Hatching Sands

[Cherished Strawberries]

A large, bowl shaped crater filled with sand that is warmed by the sun. There are tiers set in the side for people to view Hatchings from, as well as comfortable perches along the sides for the Weyr's dragon population. Currently, Mith watches over her clutch of 50 gleaming eggs, with two eggs rumored to be queens.  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Lina walked into the Hatching Ground, her step confident. Mith opened one eye as her rider neared and breathed a puff of warm air over her. Lina laughed softly and ran the next few steps to her lifemate, hugging as much of her large forearm as she could.

You are happy. I am happy. The eggs are well.

"I'm glad, Mith," Lina whispered, pulling herself up to sit on Mith's foot. "Your eggs, as well as you, are very precious."

Yes. I am anxious to see them hatch and find their lifemates.

"As am I, golden heart," Lina said. "Mith, are these two eggs truly queens?"

Lina pointed to the two eggs, one gold and the other a creamy white, and she feared the answer, whether it would be affirmative or not. Mith didn't answer for a moment. Lina knew that she was thinking.

I'm not sure. I only feel that they need to be protected, even if they are not gold. I will protect them.

"Of course, love," Lina said, snuggling her head closer to Mith's body. "No matter what, they're important."  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

Kes slowly approached the Hatching Sands. She had only just arrived at the Weyr and really didn't want to make a bad impression on anyone. Not that she really cared, but still. Spotting the queen and her rider, Kes bowed lowly in respect and kept and safe distance from both. "Greetings to you, Weyrwoman, and to you too, Queen Mith." 'I hope that was acceptable. It's the only way my father taught me to greet dragonriders.'

((Hey, here's a question, do you have any Hears All Dragons people? Can we role for the ability or what?))  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((Well, you can't really roll. But you can be. Yes, you should be. I'll make one. lol. I guess it wouldn't be realistic if there weren't any HADs, huh?))

Lina looked up as the girl walked onto the Hatching Sands. Trying to recall some manners, she slid down from her queen's foot and returned the bow with a poor excuse for a curtsy. Unaccustomed to the manuever, she nearly fell at the girl's feet. Regaining her balance, she stood up straight laughing.

"Greetings," she said. "Welcome to Ieirne Weyr. Please, call me Lina. And no more bowing; I can't curtsy at all. I apologize, but may I ask your name? I'm sort of new at this."

Being new does not mean you are not a good Weyrwoman. Besides, it is impossible to know someone's name before meeting them. She looks nice. Better than some that have stood at other Hatchings.

"Mith approves of you," Lina said with a sly look. "I guess that means I should, too."  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

((So you're saying I can be a HAD? I'm one in another guild but still...Also, I can advertise for you if you want. I can bring transfer riders too if you'd like.))

Kes straightened and stood proudly before the queenrider and her dragon. "My name is Kes, I've just arrived here from Honshu. If you don't mind my saying, Lina, you appeared to be very new at this. It's no problem, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. Besides, you have Mith here to help you every step of the way, and I'm sure you have a Weyrmate around here somewhere." She looked the queen dragon up and down. "You are truely lovely, Queen Mith."

A trio of firelizards joined them then. Two of them were bronzes and the third was a brown.

Kes grinned up at the trio and the two bronzes landed on her shoulders while the little brown stayed hovering in the air. "Lina, may I introduce to you my little friends. The two bronzes are Karim and Bari and the shy brown up there is Tattle. They came with me from Honshu."

Karim and Bari crooned pleasently at Lina and at Mith. Poor Tattle finally landed on Kes just behind her head and wrapped his tail around her neck in fright.

Kes rubbed the little brown soothingly. "Poor Tattle, it's alright, Mith won't hurt you. She's a nice queen, isn't she Lina?"  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((Course you can be a HAD! I have no restraint and it's hard for me to say no...'sides, you're good at it. And I knew you're one in another guild; I'm in it too. 4laugh You'll tell people about my guild? whee Huzzah! You can bring in transfer riders, but I'd be happy if you took on the role of one the other riders in Ieirne...most importantly the Weyrleader, M'gor and his bronze Cadeth. sweatdrop They're all in the Profile thread. Oh, congrats on your flits. Sorry you didn't get a gold. I made it especially hard to get one so we wouldn't be overrun by queen flits. Right now I have the only queen, Zim. She's already laid her clutch.))

