Christmas 2003

It was a cold windless day when Lucas ushered the candidates to the edge of the forest. From all over the universe 7 possible beings had made their way to Lantessama. It was Winter Season on the isle, the water was calm and blue, the temperature still well above freezing. All in all the Isle wasn't the right place to hatch this clutch.
"What a good idea to do the hatching on the fringes of IceLand." Cyan aid, turning to her better half. She inhaled deeply and sneezed when the cold made her nose itch. 
"And what have you got planned?" Lucas asked, pointing to the basket Cyan was carrying.
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you." Cyan said smiling mysteriously.
Lucas shrugged and turned to the candidates. There was one Christmas drak, one grey dragon, 2 elves and 3 humans. But with only seven candidates there were still 7 eggs left that would find no bond on the soft white snowy soil of IceLand. Knowing tat it would be that way, Laedrys Trix had sent out notices to several other agencies. Cyan knew that the seven 'orphans' would be taken care off. 
Cyan put down the heavy basket filled with earth and her plant surprises. Almost immediately small leaves and branches extended outward. Cyan sighed, they sensed the soil. She picked up the basket again before it was pinned to the ground.
"I see movement!" Lucas called her to get closer.
And indeed, the first lines were already appearing on several of the eggs. They were rocking softly and the dragons that had conveyed them started humming. Within minutes the cracks widened and here and there green skin ruptured through the shell. Suddenly one of the hatchlings found enough strength to break through entirely. The small dragon that fell out was entirely holly-green with bright snow-flake wings and a red santa-hat. 
The hatchling, a young male, looked at the candidates an finally picked out Collin the smith. He walked calmly to his chosen and then placed one of his paws friendly on the smith's legs.
"Collin," he spoke, "My name is Noroth."
"Did you want to come with me?" Collin asked.
"Yes..., But maybe we should eat something for the long trip."
After this first impression more and more little green Christmas elf dragons started to appear on the snowy patch. A difference became apparent between two sisters. One was winged, one was not, in stead of the bright Wings, the wingless had a small ridge of green fur on her back.
It was the wingless who moved first. She was bigger than any of the hatchlings on the sands. Her hair moved gently in a soft breeze when she moved closer to Alta. She jumped up, putting her front paws on Alta's chest.
The 8-year old elf looked stunned and unsure what to do next. Around her neck, resting in some moistered tissues, Wintergreen her ceadra, nudged her head carefully against Alta's, making her look deep in the hatchling's eyes.
"Alta!" the female elf said, "I am Orana. Do you like me?"
"You're perfect!" Alta said, looking at her brother Paul with happiness in her eyes. She took a few steps back, leading her new friend to the picknick baskets.
Cyan followed the girl with her eyes and noticed that her own basket, which she had placed on a makeshift table was also moving a bit. She only hoped that the surprise would be kept until the end of the hatching.
Orana's winged sister now moved through the candidates. She looked around, but then decided against bonding: "Mine is not here." She said, "I am Wyseth."
"Would you like to go to Shivran aerd?" Lucas asked.
"That would be fine." The dragoness said, nodding, and placed herself next to the candidates.
Another duo suddenly walked between the eggs, seeming to have appeared out of nothing. They were sparkling white, unwinged and smaller than the other hatchlings. They were about the size of cats and Cyan doubted they would ever get bigger than a large dog. It was unsure if they had hatched from the eggs or had just appeared in between. 
As mysteriously as they had appeared, they vanished. Suddenly duo lines of white snowflakes whirled around the candidates and then disappeared, followed by a purple-white breeze that for a second chilled the surroundings.
Little ice-crystals had appeared on the eggs, but they soon fell apart when more dragons hatched. Two winged males and one non-winged female walked out of the circle of egg.
