Mihve, about age 16 (aged through Nexus, outside of time)

Lantessama had so many dragons, all of them were so very interesting. Mihve had hardly had the chance to study what their names might be, at least their colors, before she got word that her sister had bonded already.

"Drat," she said, snapping her fingers. "I was hoping to go first..." She smiled to herself, though, and continued to study.

At Planet Twenty there were none of the modern convienences she had access to here. They had indoor plumbing, for one thing, and she missed that terribly. She wasn't feeling remarkably cut out for going back to the savannah and the Plateau.

It was only another week or so, though, before the eggs were deemed ready to hatch by their mother. The two proud males who had sired their clutches stood above the sands, while their extremely desirable mate remained on the sand near her eggs.

As everyone in the room held their breath, one egg rocked and seemed to crack audibly. But it was a red-marked shell that broke first, to revel a flame-colored female. She bonded off to Pechance, another female - it was right about then that Mihve realized she was surrounded by all-female candidates!

"The guys at the Plateau would just die for this," she muttered. Then, her attention was taken up entirely by the second hatchling.

She gracefully came out of an egg, Aseth her father looked happy. The dragonet was so dark, black and blue, no one could miss her as she sat down near Mihve.

"Mihve, my name is Izrell." She said, her voice was rich, and it echoed not only in Mihve's mind, but in her ears. She'd spoken, which even to Mihve and those at the Den, was unusual.

"Well Izrell, I think you might like to know you'll be very popular where we are going."

While the other eggs hatched loudly, the new pair wandered away and found food, while discussing their plans.

"I thought you did not want to go back to this Plateau thing. Why wouldn't you? You have a child there, don't you?"

"I do, but he is safe and sound. Plus, he won't have aged a bit when we get back. Like my mother really didn't seem to age while we were at the Den, growing up. You'll see."

At last, though, Mihve realized that she'd bonded - she had a dragon latched to her mind, a fine, permanent addition to her thoughts, hopes and dreams.

***

"What color is that, anyway?" Asked someone when Mihve was showing off with Izrell.

"She's Obsidian Rain," the Kintype purred. Her dragon's horns were growing, wings expanding to a flight-worthy size, and she'd started getting ready to flame things. That was... dangerous.

"You know you're going to have to learn to control that fire," Mihve laughed, as she dusted off another ash-covered rock. They were practicing, but she was serious. "Because the Plateau is just completely surrounded by grasses."

"Like the way the ocean surrounds Lantessama?" Izrell asked, innocently.

"... Just about, my dear, just about!"

***

When the time came, Mihve was ready to return. She missed her son dearly by now, and had to remember that he wouldn't have aged a bit. She might be different to him, though.

"This will be hard," Mihve said to herself. "But I want you to trust me. I want you to see my first home, the Healing Den, before we go to the Plateau."

"That sounds fine to me," Izrell said. "I just want to settle down... You think there will be a male that likes me?"

"I think there will be dozens of them, my love!" Mihve said, "and we'll see what happens but take our time. Okay?"

"In finding a mate? Of course I'll take my time. But I will not wait too long."

"You think I waited too long," Mihve said, "I wasn't old, I'll never be old." Mihve was sure that her father's odd genetics lent her some strange abilities - not the least of which was similar to his, and his cousin Shezumi's, that was akin to immortality. "Besides, if I'm going to be around the place I might as well settle down. It's what I want to do. Not with just one guy, maybe... But with the right couple of them..."

"There will be some on hand. Let's go!" The Obsidian Rain insisted, and they bid a farewell, if only temporarily, to Lantessama!