Interrupting a Lesson

[Akki]

Candidates were not the only ones running late it seemed, much to the bluerider’s dismay. She would have been on time (At least she thought so) but the Weyrwoman had requested her help. And who was she to deny Christae?

Akki walked up beside Rhia, perching her elbow on her friends shoulder. “Need some help controlling the youngin’s?” She asked with a wiry grin. Rhia was the current CandidateMaster and WeyrlinMaster, it seemed unfair that she was stuck with all of these responsibilities. Akki tried to help out whenever she could, plus she liked to get to know the candidates and this was a rather ideal way to do so. She pushed a sleeve up and flexed her practically non-existent muscles. “Because I am more then willing to whip them into shape!” She said as she finished flexing and punched an arm up into the air.

Ebbeth had perched himself in one of the tiers also, Mneith and Kaith already comfortable in their spots. Like his rider, he liked to see the candidates and this was a rather good excuse to do so.

----

“Relina. Relina. Relina.” She repeated three times, nodding her head each time the name escaped her mouth. “Okay! I have it memorized now.” She beamed at the girl before adding as an after thought, “I don’t have any fancy nicknames. People just know me as Faine.” She was secretly wishing she had a really snazzy nickname now though. Then again, she’d probably get stuck with something like ‘Grabby’ or ‘Sticky Fingers’. She silently praised herself though, so far only a few dishes from the Kitchens were the only items she had accidentally stolen.

“Hi Vaelryn!” Faine chirped loudly, glad that the boy joined them. She liked Vaelryn a lot to be honest. The boy was funny and seemed to be quite the social person – a definite plus in her books.

She grimaced slightly. “I bowed three times. I think that was excessive.” She groaned with slight embarrassment. Her compulsive disorder had kicked in and instead of doing one deep bow she ended up nearly giving herself whip lash with three quick ones. She cocked her head slightly to the side as another candidate approached, greeting Relina. She had never seen him around either.

[Spirithawk]

Rhia nodded a greeting to each as they came up and bowed. Mneith shifted closer to get a look at the Candidates, his eyes whirling with blue and green as he felt the annoyance recede from his rider’s mind. “No harm done. I will try to make this lesson as short as possible but it will probably last until after midday. The drudges will be bringing food for you here if that happens. For those of you just entering I am Rhia, rider of brown Mneith, Candidate Master until we find a replacement and Weyrling Master. My full name is Rhianna but I rarely, if ever, use it.”

“This is not how things would normally be handled. You would have a set schedule with chores and lessons but some of you won’t be Candidates for much longer thanks to this transfer clutch and the hurricane, and I need to teach you some of the things that you need to know for the hatching.”

Rhia paused as Akki walked up. She gave her friend a wry smile. “Back again to help me torture them are you Akki?” She gave her friend a one armed hug. “You know I always welcome your company and your help will be invaluable. I take it Christae sent you? Either way, you’re welcome. Candidates, this is Akki, rider of blue Ebbeth. She is your Assistant Candidate Master. Obey her as you would obey me. Now, let’s move on with the lesson.”

Ebbeth, good to see you again. Mneith told the blue.


“Normally, you would be facing a VERY proddy Queen before the hatching. Since Kaith hasn’t clutched these particular eggs, she is a bit more lenient, however, that does not mean she is not to be treated with respect. There are three in this Weyr that can deny you the right to stand for a Hatching. Kaith is one of those. Weyrwoman Christae and I are the others. If we had a Weyrleader, he would be able to deny you that privilege as well. Standing for a Hatching is NOT a right, it is a privilege granted to you by the Weyr. Also keep in mind that if you don’t Impress this time around, there will be other Hatchings and your dragon may be waiting to be born in another clutch.”

“We will have more time to go over formalities and chores later, for now I need to prepare you for the hatching. Know this, if you decide to stand for this Hatching, you face the risk of death or mauling by any of the dragonets coming out of their eggs. Hatchling dragons are ravenous. They only think of reaching their bondeds and getting food. They don’t care if someone is in their way and their claws are VERY sharp. As Candidates and future riders, hopefully, you have a responsibility to yourself, your dragon if you Impress one, and your Weyr. The good of the Weyr and your dragon comes first. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to think again about standing. Dragons are carnivores. They eat meat, creatures that they kill themselves. Dragons are intelligent. They won’t just be a pet like a canine or even a flit. They require a lot of care and devotion and even if you were to have kids one day you would likely not be able to raise them because your dragon will take so much of your time. I know that from experience. My children spend more time with the Lower Caverns workers than with me.”

