A Dismal Touching of the Eggs

[Spirithawk]

((Anyone else who comes in is considered late as of this post))

Rhia sighed. "I know that there are more Candidates than this but I am going to start now. You need to learn this well and I will not repeat myself unless I deem it extremely important."

"When you approach any full grown queen you are to bow low before her and wish her a good day. When you meet a Queenrider, whether her Queen is with her or not, you bow and say 'My respects to you and your Queen.' This is standard etiquett and you should all follow it, especially with Queenriders from other weyrs."

"The same goes with Weyrleaders. You will be taught to recognize knots, you should already know some of them. Bow to Weyrleaders and inquire after their dragons' health. You are to be respectful to Wingleaders and Wingseconds. Never speak informally to a Weyrleader, Wingleader, or Wingsecond in the company of riders from other Weyrs. We don't want them to think we are barbaric."

"Today you will be touching the eggs. Queen Kaith is extremely upset about her missing egg; nevertheless, she has consented to allow you to touch the eggs. She will be watching your every move as well as the Weyr's bronzes."

She studied each Candidate in turn. "Do you understand me so far? Tell me if I am going to fast because this and the next few things I will be telling you are of the utmost importance."

[Tenma]

Jakel fidgited impatiently in his chair. He listened with intrest, but one could tell that he just wanted to touch the eggs. His head nodded fiercly as Rhia questioned if they understood. He wanted to be the first to touch the eggs.

**************

Hali remained quiet and patient. She nodded politely at the question.

[Torva Anian]

Kinest's brow twitched as Rhia went through the etiquitt. He never knew all these odd rules for ones bonded to dragons. He tilted his head as he tried to comment those words to memory, no use upsetting more big dragons and making them angry at you as well. He nodded slightly with the rest when Rhia asked if everyone understood. He looked around at the others before returning his gaze to her.

[kestral]

((Should I bring in Khaliall, or does she not count as a Candidate?))

Tavril was still afraid and her words did nothing to ease his terror of confronting the Queen. Why he should be so nervous, he wasn't entirely sure, though he had an idea; a strong suspicion...Chewing his bottom lip anxiously, he nodded thoughtfully and brushed an unruly lock of hair out of his eyes, trying to concentrate, but finding his eyes straying.
He knew with absolute certainty that he would be on his best behavior around this anxious Queen.
Risking annoying her risked his Candidacy, and after coming all this way, he had no intentions of doing that.
Leaning forward, he nodded again and awaited Rhia's next words.

[Kandarra]

Valkoran replied, "I don't think you are. I think you're just luckier than the rest of us; you have more hope." He smiled briefly at Jessalynn and began to try to pay attention to Rhia's words. The greetings made sense: weyrleaders and weyrwoman were the leaders of Pern and they and their dragons must be treated with respect. He nodded when Rhia said what she was going to say next was very important; he believed her.

[Akki]

Hasima winced involuntarily as Rhia said the proper greetings and prayed siliently that she would remember them. Her lips moved, forming silent words as she burnt them into her brain. 'Remember to greet dragons, even when they are not in sight.' She repeatedas she counted on her fingers how many things she would have to remember. Despite her nervousness and slight fear, she was still anxious to go and see the eggs. But one thing at a time, first the lesson and then that.

[Spirithawk]

((you can have her wander into the lesson and Rhia will assume she is a Candidate and send her in))

Rhia took another look at the Candidates. She wished that they didn't look so tense. The Queen would sense their fear and she might assume that they were scared because they had stolen the egg. She remembered her touching the eggs ceremony and it was a happy, giddy time. Now this experience would be tainted for her pupils because someone had stolen an egg.

(bleh i g2g to class so ill finish this later..you can reply if you want but you dont have to))

[kasharq]

Jorik knew he was late, and didn't want to make a deal of it. He snuck in and spotted Jakel. He wishpered to Jakel, "Psst, could you give me an update, I'm a little off schedual..." He said, trying to grin.

[kestral]

((Mmkay, then. Khaliall shall come, but I shan't reply just yet with Tavril. I don't remember if Christae and Sh'iron are actually here but I hope you don't mind that I said they were...))

