Nearing Perfection (open)

[wolflover1458]

The weather was wonderful outside. The humidity wasn't too high, the was a gentle breeze blowing, and for once, it was warm without being uncomfortably hot. And yet there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The bright sun illuminated the sky and the ground, spreading light across the land and making the lake seem to sparkle pristinely. The sounds of dragons could be heard coming from the Weyr, and the sounds of nature emanated from the other directions. Birds, bugs, and all sorts of other things were thriving in the summer. The Weyr was thriving as well. Certainly they had some problems, but for the day, at least, things were going well. There was no sickness, no starving, no strife. The dragons and people were healthy, and Refuge was strong. Surely this was as close to a perfect day as anyone could hope to get?

Of course not. This day was only a wanna-be-perfect day. Weather wasn't everything. There would still be people arguing, someone was bound to get hurt today, and it could hardly be perfect if she was as bored as she was. The beauty of the day was completely washed away in Therion's mind. She slowly tried to count all the days she had been at the Weyr so far. It had definitely been quite a while. When she'd been Searched, Therion had been thinking that something would happen soon. But it turned out Aeriath hadn't been due to lay her clutch yet, and even when she did, there would still be a few sevendays before they hatched. Why did this take so long? Other people went on and on about all the things she (or someone else) could do at the Weyr in the meantime. Really? She's come here for dragons, not to do things she could have done just as well at home. And who was telling her that anyways? The people who already had dragons, and the people who weren't Standing anyways.

Either way, she was fed up with waiting. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much of a choice. There wasn’t anything that could make this happen faster. Well, at least she wasn’t being bugged to do chores. It didn’t seem right that the only thing the Weyr could think of to have Candidates do was work. And yes, it might be preparing them for their dragons, but the clutch hadn’t even been laid yet. Surely they could at least wait that long? Therion let out a long sigh. It wasn’t her decision anyways, but if it was…

She shook her head and glanced around the scenery of the Weyrbowl again. She’d sat down outside to come think without there being noises all around her, and that was going rather well. There were some other people out here naturally, but mostly they were just ignoring here. She might have been here for what seemed like a ridiculously long time, but Therion still didn’t know a lot of the people here. Of course, a lot of these people would probably end up bugging her, so perhaps that was a good thing. Eventually, though, she was going to have to meet more of the people here, especially if she ended up with the shiny Gold dragon she knew she deserved.

If only she ever knew if there was one! That would make her feel at least a little bit better about having to do all these chores and other things that were just busywork to keep the Candidates out of trouble. She didn’t plan on getting into trouble, of course, but some of those other Candidates didn’t seem like the completely trustworthy type. And thanks to them, she had too suffer too. But eventually she would find her dragon, Therion knew it was going to happen. And then she wouldn’t have to hang out with Candidates who might not even have a chance on the Sands. Instead she would get to know some of the dragonriders better, become friends with them instead, which was what they should all be doing. Just Impressing would make everyone look more favorably upon her.

And becoming the next Weyrwoman? Well, everyone would just like her even more.

[Ise]

Refuge was still unsettling to Lyndel, even after spending the last few seven days here. It was so much like Haven yet so different. She had gotten lost in the Weyr’s halls more then once as her feet had tried to carry her to her old room in Haven only to end up at a dead end here. The dragons all seemed so wrong to her as well, she had known many of the dragons at Haven, had been able to tell their calls apart from one another. But here, here they were all strangers to her. Such a familiar setting to her yet so foreign now.

Everyone at the Weyr had been so welcoming to Lyn and the other candidates from Haven. They had been sympathetic to the group, knowing how hard it must have been for them to leave their home so soon after the raid had diminished their numbers. They had probably been treated a little better those first few days; being shown around the Weyr by some of the higher ranking riders, even getting the chance to see the Weyrwoman even though she was busy getting ready for her queens clutch to be laid. By now though, they were just like the rest of the candidates, the riders were polite but most didn’t go out of their way to talk to them, aside from that one annoying bronze rider who tried his best to charm and flirt with every girl who might end up Impressing the gold. And of course there were the normal chores that were given to candidates. While they were annoying, boring, and tedious, they were something that Lyndel actually looked forward to every day; it gave her something to do and got her mind off of everything else.

