Hatching Sands

[ST4RCASM]

Akira nodded "Good night to you to." she smiled. It had been a somewhat tiring day, and she thought she would retire to her resting quarters. Streching she looked at Maris. "Oh, one more thing Maris, I will be resting if you need me alright?" she said before leaving for her bed.  

[TheUnicornGirl]

Distracted by the immense presence of the queen dragon brooding over the enormous clutch, by the time Jaden turned to answer the girl she had gone. Another dragon swooped down and deposited a dark-haired boy who looked around uncomfortably before edging toward the edge of the sands. Jaden turned to watch him go before returning his attention to the queen, bowing as he had seen the others doing. Unsure of weyr manners, he decided to speak aloud to the dragon.

"Thank you, queen, for letting me see your eggs. I promise that if one chooses me, I will take care of it." Feeling slightly uncomfortable talking to a huge, silent dragon, he decided that it was enough for now and bowed again, heading in the direction the others had gone.

Gevlin followed the girls off the sands, watching where they went. He had never thought about becoming a dragonrider, but it didn't sound so bad. It was still settling on him that he was here, in the weyr, but for now he kept his thoughts to himself.  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((Time skip. It's time for the Hatching. The stands are filled with those from the Holds and Crafts of the candidates, as well as from those who merely wish to see the Hatching, including Weyrleaders from nearly every Weyr on Pern. The eggs are scattered in the sands, with golden Mith hovering protectively over them. Candidates, after dismounting the bronze dragon that will bring you in, please proceed to spread out among the eggs, so that when the first shell cracks one of you will find your lifemate. Good luck. ~greenrider))

Lina stood at her vantage point in the stands, watching her queen swing her head back and forth to see all of the eggs were coming to no harm. Since first light, dragons had been arriving, some carrying passengers, some merely to alight on the walls so that they cold see the Hatching and welcome the young dragonets into the world and celebrate Impression. Lina took note of the colors there. Green, blue, brown. The bronzes would bring the candidates into the sands. She wondered where Jovia and her queen were, then turned back to the eggs.

The younger one will be here. So will Cadeth and M'gor. The eggs will Hatch. Do not worry.

Lina almost laughed out loud, but quickly suppressed it before the Lord and Lady of Southern Hold, sitting directly in front of her, could notice. She and her Weyr were as much on exhibit as the Hatching was. Ieirne was new and this was the first Hatching there. Lords, Ladies, Craftmasters, and Weyrleaders would all wish to catch a glimpse of the newest Weyr and see how far their hospitality extended. Lina smiled; the Hatching Feast would be grand. The Weyr cooks had been up since before dawn baking bread to a golden crust, simmering only the best soups and stews, cooking perfectly spiced wherries and herdbeasts, caught and slaughtered only the day before. There were other animals which had been slaughtered to provide bloody hunks of meat for the dragonets to gorge themselves on directly after Impression. Pacing nervously, suddenly anxious for the first shell to crack, Lina waited for the candidates to arrive.

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Seated just behind the rider of the bronze beast he was riding, Falin could appreciate just how large Mith's clutch was. The Weyr was lucky that the Hatching Grounds were large enough to situate three clutching queens comfortably. Not that three queens would clutch all at once. As the bronze backwinged to land, Falin prepared to slide to the sands far below. When his feet hit the sand, he was nearly bowled over by the wind created by the bronze's beating wings. Falin looked up to see the dragon who had carried him in move to the wall as another bronze come in swiftly.

He moved off towards the eggs, trying not to look as unsure as he felt. Whether he Impressed or not, he was there. How many other boys had he known who would do anything just to be considered as a candidate? He was living the dream of every holder boy, and he refused to mess it up by letting the spectators see him shake. Luckily, the hot sands underfoot were enough to help him keep his mind off of insecurity.

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Maris watched the bronze dragon directly in front of him land to let the first candidate off, then move to give the second bronze room to land. Maris tried to keep himself calm, but the thought of sliding off the huge bronze dragon as the other candidate had made his stomach turn to mush. Flying was no problem for him, nor was the deathly cold of between. Getting off a bronze dragon unaided...he shivered.

