. 
It was beyond belief that Tenken had been put in charge of the hatching at Cy. Apparently, it was just too late at night, and G*non was just too lazy.
That wasn't it, really - there were forces at work, here. Tenken obviously needed to be taken down a couple notches here and there. But why did he have to be punished for their hatching? Tyssix and Xenrai both wondered that, as they headed to the hatching sands.
It was raining, stormy and nasty outside. Tyssix wasn't much for storms like this, after all she'd been sitting out in a couple of them before Cryten stopped the weathershaper Tresis from flooding everything on the Plateau. Xenrai didn't mind it, in fact he was like a kid looking out the huge windows and peering at the lightning like he'd never seen it before.
He hadn't seen much, that was true. They had indeed lived very protected - isolated even - lives.
But the way that Tenken took "charge" of the hatching? Neither of the cheetahs could stand it. They had half a mind between them to report his activities to Baeris, who would have speaks (as she commonly said) with someone in charge. If G*non wouldn't do something, well, maybe the newly incarnated Sherra would.
Tenken encouraged the candidates to kick at the eggs if they didn't open promptly. Tyssix rolled her eyes and sighed - that was no way to treat a hatchling dragon. But then again, here was a guy who had attempted to assassinate a hatchling if not Baeris herself...
"Jerk," Tyssix muttered under her breath.
A sunset blue hatched first, to Tenken's ire. Xenrai thought that he was just projecting some imagined ill upon the poor creature. He wanted to watch to see whether the pretty colored male would make his choice slowly - but Tenken yelled at him to find his bond. The blue found Tech, then left the sands in search of the food that Tenken also didn't know where to find.
"This is the last time anyone should have to put up with him anywhere," Tyssix said. A marked purple and yellow hatched, along side her was a big bronze. Both dragonets glared at Tenken when he snarled at them to get a move on.
As the female purple paired up, the Bronze went right to Xenrai! Tyssix was sort of surprised, because she hardly expected him to be a bronze rider. Tenken hurried names out of them, and it turned out that Kueveth was Xenrai's new bond's name.
He waited with the other pair, because Tenken wouldn't let them leave. He was under the impression that multiple dragonets might be pairing up, and he didn't want to have to deal with any 'leftovers'. How nice of him.
I'm hungry , Kueveth bespoke quietly.
"I know, but..."
The dragonet butted his head lovingly on Xenrai's leg, and they watched the rest of the hatching.
A pretty green hatched and attempted to have a nice private moment with her bond, but that was cut short by Tenken's abrupt manner. A yellow and grey-marked male hatched, and under threat of "something" made his way clumsily off to bond. Then a red, blue and yellow hatched out. A ghost apparently bonded here, which was pretty strange even for these sands.
A brown hatched, paired off, and he and his new lifemate stood nervously near Xenrai and Kueveth. Another pair of very interesting dragonets hatched - and one bonded to a phoenix. The other paired up, and a blue spotted hatchling sprang from his egg at last. Two females bonded next, green and purple - and one was to an already bonded girl, which meant that Tenken actually did know something about the multiple bondings...
A clouded bronze bonded to a centaur - how would that work?! Then a green speckled paired up with love to her bond. Two more hatched, and one bit the other's tail. Tenken thought that was the greatest thing since buttered toast. They both bonded, but again, Tenken wouldn't let them out until every egg was hatched.
Another brown, a pretty irridescent one, was going to pretend not to have a bond, take his time, and be dramatic. Tenken of course quashed that idea - any dramatics would have to be thought of later on. Three of the last eggs shattered, a rainbow brown, starlight colored one, and a gold.
The gold walked to Tyssix. Save the best for last, eh Tyssix? She asked.
"What about the others?" Tyssix asked, since the other two dragonets did not have their pairs yet.
Oh them, they aren't going to bond.
"I see, Andanem," Tyssix said her bond's name aloud, confirming to everyone that yes, her dragon was official.
Tenken saw one last egg. It hadn't quite hatched, which to Tyssix and Xenrai (and almost everyone else there too) meant that it wasn't ready to hatch. But he kicked it until it broke. The green within sprang onto him, in love.
"Serves him right," Xenrai muttered, as they were all allowed to finally get something for their hatchlings to eat, and head back to their barracks at last - bonded and happy.
***
"Did you hear what he did?" Xenrai said, as the group of weyrlings made their way into the barracks for training, "he tossed the green at G*non and left her there."
"I don't know if I feel sorry for G*non or Tenken or the green," someone laughed.
"Someone really should do something about his attitude," Tyssix said.
"Why don't you?" Another weyrling said, "I mean, you're scary."
"I am so not scary," Tyssix said.
I think I could scare some sense into him, Andanem said clearly. I am big enough now, to really squash him.
"And Birana would do what?" Tyssix said. "I think we'll just keep training here and then head back to the Plateau."
She turned to her brother, "Xen, are you going to come along with me, this time? Now that we're bonded?"
"I think so," he said, "I just don't want to be a bother. I don't know anything about living like that."
"I've been telling you all about it," Tyssix laughed. "And besides, Cryten sent us all his letters too, Ryslen's letting him go soon. He'll be at the Plateau with Wildstorm."
"And who is that girl anyway? I mean... Didn't you say she was the daughter of the crazy weather man?"
"Weather shaper , yes, and she is. But she's pretty cool."
Will she have a dragon? Asked Kueveth.
"I bet she will, and she's spoken for," Xenrai laughed. "I swear, all he wants to do is puff up in front of girls."
"I don't know how you became a bronze rider," Tyssix muttered.
***
The Plateau population had grown slightly, when the siblings and their big Cy-born dragons got back. There was a small second tribe of cheetah Kin, the Spotted Hand, who lived north of the Plateau but didn't come to live with the Twelve. They wanted a bit of privacy.
"You both did very well for yourselves," Cryten said, looking at his elder siblings. They were still going to be older than he, even though he'd spent another year at Ryslen, whereas their journey to adulthood for the dragons was less. It wasn't a competition he really wanted to win, though. He liked being young.
They liked him that way. Cryten introduced them to Wildstorm properly - she was ... shall we say, bloated with pregnancy. The other dragons in the Plateau population flocked down to visit, congratulate, and establish some sort of pecking order.
"Gold and bronze," Omaciyu said, "those are ... well, ranking colors indeed."
"We're not trying for your spot," laughed Tyssix.
Who says!
I SAY! Tyssix reminded her dragon.
Fine. But when we fly I expect to be attended to!
"... Don't even go there," Tyssix said. "You're not serious, are you?"
Of course she is , Kueveth put in. There will be many beautiful eggs from the flights that will happen here ! He spread his wings proudly. I wonder who I shall catch, when the time is right!
