The Hatching of Gold Daelyth and Bronze Palineth's Second Clutch
PernMUSH, June 1, 2003
The World of Pern is
copyright(c) to Anne McCaffrey l967. The Dragonriders of Pern(r) is a
registered copyright.
Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Daelyth startles, ensconsed on the sands,
as she notices one of the eggs begin to twitch. << It moved! >> It starts
off quietly, then grows--a deep, resonating hum.
You fly towards the opening into the Hatching Grounds.
<*> Indrath flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Saulith joins in the humming immediately,
moving up and down the scale in excitement.
<*> Indrath arrives on the ledges sans riding straps and sans rider, and
immediately ensconces himself at one of the higher vantage-points; a rumble
of greeting to other arrivals, and he falls silent to *watch*.
Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Herath hummmmmmms!
Public announcement: Nimiriel announces "Pardon the interruption, folks!
Daelyth and Palineth have just started to hum, signaling that the eggs on
the sands will be hatching shortly. The hatching proper will start in about
fifteen minutes, +go tgw-galleries, +watch on tgw-sands, or come to the
hatching ledges to see the spectacle!"
"Hah! Had a two mark bet on with M'kus 'twould be today," Kassi informs no
one in particular almost as soon as Lysseth's landed, sounding pleased and
entertained. Her dismount is somewhat hindered by the need for care, what
with Kaswyn tucked in close to her in his green-and-black sling, but she's
as quick to scramble down as she can be so as to rummage up her usual
Hatching paraphernalia before the chaos begins.
You slide off of Lysseth's neck to land beside her easily. She rumbles,
cocking her head down at you, and you rub her eyeridges gratefully.
Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Decarath joins in on the humming.
Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Chaeth hummmmmmmmms.
Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Ymedath joins the chorus of hummmmmmming.
Dragon> All dragons sense that Daelyth's 'voice extends past Telgar and
broadcasts to all who are interested, with a joyful hum. << Our eggs! They
move! >>
Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Lysseth's addition to the chorus is given
in a mellow contralto, the crystal in her mindscape reverbating with the note.
Dragon> Telgar dragons sense that Alerith's mellow baritone notes join the
chorus of hummmming.
Sielth flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
Aisling slides down from Sielth's neck.
Aisling raises a hand to wave as she slips off of Sielth. "Hello all!" She
calls out as she moves towards the ledges.
Riolth flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
M'val slides down Riolth's leg.
Kassima snags the hides and stylus from her dragon's strap-pouch, and
settles into a perch on the green's foreleg. Lysseth's settled herself
comfortably for the long haul, her throat vibrating slightly as she hums.
"Pay attention now, love," the greenrider murmurs to her infant, adjusting
his knitted cap so that it better covers his ears. "This is a Hatching. And
if'n you're going t'grow up t'win marks at these, you can't start learning
too soon. Oh, Aisling! Over here! Any bets on first t'Hatch, by chance?"
Firianth flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
M'val slides off Riolth's leg and leans against it, smiling quirkliy as he
glances around.
Yashira stands to one side, peering down at the sands; she's got a little
curly-haired girl in a scuffy jumper by the hand. "Hey, Kassi. I'll bet an
eighth of a mark on blue being first."
Aisling considers for a moment. "1 mark on a green." She finally decides,
pulling out a coin from her belt pouch.
Kassima crinkles her nose good-naturedly at Yash. "Ach, but that's m'guess!
I guess I'm nay so certain of it as t'refuse the bet, though. But only
because 'tis you! And you're certes on, Aisling." The hand not cradling
Kaswyn close to her flies across the hide in her lap, scribbling quick
notes. "--Hey, M'val! What of you? Going t'lay a mark or two down today?"
"Bronze," Ainsley guesses, rousing briefly. "Half a mark?"
Yashira snickers. "You can't just claim an entire colour of dragon, Kassi."
The little girl at her side, Iralne, giggles in Kassi's direction.
M'val's lips curve upwards again. "I shouldn't be surprised, eh, that you
noticed me *so* fast to ask me? I'll go with a quarter-mark on green first.
And on Yvera Impressing."
Herath flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
Herath rumbles a respectful and kind greeting to those gathered upon the
ledge thus far, her rider waving cheerfully before slipping down from her
lifemate.
Kindre gives Herath's neck a loving rub before she slips down with the
polished ease of familiarity. The gold's eyes seem to burn through Kindre
until she is certain her lifemate is sure-footed on the ground, then turn
equally as hot to the surroundings in a quick survey.
Riolth warbes a greeting to Herath, turning it into a croon, at which point
his rider pokes an elbow into his leg.
"It's worked for me a'fore," Kassi protests to Yash, but there's a grin
with it before she darts her attention to Ainsley. "Bronze, y'think? All
right, 'twill see that, Ainsley... and M'val, the day I *don't* see either
you or your mother at a Hatching is the day Pern's consumed by mutant
star-caprines. Quarter mark on each of those things?"
From the hatching sands, K'ran emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, K'ran emerges from the barracks, though gives the
sands themselves as wide a berth as is wise with Daelyth presiding over the
hatching. "They're coming," he advises N'var and Nimiriel. "Meri's going to
start sending 'em out by twos in another moment."
Kindre chuckles a bit as Herath seems to think that a bit of preening
wouldn't hurt. The rider-half of the pair shakes her head and gives the
gold a nudge in order to find a good viewing spot. "Telgar's duties and
such," Kindre thinks to offer and then sits. Once settled, she glances
towards the sands to watch the events.
From the hatching sands, Nimiriel stands near Daelyth, watching the eggs
twitching, and grins. "There's a blessing. I don't think they'll wait much
longer."
From the hatching sands, N'var leaves Palineth's side and makes his way
over to where Nimiriel stands with Daelyth. Offering the goldrider his
hand, he nods a 'thank you' towards K'ran.
Ymedath flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
Zaidra uses the riding straps to vault from her position astride Ymedath,
landing lightly on her feet, then giving him a friendly pat.
M'val lifts one shoulder as he looks down at the Sands. "Half-mark on
Yvera, quarter on the green. Mother'll be about somewhere, I'm sure. She
loves these - as you know. "He flashes Kassima a grin, then gives Kindre a
nod. "Evening, Kindre. My duties to Herath."
From the hatching sands, Taylin emerges from the candidate barracks.
Rhouenth flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
Lystra climbs down Rhouenth's side to the ground, as the dragon warbles a
greeting.
Hanreth flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
J'nas unstraps himself from Hanreth's neckridges and slides down his
forelimb to the ground.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Akuel emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Yselle emerges from the candidate barracks.
Lystra smiles brightly as she watches the candidates begin to emerge.
Konnevath flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Damon emerges from the candidate barracks.
Divya clambers down Konnevath's side to the ground, using his straps as
handholds.
Kassima greets her old friend with a cheery hail of, "Kin! Going t'join in
the betting? Green first's a favorite so far, though I think blue--Lyss
will laugh if'n *'tis* green and I'm wrong," she confides to the rather
bemused baby in her lap as an aside. "She gets such a kick out of that.
Half and quarter... got it, M'val. Yvera'd be flattered, I'm sure."
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus walks onto the sands in tempo with Taylin.
He looks about nervously, and put his first foot onto the sands. Sizzle.
"AIE!" he shouts, and is quickly doing the ever-so-famed
'Candidate-On-The-Sands Dance'. He quickly remembers what he was told
throughout his candidacy, and is able to keep himself still for one second.
He puts his hands together, and bends his torso forward- He was bowing to
the Clutchsire and Clutchdam.
From the hatching sands, Taylin moves out with a group of candidates,
stopping to bow to the clutch dame and sire as well as thier riders before
mvoing out to stand before the eggs. It's on now that she looks around for
a few familiar faces to stand near.
From the hatching sands, Mirah emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Tasayli emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Gay emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Damon winces as his feet touch the sands, but he
makes his way out, sketching a careful bow to dam and sire before taking a
place in the semicircle.
Divya slides off Konnevath's back and removes her helmet, revealing
messed-up damp hair. She finger-combs it roughly and peers down to the
Sands. "Oh good, no hatched eggs yet." Then she looks back around the ledge
and calls out High Reaches' duties to everyone and asks who holds the bets
this time.
From the hatching sands, K'ran's off to one side of the passage from the
barracks to the sands, watching the candidate-pairs as they emerge --
offering each an encouraging smile as they go, but, himself, staying
well-clear of the sands, dam, and sire.
From the hatching sands, Akuel steps out onto the burning sands, trying
very hard not to hop in pain he then pauses polietly to bow, first in front
of the sire of the clutch, then before the dam of the clutch, not
forgetting their riders, before heading over to stand beside the others in
as composed a manner as he can.
Kindre inclines her head kindly to the latest arrivals, smiling wide and
wiggling her fingers before offering, "Telgar's duties!" Her tone is
cheerful and she seems in rather good spirits. The wineskin at her side
likely doesn't hurt, of course. Her head shakes to her friend, though,
saying to Kassima, "After all these years you know I don't bet," and then
laughs.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus follows some of the other candidates,
making the necessary crescent of white robed lads and lasses that were
needed around the eggs.
From the hatching sands, Tasayli arrives with mouth agape, and tosses a
nervous little look up and around at the spectators overhead. But she soon
recalls her manners, does the obligatory bow, and hurries across hot sands
to join the other candidates.
Yashira looks to Kindre, nodding once to her. "You might start one turn,
though." The girl she has by the hand, Iralne, is all goggle-eyed at the
emerging candidates.
M'val grins at Kassima. "I do have to support my people, after all. I hope
it is a green - it'll cut down on your profits, so maybe you'll only make
three times as much as you started with! What! No *betting*, Kindre? Is
that allowed?" He turns wide eyes on the goldrider. "I thought it was in
the rules; dragonriders bet!"
From the hatching sands, Mirah gosestepps across the sands to bow to the
sire and dam and then tostand near Damon looking around expectantly.
From the hatching sands, Kevin emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Gay steps out, eyes wide, looking about at the
candidates, the eggs. She spares a glance towards Tasayli, before sketching
a nervous bow to dam and sire. Wincing, she makes her way to stand with the
others.
From the hatching sands, Taylin lets out a soft whimper as the heat begins
to make her mince slightly in spot "It's so hat on my feet." Seeing that
the others are doing alot of moving around she's not so afraid to do so also.
From the hatching sands, Yselle pauses at the entrance to the caverns,
seemingly oblivious of the rush of the candidates around her. Her eyes are
wide and round as though she were seeing the sands for the first time. It
takes a nudge from one of the others to actually get her /out/ there, and
then she's doing the hot shuffle-step out onto the sands. Her bow to the
sire and dam would be solemn if it weren't for a shuffling of feet that
throws her just slightly off-balance. Fortunately, she recovers before she
ends up with a face full of sand. That taken care of, she makes her way to
the semicircle of candidates forming around the eggs, her eyes searching
each white-robed form, as if seeking a familiar face. Eventually, she ends
up somewhere near Gay, grinning at the other girl. "Good luck," she hisses.
Kassima attempts a plaintive look Kindre-wards, but amusement quickly
disrupts it. "Hope springs eternal, what can I be saying? Oh, look, there
they come--" The arrival of the Candidates distracts her for a beat. Only
for a beat, though. She's holding up a hand to indicate herself in answer
to Divya's query soon enough. "You can lay marks with me if'n you want to,
Divya; 'tis teaching m'son here t'bet that I am... hah, M'val, does she
count as yours anymore? I seem t'recall she comes from Fort these days--and
you're just *cruel*, wanting t'deprive me of money! What'd I ever do t'you?"
From the hatching sands, Kevin steps out onto the sands. Looking over to
the dam and sire of the clutch, he bows and heads over to join the circle
of other candidates already gathered around the eggs.
From the hatching sands, Javinia emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Yvera emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Akuel shifts uncomfortably on the hot sands
realising now just why so many of the other candidates were so nervous
about the bare-foot policy. He looks up at the spectators in a stunned
fashion before returning his gaze to the others. He steps forward a pace or
two just to make sure that he is in line.
Kindre grins and nods to Yashira. "True enough, that," she replies and then
taps at the center of her lips for a moment. "Y'know, mayhap I should
start. 'Tis been more than thirty years since I've been riding. It's not as
though I've long to be addicted to betting and you'll find me at Bitra more
than I should be," is offered with a smirk. Turning to catch M'val's sight,
she wonders, "You placed a half-mark on Yvera, did you not? If so, I think
I'll copy your lead on that." A turn then to Kassima. "Half-mark of Yvera,
please."
From the hatching sands, Merielan emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus gives a smile in Javinia's direction, his
face giving the expression of 'Come-join-us-and-do-the-Candidate-Dance'
From the hatching sands, Bronwynn emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin emerges from the candidate barracks.
M'val waggles a finger at Kassima. "Won too much of my own few marks,
that's all! Lucky for me Mother wins a large number of *her* bets, eh." He
glances down and spots Yvera, waving down even though the girl can't
possibly see him unless she looks up right then. "Well, her mother *and*
father are mine, and she was just fostered to Fort, really."
Konnevath croons at the pretty ladies on the ledges with the humans, and
preens for their benefit.
From the hatching sands, Tarien emerges from the candidate barracks.
From the hatching sands, The Vibrant Lavender egg bursts open in a spray of
shards, and a creening, anxious bronze hatchling steps forth. He doesn't
bother to shake the last of the shards from his tail, but leaps forward,
determined, and cozies up to a tow-headed Bitran boy, who turns a bright
smile on his new lifemate.
From the hatching sands, Gay shifts from foot to foot, more out of nerves
and worry than the heat - yet anyway. "Thanks - you too," she murmurs back
to Yselle, before glancing behind her. And there's Yvera and Javi - she
beckons to them both quickly, then it's back to the eggs.
Divya takes a quick check down to the sands and opens her belt-pouch to
check on the marks there. "Kassima, I'd like to bet the next hatchling will
be green, and that Yvera will find a lifemate today. A quarter-mark on each."
From the hatching sands, Tasayli aims towards Mirah and Damon, picking up
her feet quickly, and skirting around the eggs. The smile she flashes at
them is quick and strained, and disappears the with the first hatching.
"Shards - that was fast!"
From the hatching sands, Javinia squeezes Yvera's hand as she steps out
onto the sands with the other girl. Her gaze takes in the sands, the eggs,
the galleries, before she seeks out candidate faces. She looks relieved to
find Gay and hurries to her, bowing to the sire and dam, at last.
From the hatching sands, Merielan bows respectfully in Daelyth and
Palineth's direction, thankfully -not- falling as she did once as a
candidate and carefully makes her way towards the edge of the sands, taking
up her position there and waiting, which doesn't take long, she escorts the
new pair to the barracks.