Khaliall wandered into the Lower Caverns absently and started to turn in one direction to pick up a mug of klah, but she spotted a cluster of people all seated at a table from the corner of her gaze. As it was a rather odd time of the day for a meal, she glanced around, eyes widening as she spotted her half-brother with the group of other youth.
She hadn't known that Tavril had befriended anyone...though it wouldn't have surprised her if he had, and simply forgotten about her in the process. However, the manner in which they sat was not indicative of a congenial meeting over food: They looked nervous.
Or, at least what she could see of the youth did. Only Tavril's back was then presented to her, but she tentatively near him and the others, head tilted thoughtfully to one side and lips pursed.
As she approached, she extended a slim hand to brush her brother's shoulder, and he tensed, whirling around to glare at her, and then rolling his eyes when he saw who it was.
"Khaliall!" he hissed, the irritation in his tones causing her to recoil, eyes falling.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'll leave--This isn't a convenient time?"
"Shard it all, this is a very bad time," he muttered back, endeavoring to keep his tones low so as not to be overheard. Khaliall gave him an inquiring look, eyes hopeful, but he turned back to stare intently at a woman wearing the knots of a full rider, whom she had not seen before. To one side, further away from the table, she spotted Christae and a man whom she assumed must be the Weyrleader. A brief smile flickered across her palid features as she fluttered a wave to the Weyrwoman.
The smile vanished, as she contemplated the grave features of the youth. Such expressions were habitual on her face, but why all these?
From what she had heard, the Candidates were being permitted to touch the eggs that day. Were these nervous youth the Candidates? Her look grew dubious, and she wondered absently as she hovered in the background, what had come of the Egg Theft so talked about amongs the Weyrdwellers.
Had it had no repercussions?

[Spirithawk]

((Kasharq I am not mad but I don't recall approving a Jorik from you and your character bio isn't in the pending characters board or in the character board. Please submit a bio for the candidate to the pending characters board so it can be official and i can add him to the list))

((Kestral the WLs are there so no worries))

Rhia nodded to the newcomer. "We were just discussing ettiquette. You are late young lady. I will expect you to report to Uslanee after the Touching Ceremony for an hour of glow-duty for your tardiness." The WLM/Candidate master returned to what she had been about to say.

"When you enter the Hatching Grounds, you will bow to the bronzes guarding the entrance. They will let you pass. Do not worry about them. It is Kaith you need to worry about. She is stil quite upset about the theft of the egg."

"When you approach Kaith, remain a good distance away. You will greet her with the respect she deserves. Flatter her, normally flattery is looked down upon but she is a Queen and most Queens are vain."

"State your name and ask after her health. Wish her and her rider good health. ASK for her permission to touch her eggs. If she grants you permission bow again, and step forward slowly. Do not make any sudden movements and look for our signal. The Weyrleaders and I will be there supervising. My flitt Gylfie will call the next person in. You will go one at a time and leave when we signal."

"When you go to leave you will bow to the Queen and then back out of the cavern. Try not to turn your back on the Queen. You will all meet back here for a lesson on Hatching procedue. For now, I want you to write your names on the slips of hide I have here. We will pull to see who goes first."

((I literally am pulling from a hat here.))

[Tenma]

Jakel was so excited. They were finally going to touch the eggs. He quickly wrote down his name in a hurried messy writing.

****************

Hali took the parchment and wrote her name.

((Sorry these posts have been so short. I have been multitasking.))

[kestral]

Khaliall, still hovering some distance away but watching the group, gaped at the Woman as she was addressed, and tentatively inched closer.
Tavril shot Khaliall an incredulous look, which clearly demanded to know what she was up to but she could only look bewilderedly back at him, and shrug.
"I'm sorry," she murmured dazedly, wondering what she had done wrong: and what she was late to. "I won't forget..."
Tavril, however, was forced to forget the appearence of his Half-sister, when Rhia began talking once more. He was almost as startled as Khaliall.

