Winter 2004

A cold wind blew from the East when the candidates landed on the fringes of IceLand. Following last year's tradition the candidates had been flown over to the fringes of IceLand, along with the eggs on the growing number of Ryslen Flurry riders at the Isle. Only 6 candidates had signed up, along with 4 caretakers and a formal request for mascots for the Morhakain Unit, a dragon-riding fighting unit of a newly planet that had opened up to dragon adoption.
As the picnic was set up and stoves were lit around the cirlce of eggs the candidates mingled and sipped their gluhwein, eggnog or fruit juice to keep busy and moving. Meanwhile the IceLanders seemed to be unaffected by what they called 'a delightfully warm breeze for the time of year'. They hurried around the circle, tending the eggs and candidates and keeping an eye on the surroundings. 
Standing at the tables on this bright winter days, was Lucas who had come to record the hatching in such a fashion that it would please his sister-in-law, Trix. Not an easy thing to do, but a chance to practice his steno. 
Looking deep into the fire before him, Lucas' gaze shifted, unfocused on the fire and his mind drifted away, only to be snatched back right away by something peculiar. Looking up, with wrinkled forehead, Lucas tried to place his finger on what had roused his intrest when he saw it again, the faintest white flech of snow falling toward the ground, hitting an egg that immediately started wobbling. 
Minutes later soft snow was falling over their clearing, filling the sky without diminishing vision on the eggs. A good thing because soon those would hatch into creatures he hoped would be graceful, furry and winged - that last bit tended to be left out quite often of late.
The world seemed to hold it's breath, all sound muted in the falling snow when the first egg cracked as thunder in a clear sky. A white dragon with faint blue acents and long blue fuzzy hair and wingsails stepped away from the remains of her shell and gazed at the candidates while snow was slowly melting on her skin and hair. Damp rose from her skin and nostrils, making the air swirl around her.
The dragoness, Jhiuno, she told the candidates, IceLanders and single Lantessaman, returned to the eggs and waited in front of one that was showing a lot of hairline cracks and dents. Carefully tapping the shell with her soft white paw, the eggshards fell away before her and out tumbled a mint-green winter dragon that mirrored her perfectly, but had shorter and more spikey hair.
"I've waited for you, Frenklon." Jhiuno spoke, "Will you come with me to Dragon Willow?"
The green looked up at his clutchmate and considered her offer. He looked at the candidates and then nodded slowly. "Yes mine is not here. I'm not even sure there is a mine for me to call. I shall come with you."
With the first two dragons out and placed, the rest of the eggs started rocking more violently, knocking against each other and the ground. Suddenly there were 5 small dragons moving through the circle of eggs. There was another Crystal Blue, but aside from that single female, the others had different colours, Blue, Indigo, Aqua, Purple, all cold colours which seemed rather appropriate.
One of them, a soft blue male, walked as calmly as his colour suggested toward Paul, one of the elves that had bonded in last year's christmas clutch as well. They had returned with high hopes and it seemed that their hope would not turn to disapointment.
"Paul," the male hatchling spoke, "My name is Threekin. I will come with you."
"I'd love that." the elf answered, "But we should wait for my sister before we go."
"Of course." Threekin answered, placing himself obediently next to paul, to wait.
Meanwhile, two other dragons, one a male indigo-coloured winter and a bright white female with aqua-coloured hair and sails resembling the blue of a glacier, stepped on each other's feet and tails, falling down onto the ground, saved from harm by the soft blanket of snow that covered the harder ice below.
"Look where you're going!" the temperantful Aqua Gletsjer called to her brother.
"Excuse me." the Indigo answered with an incredulous look in his eyes, "It was you, Shynde, who stepped on my tail."
"Only because you tripped me first, Shaden."
"I beg to differ. Alas, I don't have the time to stay around and squabble. I have to leave for Abri."
"Squabble?" the Aqua asked with an angry look in her eye, "I will not go before you apologise! Besides you can't go to Abri, I'm going!"
"Am not!"
"Am too!"
"I shall not share an agency with you." the Indigo said, turning away to stop the arguement, but the Aqua would not give up that easily, dragging him by his tail she said: "I AM going to Abri. And you'll just have to come with me to find out if they want you after they've gotten one look of me!"