From the hatching sands, Taylin jumps slightly from the heat and from the
hatching egg "Look a bronze and he was fast to find his lifemate at that."
grinning she calls out a soft "Congrat.s"
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus applauds the very, very first impression,
a bronze hatchling that chooses.. well, he hadn't seen much of that lad,
but applauded for him anyways, thanking Faranth that he wasn't bowled over
by the monster of a dragonet! He continues his little dance, trying not to
scald his feet.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin sketches a brief bow to the dam and sire,
waiting on the edges of things as Merielan snags the first pair.
From the hatching sands, Honey And Mulberry Egg has arrived.
From the hatching sands, Honey And Mulberry Egg twitches, slips, rocks
forward, and a fine trickle of sand runs away from its side. It sits
unmoving for a second or two and then another little shudder is followed by
a half roll to the side. The egg then settles back in the sand.
From the hatching sands, Yvera, hand clutched tightly in Javinia's, doesn't
really look as if she wants to be there. Gay's wave toward her starts her
in that direction, but the bronze's hatching gets her attention long enough
for Javinia to have to /tug/ at her to get her to move. She also offers a
hurried bow toward the dragons and their riders, and N'var gets a little
finger-wiggle of a wave as well. "My head's spinning. They're /hatching/,
Gay. /Hatching/!"
Kassima bobs her head rapidly to each called bet. "Half mark for you, Kin;
quarter each for you, Divya... ach, bronze, is it? I owe you a half mark,
Ainsley!" she calls the greenrider's way.
Yashira sighs. "Aw, bugger." Iralne giggles.
Lystra sits apart from the group, watching the hatching, her face bright
and happy. She claps quietly and to herself as the bronze erupts from his
shell and finds his lifemate.
Riolth peers down at the Sands, then warbles, turning his head slightly
towards his rider, who rolls his eyes. "Riolth says I should've bet bronze
like he wanted. He *always* wants bronze, except when he wants gold." He
shoots Kindre a faint smile, eyes sliding towards Herath briefly before he
looks back down.
Aisling makes a wry face. "Silly dragons."
From the hatching sands, Mirah looks a little pale shifting from foot to
foot on the sands and looking wide eyed at the eggs spectators and her
fellow candaidates. Watching the bronzes progress across the sands her eyes
widen.
From the hatching sands, Akuel stares amazed for a second at the young
dragon, shocked at the first impression happening so fast, the only words
he can manage is. "A bronze? Wow." He then hurriedly returns his gaze to
the eggs, especially the one which just moved. "This is amazing." he whispers.
From the hatching sands, Bronwynn makes her quick bow to the dam and sire,
moving aside to cover a different section of future weyrlings.
From the hatching sands, Yselle turns in the direction Gay indicated. She
grins at Javinia and reaches for her friend's hand. Right about then is
when the first hatchling breaks shell, and she turns, eyes wide as saucers.
"Oh Javi, did you see /that/? Wasn't it fast?" She /beams/ at the choice of
lifemate. "I /like/ him," she says.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus nearly takes a fall of his own as he
half-loses balance on the scalding sands. The only thing that kept him from
going down was his strong want of not wanting a faceful of hot, steamy,
burning sand.
Divya chuckles and says, "Konnevath says the same thing. Of course, on the
way over here he was telling me to bet green. He always wants more greens
to hatch."
From the hatching sands, Violet Spinnerweb Egg has arrived.
From the hatching sands, Mirah whispers "Wow bronze first!" now ignoring
her scalding feet she watches the newly rocking egg hopefully.
From the hatching sands, Soft Purple Pinwheel Egg shatters, shards flying
out violently from an intense blue dragonet that makes little noise as he
finds his footing on the hot sands. He moves swiftly to a pale blonde girl
who's even more silent, if such a thing is possible. Sarana stares back at
the hatchling, only speaking to call his name. The two slip off the sands,
towards the Weyrlingmasters.
Kassima asides to Aisling, "I'd normally say 'tisn't such good luck as if'n
a green had Hatched first, but given how many marks I've won with so many
people betting green... well, 'tis good enough luck for *me*. Tell me about
it, M'val. The Sky-Lady always says green and mocks me when she's right."
She settles back a bit on Lysseth's foreleg, snuggling Kaswyn in close; he
seems somewhat disoriented by the noise, but not prone to wailing. Yet.
From the hatching sands, Violet Spinnerweb Egg quivers, an action that is
barely noticeable, but sparks the subtle webbing into life, making the
lines that criss-cross the egg appear to travel across and around the egg.
Slowly the egg settles, the lines nearly vanish into the lavender
background, and the egg is silent once again.
From the hatching sands, Gay clasps her own hands together time and again,
rather than reaching for anyone else's. Now that her friends are around
her, she's a little calmer. "Sure are," she says in response to Yvera. "And
so quickly..." Her face drains of most of it's colour, and she looks
distinctly ill. "Oh my." Then; "Sarana!"
From the hatching sands, Jazmin collects Sarana and her blue, ushering the
pair off the sands.
From the hatching sands, Javinia blinks at Gay, past her to Yselle. "One's
Impressed? Alrea--" But the motion on the sands steals her attention. She
lets Yselle take up her other hand, but she's distracted, struck by the
shattering of another egg. "Oh, Gay! -Sarana-."
From the hatching sands, Taylin blinks "A blue, wow it's so fast. I wonder
if they all are that fast." looking to the leaving pair "He's very handsome
Sarana."
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus gives a second round of applause for the
impression of a blue to a girl whom he had seen about before. Sarana.. that
was her name. Then he watches the new egg begin to shiver. And that's where
his attention now lied.
From the hatching sands, Honey And Mulberry Egg suddenly whirls to the
left, bouncing off the edge of its closest neighbor before taking a sharp
right. After a short tumble, it rolls to a stop a few feet away with its
pointy end up. Cracks appear all along its upper edge, and then it's silent
again.
Divya sees the blue hatch and sighs. "Oh well, one quarter mark down the
drain." She tosses the coin to the Telgar greenrider and jokingly asks,
"How many marks do you think you'll make today, Kassima?"
From the hatching sands, Akuel shifts painfully from foot to foot as he
waits but he can hardly think of the pain at the moment in all the hubub.
Looking down at his red feet he winces before looking back swiftly to the
next hatchling. "A blue!" he calls out to no one in particular, smiling
broadly. He casts another glance at the almost broken egg "Someone is
having a hard time getting out of there" he jokes
From the hatching sands, K'ran edges a bit closer to Tarien amid all the
hubbub, the better to offer her an ungloved hand. "Brilliant so far, hm?"
he murmurs to her.
From the hatching sands, Kevin shifts from one foot to the other, not
knowing for sure where to look and trying to look in all directions at
once. Finally he rests his attention on the eggs that are moving on the sands.
From the hatching sands, Yselle doesn't seem to be too bothered by
Javinia's distraction, it's not as if she's giving the other girl all her
attention either. "Oh..." that's her wide-eyed response to the blue
hatching and impressing. "Wow, Tel was right." Somehow she manages to mix
her wonder with incredulousness. "Sarana impressed?" she stretches on her
tiptoes to look around some of the other candidates. A bad move on the hot
sands. She very quickly puts her feet down again, moving quickly from one
to the other.
From the hatching sands, Tarien picks her way carefully over the sands
toward K'ran, N'var, and Nimiriel. "I keep forgetting how -loud- it is,"
she remarks, smiling approvingly at the first Impressions made. She nods up
at K'ran, "Quite!"
Dulath flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Tasayli edges closer to Mirah, as the eggs start
rocking and cracking at a greater pace. She's barely able to notice
individual Impressions, there's just too much going on to watch.
From the hatching sands, Mirah stands silent now unmoving, watching the
progress of the blue and her new rider with a small smile on her pale face.
From the hatching sands, Taylin hops slightly trying to cool her feet as
she wipes seat from her face with the back of her hand. "I wonder what will
be next." she ponders alound.
Kassima snags the mark neatly from the air, dropping it into her belt pouch
with a faint wooden click. "Hopefully a decent number," she answers Divya.
"'Tis a richer betting ground when you have the home advantage, I find--I
have a few side bets on particular Candidates and that sort of thing. I had
t'be putting a few pieces on Yselle, a'course. Lysseth Searched her."
Iralne whines enough about her view for Yashira to pick her up and place
her on her shoulders. Pleased by her new perch, Iralne's attention goes
back to the hatchings. "Ugly."
From the hatching sands, It's one thing to /say/ that the sand underfoot is
hot. It's an entire /different/ thing to actually experience it. Yvera
suddenly has an entirely different perspective on the whole hatching thing
than she ever had when she was just watching it from the galleries. In
fact, it's the galleries that gain her attention for a moment. "My parents
are here," she says to Javinia, tugging at her hand to get her attention.
"Look, there's my mom. I think." But mention of Sarana's impression gets
her to look back at the true spectacle -- the eggs.
From the hatching sands, White And Night Egg fractures, revealing a
night-dark green, her hide spangled with silvery stars, who slinks off
toward the fringes of the circle. Just when she looks as if she might start
moving down the line of Candidates, she spots an equally isolated boy, whom
she gallops over to. "Selaneth!" A'ric murmurs, his voice barely above a
whisper, tears of joy spilling down his cheeks.
From the hatching sands, N'var grins, glancing briefly Tarien's way. The
splitting of an egg draws his attention back, and he squeezes Nimiriel's
hand tightly.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus gives a light smile towards the way of the
newly christened A'ric, mouthing a silent congratulation to the newest
greenrider. He quickly turns his attention to the shaking eggs.
From the hatching sands, Violet Spinnerweb Egg gives a violent shake.
SHAKE!!!! A big old look-at-me-I'm-shaking!!!! kind of shake. The shock
travels from one end to the other and back, and now those subtle spinnerweb
markings seem to be making the transformation from 'lines' to cracks.
From the hatching sands,
Honey like amber
Fractures, shivers, cracks, and breaks
Freeing earth within
Bone and Barley Brown Hatchling
Cut from the stone at the basement of time, this brown's hide is washed
out, bare, almost bone. The uniform pigment is overlayed with more distinct
arrays of darker, dusty mahogany and umber. The earth-tones climb his limbs
and tail, ascending into brighter, vibrant cinnamon and copper flecks that
highlight the tawny goldenrod and barley grasses of his chest, neck and
head. The translucent wings, when first spread, display an awesome panorama
of that bone-colored base with ochre dapples and corn-husk stars. His
over-large frame is as solid as the rock it imitates. Smooth-lined and
stout, with well-proportioned muscles that are already conquering the
shakiness of birth, he bears a countenance that commands a certain amount
of respect.
From the hatching sands, Bronwynn steps forward to lead A'ric and Selaneth
off the sands.
From the hatching sands, Royal Purple Velvet Egg has arrived.
From the hatching sands, Taylin chuckles "he's a nice boy I'm glad his
lifemate found him." waving slightly to the new pair as they leave "She's
very beautiful too." Lifting one hot foot up Tay quickly swipes the sand
from it before replacing it, only to see the brown hatching "Wow Look at
that brown, he's marvelous."
Alerith flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus looks at the newly hatched egg, and
smiles. "A brown!" he shouts happily, looking at the newest dragonet to
arrive on the sands. He stands stiffly, trying to make an effort to look
dignified, however he feels like his feet were about to burn, and he
continued his dance.
From the hatching sands, Gay tears her gaze away from the rocking eggs only
long enough to grin wanly over at Javinia. "Still quiet, too." At the loud
cracking sounds, it's back to stare at the eggs. One foot to the other,
lifting each for a blissful moment above the scorching sands. She starts
breathing deeply and regularly - in through the nose, out through her
mouth. "Don't get sick," she mutters to herself, sternly. As the brown
hatches, she gasps, entirely messing up her rhythm.
From the hatching sands, Akuel just looks around, dazzled at the rush of
activity, he tries shifting all his weight onto his left foot to ease the
pain, but he is distracted by the green hatchlings emergence "Another one"
he says smiling brightly. "Selaneth eh?" he states before looking over at
the brown rendered speechless by its brilliant appearance "Now /that/ is a
brown" he says the second he gets his power of speech back.
From the hatching sands, Damon's big hands tighten on his robe, pulling at
the fabric. He shuffles in the hot sands and tries, with wide, gaping eyes,
to take everything in.
From the hatching sands, Javinia's attention is pulled from the sands by
the tug at her hand, and she follows Yvera's gaze up to the galleries, even
as she begins to shift feet: -warm-. "Truly? That's wonderful." But then
another egg cracks, and she echoes Gay at sight of the brown. "Oh, -look-
at him."
From the hatching sands, Royal Purple Velvet Egg trembles in place,
dislodging fine grains of sand. It lies still for several heartbeats, then
shakes again, more decisively.
Konnevath warbles a greeting to the new brown, welcoming him to the world.
From the hatching sands, Bone and Barley Brown Hatchling shakes loose a
shard of egg clinging to his eyeridges and then lets out a loud, long,
cavern-echoing creel. The baby-noise deepens to a rumbling, hungry croon as
the brown gets to his feet. Disoriented at first, he soon finds himself
facing sire and dam. With a pleased flick of his tail, he then gets down to
business. The line of white robes is given a fierce, discerning first glance.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin shoves her hands in her pockets as she
watches candidates and hatchlings, keeping a keen eye out for freshly
minted pairs.
From the hatching sands,
Violet shivers, cracks
Shards fall like purple snowflakes
Bronze dragonet wakes
Desert Sand Bronze Hatchling
With a hide of khaki and sugar sand, reminiscent of the Igen Desert, this
bronze hatchling is nothing less than the pride of his parents. From his
sire, he takes the pale champagne streaks that run along neck and head and
filter all the way down his fingersails, as well as a ceaselessly writhing
tail. From his dam, besides the golden sand of his hide, he takes the
elegant and graceful movement of his frame. Radiant copper and argent
speckles dazzle the eye like tiny mirrors as they move along the line of
his spine, and the thin membrane of his wings contains a phosphorescence
bordering on pure white. This pale son darkens only faintly in two places:
Near the eyeridges, a burnished hazel shade lends him substance, while the
tip of his tail approaches a dusky orange hue. The last is hard to
distinguish, however, thanks to its constant restless nature.
From the hatching sands, Mirah holds out her hand offering some comfort to
Tasayli and hoping for some in return, in face of all the new dragonets,
espeically the brown.