“If you Impress, you will be overwhelmed. I have seen many a Candidate crying tears of joy and your dragon’s emotions will overpower you. You will feel very hungry but you will also feel the certainty of pure, unadulterated love, the love of a dragon for its bonded and a bonded for his or her dragon. No words can describe Impression. When I met Mneith’s eyes, it was as if I discovered that half my soul was missing and he brought it back to me. I can almost say that I love my dragon more than I love my children. The bond between a dragon and rider is intricate and can only be broken by death. You can feel each other’s thoughts and feelings. If your dragon gets hurt, you feel it and vice versa. It is very intense but also very rewarding. Some people balk at the intrusion of a dragon’s mind in their thoughts. It will take a lot of getting used to but it will also, contradictorily, feel absolutely right. This is something we will discuss in Weyrling lessons so I won’t go into detail but you must be prepared for it when Impression is made.”

A drudge entered with a try laden with a couple of pitchers of cold fruit juice and several cups. Rhia paused, grateful for the juice and motioned for the Candidates to be served. Another drudge followed with sweet rolls.

"Some of you probably haven't had breakfast so Weyrwoman Christae asked us to bring you something Weyrling Master." The drudge said with a bow and a smile.
Rhia gave the woman a grateful smile. “I shall have to remember to thank our kind Weyrwoman, as will the Candidates. Thank you.” The drudge bowed again and left with her companion. Rhia turned back to the Candidates after taking a warm roll and tearing it into smaller pieces, nibbling on them. She waited a few moments for the general shuffling to die down and then spoke again.

“Drudges will be waiting with buckets of meat and bowls for you to feed your hatchlings. Let them eat, but don’t let them overeat. They will want to keep eating. Make them slow down. Their bellies are similar to ours, eat too fast and they won’t realize they are full. Make them slow down, and their food has a chance to hit their stomachs and tell their brains that they are full. Be stern with them if you need to. If you have trouble with that, let me know and Mneith and I will help you. They will itch because dragonets grow fast and their hides can’t keep up. You will wash, and oil them after they are fed and before you change for the feast. Your dragon’s heath comes before any frivolous activities. Your dragons will more than likely want to sleep soon after their hatching. Some might want to attend the feast but they will fall asleep before it is over so you must keep that in mind and watch out for that. Since our Weyrling Barracks are under construction, you will be led to ground floor weyrs that have been prepared for you. You will have a dragon couch right beside your cot and your belongings will be transferred there by a drudge. Those of you who do not Impress will remain in the rooms that you are currently in.”

She paused. “Akki, anything to add?” She had already been talking for quite a while.

[Akki]

Not how this was normally done indeed. There would have been numerous lessons before this one, each carefully going through everything they would need to know. But there was no time for that now. The hurricane and clean up that followed had thrown everything off track and the transfer clutch wasn’t about to wait for the candidates to be prepared. When the dragons were going to hatch, nothing was going to stop them.

Akki rubbed her hands together, an unmistakable glimmer of glee in her eyes. “I’m always willing to torture the new kids Rhia. Christae figured you would need some help so I offered my services. I wanted to meet the candidates anyways.”

And you Mneith. Once again Dark Moon has their share of new candidates. It makes us seem old, doesn’t it? The blue laughed silently, his eyes churning.

Rhia had pretty much covered everything actually, but Akki would feel dumb if she just stood there with nothing to say. If she was going to help out, she needed to at least say one sentence that would benefit the candidates. “Your dragon is for life. They will literally become a part of you and you need to remember that. If your dragon is injured, you need to attend to them immediately. Once you Impress you will understand what I mean when I say without your dragon you are not complete.”

“Like Rhia said, they will take up all your time especially when they are newly hatched. You need to be aware of the responsibilities that come with a dragon because if you think you can’t handle this then you probably shouldn’t be standing.”

A smile reached the girls face, she was recalling the days of when her and Rhia Impressed. Faranth, that seemed like forever ago! Rhia now had kids and Akki had her share or relationships.She felt…old suddenly. “Don’t forget to cheer for you fellow candidates! Hatchings are much more fun when you have friends at your side. If you don’t Impress this time, there is always another opportunity so don’t be to hard on yourself.”

[Spirithawk]

Rhia smiled at Akki. We are not old, just older. I am glad we have new eggs on the sand. I feel Dark Moon thrumming with life as it hasn't had in Turns. Rhia is happy.

