November 12, 2005
Hassaleah's gold Mhiyath by J'em's bronze Fenrith
Impressees: D'ana and blue Haezynth, Zoeri and blue Erikieth, Sorrin and gold Yumeth, Jule and green Regeth.
High Reaches Weyr - Hatching Sands(#1411RIJQas$)
This may well be the largest cavern of High Reaches Weyr, an immense field of sand ringed by the stair-step rows of benches that form the viewing galleries and, above those, the ledges large enough for the whole Weyr of dragons to rest upon. The place is lit partially by electric lights, a dim illumination at all hours, but generally the light--as well as dragons and human beings--comes from the cavern's entrance, angled to keep out the worst of the weather. Volcanic heat radiates from the coarse black sand, pocked still where the feet of hatchlings and Candidates of past Turns fell, with little wind to disturb them.
People: Hassaleah J'em
Dragons: Mhiyath
Eggs: Tempest-tossed Skyscape Egg New-fallen Acorn Egg Icebound Reservoir Egg Warmth of the Hearth Egg Splattered Muck and Mud Egg Harvest Gold Crabapple Egg Sun-touched Autumn Leaves Egg Striped Winter Squash Egg Glittering First Snowfall Egg Festival of Bounty Egg Wings upon a Long Journey Egg Concealing Foliage Egg
Obvious exits:
Galleries -G- Cavern Entrance -CE-
Public Announcement from Hassaleah: The dragons of High Reaches Weyr have started to flock to the hatching cavern and thrum the welcome to Mhiyath's latest clutch. The eggs will begin to hatch at 6pm Eastern time! All Pern is invited to come and witness and cheer on the Candidates. The viewing galleries can be reached by typing '@tel #1274', then going into the 'Hatching Cavern' and 'Galleries'. While you're in the North Bowl, we invite you to have a look at the Snow Weyr on display there, created by a few of our Candidates. Everyone is welcome!
As the Candidates no doubt scramble to get themselves ready, Mhiyath has taken to industriously uncovering her eggs, brushing sand off of each one and rolling it into a special position whose significance is apparently known only to her. Hassaleah, meanwhile, is trying to move the debris of her lingering presence out of the way--a folding chair, a table, other various items whose interaction with the young dragons is probably unwise.
Fenrith has made his way onto the sands, no doubt he was already guarding the entrance even before people and dragons started arriving in the weyr. The wolfen-bronze settles himself nearby the eggs, but far enough away not to be in the way. J'em makes his way onto the sands, as well, glancing at the eggs and smiling to Mhiyath before heading over to take a position nearby his weyrwoman.
Hassaleah and Mhiyath await the arrival of the Candidates together, the Weyrwoman standing with her hands clasped in front of her. The queen sits very straight, her throat vibrating visibly with the welcoming thrum, and surveys the eggs. None has yet begun to move, but her demeanor says without question that they will. It's only a matter of time.
Ryia arrives before the long line of white robed candidates, a nod of greeting is giving to clutch parents and their riders before she oversees the bows and directs the candidates out into a semi-circle before the clutch.
Dixanan shuffles onto the sands, visibly nervous, eyes widening as he looks up at Mhiyath and Fenrith before remembering to bow, face red, and then he's shuffling over to the eggs, standing what he feels is a safe distance away.
Greidon comes walking in with Jule and Zoeri, he sandaled and socked feet stamping down the sands easily as she strides along,waiting her turn in line to bow to the two, doffing her hat for an added touch of flair. before straightening to continue "Want me to stand beside you Jule to shove you?" she asks in a soft tone to just her friends jokingly.
Grouped together with a handful of candidates near the trailing end of those coming into the hatching cavern, Sorrin doesn't hesitate as she steps out onto the sands. Everyone seems to move in a wave, so it's difficult to be left behind. The girl clasps her hands behind her and gives a quick bow to each of the clutch parents, although her tongue seems frozen even in the heat of the hatching grounds. Eventually, though, that fades as she speaks up. "Hey, it's my job to protect Jule." Sorrin peers over the shoulder of the beastcrafter.
Tripping over the sudden unevenness of ground, Zoeri's quick to steady herself again, and flash a look of apology behind her for the bumbling. As those before her begin to bow, so too does she spare the clutchparents a look and offers them a clumsy bow before hurried steps take her along again. "I... don't think that's a good idea," she returns, the mild tease of her voice offsetting the negative slant of her remark to Greidon. "When they hum like that," she looks from beneath lashes awkwardly at the dragons, flicking from the clutch parents to the ones that line the various ledges. "It makes it so ominous."
Tempest-tossed Skyscape Egg moves, only a bit at first, a slight shift in the clouded surface as the occupant makes its first tentative movement. After that, it stills again, quiet as a clear afternoon, leaving some question as to whether it ever really moved at all.
Jule works herself into the latter end of the line, peering around a candidate's shoulder at the eggs briefly before she's curtseying to Mhiyath and Fenrith, and their riders, and slipping around into the semicircle with the otehr candidates. Looking to the toehrs she can't help but stick her tongue out and laugh "I know how to run if I need to silly." Shaking her head to each, she gives a wink to her friends and glances around the large cavern. spotting a few faces, she wiggles figners over to her family and a few friends before turning back to the eggs.
Greidon chuckles at Sorrin and responds "how about we put her between us and we BOTH shove her the way that would best get her out of the dragon's path?" she compromises with her friend, long, muscled legs eating up length on the sand, sending the edge of her gownlike robes swishing back and forth gracefully. Wow, she has a figure under all that muscle. She laughs at Jule, the sound echoing a bit and pats her on the back reassuringly "That works too."