From the hatching sands, A brassy coated bronze, with a faint blue overlay,
erupts from the Edged In Scarlet Egg. He trumpets a greeting and charges
through a clustered knot of boys, sending them scattering. He sniffs
briefly at the big man, Damon, then flies onward, finding his match in a
young lad from Boll, who cries out the name, "Eliath!"
From the hatching sands, Kevin whispers softly, "wow, a brown and now a
bronze.
C'vadan takes a seat between Dulath's forelegs and pulls out his journal
and stylus, watching the sands closely.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus watches nervously as the brown looks at
all of the candidates. He gulps, the moment feeling slow for him as the
dragonet's gaze meets his own for a millisecond, and then passes on. At
that moment, he sees, behind the brown, a neawly hatched bronze. A second
bronze hatched and quickly impressed right afterwards, and his gaze is now
switching back between the unimpressed brown and bronze hatchling.
From the hatching sands, Taylin blinks at the two hatchlings "Remarkable,
totally remarkable." She's trying to watch them both at once but thats not
going to happen so she turns her head from side to side while dancing from
side to side as well.
From the hatching sands, "You know, I knew she'd impress," Yvera starts to
chatter to Gay and Javinia, seemingly oblivious to being surrounded by
family members that she's supposed to be afraid of looking foolish in front
of. Her nervous habit of talking seems to have kicked in. "And a blue? I
didn't expect /that/, but it fits. And now there's a brown-- and another
bronze? And wow-- how many bronzes are there going to /be/ in this group?
See? I knew my brother's dragon was a good clutch sire. See? And it'll be
over real soon." Real soon. Then Yvera can go chastise herself for having
spent the whole hatching frozen in place.
From the hatching sands, Akuel just watches the brown as he continues doing
his dance of pain his expression horrified as he realises what kind of
damage the hatchling could do to him out here. He is distracted momentarily
as another egg hatches a bronze followed by yet /another/ bronze. He is
glad that the still-unimpressed bronze is not yet near him yet and places
his attention back on the brown.
From the hatching sands, Tasayli quickly accepts the offered hand, and
flashes a smile for Mirah. "Jus'keep moving, right? Oh-look-look-look, that
brown? Where's he going?"
From the hatching sands, N'var eyes Yvera nervously and can't quite keep a
smile from his lips.
From the hatching sands, Damon gapes, simply gapes, at the hatchling who
comes up so close to him, and can't help but look relieved as it passes by.
Kassima comments, eyes fixed on the Sands, "I like that brown--handsome, he
is, in an odd way. What think you?" she wonders of her son. "For... mmm.
Taylin, mayhaps?" Kaswyn's hand-wave serves as an unhelpfully vague comment.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin heads into the fray to collect the newest
bronzerider and his hungry lifemate, "C'mon you two, over this way." she
shuttles the pair off the sands.
From the hatching sands, Desert Sand Bronze Hatchling pauses for the
briefest of moments to catch his breath and get a handle on these new
surroundings. His Bone and Barley Brown brother is given considerable
consideration - a thorough lookover and bright tenor bugle! of greeting.
Only when convinced the smaller hatchling is hale, hearty, and heading in
the right direction does he turn his attention to the Candidates, eyes
whirling rapidly with growing excitement.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus watches as the two dragonets, beautiful in
their ways, walked about the sands, their rising excitement matching the
rising of his own.
Cathedra and her blue Nemanth occupy a small section of one of the ledges.
Nemanth's busy staring downward, watching the goings on. Cathedra is
bouncing a still sobbing baby in her arms, trying to hush him as she
watches closely. She paces a bit, back and forth, looking as nervous as one
of the candidates.
Divya settles herself down on the prop Konnevath obligingly offers after a
quick request. "Looks like a bronze-heavy group so far. Must have been one
heck of a flight."
From the hatching sands, Bone and Barley Brown Hatchling takes two
tentative steps toward the candidates. so concentrated on them is he, he
ignores his bronze brother. A wobbled third step brings out his
bone-colored, star-patterned wings with series of quick flaps. Sand is
thrown against his wet hide, where it disappears amidst the already washed
out pigment. He leaves the wings displayed to help dry their thin sails.
Meanwhile, that sturdy, fierce gaze is aimed once more at the candidates.
From the hatching sands, Royal Purple Velvet Egg twitches twice and takes
another moment before twitching again, from a different angle. Something's
moving inside, testing, figuring out the best way to get out. Or they're
lazy. Alright, so it's hard to tell.
From the hatching sands, Gay wrings her hands together, nodding as Yvera
chatters away nearby. She's mostly quiet for once, concentrating more on
her breathing than anything. "Just keep an eye out, Yv," she manages. "In
case they start running." Her gaze is fixed on the two dragonets, almost
suspiciously.
Herath huffs a bit before settling down for a short nap.
From the hatching sands, Mirah blinks at all the chaos around her "Tasa
there are so many people here! Look there goes the bronze, wonder where the
brown is off to?" she asks a quiz=ver in her tone.
From the hatching sands, Javinia lifts a foot to cool it against the calf
of her other leg. Her eyes are wide and watchful, and she pops up her chin
to keep the brown and bronze in view. Yvera's talking seems to keep her
calmer, and she says to Gay and Yselle. "Did you -see- that. Damon almost."
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus feels himself shaking a little as he
shifted from side to side, still making sure that his feet aren't burnt.
Deary, his excitement was rising, and it felt like time was slowing..
From the hatching sands, Shadowed Burnt Orange Egg shimmies in the sand.
Before anyone can blink, the green hatchling within is shaking off her
shell like water, or a stubborn stain. Once free, she -knows- who she
wants, and efficient as the one she chooses, the green stalks over to
ever-serious Mayelle. A cant of wedge-shaped head, a lolling of forked
tongue, and Mayelle simply can't hold. She breaks into an enormous smile
and, laughing, helps her new lifemate from the sands.
From the hatching sands, Desert Sand Bronze Hatchling suddenly whips his
head around, startled by a bright copper-orange movement he catches behind
him. What's that! Wait....no, it's just the tip of his own tail as it
swings back and forth with exuberance. He gives it quick shake, tho, just
to make sure. Whew! /Now/ everything is settled. He sets off across the
sands, his lean length and pale coloring making it harder for the
Candidates to keep a close eye on his progress.
From the hatching sands, Taylin watches as the brown begins to move down
the line, sighing soflty as the heat starts to get overwhelming again.
Whiping her hands on her robe as another green is watched emerging from her
shell and finding her lifemate "So quick, though those two are taking their
time, to each it's own I guess."
From the hatching sands, Akuel watches is startled as the bronze bugles,
enough to stop hopping from foot to foot for a moment. But he quickly
starts again as he realises that it is not near him /yet/ Again he shifts
slightly as the brown pauses to look at the candidates, hearing Gays
comment and keeping the advice in mind for himself. He does however give
the purple egg a quick glance to make sure there isnt another dragon coming
his way. He applauds with the rest as the green finds its lifemate
From the hatching sands, Kevin chuckles at the littel bronze and turns his
attention to watching the brown as it moves down the line.
From the hatching sands, Yselle shifts from foot to foot, tiptoeing higher
to look out across the sands. "Look at them," she hisses, then, suddenly,
head ducked. "Wonder where they're going? Look at that one!"
From the hatching sands, Yvera tries to smile at the newly hatched
dragonets, but Gay's words cause her to become as pale as her robe. Aside
from the flush of pink on her cheeks caused by the heat, she couldn't be
paler if she tried. "Yeah. I thought for /sure/ he was going to Damon. But
no. Maybe the green will come over here---er, /Mayelle/? I so had her
pegged for brown. And I swear, if they come running at us, I am /so/ out of
here."
From the hatching sands, Marigolds In Spring Egg has arrived.
From the hatching sands,
Velvet shifts and folds
Ruffled edges rip, wine spills
Malachite is born
Moss and Vapor Green Hatchling
A fog of indistinct shadows is all that can be made of this hatchling at
first, like dusk on hollows creating uncertainty. Only when she shifts her
sleek frame and shakes the last clinging shard of her shell is the depth of
her true color visible. A blanket of deepest moss green encloses every inch
of her hide, broken by irregular highlights of a lighter, living fern and
an even more rare flash of brightest emerald touching her fingersails,
neck, and backbone. But it is the more muted veins of silver that mark this
young green as wholly unique. Washed by a thin layer of vapor, this
distinct mist collects at the edges of those natural, secretive hollows and
turns to rivulets of pearl-gilt. The lush and ornamental hide disguises an
otherwise demure little figure.
From the hatching sands, Bronwynn moves quickly to Mayelle's side,
motioning the green pair off to the barracks.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus squints as he watches the sand-tinted
bronzen dragonet make its way across the sands, seemingly coming closer to
finding his lifemate. He feels a worry in his mind, what if that dragonet,
or the brown, trampled over him? He gulps, and then relaxes, keeping his
mind cleared. His mind doesnt register the impression of Matelle to green
as his eyes watches the two males. Hoever, he does see the little green's
egg hatch, and now there were /three/ dragonets on the sands!
Faorath flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Tasayli shakes her head, curls bouncing though
they're going limp and frizzy in the steamy heat. "I dunno where he's going
- ohlook, Maylene's got a green!" A pause, then, "And there's another
green, over there!"
K'tdan climbs down from Faorath's neck.
From the hatching sands, Bone and Barley Brown Hatchling issues a mangled
whuff-rumble and steps forward again to squat in front of the first girl in
the line. Quickly, he dismisses her--too small. The next is ignored
completely, and the next is dismissed with a bare glance. Methodically, the
brown makes his way down the line, each girl or boy being sniffed and then
passed by. A creel of frustration is punctuated by a sudden bellow! He sees
something. Someone. Lifting those tentative wings, he balances himself for
a short run to the other end of the candidate line. The brown lumbers with
a grace not usually seen in one so large and just out of the shell. There!
That one! With a skid that sends sand flying again, his washed out head
lowers to nudge a slender, brown-haired girl in the line.
From the hatching sands, Akuel almost jumps out of his skin as another
hatchling emerges, now there are too many to watch and he becomes far more
cautious in both his pose and mentality. He continues his hopping however,
without that his feet would burn.
Raenyth flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
Aliana clambers down Raenyth's side to the ground, using her straps as
handholds.
K'tdan stands with his fellow Igen weyrlings and the weyrlingmaster that
brought them. He'd salute, but everyone's attention seems to be on the
sands at the moment.
Cathedra lets out a soft whistle at the green. She's been a bluerider for
too long. She's starting to eye up the greens as badly as her dragon does.
"Cute one, that. Good clutch so far. Strong. Sturdy."
From the hatching sands, Javinia clutches at Yselle's hand as the next egg
hatches. "-Look- at her. She looks -just- like that stone you found at the
lake." Her plump cheeks are beginning to show the warmth of the sands, and
she almost takes a step back as she sees the brown hatchling coming down
the line. But she stands.
Blue Ilaneth arrives, winging down with a thud. H'tan vaults down, giving
the blue an affectionate slap. He glances around to make sure all of his
weyrlings are here. "Alright, try and stay together. I don't want to have
to look for you later." he says in a stern Grandfatherly tone.
From the hatching sands, Taylin stops moving around for once as another
green hatches "Looks she's beautiful, those colors, it only I could find a
way to make them for dyes." Then looking down with a shocked look on her
face and dropping to her knees in the hot sands "Oh Annarth, yes we are
each others. Your Hungrey too, I was thinking something to eat would be
wonderful." leaning in to brush a hand over head of her lifemate "Let's eat
Annarth." standing up she looks around for someone to point the way.
From the hatching sands, Desert Sand Bronze Hatchling makes his way with a
slow and steady purpose, peering into every eye he meets. Brown, green,
hazel. Nono, you're a /girl/. Where /is/ he? This is taking longer than he
expected, his steps taking on an air of determination, the sand flying in
his wake.
From the hatching sands, Pale Red Spikes Egg knocks violently up against
one of its fellows, sending both into quivers. A brown punches his way
through the stubborn shell that surrounds him, and tumbles wings over tail,
landing in a sprawl on the sands. Decisive, this one, once he gets to his
feet and shakes off the sand, he heads straight for a dark haired boy from
Beastcraft.
Yrinth flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Merielan makes her way--fairly quickly towards
Taylin, she ushers the girl and her new lifemate off the sands
"Congratulations.." She can be heard to murmur to the pair as they head off
the sands.
Riane climbs down from Yrinth's back.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus watches as the brown finally makes his
choice, heading over towards... Taylin! "Taylin! You impressed!" he said
excitedly. Then he turns his gaze towards the bronze hatchling, and he
keeps his mind clear of negative thoughts, trying to make himself not as
nervous. And still, this moment seemed to feel slower and slower..
From the hatching sands, Taylin heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
Konnevath warbles again, for the new brown hatchling.
From the hatching sands, Merielan heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Mirah lets go of Tasayli "Wow a brown way to go!"
From the hatching sands, Gay swallows, with some difficulty. She watches
the green and Mayelle, astounded. Then, yet another green hatches and she
just gapes, looking rather ridiculous. "Oh.... Too quick," she groans,
shuffling from foot to foot with greater speed. And then, there's Taylin
and the brown. "Annarth," she murmurs, managing to look paler.
Divya hears the name "Taylin" float up from the sands, and realizes the
brown Konnevath originally greeted has chosen a lifemate. She claps for the
new rider and brown Annarth.
From the hatching sands, Annarth heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin heads off in a different direction from
Merielan, circling around to collect the boy from beastcraft and his
freshly hatched lifemate. The pair get herded off to the barracks in fairly
short order.
C'vadan nods with approval, jotting something down in his journal.
From the hatching sands, Damon's eyes widen. "Taylin! Wow..." The big man
trails off, his eyes gone as wide as they possibly can. He probably looks
pretty comical, standing there with eyes gone incredibly wide,
bounce-shuffling in place.
From the hatching sands, Moss and Vapor Green Hatchling tears her claws
through the egg, covered in gloppy egg goo. She opens her maw to creel
hungrily, but hasn't moved from the mound yet - instead, she waits there
and swings her gaze over the mass of shifting white blobs. Where's her blob?
From the hatching sands, Yvera's hand grips Javinia's and her eyes start to
squint closed as if that'll make the pending doom of a rampaging brown go
away. But when she cracks open her eyes, she finds that disaster has been
averted. The brown isn't going to trample, maul and gnaw anyone with his
still-soft teeth. "Where--? Taylin? I didn't think he was going toward her,
I thought for sure he was going to come down here to you two. But Taylin?
That's great!"
From the hatching sands, Akuel watches as the brown searches out a
lifemate, wonder mingled with fear in his eyes. On the brown impressing the
beastcrafter he applauds but at the brown impressing Taylin he calls out
"Congratulations!" behind her. One less hatchling to watch, his eyes now
fall on the bronze.
