Golden Beginnings [[Hatching!]]

[hbk]

Suynie had slept uncomfortably all night. The bed had seemed hot and sticky, the sheets plastered to her body. Once during the night the Junior Weyrwoman had even left her bed to fetch a fresh pillowcase since her's was soaked. It wasn't that it was all that warm outside, but the goldrider had felt slightly feverish all night. Finally around dawn she threw back her blankets with a disgusted sigh and padded into the small adjoining cavern that housed her personal bathing pool. Peeling away her sweat soaked clothing, Suynie stepped down into the pool and grabbed up a handful of sweetsand.

Working the sand into a lather, Suynie scrubbed quickly, spending no leisure time in the bath. Exiting the pool, the goldrider wrapped her towel around her slender figure and set about braiding her wet hair. Just as she'd finished with the long braid and tossed it over her shoulder, an enthralling hum began vibrating throughout the Weyr.

Finally, they are ready. Hurry!

Suynie's heart was instantly in her throat as she flew into her bedroom. Tossing off the towel, the young weyrwoman flung open the trunk at the foot of her bed. For a couple of sevendays now Suynie had tucked away a special outfit just to wear out onto the Hatching Sands for when the moment arrived. Her formal wear for the Hatching Feast would be changed into before the celebrations.

Tugging on the hip hugging pair of black breeches, Suynie quickly pulled a rich, golden tunic over her head. The color of the shirt matched Rhiannoth perfectly, and Suynie knew that they would make a handsome couple. Stamping into her dress boots, Suynie shoved on a few bracelets while taking the stairs down to the Weyrbowl.

"Of course it would be raining!" She growled, peering up at the grey, overcast sky that was emitting a light drizzle of rain. Luckily the Sands would be dry, protected from the tall, domed ceiling of the Hatching Cavern, but still. Suynie expected sunshine and blue skies on such an important day!

Arriving at the Hatching Cavern, Suynie entered through a lower entrance which allowed her access directly to the Sands. Striding out onto them, she smiled up at her golden Queen who was humming loudly, her large eyes whirling as she swayed lightly from side to side. None of the twenty-four eggs had been set aside as duds so Refuge Weyr should soon have twenty-four new dragonriders!

[freya]

Sareen was in the candidate barracks when she saw a old lady from the lower caverns run in and yell, "Their hatching,". She quickly dropped the scroll that she'd been reading from an account of a female rider and quickly put the white robe around her. The tie was secure around her waist and then she put on her brown boots with a sigh. She'd hoped to get some new boots in time for the next hatching and realized that they'd have to do. Her boots we're about to fall apart as she would have to get some new ones no matter the out come of the hatching. Her eyes looked around at the other candidates and realized that they we're all thinking the same thing. The one thought to cross all their minds was impression and she sighed then brushed her hair for a moment.

The appearance of the young woman was one of neat young candidate and she calmly walked herself to the grounds. She would not rush like the others because there was a belief that dragons would wait for their mates. Sareen looked up at the rain that seemed to be falling as she looked up at the sky and sighed. It would have been nice for a beautiful sunny day and then tried to focus on the hatching. A few of the younger candidates ran ahead and hoped that this time she would walk off the grounds with a dragon.

When she entered the grounds there was already a large crowd of people already gathered and then her eyes landed on the eggs. She noticed that none of the eggs we're moving and wondered how they knew this was hatching time. Sareen thought that the queen and rider must have some insight that they lacked. This hatching would be different then the last one because this was a larger queen and more eggs. The queen hadn't moved any of the eggs over and that meant only one thing maybe no duds. It seemed that this had been one of the main topics the last few weeks at the weyr and Sareen had listened intently.

She didn't have much experience with the weyr and tried to learn everything that there was to learn. Sareen had even spent some time down in the lower caverns it seemed the workers down there knew a lot more then thought. The line of candidates had already started around the eggs and she took her place next to couple of other girls. If everything worked out she'd impress this time and would enter weyrling training. The dreaded thought of having to wait for the next queen to rise was a lot to take in because some thought that Elynth would be next. She was almost fully grown and was about the age of when a queen rose for the first time. It was what subject that she'd caught a few of the older riders talking about.

[SnickersPods]

Briac sipped at his Klah, burning the tip of his tongue against the strong brew. As he sucked in air to uselesly try and cool his scalded tongue a humming began that started at the base of his spine and spread through his bones till it grounded itself through the balls of his feet. He felt electrified and energized and suddenly the mess hall held no allure for him. He knew what this was as he pitched his beverage down the nearest sink and abandoned the cup. He'd been warned to be ready for it the moment it began, and so he pelted through the corridors with more enthusiasm than he had thought he felt. He skidded into the barracks on his still relatively new boots, passing the other candidates as he ran to his trunk and grabbed up the garments for the occasion.

As he threw off his clothes, shrugged on the white tunic, and yanked on the matching trousers he marvelled at the emotions surging through him. The touching had affected him deeply he knew, and the yearning to be connected forever to a creature that loved him beyond anything he had ever experience before consumed him, filling the void that Ryal had left in his unexpected departure. Finally he was suitable dressed, though the white outfit strained at the seams. It had been difficult to find a set that matched his height as well as his breadth, as it was they had had to settle on these. He jammed his boots back on, remembering the hot sands from last time and grateful for the thick insulated footwear. He walked a more sedate pace to the hatching sands, because he had time and because he wanted to avoid splitting a seam. He paused at the exit, watching the rain patter down with a sense of surrealism. Quickly he stepped smartly into the rain and marched over to the entry onto the sands, his shoulders darkened to an off white, coming to an exact halt in the loose semicircle forming around the eggs.