Chores had been finished for the day though and Lyn had decided to spend some time wandering the Weyr instead of looking through their records like she had for the past few days. She decided to spend some time outside and enjoy the nice weather. Even though she didn’t know any of the dragons by sight, it was still nice to see them flying around, hunting, and practicing wing formations. She had hoped to catch a glimpse of the gold Aeriath, a reminder of what she was here for. She would Impress the gold egg, there was no question about that. She knew the candidates that had come from Haven and hadn’t been Impressed by any of them, they were too soft, too weak. That would be fine doing a time of peace but Thread was coming and the Holdless weren’t going to stop their attacks just because the dragon riders would be busy dealing with that. Who ever Impressed the gold would have to be strong and ready for all the hardships that would come with leading. And she was perfect for that. Not that she was conceded enough to say such a thing to the other girls. It would be important to be on friendly terms with everyone she Impressed along side with.

For that matter, she might as well get started on trying to be friendly with some of the other candidates. She had spotted one of the other girls who hoped to Impress the gold, she couldn’t remember her name, it started with a T but there were a couple of those, but she had seen her during the candidate chores and in the barracks. She strolled over to the other girl who seemed to be thinking and just spending some time outside and not actually doing anything. She gave the other girl a little smile.
“Hello. Enjoying the nice weather today?”

[wolflover1458]

Therion was still finding this whole waiting thing very unsettling. Candidates were probably supposed to patient, and it was a virtue and all that, but the people were said that didn't have anything that they were eagerly waiting for that simply wasn't happening. They were the people who would sit there and enjoy the day because it was a perfect day or whatever. Well, it was a lot harder for her to enjoy it, because it couldn't be wonderful until she was getting what she wanted. And right now it wasn't happening. She recalled being told that she should be more patient many, many times. Her whole life seemed to be made up of people telling her she couldn't have everything right away. Thinking back on all those times, she became a little more annoyed. This was exactly why she had left the cothold, there had been so many people there telling her things she didn't want to hear, and she didn't want to hear them because she didn't need to hear them. But did they care? Of course not!

Quite suddenly, there was someone behind her saying something. Therion turned to see a girl standing behind her. She didn't quite remember the girl's name. Lynny, maybe? No, that sounded to childish. Well, whatever it was, she was one of those transfers from Haven. The ones that everyone felt all sorry for because they'd been attacked. It had started to get on Therion's nerves. No one cared that she'd narrowly escape the annoyance of her own home. They just cared about the transfers from Haven. And what about all the one that were still back there, huh? And Lynny here was the one who had wanted a Gold dragon over there too. She'd been left standing of course, and it was going to happen again. Therion wasn't planning on letting anyone get in the way of her destiny. She was going to get a Gold dragon, and anyone else wanting one didn't matter to her. They get one after she did, but she was going to be before the rest of them.

Of course, just having the competition of Lynny-something and the other Gold candidates was irksome. Young dragons were supposed to be quite confused, and they didn't always make the best choice. Therion would have to stand out in front to make sure the queen didn't run into someone else before reaching her. A mistake could cost the Weyr greatly after all, what with those Holdless people running amok in the forest. Why hadn't the dragon shield just gotten rid of them all by now anyways? There were obviously a lot of them, so they couldn't be that hard to find. Of course, they had to be pretty smart, to kill two Gold dragons like they had. Maybe they were smart enough to hide too. Still, they would end up being found eventually. Most everyone in the Weyr seemed to think highly of the Dragon Shield, and people like the Holdless never got away with it in the end. Crime never payed, or something like that.

But this Lynny person from Haven had asked her something. Therion hadn't been listening, of course, because she had other things on her mind and hadn't expected someone to come up and say something to her. Now that someone had, she would have to make a conversation. It wasn't that bad though, it would be best to get to know the competition, and making friends wouldn't be a bad thing either, if that was possible. Focusing on the other girl, Therion allowed herself a bit of a smile. "I'm sorry, did you say something? I wasn't listening."