The young woman had squeezed onto a seat near Tavril, and since she had apparently been included in this gathering, endeavored to direct her full attention to it.
It finally dawned on her that this must be the group of Candidates who were about to have the honor of touching the eggs. Awed, she cast Tavril an envious look before recalling that she seemed to have been taken into the group in any case.
Listening, she felt rather dizzy: There were a lot of things to remember, and so many which she didn't think she could...
Bow to the bronzes guarding the Cavern. Bow to the Queen and greet her respectfully. State your name and inquire after her health. Wish her and her rider good health. Ask for permission to touch the eggs and when leaving bow and back out...
She rubbed a hand across her eyes, unaware that Tavril was just has desperate to remember everything.
He stepped forward to take a slip of hide, and scrawl his name on it. After a moment's hesitation, wondering if she ought to do so, Khaliall stepped forward and delicately printed her own name, flushing self-consciously.

[Spirithawk]

Rhia stepped forward, holding out a wooden bowl for the Candidates to place their names in.

[Kandarra]

Valkoran took a slip for himself and one for Jessa, slipping it her way. He wrote his name in a neat, slanting print, checked to see that it was legible (the slant sometimes distorted it) and dropped it in the bowl Rhia offered. He settled to wait, mulling over the procedure. It was strange that they should have to back out of the Hatching Sands, for Valkoran thought that a sign of hiding something. But, whatever the queen wished, she got, and Valkoran wasn't about to challenge it, not with the egg being gone.

[Akki]

She took the parchement and scribbled an almost illegible name on it, her hand shaking slightly as she wrote it. It felt like there was an invisible hand grasping her heart, making everything seem slower, her head seem fuzzy and making it hard to breathe in the room. The egg was still stolen, the great Queen would be cautious and wary of every person that went near her eggs. She could snap at anyone she thought had helped in the theft, anything could happen now. The thought that kept ringing in her head was; Would it happen? Was everything that could happen going to happen?

The males had it a bit easier, everyone knew the person who stole the egg was female, they didn't know how the Queen knew this but they believed her for it was true, no doubt. She looked around the room, did one of them steal the egg? She knew she didn't, she barely had the courage to go touch the eggs right now, there was no way she'd manage to steal one behind Kaith's back. She bit her lip and dropped the paper into the bowl, wondering if she would regret it later on.

[Dragon]

(alright here she is, as you requested Hawk. I skimmed the whole topic so if there is anything wrong with my post let me know what I need correcting.)

A blue landed in the weyrbowl and a rider with his passenger dismounted quickly. The blue rider knew he had to do this quickly or his passenger might miss everything. He ran up to the Weyrwoman and paused before her to catch his breath. "Greetings Weyrwoman Christae. I'm sorry to interrupt whatever may be going on but my trip took longer than expected. My blue insisted on stopping for this girl here", he said to her. He pointed to the girl standing next to him with a bit of a confused look on her face.

What is this guy's rush anyway? Are all blue riders this frantic? The girl had her eyebrow raised but soon shook away her thoughts and expressions when she was mentioned. She bowed to the Weyrwoman and said, "Greetings Weyrwoman. I am Kira". She introduced herself and then allowed the blue rider to speak again.

"As I was saying. My blue insisted on stopping for this girl. I was hoping it wasn't too late for her to join with the rest of the candidates today. If anyone is to take any blame it should be me", he said, still a bit breathy. He was also a bit taken back when in the presence of the Weyrwoman. Since the egg had been stolen he had a bit of fear of her and her gold's anger. The blue rider was a bit on the timid side at times and since the egg was stolen he had been a bit nervous, especially around the queen and her rider. He tried his best not to let this show though.

The girl gave a mental smirk at the blue rider. Cute, but a bit to scared for my tastes. She mentally shrugged and looked at the Weyrwoman, wondering what her answer would be.

