Hatching Sands

[Sallah Telgar]

Sadah looked thougtfully at the eggs, wondering what lied in each of them. "Well, here's hoping for a healthy clutch. There aren't too many candiates as of yet, but I hear more are arriving every day."

She absently counted the eggs, wondering if there were more boy dragons in the clutch or girl dragons. Either way, this hatching would be interesting.

-----------------
((And introducing Dorvin.))

It had taken him awhile to get his things settled in the barracks, even longer to find the hatching sands. This place was a lot different from Ista, with more places to explore and bigger areas to get lost in. It was his first time at a hatching, but he wasn't afraid to be out on the sands before hand.

Dorvin did keep an eye out for the queen, having been told that nesting queens were nasty creatures. He reached his hand up to his shoulder, scratching his little brown on the head before holding his arm out for the creature to perch on. "What do you think, Tarmin? Is this place going to be good for us?"

The firelizard trilled softly, also looking warily around for his companion.  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((Sallah, your charcter should stay Dorvin until he Impesses. They only get the honorific after Impression; then he'll be called D'vin, not D'vn. You have to have at least on vowel in a name. And Big Sister Rixaka: It is around supper time, so almost time for bed. Sorry, never really made that clear.))

Maris sighed and withdrew from the egg he'd been examining. A shame...

"Drat," he said. "I really wanted to touch it."

Brannet and Kardell, chittered happily. They hopped off his shoulders, spread their wings and glided over to the egg. Maris sucked in his breath, terrified they would land on the delicate shell, and thus incur Mith's anger. Luckily, they swooped back to him, obviously proud that they had been able to get as close as they had.

"These little flitters are a real pain," he said, but his tone lightened the words, and the two greens were not offended.

----------

Mith watched nervously as the two greens flew about her eggs, getting dangerously close. As the candidates spread out among her eggs, she became more and more tense. They acted as though the eggs were theirs already. At least they weren't touching them. The eggs wouldn't break, but that still did not matter; the eggs were not theirs to touch, especially without a weyrlingmaster.

She blew hot air around the candidates, a silent warning to step cautiously. Her first clutch would not be tampered with by just anyone. It was all she could do to let Lina get so near touching them as she had, much less te children who would become her children's lifemates.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

Kes turned at the queen's return and inclined her head. "My apologizes Mith, was I getting to close to your eggs?" She took a few steps back just in case. Her brown firelizard Tattle was still on her shoulders and chirped respectfully at the gold dragon.

----

Cadeth flew overhead casting a large shadow. A moment later, the large bronze landed gracefully at his queen's side. He was there to make sure Mith didn't hurt the candidites or that the candidites didn't hurt his and Mith's eggs.  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Mith's eyes locked on Kes, whirling sowly, then turned to Cadeth.

I will not hurt them, love. I merely watch.

She blew softly at Kes and the brown Tattle, to ressure them. You are not at fault. I am merely brooding over my eggs.  

[Sallah Telgar]

Sadah's flitts trilled to announce the arrival of the golden queen, then flew over to introduce themselves to their larger cousin. At their worried chirpping Sadah removed herself from the middle of the sands, backing away until she was at the edge of the hatching bowl. "I suppose I got too close. I'm sorry, lovely one, I was only looking."

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Dorvin leapt a little at the hot air as it swept around him, and his little brown skittered for safety up in the high reaches of the bowl. "Little coward." He murmered before also backing away from the eggs. "Just having a little look. We'll just get out of here now. Besides, my stomach's growling."  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Maris almost laughed at Sadah and the newest candidate's reactions. He himself had been trying very hard not to faint. Somehow, their displays of nervous fear had made him less afraid.

"I think she's just making sure her eggs aren't hurt," he said, pitching his voice so that everyone could hear. "It is her first clutch."

Brannet and Kardell agreed so vehemently that this time Maris did laugh.

"Silly flits," he said fondly.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

Kes smiled as Tattle continued to chirp happily at the gold and bronze dragons. The little brown seemed to like both of them a lot. Bari and Karim; Kes's two bronze flits, appeared then and hovered over her head and trilled happily at Mith. They were admiring her eggs from afar and praising her about them.

Kes grinned. "Looks like Bari and Karim are impressed with your lovely eggs Mith."  