The humming in here was intensely louder, to the point that Briac fancied his teeth were vibrating. The stands were more than halfway full, adding to the cacophony of noise rumbling through the amphitheatre. As he watched, more people poured in, so that the entrance to the stands was never empty of people. He switched his gaze to the eggs, strangely still under the ongoing encouraging hum. There was no room in Briac's mind for doubting that was what it was, the sound the dragons made set his nerves alight and gave him the distinct urge to jump up and move. It was easy to deny though, but judging by the way the eggs were supposed to wobble he doubted it was so easy for the little ones to ignore.

Steam rose off Briac's shoulders, a surreptitious glance showed him that the same was happening to some of the other damp candidates. Soon enough he was bone dry once more, even his hair was slightly fuzzy from the sudden dry enforced on it. He shifted his weight from one foot to another, excitement warring with impatience in his gut. He glanced around once more to distract himself, noticing that there was a smaller semicircle forming for the girls, whom were unsubtly the closest group to the golden-shelled Queen.

Speaking of Queens, Rhiannoth was by far the largest and most dominating presence in the chamber. Her hum stood out even amongst the great cascade of noise, distinctly unique amongst a veritable sea of noise. She was luminescent, with the tiny form of her rider a handsome compliment to her greatness beside her. Briac was surprised at his own impressions, knowing that before he had come to this place he never would have thought of anything with such deep respect and awe. Perhaps it was this place, sinking into the culture was as unavoidable as quicksand but far more pleasant.

[wolflover1458]

The days since Rhiannoth had first laid her clutch had felt torturous. Each one was simply another annoying day in the way of Therion finally getting what she wanted, and yet each of those days had to pass for her to come any closer to the hatching. She became more aggravated and irritable as the days grew closer and closer to that time, and when it was finally in the range of possibilities for the eggs to hatch, she spent every moment waiting to hear the sound that foretold of it. Ever since that Golden Egg had been laid, her sole purpose had been to wait for it to hatch. She needed this opportunity. She was not going to let it go to waste, and she was not going to let someone else walk off the sands with her dragon. Not this time. This time, the creature would choose her. It had to. For it to do otherwise would devastate her completely. She might be able to stand for a few hatchings after this, but there was no way of telling if those clutches would contain a golden egg or not. All she could tell for certain was that she had an opportunity now, and she wasn't going to blow it.

That was the frame of mind she was in when the imminent arrival of the hatching finally greeted her. Therion's response to this was absolute and immediate: she headed straight to her room. There was no real expression on her face, just a cold, hard look of determination. She had spent so long waiting for this; she was not going to spazz or freak out now, of all moments. Now was the time to be calm and cool; now was the time to wait. The hatching would last likely only ten or fifteen minutes, which meant that before the hour was up, she would have finally achieved her goal, assuming the Gold in this clutch was more competent than that of Aeriath's. Any reasonable creature would have to choose Therion, so as long as the young Queen was in her right mind, she had nothing to worry about; she would be chosen. Therion just hoped that that would be the case. It hadn't been before, and look at all she had been forced through because of it. Quite despicable.

The other Candidates were in the Barracks now as well, all expectant and eager, hoping to Impress. None could have wished it more than Therion did, although she was not so silly as to express openly like some of them did. What was the use? The dragon didn't care if everyone else knew how badly she wanted this moment. It just cared if she was the best person there for her. Therion obviously was the best Candidate to become a Weyrwoman, but then she had been before, and here she was. Dragons did seem to have a slight level of incompetence to them when they first hatched, something Elynth would no doubt be regretting now if not for the loyalty and devotion all dragons had towards their riders.

Now was not the time to dwell on the past, though. Now was the time to look towards the future. Her chance had finally come, and she could not lose it now. There was no telling if she would ever have another chance again, and it was very conceivable that she would not.

Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do but Stand and hope. There was no way she could force the Impression she was waiting to happen. Therion hated that lack of control, but she would have to live with it, and simply hope that the dragon would recognize her as the best Candidate there, for she clearly was, was she not? There were certainly many other girls wishing for the Gold to go to them, but none were nearly so competent or deserving as Therion was. She knew this with some certainty, so it was obvious that creature should] choose her.

It was just that the last time she had felt that way, she had been overlooked. She could not permit it to happen again, but she also couldn't do anything to prevent if from happening. The lack of power in the coming situation bothered her deeply. She didn't like relying on luck and the competence of anything other than herself, and yet to get the one thing she truly wanted, she would be forced to do just that.

Therion had dressed and otherwise prepared for the event. Now the time had come to walk down to the sands and (hopefully) meet her destiny there. She took one last look at the room she severely hoped she would never have to step into again, and then headed for the Sands.