Lina laughed and looked up as the three firelizards popped out of between above the girl, Kes. She smiled sadly as Tattle landed behind Kes's head.

"Yes, Mith is very nice," she told Kes, subconsiously including Tattle in the conversation. "Mith, won't you reassure the darling?"

No. Yours come. The little brown will understand them better.

"If you say," Lina said, speaking out loud for Kes's benefit. "Mith refuses to speak to him. But my two will reassure him."

On cue, two flashes of color appeared in the sky. A bronze firelizard swooped down to land on Lina's shoulder, his customary perch, as the gold settled on Lina's outstretched forearm. Lina turned to show Kes the two firelizards.

"These are my little friends," she said. "The queen is Zim and the bronze is Merrin. Merrin is her mate. I didn't Impress him at birth; I did it after he flew her. He's stayed with me ever since. Zim, will you speak to brown Tattle for us?"

Zim chirped a reassurance and turned toward the brown. Gently, she sent him calming messages. She chirped again, smugly, and Merrin trilled. Lina looked at Kes.

"Is he alright now?" she asked.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

((Cool, I get to be a HAD. I'll adopt the Weyrleader if you want. I guess I don't mind.))


Kes watched the little brown croon sweetly at Zim. She smiled. "Tattle is fine now. He's giving the impressions of thinking your gold is very nice."

The two bronzes crooned encouragement at their brown companion. Kes grinned. "See, Bari and Karim think so too."


Kes looked troubled then. "I must warn you about something before I do something to insult your dragon. I'm one of those people that can hear dragons. I can't really control it very well, it just sort of happens. I'm slowly learning control but you deserved a warning." She looked up at the gold dragon. "Both of you deserved a warning."  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((You're truly the greatest. I need to yell at my other members to roleplay... Oh, you don't have to be M'gor if you don't want to. It's all up to whether you want to play him or not.))

Lina looked carefully at Kes. She had heard about people who could hear dragons. She could only hear Mith, but she thought she might be able to help.

"I'm glad you told me," she said. "Actually, this is a first for me. I've never met anyone who could dragons other than their own. But I think I can help. Well, actually, I can't help. But I think there's a way. Mith thinks that you'll definately Impress, and when you do, your dragonet will occupy your entire mind for a while. After that, the dragonet will help you."

Zim trilled with Merrin. Taking advantage of the brief warning, Lina moved back as Mith shifted, turning the two eggs between her forelegs and showering her rider with sand. Lina brushed the sand off and looked at her dragon.

Getting restless, my golden heart?

No. Anxious. I want my eggs to hatch soon, but there aren't enough candidates.

Lina sighed. "Mith is worried," she said. "Oh, well, you probably already know. Heh, have to get used to that."  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

((I don't mind taking him. It's fine. Just make sure to put that he's been adopted. He is Lina's weyrmate, right?))

Kes shook her head and moved away from the anxious gold dragon. "Actually I can only hear the dragons if they're talking to one another or a rider that's not their own. I can't hear what you and Mith say to one another. I mostly try to ignore everything else." Her firelizards crooned affectionetely at her from their respective places on her body.

----------
M'gor strode onto the hatching sands then with Cadeth at his side. Once he saw Lina on the sands he headed straight for her. "Lina, who is this?"

Cadeth crooned a greeting at Mith as he followed his rider to the gold. Greetings Mith. Who is this that has been brave enough to stand on the sands before the hatching? I am releived you haven't done her harm since she's obviously a candidite, but who is she? She seems to have just appeared.

M'gor nodded. "Cadeth is right, who is she Lina? A candidite?"  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((Thanks. M'gor's marked now. And yes, he is Lina's weyrmate.))

Lina turned to her weyrmate. "M'gor, I'm glad you're here," she said. "This is Kes, she's a candidate. I was just telling her that Mith is worried because there aren't enough candidates ywt for the hatching."

Greeting, my dear Cadeth. This is Kes, as you must know already from my rider. She can hear dragons, so it isn't all that surprising that she is a candidate. She will Impress well, as I'm sure you know. She is nice, and you will like her. I'm sure of it.

Mith crooned soothingly at Cadeth to put him more at ease. Then she turned her gaze to the eggs at her feet, keeping everyone on the sands in her view.