Sorrin nods her head as if giving affirmation to this 'deal' between herself and Gredion. Thus, the stable-girl turned candidate takes a place to the left of Jule in the semi-circle around the eggs. Her eyes sweep up along the galleries, unable to pick out more than a few individual faces on the lower tiers. "Do you see where our parents are sitting?" She asks, giving one more scan of the galleries before straitening her shoulders and setting her attention on the eggs in front of her. She does miss the subtle movement in the one egg, though. So much to see, something is bound to get lost in the shuffle.
Fenrith joins in the thrumming of welcome, standing tall and proud as the eggs start, slowly, to move. J'em is quiet for a long while, as he leans against his great bronzen beast. "Well, m'boy, 'ere we go." The man speaks to his lifemate.
Ryia watches her candidates line up, catching the attention of a younger boy from the Lower Caverns that's inching his way closer to the eggs but a stern look from the AWLM and he's back in place before any harm comes to him.
Tempest-tossed Skyscape Egg tips in its sandy hollow, this time obviously changing position as the hum of the dragons strengthens. It rocks again, the movement strong enough to rock it out of the carefully created hollow and a hand's span away. As though exhausted from that effort, it quiets again.
Pale beneath the flush of heat rising from the sands, Zoeri inches closer to Jule. One hand lifts to shade her forehead from nothing in particular, perhaps a movement designed just to get the bobbling curls out of her eyes, and sweeps the sands once with a quick glance. There's careful assessment behind bland eyes, noting where everyone stands, and smirking faintly at the failed attempt of the lower caverns boy to go touch an egg. "I wish they'd stop," she murmurs lowly. "It's starting to crawl up my arm kinda."
Greidon turns her attention to the sands, squinting into them "I think I see my cousin... H-!" she starts to shout, then stops herself and simply lifts an arm to wave her hat a bit to a dragonrider up here. "She lives at Western with her... uh, girlfriend and stuff." she explains to Jule and Sorrin, her voice low once more.
Dixanan inches backwards as the eggs actually start moving, looking nervously around him, and changing his inching towards Jule. "J-jule?" Pause. "A-are you scared?" And he shifts nervously, hands holding tightly onto the bottom of his robe
Jule cast a frustrated look to either side of her, giving Greidon and Sorrin both a tsking sound. Spotting movement, she elbows Sorrin "Did that stormy lookin egg just move?" Le leans forward a bit, peering towards where her brother stands before wiggling fingers to Zoeri
"What's wrong with your arm?" She gives a nervous nod in response to Dixanan. "I'm tryin to figure out which direction to run." She whispers back with a weak sounding chuckle. Le nods to Greidon but her gaze goes right back to the eggs.
Ryia leans against the wall of the cavern, eyes on the candidates and the eggs.
The Warmth of the Hearth Egg is the first to crack, flames disintegrating and leaving behind a green the color of wilted leaves. She makes a beeline for a boy named Belvan from the lower caverns, taking no time to choose and making scolding noises from the moment she lays eyes on him. "I didn't forget you, Anniveth! I'm right here." The Weyrlingmaster, Gh'rol, comes out to fetch the pair and help them off to the side, where food awaits them.
Greidon hmms at Zoeri "I think that's a sign of heat stroke isnt it? Or is it heart stroke?" she tries to remember and states "What do you think Healer? Should someone give her mouth to mouth?" she laughs at Jule "well, AWAY from the eggs would help. Whoop! I think that firey warmy one wriggled too. I wonder what would happen if they were buried too deep... you know, so they couldnt' wriggle... " she cuts off as the first one emerges. Leaning over to Sorrin she whispers "I dunno... I think baby runners are cuter at birth. Not so head-big and wobbly... Who won bets on that one"
Ryia watches at Gh'rol escorts the new pair to the side and instructs the new rider on feeding his green lifemate.
Zoeri inclines her head to Jule, the shading hand coming down to rub awkwardly at her upper arm. "Th'noise, it feels like it's getting under my skin and crawling up." And if that's not explanation enough, she gestures faintly to the ledges, "The humming. Like... goosebumps!" With ginger steps, she eases her weight from foot to foot, and in the healer's comment, she finds relief from her fixation on the dragons' hums. "No running- well, maybe running if she wasn't so quick to find her match."
"Mmm." Sorrin tries to follow Greidon's line of sight towards her family, but only ends up seeing more people in the sea of unknown faces. Well, at least there's one visiting dragon along the ledges which she recognizes. Erf. A prod in the side brings her back to reality as she peers at the stormy egg. "I think you're right. It did move." Well, that one may have moved, but there is another egg that just cracked open. She just blinks for a minute, forgetting to even see who Jule waved at in the sands. "I think... the humming is so the hatchlings in the eggs can hear them." This is all the comfort that she can offer to Zoeri as Sorrin watches the first impression, nodding to Greidon. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder..."
One last roll as though beneath a stiff wind amid the still heat of the hatching sands, and the Tempest-tossed Skyscape Egg cracks. Not content with a crack, the occupant batters the shell from the inside, turning the crack into a small hole, into a gaping breach. The Zealously Anodyne Blue Hatchling comes through nose first, pushing the rest of the shell aside and heading off to investigate the Candidates.
Zealously Anodyne Blue Hatchling
Blue in uniformly soothing pastels covers every inch of this dragon, the same color that Healers have sometimes used to try to calm their patients, and there are a great many inches for it to cover. He's a bulky fellow for his color, pudgy about the belly but also broad of shoulder and long of tail. Cornflower swirls hypnotically over wings and back with powder blue, paling to the color of sunlight on ice over the crest of his neck ridges. He is a wide-faced dragon, with a stocky neck slightly too short to balance the extensive tail, full cheeks the color of afternoon sky beneath the faceted eyes. The muscles beneath the gently-hued hide are well-defined, sturdy haunches tense with pent-up energy that belies the delicate coloration.