Suddenly, the dragon was on the ground, and the bronze rider was urging him to dismount. The dragon obligingly lowered his shoulder closer to the ground and lifted his right foreleg as a step. Maris tried not to blush as he managed to slide from neck ridge to foreleg to sand. As soon as he felt the burning sands, though, he moved quickly towards the eggs, all thought of his ordeal dismounting the bronze gone. He thought only of the eggs and which color would care to take him...if any did.  

[Jaz The Demon]

((*Skipping threw time* Whee!))

Jazet dismounted the bronze that carried him and looked up at the large beast. The former pirate, for the time being, had never seen a bronze dragon up close before. He had only seen them up in the air and only now had the chance to truely grasp at how large they truely were. "Those sharding things are so bloody huge." he mumbled to himself as he watched the dragon take off again to perch himself with the other beasts, joining in the chorus of hums. The noise of all the the dragons was almost deafening as Jaz brushed off imaginary dust from his white tunic.

He still couldn't believe he was here, standing for a clutch when not too long ago he was on the open seas trying to plan his next steal. The thought made him winced as he thought back to all his friends that died while he got rescued by Blue Tilth and his rider. He closed his eyes and told himself that his crew wouldn't want him wasting an opportunity like this. It would not be proper a proper thing for a pirate to do. The candidate took a deep breath and put on his best grin as he walked confidently towards the eggs. He manage his way through, not stopping at the first egg he saw, but took his spot by an egg that was sort of in the middle of the clutch.
_________________________________

Tilth made a quick, yet not graceful landing near the stands. K'lin slid off the blue and patted his forelimb. "Still a bit sore, pal?" the rider looked up at the beast, worry written on his brow.

I am fine, but yes...Still sore. I over used my muslces so it'll be a while before they stop burning. the dragon warbled as he gathered himself to take his spot among the other dragons. Do not worry mine. I will be careful not to tire myself today like you asked me to. With that tilth leapt up again and flew away to the humming dragons.

K'lin smiled and walked his way over to the stands, finding a nice seat were he can almost see the entire clutch. He quickly found his candidate that he Searched and frowned. The rider still didn't approve of the brat, but his dragon interrupted his thoughts. He is meant to be a candidate. I can tell. Trust me, mine. Tilth's silvery thoughts said confidently. If you say so... K'lin responded back mentall as he sighed and turn his gaze among the eggs to see which one will split open first.  

[Kaibain]

T'thia was helping to drop off the second candidate she had braught to the sands. She realy wanted to hold her hand out for support of the young one but she knew that this was protocal they had to dismount on their own. She smiled encouragingly at the candidate before Arizath launched to the sky once more with a surge of wing strength. She ferried just one more young person who was to stand the sands that day and seemingly just in time. Arizath allowed T'thia to slide off, her soft boots immediatley begining to warm the second they touched the burning sands. Arizath had taken off to sit with his brethren and hum the hatching. T'thia climbed the stadium bowl seats looking for a familiar face. Spotting the weyrleader she smiled, since other then T'gal they were the only ones she knew, so in not seeing the blue rider she moved to sit nearer to the weyrwomen. With a casual smile and a slight bow of respect T'thia motioned for the seat below and to the left of the weyrwomen

"May I Lady Lina?"

T'thia knew better then to over dramatise respect and so she kept her tone casual but she was still speaking to the weyrwomen and that still needed at least casually formality.  

[ST4RCASM]

Akira couldn't believe how fast time had flow. She waited for the bronze dragon to land before climbing down off it's back. She suryed the area below here and smiled. The last time she remembered riding on a drgon was with H'shi. Once the drangon's feet had touched the ground, Akira blinked, returning from her memories to the present. Turning around she slid down to the ground.

"If all goes well, then I will get to ride more" she thought cheerfully as she walked over to her standing place.

Standing quietly she tried to settle her excitment.

~ ~ ~

H'shi stood in the stands. He watched Akira and then the others. He wondered what she would do. His silver hair looked golden in the sun as he looked around.  

[Eldawen]

Both Chanta and Tanal dismounted from the bronzes that had brought them in wearing their white Impressing robes. Tanal approached Chanta and stuck out is hand.

