Night was beginning to fall as the sound of hooves falling on hard cobblestones rang through the air. A tiny, dark grey runner raced into view, struggling to run with the two humans on its back. It stopped and slowed at the orders of its rider, and the two girls dismounted.
Ayacia patted her minitaure runner gratefully as he stood beside her, sides heaving in exhaustion. "There, there. That's enough for now, we'll walk from here." The pony-sized runner snorted and nuzzled the sixteen-year-old's hand affectionately, and she smiled.
Her companion stood with her arms crossed impatiently. "Why'd we stop? We have to get away, Ayacia!"
Ayacia scowled at her sister. Twins though they were, they looked nothing alike. Ayacia was of average height, with pale skin and straight blond hair. Caeyie, on the other hand, was short and tanned, with wavy black hair and keen black eyes.
"Storm can't carry both of us much longer. He's already exhausted from our running away." Ayacia pointed out. "We're walking the rest of the way." She said firmly, seeing the protesting look on Caeyie's face.
Caeyie sighed and started walking, Storm and her sister following along behind. "I hope you at least have some idea of where we're headed." She said.
Ayacia rolled her eyes and nodded. "Tripaldi Weyr. It's the closest Weyr, and closer than any other holds, anyway."
Caeyie stopped and looked at her twin in horror. "A Weyr!? You're taking us to a Weyr?" Ayacia nodded, and she groaned. "Aya', you know I hate dragons!" She whined.
Ayacia snorted. "You're scared of them, you mean." She said, grinning.
Caeyie huffed disdainfully. "I am not scared of any big, dumb lizard. I just don't like them, that's all."
Ayacia grinned, obviously not believing her twin, as they continued on. There was no sign of the pursuers they had been expecting to come after them from their home hold.
"Do you suppose they've found we're missing yet?" Caeyie asked nervously.
Her lighter-haired sister frowned. "I think they should have, by now. Maybe they just decided we weren't worth it and didn't even bother coming after a couple of runaways."
Caeyie snorted in reply. "Wishful thinking." She muttered.
They arrived at Tripaldi a few hours later. Storm snorted, tossing his head, as they stood looking up at the imposing structure. Tripaldi was a large, mountain like structure along the coast, with a huge, hollowed out weyrbowl at the top.
There was a large blue dragon on watch, though the Weyr looked mostly deserted; at this late hour, most everyone would be asleep. The watchdragon bugled loudly as his rider waved to them. Storm snorted again and backed up a few steps, whinnying nervously.
Ayacia tugged at his reins impatiently. "Settle down, Storm. He's not going to hurt you. Come on, Caeyie." With a tug on the runner reins, she stepped forward, Caeyie following nervously behind her.
A large brown dragon and his rider greeted them in the entranceway. "Hello." Ayacia said shyly. "Umm, we came from a nearby hold, and we were hoping for shelter for a couple days." She explained, stammeringly slightly as the brownrider stared at her.
He smiled knowingly. "And perhaps stand for the clutch as well?" He asked.
Ayacia blushed, shrugging her shoulders, while Caeyie responded with an emphatic "No!" Ayacia glared at her sister.
The rider just looked amused. He glanced at his dragon, and they seemd to be conversing quietly for a few seconds, then he spoke up again. "Well, if you all decide to make up your minds, Mrinalth here says you would be allowed to stand for the clutch." He grinned. "He says, and I quote, 'They sound like fun.'"
Ayacia gasped and stammered excitedly while Caeyie's eyes widened and she shook her head hurriedly. Storm stamped his hoof impatiently, staring at the dragon warily. "In the meantime," The rider continued. "You may stay in the lower caverns. I'm M'ron, and this is Mrinalth."
"Ayacia." She sighed. "And this is my sister, Caeyie." Caeyie humphed in reply.
Rolling her eyes at her sister, Ayacia followed the rider into the Weyr, forcing Caeyie to run to keep up.

The next morning, Ayacia woke up to find her sister hovering over, of all things, a baby flitter. A tiny, dark green fire lizard creeled hungrily as Caeyie fed it food from a bowl at her side. "Caeyie?" She asked, disbelievingly.
Caeyie looked up with a guilty look in her eyes. "I was just walking by the hearths, and the egg was hatching! There was nobody else around, and she wouldn't shut up, so..." She trailed off with a shrug.
Turning her gaze to the hatchling, Caeyie's eyes softened, and she smiled slightly. "You know, she's really not all that bad. She's kind of sweet."
Ayacia bit her lip to keep from smiling. "What are you going to call her?" She asked.
"Jepol." She answered at once, which meant she'd been thinking about it for a while.
Ayacia smiled. "Hey listen, about the clutch-"
Caeyie sighed and turned to her sister. "Alright, I'll stand for the clutch if you are." She said firmly.
Ayacia smiled. "Really?"
Her sister nodded. "Sure. Anyway, it's not like I'll be upset or anything if I don't Impress. Which I probably won't." She pointed out.
"Of course. Okay then." Ayacia said, and smiled. She was standing for a dragon clutch!