[Ise]

Lyn's face stayed pleasant even as she wanted to shake the other girl. Didn't see know she was talking to the future gold rider? Of course she couldn't expect everyone to be so well informed. Still, she smiled as if she hadn't been insulted and shook her head a little.
"Oh I was just saying hello. I just recognized you as another candidate and thought it would be nice to get to know a few of the others. Especially some of the others that are hoping for the gold."
She continued to smile nicely as she looked Therion over, clearly sizing the other woman up a bit before deciding that she liked what she saw. Really, there was no way this girl had a better chance at Impressing the gold then she did but there was no need to tell her that.

"It's good to see that there looks to be at least one other person here whose suited for the gold. I was sorely disappointed with all the girls that Haven sent with me. And the ones that have shown up here so far? I was starting to fear that the gold would have no choice but to go Between."
Lyndel looked Therion over again, not sizing her up anymore but almost admiring her.
"You're at least pretty enough to catch the eye of any gold. And you must be smarter then half the girls who are here to be candidates. They're all fawning over the bronze riders as if that'll help them Impress."

She shook her head a bit, as if she were pitying those other foolish girls. She shuddenly gasped and covered her mouth with one hand.
"Oh I'm sorry, I'm so rude. You probably don't even know who I am and here I am babbling away. I'm Lyndel."

[wolflover1458]

The phrase 'hoping for the gold' didn't go down to well with Therion. She wasn't hoping for it, she was here for it. What did this other girl know anyways? That the other Candidates from Haven were hopeless. Well yeah, Therion could see that just by looking at them. Most of them were probably aiming for Green dragons anyways. And there were a lot of Searchriders out that were going to be roaming around just looking for pretty girls that looked like they might have a chance, even though those were the girls who didn't. Those were the ones who ran screaming as soon as the Gold hatchling cracked open her shell. They hadn't come for that chance, they'd just come. Why did anyone bother bringing them?

At least this girl was smart. At least, she knew Therion was smart. And naturally, Therion knew she was smarter than all of the other silly girls here, not just some of them, but how could anyone else possibly hope to know that? Not everyone could be as gifted with intelligence as Therion was. It was a shame, certainly, but unfortunately for these other girls, they didn't stand a chance. That Gold was going to make a beeline straight for her, and the others could cry all they wanted. It wasn't really her fault if she was perfect for being a Weyrwoman, was it?

And, of course the girl's name hadn't really been Lynny, but she'd been close, hadn't she? Therion gave her a happy reply back, still with a bit of a smile. "It's nice to meet you Lyndel, I'm Therion." 'Nice to meet you', of course, meant 'go back to Haven where you belong', but it didn't seem quite proper to say that in front of her. Privately, though, Therion felt that Lyndel was just encroaching into territory where she didn't belong. She was obviously Therion's prime competition for the Queen, and even though Therion was certain Lyndel couldn't possibly stand a better chance than she did, she was still worried about those times when a dragon choose wrong. What if the Gold did, because Lyndel was here to mess things up? That was something Therion couldn't possibly forgive. It would be better for her to just head back to the Weyr that she belonged at and wait for a clutch there. Seriously, she was probably going to want to go back there eventually anyways. Might as well do it now.

And really, what gave her the arrogance to think she was the only good Queen Candidate before Therion showed up? "You don't think much of the other girls at all, do you?"

[Ise]

Lyn continued to smile sweetly at Therion. Well she had gotten the first letter of the name right, it wasn't her fault that the girl had such an odd name. And there was another half dozen girls to try and remember as well. It'd be easier to remember their names if they weren't all so boring and dull. None of them had any sort of plan for trying to get the gold, aside from standing there and saying 'oh I wish she would pick me!' over and over.

After taking a quick look around, Lyn leaned in and spoke a little softer to Therion.
"Well have you had the chance to talk to many of them? I mean they all seem like nice girls but some of them... Well I think that Laure girl, you know the one that was found in the woods half dead? I think she's a little slow. Which there's nothing wrong with that, but that's not the sort of person you want to have in charge. And then there's Treila who came with me from Haven. Very nice and sweet girl, she'll make such a wonderful green rider. But she has no spine. Life is just rainbows and sunshine to her. And I guess the last real competition is that Marlaey but she just comes off like she's still a little girl. Do any of those sound like the kind of person that should be a future Weyrwoman?"
She gave Therion a questioning look before shaking her head.
"I can't ever picture myself taking orders from them. Suggestions maybe but never an order."