From the hatching sands, Marigolds In Spring Egg does not shudder. That
would be undignified and unsubtle. Instead, it seems to almost thrum with
the draconic chorus, sunny starbursts shimmering, streaks of gold and honey
melting further down the shell in the Sands' heat. Sand sifts away from it
as its rich golden warmth shines brighter. Something is getting ready to
bloom.
Kassima snaps her fingers in satisfaction, grinning. "See! Right on the
mark! And Annarth, that's a strong name for him. Methinks I like it. Pretty
green out there too, nay? Mayhaps for that lad V'dan brought in from Far
Cry. *He* swears the boy's destined for green, anyway."
K'tdan turns to Aliana. "Kind of nice being up here rather than down there,
Ali," he says to her with a grin.
From the hatching sands, Mirah says "Way to go Taylin!" through cupped
hands then regaining Tasayli's hand, shifting nervously from foot to foot.
From the hatching sands, Yselle's eyes widen. She seems to be trying to
look everywhere at once. She's all but bouncing on her toes, seemingly
having forgotten all those stories of gorings past. "It does, isn't she
beautiful? Maybe..." she looks significantly at Javinia. "Maybe. Wouldn't
it just be perfect?"
Yashira snorts in Kassi's direction. "He *hopes*, in any case. Yes, Iralne.
They do look funny."
From the hatching sands, K'ran's grin's made the brighter for nostalgia,
and he has a few quiet words of congratulations for those of the candidates
he knows well: "Congratulations, Taylin," is his latest bit of
well-wishing, as that new pair's ushered off the sands.
From the hatching sands, Tasayli holds her breath, as the brown rushes down
a line of candidates, finally meeting Taylin. "She got a brown," Tasa
cheers, using her now-freed hand to point after Taylin. But it only lasts a
moment, and as Mirah reaches for her hand, she grasps back, seeming glad
for the reassurance.
Cathedra catches Kassima's words and mentions, "You seem awfully sure of
yourself. You aren't by chance... Kassemia I think the name is?" Yes, she
does sort of butcher the name and looks apologetic for it as if she knows
it's wrong.
Aliana turns toward K'tdan and nods, laughing. "It still seems like it
wasn't that long ago." she says. She turns back toward the hatching eggs,
clapping her hands at the different Impressions.
From the hatching sands, Akuel watches the green hatchling with awe, still
making sure the bronze isnt nearby out of the corner of his eye but his
eyes are drawn to the yellow egg now hatching on the sands for a moment as
he wonders which dragon will come next. "A brown" he mutters, glad that
Taylin impressed
Xalerth flies into the cavern from the entrance to the bowl.
Zaidra waves a greeting to Riane, and turns to welcome the weyrlings from
Ista. "First hatching since your own?" she asks them.
B'rakis climbs down Xalerth's side to the ground, using his foreleg as a step.
From the hatching sands, Shimmyshimmyshake, the Tiger Lily Egg's occupant
seems to be having a rough time breaking out of its shell. The flurry of
movement stops for a little while, then starts up again, at a more frenzied
pace, and at last, out pops an emerald green dragonet. Several young women
are sniffed at and summarily ignored, and eventually, the picky lady
settles on an almost silent boy from Telgar Hold, who hollers out his
lifemate's name surprising force. "Ariyath!"
From the hatching sands, Moss and Vapor Green Hatchling rises up off her
haunches, taking her first few tottering steps forward. She swings her head
slowly from side to side, keening as she clumsily places one foot after the
other. Her wing gets a little tangled in her leg, and she stops walking
after a moment to wriggle it free. There, fixed. She toddles past a pair of
white blobs which are becoming all the more clear.
Raenyth croons sweetly and makes her way to stand near her clutchmate,
Xalerth.
B'rakis joins the others from Ista Weyr, rather nervous looking.
From the hatching sands, Javinia agrees with Yvera. "Taylin." To Gay, she
says. "Annarth, wasn't it?" Too much to watch. Too much shifting. Her
weight goes to her other hip, and she lifts a foot from the sands. "She's
-perfect-," she tells Yselle, clear admiration on her round face, but then
she's looking elsewhere again.
Kassima turns her head to grin wryly Cathedra-wards. "That's one of the
more interesting pronunciations I've heard in awhile," she says with open
amusement, "but if'n you mean Kassima, that's me. 'Tisn't certain I can be,
alas, but I like t'pretend."
From the hatching sands, Desert Sand Bronze Hatchling finally stops his
sand-flinging path, head canted. Giving the young man before him all due
attention, his head begins to bob. Not too tall, thin like himself, but oh
so much darker than his own sandy hide! Yes indeed, this is the one. Firmly
planted, he emits another clear, warm bugle to the cavern. I found him!
From the hatching sands, Marigolds In Spring Egg rolls on its axis, then
rocks, striations of gold-shaded green and creamy yellow becoming more
prominent along the shell. The white-gold starbursts glitter fire-bright
even as cracks form along their lines, secondary blossoms in the heart of a
greater flower. Faint cracking sounds can be heard as the dragonet within
strains towards outside--and all at once, some inner flashpoint reached and
surpassed, the golden frame shatters into aureate shards, freeing Telgar's
new gold.
Yashira peers down and squints in Tasayli's direction, trying to pick out
her friend's daughter from the crowd. Her expression is stern, impassive.
From the hatching sands, Calla Lilies Egg has arrived.
K'tdan slips away from the Istan weyrling group and makes his way towards
Kassima. "Hey Auntie. How's the wagering going?" he asks her with a knowing
grin.
From the hatching sands, Yvera mentions, and just in time it seems, "If
that bronze goes anywhere /near/ Damon, I am going to just /die/. Him? On a
/bronze/?" Louder, "No dragon, not him! Go find... Kevin! Not Damon!"
Aliana widens her eyes and glances down at the sands. "Oh! Look!" she says.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin heads over to the green Ariyath and her
young hold boy and ushers them off to the barracks.
From the hatching sands,
Marigold shatters
Consumed by an inner fire
A new queen is born
Incandescent Auroral Gold Hatchling
Like the dawn breaking forth, this dragon emerges from her shell with a
spill of brilliant, molten color. Deep, incandescent golds set the sky of
her hide on fire. A wind sweeps the luminous storm across haunch, back, and
belly in vivid, glorious whorls. Dust and honey mix in an odd dance amidst
the deeper amber blaze. This tempest is unsettlingly mutable, as if she
were a piece of unfinished metal, still liquid and ready to be shaped by
the smith's forge. All this is set against the sooty, umbral black-gold
base of her wings, limbs, and tail. Without this grounding color she might
have no substance at all--be just a dream, or an illusion of light. But no,
the force of her first step and the elegant unveiling of two perfectly
translucent wings are proof enough of her undeniable presence.
Divya chuckles and says, "Kassima's the one to talk to if you want to place
a bet. I've a quarter mark that says Yvera will Impress."
From the hatching sands, Kevin says softly, "Oh, the gold just hatched.
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus feels his heart stopping for a few beats,
his suprise nearly unlimited. He then feels his heartbeat again, yet its
joined by the presence of a second lide. "Onykath!" he shouts out suddenly,
tears of joy streaming down Bauhaus's- or rather- B'haus's face as they
began to head off the sands..
From the hatching sands, Akuel watches as the bronze chooses its lifemate,
noting the green dragonets swift impression. But he turns around at the
first glint of gold hide, gasping at the beauty of the dragonet. "A queen."
He says with an air of reverence deserving of a new queen.
Ainsley squints down at the sands and can do little more than grunt. "Glad
I'm not training 'em anymore. Had one too many of those."
Riolth arches his neck and croons suddenly, as the gold hatches. Absently,
M'val smacks an elbow into his dragon's near leg again. "Soon," he murmurs,
eyes following the gold but not really focused on her.
C'vadan smiles as he jots another notation into his journal.
Konnevath doesn't warble to greet this new arrival. Oh no. He bugles long
and loudly, trying to gain her attention. Silly brown.
From the hatching sands, "Well done," K'ran encourages the Ariyath and her
lifemate, as the new green-pair are guided to the barracks -- and he has a
bright smile for B'haus and Onykath, too, as *they* go.
From the hatching sands, Gay nods, answering Javinia shakily, "Annarth.
Yeah." And then, other places to look - the bronze and Bauhaus, the green,
then, as her egg shatters, the gold. A hand drifts to her stomach, as she
starts breathing more deeply again. "Oh my."
From the hatching sands, Moss and Vapor Green Hatchling stumbles along,
absently attempting to unfurl her wings as she walks. She's very set on her
course now, and two female white blobs have to scurry out of her way as she
plods along determinedly. Egg goo slides off her and into the sand
From the hatching sands, Bauhaus heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Mirah murmers quietly to Tasayli and Damon "Wow he
got a bronze i didn't expect that! The queen! Wow she is so beautiful!"
From the hatching sands, Onykath heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Calla Lilies Egg trembles gently, the motion
subtle at first, but growing stronger, like the first drops of rain that
precede an oncoming storm, though it's sand that's scattered, and not water.
Cathedra nods softly. "Kassima. Sorry. I forgot the name for a moment. My
daughter wrote about you--" she cuts off, glancing at Divya with a smile.
"Yvera? You think a dragon would put up with her nonstop talking? Or
eating?" She leans in and smiles, patting the baby's back softly. "I'm her
mother. I feel so old, her being out there. It was just yesterday that I was."
Riane tosses a wave towards Zai in return and then focusses on the
hatching, leaning up against Yrinth's flank. Her eyes glow and her smile
widens with emotions only an event as this could draw. Yrinth croons down
to the new hatchlings and Candidates. "Yes, you were that small once.
Smaller, even. And here comes the queen." She squints down at the
Candidates, "I wager she goes for that thin one in the back who looks
scared t'death. Or maybe that green, she's a nice one."
From the hatching sands, Akuel turns on noticing Bauhaus impress and
applauds uproariously "Congratulations!" he calls out, glad that another he
saw in the barracks impressed. "Onykath." he says, making note to remember
that name when he congratulates B'haus later. He now turns his attention on
the Green Hatchling coming towards the candidates.
From the hatching sands, N'var swells with a little pride as the latest two
pairs head off the sands. His face beams as he looks over toward Nimiriel.
From the hatching sands, A -crack-, and Dark Pink Rivers Egg breaks to
bits. The blue left in the remnants of his shell is a scrawny little thing,
even for a hatchling. No surprise then that once he gets his bearings he
heads straight for one of the largest candidates. Gerint blinks down at the
little blue. The contrast in size is comic, but sure to change all too
soon. Being neither slow, nor dim, nor quiet, Gerint lets out a baritone's
whoop of surprise at his luck.
From the hatching sands, Yselle squeezes Javinia's hand. It's a reply that
doesn't merit her taking her eyes off the procedings. "She uh... seems to
be having a little trouble." She takes a step forward, stopping herself
almost as quickly as she started. "Don't touch them," she mutters to
herself. She manages to glance up just in time to catch Bauhaus'
impression. "Onykath," she repeats wonderingly. "Oh Javi, did you see
/that/?" And there's the gold to look at too. "She's lovely too," she says,
nudging at Javinia.
Kassima matches K'tdan's grin with one of her own. "Well, but precisely how
well isn't something I'm prepared t'share with *you*, scamp," she teases.
"Going t'be laying any marks yourself tonight? Show m'wee son how 'tis
done?" The arrival of the gold gets a briefly disturbed look, and she just
shakes her head before glancing back towards the green. And bronze.
"B'haus? Welladay... like the name; Onykath. It has a ring to it. Your
daughter wrote about *me*?" That gets Cathedra a startled glance.
"Goodness. Methinks I'm nigh afraid t'ask *what* she wrote."
From the hatching sands, Tasayli looks surprised for an instant, then
calls, "Good job!" after Bauhaus. There's just too much going on, and she
misses the gold despite Mirah's direction. "Lookit, the green's going
somewhere? Where's she going, who's she found?"
B'rakis watches as a weyrling is lead off the sands, and asks, "How many
have we missed?"
From the hatching sands, Akuel applauds as /another/ hatchling impresses,
being completely unable to wipe the smile of congratulation from his face
"A bronze and a brown. Not to mention the gold out on the sands. So many
hatchlings"
From the hatching sands, Incandescent Auroral Gold Hatchling :stands just
so, letting her pose--starshine wings, molten hide, shadowed
shoulders--speak for her. New world, here I am. One step, then another,
testing out the sand with cautious dignity. There will be no slipping and
sliding here, such would not do. Her initial progress, complete with pauses
to investigate egg shards and a stray pebble, carries her at a slant
towards Daelyth. When her route is blocked by the bulk of her dam, she
cranes her neck up and trills a soft vibrato, fluttering her wings delicately.
M'val says, eyes still more or less following the gold, "If Yvera wrote it,
*I* would be afraid to ask what she wrote, too, Kassima."
Aliana glances over and shrugs. "I don't know."
From the hatching sands, Jazmin chuckles at G'rint and his blue, heading
over to direct them in the correct direction, "Food's over this way. C'mon."
From the hatching sands, Calla Lilies Egg shakes more violently, as the
life inside struggles to free itself. More sand flies, and the egg falls to
one side, as it's surface becomes etched in fine cracks.
From the hatching sands, Javinia looks after Bauhaus, eyes the wider.
"Bauhaus now, too? Oh, well done for him." The gasps that ripple down the
candidate line at the first glimpse of the queen are echoed by Javinia as
well. "They were so unsure, I thought," she says to Gay beside her. To
Yselle, "Indeed." Her gaze flits back to the green.
Divya smiles and nods a greeting. "I'm Divya, Konnevath's rider. The big
would-be flirt behind me. I've not met Yvera, but I've heard good things
about her. As for her talking, why most dragons seem to like to gossip. A
dragon might like someone to share in that for a lifemate."
K'tdan waves off any idea of his wagering with his mentor. "No, Auntie, I
think I'll keep my marks today," he tells her before heading back towards
his weyrling group.
From the hatching sands, "She's nice," Yvera agrees to Yselle, craning her
neck to look after Bauhaus and the bronze. "I thought for sure that bronze
was gonna pass by him to go to Damon." She stands on tiptoes, craning her
neck to look. "There /is/ a gold? But the egg I thought one would come from
would be that one, if there was one." She seems almost disappointed,
staring at the egg she thought held a possible gold. "Now where is it? I
can't /see/. I can't see anything over here."
