The Hatching of Ama'ryssa (Ama'ryssa)

[Moraina]

Moraina was at the loom in her house. She worked the foot pedal, tossed the shuttle back and forth amid the threads of yarn, worked the beater with her other had, pushing the yarn in place with the reed. She had almost finished another rug. This one was blue and purple, depicting a surreal sunset. Her brother knocked on the door before coming in. He looked excited. He hastily put his first to fingers to his lip before he started to ramble to her.

"Moraina! Moraina! You won't believe who's in town!"

Moraina pushed the beater down one last time before turning to her younger brother. "Well? What is it?" she asked excitedly.

"The dragon eggs! They've brought the dragon eggs! We're to try them! To see if they'll hatch for us!"

Moraina dropped the wool she was carding and followed her brother out the door. She pulled on her boots and chased him to the town center.

"Moraina!" It was her father, he was calling to her. He waved her over, "Try it, try the eggs! Maybe one will hatch for you."

She bit her lip knowing that the chance one of the dragons would even choose a rider this year was slim. Still, she moved to the end of the winded line of excited elves and waited anxiously. Soon enough she was the next person in line. The elves guarding the eggs smiled and held one out to her. It was orange and it glinted in the sun. She reached for it...

[Ama'ryssa]

The time was peaceful, inside the rock hard shell cradling a small form comfortably. Despite the occasional jarring or shifting the dragon inside remained deep in slumber simply waiting for the time when her Rider stepped forward to touch her shell. Dreams of laughter and love filling the darkness surrounding nearly still being within.

From outside the muffled voices of excitement held a one in particular that caught an ever wakeful thought buried deep within the slumbering reptile. A voice that called to her, dragging the babe with an ever quickening pace into a suspended conscienceless. Time and again the brush of fingers against her shell went unheeded. Until at last, a hesitant touch caused the dragon within to twitch, the egg jumping slightly in the guards protective grasp.

From within that chest the slow constant beat of the dragons heart picked up its pace, sending the hot crimson liquid rushing through the babies veins. Invigorated Ama'ryssa slowly became aware of her form coiled within the confines of a hard comfortably warm wall. First those tiny ivory claw tipped toes curled in on themselves before flexing open, this was followed by the shifting of those appendages behind her. Next four limbs attempted to stretch only to be thwarted by a smooth warm surface as hard as stone.

A flash of frustration caused the little creature to jerk her skull upward, the harsh scrape of budding spikes scraped against the inner shell. Each of these telltale signs cause the egg to twitch or jerk within the guards grasp, beneath the fingers belonging to the elven girl.

[Moraina]

Moraina stepped back a little as the egg wiggled underneath her fingertips. Then, she thought of the little baby dragon that was inside, that was waking up because of her touch and she stepped forward again. She lifted the egg out of the padded basket. The guards moved to stop her, but then they heard the gentle scraping from inside. They looked at each other and smiled, moving the basket towards her slightly.

She cradled the egg in her hands. She pressed it to the side of her face. She could feel the little heartbeat inside, the little dragon was waking up for the first time. Her right palm started to burn and sting. She cried out slightly as she could feel the mark of the riders growing on her palm. The Gedwey Ignasia, now all doubt was removed from those around her. She held up the egg with her left hand and held her right in the air. Surrounding elves cheered at her spreading the word a new dragon rider had been found.

[Ama'ryssa]

Some were tired by this point, and chose to sleep before making another attempt to break free from the tight confines. Not Ama'ryssa, sheer stubbornness had hind appendages kicking out with all her meager might against the solid surface causing a fracture to appear. The small crack splintered off into a web of weakening points, the egg jumped sharply within the girls grasp. After that the egg was silent and still. For the moment her energy spent Ama'ryssa had no choice but to slip into slumber to gather herself for another attempt.

Seconds would stretch into minutes, minutes into hours before another sign of movement would come from that cracked surface of glittering orange. All at once without warning a small curled fist broke free, then another followed be two hind legs. These gapping holes caused the shell to break apart leaving various sized chunks clinging to appendages while large amber gold eyes blinked rapidly. The world was certainly larger then she had anticipated.