Dixanan whimpers again, scooting closer to Jule all the while as there's a green, then a blue on the sands. "W-which way do you t-think we should run?" And he's looking at the others for some sort of reassurance, though quick glances are continuously tossed at the blue.
Greidon whistles a little bit "Oh wow, he's a gorgeous color isnt he? Reminds me of that bronze that was at Fort... you konw, the one they say got stuck in the entrance to the living Caverns?" she laughs "Crazy dragons. Gotta love them." as she stands still, used to waiting patiently for babies to emerge, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. She looks to Dix at that and states "If you want you can hide behind me." the large, burly crafter states.
"If you run," a young girl pipes in next to Dixanan, "They'll find you all the quicker, cause you're moving. Might as well stay still until they come atcha." Flashing an easy smile, the perky teenager turns to the boy and then back to the sands with a low whistle, "Jays. Green'n blue in a row. Bets on there bein' a brown next?"
When Warmth of the Hearth Egg suddenly shatters and spills a little hatchling on the other side of the clutch, Le peeks around from behind Greidon. Jule may be short and chubby, but she was quick enough to hide behind a larger target than herself. "Looks like we won't have long to wait huh?" Eyes dart from one face to another before peering towards the departing weyrlings and waving. More eggs twtiching and another hatchling spilling onto the sands gets her attention "Oh, isn't he cute." Grinning over to Dixanan the chubby candidates gives a little wink at the information antoehr candidates offers.
Zealously Anodyne Blue Hatchling wastes no time with the remainder of his egg. No, what he seeks is out there, among the Candidates. He carefully picks his way around the other eggs to get out to the circle of people, and starts to inspect them. The first few he rejects swiftly with a derisive snort, but he lingers over the next two. The blue sizes them up, checks out their robes, inspects the toenails through their sandals with careful scrutiny. In the end, they aren't the ones he's looking for, and he moves on to others.
Ryia gives the blue hatchling her attention as he moves out "Now there's a fast mover, no real sign of wobbliness to him at all." a comment made to Gh'rol as he leaves the first pair of 'lings to join her again.
Dixanan stares at the girl next to him, eyes widening, and he just stares for a long moment. "I-I don't know what to do.." And he shifts, ready to use the other girl as a shield, as the blue wanders down the line, should it be necessary.
Greidon snorts at the young girl "These things can hardly walk, much less run." She disreguards and blinks, not realizing Jule was suddenly behind her. This half circle is gonna turn into a Conga LIne soon and she watches the Blue begin to inspect their feet, and wriggles her socked toes in his face "Dont sniff too much buddy. They're smelly." she notes to him calmly, in soothing tones. "Just relax Dix, and hide behind me if you want. Seriously. I dont mind. I'll take 'em all on for my friends."
One down, more to go. Sorrin keeps her mouth shut about any of the bets among the candidates on what colors will hatch when. She does laugh though, at seeing Jule already seeking refuge behind Greidon. "You're big, my friend, but you aren't big enough to hide every candidate on the sands, you know." Sorrin's eyes sweep to the second dragonet, a hand reaching up to rub at one eye as she gets somewhat lost in the hypnotic coloration of his wings. "Cute?" She stares at Jule for a moment, then to the dragon before finally admitting, "Okay, well maybe a little."
Zoeri takes in the advice of the former stablehand with a wry smile. "Maybe there's something to that. Have the harpers play music while people give birth too and it'll help them also." But whatever Sorrin said seems to have calmed the young woman down, and the hand that rubs falls lax to cross her abdomen in a loose hold of her elbow. "I don't know," she adds in her own dubious assessment of the hatchling, "They're kind of gooey when first shelled, aren't they?" Her head tilts all the way to her shoulder, as if from another angle she'll see the cuteness attributed to the new-hatched blue.
Zealously Anodyne Blue Hatchling finds a teenage girl who seems like a likely target. The dragonet sniffs her, checks her toes, sniffs again, but somehow... it's not exactly what he's looking for. He noses her aside, leaving her to breathe a sigh of relaxation, to go for the boy behind her. With disapproval he notes the crooked hem of the robe, the pale knees. The toes meet with approval, however, and after a cursory whuff of air, the blue looks up into the dark eyes, and makes his choice.
Jule smirks to Greidon and Sorrin and straightens her shoulders before reaching up to brush some speck of sand fromthe taller candidate's shoulder "There. Was just helpin ya look nice for the dragons Greidon." That's her story. She wasn't hiding behind the taller candidate. To dixanan she grin "Take a couple of breathes, else you'll pass out." Le looks over the searching dragon, creeping back a half pace and glancing to Zoeri as the blue continues searching. "Well, he could always be given a bath. Just like little lizards."
Dixanan didn't dodge fast enough, it seems, for there's a blue dragonet at his feet, looking up at him. Dark eyes stare back for a long moment before he wraps his arms around its neck. "Oh, you are here, Haezynth! I'll get you s-something good!" And he looks around questioningly, not letting go of the blue yet.
Greidon hmms "I think with the heat of the sands he'll dry off REAL quickly." she states to those behind herself, and watches the Blue nose past Jule and right to Dix, and lifts her hands to applaud her friend, stepping politely out of the way "See? Its nothing. They just tell those stories to scare people... Uh, that way Dix. Towards the Riders." she helps with a womanly smile.
Ryia shoves away from the wall as and out onto the sands "Dixanan why don't you bring Haezynth on over here out of the way, you can feed him and get to know him better too."
Ice can linger for only so long against the heat of the sands, and the surface of the Icebound Reservoir Egg gives way at last. It shudders, cracks, and then breaks away entirely. The sleek little dark bronze left behind, however, has a great deal of trouble finding where he's supposed to be going. He struggles to get rid of the last eggshells clinging to his feet only to find his path blocked by the bulging forms of other eggs. He turns another direction and tries it only to find his looming golden dam. Frustrated, he lets out a cry, and Mhiyath bends to nose him off in the other direction. There, at long last, lies his destination, a Harper boy named Corbal. "Took you long enough to get here, Caminoth!"
