Hatching by Baeris Kshau

The green that spread her wings was an apple-shade, almost a tarnished bronze, yet very clearly green. Her white and mint crest raised up, and she perked up at the few remaining candidates. The one which kept her gaze had eyes of brown and blue, and the green dragoness chirped happily.

Don’t you know me? I am yours, Texia, I am Remembreth!

"Remembreth, how could I forget?" Texia giggled, and then sobered. She would now have to train this dragon to find her home, somewhere else in time. Well, that shouldn’t be TOO hard, given the circumstances!

After Tylar had brought Texia forward again to stand for the Hatching (and subsequently impress her darling green Remembreth) everything was explained to her.

“A sevenday before I came back to get you, I took you from now back to then.” Tylar tried her best to explain. She’d never had to dictate any of her and Isemoth’s time-traveling adventures before.

“So you’re saying everyone here remembers me as a seven-turn old girl?” Texia asked, gazing lovingly at the green head cradled in her lap. Her duo-toned eyes twinkled. She’d known this one was hers...

“Yes.” Tylar said. She did understand.

“And everyone at Vallen’s Cove?”

“Wonders why you haven’t visited in fifteen turns.” Tylar said, just waiting for Texia to explode.

She didn’t. “I never jumped back and visited?” Texia looked puzzled. Why hadn’t she?

“C’nordi says they never saw you again.” Tylar said. “He says they all figured you were too happy with your new bond, or too busy, to come visit.”

Texia nearly cried. Sometimes she couldn’t see the future. “Mama Dyni must think I’m an ungrateful child.”

No. Remembreth said to her softly.

“Headwoman Dyni knew I was from the future. She figured it out because I hadn’t aged in eight turns... not that there was anything I could do about that.” Tylar said. “She knows you’re here now. When Remembreth grows up, you should go visit her there.” Texia seemed comforted by this.

“But what about Connordi? Doesn’t he...” Texia was a bit frazzled by the time-jumping.

“Impress Hitath? Yes, but after he put himself through schooling to become a fine healer. Don’t you remember C’nordi?”

Texia thought. “Vaguely.” An unexplainable look crossed her face. “I want to see him.”

“Later.” Tylar said, patting the girl’s shoulder. “Sleep now.”

As the dawn’s light crept over the horizon, Remembreth stirred. Texia. She murmured, and the girl rolled over in her sleeping furs.

“Hmmm?”

Someone is waiting. The young green said, stretching.

“Who?” Texia said softly, slipping from her bed.

I don’t know, but they seem very familiar.

Texia hurriedly dressed, putting on the first clothes she came across. Oddly, it was what she’d been wearing when Tylar retrieved her from Vallen’s. When Texia slipped from the Weyrling barracks with Remembreth at her heels, she knew what was happening; who was there. By the shore of the lake was a man and a blue dragon. “’Nordi?” Texia whispered. The man turned as though he’d heard.

Hitath heard. Remembreth said, seating herself on the slope.

A smile spread across C’nordi’s face. “Texia.” He said, and walked toward her. His Journeyman Healer’s insignia, and his Weyrbadge (which seemed to be the “V” for Vallen’s Cove turned into a dragon) were clearly embroidered on his tunic sleeve.

“I’ve missed you so much! “ he said, falling to his knees in the sand to hug his foster sister.

“I’ve missed you too, ‘Nordi.” Texia said, returning the embrace of her little-big brother. It was odd. Very odd.

Texia stiffened fractions of a moment before C’nordi asked: “Why didn’t you visit?”

“Remembreth can’t fly yet - and for me it has only been a few sevendays.” Texia said. “You say I haven’t visited, so that must mean I won’t go back and visit...” Texia was still bemused by the whole ordeal. “I suppose everyone hates me now?”

“No.” C’nordi said, holding his sister’s hand. Oh how he’d missed her. “They all hold out hope that you will someday find time to visit. When they see you’re still young, they’ll understand.”

Texia hoped he was right.