Of course she couldn't picture taking orders from Therion as well but there was no need to tell her that. She wanted to keep things friendly, try to get to know the girl a little better first. To be a good Weyrwoman, Lyndel knew she needed to be able to get along with everyone, even those sad sad people who thought they stood a chance against her. Once she had her gold then she wouldn't have to worry about silly girls thinking they could take it from her.

[wolflover1458]

Lyndel really did seem to think she was good enough for the Gold. Well, she might be better than all those other girls. Therion could agree to that. But there was one thing that the Haven girl hadn't seemed to grasp yet. No matter how superior she was to people like Trelia and Marlaey, she was still inferior to Therion. But why bother telling her that? It would become obvious when the Gold choose her, and not Lyndel. "I haven't gotten to know them, really. I've been too occupied doing other things. Getting settled in and all. I didn't live at a Weyr my whole life like you have. It takes a little getting used too." She was used to it, of course. She just didn't want to bother getting to know the other Candidates, because they would probably turn out to be annoying. Besides, what if they were better at her than something? Of course, they weren't, but there was no point in finding out that they might be close. "I expect I'll meet them all later," Therion continued to say to Lyndel. In her head, she finished the sentence: at the hatching feast, when I'm the new Weyrwoman.

She noticed that Lyndel didn't mention her, and for a moment she wondered if it was because it was she that Lyndel was talking too. But then she let it go. After all, what did it matter? It was the dragon who would decide who was the better of the two, and Therion was certain that a Gold dragon, even a hatchling could choose correctly. There was no need to worry if Lyndel thought there might be some competition. Well there was, and the competition was going to walk away with what she wanted. It almost seemed cruel to do, but it had to be done. Besides, Lyndel could always have a Gold after Therion did. Perhaps even the daughter of Therion's Queen. That was the best she could certainly hope for. Therion wasn't going to back down.

Looking at Lyndel, Therion decided to change the conversation to something the other girl might rather talk about. "So, do you think people born at Weyrs have a better chance of Impressing?" Therion doubted it mattered at all, but that if the dragons wanted anyone, they would want fresh blood, not the same family again and again. But she was sure Lyndel would think differently.

[Ise]

“Oh living in a Weyr does take a bit of getting use to doesn’t it. I’ve spent my whole life at Haven, my father was one of the riders there.”
Informing everyone that her aunt had been the Weyrwoman at Haven was one of the few things that Lyndel had resisted bragging about. The loss of her aunt was still too fresh for her. Once she had her gold then she could take the chance to make sure everyone knew that she was always destined to get that gold. It might help take some of the sting out of the pain of losing their chance to Impress this gold.

“You should take the chance to say hello to them and learn their names. That way when one of us wins that gold we can seem a little more gracious. The other girls will be much more willing to follow then and will just hero worship you instead of being jealous.”
It couldn’t hurt at least, no one liked those who were stuck up and at least pretending like you actually cared about someone else was enough to fool most of them.

Lyndel thought about Therion’s question for a moment before shrugging.
“I’m sure it helps with some colors. Greens and blues since you have to be use to how often those two will fly. But for a gold? The last gold that Haven had was Impressed by a weyrbrat but the one here was Impressed by one of those Northerners. I think it mostly just helps to not stand right in front of the egg. Even if the gold likes you, she isn’t going to want you if she stumbles into you and cuts you up.”

[wolflover1458]

Therion knew Lyndel had lived at Haven, it was pretty common knowledge. Hopefully that wouldn't make a big difference in everything. All that really did was let Lyndel prance around telling everybody that she was related to dragonriders already. Well, Therion would be one soon enough, so it hardly mattered. And, according to Lyndel, it wouldn't help her get the Gold. That was good news, not that it really mattered. Therion was certain to get her anyways. She'd always been certain of her success. This conversation was just for fun. Perhaps, after Therion was safely and irreversibly Impressed, they could have another one. Doubtlessly, Lyndel would not seem quite so happy as she did now.

