BACK!

While the hand of elves were at Malnev, their companions were having a blast at Ryslen. There were so many eggs, so very many people to watch! Eventually, after a number of days, the eggs were grandly announced. Their parents were announcing them for everyone - loudly humming. Caster in particular was interested in their crooning, he could feel the force of their voices with his magic.

As the hatching got underway, it became clear that both the full sized dragons as well as the little Lians were going to break shell. Pleased beyond belief, after only a couple had come out to greet their bonds, one approached the elves.

*Another mini egg fell open, and a flashy hatchling with a hot colored hide threw open his liquid silver wings and made a cute little squawk.  His hide was shaded red to orange to yellow – and he shimmered in an unmistakably Glitz sort of way.  He bounded to his chosen, but was not scooped up like his clutch-sister had been.  Not because he was too big (for he wasn’t any bigger than Nylla was) but because his new bond wasn’t big enough.  The Otherforest elf gawked and then grinned.

//Walker, my name is Rho.//*

He nodded, and helped the hatchling toward the food. He knew in the back of his mind, though, that he'd want to stick around.

There were several hatchings, big and little. When another of the Lians went to one girl who'd already bonded there was a ruckus among the young humans. Finally Tern's Eclipse couldn't take it any more.

*One of the elves piped up, practically screaming to be heard over the ruckus.  "LIANS MULTIPLE BOND!  WEREN'T YOU PAYING ATTENTION!?"

At that instant, another Lian egg snapped audibly open.  From the ivory shell came a dark blue sapphire.  He looked at the very loud elf for a moment, but then turned and went towards one of the humans instead.*

Half a dozen more big and colorful dragons, plus the little Lians, broke out of their shells. Then, two very different Lians fell apart from their shells. One was a more solid color, while the other was a rainbow.

*The other hatchling bounded cheerfully over to the smaller hopefuls -- to one whose name was as celestially inspired as the hatchling's color.

//Tern's Eclipse!  Will you have me? My name is Prynn!//

The elf was almost as startled as Alyzza.  "Of course I will, Prynn!"  And she was definitely -not- a bat!*

It was a strange batch that hatched next, including ones which drifted to bonded dragons or their humans, disappointing each other or something. None of the elves understood that - half of them had multiple wolf bonds already anyway.

*Once again, two eggs hatched at once, a Lian and a sortof goldish brownish dragon.  The Mini was faster to get to his feet and start across the sands.  His hide was shaded from purple through red to orange, and soon stood before the third elf of the four that had come from the Otherforest -- one who was wearing oddly appropriate colors.  She looked at the hatchling and felt an instant rapport. 

/Tempre.  You are Tempre?/  she mind-sent to the hatchling.

//I am.  And you are Truce.  I like you!//*

Truce clapped and grinned, she'd found a bond! Her first ever!

Yet more eggs broke and hatchlings wobbled over to their new partners. One bewildered dragon kept looking at his partner who appeared to be getting more than their fair share of the Lians! But then...

*The second Lian bounded about for a few moments, her purple-red-orange glitz coloring shining in the light and clashing somewhat with the soft red sands. Then he gave the entire place an eerie sense of déjà vu… by walking directly to where the elf Truce was standing with her first bond, the male Tempre, who wore the same colors as she, but far less glitzy.

//Truce, Tempre, I am Akkorde./*

Truce was almost flabbergasted - here she wasn't even expecting one bond, really, she'd lived her life without a wolf. But now two Lians called her bond!

Walker and Rho turned to face the sands again, at Rho's insistance.

*A smallish egg opened slowly like some sort of stiff flower that broke upon blooming.  From within came a jewel of orangy gold  -- citrine.  She rose to her feet in a dreamy disconnected sort of way and drifted across the sands to where the Otherforest elves stood with their increasing numbers of bonds.

//Walker, I am Cthen.//*

Fewer eggs were breaking, but there were many left.

*The ruby Lian was quicker to his feet than the glitzy gal, and quietly made his way to the last of the Otherforest elves.  Five hatchlings had already come to where they lingered, and now one finally came looking for Caster. Finally.

“His name is Hekmos.”  Caster said to his comrades and their Minis.  There were well deserved congratulations and cheering, naturally.*

There would be some feeding frenzies once these dragonets grew up...

"I have the oddest feeling," Tern's Eclipse said, Prynn giving a sort of mental grunt from the food dishes.

*Tern’s Eclipse’s attention was soon drawn again to the sands, even though the others were still welcoming Caster’s Hekmos into the little group.  As the pieces of thin ivory fell away, the feeling grew stronger.  Within a hand of heartbeats, a clear white gem of a hatchling stood before him -- A diamond. 

//Kerhen.// She said, telling him her name.  Her voice was like a whisper of cool wind through the trees.*

"You're quite lovely," he said, "You and Prynn make a good pair."

It was growing into evening, one of the earlier dragons who'd hatched finally got a chance to bond to their vampiric friend. A few eggs were left, a golden queen included.

*Another mini egg stretched and then cracked open, revealing a second pink gem hatchling.  She made no pretense of checking out her choices and ran across the sands to where Caster was with ruby Hekmos.

//My name is Katchya!// She exclaimed.*

Caster laughed and Hekmos caught up with them as they headed again to the food. Hekmos didn't mind getting another helping!

***

It didn't take too long for the Lians to begin hunting on their own. They'd scrounge up whatever small vermin were in the Nidus, but at last it was time to head home. The Hall of Portals waited, the wolves waited... Their friends who had gone to Malnev waited!

