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At the center of the as a sandy pit, usually reserved for hatchlings of the I the hatchlings, always the best part of any dinner, to the Copper’son its side

All the assearded the dead hatchling silently

The Copper took a breath He didn’t care for any of her company

There was LaDibar, one of the senior Anklenes, at the honored position to her left where the freshest dishes arose In his youth the gold had been proclaion of rare mind and discern such a rareuseful with it

A handsoons sat across froreen, but their snouts were h in the Ihlia reincarnated No one disputed that they were related to SiDrakkon through a cousin; their father had died bravely in battle against the hag-riders when first they arrived Their hatching was still talked of, for they cah both had been rather s to his brother in the hatchling contest, Regalia fought at his side and together they triualia served with her brother in the Drakwatch by a special dispensation during SiDrakkon’s rule--it was either that or SiHazathant would have had to go into the Firemaidens It hadn’t been as aard as some predicted She’d proved herself equal to the drakes, and she had a dragonelle’s ability to hold her tee, as though in private onelle was an unmated female Wyrr named Essea She didn’t have any particular talent or skill that the Copper could discern; if anything, she was a silly gossip, but she was of the Imperial Line and a friend and confidante of Nilrasha The rest of the Imperial Line looked rather down on his mate because of her humble birth--Nilrasha had cohted her whenever possible The Copper was grateful to Essea for her unstinting kindnesses She’d helped Nilrasha acquire a modicum of courtly manners and speech

In a sense he and his mate were both outsiders to a line that they ostensibly led He’d been adopted high into the Iriffaran eggs; she’d onblade and taken the title of Queen They were more popular in any other hill than they were in their own hoardens as Nilrasha mourned

"It is good to see you well, ree at the center of the sandpit A Skotl, but s Her jawline, the lift of her protective griff--

"This was Tilfia," Nilrasha said, speaking low, as she did when unhappy The Copper felt a little stab behind his breastbone For all the bluff and strength that he admired, she soed herself out of that Bant ay after the lost battle with the Ghioz "I didn’t know her na on her," the Copper said

"I should have known her name," Nilrasha said

"You can’t expect to know every hatchling," Essea said, pressing tail to tail with her friend

"Tighlia did," Nilrasha said Regalia’s eyes lit up at the nahlia, of Wyrr lines and Skotl, had mated and put an end to the civil wars that had alested that FeHazathant take on the ancient title of Tyr, a kingly nah, if not before

"We’d rather have you as Queen," Essea said "Tighlia was a scold And a traditionalist"

Nilrasha yanked her tail out frohlia watched le leap and triple leap as a hatchling, and invited ot a name I can’t even be bothered to learn theue?" the Copper asked

"Eight dragons It see the Wyrr hardest," LaDibar said "Fourteen hatchlings and a drakka We also lost Gubiez in the Anklene hill"