Sitting a small distance away, the second Crystal Blue female sat watching the argument between her brother and sister with big, frightened eyes. She did not like arguing, she did not want anyone to be mad or hurt... or frightened. Who would help her?
Desperately she scanned the candidates and finally saw her, a young woman standing a small distance away from the other candidates, hiding it seemed behind them. Quisilve instinctly recognised the hurt inside the woman and knew...
"Sarah,..." she called, got up and took the first paces to the one she had chosen, but the ice was still slippery at places, certainly where eggs had sheltered the ground from the snow and Quisilve slipped. Falling down, nearly in slowmotion, slowed down by her wings, Quisilve was suddenly held by Sarah Zilvernacht, her bond. She looked up delighted and gazed within the eyes of the young woman, to tell her she cared.
The last of the five still in the circle after that silent bonding, was a male purple that seemed rather playful. Skipping and dancing around the eggs of his brothers and sisters, the young dragon suddenly missed a step, his tail crashing into an egg that promptly fell over causing a domino effect in the remaining eggs. Some fell over without breaking, but others, 6 to be exact, cracked open and spilled their inhabitants on the snow, causing quite the commotion since more than one seemed to be hurt.
With his tail between his legs, the purple made his way as quickly as possible toward the feeding tables, he didn't even stop to look at the candidates, but just said to lucas as he passed: "Wasendi, I'll be going to Thieves Haven."
Lucas smiled behind his hand and whispered: "Making a run for it?" 
But the dragon did not hear it, or pretended to at least.
A few of the candidates had immediately dropped their drinks and waffles when the eggs had fallen. Carefully making their way toward the hurt dragons they avoided the whole eggs to not do more damage.
Joiy soon found herself surrounded by a male Crystal Grey with a shard in his back leg and a Crystal Blue female that had taken a fall to her head and complained of being dizzy. However as soon as the female gazed into Joiy's eyes who tried to make out if the dragon's gaze was crooket, she said: 
"All is fine now Joiy. My name is Krystel."
"Not fair!" her grey brother called out, "you tricked her. She's supposed to take care of me."
"Let's first look at your leg." Joiy answered, "A little snake told me this might happen." 
The young woman looked up at her adult Winter Ceadra, lazily hanging from a frozen tree branch.
"Don't shoot the messenger." the snake seemed to convey with a single look of his amber eyes before he closed them again and seemed to continue his nap.
Suzuki Masako, a young woman with bright blue hair and an outfit to match, was also walking around the eggs, looking for a dragon she could aid when two dragons, a Winter Blue female and a Crystal Blue male crossed her path. She looked at them expectantly, the female looked up and nearly made eyecontact, but her brother cut in and said: "Kenya and me, Maytius, are going to Darklign Dawn. You'll have to search elsewhere for a dragon."
Suzuki shrugged and said: "Have a safe trip." before she turned away again toward the eggs. Within seconds she saw a bright white tail laying under a stack of eggs. The eggs moved slightly, but Masako was sure that it was the dragon's doing, the dragon that lay buried alive. 
Shifting the eggs as fast as she could, Masako finally uncovered a male Aqua Gletsjer that looked just as fierce toward her as his Aqua sister had verbally attacked the Indigo. 
"Don't think I bond you because I'm helpless now." he stated, "Ryuki only bonds to the one he deems worthy."
"I would not doubt that." Masako answered, "But you do need help now, let me carry you."
"I shall walk." the Aqua said defiantly, "Only, support me a bit maybe, so I don't stumble?"
"Not only are you brave, you're also wise." Masako said, making a short nod with her head, "Lean on me when it gets hard."
That left only one hatched dragon on the sands for now. A Crystal Grey female, she was, with a delicately marked skin and a friendly look in her eye. She looked at the candidates and caretakers, carefully making note of them, but then shook her head.
"I shall not stay here." she said with a voice that would not tolerate anyone trying to stop her for all her outer calm and reservedness, "My name is Lutloar and I will go to the Ring of Fire."
For a moment nothing stirred in the circle of eggs. The snow had stopped falling when Lutloar had announced her intentions, sending the world and eggs in a momentary slumber. Lucas wiped some sweat from his brow and continued writing. He was a bit behind on the record and more than welcomed a break in the flow of dragons to catch up.