She couldn't think of why she would really want to be bothered meeting those other girls. Unfortunately, Lyndel's suggestion made sense. Therion was glad, of course, that Lyndel had included Therion in the choice of who was getting the Gold (otherwise she would have been quite incorrect). But still, having to actually those who would simply be riding Greens didn't seem like it would be fun. Therion planned on associating herself with Bronzeriders and Brownriders, and Raelwyn of course, but not people with Greens. They were the most numerous of the dragons for a reason. Therion was going to be royalty soon, and she didn't want to mingle with the hoi polloi. Of course, if she didn't, they might end up hating her. A little bit, she could handle, but it would be better to at least pretend to be humble and what not, or even surprised when she got the Gold (as if she would be).

Still, at least Lyndel even thought she would have a good chance. Therion immediately wondered, though, if that whole don't-stand-in-front-of-the-Gold-egg thing was some ploy to make her less likely to Impress. Therion wasn't stupid enough to stand there and get mauled, but she wasn't going to stand away from the Queen either. That just left a chance of the Gold getting confused and accidentally Impressing someone that she thought was Therion. No, Therion didn't want to take that chance. She wasn't going to stand right in front of the Queen egg (like Aeriath would even let her) but she wasn't standing off to the side either. Lyndel could stand far away if she wanted too. Her problem when the Gold didn't even get close to her.

She didn't want to act as though she was just throwing off this advice. So Therion focused her attention back on Lyndel and responded. "I suppose that's true. Do you know a lot of good things to do during a hatching, then? I assume you've watched some before?"

[Ise]

Lyn never let the friendly look drop off her face as she closely watched Therion’s reactions to what she said. She looked like she was listening, even if she didn’t seem grateful for the advice she was receiving. But that was fine, Lyndel would Impress the gold and show Therion the proper way to go about being a gold rider and future Weyrwoman.

“Advise for the hatching? Don’t get mauled and don’t be late. By the time the hatching happens the dragons tend to know who they want. That’s why the Touching is so important. You have to try and make a lasting impression then. If the dragon doesn’t like what it picks up from you at the Touching, it won’t even think of going to you by the time it hatches.”

She thought for a moment, brushing her long blond hair off her shoulders.
“The only other thing I can think of doing during the Hatching is just to be confident and not act like one of those nervous girls who you swear is going to faint on the sands. No gold is going to want a girl like that. Even a green would shy away from someone that weak. Being on the good side of the candidate master would probably help as well, they some times arrange the order that girls go out in, if you’ve whined at them too much they’ll probably put you in a bad spot. Though I’m sure you don’t have to worry about that, a future Weyrwoman wouldn’t complain about having to do something boring and getting her hands dirty for a few weeks while waiting.”

(puu short post )

[wolflover1458]

Okay, that was definitely a mocking statement. Therion didn't care how you looked at it. Lyndel didn't have any reason to say that sort of thing unless she knew that Therion might have, maybe, been upset that she had to do chores when she was destined to be the next Weyrwoman. Figures no one had bothered to give her that kind of advice, and the only person that did was shoving it in her face right now. Therion wasn't planning on getting mauled though (she wasn't about to let some clumsy Green knock her over) and she didn't plan on being late (like there was anything more important than the hatching). And being confident? It would be sevendays before Refuge Weyr could celebrate its next hatching, and Therion was already ready for it. There was no way she could be more confident than she already was. It was good to know that she didn't appear to need advice for when she was Standing.

As for being nice to the Candidatemaster? Well, that would be way easier if the Candidatemaster didn't give them all these ridiculous chores. She could try being nice (maybe), but it wouldn't be because Lyndel had told her too. Besides, she could always move where she was once they headed out to the Sands. It wasn't like they could force her to stay in one spot. Besides, the Gold would probably come and find her anyways. It wasn't like she needed the advice of someone she considered her rival. Lyndel probably wanted Therion to get into trouble. Besides, she probably didn't even know that much more about hatchings than Therion did. She'd been told a lot, and Lyndel might have seen some, but Therion was going to soon enough. Just the thought of this silly girl knowing more about it than her made Therion boil inside. She was going to show this silly Haven girl what it meant to be a truly worthy Candidate for a Gold. She just had to wait, and it would all become clear on its own.