Stumbling this away and that she would step on one of two long limp appendages springing from her shoulders. With a squeak she went tumbling head over heels only to end up on her back all four ivory tipped appendages dangling in the air. The flashing gleam of brilliant fiery scales accented the orange accented yellow of her exposed belly. Wings spread wide beneath her settling frame while those bright curious eyes peered about wildly seeking the visage of her Rider. A low questioning churr slipped past the sinuous length of her short throat.

[Moraina]

The crowd had dispersed when the dragon had not hatched right away, but inside Moraina knew that this was her dragon and it was going to hatch. The guards gave her instructions on feeding and keeping the dragon until a summons would be sent from a mentor.

Moraina cradled the egg in her arms against her chest. She shied away from any passerby who wanted a look. The baby dragon was vulnerable now and Moraina knew that it was her job, now and later, to take care of her. Her little brother was taking a nap when she got so she was able to slip through the back door without detection.

"Papa," she said to her father who was reading at the dining table.

"Hmm?" he mumbled without looking up.

"Um, about the dragon eggs this morning, in the square."

"Oh yes," he said, still looking at his scroll, "I left you shortly after you joined the line to put your brother down for a nap. In fact, would you wake him up? He has chores to do."

"Papa!" She cried out, she didn't know how to say, 'look father, I'm a dragon rider now!'

He looked up at her face. "What's wrong Moraina?"

She unfolded her arms to reveal the gleaming, orange egg, which had a large crack in it. Her father slowly put the scroll down and approached her, a look of disbelief and jubilation in his eyes. "You-" he stuttered, "You d-did it! You did it! It picked you! He, she, it, the dragon! You're a dragon rider!" His cheering woke her brother.

"What is it?" he asked rubbing his eyes.

"Your sister," her father said walking over to him and playfully tugging on his long ears, "is going to be a dragon rider!"

"What? Let me see?" he jumped up at her arms.

"Careful!" Moraina said. She lowered the egg so he could see it. She heard him say 'I wanna hold it' as she rushed down the hallway to her room. She closed the door behind her and locked it. She didn't want anyone disturbing her or her egg. She put a few blankets in a basket and set the egg inside. She lay down her bed and watched it. After a while one of her eyelids started to slip. She was awake, but just barely. She drifted into the state between waking and dreaming. After an hour or so she was awoken by a cracking sound. She shrugged it off, but then came the sound of a small, throaty 'churip'. She lifted her head and looked into the basket. She pushed herself away from her bed to see an orange baby dragon looking up at her from on its back.

She reached it and picked a few of the pieces of eggshell from off its back and held out her hand for it to smell. She still didn't know the sex of the dragon, there didn't seem to be anything visually obvious anywhere on its body.

[Ama'ryssa]

Reaching fingers plucked away the remains of the shell before reaching towards her. Rolling quickly to her claws twisting that sinuously throat to peer upward at the face of the one she instinctively knew as her Rider. Another little churr slipped forth even as she pressed her skull upward into the girls palm. From the girls face downward towards her feet those fiery eyes shifted. A careful step forward before flexing the long halfway limb wings.

A delighted chirp slipped forth as that gaze snapped towards the girl once again. A half hop towards her ended in a not so graceful dance that left her tumbling the short distance away. Annoyance could be heard in the little grunt as the dragon once again righted itself. She'd get this, she really will! Cautiously she stepped forward then attempted another, starting out slowly this time. A moment later she'd pause to stretch one wing out. Studying its length before pulling it back towards her curling in against her sides and back. Finding success she mimicked the action with a second wing before continuing onward one step at a time. Within minutes the dragon had disappeared from sight crawling beneath the bed.

Wiggling and squirming she explored her surroundings until eventually she'd emerge. It looked like perhaps she was seeking something. This impression was enhanced when the baby dragon issued a small questioning murr looking towards the girl with a sappy 'pretty please I'm really hungry' expression.

[Moraina]

Moraina followed the dragon with her eyes until it disappeared underneath her bed. She hung her head upside down to keep it in sight. She saw that look in it's eyes. You know, that look, her brother gave it to her all the time and eventually she gave in and fed him.

She peeked out of her doorway. She heard her brother and parents downstairs. She made a dash for her brother's room; she knew where he had food. She dug a bit of biscuit and some fish jerky out of his hiding place and booked it back to her room.

Once back, she looked under the bed again and held the biscuit out temptingly. She didn't know if dragons ate biscuit, they were very carnivorous after all, but she would soon find out.