The humming increased in intensity as she walked there, and Therion couldn't help but quickening her step. She wanted to be there as soon as possible, not particularly to see the whole of the hatching (she doubted she be paying it much attention at all), but simply so she could get her eyes on the golden egg that much sooner. The whole of the Weyr was heading down for this occasion, and Therion began to find her way obstructed. She huffed in annoyance and began darting around people, knocking into a few but not really caring. She was a Candidate, and therefore had a greater priority to getting to the Sands. Everyone else was just there to watch; they could get over it and wait.

There already a good deal of Candidates gathered by the time she reached the group. Therion's eye cast over the clutch of eggs. If any were rocking, she took no notice of it, for her eyes immediately solidified on the Queen egg, and they did not move from that spot. The rest of the clutch was insignificant; it did not require her attention. The only thing she needed to watch was the golden once. She needed to watch and wish she had the ability to make it hatch now. Golden eggs were often the last to hatch. Perhaps there would be an exception this time. She would appreciate that if it were to happen. Standing around having to avoid the other silly dragons wandering around was not fun. Considering the dragon inside was a Queen, she ought to want to be the first to hatch. Perhaps it simply wanted to be the last thing anyone remembered, but from what Therion knew, the Queen egg was generally the last anyways, just close to last. All that did was keep everyone waiting without even being the last things on their mind. Since young Golds didn't seem able to accomplish that, they might as well strive for being first. That way, they could all have the best selection of girls to choose from before those mindless Greens took some. In this case, of course, it hardly mattered. Therion was the best choice, and all those Greens could do was get rid of competition, which could only serve to make her more certain of her success.

Despite the logic of the Gold being last actually benefiting her, Therion still found herself sorely wishing that the egg was rocking now, and slowly cracking apart. Instead, it was quite still. An annoyance, certainly, but she had waited this long. She could wait a while longer. It would hardly do to run out of patience just minutes before the moment was finally upon her, especially after all those days she had spent in waiting. Therion turned her mind to the thought of the agony of waiting she had gone through, and let that calm her slightly. She had to be patient and cool-headed now, lest she risk her chances of Impression. There would be others, certainly, but she was the best choice. As long as she kept that in mind, the right thing would certainly happen. Yes, it had to.

[Yuu Kanduet]

The kitchens of the Weyr were always in a constant state of bustle, but when the humming first started, there was a visible change in the atmosphere of the place. Bahari watched as the cooks dissolved into a frenzy of organized chaos. It was almost daunting watching them twirl and dodge and peel around each other without ever getting in another's way. Years of going through the same Hatchings must have given every working member of the Weyr a chance to choreograph their movements.

Bahari's mother gave him an odd look as her son finished off the remains of his meat bun before standing and dusting crumbs off. He was excited, but that was no excuse to waste good food. Once he was done, Bahari cast his mother a wave before darting off through the hallways to his home and room.

Look-See grumbled a bit as he shifted on Bahari's bed, unhappy with the violent wake up of having clothes thrown haphazardly on top of him as Bahari searched for his white candidate's robes. The humming was a little louder in this part of the Weyr, or perhaps the dragons had gotten louder. Either way, the sound had increased for Bahari, and his sense of urgency as well.

Finally robed in the proper manner, Bahari summoned his Bronze for a quick nuzzle before the flitter gave a mild chitter and betweened, most likely to the Hatching grounds. With a quick glance to make sure his room was in order, Bahari followed at a swift pace.

[Na Qaiah]

Tishu had just finished a well deserved bath when the humming started. The eggs are hatching. Scrambling into a towel she hurried into the girls barracks for her robe and boots. Taking time to brush out her hair, she put it up into a pony-tail to keep it neat and out of the way. She had set aside clean serviceable clothes with her robe. No one would see them anyway, but she wanted them to be neat.

She stomped into her boots then looked around as she laced them. Other Candidates were also hurrying to get into their robes. Tishu was glad to see that she wasn't the only one that didn't get new boots. Hers weren't as bad as some but they were getting to the point of no return. Standing she shook out the white robe before putting it on and carefully tying the sash the way she was shown. Smiling at one of the other girls, she was ready.

As she got to the door, she noticed it was raining. Too bad too, it would have been just perfect for a cloudless day to honor the Jr. Queens hatching. Tishu picked her way carefully making sure to stay dry. Other Candidates were running and not giving staying dry much thought. Shrugging she didn't think the dragons cared if they were standing there naked, it you were chosen you were chosen no matter what you wore.

Once she arrived at the hatching cavern she took a quick peek at the eggs and the viewing stands. They were filling quickly. She noticed Suynie dressed in a golden shirt and black pants. Her shirt matched her Queen Rhiannoth's color perfectly. Tishu also noticed that it appeared the large dragon was rocking back and forth slowly. She smiled at the picture of a mother singing and comforting her children in that rocky motion. She guessed it didn't matter how big a mother you were, mothers rocked.

Tishu got another glance at the eggs on the sands. She noticed that none were pushed out of the way. This could only mean there were no duds on the sands. She noticed that they were all very still but she knew that could and would change any moment. Soon the sands would be a place of great activity as they hatched. Looking around at the eggs she looked longingly at the Golden egg with the cherry blossoms that caressed its shell. The Golden daughter waited inside getting ready to hatch. Tishu longed to be the one the beautiful Golden baby would choose. She knew there were other girls that wanted this too. She didn't know how good her odds were but she hoped she proved worthy of any dragon.

