OrangePeel was a bit uncomfortable, what with all the people there. They tended to stare at him not only because he was so pale, but because his ears stood out... They all thought he was a child. Well, they also thought that of Warmhand and Heartshy - because they were elves and hardly the size of an adult human. But OrangePeel wasn't a child any more, not even by elfin standards.

He was at least an adolescent. According to Heartshy anyway.

But there was nothing to do about it, except wait it out, bond if they could, and head back home to Bald Mountain. If he bonded, Orange Peel would be seen as an adult by everyone, even the humans. That would be great.

And at last, they had their chance! The eggs were hatching, and the bunch of elves and humans and other people rushed down to see the eggs. Just in time, the eggs started to break. A dual colored one broke shell first, and paired off. Then, a silver. But with her, a pair of blue and green also hatched. They made their way over to the elves shortly, and Orange Peel's sending ability told him that this was the moment he'd been waiting for.

The blue sat down in front of the older Warmhand, and the green hesitated a moment while she chose between Heartshy and Orange Peel. She chose him - and he knew her name before she said it.

My name is Fern, the blue announced to Warmhand.

I am Sinas, the green told Orange Peel.

With a broad grin on his face, Warmhand listened to the crooning of his blue, as he asked, Where are the other elves? I want to see their dragons!

"We will go there when you are fully grown," Warmhand said, wisely.

Will that take long? Asked Sinas, but the elves merely laughed.

Orange Peel would love to ride this dragon. She'd allow him to move so far around, without having to worry about the sun or th-

I want to fly now, too! When will we do that? What's flying, anyway?

Orange Peel had a lot of work ahead of him...

The embarrassment caused when Sinas refused to actually fly, was gently tempered when she actually did fly - very well. She amazed herself constantly, but then again she also forgot things constantly. A typically green-dragon like thing to do apparently.

Forget what? She asked.

Orangepeel laughed, "nothing this time, Sinas, nothing. You don't even have to remember what you've forgotten, because I can always remind you."

Remind me of what? Sinas chided - her memory wasn't that bad!

Lantessama Isle was bidding the trio of elves farewell, when Sinas decided it was time she showed everyone what she could really do. She swooped over the heads of the Laeders, stalling in the air, then recovering and hovering with her broad wings beating wind down upon the loose sand below.

"Sorry!" Yelled OrangePeel, "sorry!"

"It's all right," said the woman who led the place, "I've seen many dragons want to show off - and Sinas won't be the last!"

"She might be the smallest, though," commented someone else.

Am I that small? Sinas asked.

You are, sort of, OrangePeel thought to her, you are just the right size for me, though. Now, you'll be just the right size for us at Bald Mountain too. I can't imagine some of those bigger dragons living around Bald Mountain. Our caverns aren't that big!

As long as they are big enough for us to share, that is all I want. Sinas promised.

"Then let's go see!" OrangePeel said, waving at the Lantessama folk, and following the black and blue dragons into the Nexus.