Naturally, Therion didn't think of making these emotions apparent. She kept them inside herself, thinking about it to herself, but not letting Lyndel realize it. That would hardly do, now would it? Lyndel would grow to see her mistakes in time. Therion was on top of things enough. She didn't need the advice of some wayward girl from Haven that thought she was good enough to be Weyrwoman. "Have you stood for some hatchings, then?" Therion asked, keeping a somewhat pleasant smile on her face even though underneath, she was mentally comparing herself with Lyndel, and thinking about why the other girl hardly even deserved to be there.

[Ise]

Lyndel didn’t know that Therion had complained about chores, but she had assumed it. Far too many candidates whined about having to do more then sit around and have others gush over them. Therion seemed like the sort that expected everything to be handed to her, as if she really was something special. What a shame the poor girl would come out of the hatching heart broken. There was no way a gold would ever pick her. A green maybe but greens weren’t picky, heck Lyn was surprised that a green had never Impressed to another dragon. So long as someone had one thought in their head a green was willing to Impress to it.

Though Lyn did have to give Therion some credit, it actually looked like Therion was taking some of her advice. There were some moments where Lyn was sure that she had pushed some button, just a little twitch at the corner of her mouth. At least Lyn thought that was what she saw, she was willing to admit that maybe she was just seeing what she wanted to see. She would almost feel guilty if it turned out that Therion was just a nice girl over all. At least she wasn’t giving the girl bad advice, she could have told the girl to stand right in front of the golden egg, no faster way to get mauled then that.

To Therion’s question, Lyn shook her head.
“No, I haven’t stood yet. I was too young the last time there was a gold on the sands. Both of our golds were due to rise soon before the attack. People were even hoping that they would rise at the same time, or at least close to the same time.”
She let out a wishful sigh. If only the Holdless hadn’t ruined everything. She could have been back home waiting for her chance to Impress two gold dragons. With the Red Star so close, any clutch was bound to have a gold dragon in it. Not that Lyn felt she needed twice the luck, but it would have been more fair for the other girls, at least one of them would have stood a chance for Impressing a gold.

[wolflover1458]

Lyndel would be one of those girls that only stood if there was a Gold egg on the Sands, wouldn't she? Somehow, Therion had expected that of her. She certainly seemed like the type to be like that. She wasn't sure if that was for vanity or for fear of Impressing to some silly Green. Therion figured she could Stand at a clutch without a Gold no problem. The only reason she wouldn't would be because there was no point. It would be a waste of her time to bother Standing when she would know perfectly well that there was nothing there for her to Impress. At least she was never going to have that problem, though, since she would be Impressing to a Queen dragon as soon as she hatched. And then poor Lyndel might have to wait forever until there was another one. At least then the girl could head back to Haven and be out of Therion's life. She hardly even knew this other girl, and already she didn't like. Clearly Lyndel was not a person she should be getting along with, or anyone should be getting along with, for that matter.

Therion was suddenly curious as to what Lyndel thought of her. No doubt she wasn't too happy with her, but that was just jealousy. Jealousy because Therion was the one that would walk away with the Gold dragon, and Lyndel would be the one left Standing. Maybe some Green would take pity on her. That would be an interesting sight to see. This girl that thought herself the perfect match for a Gold ending up with a Green as the true Gold Candidate walked away with what was rightfully hers. She was looking forward to the hatching more and more. It was something that she was never going to forget, and best of all, she would never have to have this kind of conversation with anyone again. She would have her place in the way, and it was a place that would never change. Therion was definitely looking forward.

Poor Lyndel. Might as well humor her. "That's too bad. Did you become a Candidate and just not Stand, then? You can do that, can't you?" It would be a nice to thing to know, so Therion wouldn't have to bother herself with a clutch without a Gold egg, not that it would ever happen to her, but it was always nice to be sure. At least Lyndel was good for information if for nothing else.