Lucas had just put down the final bonding when a new egg cracked in half. Without much sound another blue winter dragon stepped out of his egg and sniffed the forest air briefly. Directing his gaze to the candidates, he looked at Mercury Raven, a man that was almost completely blue.
"Mercury." the dragon spoke, "I'm Rendryl. I will go with you to your home."
"Not before the feast though." Mercury winked.
Rendryl's stomach growled at the mention of food. Looking down surprised, one wing standing vertically in the sky, the dragon said: "Do you think it's alive?"
Mercury led his dragon away laughing when another dragon, a female, broke shell. She was a darker shade of blue, Indigo as there had been one before, with darker hair and a formal look to her eyes. She stepped around, but passed the candidates one by one only to stop in fornt of Lucas to say: "I, Limmeress, would like to inform you of my leaving toward Myrithica, run by the Lady Elina. Be sure to note that down properly."
Lucas looked up from his notes to make sure the dragoness had really said that, but she was gone already, not even staying for the feast. Before he could comment on her behaviour, two other eggs hatched. Both were male, one the faded colours of a Crystal grey, the other the Winter Blue that seemed to be quite common in this hatching.
The Crystal Grey moved toward the candidates and stopped in front of Ainea, the Tundra Elf, garbed in matching greys and whites. The dragon looked deep in her eyes and then said: "You are taken already, but I feel my place is with you, and that you will not mind my extra company."
Without opening her mouth she replied to the dragon: 
"I think I wouldn't mind a little extra company, Nivoan."
The Winter Blue watched the dragon and his caretaker, waiting until they had left for the feeding tables, before he too got up and moved toward the tables.
"I am sorry," he said, "I am not meant for any of you left here. I shall try my luck in the Realm of the Myrsylk. My name is Ghyreon." Having said that, the male dragon picked up a piece of meat, devoured it seemingly without chewing and then took off into flight, winking out with only small puff of snowy flakes rainging down from where he had been in the sky when he had teleported.
The flakes fell on 4 different eggs, causing them to all hatch at once. A green, blue, grey and indigo dragon erupted from the eggs, all four of them looking in wonder at the clear sky, looking for the snow that had brought them out, but not finding it.
The Winter Green female was the first to look to the candidates. She went over quite a few before she finally directed her gaze firmly on Alta, a Christmas elf and Paul's sister. His own dragon was still waiting patiently beside him but with the impressions of his bond's sister closing in, the dragon started shifting and slowly moving to the feeding tables.
"Hernata!" he called to his sister, "Can you move a bit faster? I've waited long and hard for you to show up, as have my bond and yours, but I'm hungry now."
"I'm hungry too, my brother, but I have faith that these bonds of us will take care of us."
"I promise it." Alta said fervently, "I would not hurt you."
"Then I can safely place my life in your hands, My name is Hernata."
"Food!" Threekin called, dragging paul by his arm toward the feeding tables where he calmly placed himself again in front of a steak that he began neatly eating, quite in contrast to his acclaimed hunger.
In the circle of eggs twin yellow eyes watched the two move away with their Elven bonds. The grey female dragon sighed. "I want to go eat too." she said.
"Then bond." Her blue brother told her, "Then you can go eat."
"I don't feel anyone that belongs to me in there." the grey answered, "And I'm hungry."
"So am I." the blue said, "And I don't think mine is here either."
"Hmm, Kanakor," the Crystal Grey said softly, "If we bond to each other..."
"We can get to the food!" the Winter blue finished her thoughts, "Great thinking Kijenna!"
"Now all we need is a place to go." Kijenna said.
"I say we just pick the first place on the list that's still open."
"That would be Dragon Tears, I don't know... those tears can't be good."
"But look at the perks: icy waste, private hot springs, a den all for ourselves, everlasting snow... It's perfect."
"True..."
"Don't hesitate! Go!" Kanakor ended the discussion and dragged his sister toward the feeding tables.
Only one dragon was standing on the snowy clearing in the forest now. An Indigo male, With five eggs around his feet. Letting out a careful yelp, the Indigo tried to move, but he was surrounded by the eggs, moving would mean throwing his brothers and sisters to the floor.
