Torrey, female, 5'9”, 170, rather plump but not out of shape, age 16 turns.

With blond hair cut short and naturally pretty around her face, and blue eyes with dark lashes, and pale skin, Torrey could have made a rather fetching Lady for some holder. However, she is lowborn and takes no pains to hide this. She is relatively charming, and sweet to all who treat her nicely. She can be quite caustic behind the back of someone who has mocked her, though. She cannot afford to buy many new clothes, so she makes due with patches of old ones. Torrey's mother is a cook for the Lord Holders, and as such she is often exposed to the Ladies and Lads of the Hold in all their glory. She is not a service drudge, however, she is smart enough to have distinguished herself for use in the infirmary and other places. She loves categorizing things, putting things in their places, and making sure everything is well stocked. She is not a spectacular woman in any way, but neither is she remarkably dull or poor in any way. She does have a raucous laugh which can be heard down the long halls quite clearly.

The dark blue hatchling headed toward the girls first. He looked at several. There was potential there, but the one for him was not. He moved on to the boys and quickly found Belon. "Vokalith," the cheerful young man said with a smile.

The poor blue and his rider were quickly forgotten as the gold egg split into quarters revealing the buttery hatchling within. The queen hatchling quickly got to her feet and headed toward the female candidates. Only one of them would do for her. She just had to be sure of which one. She looked at several of the girls pausing to look long and hard at Essildi before moving on. Two more eggs had hatched while she was making her choice. Finally, she found the one she was looking for a candidate with hair the color of her hide. Torrey, you are mine. I am your Asriath, the gold told the lowborn woman. You are low no more. You are mine, the queen assured her.

"Yes, yes I am," Torrey said with an elated smile.

***

"You've got to get that tail up," Torrey yelled, "otherwise it might strike our wing second!"

You say that like you know how heavy a tail is, my one, Asriath gave the dragon equivalent of a chuckle.

"Well I can feel yours, dragging us half backwards over the lake!"

There was a pause, and then Torrey regretted saying anything, laughing all the while. Asriath plummeted into that self same lake, knowing that her rider would be fine - only drenched.

Now there is a drag, that stuff you wear.

"Clothing!" Torrey sputtered, "it's called clothing and I wear it to keep warm! The lake is freezing!"

It is refreshing! The dragon managed to actually begin flying again from the water's surface - something that didn't go unnoticed by those on the shore.

***

Their 'wing seconds' were gorgeous. Torrey wondered how in the world she got so lucky as to have such a beautiful dragon to go home with. Her friends, her wing, they were heading home once more. Alabaster would be their roost, and she their newest gold rider.

Torrey hesitated to say queen rider, of course, but ... there would be time for that. And very likely some exceptional bronzes to fly Asriath!