"No more waiting!" Tern's Eclipse said. "We're on our way now!" With relief and a new sense of adventure, the four elves set back to the Hall. Ryslen was a bit empty now that people had bonded and begun their own travels home. Perhaps they'd see the place again, after all there would be others who wanted to find a dragon friend!

It was plain that the Hall was currently empty of elfin inhabitation, but it was obvious that the other hand of elves had returned shortly before. Many tracks - elfin, wolf and... paws of dragons! They followed the tracks outside, and spotted the other group, which now included an interesting batch of canines as well as the elegant dragons.

Theirs were much smaller, Caster thought, but there were more of the Lians! And more colorful, perhaps...

"We'll head right back to the Spire," Scalestep announced, "now that we're together again. I haven't seen Talon around, but that's no surprise. I hope she's okay."

The others agreed. So they plodded back into the Hall, found the right portal, and moved through it with their new caravan of Lians and dragons!

Cthen chuffed at Rho, who followed Walker out first.

Tern's Eclipse urged Prynn and Kerhen  outside, where Hickory was waiting.

Caster looked behind them, wondering when the next time Hekmos and Katchya would see their birthplace.

Truce was busy talking it up with the other females, telling them all about the hatching, and listening to their stories too. Tempre and Akkorde  played near the wolves, flitting out of their range on newly flight-worthy wings.

***

The howling of the Spire was such a relieving sound, when the two hands of elves - and their five-hands-plus bonds - got to the Island they were in high spirits. They hunted, freely running through the woods and unafraid - they didn't need to worry who was watching them from the shadows. The swamp of the Hall was far behind them, it never occurred to them that Fang's people didn't care to enter the place. It was a good thing, they were almost kept at bay by it's ominous feeling.

The Lians were growing quickly and the biggest of them might even be able to support an elf on their narrow shoulders! While they were miniature, they were still dragons after all!

The Anjir were much bigger, though still small by draconic standards. They were also growing, and it seemed everyone would reach their full adult stature within a year. The whole loud bunch made their way back to the Spire slowly, as though unwilling to relinquish their new talents and their enjoyable mental speech. They could practice out here, couldn't they?

They could live out here, really... Near the forest side?

"Wouldn't it be all right to just establish a village here where the magic flows?" Asked Bluff. "I mean... We can get supplies and building materials if we need them, and I'm sure that others would help us make huts. We can point the way to others who want to go to the Hall."

"That actually sounds like a good plan," Tern's Eclipse said. "Besides, we can practice our powers and hunting skills. Some day Talon and the others at the Valley might need help fighting Fang."

"And we've got dragons," Truce bubbled over, "they don't have any there! They'd never know what hit em!"

Scalestep

Tern's Eclipse

Ebonbreeze

Walker

Scalestep - Male, young.

High Sending, Above average Feeling, Sending: Coersion Exeptional

Mental Health, Cloth weaving, Fist fighting and General fighting, Shortsword, Atlatl

DarkDefender, female very small wolf

Thrust, male small Greater wolf

Standing: Planet Malnev

Bond: Purple M Quelam

Tern's Eclipse - Male, young

Average Sending, Low Feeling, Animal Soothing Very high, Self Healing high

Armory, Jewlery, Elf tracking, tool making, Staff, Blowdart

Hickory - male above average wolf

Standing: Ryslen for a Lian

Bonds: Rainbow F Prynn, Diamond F Kerhen

Ebonbreeze - Male, young

Average Sending, low Feeling, Bone shape Very High, healing Average, fireshape Average, Enhance powers average

Foraging, depth swim, running, rope climb, dart, lasso

Katana - female average wolf

Jonquil - male very small Greater wolf

Standing: Planet Malnev

Bond: Blue and Yellow M Temlar

Walker - Male, young

High Sending, Average Feeling, Hybernation above avg, Cold Creation average, Air Sense Very high

Written language, throwing, gossip, weird throw, noose, atlatl

Blue - Male too big wolf

Freckles - female huge wolf

Standing: Ryslen for a Lian

Bonds: Citrine F Cthen and Red-Orange-Yellow Glitz M Rho

Caster

Cinderhope

Truce

Bluff

Caster

Extremely High Sending, Low Feeling, Air Sense exceptional

Healing Lore, Avian lore, Poisons, Silk weaving, Spur-throwing

Rockbrows - male average wolf

Standing: Ryslen for a Lian

Bonds: Ruby M Hekmos, Tourmaline F Katchya

Cinderhope - Female, young adult

Above average Sending, Average Feeling, Group Soothing Extremely high, Flame Blast Average

Body Language, Net Weaing, Fast prey, Hammer, Harpoon

Grey - female smallish wolf

Strider - female gigantic Greater Wolf

Standing: Planet Malnev

Bond: Blue M Senriv

Truce - female teen

Above Average Sending, Above average Feeling, Telekinetics High, Speed Tricks below avg

Maps and Distance, Climate Lore, Bad Weather Tracking, Animal Stealth, Bolos, Bow

Not Bonded to a wolf

Standing: Ryslen for a Lian

Bonds: Purple-Red-Orange  M Tempre and Purple-Red-Orange Glitz F Akkorde

Bluff - female, adult

Very High Sending, Very High Feeling, Very High Bone shape, Above average Enhance Powers, Average Metal shape, low Shell Shape

Sign Language, Mental health, burn lore, large creature lore, Noose

Force - male small Greater wolf

Standing: Planet Malnev

Bond: Cream F Reavai