"Ehm, Neb?" the dragon asked, "Little help here?"
"Are you mine, Triev?" Neb asked, his tail wagging slightly in anticipation. 
"Of course I am, why else would you know my name. Now come help me before I hurt someone."
Neb nodded and pulled his sister along, "Come Aria." he said, "I'll need your help."
The curly-haired girl followed, which was hard considering her legs were a lamb's hooves to protect her from the cold, furred and warm.
Coming to a sudden stop, Neb tried to lift Triev clear of the eggs, but at the last moment, the Indigo's tail curled around one of the eggs, falling. Aria dropped to the ground, reaching for it, to catch it, but she fell short a few inches. 
When she opened her eyes again she was looking into two yellow-orange eyes in a friendly white face, framed by pale blue hair.
"Hello, Aria." the Crystal Blue said, "I've been waiting for you."
"You have, Alphynna?" the lamb-girl asked, her golden eyes mirroring the dragon's
"I felt you from the start." the dragon smiled, "I knew..."
"That's great." Neb answered, "Can you come now? I don't think Triev is going to wait any longer to get food."
Looking up Aria saw her brother struggling to remain on the clearing, while his dragon was trying to drag him toward the feeding tables. Giggling, she got up and saved her brother the pain of hair being pulled from his arms and back.
4 Eggs remained on the snow and they all seemed intent to hatch first. They rocked and wobbled, crashed into each other and fell. It was impossible to say which egg had hatched first, but within a second four dragons lay on the white fuzzy blanket of snow and shards. Getting to their feet quickly and without yelps of pain they showed that none of them had been hurt. In fact, two of them didn't even take the time to gaze at the candidates. in stead they looked at each other, their eyes on one line.
The female Winter Blue and Male Aqua Gletsjer stood there for a whole minute before they finally unlocked their eyes and spoke.
"Aryabelle," the male said, "Where do you think we should go?"
"To Mor'Rakiel, Yivo'on." she answered, "I've heard good things about the place."
"Then so it is, My love."
Swaying seductively for just a moment, the female smiled and said: "You're nice too."
The two other dragons still on the clearing, a Crystal Blue male and a Crystal grey female also turned to each other, but not to bond.
"Merydian," the grey asked, "Do I feel that you are headed the same way as I am?"
"I am going to Star City Dragonry, Axys, to Phoenix."
"I have been bound to Dracothrope for protection." the grey answered, "Also at Star City."
"Our tip won't be lonely."
"No it won't. Do you think we have time left to mingle a bit? ... and Feast?"
"I say nothing can stop us, sister." Merydian winked, "Party!"

Candidates
Suzuki Masako and Aqua Gletsjer Ryuki (m)
Neb and Winter Indigo Triev (m)
Aria and Crystal Blue Alphyna (f)
Sarah ZilverNacht and Crystal Blue Quisilve (f)
Mercury Raven and Winter Blue Rendryl (m)

Caretakers
Joiy and Crystal Grey Tymanir (m) 
Joiy and Crystal Blue Krystel (f)
Morhakain Unit and Aqua Gletsjer Yivo'on (m) 
Morhakain Unit and Winter Blue Aryabelle (f)
Paul and Winter Blue Threekin (m)
Alta and Winter Green Hernata (f)
Ainea and Crystal Grey Nivoan (m)

Sponsors
Winter Blue Kenya (f) to Darkling Dawn 
Crystal Blue Maytius (m) to Darkling Dawn
Crystal Blue Jhiuno (f) to DragonWillow 
Winter Green Frenaklon (m) to DragonWillow
Winter Blue Kanakor (m) to Dragon Tears
Crystal Grey Kijenna (f) to Dragon Tears
Winter Indigo Shaden (m) to Abri 
Aqua Gletsjer Shynde (f) to Abri
Winter Purple Wasendi (m) to Thieves Haven
Crystal Grey Lutloar (f) to Ring of Fire
Winter Indigo Limmeress (f) to Myrithica
Winter Blue Ghyreon (m) to the Realm of the Myrsylk
Crystal Blue Merydian (m) to Phoenix of SCD
Crystal Grey Axys (f) to Dracothrope of SCD