"Good luck to you." He said.

Chanta nodded and took his hand. "And you as well, my friend."

With that, they walked off to scatter out across the sands. Both of the young adults were very anxious for the hatching to begin. They did not know if they would Impress this time and what they would Impress if they did, but the awaited on baited breath to see.  

[TheUnicornGirl]

The bronze carrying Jaden circled once before descending, flaring his wings as he landed. Jaden climbed down awkwardly, but made it without falling onto the hot sands, looking around at the throngs of people in the stands and the growing number of candidates around him. He thought he saw his parents in the crowd, but he couldn't find the tell-tale shine of his sister's hair near them. It was hard to believe that he'd been here a week. He stepped quickly over to where the rest of the hopefuls were gathering, watching the eggs closely.

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Gevlin slipped and nearly tumbled as his bronze escort shifted, catching himself before he landed in the scalding heat. Casting quick glances at the eggs, he shuffled over to the other candidates, keeping to the edge of the group. The queen dragon didn't look like she was eager for them to be touching her eggs.

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(Tylia is brought in by bronze also, but was just searched this morning, so no-one notices her particularly, she is just another candidate to them.)  

[Sallah Telgar]

Sadah and Dorvin are dropped off on two different sides of the sands, each one making their way towards the other candiates. With the Hatching upon them, they didn't bother fighting as they had immediatly disliked one another on sight.

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Sadah siddled in with the other girl candiates, looking expectantly at the eggs as she waited for them to begin hatching. This was the first time she'd stood for a hatching, but the second she'd been to one. The first time had been at Benden Weyr when she and her parents had been invited to go by their Hold leader.

'A good day for a Hatching, and here's hoping for a strong clutch.' She thought to herself as she watched the golden Mith hover protectively over the eggs.
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Dorvin roamed the sands as he started towards the other candiates, not knowing too many of them yet. He'd met a few in the barracks, and a few others at orientation, but that was all. He had to pray the queen would over look his comment of her earlier. He'd only been teasing the gold dragon, but he knew that brooding queens for sensitive. He'd have to apologize to her personally later.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

M'gor and Cadeth flew in then and deposited Kes on the hatching sands. The Weyrleader would be the only bronzerider not gathering candidites. He and Cadeth moved along the sands to come to Lina and Mith's sides. "Sorry it took so long, had to go get me a candidite."

Cadeth warbled at Mith and nudged her gently with his nose. Things will turn out well for our hatchlings. You will see.

----

T'gal and his blue Barith arrived next. It had taken him a little bit since he'd been bathing Barith.

The blue chuckled at his rider's impatience. We are not late yet T'gal. Do calm down. T'thia is here and Arizath. I go now to join him. The blue took off then to land next to the much larger bronze.

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Kes stood nervously on the sands with the other candidites. She kept shifting from foot to foot on the hot sands trying to keep her feet from burning. The red head was fairly shaking in her shoes. She was scared, but she was also excited. This is what all of them had been waiting for.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

((I'm going to go ahead and start this hatching. greenrider will pick it up when she can. They're yours to name once they've Impressed.))


The first few of the eggs had started hatching. Everything grew quiet and anticipation filled the air. What color would hatch first. A large crack appeared and two of the eggs hatched at once. Both hatchlings were brown dragons. Not bad for the first few. The two hatchlings started keening loudly as they began their search for their lifetime partners.


The first brown staggered his way across the sands and bumped quite forcibly into Jaden. I have found you! At last!

The second brown was much camler and once he reached Falin, he promptly sat down on the boys feet. Here you are, I have waited long to meet you.

Another egg cracked open, this time a large bronze. The little bronze stumbled right out of his egg and forcibly knocked over Dorvin. The sand is hot and I'm hungry! Now feed me!  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Lina looked up at T'thia and motioned her to sit.

"Come on, T'thia," she said. "The Hatching won't wait forever."

True to her words, two eggs split and the browns fell out of their shells. Everyone in the Hatching Grounds went silent, making the dragonets' loud keening audible, even above the larger dragons' thrumming. Mith looked hard at the two browns and the boys they had chosen, commenting on them to Lina.