D'ana blinks at Ryia before nodding quickly and following Ryia's directions, moving to the side, Haezynth following. "T-Thank you."
Ryia only has time to see to Dix and his blue before going out and bringing C'rbal and Caminoth over to join the other two pairs.
"I don't think any babies come into the world without being slightly gooey." Sorrin replies, managing a nervous little chuckle as the dragonet comes past her to inspect none other than Dixanan. "Better run qui--" She cuts herself off when the boy begins talking to the dragon and a smile sprouts on her face. "Congratulations, Dixanan." She watches the pair for a moment before looking to Jule, "Are you going to come out from behind there now, or are you still worried?"
The perky girl that's nosed away just stares a moment as the stuttering boy Impresses. "Well," her little world shattered, she manages to grin brightly, "Congratulations on not getting clawed up!" Then, it's back to starring intently at the sands. Sheer force of will and the power of beady little eyes.
Greidon hears a call from the stands and turns that way, grinning as she waves again and laughs at Jule. "Well, if that Blue is any indication this type's a picky sort. Good thing we're all neat and tidy girls." she notes to them as her hat goes back on, though she looks questioningly to those in the stands, not getting what was shouted. Sun-touched Autumn Leaves Egg flutters in its place, twitching back and forth several times. Spiderweb cracks crawl like veins across the leaves, as the occupant's attempts to escape strain the shell.
Zoeri steals a glance up just in time to spy out Dixanan, relief making the underlying color her cheeks darker to match the heat-flush there already. "Oh, he must be so happy," she comments to the girls nearby. "Now he doesn't have to worry about... well, anything." The bronze's hatching and then subsequent Impression is lost on the girl as she strains to watch D'ana move off with his new bond.
Jule looks from Dixanan with a grin to Sorrin "What? I was just making sure Greidon wasn't be snuck up on is all." She crosses her arms and shifts her sandaled feet in the sand. After a few seconds, she reaches up to swipe the arm of her robe again her forehead. Another egg cracks and she smiles as the hatchling harrasses a couple of the male candidates til chosing his target. She nods at what Greidon says "Well, that's good at least. Maybe I won't waste away in the heat." Did Le just complain about the heat?
Greidon chuckles a bit, only slightly bothered by the heat. The artificially thickened soles of her sandsals and the socks seem to help her feet, albeit she fidgets, lifting one foot to scratch between her toes, before setting it down again. "They're sure taking their time..."
With a rustling sound faintly remeniscent of the wind shivering through the trees, the Sun-touched Autumn Leaves Egg shudders and shakes; swaying sharply back and forth upon the sands. And then, with a loud crack, the lower half of the shell shatters in a multitude of shards; the aquamarine tones seeming to vanish and dribble away into the heated sands beneath the egg. And from the gaping maw created therein, the Ice-touched Waters Blue Hatchling appears to be poured out upon the parched earth, drained out from the vessel he was contained within.
Ice-touched Waters Blue Hatchling
Winter's silence lies embodied in a frosted gleam of blue locked into frozen stillness, like water solidified by the harsh pall of mist and snow. Cast in a hue of opalescent glacial blue; so pale that at first glance he appears colorless, further inspection will reveal the tones and gradients that sweep over smooth dragonhide. Arctic sapphire crowns curvaceous headknobs, flowing in frozen motion down the long, slender neck to pool over a powerful shoulders and chest. Tints of wintry sky embrace his wingsails, frost and ice bleaching out the darker tones of sky-blue making them appear mist-like; a glistening illusion. Along a rounded belly, and across robust haunches down to the lean sweep of a long tail, radiant blue-white highlights stain his flawless hide; lending semblance to a statue carved of ice.
Ryia turns to move over to D'ana "Make sure you feed him slowly, and have him chew his food well or he could choke. When he's had his fill there's oil to rub into his hide and please try not to let him sleep until the hatching is over and we can get you all settled into the barracks." With her words comes a bucket of meat chunks that's placed before the pair. "One piece at a time."
Sorrin only catches the trail end of the little bronze's impression. In an attempt to shift herself into a more comfortable position, she loses one of her sandals and has to make a quick scramble to get it back on. "Ee. Hot." Once settled again, she smirks a little at Greidon, "Neat and tidy. Pssh." She raises her shoulders in a shrug. "You were doing no such thing, but it's okay, you just beat me to it." A grin spreads on her face before she edges just a little closer to Jule and Greidon, hands still clasped behind her back. When yet another egg hatches and it's occupant finds his way onto the sands, Sorrin manages another laugh. "That one looks as if he'll fit right in, here."
D'ana looks rather nervous, nodding at Ryia, and slowly starts to give Haezynth meat, piece by piece, half watching what's still going on with the others.
Greidon snorts at Sorrin, quite runnerlike "I'm neat! I always know where EVERYTHING is." except her hairbrush apparently. She looks over at the new blue and hmms "I think he looks like Hypothermiath... what do you think?" she asks jovially.
Zoeri returns to focus her attention on the sands once D'ana is just too far off to study, and watches in bewilderment as a bronze pair makes it off, and turns to watch an egg wobble into a blue hatchling. "It's all happening too fast, and he doesn't look quite so gooey." This is high approval from the brunette, and a decided nod punctuates her assessment.
Jule laughs a bit and nods agreeably "No kidding. He'ld blend right in with the area around the lake." Greidon get's a smirk and cast a nervous glance up and down the line, shifting her feet uncertainly. Shaking her head "No, it was Numbrumpth." That is muttered to Greidon about the snowdragon outside. The chubby candidate chuckles at Zoeri's assessment of the dragon goo.