((Therion fails to see the irony >.>))

[Ise]

Of course Lyn was only going to stand when there was a gold egg present. She was meant for a gold and only a gold. There was no point in wasting her time or anyone elses by standing at a hatching that didn’t have what she was meant for. She of course had respect for those who stood and ended up with a green, they were needed dragons of course. But Lyndel knew she was far too special to let herself impress to one of them. Plus she had no interested in having to deal with a dragon who had flights every other week. She had better things to do then spend that much time on her back.

The more Lyndel talked to Therion, the better she felt about the hatching. Why would any gold want such a simple and plain girl? No, she really was the only one that was deserving of a gold. The other girls were nice enough but ugh, who would want any of them as a Weyrwoman? But getting to know them a little and letting them think they still stood a chance at getting the gold was good. It would make her seem more humble and deserving when the gold dragon Impressed to her.

Lyn could already picture the hatching now. The silence that would descend over the sands when the golden egg started to shake and crack, they way everyone would gasp at how beautiful the gold dragonet would be. Of course the gold would take her time in deciding who she wanted, all golds wanted to show off and be admired first. The dragon would probably end up mauling one or two people (she hoped that Laure was one of them, who ever had decided that that slow girl should be allowed to stand was an idiot), and then gold would find her. Of course she’d act surprised, cry a few tears and hug who ever was next to her before she got to lead her glittering new dragon off the sands. No one would care about the rest of the hatching, all eyes would just be on her and her dragon.

“Hm?”
Oh. Therion was talking again. Asking questions that were probably suppose to annoy her and make her feel like she had done something wrong by not standing.
“Of course you can be searched and not stand. Haven also didn’t allow many girls to stand when there wasn’t a gold on the sands. I’ve never seen so many women on green dragons before I came here. I heard there were even a few girls on blue dragons.”
Lyn shook her head a bit, barely able to wrap her mind around such a thing. Refuge Weyr was such a strange place!

[wolflover1458]

"Yeah there's like two girls on Blue," Therion responded. At least that was what she had heard. Personally, it didn't make much of a difference to her. If Bronzes had Impressed to women she wouldn't care. It wasn't exactly something she had grown up with. All that mattered to her was the Gold dragon. She wasn't even destined for a Blue, so if other girls were to Impress to them, it didn't make a difference to her. And it would be silly to think they would get more attention that she did. Blue dragons were right next to Greens on the bottom of the dragon chain. Even if girls were Impressing to them when they hadn't in Turns, it didn't make a difference. It was the Queen dragon that everyone would really care about. Therion didn't even have time to be concerned about what the other Candidates would Impress too. At least she didn't have those worries. She knew how the hatching was going to go for her.

Having never been to a hatching, Therion didn't know completely what it was like. But she knew the gist of what would happen. The Gold would hatch, probably last (they apparently tended to do that), and everyone's attention could head straight to her. That was the moment that would be most exciting for Therion. She would get to see her future lifemate right then and there, look the Gold over and admire her like everyone else, until she finally headed over to the Candidates and to the one she truly belonged too. Maybe she would even maul some of the other girls on her way there. Therion certainly wouldn't be complaining if Lyndel got run over by the dragon she thought would be hers. This whole hatching thing was going to take way to long. Therion wanted it to happen now. She was tired of being bossed around by other people who didn't realize how important she would end up being. The sooner the hatching occurred, the sooner Therion could take up her rightful place in the Weyr. Why did it have to take so long?

Well, she was obviously going to have to just wait. And if this was how she wasting that extra time, Therion was fine with it. Besides, she kind of liked asking Lyndel stuff. Not only was she learning about the Weyr, but she was learning a bit about Lyndel at the same time. Therion didn't really feel Lyndel was too much competition for her. No matter how many other Candidates there might be, Therion was still going to be the one right for the Gold. Nothing could change that, so she had no reason to feel nervous or worried about the outcome of the hatching. Therion couldn't help but feel happy about that. At least she wasn't insecure about her future, even if the other Candidates might be. That was exactly why they weren't good enough for the Gold anyways. Why would such a grand creature go towards someone who didn't even know if they deserved her?