From the hatching sands, Moss and Vapor Green Hatchling swings her head
from side to side again, every sweep narrowing the search area. Despite her
increased anxiety, visible in trembling wings and plodding movements, her
steps are only coming faster. No, not that one, hair too dark, too dark,
face too wide, too male, skin too d - no. Pale. Yes. This one. The dragonet
darts her last step forward, nudging her bright-haired choice.
From the hatching sands,
Crisp linen unfolds
Ecru shell goes flying high
In its place, a brown
Whitewater River Boulder Brown Hatchling
He is sturdy and solidly built. Glossy curves define his young muscles,
their smooth ridges and valleys hinting at the future strength to hold
himself steady in the roar of a gale. The confident tilt of his head and
his sure-footed, resolute stride confirm the impression of unwavering
strength, like a rock in a swift stream: stable and firm despite the
tumultuous churning of water all around. Covered in hide of a light, rich
umber, subtly shadowed with streaks and striations of a darker hue, he
might have been formed from just such a boulder, his sharp edges worn down
over time by the constant flow of a river's strong current to form an
idealized statue of a robust young dragon.
From the hatching sands, Scarlet Heart Egg falls open into two neat and
tidy halves, but those halves are promptly stomped into shards by the
belligerent brown who called the shell home. Destruction of the egg
complete, he marches determinedly toward the Candidates, sending a few
scattering in his wake before he trumpets imperiously in the face of a
short, just barely thirteen turn old boy from Telgar's own lower caverns.
From the hatching sands, Incandescent Auroral Gold Hatchling is content to
have made her greeting, and deigns to turn towards the white-robed ones.
Perhaps they will turn out to be interesting. Moving with the same inherent
grace, she parades towards the half-circle of Candidates, gently nudging
aside a small green and avoiding a bounding blue. Whirling, shining eyes
study Tray, but she passes on by. A group of boys are thoroughly ignored,
then she stops. Not to choose, however, but to rub a patch of sticky sand
off one haunch. How annoying.
K'tdan jerks his thumb back towards Kassima. "I should introduce you both
two Auntie Kassi when this is all over," he tells B'rakis and Aliana. "She
is definitely someone you should get to know." His blue-gray eyes dance
with amusement.
From the hatching sands, Mirah whoops "She says her name is Trinaith! And
shes really hungry!" she says looking down with streaming eyes at her new
life mate.
Cathedra grins, smiling down at the sands as she talks to Kassima and the
others. "Well you were mentioned. Something about wanting to learn to
gamble like you? She said that a Lady has to be able to afford the nice
ribbons and dresses and she's gonna need to start saving. She also
mentioned a few others with less reverence, but methinks they probably just
told her to be quiet and she took offense to it. Though Faranth knows she
needs to be told more often than not."
Aliana tears her eyes away from the hatching to glance at K'tdan and nod,
smiling.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin barely gets back from the barracks before
she's hunting down a young weyrbrat and his new brown lifemate to corral
them towards the barracks. "Trust me." she assures the youngster, "He wants
to go to the barracks, there's food there."
Konnevath misses the new brown hatchling, thanks to all his focus being on
the gold hatchling. She's so pretty, if a bit small. He croons in her
direction, not realizing she can't hear him.
From the hatching sands, Akuel shifts to the other leg when the heat
becomes unbearable, almost falling for a moment but regaining his balance
just before falling backwards into the sands. He wipes his brow with a hand
in releif at his near-miss with the sands. He looks round just as the green
chooses its lifemate but squints to see who it is. After a few moments he
realises who just impressed and calls out happily "Congratulations Mirah!"
From the hatching sands, Bronwynn moves towards Mirah and Trinaith, smiling
to the girl, "Well done, Mirah. Follow me," she urges, heading towards the
barracks with a glance back over her should to see that the pair follow.
Divya applauds the new Impression, hearing the names Mirah and Trinaith
floating up from the Sands.
From the hatching sands, K'ran's eyes lit by amusement, he murmurs to
Tarien, "No surprise there," with a nod of his head toward Mirah and her
Trinaith.
From the hatching sands, Gay wipes her sweaty hands on her robe, glancing
over at the three girls she's with briefly. "Well, I guess it's hard to
tell." She swallows convulsively again, turning back to the sands in time
to see Tray examined, then the brown hatch. Mirah's exultant cry draws her
attention, and she allows herself a smile at that. "Mirah, too."
From the hatching sands, Tasayli lets out a cheer, as one of the boys she
grew up with Impresses the brown from the Scarlet Heart egg. "Didja see?"
she asks Mirah, giving a tug. But she quickly lets go of the older girl's
hand, as the green it seems has chosen Mirah. "Mirah!" Tasa whoops,
stepping back to give them room.
From the hatching sands, Mirah heads off towards the bowl on the way to the
weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Bronwynn heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Whitewater River Boulder Brown Hatchling takes his
first steps with no small amount of gawkiness, nearly tripping on his own
tail. Planting one foot gingerly in front of the next, he turns himself in
a complete circle before he finds his bearings. Goldthing, goldthing,
bronzething, bronzething, littlegoldthing. None of those seem
right.Whitethingies? Hmmm. Whitethingies. That way. He sets off to see what
they might be.
Riane awws. Lanky, disproportionate, scrawny, yet oh-so-cute. "Look at that
adorable brown," she whispers, pointing to the one who seemed to be
enjoying the destruction of his egg. "And that green! Oh, good. Triniath's
pretty." She suddenly looks up, focusing on those in her immediate area.
"Kassi, are we still taking bets on some of these, or am I too late?"
From the hatching sands, Trinaith heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Tarien can't help but smirk at that, tearing her
eyes away from the gold, "R'var will be pleased." She winks at N'var, and
settles back to watch, yet again.
C'vadan scribes a little more furiously as the Impressions become more
rapid. His attention is on little else at the moment.
Kassima blows a raspberry after K'tdan. "Spoilsport!" she calls. "What's
the fun in *keeping* 'em?" Not that she's biased or anything. "Pretty
enough gold," she finally comments. "Lovely, really. And that brown... he's
certes a hearty young thing, by the looks. Wait, wait, is that Mirah the
green went to?" This gets a quiet chuckle from her, and a quip of,
"Beautiful name she has... ah! Well, in *that* case, I'm flattered," the
greenrider tells Cathedra, smiling. "I can't say I've told her t'be quiet,
so 'tis a point in favor of your theory, but then I've nay spent much time
with her yet. Didn't have all the time t'socialize with the Candidates I
might have liked."
B'rakis says softly, "It's so different, being up here and watching it. Did
anyone from Ista get Searched? Or Lemos?"
From the hatching sands, Glowing Heart Egg has arrived.
From the hatching sands, Yselle squeezes Javinia's hand tightly. "Look
Javi!" she indicates Mirah. "/Look/. She was saying she loved green. I bet
she'll be delighted." Her foot shuffling turns into a delighted little
dance. "Hey, you know, R'var rides blue doesn't he?"
Aliana nods. "Bauhaus was from Keroon, or rather, B'haus."
From the hatching sands, N'var looks between Tarien and K'ran, watches
Mirah and her green head off the sands, and his grin widens a bit.
From the hatching sands, Glowing Heart Egg topples on the sand, its blond
head rolling from side to side, like an infant throwing a tantrum, one in a
bright pink, green-striped diaper, with the cracks that appear on its ivory
flank sketching an angry face.
From the hatching sands, Rolling end over end, the Silver-Edged Spoons Egg
comes to rest against one of Daelyth's forelimbs, the impact causing flakes
of shell to fall away. A bright teal blue dragonet is revealed by the fall
of shards, and he's so anxious to get at his lifemate that he bumps up
against the vain girl, Varail, along the way--not enough to cause serious
injury, but enough to send the girl sprawling in the hot sands. Uncaring,
the blue flies on and bumps his muzzle into a young blond lad, Marco--now
M'rco. "Marleath!"
From the hatching sands, Incandescent Auroral Gold Hatchling takes her
sweet time. Important things like this must not be hurried. She almost
seems to flow along the lineup of Candidates, luminescent liquid gold
contained in a draconic shape, shining lighter and darker by turns as she
moves. Solesa is granted a pause, and a considering look, but only for a
moment. One circuit of the group is completed, and she begins another. The
gem-glitter of her eyes shades into yellows and reds--this is not going
well. Snaking her neck at a small hold girl, she shrills her displeasure in
a harsh bone-rattling cry. Once more around, purpose in her step and tail
lashing.
From the hatching sands, Yvera's eyes follow Mirah and the green toward the
barracks, but she quickly looks back at the sands. After all, the real
danger is in that direction. Her toes curl in the sand and she shifts
uncomfortably, but she ignores it long enough to look around Javinia at
Yselle. "R'var? Yeah. Why?" she asks suspiciously. "He's my nephew, you
know," she says proudly, beaming for a moment. At least she stopped being
too terrified to move now that she's talking again.
K'tdan shrugs. "I don't know, Brak," he admits. "I could ask Auntie Kassima
if you really need to know." One gets the idea that Kat really likes saying
'Auntie Kassima' when there are lots of witnesses. "Auntie Kassima keeps up
on everything."
From the hatching sands, Javinia watches the new Impressions with wide eyes
and lifted chin. "-Mirah-." She shifts her footing, biting at her lower
lip, and turns back to the sands, round cheeks flushed with heat. "I -saw-,
Ys." Still, she dimples, but her eyes are on the sands, the hatchlings, the
eggs. "Oh no, -not- Solesa."
From the hatching sands, Jazmin dodges nervous candidates as she makes her
way to M'rco and his bouncing blue, "Congrats you two. Over this way.
Varail can get up on her own."
From the hatching sands, Whitewater River Boulder Brown Hatchling pauses a
few times in his journey across the sands, checking behind him to see what
that long skinny thing is. It seems to be attached. Well then...He moves a
bit faster, focussing on that array of whitethingies. Oh, They have faces.
Neat. He peers up at them as he saunters by, more comfortable with every step.
From the hatching sands, Akuel looks lop sidedly at the other hatchlings
and eggs with interest. Still uncomfortable on the sands especially with
the heat which seemed to have traveled upwards he shifts to the other leg.
He however, cannot help stating to no one in particular "What a large
clutch this is, with so many bronzes and browns... Daelyth is a very very
good mother.." he glances over at Gay, Javinia and the others for a moment,
squinting to see if he can make out thier expressions.
From the hatching sands, Yvera catches Javinia's words and nearly shoves
her out of the way. "/SOLESA?!/" She looks relieved a moment as she sees
that it's not her that the dragon stopped at. "I mean, she's great, but I
think she should get a green. You know, for V'ram and all. To go with his
blue. Actually-- there should be more blues. Where are they all?"
From the hatching sands, Gay shrinks back a little as the gold's
displeasure is voiced. She forces herself to stand her ground, though, only
moving to shift from foot to foot. "I think she's getting angry," she
remarks, nervously. "That's not good, I think..." Her frame is tensed, now
ready to dodge if necessary.
From the hatching sands, Yselle's attention snaps away from the eggs and
the dragonets for one brief moment. "He's your /Nephew/? But..." the poor
little holdgirl is really taken aback this time. "He's..." her mouth works
soundlessly. "Solesa?" She turns her head back to the procedings. "Is that
how it works? I suppose that's why Mirah got green then." She shrugs as
though everything is clear now. "Hey.... that brown is coming closer. See,
Javi?"
From the hatching sands, Purples Over Green Egg has arrived.
Kassima has a keen ear for her own name, and slants a brief *look* towards
where K'tdan is stationed. "You are an evil young man," she informs him.
"Though I suppose I shouldn't be *surprised*. M'daughter probably wouldn't
have an interest in anyone who *wasn't* evil."
From the hatching sands, Glowing Heart Egg does a strange thing, and lifts
back up onto its bottom, so violent was the movement within, and then
becomes still, as if the little one inside is sitting quiet in surprise or
maybe in fatigue. And the egg's efforts against the sand have lent it a new
shine, given it a great polish, so that it glows like a tropical sunrise.
From the hatching sands, Flakes Of Ivory Egg remains true to form, its
shell flaking away to reveal a burly, barrel-chested green, who spends a
few moments fascinated by her tail before she makes her claim: a brown
haired, silvery eyed girl of Ista.
K'tdan simply knows when he's being talked about and looks towards Kassima.
"My mother always said you were my main influence, Auntie Kassi," he tells
her. He then pauses, looking a little surprised. "She is?"
B'rakis elbows Aliana, pointing at the green that's just Impressed, "Ddin't
that girl work in the kitchens?"
From the hatching sands, Tasayli starts quickly picking up her feet, giving
each a little shake. Now that there's nobody nearby to hold her hand, Tasa
clasps both hands behind her back. The gold is given an odd look, as the
hatchling makes her circuit, but it's clear that Tasa's looking more at the
rest of the clutch.
From the hatching sands, Purples Over Green Egg rocks once. Twice. Again.
It is still for some time, and jerks sideways suddenly. A dent appears and
a lacy web of cracks decorate one purple-shiny side, slowly expanding
across the colorburst surface.
From the hatching sands, Incandescent Auroral Gold Hatchling is getting
impatient, in an obvious and rather vocal way. There are things to do, and
no one seems to be willing to help her. Her steady pace grows more intent,
and the sharp jagged edges remain in her creels and squawks, disappointment
that she still hasn't found what she's looking for. Varail's efforts to
attract her attention get what can only be termed a /glare/ from
ruby-jeweled eyes. She creels again, equal parts mournful and displeased,
swinging her shining head around the scattered semicircle. And stops
mid-swing, suddenly intent on something. There, there, /there/. She stalks
through the sand, ignoring all else and all others, focused unerringly on
the girl with the bouncy peachy curls. She stares up, pure gold intensity
meeting big brown eyes. Captured.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin wipes sweat from her brow, muttering
something too quiet to be heard as she goes to collect the youngster from
Ista and her green, "Congrats, at least you're used to this sharded heat
out here." she ferries the young pair off to the barracks.
Aliana peers carefully at the new green rider and nods quickly. "She did!"
From the hatching sands, Whitewater River Boulder Brown Hatchling has grown
more confident in this walking thing, and now - now he's practically
strutting down the line of whiteclad candidates peering at each one. That
one smells funny, that one's face is all dotted, that one has longstuff
hanging around her shoulders. One of them must be right, though. And he'll
find the One. Soon? Right?
C'vadan tries to ignore the conversation between Kassima and his son.
However, the greenrider's last comment causes him to look up and frown. He
shakes his head and turns his attention back to the sands, stylus at the
ready.
