There weren't many eggs left when she realized there was something nagging at her. Something very peculiar indeed.
Two whites had come from tiny shells, amazed Mandragora watched as their new riders took them from the hot sands.
But there were ... only two eggs left! Most of the boys had walked off in sad dismay, as it looked like the last eggs were the queen and one sure to hold a green.
But then... The littler egg showed a pretty blue dragon's nose. Mandragora was looking at it for the longest time.
She was certain she wasn't going to impress. Not this time.
But then she noticed that all the girls had begun to crowd around the gold egg. They were jostling for a position and getting quite snippy about it too. It figured, there were still a half dozen girls left on the sands, and only one solitary -- very picky -- dragon left in their egg.
The egg had broken by the time most of the girls had crowded up, and that nagging sensation in Mandragora's mind told her to just go and see. One little peek at a dragon who couldn't possibly be for her was all she could really hope for, wasn't it?
I wish these snobbish little children would get out of the way so I could see you, my love! Come and get me from their grubby hands!
Mandragora took that in stride. So it was a voice. A loud, commanding and very sure voice, rather like her own. Only, younger.
And from a dragon.
So Mandragora strode through the younger girls, not even having to push any of them. They moved aside once they saw her and the determined look on her face.
Who are you? What is your name? I think I know it but it is long and mine is rather short. My name is Qutteth, my love Mandragora. And I am yours! We are one!
Mandragora let the tone of the regal young gold sweep any doubt away from her mind. She shouted, "Meet Qutteth, and me, your new Junior Weyrwoman!"
That's the spirit my friend, we will show them. But what is this place I see in your mind? Back there?
"It is called Blackstone Weyr. We'll go there when your bigger. We will learn from this Seasparkul weyr everything we can, but I've heard many things about the Blackstone place. And they will need you. You're a gold, remember? We can be among our peers there!"
We have no peers, Mandragora.
She put on the hugest smile she'd ever worn and walked off the sands with her proud young gold!
Qutteth is the pride of the weyr, at least to hear her say it. Mandragora doesn't hold back much either, she was the one to impress the gold after all!
The endless work of oiling, bathing and feeding a weyrling turned yearling has humbled some riders, but not Mandragora. She started strong and she remains so.
There came a day when someone from another Weyr showed up, though, a very tall handsome man on a blue dragon, a man with a slightly haunted but sure look on his face.
"I'm from the Protectorate," he said. "And you ... have a fine young queen."
He eyed Qutteth almost greedily, and smiled. "I realize that your position here is a good one, gold rider, but... The world is in need of people like yourself. Strong leaders. And we would be duly honored if you would consider joining our weyr some day."
He handed her a leather badge, with a beautifully painted green dragon on it, over a black and pale blue diamond. The weyrbadge for a nearby weyr, Blackstone.
"I... will think about it," she told the man. "But as you said, my position here is a good one. I've the next young queen, and perhaps ... after she rises here," Mandragora said with a broad grin, "she might rise for one of your bronzes."
The tall man nodded, took her hand and kissed it, and then turned back to his dragon.
"Who are you, anyway, to be asking people out of the blue like this to join a weyr?"
"Shard," he said simply, "and it's my weyr, so I suppose I'm going to be the one to ask, eh?"
"A blue riding weyr leader?" Mandragora's eyebrow shot up.
"I know, I know..." Shard laughed, and they flew off.