Glancing around at the other Candidates that were waiting, she noticed there were a few stragglers still joining them. As the humming increased so did Tishu's eagerness to get out on the sands. It seemed that all the Candidates were just as anxious. The viewing stands were completely filled. The upper ledge around the hatching cavern was full of watching dragons, large shapes with glowing eyes could be seen. Here and there was a flit darting around, and along the rafters in a place or two could be seen a row of tiny glowing eyes. It almost seemed the whole place was holding its breath in anticipation for the first egg to start rocking then hatch.

Tishu briefly checked her arm where the green bit her last time she was on the sands. It was almost completely healed and with no adverse effects other then puncture marks from her teeth. She still didn't know why she was bit, but it didn't matter, she was here to try again. When the signal came, Tishu was ready!

[♥Rizu-Chan♥]

Nayzarette
Northerner Candidate

It would be a great lie to deny she was not excited today; in fact the brunette couldn’t remember another time she had been in such high spirits in the past turns – well except for the past hatching of Issarith’s clutch of course. Much to her fantastic delight what she had once simply dreamed about, and told bedtime stories to her little brother of, in the past was now the reality she was currently living. Dragons had gone from extinct creatures of memories and once more regained their rightful place as the defenders of Pern against Thread and the Red Star.

It was a dream come true; and Nayzarette knew how lucky she had been to be able to live it.

Today she had been in the Lower Caverns once more, humming one of the recent tunes played a while back at the last Hatching Feast as she aided the older woman with today’s cooking. While she couldn’t sing to save her life Nayza had enough experience in the past and help in cooking to be quite an experienced gal at it now. It was this the main reason why most of her chores as a Candidate were assigned to the kitchens themselves – Nayza didn’t mind, and the ladies were always happy to have the girl around. They had even helped her refine her skills even further; without doubt cooking was an art the brunette heavily found pleasure and delight on doing.

”Oh my, the hatching is starting!”
”W-what?!”
”Hurry dear, you have to get ready and reach the Sands fast!”

Quickly excusing herself from her caretakers and supervisors the girl quickly made her way back to the Candidate Barracks, noting with slight dismay how darkened the skies above were currently. Already the humid scent of rain filled the air, though the fifteen turn old was determined to not let the weather dampen her spirits. This was a joyful day, another hatching was in progress in the sands – and perhaps her lifemate would be in it this time around.

Quickly moving to the chest at the foot of her bed the girl soon retrieved the white candidate robe and waist satchel to keep it in place. A quick dip in the washroom was given to her frame, enough to get rid of the food scents and sweat that lingered on her frame from her recent chore, before Nayzarette dressed herself. A simple string sleeved shirt and regular shorts were downed first, before the traditional candidate robe was tossed over her frame. Wherhide boots were also in place, the sole thing that deviated from the usual traditional clothing requirements for hatchings she had read on few of the older scrolls – though Nayza was quite glad for the change. Even with these shoes the heat of the sands could become almost unbearable at times, she didn’t want to imagine how much horrible it would be to be out there with just a pair of sandals.

Closed shoes also meant it was easier to move on the sands, not an easy feat to begin with, and thus meant a slightly better chance of avoiding a mortal injury. Already she had seen how dangerous a hatchling could be – even if it was just all by accident. It was a good thing that rule had been changed to provide candidates with a slightly better percentage of safety; but even if it hadn’t it would not have deterred her from standing as another hopeful in the sands either way.

She was certain this was the future she desired; she would see it through as many times as needed until the dragon fated for her appeared.

Exiting the barracks the young candidate noticed the drizzle that had begun, slowly intensifying with each passing moment. It really was a shame that it would rain on such a joyful day, but then again rain helped nature grow and promoted more life – perhaps it was fitting in a sense. A glance was given in the boys direction of the barracks, though she could not see Rhodri anyways. She had been just about to call out when someone came to rush them over to the cavern’s entrance; the longer the candidates spent out here the bigger the chances a hatchling might hatch and go between because his Mine was not in the sands on time.

Racing through the Weyr along with others Nayzarette finally made it to the entrance of the sands, a bit more soaked than she would have liked. Still any discomfort was soon forgotten as she laid her eyes on the eggs for the second time; they truly were a marvelous sight to behold. All vibrant and healthy, it just warmed her heart with joy to see them again (though maybe that was also the heat of the hatching sands). Soon enough she had entered, taking her place in the smaller semi-circle of girls placed closer to the Golden Egg.

She still vividly remember the Touching; the dragonet’s presence reaching into her mind from within her protecting egg shell. Not only was the Golden Cherry Blossom egg gorgeous in appearance and coloration, almost exuding an aura of elegance and grace, but the creature inside was just as beautiful to the girl as well. A confident presence that was the epitome of authority; and yet it had also had the most calming and soothing feeling to itself as well.

She wasn’t sure when it had happened, perhaps it had been shortly after their signed task by S’nuo to meet the other Weyrwomen and their lifemates, but the idea of a golden lifemate had slowly crept into her heart more and more with each passing day. Their life wasn’t simple, and often filled with many duties that were daunting and time consuming, but they were all for the greater good. It was thanks to them that the Weyr could run smoothly; and it was thanks to their tender motherly care that everyone was kept safe – it was their hand at keeping the peace and things running smoothly here that enable them to be able to help the Northerners back home as well.