From the hatching sands, Gay's struck utterly speechless, for once. The
drawn, ill look she's had about her for the whole hatching vanishes,
leaving only astonishment. Her mouth opens and closes a few times, like a
fish gasping for air. She'd likely laugh at herself, were she not the one
looking so silly. "So that's what it's like..." she mutters, brown eyes
wide, fixed on the gold's large whirling ones. Her voice rises as she
speaks, breaking into an impossibly wide grin. "Liabeth. I'm here too.
There's lots of food, somewhere 'round here. We'll go find it."
M'val's gaze has barely left the gold since she Hatched, though he still
doesn't appear entirely aware of even her. Now that Impression has been
made, he nods slightly and glances around at the rest of the Sands,
locating Yvera and then scanning the other remaining Candidates briefly.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin steps back out of the barracks to see Gay
and Liabeth in that tell-tale Impression grin and heads over to the pair,
"Congratulations. There's food in the barracks, she's going to be hungry."
From the hatching sands, Yvera nods to Yselle. "Ys, haven't you realized
yet that half of Pern, and just about anyone with 'var in their name is
related to me? My dad was busier'n a greenrider. Which is odd because
there's not a greenrider in my family--" She looks slightly to the side,
seeing the dragon stop at Gay. "She's not ---is she? Oh wherries bite my
backside Javi, look. LOOK!" She near tugs Javinia's arm off, pulling for
her attention.
Kassima drawls, "I wonder if'n 'twas meant as a compliment or insult,
that?" One of her eyebrows pops up. "Didn't you know? She told *me* she
quite intends to, ah, keep company with you and that if'n you didn't know
that she'd been saying something wrong." Pause. "Which she might nay
appreciate me announcing to the ledges, come t'think on it... is that gold
eyeing Gay? Huh. She is. And Liabeth... nay bad name, that."
From the hatching sands,
Sunrise swims with life
The heavens crack asunder
Revealing the sky
Sunlit Tropical Shallows Blue Hatchling
Painted with the same brush as the Southern ocean where the seabed rises up
from below, he is as varied in tone as the shifting seas: brilliant
turquoise dominates, but a hint of darker blue adds depth near the end of
his tail and his wingsails fade to the pale aquamarine of tropical
shallows. Like the sunlit water of a hidden lagoon, his dazzling hide seems
to radiate color, making the surrounding scenery more vibrant and alive.
Sand and sky take on a brighter hue wherever he steps, as if trying in vain
to keep pace. His lively gait and keen gaze perfectly match his luminous
intensity, but though his innate grace may eventually manifest itself, for
now he is still a bit unsteady on his feet, and sometimes stumbles in the
sand like a rolling wave forced to crest upon a shoal.
From the hatching sands, Akuel gives the brown a glance as it does the
rounds of the candidates, he is not as scared as he was at the start but
still shuffles back ever so slightly in case it decides to go nuts at him.
He is stunned however to hear Gay speak, a gold!! she impressed a gold
"Wow, Congrats Gay!!" he applauds this time with great enthusiasm. "She
deserved to Impress gold." is his awe-struck comment
From the hatching sands, He's tiny, this one, this fragile looking blue
that slithers his way out of a hole made in the Fantasy in Fuchsia Egg, and
he gives a plaintive creel to his dam and sire before he's encouraged to
get to his feet. It takes him quite awhile to find his lifemate--he makes
several passes of the rows of robed Candidates, before he finally settles
on a tall girl with a shock of bright red hair from High Reaches.
From the hatching sands, Gay nods at Jazmin, following her along with
Liabeth, grinning stupidly.
From the hatching sands, Gay heads off towards the bowl on the way to the
weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
Divya applauds Gay's Impression to the gold, while Konnevath rumbles his
approval behind her. She turns her head and asks, "You're going to want to
visit Telgar more often now, won't you? So you can be the first one to fly
her?" Konnevath doesn't even bother to look at his rider, for what she says
is so blatantly true.
From the hatching sands, Purples Over Green Egg shoves, and careens on its
mauve-toned side. It rocks again, and rolls, then, tumbling
green-purple-red until it comes up on its brightest side. Like a Smith
firework display captured on the shell, petal-soft colors mix together to
create eye-catching brightness. The cracks intensify, and the egg goes
quiet. Waiting. Something amazing is about to happen.
From the hatching sands, Javinia's gaze flickers to the brown. "Truly? Is
he? Oh, yes, -there-." She watches him, eyes intent, until the gold sounds
her displeasure. Yvera doesn't need to tug her to attention, she -sees-.
"Oh, -Gay-! Ys, -Gay-!" Her cheeks round up into pure dimples.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin emerges from the candidate barracks.
K'tdan's surprise is replaced by a chuckle as his bronze lifemate croons at
the impression of the gold hatchling. "Jay, 'Rath, she *just* hatched," he
tells him. As Kassima continues the conversation, the steps closer to her
to hear better over the general din. "I'm glad to hear that, Auntie Kassi,"
he tells her.
From the hatching sands, Liabeth heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Yselle sighs, watching the brown pass her by. It's
almost as if for a moment there she thought the brown might look at /her/.
She shrugs, smiles with resignation and replies to Yvera. "Really? Who's
your father? I don't... hey, it IS Gay! Javi! It's Gay!" She /laughs/. "Oh
that's just wonderful!"
From the hatching sands, K'ran's asiding to Tarien, now, "I think you'll
have your hands full with that one," in a tone that's grown a trifle wry.
Cathedra finally gets the bundle of nine-month-old to quiet down and she
cranes her neck. "I know, you don't like the heat. It'll be over soon. I
just want you to be able to say you were here," she murmurs to the baby.
"Well, that's a lovely name. Fits it seems."
From the hatching sands, Tarien's eyes widen as she observes the gold's
impression, then she nudges at K'ran. "That should be an interesting
pairing, don't you think?"
From the hatching sands, Whitewater River Boulder Brown Hatchling keeps
moving, eyeing each candidate in turn. His tail twitches behind him, and
actually sends some shards flying, but he doesn't care, because he's almost
found his one. Yep. Right there. I'll take that one, please. Smells okay.
Not too scrawny. He stops in front of a petite girl with short head-stuff
and not-scrawny front limbs, planting his stocky frame with a manner that
just screams MINE.
From the hatching sands, K'ran nods quickly; "To say the least," he agrees,
but falls silent again to watch.
From the hatching sands, Akuel just smiles, glad that Gay Impressed and
awe-struck at the beauty and status of her new weyr-mate. He then watches
the Blue to see where it heads to.
From the hatching sands, Sunlit Tropical Shallows Blue Hatchling lets spill
his wings, and their crumpled sails drying fast on the sands shimmers with
reflected light, as if tossing out coins of silver. Rolling forward to his
pudgy feet, with all the smoothness of gurgling water, he drifts free from
the flotsam of his shell, his turquoise head swiveling in evident wonder,
enough to put happy blue into his otherwise hungry red eyes.
Riane hms. "Guess not the shy girl. Which is for the best, she'd be a
lousy..." she trails off. "And Gay'll be good for the job. Now that blue,
he's pretty too. Wonder who he'll go to?"
From the hatching sands, With a twitch, a little dance in the sand, Ivory
and Purple Egg splits, spilling forth a hapless brown all wings and neck.
He rights himself, pressing one clawed foot into the sand after another,
still until he spies motion. A tall girl from the Starsmiths flips her
brown braid over her shoulder, and the swing is so much like that of the
hatchling's tail that he stumbles to her. "'Bout time," Tray quips, but
sarcasm can't hide her immense relief--or joy.
From the hatching sands,
Hazes burst and warp
Purples shift like cracking ice
Letting jade emerge
To Die For Kelly Green Hatchling
It's as if in the egg, cradled by blood-warmth and caged in by shell, she
said to herself: Just wait til I get out of here, I'll show them something
they'll never forget! Even so young, she's got it, that smug confidence
that shines through clumsy child-falters, that intense charisma that one
day will grow to be overpowering. From tip to tail, the bright, glossy
green dragon is a wonder to behold, and Faranth, does she know it! She is
possessed of a lean, lithe little body and long wings whose malachite sails
and slim shoulder joints hint already at acrobatic power. Softer beryl
shades her throat and belly, blending all too smoothly into breathtaking
kelly green.
From the hatching sands, Javinia pauses and cants her head, -listening-.
She almost shakes her head, her short waves, but then, there, she's back.
Her hand goes to her throat, and she gasps, eyes gone wide. "Naelanth. Of
-course-." She laughs, like water. The sound is pure delight. "Naelanth!"
From the hatching sands, Jazmin heads over to collect the weyr's newest
brownriding pair. She cant help a grin at the hapless little guy, "Over
this way." she instructs the pair, "There's food over here."
From the hatching sands, Akuel ,s attention is gripped yet again as the
bright confident green hatches out. He merely watches staring but is
stunned to hear of Javinia's Impression and applauds with delight.
From the hatching sands, Kevin smiles as he watches the latest pair to
impress get escorted off of the sands.
From the hatching sands, Yvera answers Yselle with, "Y'kon. Brownrider. His
dad, too," she says, heading nodding toward the general direction of N'var.
"Different moms, though. You didn't know that? My mom's a bluerider." Wow.
Yvera didn't realize that hadn't forced her family history onto someone.
How'd Ys escape? She does turn her eyes to the blue, though, watching and
waiting as he approaches. She stares at him, silently waiting as if she
thinks he's coming to her. But no. He attaches himself to the girl she
clasps hands with. Or had been until Javinia breaks free. "What? Javi?"
It's a surprise, but Yvera doesn't seem upset by it. "Javi!!!?"
From the hatching sands, Javinia heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Yselle glances up to the galleries momentarily.
She frowns as though searching for something. Whatever it is seems wiped
from her mind at the impression of the brown. "Oh," she breathes. "Oh.
Javi. I /knew/ it. It was that egg too... wasn't it?" she drops the girl's
hand and takes a step back. "Naelanth," she repeats wonderingly. "That's a
wonderful name." For a moment, the antics of the other hatchlings may well
not be taking place. "Oh Javi, I'm so happy for you." And look, tears are
streaming down her face. One might think it was /her/ who impressed from
her excitement. It takes her a moment to reply to Yvera, and then, all she
manages is a bemused "Oh really?"
From the hatching sands, To Die For Kelly Green Hatchling makes her grand
entrance, ladies and gentlemen-- standing in the splinters of her egg, with
half the shell still on her head. It obscures the muzzle, head, and knobs,
showing only a gleaming, lithe long neck and beautiful body beneath. She
shakes her head to try and free it, and the motion brings her lurching to
one side and then the other. She makes a muffled sound of feminine
annoyance. Hffft! No way, no how, is this gonna do. This is -her- moment!
From the hatching sands, Damon, already stunned into stillness by Gay's
Impression, seems about to fall over at Javinia's. "Wow," he breathes.
From the hatching sands, Naelanth heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
"I daresay you are," is Kassi's retort to K'tdan, with a brief, flickered
grin. "As any man in his right mind would be. Hey... Javi got a brown,
didn't she? Bonny lad! Good for her!"
From the hatching sands, Tasayli seems to be looking in the /wrong/
direction, missing things left, right, and center. Because she's looking
right, center, then left. So, she only sees Gay and the gold hatchling
disappearing into the barracks, too late to call anything, and misses
Javinia's Impression, then totally mises the new green hatching. "It's so
fast!" the young girl objects, then finally sees Javinia with her brown.
"Ooooohhhh, look, she got a brown," she informs whoever's in earshot.
From the hatching sands, Sunlit Tropical Shallows Blue Hatchling has got
the hang of his legs pretty fast, for he all but flows in a rush of radiant
color toward the white flags that are the candidates. First he cocks his
head at one. Too frightened. And then he cruises by another. Too stinky.
How about the third, the girl with red hair? No, she won't do either. This
cheery little blue is as precise as his hide is bright! Who will he explore
next?
K'tdan isn't paying any attention to the hatchings and impressions now.
"What did she tell you exactly?" he asks Kassima, pressing for details.
From the hatching sands, The actual breaking of the Slender Yellow Fingers
egg is lost in the commotion of the hatching, but for a moment the green
that rolls out makes herself heard with a desperate shriek. It doesn't take
her long to stagger over shards and sand, heading straight for a cluster of
candidates. One, a brown-haired girl from River Bend, comes forward to meet
her. Impression is made, but the now hungry cries of the green obscure the
girl's happy announcement of a name.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin tromps for the latest green addition to the
weyr, and other holdbred child due for a big shock, "Food's over this way."
she informs, no doubt capturing the green's attention at the very least.
The pair get safely shuttled to the barracks.
From the hatching sands, Akuel watches the Impressions going on around him
with a quietened awe, but continued the (in his eyes) undignified hopping
on the sands. His legs really ache now and he has a feeling that he wont be
able to keep it up much longer. A wobble as he shift legs is testimony to
that. He stills on one foot till he regains his balance.
M'val asks Kassima, "Is he really asking you to tell him exactly what your
daughter said about him? I haven't been listening much but I think that's
what I caught."
From the hatching sands, Yselle takes a breath in so sharp that it hisses
between her teeth. "Look at that blue!" Now she's more or less alone in her
little group with Yvera and her genealogy. "Uh. So your father..." her
voice is distracted as though she's not really paying attention to the
conversation. "Hey Akuel..." it's hissed. "Come stand by us." To Yvera "He
looks tired, doesn't he?"
Kassima answers, after making a show of trying to remember, "That she fully
intends t'bed you, I believe were her words. I'm nay sure about the 'fully'
part; she might have said 'I quite intend t'bed the boy' instead. He is,
M'val! He's just lucky Kay isn't here, and I can thus actually say it
without fear of *immediate* retribution from her."
From the hatching sands, To Die For Kelly Green Hatchling tosses her head.
She shakes once. She shakes again, the other side. Shell-shards fly off.
She puffs, and she growls softly, a sizzling sound as she looks for the
first time upon the world. Her eyes swirl and show bright yellow
stagefright, passing from huge towering dragon to dragon, from scrawny
human to human. She olds stock-still a moment, paralyzed by the roar of the
galleries and the whole sea of people. Then... it's gone. This is her time.
This is -her time-. She looks for the first time upon the world, and she
sings-- a single sound shrieked out in a true and startling voice.
From the hatching sands, Akuel gladly walks over to stand by the familiar
faces, in a tired voice he states "It is very very warm here." his normally
pale skin now a rosy hue
Iralne eyes the green on the sands, making a face. "Noisy," she declares.
Yashira grunts an agreement.
From the hatching sands, Sunlit Tropical Shallows Blue Hatchling includes
the distant galleries in his adventure, and lifting fluidly to his
haunches, he flashes his lucent wings and chatters at them, snapping his
hard jaws like a fish out of water. However his voice proves not nearly so
forceful, because for all his sociable overtures it pours out wan, no
firmer than the substance his color brings to mind.