"I think that just about covers the basics and all we have time for. The drudges are bringing in some lunch now. After you have all eaten, I have gained permission from the Weyrwoman and the Queen to allow you to touch the eggs."

The drudges entered at her signal. They had been waiting for several minutes as the WLM and the Asst. CM tried to teach their lesson. They served the food while Rhia talked over the noise.

"If any of you have any questions, please ask me while we are here now. I will explain the procedure for the touching when you have finished. No question is a stupid one, and remember that any question you have might be one that someone else has too so don't be afraid to ask." Rhia took the time to eat something herself. She knew that Mneith would fuss if she didn't. She and Akki chatted about some of the older riders as they ate, allowing the Candidates to talk amongst themselves.

After she and the others were finished and the mess was cleared, she again stepped in front of her sitting charges and cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Each of you will bow to the Queen as you step forward. Show her the ultimate respect. You may touch the eggs and even press your ear to them to hear, however, do not attempt to move them or harm them, or do any gesture that could be mistaken for harming an egg. Otherwise the Queen can, and will ban you from the Hatching. Pick an egg, touch any you will, just be mindful that they contain living creatures and are guarded by a creature who's head is bigger than your body."

[panther]

Sassie came to his side, he grinned widely, draping an arm over her shoulder as she bumped him. Usually his welcome would have involved a lot more talk, and gossip and sorts, but for now? Before the acting candidate mistress, they would keep things a little quiet.

Ez smirked, so much information was given to them, yet, he did actually know most of it, he had received most of the regular sort of cantidate lessons when at Igen. They were a lot more diligent about that. But then Dark moon had had a Hurricane to contend with, and the sorry loss of it’s junior Weyrwoman, and actually, though it had happened before his arrival, the departure of the Weyrleader. For such a young weyr, Dark moon was having it’s fair share of misfortune.

He listened well, for her speech, only zoning out a few times. He was quite impressed with himself. He wasn’t certain as to whether she had mentioned the candidate’s robes, or he’d spaced out at that point, but he decided he wouldn’t be the wherry head who’d speak up. Then get jibes and such, he had already invited more than enough trouble for one sevenday.

He stretched, rolled his shoulders, grabbed a strong plate of food, eating it, despite the fact that it was rather bland for his usually refined palette. He grabbed the chance to mutter a few discrepancies out with Salina, though he wasn’t mindful of it, mainly idle conversation. ((ooc:sorry Xen ))

He decided he’d probably best take the first standing, none f the other candidates made a move. Catching Salina’s hand, he urged her to come with him before he slipped away towards the sands. Paces long, head held high, pride and extravagance shown in everything, as was Ezieki’s way.

He Stopped before the clutch, bowing low to the queen. Very mindful of her presence. He was less worried about her rejecting him from the hatching, and more mindful of her mauling him. For if she did? There would be naught left of him. She was atleast thirty fold his size, and likely about 90 fold his mass. That, if nothing else, was both impressive and scary.

His next few steps were smaller, eyes moving around the eggs, he didn’t have a clue where to go, this is where he felt like he knew nothing, he presumed the size of the eggs was proportional to the hatching within, looking at the eggs, deciding that the largest ones were likely to be Bronze – with a possibility of a gold, and the smallest ones, were likely to be greens. So, he settled himself with an egg that was slightly larger middle of the road. Not that he was adverse to the lower colours, but Greens? He didn’t overly fancy, too flighty and mindful of themselves, blues tended to be hard workers, silent and respective, again, he didn’t believe he’d get on too well with one of those. Brown? Brown again, diligency, respect, but there was responsibility that came with that position. Bronze, bold creatures, fighters and mildly arrogant. If he had to chose, he’d probably say he’d want a bronze, but, again the responsibility.

He sighed, long fingered hand moved forwards, gently touching the shell, as though It were made from the finest tissue paper, and would break beneath his fingers like the dried skeleton of a leaf. But it was hard, sturdy, and felt bizarre. He splayed his hand over the egg with a lover’s touch, smiling gently as he did. The texture was like nothing he’d ever felt before. Smooth, yet, there were raised parts, too subtle to affect the over all shape of the egg, but they were present, he could feel it.

[Shekru]

Having been quiet and watchful during the lesson and meal, Dhunen ate sparingly and allowed his eyes to do the talking. They moved from face to face, brows were kept even as he studied the other candidates. Faces, names were spoken in his head for the ones he remembered. They seemed a good bunch, if a bit frazzled, he thought. Though to be honest, he had little room to speak. Frazzled was the best name he could give the bees nest going about in his chest and brain. This was really happening.

