Dijo looked around him and marveled at the world. The locale, Darkling Dawn, was equally impressive on the inside as it had been from above. Because he was 'friends' with the air, Dijo had no trouble seeing through the wind, or hearing the slightest muttering in the halls when they'd landed.

There were people - mostly Human people - everywhere in this Weyr. But they for some reason didn't bother Dijo much. In fact a lot of the females seemed to think he was pretty.

He ate that up, of course. But it wasn't like he was interested in taking them up on any of their well-meaning offers. He did spot a couple interesting looking people who were eating what looked to be some kind of bread and drinking from mugs.

He was barely settled in, when he'd already offended half the male population by his innocent prattle. The girls liked him a lot better. He could stand for hours and gossip with them - and he fell in line as one of the 'grrlz' as the candidates were summoned to the sands.

The eggs were hatching. He'd hardly been there long enough to get into trouble and the eggs were bouncing about on the sands. He felt their minds, there were eggs with real dragons - little minds - and they all wanted one thing.

Well, two things, if you counted "getting out of the egg" first. The other thing on their minds was food. But this was interrupted when they actually did get out of their shells!

For it was at that point when most of them realized how big the world was - outside their shells of course it was big. It could be an intimidating place, even with friendly people.

When the first egg broke open, a dark green hatched and everyone was stunned when it turned out to be male. Dijo guessed that was important - greens were usually female? Hmn. Something for later.

Then two more eggs broke open upon one another, smashing to bits and revealing a pair of slightly-different reds. The darker of the pair bonded to a female over on the side of the sands, speaking out loud - which was also somewhat different than people expected of dragons.

It was when the other lighter colored red snapped at Dijo as she sat next to him, when his attention focused on the hunger in his mind - her mind - their minds...

Well, Dijo, aren't you going to feed me? Her mind demanded. Her red face tilted a bit urgently - this was why he'd been thinking about food!

"Rubyth," Dijo said, surprised. Since he could technically sense the other dragons he hadn't realized that this one wanted his attention so much! But now that he looked at her swirling eyes, he knew that they were going to be trouble together. "I - I didn't even know you wanted me!"

Rubyth snorted and shook her head, but then the swirl to her eyes turned a brighter blue-green, happy color, Of course I want you. There's no one else here for me. She set her head on his furry thigh for a moment and then they went off to the kitchens for the meal. She was happy, and fast. She almost lost him walking around the other candidates!

"Hey sweetie, slow down!"

You're a cheetah! You are supposed to be fast!

"How do you know that?" Dijo laughed, and began to hum a happy Human tune he'd heard once long ago.

***

Dijo and Rubyth kept up with the others in the weyrling training class, but it was with heavy distractions. Dijo hardly noticed the time going by - mostly because he was noticing all the rather handsome riders.

This was no coincidence: because Rubyth was also starting to notice the handsome dragons around her.

I like him, and him. Oh - and him. And those two.

"Easy, easy... I think I can only handle one at a time, Rubyth," Dijo laughed. But he also got wind (literally) of how some of those riders weren't quite what he was looking for.

In other words, they were male riders, looking for a girl to chase, not for a tail like his.

Don't be sad. There will be someone. There are many others, aren't there?

"Yes, Rubyth," Dijo said, with a little tinge of sadness, "but I just wish that I could say when we get home there might be someone there..."

***

The wind was strong under the scarlet and ruby wings of the medium sized red dragoness, and that was certainly halfway because of Dijo. He could easily create updrafts that the dragon he rode could soar upon. He would not have to over Planet Twenty's plateau.

Their home, his home.

I hope to meet your friends, and I do hope that they will have the right kind of dragons for me. Rubyth commented as they came out from the nexus over the big wide plain.

Dijo and Rubyth saw the brightly colored wingsails of a dozen others - they'd all returned, they were all together at last!