C’nordi was right. Headwoman Dyni was happy to see Texia and Remembreth when hey came to Vallen’s Cove. They spent nearly two full sevendays there, before heading to Ryslen. Remembreth spent a lot of the time cavorting in the waves with Seadragon Moeomth and the somewhat amphibious Twengith. They talked at length about all manner of things, and at the end of each day, Remembreth seemed to glow with enlightenment.

S’rion was there too, and he was glad to see her well. He’d Impressed a daring blue called Lacrith, and R’tonn had Impressed Akalinth at the same hatching. He and his brown were off at Talis Weyr, awaiting the imminent Hatching of the clutch Akalinth sired with their Senior Queen.

As twilight descended on Ryslen, so did Texia and Remembreth. Ayceth, her clutch brother seemed very pleased to see her, and F’yar the perpetually angry was actually in a tolerable mood.

They’ve been assigned to A’ndo’s wing. Remembreth said. They are very happy about it.

Texia smirked at this comment and hugged him in welcome. A few riders helped her move their things into their new weyr.

One looked familiar - T’lri. He’d stopped by Baeris’ weyrlet every so often, yet Texia couldn’t place him on a dragon. A quick question to F’yar answered that. “He rides Corlath. She’s... well... stripy. And very defensive.”

“Ah.” Was all Texia said in response.

After a very social breakfast the next morning, a broadly smiling young man appeared. Texia knew he was looking for her, so she grinned at him. He made his way up to her. “Are you all settled in, Texia?” he asked.

“Yessir.” She promptly replied, knowing what he was going to ask, but not why.

“Great,” he said. “You’ll need to report to the Weyrwoman’s office shortly.”

The riders around her didn’t say a thing. “All right.” Texia said. “I’ll be there.”

“See that you are.” He said with a friendly smile.

“H’zar, rider of Light blue Udeventh. He’s a weyrling.” A rider off to the left said.

“Ah.” Texia said. Oddly, she felt as if she knew him too.

Texia climbed the stairs to Tiyanni’s office, wondering why she was being summoned. Weyrwoman Tiyanni sat in an overstuffed chair, and Weyrleader J’kosh perched on it’s arm. “Ah Texia,” Tiyanni said, “Thanks for being so prompt.”

“My duty, Weyrwoman.” Texia said, bowing slightly as a sign of respect.

“At ease, Texia.” J’kosh said. “Come, have a seat.”

Inside the office, three riders sat, along with the weyrling H’zar. Two she recognized - T’lri and a young man she was introduced to as Journeyman Archivist Q’wil. She didn’t’ know which his dragon was. She nodded to them, and sat down. The third rider was a sprightly woman. Texia wondered if she was a dancer.

“Greetings.” Q’wil said, “It’s not Tiyanni and J’kosh who wanted to see you, but us. We like the formality.” T’lri had to stifle a laugh.

“Greenrider Texia, Meet the Black Arrow Wing.” J’kosh began. “Wingleader Q’wil - his is bronze Mnelilth, his weyrmate Dance Harper Syrinx, rider of green Opoysith, and T’lri, rider of the unmistakable Corlath.”

“And?” H’zar said as a friendly reminder.

“And H’zar. He’s not officially in the wing until Udeventh graduates from Weyrling Training, but he’s good for Morale.” Syrinx said, smiling.

Texia smiled. “Its nice to meet you all.”

“As you may or may not know, the Black Arrow Wing...”

“Is the most understanding and open-minded wing in all of East Rock.” Texia finished. Syrinx was flabbergasted as Texia knew the exact words she was about to say.

Q’wil laughed good-naturedly. “Now that we know you’re really you, tell us why you’re here.”

Texia swallowed hard. They were putting her to the test. “You... want me to ride for your wing.” Texia said hesitantly.

“Texia, will you be the Black Arrow Wing’s Wingthird?” Q’wil asked, “and help us to make history.”

“I will.”

“’Third?” T’lri asked, “You haven’t named a ‘Second.”

“He’s not here yet.” Texia said, knowing by her talent that the wingsecond would be called Ga’voh.