You're up! a voice cried in her mind.

In her mind? What... when... what...? Maohli groaned and tried to sit up, but the weight was still pressing her down.

Don't try to get up. The healer said you'd only get dizzy and faint again, so I'm sitting on you to keep you from doing anything stupid.

What are you talking about? Jasperth?

Well at least you remember my name! Stop squirming! You're tickling me! Maohli cracked one eye open to see a dark black dragonet balancing on her stomach, his verdant green wings spread for balance, and his eyes swirling yellow with concern.

She reached one hand out to him, and he butted his head against it much like a cat, crooning in a soothing manner. She rubbed her forehead, running her other hand over her temples as if she could somehow find this new mental and emotional link physically. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be asleep? Newly hatched dragons aren't supposed to do anything but eat and sleep."

Emeraldth and I were taking turns. Only she'd forget about you and fall asleep, so I wouldn't let her take her turn, Jasperth huffed, nuzzling her still outstretched hand. I am gettingkinda sleepy...

Maohli grinned at him, fully opening her eyes so that she could take in his entire body. A black dragon... she didn't think she'd ever seen one of those before... You stupid thing, why don't you go to sleep? I'll be alright. How strange, to be talking mentally. Her mum had described it to her, but she'd never really held a conversation in such a manner herself. Wait a moment... Mum! Jasperth, did mum come to the hatching? I didn't see her at all!

Who? the dragonet asked, yawning hugely as Maohli withdrew her hand. Oh! You mean that big black woman with the funny blue dragon? She came in when we were done eating. I wasn't going to let her near you, but her dragon told me all about what happened. He sounded kind of stupid...

"Jasperth!" Maohli exclaimed, surprised by the outright statement. Ath is just as smart as the next dragon, you rotten scoundrel.

I was just saying...

"Who's a rotten scoundrel?"

Maohli blinked and looked to the side of her bed. A little green head rested on the edge, eyes still slow-swirling with sleep. "Emeraldth? How are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" The bulky green cocked her head, not sure what her bonded meant.

"Speaking aloud like that? I've never met a dragon who could speak, unless it was with their mind." Maohli reached over to rub her hand over the green dragonets head, paused when she heard a rumbling noise come from Jasperth, and then proceeded anyways.

The green was about to respond when her black-green brother interrupted, It's because she's weird is what it is. Dragons aren't supposed to speak aloud. He glared at his sister from the bed, clearly disgruntled at the fact that she was getting attention and that he was not.

"Dragons aren't supposed to be more than one colour, either, Jasperth." Emeraldth retorted, "We're both special, even if it's in different ways. That's what I heard the Weyrlingmaster say."

When'd you ever hear the Weyrlingmaster? the black scoffed.

Emeraldth's eyes whirled a little faster, sparks of yellow erupting within. "When you were stuffing your face with meat disloyally from one of the helpers!" she said aloud, quite loud enough to make anyone else in the infirmary look over.

The black was about to snarl something at her, when Maohli interrupted. She put a hand over Jasperth's muzzle, and patted Emeraldth's head. "Quit fighting! You're making me dizzy!" The emotions flung through her, crashing against her as if she were in an actual line of fire, were making her feel sick, tired.

Both dragonets immediately stopped, turning apologetic and concerned looks on her. Jasperth inched forward onto her chest, Emeraldth put two paws up onto the bed, and both crooned gently to her. Immediately, she began to feel a little better. "It shouldn't be like this. I should be the one taking care of you two, not the other way around."

"They left a bowl of meat on the table nearby... I'm getting hungry again," the female dragonet suggested. Indeed, up on the stand to her left, there was a covered bowl, around which a fly lazily hovered.

"Eugh, well, we'd better get it into you before it goes bad..." Maohli reached over for the bowl, though Jasperth's weight still pressed upon her. "How about you?" she asked the little black, "are you hungry too?"

Sullenly, the male replied, No. I just want to go to sleep. Are you sure you're not going to get up and leave us?

Of course I'm sure. Does it look like I'm about to jump out of bed and do a jig?

At this both dragonets chuffed, giggling. Maohli gave Jasperth one last pat before he descended off of the bed, taking Emeraldth's place in the makeshift couch at Maohli's feet. The green in turn pulled herself up onto the bed, thoughts of food pushing their way from her mind to her bonds. Kindly enough, the green chose to sit beside Maohli instead of on top of her.

And, while it was belated, the girl was able to feed one of her very own dragonets for the first time.