Perhaps it was this the most heavy factor weighting in her want to impress a Queen; the ability to be able to do things beyond just flying to flame falling Thread in the skies. The ability to be able to come up with new ideas, new possibilities that could provide a long time plan to defend against this menace; but even more to find a way to ensure that the knowledge of the dragonriders wasn’t lost once more after this Pass was done with. It was due to this that Pern had almost lost its guardians, had it not been for the single two Weyrs left in the South no doubt civilization would have ended here and now.

There had to be a way to avoid the same mistake being repeated once more; but those were thoughts for another occasion. Now the clutch and their golden mother deserved her full focus, Nayzarette did not want to miss the hatching of a single of these new dragonets, she wanted to remember this event for as long as she could. She shifted slightly on the sands, already the heat beginning to seep in through her boots – though the source of discomfort was mostly the humidity accumulating around them. The more time they spent here the quicker the sands dried the rain off their robes, but until the moisture didn’t fully evaporated it just helped increase the heat around them even further. It didn’t help her homeland was much cooler to begin with, and Nayzarette still hadn’t been living in the South long enough to fully adapt to the new, humid and more candid weather.

A quick glance was given to the boy side of the sands this time, still looking around for the familiar face of her friend. Finally, after some searching, she spotted Rhodri among his other male peers; giving him a smile and a wink as she mouthed the words ”Good luck!” in his direction.

[HG]

The humming of the dragons meant the beginning of a very special day to the weyrfolk, he now included. Rhodri was out at the stables working with some of the other Beastcrafters. They had a particularly troublesome stud that no one seemed to be able to handle, except for Rhodri who had taken it upon himself to spend extra time and energy on the runner. There was a spark in the animal that reminded him of Zip back home. In time he would gentle the beast and sometime after that he might be suitable for riding.

The humming however had ruined a perfectly good training session. He was now in a whirlwind rush to get to the Sands but first he had to pick up his robes at the Barracks. Rhodri was not a fan of change in general so his ruined plans made this Hatching a little more of a hassle than he would have liked. Coming to the Sands in a good mood was expected and no dragonet was going to Impress to him if he was not acting himself. Somewhere between the Barracks and the Sands the young man found himself growing less stressed out and more excited. This could be the day he became a dragonrider of Pern; More than a warrior, a legend.

Like many of the other hopefuls he had been busy that morning, so he was not surprised to see many Candidates trickling into the Sands at the same time as he was. The rain of course had not helped since; most of them were as wet as he was. The white robes lent no coverage now so it was good that he wore something darker underneath. His brown hair looked closer to black now that it was drenched.

Taking no time to find his place among the boys, he looked for familiar faces. Catching sight of Nayza at just the right moment, he saw her mouth good luck. “You too!” He said, making sure she could tell what he was saying. The other girls had nothing on her from what he had seen of them. Rhodri could be a bit biased, all things considered. The other person he was looking for was Tschermak. He kind of wanted to keep the boy close by him in case another dragon injured him. The youth was just too small to take another injury like the one he received last time. It was the big brother in him that wanted to protect. Unable to find the smaller boy, he looked at the other boys in the semi-circle.

So much competition, even if this was a bigger clutch. He watched as eggs moved and rocked, scanning them for fissures and breaks. Nothing seemed to be happening just yet. He took that moment to breathe in deeply and remember to be positive and kind. The dragons would choose who was best for them which had little to do with whether someone was a good person or not. His dragon would be there among the ones escaping their shells. Or at least he should be. Rhodri was keeping his mindset positive, the thought that he should impress kept him so. This had very little to do with vanity. He had to pep talk himself to encourage he could do this. He could do anything he set his mind to. At the moment it was set to being a Dragonrider of Pern.

[freya]

Trelia had been in her weyr trying to get some rest after a long week of chores. She was sore all over and then turned on her other side trying to find a comfortable position. When she had almost fallen asleep there was someone yelling, "Their hatching," The surprise event caused Trelia to almost jump up and fall from the top bunk. Trelia barely caught herself and then climbed down to start getting ready. Her body ached and didn't want to comply yet she forced it. A brush was ran through her hair then she quickly braided it back and then got dressed.

The clothes choice was a pair of black pants and a white shirt that had no sleeves. She didn't want to end up burning up like last time and then she slipped her arms into the robe. When she'd tied up the robe then carefully made her way around people. Trelia walked quickly to the hatching grounds as she noticed that some of the younger candidates we're literally running. Her heart skipped a beat when she remembered her first hatching a turn ago and how many things had changed. She'd been left standing two times and dreaded the thought of it happening again.

When she entered the hatching grounds it seemed to have it's own music as the hum of dragons filled the air. She sighed hoping that they'd be welcoming her dragon then her eyes looked around the area. "All the people," said Trelia as she looked around in wonder at all the people that had come to see this clutch. The clutch was very impressive and made her think of stories of old. In her eyes the perfect Rhiannoth was like her great mother and would provide them with even more great clutches. She took her place in line as her eyes looked at the different eggs then rested on the Golden Cherry Blossom Egg. A part of her wondered what it might be like to ride such a dragon then shook herself out of it. If she got her hopes up then there was a chance that her heart might get broken again.