The female made her choice apparent first. "There is none for me here. I wish to go to Dragon Willow. My name is Pynith." She said, skilfully reading Cyan's mind for the list of available sponsorship places.
One of the two males watched his sister and carefully followed her out. He too nudged Lucas and said, "I haven't found anyone either! Where can I go?" he asked.
"Darkling Dawn is still free." Lucas answered.
"Then I'll go there." The hatchling said.
That left only one winged male. He watched his brother and sister, but then shook his head. He really wasn't thinking of leaving today without a bond. The hatchling named Chersth, walked around in front of the candidates and finally stopped in front of Ype, the IceLander that had stayed behind to watch over his friend.
"Ype!" Chersth called out, "Do you want to join me in breakfast?" he asked.
"It's past noon, Chersth." Ype said smiling.
"But it's my first meal of the day." Chersth said know-it-all.
"Can I come too?" another voice suddenly asked.
A green wingless female stood beside Ype, her eyes focused on the young woman beside him. "Can I come, Maryse?"
"Sure you can, Denna."
Maryse smiled at Ype and waited for him to help her toward the food tables. Carefully he manoeuvred her and the cast that protected her leg toward the edge of the forest, helped by two eager dragons.
Next another winged female hatched, alongside two wingless males. The two males, very alike in colouring and behaviour, looked at each other in unison and stared at the candidates.
"Nothing there for me." The first said, a male named Hulsyth.
"Same here." Said the second, named Sparrth.
Lucas came toward the two and led them away from the eggs. "There is still a place left at Shivran Aerd and one at Dragon Willow. Who wants to go where?"
"I want to go Shivran Aerd!" said Hulsyth
"I'll take Dragon Willow." Said Sparrth.
"That's settled then." Lucas said, "All sponsorship places are filled."
The winged female watched as her brothers disappeared and then looked at the remaining three candidates. A small elf, a dragon and a drak. She thought for a while and then headed to the drak. While she headed out, she had to avoid the remaining two eggs who smashed into each other and hatched, spilling another winged female and wingless males on the snow.
But Stylla, as the first hatchling was named, didn't exactly stay around to see her siblings coming in the world. She had reached Fyrrieldur and gazed up, looking into the Icarian's eyes.
"I am Stylla," she sighed, "I like you."
"I like you too." The drak said, carefully pushing his bond to the food that he knew she needed. He could fell it, couldn't he?
Meanwhile, the two hatchlings who had hatched last were quarrelling a bit. Playfully they were throwing snow at each other, using their tails as launch platforms.
Yema and Paul moved in. "Hey! I want to bond too." Paul said, wishing one of the dragons would chose him so he could get back home with his sister.
The wingless male turned toward him and looked into his eyes, the white fur on his -strangely- purple santa-cap catching snow as it started falling lightly from the ice-blue sky.
"I could go with you." The male said, "My name is Peek."
"Peek, why is your hat purple?" Paul asked.
"What, can't I be a bit of a rebel? Besides, I like purple." he smiled.
That left Yema. The grey dragoness looked at the remaining winged hatchling female. "Do you want to come with me?" she asked.
"I guess." The hatchling said, "We would be friends, right?"
"We would."
"My name is Cadeau..." she said.
"I am Yema."
"I know. Are you hungry too?"
Yema grinned, "A lot! Let's go eat!"
The two dragons left the snowy patch and went toward the others who were eating at the tables. Once there, they were in for a surprise. Because on one of the tables Cyan's basket still stood waiting. Yema lifted the lid and was rewarded by a swarm of plant-life.
"The surprise?" Lucas asked.
Cyan nodded, "Aren't they cute? Just like flitters."
"Just as annoying?"
"Well you could always plant them." Cyan laughed, "Though I doubt they would stay still long enough to let you."
"Are there enough for everyone?" he asked.
"One for every hatchling." Cyan nodded.

Riders
Fyrrieldur and Stylla (f)
Collin and Noroth (m)
Yema and Cadeau (f)
Alta and Orana (f)
Paul and Peek (m)
Ype and Chersth (m)
Maryse and Denna (f)

Sponsors:
Nacht (m) to IceLand
Yvera (f) to IceLand
Christh (m) to Darkling Dawn
Wyseth (f) to Mythicalae
Hulsyth (m) to Mythicalae
Pynith (f) to Dragon Willow
Sparrth (m) to Dragon Willow