[maira]

Jessa took the piece of hide that Valkoran slid towards her and did as he did, writing her name on it. After she had dropped it into the bowl she listened intently to what Rhia said. Everything she said seemed a bit on the formal side but she'd been in the Weyr long enough to know that certain things were just dealt with with quite a bit of ceremony. She didn't doubt that a good part of the formality of this touching was due to one of the eggs being stolen though. She could hardly imagine the laid back weyrfolk being this strict about something that should be a joyous occaision. Oh well, she would do as she was instructed and hopefully the queen would find her suitable to touch the eggs.

[nike]

Malenie had somewhat dazed off as Rhia started talking. Yes, she had heard everything before, and it was getting a little tiring. All the riders that she had spoken too treted her like a child, even though she was older than some of them. They told her the same things, "Respect all dragons and riders", "Be careful during the Hatching", "Don't worry if you do not Impress." Eveything was the same. Bright eyes went unfocused as she dreamed of the Hatching and her own Impression.

Her dragon stood out like a white would. She held her head high, and never looked at any of the other girls. After all, only one was worth of her. She would walk right up to Malenie, and state that she wanted to be fed, and would like it now. A deep sigh came out of flared nostrils. Eyes closed for one more breif moment, then opened just in time for Rhia to explain what to do.

Head tilted to one side, Malenie scribbled her name on a peice of paper, and then gave it to the Weyrlingmaster. Did she want to go first? The Candidate wasn't so sure. After all, going first meant that the Queen may be angrier, and that you would set the expctations for the rest of the Candidates. Did she want to do that? Now, that was a hard question that she asked herself. Eyes were half lidded as she thought.

†††††††††††††††

Sh'iron nodded silently to himself. Rhia was doing well. His eyes scanned over the group of Candidates sitting at the table before him. These would be the next dragonriders of Pern. The ones who would be in the Weyrling Wing when Thread came. Could they be trusted to bring firestone sacks to the full riders of the Weyr? Would they be trained enough before Thread started to fall? Would they be good enough fighters to protect Pern?

So much lay on their shoulders. Not just his own. He was in charge of all the dragonriders, their training, and fighting. He one day could be leading thesee young men and women into Thread. But they knew the risks when they agreed to be Searched. They knew what could happen. Everything. A sigh escaped his lips.

Would he be ready?
Of course you are ready! Came the deep voice of Myranenth.
Says you.
I know you better than anyone, so I say you are ready.
I guess you are right.
I know that I am right.
A smile flickered across his lips, and he turned his attention back to the lesson. It was always good to review.

The sound of footsteps brought his blue eyes towards a blue rider, and a young girl beside him. He smiled at them, but for a second, it faltered. Why was he always forgotten? Riders always greeted Christae, but never him. Ah well, he would earn his place in the rider's hearts when Thread came.
"Thank you blue rider. Your dragon has not been qualified for Search, but if this girl does Impress, we will see. We always need more Candidates. Always better to have a wide selection for the dragons to choose from. Go on and have a seat, one of the other Candidates will tell you what to do," Sh'iron said and nodded to an empty place at the end of the bench.

[kasharq]

((I remember posting him in summer, and getting him approved. Something must have happened to him that I didn't know about...))

[Spirithawk]

((do you still have the bio saved? because if you do then go post it in the Candidate section))

Christae glanced up when the bluerider entered. She smiled, noticing his flustered appearance. She knew that most of the riders that didn't know her well and riders from other weyrs tip toed around her after the theft of the egg. It amused her.

"Thank you bluerider. I hope that your dragon is well and safe flight." She heard Sh'iron's sigh and slid her hand in his. She nodded a greeting to the newcomer. "One of the other Candidates will fill you in while you are waiting. For now, write your name on a slip of hide and place it in Weyrlingmaster Rhia's bowl."

~~~~~~~~~
Rhia nodded to the bluerider and the girl and continued passing around the bowl. When the girl sat, she handed her a strip of parchment and a quill loaded with ink. "Welcome to Dark Moon Weyr Kira. I am your Weyrlingmaster and your Candidatemaster for the time being."

Rhia waited until all of the Candidates had entered their names and then pulled from the pile. "Jakel." She called as she read the name on the slip of parchment. "You will go first. I will continue to pull from the bowl so that it is completely random and fair to everyone."