Ice-touched Waters Blue Hatchling is poured out of his egg onto the parched earth, drained out from the vessel he was contained within, and lingers there for a moment just blinking his faceted eyes and regarding the assembled individuals with something akin to awe. He moves only reluctantly, putting one foot in front of the next gingerly, as though he expects the hot sands to burn. He lingers and regards the Candidates from afar, but makes no move to approach any of them immediately.
"Jule's right, you know. Numbrumpth was the blue." As for whether or not Greidon can find such things as her hairbrush, Sorrin makes no further comment. "It's too slow, it's too fast..." The girl shakes her head from side to side, eventually just folding her arms over her chest as she waits, occasionally shifting her weight when either heat or fatigue requires it.
Zoeri hops up and down, at first out of what seems to be due to the heat, but later as the mild hopping continues - just that slightest bounce that separates her heels from the sandals - out of nerves. "Numbrumpth?" Quizzically, her eyes fly open to give the other girls a blank stare.
Greidon laughs "True, true. He's very nice... hope he doesnt' melt!" she notes, watching him "Why wont he move, I dont know... Maybe he's afraid?"
Ryia keeps an eye on the 'ling pairs as well as on the sands, which isn't an easy job at all.
As the other eggs start to move and the Hatching gets solidly underway, the Concealing Foliage Egg takes its opportunity. It shudders, and the leafy pattern parts as the shell breaks in half, leaving a brown black as an unlit room. He stumbles, then rearranges himself and feels his way past the other eggs to approach a tall young man from the Smithcraft. "Brighten up, Elicteth," he says, crouching down to meet the hatchling. "I'm sure we can find you some food in no time."
Gh'rol moves out and escorts J'ef and Elicteth over to the growing group of 'lings where he's given quick instructions on feeding his new lifemate.
Jule tilts her head, looking at the blue who seems to be looking at them. As the standoff continues, she chances a quick look to the other candidates, particularly Zoeri "That's the name we came up with one of the little snowdragons Sorrin made. I'll show ya lat..." She trails off and notices one of the hatchlings moving towards her brother. Grinning as Josef calls out his dragon's name,s he looks quickly to the stands. Probably to point out the impression to their parents. As if they can't see for themselves. Turning to watch the little brown hatching shuffle away with her brother, Le simply grins and looks to Sorrin and Greidon.
Greidon looks over as well and then to Jule "You gonna come out of hiding? I swear if you dont I'll leap to one side when you least expect it." she warns jovially to the one behind her.
Sorrin chuckles, nodding to Zoeri. "Numbrumpth. He's one of the snow dragons out in the little mock-up weyr. Jule named him." She explains at the same time as Jule, her eyes dart away from the other candidate and back towards the blue as he simply looks at them. "Maybe he's not as interested in toes as the other one." She offers her own suggestion, reaching one leg up to scratch an itch caused by sweat trickling down the back of her leg. That only seems to be a momentary distraction, though, as none other than Jule's brother gets found by a dragon on the sands. "Congratulations Josef!" She waves to the smithcrafter and his brown, absolutely beaming for his success.
"Congratulations!" The words are on Zoeri's lips even before she spies the actual Impression, moving along in that horde mentality. "Ahhhh," she exhales, voice soft. "If it's still standing, I wouldn't mind seeing it later. But we might have to get cooler first lest we melt it." It's unclear whether she's serious or not, but the sunny smile that takes over her expression is genuine at least. "Do you have any other siblings?" Even as she asks the question, the slight headtilt indicating Jule as the focus of her words, if not the attention of her eyes, she glances back to the unhatched eggs and cautiously moving blue.
Ice-touched Waters Blue Hatchling finally, after the brown's quick Impression, is inspired to make a move of his own. Each step remains delicate, but they gain assurance as he approaches the white-robed figures. He refuses to even consider the first few he encounters, wandering down the row until his gaze falls upon one of them in particular. Then, heat of the sands ignored, he rushes forward, interrupting a question and locking eyes with the winter-pale young woman who is his only interest.
Fenrith continutes to stand proudly, rumbling to each young dragon in turn, he's a good poppa. J'em chuckles at his bronzen beast, rubbing soft hide affectionately.
Jule nods her head to Zeori and gestures up to the stands "Another brother." Anything else she would have replied is cut off by Greidon's words "Who's hiding? I'm simply making sure I'm not in between you and your dragon. That's all." she moves to stands in line with her friends again, feet shifting over the intense heat of the sands. "Congrats Jos!" She calls her brother by his nickname before peering towards the blue and sidestepping a bit when it comes towards them. Le cast a nervous glance around towards the riders ont eh sands then her candidate friends.
Zoeri's eyes round at the rush of winter-embraced wings that fly her way, and with a small smile that hesitates to emerge, hovering in the brackets of her lips, she pauses in that shell-shocked way. Then, in the same fashion as the blue took to make his decision, the bobbly-curled brunette goes from still to a flutter of motion that moves to envelop the the arctic sapphire curves of the blue's head, her face finding itself squarely in the gentle muzzle, despite the goo. "I'm she, I'm she," she parrots, "And I'll get you food and love you, Erikieth." After a pause, she adds in a more impish comment, "Especially since you're not as gunky as the others so far."
Ryia steps out again, leaving the other 'lings to escort the newest bluerider over to everyone else is "Zoeri why don't you bring your handsome Erikieth over here where we've got food and oil for him." A warming smile is given as she waits for the pair to join her before leading over to the safety at the edge of the sands.