[TheUnicornGirl]

Jaden slid off the searchdragon's back, feeling the heat of the sands beneath his sandals. It wasn't quite scortching, but it was close. He looked around, noticing several other people who looked fairly new looking at the eggs.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

Kes spotted the newcomer first and carefully walked over to him. "Hello there, did you just arrive?" She offered the boy a smile. "Welcome then and don't forget to give queen Mith your reguards, she's a little bit testy right now with her eggs.

Brown Tattle chriped an inquiry at Kes and she smiled. Bari and Karim made a similar sound and she smiled brighter. "They want me to introduce them, the brown on my shoulder is called Tattle and the two bronzes over my head are Bari and Karim."  

[Eldawen]

((Gah, I hate falling behind.))

Tanal and Chanta quietly stoon on the sands, regarding the eggs with silent awe. It was hard to imagine that such huge creatures came from these eggs.

Chanta looked up at the great queen guarding her clutch. Chanta gave a gentle bow to Mith to show her respect and appreciation for the gold, and Tanal soon followed suit.  

[ST4RCASM]

Akira stood up and moved back a bit. Looking at Maris, and then back at the eggs she sighed. "How intresting...i've only been here a day and so much has already occured." she thought smiling.  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Maris looked over at Akira. "Just wait till the Hatching," he said. "There'll be a lot more going on."

He looked around at the three people who had just arrived. Wondering how many more candidates would arrive, he walked over in an attempt to be friendly with the strangers...an almost nonexistant trait in him. He motioned Akira to follor him, hoping she wouldn't let him wallow in his self-induced misery alone, Brannet and Kardell gliding along behind him and chirping unsypmathetically.

"Come to join the party?" he said to Chanta and Tanal, whom he'd seen in the Lower Caverns earlier. "Hey," he added to the new boy. "I'm Maris."

He resisted the urge to fiddle with his hands, instead hooking his thumbs into his belt loops, trying to look nonchalant, not sure if he was succeeding.

--------

Mith looked over the newcomers, silently thanking the girl Kes's firelizards for their admiration and praise. If she had had any modesty, she would have shrugged it off, but of course she didn't and so basked in the praise. She turned her head lazily to fix her eyes on the three who had just then entered the Hatching Grounds. Candidates, all of them, and it seemed like the Search dragons had done well. They all seemed likely to her. She crooned softly to them, showing that she was trying not to be too much of a broody queen. Well, who could know how she might react? It was her first clutch, after all. She was bound to be a little protective.  

[Sallah Telgar]

Sadah made a full bow in the direction of the queen, feeling her own stomach beginning to growl. "I'll just be going now, fair queen. I think you've enough to worry about without all of us nosy candiates flocking around your eggs. So I'll just get my flitts and be getting out of your way."

The auburn haired candiate called her firelizards back to her, allowing them to perch on her before heading for the exit.
--------
Dorvin decided to just get going, this queen was making his brown flitt nervous. He had to feed the squawking creature as well as himself and so also headed for the exit.

"Later queenie."

Tarmin bit a little at his companion, repremanding him for being so rude to the queen dragon.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

Kes smiled faintly at the queen. "I'd best be leaving as well. You've gotten all the praise you're getting out of me for today. I'll try and visit again soon but for now I'd like to settle in at the candidite barracks." The red haired candidite bowed politlely at the queen and left the hatching sands with her fair in tow.

----

Cadeth warbled from beside Mith and nuzzled the gold gently. They will have many to choose from, our hatchlings.  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Maris's stomach grumbled a bit, and he remembered that he hadn't eaten much at dinner; his Brannet and Kardell had nicked it all. He bowed politely to the queen, still a little nervous, and bid her farewell for the night.

"I need to get something to eat," he told Akira. "I'll be in the Lower Caverns if you need me. Good night."

Deeming that he'd followed all the courtesies he had to, he left to make his way to the Caverns.

---------

Mith snorted in mock indignation for the candidate who'd dared call her "queenie." She especially did not like to be teased, not by nonriders at least. She took note of each candidate as they left, keeping an eyes those that remained.

Mith crooned gently to the bronze in agreement. Yes. They are a good lot to choose from. None but the best for our hatchlings.