Plate emptied, stomach full, he watched Ezieki and a young woman he did not know take their leave of the cavern. Quietly he rose, carefully threading his way toward them. The sand under his feet made soft, hushed sounds. When the Queen rose, awesome in size, into his vision, Dhunen's eyes became wide and perhaps a bit concerned. His bow was deep, but more than a bow. Knees sank into sand and his entire upper body bent forward, hands pointed forward, flesh with the ground, and his forehead nearly touched them. Though unusual, certainly, for anyone watching that knew nothing of his upbringing, Dhunen offered the deepest sign of respect he knew.

Having held the position for several moments, he rose, slowly and fluidly, and walked toward the eggs that lay -gleaming and waiting in all their realness- and slowly his hand reached out. The drab color of the egg beneath his fingertips made him smile. Where the others seemed brilliant and bold, this seemed subdued, almost as though it tried to blend with the sand. Carefully and, with great care not to provoke the Queen into motion, his head turned and his ear gently pressed to the egg's shell to listen to the life within.

Blossoming full on his pale lips, a smile broke the somber face he had worn for the past while. For a moment, he actually looked his age, or even younger. Child-like and innocent, he brought his face from the egg and urged, softly,"Ez. Ez! Come here and listen!"

[Spirithawk]

The sound that Dhunen was hearing was the egg's occupant, frantically trying to emerge from its shell. The egg that Dhunen was touching suddenly gave a great rock and split down the middle under his ear, spilling a dragonet out onto the sands. He had been so impatient to get out that he fairly burst out of his egg and went tumbling in a heap of wet hide and wings. Rhia's eyes widened as she suddently heard the low humming coming from Mneith, Ebbeth and Kaith, soon, the rest of the dragons in the Weyr were humming and filing in from the massive tunnel entrance. The eggs were hatching! And no time to get the Candidates into their robes. Rhia co uld only guess that the dragons just weren't ready for the eggs to hatch so soon because they werent clutched by one of their own and they were thrown off by the transfer.

The blue dragonet that had just burst from its egg cried piteously because a claw had caught his wing membrane and he couldn't get undone. His eyes whirled with bright red from hunger and pain.

His hide was a deep, pure blue, the color of fresh water fathoms deep. He would grow to be a good sized blue, not the largest, but one of them. There was now a small tear in his wing membrane from his claw and he would have a scar there, paler than the rest of his membrane. The membrane was blue, a few shades lighter than the deeper blue of his hide. His neck ridges and around his whirling, jewel-faceted eyes was two shades darker than the rest of his hide, as were the edges of his wings. He would be a sturdy dragon, limber and lithe but not scrawny.

Dh'nen, your Rodhaketh is stuck! Help me! There was a command in his voice, but also a hint of a plea. This dragon would be a hard worker and would rarely ask for help even though he was seriously out of his league. His rider would be his only concession and even then he would rather figure out how to do it himself rather than admit defeat by asking for help.

OOC: Color code = 0000CD

[Spirithawk]

One egg didn’t rock, shiver or even move before hatching. The dragon inside didn’t want to wait for the egg to crack. The egg had practically exploded, shards of it flying into the air. The brown inside calmly looked around him, as if he hadn’t just broken his egg into pieces that now littered the ground around him. He would grow to be a large dragon and probably a rather strong one. His hide was a perfect chocolate brown. A rich color that was not dark but on the softer side. His wing membranes stood out slightly, a nice khaki color. A small striped of tan was under his right eye barely noticeable as he looked around at everyone staring at the newly hatched dragonets.

The nearest Candidate was Ezeiki, and a few shards of egg managed to hit him and leave a few nicks on his arms and one small nick on his cheekbone. They were minor but Rhia saw and left a mental note to make sure the boy saw a Healer to get them cleaned. There was no time now. She turned to the other Candidates.

"Get on the sands now! Don't worry about Candidate robes. Those of you who haven't bowed to the Queen, do so now. Be careful around the dragonets and if they don't seem to be coming to you, move out of their way. They will do anything to get to their bonded, even kill another who is not their bonded. They are nearly mindless with hunger until Impression is made!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christae heard Kaith's warning that the eggs were hatching and ran from her office into the cavern. She took one look at the chaos and the fact that one of the dragonets had already hatched and ran to the Lower Caverns, shouting for the cooks to fire up the ovens and for riders to get news out that the eggs were hatching.

