Hatching Feast

[Cherished Strawberries]

The Dining Hall at Ieirne Weyr is truly magnifacent. The weyrfolk have truly outdone themselves in preparation for their first Hatching. This is the place to eat, drink, and be merry. After a Hatching, you should come here to socialize, meet with family, or just indulge. (Note-dragonets and dragons are at no time allowed in the Dining Hall.)  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Lina sat at the table situated on the raised dias with Weyrleaders and Lord and Lady Holders sat around her. She pretended interest in what the Lord of Tillek was telling her about the tides, but her mind was else where. The seat to her right was empty, as that was the Weyrleader's spot and M'gor had as yet not arrived. She didn't hold it against it him; he probably didn't realize that it was now up to her to conduct the feast. Her eyes glanced around the room and confirmed what she already knew. The young weyrlings were nowhere pesent, nor was T'gal. Well, they'd be there soon enough. She would toast them then.

"Mmm," she murmured sympathetically when the Tillek Lord Holder paused for breath. She sipped her wine and wondered how long it would take the weyrlings to settle their dragonets.  

[Kaibain]

T'thia had waived Arizath off to go sun on the ledges with the rest of the grown dragons before setting off towards the dinning hall. When she walked in she glanced around to see who had arrived and then before she knew it she was swept up off her feet from behind. With a whoop she was swung around before dropped to her feet again and spun around into a bear hug

"T'thia! It's so good to see you!"

When T'thia heard the voice she squealed

"T'orn!"

She returned the huge hug as best she could, crushing T'orn's ribs. Another booming voice came from behind her, much gruffer then T'orn's.

"T'orn let the girl breath! she'll have no breath for dancing."

T'thia went white before a huge smile stretched her face

"Father"

she breathed before spinning around to see the holder of the half circle sea hold. Her father swept her up in turn and spun her around

"Your brothers are out to sea and couldn't make it and you're mother is home mending nets. They all send their love. Now if you'll excuse me I must take my place at the table"

T'thia's father gave a bow to T'orn and kissed his daughter on the cheeks before walking off to the table.

T'thia turned beaming to T'orn

"I'm so glad you're here T'orn! I've missed familiar faces. I think I made one friend here, a blue rider like you named T'gal. What news of Benden?"

T'orn gave a hearty chuckled as he lead T'thia to a table scopping up some drinks on the way.

"Well not long after your re-assignment I was sent off to high reaches hold for watch duty, I also help with harper lessons until they get a new harper assigned. So where is your new friend? I'd like to meet him"

T'thia took a hearty gulp of her drink before answering

"Oh, T'gal is the weyrling master here so he'll be in when the dragonets are settled"

"Weyrling master, I would have thought they'd assign you to that. You were great with the weyrlings back at benden"

T'thia shrugged

"I don't mind, I just hope I can keep my wing second position. It will be a little difficult to retrain Arizath to fly anywhere else"

"Speaking of Arizath has he risen yet? I bet he'll snag a realy good green until the next gold flight"

T'thia shook her head

"Not yet, but soon, I can feel it. I just hope I can find someone to help out if he does fly a queen"

Mine! Mine! Zaneth is here!
"I know my heart, I'm speaking with T'orn now"

T'thia smiled at Arizath's waves of joy at seeing his old friend. She also glanced towards the cavern opening wondering when T'gal would show up so she could introduce T'orn to her, and if there was time her father.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

M'gor entered the dining hall and went straight for Lina. After kissing the goldrider on the cheek he sat himself down at the table next to her. He nodded to all the riders assembled. "Welcome all of you to our home. I hope you all had a safe journey here. This has been an exciting time for all of us and I hope for many more."  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Lina smiled at M'gor, grateful not only for a distraction from the Tillek Lord Holder but also for the affection M'gor showed her. She leaned closer to him, happy that he was there. She looked at the riders, picking out faces she knew. Ah, there was T'thia. Then there were the Weyrleader and Weyrwoman of High Reaches, her former Weyr. She quickly scanned the rest of the crowd, smiling encouragingly at anyone who caught her eye.

"I think today has gone rather well, don't you, M'gor?" she said.  

[Kaibain]

T'thia finished her first large mug of mead and no sooner had she downed the last drop then T'orn had two knew mugs for them. T'thia smiled and shook her head but cheersed him and took another hearty gulp.

"So tell me little one, have you been keeping up with your harper talents?"

T'thia blushed slightly. With all the chaos of transfer she had not had time to practice

"I haven't had much time for practice....come to think of it I can't remember the last reed flute I managed to make"

"Well my students could use some new insturments. Perhaps you could find time to string up some guitars, shell out a few flutes, maybe a harp or drum? anything would help us"

T'thia beamed at the opportunity

"I will make it done. I'll head to the shore line tomorrow with Arizath, he'll enjoy a swim in sea, the waters should be warm around this time. I'll find some decent reeds, and see if there is any decent seaweed I can work with maybe some drift wood. The den I have here is large enough to have a small work room for making instruments, harnesses and such. Speaking of which how are your straps holding up?"

T'orn smiled in appreciation

"I know where you're going with this, Zaneth's straps are fine and no I don't need a new vest the one you made me last summer is still in fine condition"

T'thia blushed again but turned to the harper stand

"So when do you think they will strike the cords?"  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

M'gor smiled down at his weyrmate and rubbed his head gently over hers. "Yes, today went very well. I'm happy Mith's hatchlings had such a great group to choose from."  