The clutch of eggs included twenty four all together and that was a very good number. She knew that almost all of them would impress and just hoped to walk out with a life mate. Trelia did notice that none of the eggs had started to even move and thought they must be getting ready to make their big entrance.

[♥Rizu-Chan♥]

Hinuk
Weyrbrat && Brat Pack Leader

”Shrieker, give it back!!!”

The young weyrbrat, and currently one of the many candidates waiting for Rhiannoth’s brood to finally hatch, had currently been taking new possessions to store them in his father’s weyr. Though T’ran couldn’t come for their schedule weekends with the man, Philibith kept him occupied with good reason, Hinuk wasn’t about to miss a visit – especially not with the way that silly Suynie had been hogging and monopolizing his father’s precious free time. Really, women were nothing more than a bother. His green flitter just confirmed this, all female things were an annoyance best ignored and forgotten.

”Shard it Shrieker, give it back already!!!”

It was then, while he was in his father’s weyr, that that sharding overgrown golden wherry had suddenly started the all too familiar humming – quickly accompanied in unison by all the other dragons in the Weyr. The symphony was a marvelous one, and a lullaby in his most tender turns long ago, and one so familiar to the boy he had at first missed it. It hadn’t been until his mind had fully registered it that the boy had bolted from his father’s chambers; taking steps two at a time and almost stumbling down them in the process, before the blond made a mad dash for his section in the Candidate Barracks.

”Sharding scorch you, stupid green wherry! In Faranth’s name, I demand you give that back this instant Shrieker!!!”

A simple undershirt and shorts had been downed, quickly followed by the traditional candidate robe (a size or so too big for the young lad still) and wherhide boots. Recent new ones he might add, courtesy of his father, and the boy would have been lavishing on that prideful thought if it hadn’t been for a certain pest in his hands at the moment. Just as he had been about to grab the satchel to tie across his waist the damn vomit green flitter had materialized on top of it; hissing loudly before suddenly taking off to the air with the thing clutched tightly to her claws. No doubt it amused her to see Hinuk struggle below, trying to catch her as she just flittered out of reach each time.

”Shard it fine! This is what you want, right?! Scorching fetch it then!!!”

Out of his trunk he pulled out a small bag, hand digging inside to pull a few strips of very dried and broken meat; the treats he often used on Shrieker when she was being a pain like in this very moment. Tossing them to a secluded corner in the room he watched the little menace of a creature shriek loudly before relinquishing the satchel; disappearing off to fetch her prize and go eat it somewhere away from her human. Knowing the thing she’d probably go to wherever Belior was currently – sometimes it pissed the young boy how much better the damn thing behave around T’ran and his bronze firelizard.

”Really, you’re all nothing but sharding trouble.”

Finally ready the boy headed off the barracks, still fuming enough to pay no attention to the rain assaulting him as he made his way to the hatching sands. He did not care much for the gold dragon and her rider, though Hinuk could never deny his excitement over this clutch; Zorometh’s clutch. The Jr. Goldrider and her Rhiannoth could be damned in between for all he cared; that thing had better not made a half assed clutch when she had the best bronze stud in the whole Weyr.

Finally he had reached the sands, by now aware of the water dripping down his hair and neck; as well as making his clothing slightly heavier than usual. He shrugged it off however, a sleeve covered arm moving to soak up the stray drops around his face before he made the rest of his way to the other male candidates with more grace and confidence than his previous fuming pace. A hand ran through his hair, the young lad’s smug demeanor soon kicking it with all the flare in Pern – there was no doubt he certainly took after his father D’seus.

”Hey Silvertongue!”

Spotting the first familiar face he headed straight for the other weyrbrat and member of his Brat Pack, a fist offered in a bump of greeting to the other lad before his gaze grazed around the other male candidates. A few he recognized superficially; though among them he could find no trace of Tschermak. A faint frown marred his features at the realization, turning to look at the entrance to see if the frailer boy would appear soon enough. He doubted the boy would miss the hatching; after all he had been able to go up to the clutch and do his Touching the last time with no encouragement of his part, even if he had fled like the wind soon afterwards.

Hinuk just wanted to keep close, just in case. He didn’t felt like seeing a replay of the last time in the sands if he could somehow avoided – that meant not only for his own safety but that of his friends. Tschermak might not be part of the pack officially, but the plenty of times the boy had taken the rap for their pranks surely had made a soft spot in Hinuk’s heart for him as well.

He’d just never bothered to act upon it before; a silly thing honestly now that he thought about it more.

[freya]

Quelas was at his favorite place by the weyr lake as he skipped a few stones across the lake. He was having a pretty good day as he'd been given the day off after filling in for a few other people. The young man was appreciative of the fact that he'd been given a day off and was relaxing. His day had started with waking up late and then a late meal. A day well earned after he'd been working very hard lately and even covered other people's chores.

When he was about to sit down on a nearby rock a few people we're walking towards the hatching sands. He asked, "Where is everyone going,"? A man looked at him then said, "The eggs their hatching," as Quelas immediately started to run towards the barracks.Quelas rushed in to find everyone changing clothes and the air filled with excitement as he threw the robe over his clothes. While he got it tied around himself then ran to the hatching grounds and hoped that he hadn't missed his chance. The mad dash to the hatching grounds caused him to be out of breath after he arrived and he took a second to catch his breath.