There were Holders to be brought as guests and Caspian Hold's new wherhandlers to notify. They had been told they would be invited to the Hatching, though how they would get here with their Whers being nocturnal, the Queenrider didn't know.

She had Kaith notify all the dragons and their riders that they would have to be ferrying parents and holders and had them come to her for the list where she stood on the Queen's tier. Kaith watched idly, humming happily. These weren't her children but they meant a lot to her rider and her weyr.

[Shekru]

The sounds grew in fervor and strength, and Dhunen's smile slowly melted off of his face. Something was happening, and he was.. unprepared. The egg's rock onto its side and sudden split had the youth stumbling backwards into a heap on the sands. His boots had lost their footing, and soon he sat, numb and with a panicked look, staring at the cracks and sudden shards of egg.

There was a moment where he could only stare at the creature that had just broken free of its tiny, ovoid prison. And then there came the command. Help me!

Quickly, he turned over, scrambling on hands and knees toward the blue. His brain had gone autopilot, and his mouth was hurriedly pouring out succor. "It's all right! It's all right, stay still, I'll help, I won't let you hurt more." Gently, and without care for what damages his hands may have received, Dh'nen took the claw close by the dragon's foot, and carefully, painstakingly drew the claw away from the membrane. The hole that was left was sore and the flesh angry, and Dh'nen gently pressed his hands on either side of the tear until the ooze that crept from it stilled and congealed. "It's gonna be all right, Rodhaketh I'm gonna take care of you." And then it hit him. He blinked a few moments and looked around. "You.. I.." He looked toward Rodhaketh's face and whirling eyes. Hands gently tugged the dragon's face close and his forehead pressed to the blue's. "You heard me?" The smile was back, and Dh'nen rose to his feet, holding the blue's head in the sort of way that a new father holds his firstborn. "We need to get you fed." He looked around then as the next egg burst, and he called out, "Master Rhia! He hungers, where should I feed him?" Panic panic panic panic panic!

[korenth]

After being dropped off outside by searchrider, Kavar raced towards all the commotion and chaos to see that two dragons have already hatched. Amazed by the size and sheer beauty of them he sat down in the sands forgetting all of the courtesies that were in order.

After a few moments of sitting on the ground he realized where he was. He jumped up faced the queen and took a deep bow.

[catilena1890]

Relina froze, the eggs were beginning to hatch and she had no idea what to do. Zorn squeeked and flew from her shoulder, flying around in circles above the sands, probably as confused as she. Relina gulped and stepped on the sands, looking at the hatching eggs and wondering which contained her dragon, if any of them did. She slowly walked toward the eggs and stood still, scanning the sands, hoping to find her forever partner.

(OOC: Uh, I'm at a standstill, I'm lost now. Do I walk up to a random unhatched egg and touch it or does you choose for me Hawk?)

[panther]

((ooc: Kitty? It'd be best if Relina bowed to the queen, and stood a good distance from the hatching sands, that's regular procedure. Don't approach the eggs, Rhia told all of the candidates to move back. All of the hatchlings have already been assigned hun you'll know when you impress, the same as Dh'nen did, basically, one of the clutch posts will include Relina's hatchling and details off, and it will call her name, if she impresses Good luck!))

Ez, hearing his name called by the familiar tone of Dhunen, swivelled around, just coming over to the candidate’s place as he asked the red haired teen to listen. Ez, Began to make his way over. As he did, an incredible thing happened. The Egg, Dhunen’s noisy egg hatched! The blue it bore was a deep blue, a very regal looking blue. Ez smiled warmly to see it, he was a strong looking creature, despite the fact that he couldn’t quite free himself from the egg.

Care echoed in Dhunen’s voice. Vague, but present. Ez’s smile broadened, as he realised, the words of the Acting candidate mistress, resounding in his mind, unadulterated love. The male before him was no longer Dhunen, candidate, but Dh’nen, Blue Rider. He smiled, clapping for the male, his friend, and first impressed.

But his smile didn’t last long. He flinched as an egg nearby him positively exploded with the force of the fledgling inside. Ez jumped, withdrawing a little, his eyes unerring from the creature. He winced, pain setting in. looking at uncovered forearms, a few nicks and scratches, nothing deep, lined his arm. Ez shuddered, but then he felt a tear, form in his eye, a burning sensation on his cheek. Shaky fingers raised to his cheek, and as he touched his face. Long fingers withdrew, tipped in a crimson that almost matched his hair.