From the hatching sands, A blue claw pokes out of the top of the Perfect
Moment Egg, and the shell seems almost to contract before it flies apart in
several large pieces. The sky blue lad within seems pleased by this turn of
events--so much so that there's a distinct bounce in his step as he starts
off. He's all confidence, and rumbles smugly as he plants himself at Erin's
feet, and Impression is made when she calls out his name: "Neciveth!"
From the hatching sands, Yvera just nods to Yselle, as if agreeing with
whatever she trailed off saying. Her father is many things, so whatever Ys
was going to say is just simple agreed to with the nodding motion. "Akuel?
He hasn't Impressed yet? I thought for sure he was who that green was going
to be after--" She winces, looking at the green's direction. "Ye shards,
about broke my eardrums. But yes, it is hot. It's almost over, though.
Look, only a little longer. You can stay a little longer, right?"
From the hatching sands, Palineth offers an encouraging little whuffle to
the stagestruck green. Iridescent eyes whirl faster with pride as his tail
thrashes.
From the hatching sands, Damon shuffleshuffles, grasping a fist full of
robe with each hand.
From the hatching sands, Akuel says "I will stay here for as long as I can,
how could I miss an event like this?" he says smiling slightly"
Cathedra winces at the sound the green lets out. "She sings just like my
daughter. Faranth help us if they get together."
From the hatching sands, Jazmin phews, muttering something about 'too old
for this' as she heads over toward Erin and her blue, shepherding them off
to the barracks.
K'tdan laughs. Fully and heartily. "I *knew* it!" he tells Kassima. Not
that it matters that he's still a weyrling. "This is good news indeed,
Auntie."
C'vadan sighs, not looking away from the sands.
From the hatching sands, Sunlit Tropical Shallows Blue Hatchling turns his
discerning eyes, still spinning red and, happily, blue, back on the
candidates. It's time to choose, and whom? How about that tall boy? He's
nothing too distinct to see, but some treasure certainly hides within.
Would he appreciate a talkative, precise, and distractingly blue dragonet
by his side?
From the hatching sands, Yselle grins at Akuel and offers him a hand. "It
feels like forever, doesn't it?" she says. "Let's... " the green's shriek
arrests her attention now. "Oh my, isn't she loud?" she whispers to her
companions. "I bet that she'll like that boy that snores. What's his name?
Anyway..."
From the hatching sands, To Die For Kelly Green Hatchling whips up a look
to her father, and her jaws part in a sharp flash of baby-teeth. She takes
intense pride and the pomp of performance and throws them on. She moves--
Faranth, does she move. Carenath might have held his breath-- if he weren't
gone and his shape put up in the stars. That's where she'll be, someday,
this hatchling-- if she gets her way. And she'll -always- get her way.
From the hatching sands, Damon watches that green, his gaze almost wary,
and sidles closer to the knot of other Candidates who remain, prepared to
leap out of the way--just in case.
From the hatching sands, K'vin smiles and looks over at the Blue, "Cendath!
Of Course we can go eat. Lets go." He turns and looks for direction as to
where to go.
From the hatching sands, It takes a while for the Enduring Invertebrate Egg
to break open, despite the obviously vigorous efforts of the hatchling
within. Finally, with a definitive crack, the egg shatters to reveal an
upside-down damp brown. He creels, trying to coordinate wings and twisting,
and soon rights himself, covered in sand. He doesn't waste any time in
finding Isocie, a quiet blonde from the lower caverns, who'd already stood
twice before. She uses the hem of her white robe to brush sand from the
brown, joyfully informing him, "Glyoth, you're a mess!"
From the hatching sands, Akuel looks at Yselle with a smile taking the
offered hand. "Im pretty tired after all the excitement so far but its fun
dont you think?" he then warily turns his attention back to the sands and
the oft dangerous dragons therein
C'vadan does look up when Cathedra speaks. "Is Yvera yours?" he asks her,
deep voice rumbling like that of his brown dragon. "I don't think
greenrider was in her list of expected accomplishments," he observes
lightly. He hasn't totally lost his sense of humor.
From the hatching sands, K'vin heads off towards the bowl on the way to the
weyrling barracks.
B'rakis asks in a slightly louder voice, "Does anyone know how many eggs
there were?"
From the hatching sands, Jazmin manages to capture two weyrling pairs with
one pass, "K'vin, Isocie.. both of you come over this way please? With
Cendath and Glyoth as well. There's plenty of food."
From the hatching sands, Tasayli's looking a little weary, the bright-eyed
excitement giving way to glazed-eye over-excitement. But she keeps moving,
and cheering for the Impressions she sees.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
M'val murmurs, "Another K'vin." He glances around. "I think there were
twenty-three, ah...?" He trails off, eyeing B'rakis curiously.
Zaidra has been quietly watching the hatching, not wagering, just watching,
but C'vadan's comments capture her attention, and she nudges him, if he's
close enough. "Is that more of Yvera's family? Do they know she plans to be
a Lady Masterharperbaker?" The word is Yvera's own.
"I'm glad it makes you happy." Kassi's quip to K'tdan is as dry as Igen in
full summer, but there's humor underlying it. "I did say you had taste.
Just do me a favor and don't be in any great rush t'make her a mother
again, hey? Twenty-three," she confirms for M'val. "I guessed exactly and
made a pouch's worth on 'em--K'vin and Cendath! I like that pair, I do."
From the hatching sands, Cendath heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
B'rakis salutes the Igen Weyrleader, "B'rakis, weyrling to Xalerth. Ista's
duties to Igen, sir."
From the hatching sands, Jazmin emerges from the candidate barracks.
Aliana glances toward B'rakis and then over to M'val as he answers the
question.
Divya manages not to wince. That Harper training of long ago paid off. All
she says is "That dragon has very good lungs."
Cathedra nods to C'vadan. "She is. And no, it's about the only thing that
isn't. Though if I remember correctly, she's almost a Turn behind schedule.
Master Harper by fifteen, Master Baker by fifteen and a half and Lady by
sixteen. And somewhere in there I think I overheard her telling her friend
Rosmyn that she wants to have some sort of epic song written about her,
probably /by/ her, by the time she's twenty. While she's still young enough
to enjoy it, I think she said." She laughs, shaking her head.
From the hatching sands, Yvera's attention is pulled from spot to spot to
spot as she tries to make a mental tally of who still Stands, what
dragonets are bounding around hungrily and what eggs might remain intact.
"There's that green again. That's the same one, right? She hasn't found
anyone yet?" Louder: "HEY! Green? Yselle's over /here/. And Akuel, too."
She pauses, looking at Akuel. "You'd like a green, right?"
Riane points to the new upside-down brown and Isocie. "Glyoth! See, I told
you she'd Impress. And I think that brown suits her much better than gold
or green." It's unclear who she's talking to--probably her own dragon,
who's simply staring in awe at all the little smalldragons. She nods in
agreement with Divya. "Faranth help whoever's sleeping next to the
barracks. Or even halfway across the bowl, for that matter."
H'tan is too involved in wagering with the rider next to him to really pay
much attention to his weyrlings, aside from making sure they stay put.
From the hatching sands, Yselle /beams/ "Kevin. K'vin, I guess. Oh wow.
Isn't this great? And did you hear? Glyoth was that brown's name, I think?"
She squeezes Akuel's hand. "It's /awesome/. Just wait until I get a chance
to tell Tel about all this. So many things he didn't tell me... YVERA!" she
sounds scandalised.
M'val returns the salute with an automatic crispness. "Pleased to meet you,
B'rakis. My duties to Xalerth." He mutters towards Kassima, "I really
should learn rider names too."
From the hatching sands, Jazmin leans on a wall near the barracks to sweat
and watch for the next pair she needs to corral.
From the hatching sands, Yvera is the picture of innocence. "What?" She
glances toward Jazmin and mentions, "You know they made her an assistant
weyrlingmaster?" Yep. Change the subject. And watch out for that green.
C'vadan nods to Zaidra. "Just be happy she left her gitar at Fort," he
tells his fellow brownrider. "I expect she'll get that all righted once she
knows the outcome of this hatching," he calls out to Cathedra. He then
turns his attention back to the sands, jotting down more information.
From the hatching sands, N'var watches the to Die For green get closer to
Yvera and suddenly a thought occurs to him. Color drains from the
bronzerider's face.
From the hatching sands, To Die For Kelly Green Hatchling vamps across the
sands with Danger and Drama at her heels. In the sure and sinuous of this
little animal, there is a devastating omen for the monster she'll become:
beautiful and terrible, loved and feared, the kind of woman who grinds
hearts beneath her heels and slaps the future across the face.. She snarls
at someone who gets in her way-- ooh, he had it comin! She goes on, all
booze and music fury-- but this act, baby, it's for two. She swings on
straight up to her partner and looks fate right in the eye. That's just the
kind of lady she is.
From the hatching sands, Akuel is stunned as Yvera yells out then questions
him "A green? Of course" he replies adding "but dont call it in case it
decides to come over here and gore us or something.." he says shakily,
having seen the greens boistrous antics on the sands."
K'tdan makes a face. "Children? No thank you."
Cathedra turns just as pale as N'var does. And Aethan, as if picking up on
it, starts to howl and cry and carry on in his mother's arms.
B'rakis is still facing M'val, and says, "We went to Igen Weyr, as part of
our Betweening class. It really is pretty from the air.. Oh Shards, H'tan?
We have class tonight, remember?"
From the hatching sands, Yvera shakes her head. "Naw. It's okay Akuel,
nobody's gotten gored. Yet. Today that is. Happened before." She leans in a
bit and stares at the green. "Come /on/ already! It's hot out here." She
looks over toward N'var as if to get him to help her with speeding things
up. Because you know, N'var is All Powerful and all that.
H'tan glances back up toward Ilaneth, tearing his attention away from the
wagering. He sighs, standing and pats the rider's shoulder next to him.
Walking back over toward his weyrlings he says, "Let's get going folks.
Your weyrlingmaster has a lesson for you as I've just been informed." He
eyes B'rakis, "I knew that!"
From the hatching sands, Yselle glares at Yvera. "You /know/ what! How
could you? Dianneth shouldn't be yelled at like that!" She's so /rarely/
cross. She stares into those eyes. "She knows what she wants." Her gaze
softens as she reaches out a hand to the green and murmurs "Don't you?"
M'val says, firmly, "Children are wonderful. You should look forward to
them." He eyes K'tdan with the same curious look so recently bestowed on
B'rakis.
From the hatching sands, Nimiriel lets out a long breath as the last
hatchling impresses--or so it seems. She reaches over and grabs N'var's
hand, gives it a brief squeeze.
Aliana glances back toward H'tan and sighs, moving closer toward him. She
glances back at the hatching a few more times.
M'val adds, to B'rakis, "Riolth said Madieth was around. I'm glad you like
it. We're nowhere near so green, but there's a certain beauty to it anyway."
Lystra hops up onto Rhouenth's back, using his straps as handholds.
Rhouenth flies towards the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Akuel nods "Im so glad no one has been gored
yet..." he watches the green, not far from where they stand. The creature
is beautiful and emenates courage, but he is scared stiff as it stands
there nonetheless.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin nods sagely as she heads over, "Yselle, and
Dianneth was it? Barracks are over this way, where there's food for Dianneth."
From the hatching sands, Wow. It /worked/. Yvera got the dragon to hurry
up! Maybe this All Powerful stuff is in the bloodline. "I /didn't/! I just
wanted her to--Wait. Dianneth? /Yselle/! I KNEW it!" She steps away,
clapping her hands together in glee as if it's all her doing. "You did
good, Dianneth. Yselle's gonna be a great rider!" She looks around. "Okay
now for you, Ak-- oh wait. Aren't there more? It's over? No, it's too fast."
B'rakis nods, adding, "The sands are so pretty. So golden. It was nice
meeting you sir." He salutes in farewell and moves toward his young bronze,
"I"m ready, sir," that directed to H'tan.
From the hatching sands, Yselle heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Akuel applauds as Yselle impresses
"Congratulations!" he calls before looking to Yvera "I guess there are no
more.."
"He shouldn't when they'd be m'*grandchildren*," Kassi fires back to M'val
almost immediately. "Nay hurry for those! I want t'enjoy being a mother
again instead!" Which is a good cue for her to try and calm Kaswyn, who's
taking a whimpering cue from Aethan and readying himself for some good
screaming. "Shhh, shhh, love; look at the pretty dragons... see? Dragons!
And Yselle got a green, look! Lysseth snagged another one!" Lysseth is
smug. Oh, yes. She is smug.
From the hatching sands, Jazmin heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
From the hatching sands, Dianneth tosses her head, another short sharp
irritated motion. She seems to grin prettily, then, a flash of teeth as she
follows on out-- the end of her number!
From the hatching sands, N'var brings Nimiriel's hand up to give it a quick
kiss. Oddly, he looks a little relieved as Yvera is left standing.
Nonetheless, he makes toward her to bring her into a big bear-hug.
From the hatching sands, Dianneth heads off towards the bowl on the way to
the weyrling barracks.
K'tdan doesn't know what to say to M'val's comment, so he simply salutes.
"Yes, sir." He turns back to his weyrling group, pausing to says to
Kassima, "I can't imagine Kay wants children either, so you shouldn't worry
there." He strides over and mounts up on Faorath.
Alerith flies towards the bowl.
K'tdan climbs onto Faorath's neck.
H'tan nods and mounts up onto his small blue. He rises into the sky, out of
the hatching caverns and waits for his weyrlings.
Divya watches Yvera summon the green dragon, who promptly chooses someone
else. Torn between laughter and sympathy, and settles for clapping for
Yselle's Impression.
Aliana uses Raenyth's offered foreleg as a step as she vaults onto her back.
M'val returns K'tadan's salute, then asserts to Kassima, "Mother *loves*
her grandchildren. Talya's not even two Turns yet and she's saying I should
have another."
Aliana secures the riding straps around herself, tightening them carefully.
Faorath flies towards the bowl.
Raenyth flies towards the bowl.
B'rakis hops up onto Xalerth's back, the dragon's sparkling eyes watching
closely.
From the hatching sands, As the final hatchling chooses a lifemate, K'ran
exhales a long, slow breath and gives Tarien's hand a squeeze before
letting go and taking a few steps out onto the sands. He offers a slight
bow of his own to dam and sire by way of courtesy before turning to address
those candidates -- two dozen or so -- who remain. "I hate delivering this
speech," he begins, his lips curved in a rueful, crooked smile. "Words
don't really seem adequate to fend off the disappointment. But if you take
nothing else away from what I tell you right now, remember *this*: your
lifemate wasn't here, today, on Telgar's sands. That doesn't mean that you
won't find a match *ever*, and while you wait, we'd be truly honored if
you'd consider staying with us here. We've enjoyed having you, and there'll
always be a place for you at Telgar."