He smiled at the humming of the dragons and realized that this was his fourth hatching. He hoped that his life mate was in these eggs as there we're many chances for him to impress. Quelas waited as more candidates seemed to be showing up and he smiled at the event. It was a great celebration of life as this hatching would as great as they came due to the number of eggs and size of their dam. "I hope your in there," said Quelas to no one in particular as he looked at the eggs that hadn't even started to move yet.

[hbk]

Suynie stood proudly beside of her queen, knowing with an undeniable certainty that none of the other golds in the Weyr could compare to the power and authority that Rhiannoth maintained. Of course she was obediant to her Senior Queen, Issarith, but Rhiannoth, even then, commanded so much respect with her size and with the bountiful, strong clutch that she had provided. Unlike the weak, sickly clutch that Issarith had born. Elynth, Suynie surpass, would probably even surprise Rhiannoth with her clutch even the larger gold was flown by a strong bronze.

Even as she considered these things, Suynie took a moment to wonder where D'seus was. She would have assumed that he would have been one of the first people in the cavern for such an important occasion. The Junior Weyrwoman was shook from her thoughts when a gasp rippled through the crowd. Zeroing in on the Sands, Suynie found herself taking an involuntary step forward as The Gladiator Egg began to quiver, and shake. The egg was easily the largest of the group, second only to the gold egg.

With force the egg exploded, littering the dark Sands with colorful pieces of shell. Standing in the midst of the shattered shell was a bright, sandy bronze, almost gold in tint.

The Stands exploded in cheers, whooping, and clapping! The first hatchling was a bronze dragonet! The best omen a Hatching could ask for was that a bronze hatch first. For Turns people had foretold how a bronze hatching first heralded a good omen for the Weyr.

The sandy bronze surveyed the anxious male Candidates. Stepping forward onto the Sands, the creature moved confidently, his head held high. Female Candidates scattered, not wanting to get in the dragonet's way.

Moving to Hinuk, the dragonet took his snout and gave his head a toss, knocking the boy off of his feet and revealing Bahari who had been standing behind the other Candidate.

There you are. I couldn't see you.... You are rather small. I am Maximuth. Come now, B'hari. I'm hungry and Kavanth, the Assistant Weyrlingmaster's blue dragon, says that there is food outside.

Suynie smiled as Bahari- now B'hari- left the Sands with his lifemate. While she was a little surprised that the dragonet had chosen someone so young, there must have been qualities found inside of the youth that spoke to Maximuth.

While B'hari and Maximuth were leaving the Sands, two more eggs took that time to Hatch. The Maple Leaf Egg and The Siamese Egg had been shaking for quite some time, and in the excitement of the bronze Impressing, many had missed the eggs splitting and emitting two blue dragons.

The dragonet from the The Siamese Egg slipped, rather gracefully for a newborn dragonet, from the remains of his shell. Easing between the Candidates he found his way to Adorjan, a Northern Candidate.

"His name is Kovith!" A'jan cried with excitement.

The dragonet that came from the Maple Leaf Egg was a brilliant, vivid blue. Stocky in build, the creature was more than a little clumsy as he stumbled forward, towards the Candidates. Suddenly spotting his Candidate, the creature hurried forward, successfully bowling over Trelia and raking her with his talons. Blood welled up from the slashes made through the front of the Candidate's robes, but the blue didn't slow until he reached his Candidate.

"His name is Montieth!" P'tor, a farming Candidate, yelled to the crowd.

Things were moving quickly now, while someone came out to help Trelia, another egg, The Great Chancellor Egg broke, revealing a dark, muddy brown dragonet.

Where are you? the dragonet demanded as he took a lunging step forward.

[Yuu Kanduet]

When Hinuk siddled up to Bahari, Bahari gave a broad grin and returned his leader's fist-bump. There was a knot of nerves in the young boy's gut, but the presence of his friend help lessen his jitters. There was no doubt in Bahari's mind that Hinuk would Impress a high ranking dragon, and Bahari voiced these thoughts.

"Ready to find your perfect Bronze, Arrow? I wouldn't be surprised if he'll be the biggest of the clutch."

Bumping his shoulder lightly against Hinuk's shoulder, Bahari flashed another grin. He knew that Hinuk wanted a Bronze, and the boy was perfect for one. On the other hand, Bahari didn't really care about color as long as his dragon was perfect.

Without withdrawing his shoulder, Bahari stood slightly behind Hinuk. It was obvious that the other boy was protective, and Bahari knew the feeling well. Placing himself in front of Hinuk would probably only result in having his friend move forward. Bahari knew that there were somethings you just didn't argue and stood behind Hinuk, glad of the added comfort that he supplied. Bahari really hoped they would Impress together.

Standing and waiting for that moment when the tension would break and the first dragonet would be revealed was almost torturous, but it was so worth it. The first to hatch, or rather burst forth from his egg, was a handsome Bronze that glittered an almost gold color. Bahari stretched to look over Hinuk's shoulder and was surprised when Hinuk was tossed aside by the Bronze he had been aching to glimpse.