Blood.

His blood. He felt a little strange, but he wiped the blood, smearing it halfway across his cheek as he did so, the main idea in his head was to move back from the hatchling. It wouldn’t be a good idea to stay to near him. He was a large, strong looking hatchling. And, well Ez valued his face, and didn’t particularly fancy getting mauled.

And right now? He was very much surrounded by eggs. Not the place he wanted to be right at that moment. “Nice dragon…” Words whispered, though he was unsure as to why he said them. Perhaps to placa eyes not moving from the creature as Ez began to take steps backwards, swift glances behind him, checking for the position of the eggs, making sure he didn’t step too close. Yet he didn’t take his eyes off the brown. A good brown, unusually coloured with tones that he would never have dreamt for a dragon. His teeth gritted as he backed away.

[Minajerie]

Hmmm.... A blue first. That doesn't say much for the wealth of this weyr, nor the outcome of the hatching. Wait... what? That wasn't her voice, so, perhaps a memory? It did feel like it came form some distant part of herself. Mayhap she had gone to a hatching when she was still a baby... sometimes certain things will trigger memories that are forgotten or even unknown... perhaps thats what this was.

Andilay was still contemplating her subconscious when Candidate Master Rhia shouted for all candidates to go onto the sands. The hatching was starting! A smile tugged at her lips, with no time to go change, this was probably one of the few(and far between) groups of candidates to get to impress in normal attire. After all, Rayn and herself were still in their usual swordswoman leathers! Wouldn't this be interesting.

"I hope the lesson gave you time to heal, because, there isn't any now. Lets go my friend."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rayn nodded, and in fact, time had been kind to her, and her temples only throbbed with slight uncomfortableness now, though her lump was still there, and she was sure if she touched it with too much force she would once again be incapacitated by the pain.

Since they hadn't yet bowed to the queen both women did so in synchronized fashion. A bow with the right hand in a fist over one's heart, and the left going to the temple and away, helping to deepen the bow. It was a swordswoman bow, basically meaning that they would do anything for the queen. They had only done this bow once before, and that was because the person had earned such respect.

When they straightened, Andilay led the way to the sands, and Rayn followed. When they neared the eggs, Andilay drew back a little, her face lightly scrunched up.

Rayn was perplexed, why was her friend making such a face? "What is it? What do you feel?"

Andilay just shook her head and waved a hand in dismissal. "It's nothing. Here, stand a bit before me, that way the hatchlings will see you better."

Rayn gave Andy a good look, her eyes in almost a glare, if she didn't know any better, she would think that Andilay wasn't expecting to impress this hatching... but that would be nonsense. She was here, so she should be hopeful... right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Verdann had been bowing to the queen when the the first egg had hatched- a blue. The poor thing had injured itself in his hurry to get out of his shell for his bonded. It was a good thing his chosen was so close. The explosion of the brown made him jump in surprise. Apparently this brown was very active, and wanted his NOW.

Verdann couldn't help but chuckle a little. He bowed a second time to the queen, since he had been distracted during the first, and trotted over to the line of eggs. He supposed it would be wise to keep his distance, seeing as the candidates who are unfortunately in the clutch are getting injured (though, minorly so far).

He waved as he saw his friend, Sleyer and motioned for him to stand beside him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Sleyer bowed to the queen, a good respectful bow, he noticed Verdann waving at him. Well... he might as well. It's not like he knew anyone else. He stopped a bit away from Verdann, but still 'beside' him. He wondered, with so many candidates, if he would get a dragon, but he was hopeful. They were beings of change and fire, much like the metals he loved so much. He could only hold out with hope, and perhaps, a sparkle in his eye.

[Marnark’tranarprol]

After the call had gone out that the hatching had started with no warning whatsoever, Ragule had hurriedly packed an emergency bag fromt he supplies in the infirmary. He knew what he wanted, what might be needed, and not to pack too heavy. "Torc! Get over here! Let's go!" He called, to the happily humming brown flitter that was perched drunkenly on a high shelf.