"Finally. Now the dragons can actually see you properly." Sorrin gives a smile to her healer friend and then looks back towards the blue as he approaches the group of girls. When she spots the dragon meeting eyes with Zoeri, it doesn't take long to realize that another of the candidates has been lost to impression. "Congrats on getting the only non-gooey dragon." It's a little bit of a tease, but a good-natured one at least. "You better make sure that one doesn't melt."
Greidon patpats Jule "you can leap behind me if you want at any time." she promises and nods to Zoeri "Wow, she got the icy one. We may need to build an icebox for her as a gift." she jokes with a huge grin.
Harvest Gold Crabapple Egg wavers in its position, a shudder of movement sending the egg into a lazy arc along the sandy mound it leans against, obscuring the dark blotch entirely before going another quarter-turn and settling in again with the shadowed section facing the sky. One little crack runs down from the crown as it shivers again, before resting a moment more.
Jule smirks to Greidon and refrains from sticking her tongue out at her friend. Looking quickly to Zeori, she wiggles plump fingers to her friend "He's a nice looking dragon Zeori." Her gaze slips over towards the weyrlings already feeding their dragons, waving to her friends and family who have impressed. Peering between the dwindling number of robed figures, she settles her gaze on Sorrin and Greidon "See? soon I'll be able to say I told you so to both of you." This causes her to snicker a bit before peering back to the remaining twitchy eggs.
There is a momentary hush, and in it the New-fallen Acorn Egg twitches where it lies. The upper shell cracks and falls away, and a papery-pale green crawls out of the lower half and rights herself. She moves quickly for the Candidates, and inspects a whole line of them imperiously, hardly giving each one the chance to react before moving on to the next. When she arrives at Nancia, a girl brought in from Pars Hold, the young woman nearly shies away from her. "I don't know the answer, Prentath!" Relenting, she crouches to put her arms around the green. "All right, we'll go find out." Whatever the question was, the green and her new rider are led off by one of the Weyrlingmaster's assistants.
Ryia drops a bucket of meat near Zoeri "Feed him slowly and only one piece at a time, if you don't he could choke. Don't let him fall asleep, we'll let him rest all he wants once all the eggs have hatched." quick words given before it's all repeated to Nancia and her new green lifemate.
Faint nods are passed, acknowledgement that she's heard, even if there isn't any vocal response, though Greidon's last elicits a cool toss of Erikieth's neck, the sinuous lines of arctic blue stretching up in youthful disdain. With a possessive flick of his tail, he moves in closer to Zoeri and the pair move towards the spot indicated by Ryia. The girl begins to chatter obliviously to the blue, and anyone else who might be listening, "Oh, I need to show you things, and Criah's going to be bowled over, I think, or maybe she'll stop talking to me," for an instant, worry gnaws at her lower lip, but it's back to brightness once more as she obediently takes the bucket of food and eyes Erikieth awkwardly. "So... let's do this eating thing."
Greidon chuckles at the toss and bows a bit "No offense meant. I just wanted to preseve your beauty, handsome blue Erikieth." she explains to him reassuringly as she lifts her foot, grimacing "So ITCHY! Gah! I feel like I have a flea there."
A dark crack spreads around the circumfrence of the Harvest Gold Crabapple Egg. One more fervent motion, and the shell around the bruised spot on the egg breaks open. The Snarled Waves of Gold Hatchling pushes out of the shell, onto the sand, shaking her head to rid herself of the last fragments.
Snarled Waves of Gold Hatchling
Oh, she is golden, this young queen, but nothing else one expects--smallish, awkward, the flaxen-sailed wings looking rumpled next to her richly caramel body. She is slender as her dam, her features elongated and refined, from the curve of limb to the smoothly flawless hide of her muzzle. Her faceted eyes are drowsy, the lids heavy and left in shadow by the prominences above. The ridges of her neck are paler, buff blonde arching in uneven protrusions, peaks lopsided and sometimes craggy where they should be only smooth curves. Her limbs are slender, wing spars looking almost too delicate to hold her weight in flight, with dark talons long and stiletto-sharp. Shimmering honey streaks down her back and sides to brush the syrup-colored belly, a line of it running down the lithe tail to the forked tip.
"Shush you." Sorrin aims a finger at the healer girl. With no hatchlings on the sands at that moment, she spares the girl a glance and a shake of the head. "No more of that defeatist talk. We'll have to have Greidon beat it out of you, and that won't be very fun." She tsks at Jule, but then her attention gets diverted when a green hatchling appears on the sands and begins making it's rounds. Among one of those momentarily considered, Sorrin stiffens just slightly and then lets out a sigh as the green moves on to impress the holder girl. "She suits you well, Nancia." Her eyes pass the sands again on their way to eye the beastcrafter's itch and they spot the hatching of the isolated egg. "Well, that one was a sure bet on color, at least..."
Greidon notes the dissapearance of dragons, and eyes the eggs once more. "... Are they done for the day!" then the gold pops out and she blinks "... Maybe not! We have a gold now! How much is the odds on that one, Sorrin?" she inquires her friend, watching intently, suddenly a wee bit tense.
Jule looks around at the remaining candidates and twitches her nose "Who's talking defeated. I'm certain I was right all along and soon I'll be able to remind you so often." Le snickers to her friends and blinks over to the latest egg to crack. Eyeing the gold hatchling uncertainly, she creeps a half pace back, while tryin to not seem so to her friends.
Ryia steps off the sands after speaking with Gh'rol, leaving the other AWLM in charge of escorting the 'lings off to the side of the sands.
Snarled Waves of Gold Hatchling takes her time about getting going. She stretches, first leaning back and extending her long forelegs, then standing up on all fours to stretch the back and pointing her tail out like a feline. Wings come next in the methodical progression, though the gleam in her eyes is already hungry. Only after she's taken care of all that can she move forward towards the remaining girls, every now and then shaking her head as though she expects those odd ridges to right themselves at any moment.