There was the briefest of pauses as Bahari locked eyes with the magnificent creature before the voice of the dragonet flooded his mind leaving him shaken. It was as if he felt whole, as if there had been some huge gaping part of him that needed to be filled but only when the problem had been fixed was Bahari made aware of the problem.

There you are. I couldn't see you.... You are rather small. I am Maximuth. Come now, B'hari. I'm hungry and Kavanth says that there is food outside.

Bahari gave a wicked grin. He could feel his dragon's impatience, and he made an imperious gesture away from the Sands.

"Then by all means, let us have you fed. I cannot have you wanting for anything, much less something as simple as food."

Before he left, Bahari cast a truly happy look back towards Hinuk, and mouthed the words, "good luck." Then he was gone from the Sands to feed and care for his new life-partner.

[Na Qaiah]

Tishu took a involuntary step back when the little blue hatchling stumbled in her direction. This saved her from the mauling that Treila got instead. Once the blue moved off to find his life mate in P'tor, Tishu bent down to help stem the flow of blood that was showing through her robes. Once the healers joined her, Tishu stood back up in time to see a dark brown dragon hatch. It seemed to be looking for his lifemate from where he stood. Tishu carefully wiped her hands down the sides of her robes, she hoped the sticky mess wouldn't offend any of the hatchlings from choosing her.

Settling her thoughts into more welcoming ones. Tishu focused her self on trying to attract her life mate. She hoped hers was among these ones that were hatching. Looking toward the Golden egg, she noticed that so far it didn't seem like it had moved. She wondered if the baby inside was going to wait until last to hatch. She heard that this sometimes happens, and if that happened she wondered if the golden lady was waiting for Tishu.

Turning back to the hatching, she grinned at the girl that was next to her, she didn't know her but she remembered seeing her a few times. This was exciting, lots of things were happening all at once. Clapping her hands at another impression made, Tishu forced herself to calm down and wait to see what happened next.

[♥Rizu-Chan♥]

Hinuk
Weyrbrat && Brat Pack Leader

”Ready to find your perfect Bronze, Arrow?”
”You know it, Silvertongue!”
”I wouldn’t be surprised if he’ll be the biggest of the clutch.”

They boy just gave a smirk back in return to his friend, it was hard to hide his excitement – so he’d just decided to not try to in the least. The stroking of his ego only added further, Bahari always knew the right things to say no matter the occasion after all. The bump was returned with a playful one of how own, back on Bahari’s own shoulder, though Hinuk was careful to not put too much force behind it. Unlike T’ran Bahari was much more frail looking (even if he knew the lad wasn’t a pushover, he was just so small) and turns of knowing his friend had made it an unconscious habit to avoid knocking the lad over by mistake.

Before any more chitchat could develop, however, the cracking sounds that soon echoed through the cavern – at first drowned out by the dragons’ own hummed tune – soon caught the attention of all those present in the event. The first egg was hatching, and soon enough Hinuk realized it was the Gladiator Egg. From his hatching he remembered it and the Sphinx Egg; the only two he had decided to touch longer than the rest of the brood. He had especially developed a faint soft spot for th egg, and watching it vigorously shake before shattering powerfully into pieces made his chest swell up with pride – even more when the bronze stepped out and into sight.

By the egg shells of the First Egg, Zorometh had done an awesome job of siring a clutch again.

It was large without a doubt, as expected of the second largest egg in the clutch after all,and while the golden tint to its hide was off putting (it reminded him of those silly gold dragons and women) Hinuk was willing to ignore the slight imperfection in what he had dreamed to be the perfect bronze; especially as he watched him make his way steadily in their direction.

In his direction.

He had been standing straight and firm, full confident as he watched the dragonet come closer, and as the head moved towards him he had been about to meet it half way – before suddenly and forcefully being shoved out of the way by the sturdy beast. No harm had been done, no blood had been spilled at least, unless one counted the sudden bruising to his ego and the slight burns of the sands in his hands and slightly exposed arm before he righted himself.

”What the...”

Perhaps it was fortunate that Bahari, now B’hari, had been so wrapped up in the moment of impression to notice the face of his leader; the wide and startled eyes of the blond gazing at the new pair with pure confusion and a generous layering of envy. He quickly shook it off as best he could; he had no right to feel ill about another of his friends impressing.

But Bahari... a bronze of all things?! Surely fate could be so cruel at times...

Still putting on a façade was what Hinuk did best, and when the young boy looked back at him to wish him good luck none of the previous feelings lingered anywhere in his face. He simply grinned back cheerfully, giving thumbs up to his friend as he led his bronze away from the sands. ”Thanks man!” Just because he was seething inside did not meant all of Pern needed to know. By then he had already stood straight once more, brushing off the golden pellets of sands sticking to his skin as he ignored the minor burns to his flesh. He had appearances to keep up, surely a clutch fathered by Zorometh wouldn’t contain just one bronze; gold tinted or not.

The next few hatchlings went by in a blur for the lad, not really paying them more than the needed attention, as his mind instead focused on the current event. Not only had Tsavoth overlooked him as well in the previous clutch, but now this Maximuth (as the name was soon announced) had outright pushed him out of his path in favor of someone else. Part of him knew he should feel glad the bronze had enough decency to not injure him in his search for Bahari (could have been much worse) but his young age sometimes made it hard to focus on the more important things instead of frivolous facts.