Areuto's clutch hatched on a cold and rainy afternoon, and the aspirants were called into the Deep Caverns. Lian and Kortrvan were happy to accompany them; the Castle was stuffed with people, since few of them wanted to be outside, and even the library was too crowded for Lian's taste. The archivist settled down with the pair of aspirants presented for the current clutch, and waited for Areuto to gather her children.
The wind drak appeared in a storm of activity, nearly tripping over herself just trying to walk. Or it might have been the draklings weaving in and out among her legs. She didn't seem bothered, and instead just grinned at the aspirants. "Herrrre they arre. Arrrren't they marrvelousssss?"
The three tiny draks settled down for a moment, lining up so that Lian could get a good look at them for the first time. There was a grinning day drak, a forest, and a wind. The day drak was the first of the three to break formation, though the two females were not far behind. They all ran over to the aspirants, chatting happily among them. This went on for perhaps half an hour before the gregarious draklings were ready to make their choices.
Once again, the male day was the first to choose. He went straight to Larkin. "You like to make people ssssmile, I like to make them ssssmile...We'rrrre perrrfect for each otherrrr!" Thus Paired, the new knight brought his drak over to Lian, introducing him as Cartoan.
The wind and forest draks had taken to whispering between themselves, but finally the wind drak gave a stubborn nod and pushed her sister gently toward the remaining aspirant. The forest drak looked shyly up at Denaff and made a pleased purring noise. "I didn't want to leave Orrrrphanto behind, but sssshe sssayss it'sss alrrright, ssssso...." She dipped her whole body in a bow. "My name is Sianto."
Seeming pleased that the forest had made her choice, the wind drak Orphanto wandered over to Lian. She spoke up suddenly, "I hope therrre arre lotssss of people herrre, I love making new frrriendsss--actually, trrraveling sssssoundss much morrrre exssciting! I bet I can make morrrrre frrriendsss ssssomewherrre elsssse! It'll be like an adventurrrre!"
Areuto seemed quite proud of her daughter, who seemed to take after her in more than just color, and she promised the drakling they'd find a good home for her with lots of adventures while Lian finished up his notes on the hatching.