Greidon looks to Jule at that, then back "... Whys' everyone gone quiet? " she asks, suspiciously as she looks towards the gold dragon "She's sure taking her time... uh oh, be ready to dodge, Jule, she's coming our way." she puts her hand on Jule's shoulder, trying to relax the woman by looking as though to shove her to one side.
Wings upon a Long Journey Egg rolls, briefly, before coming to a stop. The pause lasts a whole few seconds before the egg is moving again, this time almost hopping, it comes to a stop as it knocks against one of its fellow eggs, the sky left free of sand. A single crack starts across the surface, chasing the flying forms before obscuring them in its wake. Then, the egg rests, as if that effort was just too much work.
"So, rather than being defeatist, you're just an optimist with really misdirected tendencies?" Sorrin lifts an eyebrow, boggling at her friend's logic for a moment. Oh, she catches that subtle shift backwards as well. "Oh no, time to use all that dodging skill of yours, Jule." Yes, Jule gets to be taunted from both sides, but luckily Sorrin only eyes Greidon as if appraising her skill at shoving. "You've got her covered, then? I better just linger as back up." She nods, drawing close to the other girls, as much for support as anything else.
Baked hard by so long on the sands, it seems unsurprising that the Splattered Muck and Mud Egg practically disintegrates into dust when the occupant attempts to escape it. Left behind is a mottled yellow-green hatchling who lets out a blood-curdling shriek at the surprise and indignity. Spluttering out a little piece of shell, she gets her bearings and heads out towards the white-robed figures. A Herder Apprentice turned Candidate is waiting for her, stepping back away from her at first but finally accepting her with open arms. "No, Agriath, I haven't been standing out here too long," says Talerin, now T'lerin.
Jule cast a dark look between her friends and sticks her tongue out at each. As the gold starts to move, she shuffles back with tiny steps, leaving Greidon and Sorrin both looking like they may have volunteered for some unknown task. "I've got myself covered, thank you very much." This to her friends as sheseems ready to jump in either direction should she need to.
Greidon winces at the shriek of the green and eyes her " That one's going to keep us up more than my snores keep you guys up."
"I think she's abandoning us." Sorrin notes with a flat voice, pointing a thumb over her shoulder towards the quickly retreating Jule. Still, she doesn't get to linger on this long as the herder boy gets claimed by an ear-piercing green. "Eee. Quite a voice on that one, Tal. Congratulations." It's a rare thing, but she gives the boy a smile. Maybe he'd stop having a thing for her now that he has a dragon to take care of. One can only hope.
Jule grins to the young former stablehand and wiggles her fingers his way "Congrats!" She calls out before peering back to the hatchling and other eggs. Shaking her head to her friends" Not running away. Just getting a strategic location that's gives me a path of least obsticles to run through if I need." She shifts her feet trying to cool them as the young queen looks over the whiterobed girls.
Snarled Waves of Gold Hatchling is still distracted as she nears the Candidates, finally going so far as to try to rub the back of her head with one foreleg. In the end, it seems to be a lost cause. She's just stuck that way, so she might as well accept it, and get down to business here. The queen regards the first Candidate she comes to with some curiosity, but it's a boy--not what she's most interested in at the moment, so she turns her back on him, and comes to a group of young women. Her interest lies in one with plain features and haphazard hair, and she noses through to attract the attention of her quarry with quickly whirling eyes.
Sorrin's eyes go slightly out of focus for a moment, as if she were looking at something internal rather than something in front of her eyes. The girl looks down into the whirling blue eyes, her face lighting up with a brilliant smile. "Well, I didn't have much of a choice in the matter, you know..." She laughs and throws her arms around the neck of the dragonet. "Mmm. Yumeth, now and forever, but let's find you something to eat first, hrm?"
A crack like thunder echoes through the air as lightning cracks push the flying creatures desperately onwards, but to no avail as the Wings Upon a Long Journey Egg falls apart, leaving the Rain-Washed Watercolor Green Hatchling upon the hot sands.
Rain-Washed Watercolor Green Hatchling
Verdant green colors the base of this little lady, bright as fresh paint. A watercolor painting over a green canvas, brushed ever so carefully across well-proportioned dragon form. The darkest of the greens covers powerful hind legs, delicately curved belly, and strong chest, then shifts into a much brighter viridian over whip-like tail and up her lower back. That, however, is where the careful brushing of greens ends, for it seems this living watercolor has been carelessly left out in the rain. Watery pale green spills from her headknobs down over her head and drizzles down her neck, washing out the near-perfection of the base color. Over her sides does the lighter green drip, though it seems to melt into the darker greens as it reaches her thighs, as if the artist has finally brought it out of the rain to dry. Talons of deep ebon seem to sink deeply as she grips the ground she occupies.
Gh'rol, the High Reaches Weyrlingmaster, approaches Sorrin and her new companion with a smile. "If you'll come over here," the older man says, "we'll get you settled for the remainder. I'm sure she's hungry, and we've got plenty of food over here for her." He escorts the pair off to the side of the sands.
Jule tilts her head and sidesteps away from Sorrin as the gold hatchling takes an intense interest in her stablehand friend. Grinning a bit she peels to Greidon she edges closer larger shield of a candidate "Yumeth is a pretty name." That murmured after Sorrin announces it and she waves bounces a little on her feet "Congratulations Sorrin."
Sorrin nods her head, releasing the dragonet's neck and pushing herself up onto her feet. She lets her fingers linger on the little dragon's head, and absolutely beams at the draconic congratulations from Izelth. "Now you go find one." Sorrin just about commands Jule as she leads her dragon off to the side to get her first meal along with the rest of the hatchlings.