I did say that my hatchinglings had a good choice of riders.

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Falin, now F'lin, stared at the brown dragonet at his feet, becoming oblivious to everything else as he met the little dragon's whirling rainbow eyes. The brown's eyes promptly became bright blue, conveying his happiness.

F'lin, my name is Garinth. I'm hungry, F'lin!

"His name is Garinth!" F'lin exclaimed to the crowd, almost as astonished as they must be.

Yes, F'lin, and I'm very, very hungry.

"Ah! Hungry!" he groaned as Garinth's hunger was conveyed to him in a painful stab in his abdomen. "Here, meat. I know it's here somewhere!"

He looked all around him, one hand on Garinth's head. A bowl was pushed into his other hand and he set it on the ground. Pushing Garinth back, F'lin tore a large piece into smaller chunks and gave them to his dragon one at a time, feeling the hunger in his dragon ease slightly.

"Slow down, Garinth," he said. "Don't inhale it like that. Here."

He continued to feed the little dragon, a warm spot in his chest growing until it covered him. He had Impressed. He was Garinth's, and Garinth was his. They were one, completely at peace. He knew that he would never be alone. Garinth would never leave him.

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((Okay, I'm picking up now. Thanks for getting started Dragon. Now here we go! whee ))

A crack appeared on another egg, spreading across the fragile shell. For a moment, it stopped, then a blue head punched a hole in the shell. It pushed out with its wings, completely shattering the rest of the egg. The little blue tumbled and fell into a candidate; it had been sideways in the egg. The blue looked up at Chanta, the girl he had fallen into, and crooned happily.

You are here! I knew you would be. Help me up.  

[Eldawen]

Chanta nearly lost her balance when the dragonet bumped into her, but it was when a strange voice entered her head that she had to fight to stay standing. Looking down, she was met by the eyes of a little blue at her feet.

A blue! She had Impressed a blue! It really wasn't too common for a female to Impress a blue dragon, they usually only Impressed golds or greens.

Chanta bent down and carefully helped Salanth up.

"Wait, how did I know your name?" Chanta asked aloud after making sure the dragonet was steady on his feet.

Why would you not know my name? Salanth replied, shaking the sand off of him.

"I don't know." She replied after a moment.

It doesn't matter. I'm hungry and want to be fed now. the blue said nudging his rider towards the food.

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

Tanal watched as Chanta Impressed her little blue. He was happy for his friend, but he wondered how things would work out for her when the blue matured.  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Everyone in the stands looked toward the two queen eggs lying near Mith's forelegs. The thrumming from the adult dragon grew louder and louder. One of the eggs, the one on the right, wobbled a bit, then harder. A crack appeared the whole length of the gold-tinged egg. Suddenly, the two halves fell away to reveal the gleaming gold dragonet. It stood awkwardly and shook its still-wet wings a bit. The queen looked around her at all of the candidates before stopping on the form of the one she had chosen. The queen walked quickly to Akira, stopping jst short of the girl and looking into her eyes.

I am hungry, and you will feed me. We are together.  

[Jaz The Demon]

Jazet's eye had caught K'lin in the stands, causing him to smirk. That cranky bluerider did show up. I wonder his his Blue is alright. As soon as he thought that he looked back up to see Tilth on rim, humming his heart out. But his attention soon went back towards the eggs as the crowd oh'ed and ah'ed at the first dragon spilling from the shell. The candidate also saw another egg burst open to reveal a bronze, but both of the dragonets went off away from him and impressed some boys. Soon there was blue that hatched and he admire it, already starting to grow fond of the color, most likely due to his rescue. Yet that one too got impressed and by a girl no less. That's odd....I never seen a female bluerider before, but of course....I haven't seen many dragonriders before coming here in the first place. he chuckled mentally to himself. A sudden gasp from the crowd, made him turn to look at them and follow there gaze towards the new queen. He didn't pay much attention to the little queen. Queens he knew deffintly went to girls so there was no point in paying it much mind. Jaz was a bit curious though about the egg left between Mith's legs. Two queens? That is lucky...Or maybe it's an oversized bronze. he pondered to himself.