Ymedath flies towards the bowl.
Xalerth flies towards the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Tasayli's lower lip trembles, and she looks about
ready to burst into tears. But, she's been a weyrbrat her whole life, and
probably knows this happens lots, and also knows the drill. K'ran is given
due attention, mostly, but she keeps looking up at the ledges, likely
searching for her parents.
From the hatching sands, Tarien's eyes track Yselle and Dianneth for a
brief moment before her shoulders straighten. She steps forward as K'ran
does, nods as he speaks. "They -- our Search dragons -- brought you here
because they saw something in you. Few people ever get -this- far," she
adds, smiling. "And we would truly love to have you stay with us."
C'vadan closes his journal and stands. "When you have a moment, Kassi, I'd
like a word with you," he tells the Thunderbolt Wingleader. Putting the
journal and writing materials in his pouch, he adds, "But not right now. I
think I need something to dring. Strong drink."
From the hatching sands, Yvera throws her arms around N'var and buries her
head in his chest in the hug. But them promptly pulls back and informs him
in no uncertain terms, "N'VAR!" she hisses. "Not in front of /them/!" Head
nods toward the galleries and viewing ledges and other candidates left
standing. "And don't think I didn't see you glad I didn't get a green.
Nobody in our family's ever gotten a girl, silly. I knew she wouldn't want
me. I was hoping for Akuel." She glances over at K'ran and Tarien, though
she takes up N'var's hand in her own for a quick squeeze as she listens.
Divya takes another quarter-mark from her belt-pouch and offers it to
Kassima. "Well, I lose both bets tonight. At least it adds up to less than
a whole mark this time."
Dulath flies towards the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Akuel sighs lightly, looking down at his burning
feet for a moment before looking back up at K'ran. He give a resolute nod,
willing to stay at Telgar regardless, how could he leave all the friends he
made here? And besides he wants to see how the others get on with their
hatchlings in the future. The dissapointment is obvious in him but he
doesnt really mind deep down, there should always be another partner out
there somewhere for him..he hopes
From the hatching sands, Damon's feet shuffle painfully in the scorching
hot sands, nodding as the Weyrleaders speak their piece. "Sir. Ma'am, uh.
With all due respect? I'd just like to get off these sands, my feet are
killing me. I'll think about the rest later."
Kassima snorts with quiet amusement, rocking back and forth to soothe her
son. "Five nay enough for her? Shells, I shouldn't be surprised. Has she
any potential candidates for this in mind, or...." She trails off to watch
the gathering of the Candidates, and murmurs, "Poor Tasayli. Poor all of
'em. Poor Yvera, even if'n it won me a nice handful of marks--thankee,
Divya." She closes her hand around the mark, and calls after Cav, "Aye,
later!"
From the hatching sands, N'var rolls his eyes a little, but his amusement
can't be hidden. He nods and sets Yvera loose.
Cathedra watches, her own eyes damp from the emotional rollercoaster that
is a hatching. Light bouncing of Aethan gets him to settle down again and
he seems content to tug at his mother's hair. "Well, I have a feeling Yvera
only sees this as a minor setback to some major lofty goals to take over
Pern. She looks more upset that that boy didn't Impress. You don't suppose
she likes him, do you?"
From the hatching sands, K'ran nods easily to Damon, sympathy strengthening
his smile. "Of course," he says. "There'll be food and drinks waiting in
the living cavern for you." And he sweeps a hand over to indicate the exit,
and, himself, draws a step back.
M'val chuckles. "Me too, Divya. Cathedra," he directs his gaze to his
bluerider, "is she coming home, going back to Fort, or staying here? Oh,
Mother doesn't care *who* the mother is, really. She just loves
grandchildren. I'm not sure who'll want a child next anyway, that I spend
time with. For all I know, the next one will be a true flight baby, like
Rysal." He mutters, "Only if it's a green, though."
From the hatching sands, Tasayli nods quickly along with Damon, agreeing.
"An'I'm not going nowhere, anyways. I already live here!" At the dismissal,
she gladly gives the attending dragons a curteous bow, and skitters off.
From the hatching sands, Damon nods politely and heads for the sands, but
not without bowing toward the parents again.
From the hatching sands, Damon walks over towards the galleries.
From the hatching sands, Tasayli walks over towards the galleries.
From the hatching sands, Akuel bows to the sire and the dam of the clutch
before preparing to leave.
From the hatching sands, Akuel walks over towards the galleries.
From the hatching sands, Yvera does tug at N'var's arm to pull him down
enough to plant a kiss on his cheek. There. Sisterly duty done. "I'm glad I
got to Stand for a clutch with you and Nimiriel's dragons as parents.
Family tradition now, isn't it?" She grins and looks at K'ran. "Uhm, can I
go tonight and come back after I decide? I mean, I like it here. And I got
family here, but I miss my mum and Zak and Fort. And I miss Igen. Can I go
and come back later maybe?"
With the hatching concluded, Indrath stretches jaws in a wide yawn and
rolls shoulders to limber muscles -- and with a brief rumble as farewell to
the other dragons here, jumps skywards.
Indrath flies towards the bowl.
Cathedra lifts her hand, the other being occupied with the infant she
clutches to her chest, in a shrug. "No idea, my illustrious Weyrleader. She
was to come back from fostering soon, actually. I've no idea where she's
going to want to stay. Girl's made homes at half of Pern it seems. I'll bet
it'll take her a little while to decide. Maybe once it hits her."
From the hatching sands, "Sure, Yv," says K'ran with a smile. "You can do
what you like -- no more chores for you, now. But get something to eat
before you go? The Igenites would have my hide if I let you go back all
scrawny and underfed and such."
"... Or we might be here a while," Cathedra muses as she overhears K'ran.
"He offered her food. We'll never get her out of here."
From the hatching sands, Daelyth rumbles, and Nimiriel smiles. "I'd better
get her something to eat, I'm thinking. If you'll excuse me..."
From the hatching sands, N'var answers too, his smile widening at the kiss.
"You can always come back later, Yv. Promise."
Iralne wiggles on Yashira's shoulders. "Mommy..." she says plaintively.
Yashira reaches up and swings her about like she's a sack of tubers to
carry her at her side. "C'mon, then. Decarath informs you not to pee on
him. You know, I once nearly wet myself at a Hatching carrying you."
"Mommmmm!" "Right, right."
Yashira climbs up onto Decarath's back.
Kassima chuckles under her breath, dipping her chin. "Truth. I never
anticipated any of mine, either; they've all been magnificent
surprises--what, M'val, why only green?"
From the hatching sands, N'var nods toward Nim. "I think I'll come help,
love." He moves to follow.
From the hatching sands, "Food sounds like a great idea," Tarien muses,
then offers her hand to K'ran. "Shall we go?"
From the hatching sands, Yvera smiles a bit and waves a farewell to the
dragons, riders and anyone who happens to be watching. "I'll go get my
stuff. And food!" She beams as she scampers off back toward the candidate
barracks.
From the hatching sands, Yvera heads off towards the bowl on the way to the
weyrling barracks.
M'val lifts one shoulder. "Sarai doesn't want any more children," he says,
with an anxious look upwards at Riolth; one hand closes into a loose fist
as his bronze croons, very calmly. "Cyrath gets very annoyed if he rises
for other golds - and of course I can't really go to other Weyrs'
goldflights, anyway. He doesn't rise for many greens, but that'd be the
only way I'll have another flight baby." He flashes a sudden grin, his
brief anxious mood hidden, or perhaps gone. "Good thing I don't rely on
flights for my children."
J'nas climbs up Hanreth's forelimb, and finds a secure spot between his
neckridges.
Hanreth flies towards the bowl.
From the hatching sands, K'ran clasps hands with Tarien, then, and makes to
step out with her.
From the hatching sands, Daelyth rises into the air from the hatching sands.
Aisling uses Sielth's straps to make their way up her side and settle
between pale green neckridges.
Sielth flies towards the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Nimiriel walks over towards the galleries.
Divya offers her duties to the remaining riders, and mounts Konnevath to
depart.
Divya vaults up onto Konnevath's back, as the dragon rumbles softly.
From the hatching sands, N'var walks over towards the galleries.
Riane pats her dragon's hide appreciatively. "So long ago now, wasn't it?
Six turns, 'tleast. Shall we go? There'll be plenty of other dragons to see
now. Yes, I think I saw Kebrieth. And no, you can't talk to the small ones
yet! They're probably already sound asleep, darling. In a sevenday or so,
-maybe-." She mounts up. "C'mon, I'm hungry."
From the hatching sands, Palineth rises into the air from the hatching sands.
Decarath flies towards the bowl.
From the hatching sands, Tarien walks over towards the galleries.
Riane climbs up onto Yrinth's back.
Yrinth flies towards the bowl.
Konnevath flies towards the bowl.
Cathedra and Aethan mount up on Nemanth and they take off to go find Yvera
and head back to whichever place Yv decides to go. Of course, after Yvera
stuffs herself full of food.
"Ah," says Kassi. "That makes a certain sense. I've heard it of golds, that
they're more possessive even than certain greens--" Lysseth gives an
impassive rumble. "Well, if'n flights aren't so likely, mayhaps you'll find
another way. I'd say you're probably more likely t'end up with non-flight
children than I am, but for all of that I've still had four, now, with
Kaswyn." She extends a finger to stroke one flushed baby cheek; he's
quieting, but not entirely quieted.
67 Tarien Sun Jun 1 19:25 2003 Telgar's New Weyrlings!
On the evening of day 1, month 11, Turn 44 of the Tenth pass, Daelyth and
Palineth's eggs finally started to rock. The Candidates were herded to the
sands, and a healthy crop of twenty three dragons joined Telgar's fighting
ranks. Among them were:
Gay and gold Liabeth
B'haus (Bauhaus) and bronze Onykath
Javinia and brown Naelanth
Taylin and brown Annarth
K'vin (Kevin) and blue Cendath
Mirah and green Trinaith
Yselle and green Dianneth
The final tally, for those who keep such statistics: 1 gold, 3 bronze, 6
brown, 6 blue, and 7 green. Thanks to all who participated, attended, and
helped for this event!
....................................General...................................
From the hatching sands, K'ran walks over towards the galleries.
M'val smiles down at Kaswyn. "I've the four non-flight, although all but
Valarra were indirectly because of flights. Who's his father? I don't
remember that I'd heard there was another one on the way."
Kassima is smiling at her son, too, with the soft fondness not uncommon to
mothers. "Nay flights involved in any sense with Khari, Kim, Ky, or Kaswyn,
but Kay, Kris, and Kiss are flight-babies. I don't know if'n you'd know
him--O'wyn, bronze Baeth's of Southern? He's a Weyrsecond down there. And
methinks that relieves me, that you hadn't heard; one person hearing things
about me from a source I didn't expect's enough for one eve!"
M'val tilts his head. "Oh, O'wyn," he says, with a slight nod. "Don't know
him, but I know of him, of course; he *is* a Weyrsecond. I should set
Mother on finding out the next time - well, are you having any more?"
"Nay in the *immediate* future." Kassi's voice is droll. "He's only a month
and a half old, hey? Give me some time t'recover! In the long term, I just
don't know. 'Twould depend mostly on flights, I suppose."
M'val's eyes sparkle a little. "Of course you can have *some*
recovery-time," he agrees, with a faint smile. "All new mothers deserve
lots of time. But after that..." He tilts his head and widens his grin a
little. "Just flights, is it?"
Kassima rolls her eyes sky-wards, amused: "*So* generous of you, truly. And
don't I just wish I *had* lots of time... at least winter gives me some
sort of break in here. Tending him, getting back into shape, leading a
Wing, and everything else doesn't leave that much. Nay that I'd trade you
for the world, love," she assures Kaswyn, who yawns in response. "Mmm.
Probably. I'm nay precisely known for relationships. Do have a casual one
at the moment, as it happens--we're just friends, really--but he doesn't
want children."
M'val says cheerfully, "_I_ think relationships are overrated the way
everyone goes on about them. I have a relationship with Natasya - she's
Natalya's mother - but she's not necessarily going to be the mother of my
next child. Besides, she has to have her current one and have *her*
recovery time, of course. And I know all about not having lots of time. At
least it's easier for me - I don't have the problems that come from trying
to get back into shape afterwards. But I know about lack of time. It's hard
when Terri has a child, for instance." His voice changes slightly - just a
tiny hint of something else. "Better that than her injured like she was
some months back."
Kassima's smile is faint. "That's your prerogative, and to each their own.
I could wish I believed the same." A shrug. "But aye, I suppose you'd have
to; and it probably isn't much easier on fathers, nay having time. There's
nay the physical difficulty, as you say, but some men like seeing their
children." Another of those slight smiles, this one quirked without real
humor in it. "Certes better pregnant than injured. Though pregnant can take
longer, depending on the injury. But I'd still rather see it--mind you,
I've a bias, with all m'encouraging of spawnings for m'Wingriders and
whatnay."
M'val laughs. "So do I; I love children, not just my own." He looks,
suddenly, like he's just committed a crime and realized his guilt. "Oh,
shards. I was supposed to tell the twins a story tonight before bedtime.
They'll be in bed now." He glances at his bronze, and a moment later a
little of the tension goes out of him.
Kassima chuckles softly under her breath. "D'you need t'run off t'tell 'em?
I'd nay want t'keep you from a promise t'your children--especially given
that I know only too well what sort of grudges they can hold for
withholding a promised story."
M'val gives Kassima a quick smile. "I do, really. I need to check in on
Yvera, and then I'll scoot off home. Might have Valarra in with them,
tonight, too, when I get there." He gets to his feet. "I'm very glad to
have met Kaswyn, here. Clear skies, Kassima."
"Sounds like a good plan, that. Will you pass m'regards t'your mother? And
let me know later," Kassi abruptly adds, eyes dancing, "how much she made
in *her* bets? Clear skies t'you and Riolth, any road--and I'm sure Kaswyn
would say 'twas a pleasure likewise, if'n he weren't so sleepy. And could
talk. And had any idea what that means. I'll just have t'say it in his stead."
M'val laughs, waves, and springs up Riolth's leg. "I'll tell her. She'll
have made at least five even if she was betting light, I imagine." He waves
again and clips one strap to his belt, just before Riolth takes off.
M'val climbs up Riolth's leg, onto the bronze's neck.
Riolth flies towards the bowl.