You're Mine

Writers: Francesca
Date Posted: 31st October 2008

Characters: Kamalia
Description: Kamalia Impresses green Alaudath.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 5 of Turn 4

Kamalia was generally a heavy sleeper. It suited her well in the candidate
barracks, where the light sounds of sleep were multiplied by the number of
people there. Luckily, only one of the girls snored, and she was several
cots away.

However, that night her sleep had been fitful, and now it was not yet time
to wake up, but there she was, wide awake. Without opening her eyes she
turned onto her back, wondering whether to give up on sleep and get up,
or to stubbornly lie there as long as possible. To her left she heard the
light breathing of one of candidates, a young weyrbred girl who thought
she was better than anyone holdbred. Through the curtain separating the
genders she could make out the regular sound of someone snoring. A faint
smile crossed her lips as she wondered if it was her brother. Some
candidates were up already, but others, like her, did not have chores that
day until after the morning meal.

A bed creaked as someone shifted to a more comfortable position while,
farther off, Kamalia heard a cough. She idly wondered if there were other
candidates, awake like her but not yet ready, or willing, to rise. Instead,
they remained in bed, waiting.

Waiting for what? Another day of chores and classes; the same routine as
always. Even though life at the Weyr was always full of activity and
exciting, the chores were getting a bit monotonous. Maybe it was time to
begin thinking of apprenticing herself to a craft, but none of them really
interested her. She saw her brother study and practice and get frustrated,
and she just wasn't passionate enough about any craft to devote that much
time and patience to it.

Without realizing it, as she had let her thoughts wander, her ears had
begun straining to hear, what? Now that her attention was on her ears she
didn't hear anything out of the ordinary, although the air suddenly felt
different, heavier. What had changed in the past few moments?

Before she had time to think it through, a firelizard began chittering and
Kamalia heard the weyrbred girl immediately jump out of bed.
"Hatching!" she exclaimed.

Kamalia's eyes sprang open while her ears finally caught the very faint
sounds of humming. It was time! Within a few candlemarks she would
know if the clutch on the Sands held her lifemate.

The excitement and anxiety of the Hatching paralyzed her on the bed for
several moments, long enough for the girl to turn and hiss, "Didn't you
hear me? The Hatching is today, _now_!"

That was enough to get her out of bed. She went to her chest at the foot of
the bed and took out her brush, quickly running it through her hair. She
let it hang loose and, too excited to be embarrassed, undressed and slipped
the candidate robe over her head. Next, came the sandals, and that was it.
Months of waiting, and in a few moments she was ready.

She assembled outside with the other Candidates, trying to stand still, yet
unable to in her excitement. Her hands rested clasped in front of her one
moment, then flipped her hair over her shoulder the next, then adjusted her
robe. She wiggled her toes in the sandals, glad it was early so the Sands
wouldn't be unbearably hot.

She saw Arrilon come outside looking both tired and nervous. She
grinned and waved at him, unable to contain her excitement. He gave a
small smile, then turned his attention to the Weyrlingmaster, who had just
appeared.

The humming was loud now, reverberating in the rock of the Weyr.
Dragons were already perched around the rim of the Hatching Grounds and
people were hurrying inside to take their seats before the first egg cracked.

Kamalia tried to listen to the final instructions of the Weyrlingmaster, but
her attention kept moving to the humming, which was becoming even
louder. What if the dragonets began hatching before the Candidates could
enter the Sands? How would Onnyth react to the Hatching? This was her
first clutch, after all. Maybe she would be overprotective.

All her thoughts immediately fled her mind as soon as they began moving
to the Sands. There were the eggs, some of them already rocking slightly.
And Onnyth. Kamalia bowed to her, and to the goldrider. The
Weyrwoman's Second looked beautiful, elegant, and calm; exactly how
Kamalia would expect. And she couldn't help but notice U'kaiah, looking
even more handsome as usual.

But, for once, Kamalia's attention couldn't be held by good-looking
bronzeriders, or goldriders. The eggs would hatch very soon, and maybe
one of the green dragonets that morning would choose her.

This was it. This could be her day. She tried to focus on happy thoughts,
as she had been taught. Happy, comforting thoughts. One of the larger
eggs began rocking more wildly, then cracked open, and from it emerged
a bronze. Kamalia gasped in delight. She watched as he Impressed a
boy she didn't know.

Then, a green hatched and she turned her thoughts to it. **Are you
mine?** she wondered. But no, she Impressed someone else. Another
green walked towards her and Kamalia held her breath, hoping. The
hatchling approached, looked into her eyes, then passed by. Kamalia let
out the breath, eyes searching for another green. She briefly looked for
Arrilon, and saw he was still on the Sands, attention on a second bronze
that had hatched. But, Impression was made with another boy. She
smiled sympathetically at him, but he was not looking at her.

She looked at the eggs again and saw as one of the remaining eggs near
her rocked furiously and cracked open. From it emerged a green claw,
then a head, and finally the rest of her beautiful body tumbled onto the
Sands. She was a very pale, moss colored green, and was one of the
smallest in the clutch.

She was very vocal, creeling as she righted herself and began moving in
the direction of the girls. Another green hatched nearby and Kamalia's
attention was torn for a moment, but that dragonet made her way to the
boys.

The beautiful green came closer and closer, then she turned her head and
her eyes met Kamalia's. And that was it. Kamalia gasped as her mind
merged with that of, "Alaudath," she breathed, savoring the name as she
said it for the first time.

}:You're mine:{ the perfect little green said, butting her head into her
lifemate's knee.

Kamalia fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around _her_ dragonet's
neck, ignoring the fluid from the egg, some of which was now on her robe.
Tears fell from her eyes as she finally understood everything she had been
told about Impression. "Alaudath," she said again.

}:I love you too:{ Alaudath said, in response to her rider's thoughts. }:I
also want to eat.:{

Kamalia sniffed back her tears. "Of course! This way. There is lots of
meat over here," she said, reluctantly standing up.

}:I am very hungry!:{

Kamalia half expected her own stomach to growl in sympathy. Although
it did not, she did feel ravenous. Was all of that hunger coming from
Alaudath?

She didn't have time for any more thoughts, not even about her brother, as
she led her lifemate off of the Sands. She was a dragonrider now.
Alaudath was her life.

As she fed Alaudath, cautioning her to chew thoroughly before
swallowing, Kamalia couldn't help but realize that this was the first day of
a brand new life. She was a dragonrider now.

Last updated on the December 12th 2008

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You're Mine