Greidon grins still about the potentially snoring green but turns her attention to the gold hatchling. Nodding to what Jule says "I agree. Congratulations Sorrin." The older candidate waves to her newly impressed friend as another egg hatches and spills a wobbly green to the sands.
Rain-Washed Watercolor Green Hatchling bursts forth from her shards with pent up energy that's been stored far too long. A shake and she sends egg-goo flying in all directions. It doesn't take long for her to start moving, as she moves, a bit too quickly, towards the candidates that remain upon the sands. With a near-screech, the little greenling pauses halfway to the whiterobes, to inspect a particularly interesting egg-shard, nosing it curiously. Then her dam and sire are noticed and she makes a soft trilling sound and scampers towards them, curiously snuffing all the way.
The Striped Winter Squash Egg twitches from time to time as the Hatching progresses, but finally just sags in place until its occupant smashes out from the inside. The brown hatchling is the color of charcoal, and thus released, he seems reluctant to move any further. It is only the gentle encouragement of his dam--Mhiyath practically scrapes him out of his curled-up position with her nose--that gets him up and moving again. He gives the first few Candidates he sees cursory looks, but finally ends up with a girl from the Weyr's lower caverns. Aschina puts her arms around his neck, grinning widely. "Yes, Quemath, we're both feeling a little overcooked. Let's get out of here and get you something to eat."
Jule watches as her friend leads the young hatchling away. But the shrill green charging ahead get's her attention. And she leaps back, as if she may have practiced that step a time or two during candidancy. More eggs start hatching, that adds to the confusion of avoiding a potential mauling. Le doesn't quite hide behind Greidon, wanint go make sure she has running room probably.
Fenrith croons softly to his little green daughter, but after a moment of whuffling over her, he gets her turned about, and hopefully headed in the right direction, towards the candidates. J'em chuckles. "A bit hyper, that one, y'think?"
With the number of eggs dwindling, the Glittering First Snowfall Egg just sits there and shimmers under the cavern lights. Like the snow perched on a bough bent by the wind, however, the pressure of time is too much, and it finally cracks open. The blue left within, however, has some trouble extracting itself from the egg, the sticky fluid remaining clinging to his hide and adhering to pieces of shell. Though he picks up bits of stuff as he goes, a bit of shell here and a coating of sand there, he moves quickly for his chosen Candidate, a boy from the Weyr. Perten, now P'ten, is very careful about his embrace. "We'll get rid of that soon enough, don't you worry, Chicleth," he reassures the hatchling, and they are led off to the side with the others.
Rain-Washed Watercolor Green Hatchling gets nosed in the right direction and creels once more. But once she gets herself turned about, she spots the whiterobed toys again and rushes towards them at full speed, now. Unfortunately she trips over her own hatchling feet and tumbles head over tail towards the remaining candidates. She skids to a stop in front of the small group and bounces right back to her feet. Spotting a particular candidate, a nice soft and plump girl, she scampers that way.
"You might want to be up here so I can push you out of the way, if she charges." Greidon glances over her shoulder at Jule, but she's the one who has to side-step as the green comes her way and ends up bounding right past towards the healer.
Jule shakes her head to Griedon "I'm good right here, thanks though." But then the older candidate suddenly is sidestepping and she's being charged down by the excitable little green. The startled plump candidate jumps back with a little squeak. But the pretty green slows and scampers her way in a curious manner. Blinking in surprise, Jule just watches the little hatchling come closer. "After a second, she chuckles and steps forward "I've not been hiding Regeth. I swear. Been right here the whole time." Hugging the slim neck "Of coarse. We'll get you any tasty little bits you want."
The Weyrlingmaster waves Jule and Regeth over towards the others. "Just come right over here and we'll get her fed! And we'll get you a little water, you've been out on those hot sands so long. Sound good?" Gh'rol smiles at the pair and guides them in the right direction.
One last egg remains on the sands, the Festival of Bounty Egg. Only after all the others have hatched does it choose to open up its cornucopia of delights to the outside world. The green who emerges is dark as an evergreen on a winter night and sleek as ice. She has no trouble getting out of the shell, nor on her first delicate steps on the Hatching Sands. Then, she somehow manages to lose her footing, sand slipping beneath her steps, and she reels backwards to land hard on her tail. She lets out a plaintive whine, but gets back to her feet again to make her way forward once more. Her Candidate of choice is Lishella, now Lisha, a young woman Searched from Tillek. "Oh, Blyth, I'm sure nobody really noticed that fall," she reassures her newfound friend.
Jule nods to Gh'rol "Oh yes. That sounds good to her." She grins a bit, peering up briefly to the ledges and waves. Looking quickly to galleries and waves to her family again and practically bounces along, feet shuffling over the hot sands quickly at Regeth's side. "First we'll get you something toeat, then water. Just like the man said." the chubby candidates does manage to keep up with her quick paced green.
With the last hatchling's Impression, Mhiyath relaxes into a quieter pose, while her rider goes out to gather up those remaining Candidates. "Thank you, all of you, for standing for this clutch. We'll be more than happy to keep you on if you wish to stay, or provide transportation if you'd rather return to your previous homes. You've done us a great service, and if you'd like to stay on until the next clutch, we're happy to have you," says Hassaleah to them all. "Now, then, let's file off nicely, and we'll all head into the living cavern for a nice meal!"
As the last of the eggs hatch and impress, Greidon is among those left behind without a life-mate. Even so, she bows to both the sire and dam before making her way out of the sands, following a few others who didn't impress.
The Weyrlingmaster, meanwhile, surveys his newest group with a smile. As they finish up their feedings, Gh'rol tells them, "Once they're all done, we'll all cross the bowl to the Weyrling Barracks, and get you all settled in for the evening. If you'd like to come out to eat once they're sleeping, I think there'll be more than a few people wanting to see our newest Weyrlings. Congratulations to all of you!"