[Cherished Strawberries]

Lina pressed closer to M'gor, inhaling the sweet smell of him.

"Kes Impressed a queen," she said smugly. "I knew she'd Impress well. And that other girl, Akira, I believe, got the other one. A fine group of healthy hatchlings and capable weyrlings. I could only wish they'd settle their little ones and get up here. How can we feast if we don't see the guests of honor?"

-------------

At that moment, G'ber sidled into the great Dining Hall, mixing with the other men and women, expertly catching snippets of conversation, storing away who said what remarks. Snatching a piece of spiced wherry, he stuffed it in his mouth and drained a cup of wine pushed at him. He climbed onto the harpers' dias and picked up the gitar he had crafted so lovingly from skybroom wood gifted to him by the Harper Hall when he Impressed brown Micath at Fort Weyr. He tuned the instrument expertly and played a chord.

Smiling down at those who had turned their heads expectantly, he launched into a happy tune, one he had played often during Hatchings at Fort Weyr after his own Impression. As he often did, G'ber incorporated his own variations into the tune, making it light and memorable. He knew that not many would forget the tune. When the first verse was finished, he looked into the crowd searchingly.

"Anyone care to join me up here?" he asked. "I can't play much on my own, you know."  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

M'gor grinned at the newcomer. "I'll join you, brownrider." The Weyrleader got up to join the harper. "Our new weyrlings may arrive here tonight or might not. We expect them to be tired. Now, how about a song?"  

[Kaibain]

T'orn grinned devilishly and pushed T'thia up out of her seat and towards the stand she glowered at him

"T'orn! I can't!"

T'orn pulled out a leather case and pushed it into her hands

"I found these back at the harper hall on a search. Thought you might like them" the blue rider said

T'thia opened the case to find some of her finer work of reed flutes laying waiting in the case. T'orn also produced a well made and it looked new drum. He hooked his arm through her elbow and led her to the harper stand shoving her up the steps. She took out a medium length flute that would produce a light airy tone to acompany the throaty sound of the guitar.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

T'gal entered the hall in time to hear the music start. "Well look at what we have here. I didn't know she played." He smiled and quickly took a seat.

----

Kes wasn't far behind the bluerider. She'd left Karim, Bari, and Tattle in the weryling barracks to keep Wreth company so this was the first time the young rider had been on her own in a while. She smiled at the sights of the hall and quietly found a seat so she could eat.  

[Cherished Strawberries]

F'lin, M'ris, and Tyreena entered the hall together. They looked over at the harpers' dias, surprised to see M'gor, the Weyrleader, with T'thia, the female bronze rider, and another man, a brown rider from his shoulder knots. The three sat a table together near Kes, the only other weyrling present.

---------

F'lin, sitting on Tyreena's left, gathered spiced wherry, roasted and mashed tubers, hot bread, and some hearty stew onto a plate, and took a sip of wine, Telgar red, from the look and taste of it. After a few mouthfuls, he smiled at Kes warmly, determined to make conversation. He didn't quite get along with M'ris.

"Hey, you're Kes. You Impressed a queen, right? Wreth," he said. "That must be pretty cool. The queens are the most important, right?"

---------

M'ris sat heavily on Tyreena's right, ignoring F'lin and pointedly saying nothing to either weyrling. He got some food, but didn't really touch it. Instead, he drank some klah, hoping that Akira would show up soon. How long did it take to settle a queen dragonet, anyway? Kes was there.

---------

Tyreena, sitting uncomfortably between the two boys, sipped at her wine and tried to ignore the fact that both were using her to get away from each other.

---------

G'ber smiled happily at M'gor and T'thia. "Let's play something to honor our good weyrlings," he said, noticing the group of weyrlings.  

[Dragon_Lady_Selene]

M'gor agreed. "Yes lets play something for them."

-----

Kes turned to smile at the other weyrling. "Yes I did Impress a gold. You're F'lin right? I'm kinda bad with names. " She then realized what he'd said, "I am surprised I impressed a gold actually, but I adore Wreth. I would have been just as happy if she'd been a green though. Being a queen doesn't make her better just like me being her rider doesn't make me any better than anyone else. We're all dragonriders now."  

[Cherished Strawberries]

((The Dragonlove song is mentioned being sung at a Hatching in the book Dragonseye.))

F'lin nodded when she asked his name, nodding his understanding.

"Yeah," he said. "I guess I never really thought of it like that. In the Holds and Crafthalls, there's the idea that dragons have ranking, with the golds at the top and the greens at the bottom. You're right, we're all of the same rank. At least until one of us gets a position as a wingleader or a wingsecond."

He smiled, thinking then of his recent Impression and forgetting his food. He shook of the feeling then, and ate a piece of spiced wherry savoring the sweet juices.

"One thing's for sure, we'll never starve here," he said. With one pair of dragons out hunting every other day, the Weyr was well stocked.

-----------

G'ber started in on an old song, one he had found moldering in the Records Room at the Harper Hall. It was appropriately title the "Dragonlove" song, and celebrated the union of a dragonet and its rider at the moment of Impression.

-----------

Lina smiled at M'gor, glad he was participating in the happy event, and went to congratulate the parents of the new weyrlings, toasting them with small sips of her Benden white wine, imported just the day before and chilled with ice from the High Reaches.