"Don't worry, M'gor, everything is fine," Lina said. "The eggs are safe and our first candidate is here. Kes, you can relax; M'gor won't bite. Will you, M'gor?"

She looked at him meaningfully, and Mith gave a draconic snort of laughter.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

((It's cool.))

M'gor laughed at that, something he rarely did. "No I won't bite, little one. That right is solely reserved for my weyrmate."

Cadeth crooned his welcome at Kes and rubbed his head against Mith's. More candidites will come Mith. It is only a matter of patience. So...this one can hear us? Truely she can?

M'gor turned to regard Kes then. "Can you do as you say? Answer me."

-------

Kes snorted at him. "Nice effect, but I'm not scared of you. I've met traders with a bigger bite than you have." She held her head up proudly. "Yes I can hear the dragons. I've been doing so since my arrival at Honshu some time ago. It was how I ran from the Search rider several times. He finally had to make his dragon sit on me so he could bring me here."

She turned to face the dragons. 'I hear you both when you speak to one another Mith, Cadeth. I do not listen most of the time as it is your business and I can't hear what you say to your chosen ones. She bowed lowly at them in a geasure of respect. 'It is my pleasure to have met both of you.'

----

M'gor laughed at the candidite's additude. "Oh I like her Lina. She's very feisty."

Cadeth warbled at her in greeting. Mith is right. You are very nice. It is my pleasure also to meet to, Kes.

----

Kes smiled. 'Why thank you Cadeth.'  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((Sorry I've been away so long. XP. I have no ambition...))

"I'm glad," Lina said. "I was beginning to worry. It would have been bad if you didn't like her. If Mith says she'll Impress well, she most likely will."

I know she will. I did say you would like her, Cadeth. This one is very...likeable.

Lina laughed at her dragon's choice of words. She slid close to M'gor and slipped her hand is his, leaning close. "I wonder..." she muttered. "You did send riders out on Search, right?" She looked at her weyrmate, her face expressionless.

"Or we could give Kes a tour of the Weyr? It is fairly new," she added, raising her voice. Underneath her cheerful words, she was anxious for the other candidates to arrive. She knew that with the increased clutch sizes it wasn't unusual for dragonets to go between. But it always made her sad when they did, and Mith was always so depressed afterwards. All the dragons were.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

((It's okay I've been out sick. You know you'd get more people if you had a co captian to help you recruit people. Since you're not on a whole lot it would make since.))

M'gor offered his weyrmate a smile. "Calm down, things will turn out alright. I sent Search riders out a while ago. More will come, you'll see." He turned to look at Kes. "In the meantime, let's show this young woman around, shall we? She's probally never been in a weyr this size before."

Cadeth warbled his agreement. Yes, let's. It will put our minds on easier things. Do you come Mith? He nudged the gold affectionetely.


-----

Kes smiled at the pair. They obviously cared for one another and their dragons. "I'd love a tour, Lina."  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((Very good points. Since you are so far the only other member that is active and is knowlegable of the world of our beloved Pern, would you mind being Vice Captain? You would be perfect.))

Mith rubbed her cheek against Cedeth's neck. No, love. I cannot leave my eggs. I belong here, and I will stay here until I am needed elsewhere. But have fun. She turned her head to look pointedly at the two eggs between her forelegs.

Lina looked over at Kes. "Well, then, we'd best get started," she said. Her stomach rumbled. "Why don't we start with the Lower Caverns," she added sheepishly. "It seems I have neglected to eat today."

She laughed a bit. This was Mith's first clutch, and she was more nervous than the queen. Her mind was so preoccupied, she often forgot to eat and sleep.

((Let's switch over to the Ieirne Weyr thread and give the tour from there, okay? After that we can go to the Candidates Barracks.))  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

((I'd love to be your Vice Captain. Thank you for your complement. I'll post in the Weyr thread next. ))

Cadeth made a noise at his queen. No, if you remain, so too, will I.

M'gor shook his head at the dragons. Then he turned to Lina. "Well then, my dear, shall we go?"


-----

Kes smiled faintly at the pair and their dragons. She liked both of them, she decided, and their dragons were adorable.

She turned to bow then at the gold and bronze dragons. Your eggs are beautiful Mith. I look forward to seeing what comes from them.