju rambled on. I doubt there's any dragon quite like me anywhere.

"Certainly not, Xongileth," replied Jin, snapped out of her silence by her bond's voice. "I've seen purples before - on Alskyr, mostly - but none quite like you."

"And she's big," W'ju added. "She'll be as big as a queen when she's grown, by the looks!"

Naturally. The little dragon finished her last bite of food, daintily wiped her muzzle clean, then gazed distastefully at her forepaw. Though... I could do without these drab markings. Grey is not my colour.

Her rider shrugged. "We get what we're given," she said, moving forward to scratch Xongileth's eyeridge. "You'll see."

Gold, Xongileth sighed dreamily. Now that's a colour that would suit me. I think I could accept a touch of gold. Far less drab - and so eye-catching!

Jin couldn't tell if Xongileth was ignoring her or was just too preoccupied with her appearance to properly listen. "You are beautiful the way you are," she reassured the hatchling, "and I promise you'll turn heads. Gold or no."

Xongileth huffed. A girl can dream. Maybe I just need more sun. And a good oiling regimen for hide health. She turned her eyes upward to Jin, her expression reminiscent of a puppy begging for table scraps. Speaking of oil... Jin, rider-mine, would you be so kind?

"You are something else, Xongileth," the new rider sighed, but the corners of her lips were curled upward in a smile. She turned to her brother, who looked ready to burst with pride. "Shall we? I'm about ready to get my own space back."

"With a new hatchling?" W'ju grinned. "No way!"