Torc blinked, and looked around before turning his head an jumping off the shelf. With a happy croon, he winged after Ragule as the man shoved out the door and strode out into the sunlight of the weyrbowl. Walking quickly with his happy flitter doing piruettes and fast turns over head, Ragule made good time to the hatching sands, all things considered. He was left wheezing a little bit, but not too much. Good ... now would be a very bad time for his pleurisy to flare up! Reaching the entrance to the sands themselves, he rested his bag on the ground before leaning a shoulder on the edge of the broad doorway. From there, he could watch any and all that happened. One blue, hatched and impressed ... apparently a small claw wound. That would be looked to, just as soon as they got off the sands. And another brown, hatched and strong ... but yet a candidate was cut. Face and arms, the red of his blood standing out starkly. That, too, would need tending to, but not until after impression or the hatching finished. The cuts were minor enough that Ragule was not going to try to drag the lad off the sands to tend to them.

Ragule's sharp eyes moved fast over the scene, and didn't miss much at all. Picking up his bag again, he moved toward where the meat was arriving. No point in waiting to tend to that wing. The sooner it was tended to, the less chance there was of the wound not healing properly and remaining forever after an open hole in the wingsail. Just as soon as they got over here, that would be taken care of...

Torc wheeled happily overhead, until Ragule finally stopped moving again, and then he fluttered down to a landing on the man's broad left shoulder. Sitting there, he fluttered his wings again and resumed humming happily, little eyes reflecting in blues.

---

R'anl eased into the stands above the hatching sands, eager to see the hatching ... even more eager to see it go off without a hitch. New, healthy dragons were always good news, regardless of what color hatched out first. Granted, it was considered even better luck if a strong color hatched first. But who would complain of new hatchlings? No Weyr in thier right mind, of that R'anl was pretty certain.

Though he still didn't know a single body about the place, the bronzerider made himself comfortable in a seat. Overhead, on an open and handy spot, his dragon, Geth, settled in to watch, also. The dragons, deep, bass rumble echoed almost beneath the human range of hearing, but R'anl glorified in the feel of that voice, anyway, as the bronze joined in on the hatching song.

Nothing quite like a hatching to make a place quite jovial and happy!

[Kino]

Vaelryn smiled a bit as Rhia went on with her lesson speaking. Since he'd been brought to the Weyr he'd known that he was a candidate, that he might at some point impress a dragon, but now that they were standing there in a pre-hatching candidate lesson with a clutch of eggs on the sands nearby, it really sunk in. As soon as Rhia was finished with her words and told them they could go out to touch the eggs he practically leapt over the banister of the stands, but he stopped himself, walked around properly after flashing a smile to Faine, and followed the other candidates towards Kaith. Vaelryn dipped forward into a deeper bow, not simply dipping his head as he had before, and then turned towards the eggs.

He'd barely begun to run his fingers along the surface of once before another boy shouted across the sands to a friend, and then the shell that he'd been standing near promptly exploded. Vaelryn's eyes flashed wide, and he took a step back from the spraying shell, lifting an arm in front of his face to protect from the flying shards. It all started to happen so quickly after that, and before he knew it there was shouting to get all candidates onto the sands and a blue dragonet standing in front of the boy from before. Vaelryn stared at the newly impressed pair, then looked towards the unhatched eggs. This was it; the hatching had started!

- - -

Tanwen listened half boredly to Rhia's chatter, having heard it before the last hatching as well. When they were told they could go among the eggs, since she'd been close to the entrance, she was one of the first out on the sands. The girl stepped swiftly towards Kaith, gave the traditional bow, and then went to walk among the eggs. She didn't stop at any one egg, instead stepping slowly past them and running her fingers along the shells of each as she went by. Touching the eggs was thought to give the dragons inside an idea of who she was, perhaps even give a dragon destined for the candidate the knowledge that yes, she was there, it was safe to hatch on time.

She'd made it through most of the eggs, coming to rest her hand on the last one, when the egg nearer the front burst apart and a small blue tumbled out towards one of the boys. Tanwen's eyes widened dramatically, and she stared with her hand resting on the egg as the boy led the little dragon away. The girl was actually, rare though it was for her, in a slight moment of shocked surprise. The shouts of 'forget about robes! get them on the sands!' brought her back to the moment and she swiftly pulled her hand away from the egg's shell that she was near. Touching eggs was fine for a touching, but it wasn't quite allowed for a hatching.

Not bothering to wait for a direct order, Tanwen pressed her feet into the sand and dashed for the area where the female candidates had been told to stand for the previous hatching. She took her spot towards the front, let her hands hang down to either side, and stared pointedly at the clutch before them. The hatching had begun. She'd felt stupidly indifferent at the last hatching, but this time she was as eager as any candidate. Part of her wondered if that indifference before had caused her to stand, but she knew it didn't matter. Now, in this moment, she was ready. One of those eggs, she hoped upon hope, would be destined for her.

