Rib and Clearwater stood nervously surrounded by eights of people - human people, furry people, dragon people... Too many of them for both elves' tastes. With a snarl, Rib pushed her way through the group of chattering smelly humans. Oh what she could do on the back of a proper bond! She knew suddenly that yes, these red sands would hold a special charm for her.

Other than Charm, her new bronze speckled-snowy flitter, that is! It was true that these humans, at least the local ones, weren't all that bad. Ainea seemed to like most of them, so she tried to relax.

The hatching began, and the dragons minds were clear to the elves. No one else seemed to know that, but they didn't interfere. The hatchlings were hushed, as though their minds were being shielded, but they were inexpert at hiding from other minds.

Of course, they weren't used to having other people prying into their minds!

With a bit of a mental nudge, though, Ainea (who was watching from the stands in a rather annoyed perch on a close by railing) told Rib to watch the sands. One of her dragon's eggs was hatching!

Rib's attention was grabbed all right. The tiny eggs that Adisath had lain were shaking. Finally, a creamy silvery shiny ecru-colored female looked around and strutted toward the candidates. She seemed to know what she was doing. Rib knew better, but still she held her hands out to the little shining dragon.

"Kylionith..." She said, hushed. The dragonet gave off a pleased humming and rubbed up on Rib's side. Charm chirruped loudly and announced that the pairing was quite secure. They wandered away to locate the food for the hungry hatchling!

The shine on Kylionith's hide only got more impressive as she grew. She was not gold, not cream, somewhere inbetween and tiny as could be compared to the other adolescents. Looking like a molten glass dragon, Rib watched as she bathed.

"You like it there, in the lake. We've got a lake you'll just love." Rib said.

I do like it. And then we can hunt, yes?

"Yes, we will. There are things in our woods that need hunting, and people that need a good scare put on them."

I would not harm a person if I thought they were good.

"I know, but ... most of these people here are nice. But the people I mean, well... they aren't quite so good and nice. Humans are so frustrating. Apogee would befriend them left and right, but I can't even stand their smell."

And they cook their meat, Kylionith added, walking back onto shore and shaking the spare drops of water right onto Rib.

"Bleah!" Rib laughed, as they went to find some uncooked meat for the both of them.

With the skies clear and bright, blue Iizzith flew up and circled, waiting for Rib and Kylionith to come along. Ainea had been waiting for them, leaving instructions clearly in the dragons' minds about where and when to try moving back to Bald Mountain.

I hope this goes right, Rib thought to her bond.

I know it will. I trust you. I can almost smell the Holt! I wish to hunt and bathe and sun myself on my ledge!

"We'll have to find you a proper one, Kylionith!" Rib said, and, grinning, "I know just the one! It overlooks Apogee's pond, and if we get there first, we'll be able to steal it."

That is not very fair! Kylionith said. Surely there is another place!

"Let's see if there is, I was only joking," Rib said. It had been too long since she'd joked around. Charm flitted about her hair, pulling on her long braid. "Okay okay, let's go!" She laughed, and they headed back to Bald Mountain.