[catilena1890]

(OOC: Got it. Thank you)

Relina backed away from the Eggs and returned to the edge of the sands. She looked at the Queen Dragon and carefully approached her. She bowed down low to the mighty beast and cleared her mind of all thoughts but those in relation to the present situation. Her precious fire-lizard, Zorn flew all around the ceiling of the area chittering like mad as the eggs continued to hatch and be Impressed to their life-partners.

[Spirithawk]

Rhia gestured to Dh'nen. She had seen the dragonet's eyes change from the red of pain and hunger to the rainbow of impression and then back again to pain and hunger.

"Over here." Drudges were running in with pre-cut gobblets of meat, still steaming from the carcasses of the herdbeasts and wherries that they had slaughtered for the Hatching. "Feed him but don't let him gorge."

[Spirithawk]

Two eggs split silmoutaneously. One split into three parts, the other's top crumbled in and the dragonet stuck its head out of the hole, crying out with annoyance as the egg prevented it from fully emerging from its egg.





The dragonet that was stuck in its egg was a green, so was its sister who was sitting on a piece of its shell surveying the Candidates that she had to choose from. The green that was sitting primly on her pinkish shell was wonderful but pale green. Like the colour of the leaves of a plant that doesn’t flower, her hide has a greyness to it, that makes her colour subtler than most green. She would grow to be a large dragon and is a bit leggier than average but somehow, that leggyness gives her a more feminine air. The rest of her proportions are nice, quite nicely sized in each part, though her eyes are a little large, though nowhere near reminiscent of a wher. She had a sassy air, this greyish-green dragonet, like she was born with attitude. She fairly pranced away from her egg as she finally rose, regally, from her egg shards.

The second green finally managed to split the rest of her egg open, leaving just the broken top sitting on her head, supported by her knobs. She cocked her head from side to side, curiously, making the shell fall from her head. She had a sweet look to her, this medium sized little girl and her face looked not quite dainty but very pretty. Her wings were so pale as to be nearly translucent, and tinged with just the slightest yellow tone. Her hide is a brilliant jade green that is even, without darkening or lightening save for her pale wings. She bounced from her egg, fairly exuding energy. She would be a hard dragon to keep up with with her exuberant personalty and ultimate friendliness. She would hassle her rider, especially if her rider didn't care for someone because she believes that everyone should be friendly with each other. She would be the type of dragon to flirt to be friendly without even knowing it, not meaning anything but just being friendly.

Both of the greens seemed to dislike the fact that their brown brother was on the sands, looking for his bonded now that he had shattered his egg open. The sassy green was miffed that their blue brother was already being led off the sands to be fed. She definitely did not want to be left without her bonded and hungry! She huffily stalked away from her egg shells, nearly the opposite of her bouncy, energetic little sister.

OOC: the shade of jade that her hide is www.champward.com.tw/en/main5/jade%20green.jpg

[Spirithawk]

The energetic little dragonet flounced up to one of the Candidates that had just dashed to another part of the cavern from where she was. She was a little upset that her chosen had run from where she was waiting for her but her voice was still sweet when she spoke to her chosen after plopping herself onto her haunches on the hot sands. She proceeded to speak to her bonded very quickly and with all the signs that she would be a chatter box of a dragon.

Tanwen, your Vessayith is a little upset that you ran from her. I had to chase you all the way across the cavern. I'm hungry now. Will you feed me? There was no doubt about it, this girl would be a handful but very loving to her rider. There was trust in her voice even though she was a bit put out about having to chase her chosen. You didn't think I would leave you here on the sands did you? I have been waiting for you for a long time Tanwen.

[Shekru]

Hands still gently, lovingly cradling Rodhaketh's head and face, Dh'nen gestured gently. Keeping the injured blue close, he walked slowly, cooing encouragement with each step the hatchling took. Learning to use limbs that'd been stuffed up very close to a body was a little disconterting, he felt. "Come with me, I know where food is, I will feed you." Dh'nen said, finally reaching the drudges and their offerings. Rodhaketh could smell the meat, and his maw was already hanging open waiting for offerings. Dh'nen grabbed a bucket and gently coaxed the blue over to a quiet corner.

Piece after piece slowly came from the bucket and into the dragon's mouth. Dh'nen's voice was joyous to the point of happy laughter as he verbally instructed the blue on how to chew food. As more dragons came from their eggs, his eyes darted up briefly. But his smile only reached its fullest when he looked to Rodhaketh.