Ista Weyr Hatching (from the Sands)

Jump to each Hatchling:

Hatching Sands(#1296RAMa$)

The black sand beneath your feet reminds you of standing on a beach at midday. Heat from the sands pentrates to your feet, making you uncomfortable. This huge cavern arcs over your head in black matte rock, while the tiers of the Galleries provide seating for spectators. A glorious array of eggs lie spread across the heated obsidian-glimmering sands of the Istan Hatching grounds. Scattered on the midnight-dark grains like jewels across velvet or the bright speckles of stars in the evening sky, eggs glimmer in all hues: brightly-colored violets are mounded about by sand, mixing with vermilion, viridian, pastel shades with delicate traceries of designs. The most prominent of these is the richly gleaming luminescence of a solitary golden egg, taking the pride of place among the clutch, and cradled protectively by Neith. (Type 'view eggs' to see a list of visible eggs.)

Besides the span of the galleries to the south, one can head over towards the entrance to the hatching grounds, or into one of the Queen's tunnels to the southeast and southwest.

Contents:

Lusani comes out of a yawning tunnel onto the Hatching Sands. Lusani has arrived.

Rykel walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Rykel has left.

Habrith lowers his muzzle to nudge at the Mahagony Cream egg. He pats some more sand around it, perhaps in an effort to keep it from shaking.

Carinah comes out of a yawning tunnel onto the Hatching Sands. Carinah has arrived.

Jereboam comes out of a yawning tunnel onto the Hatching Sands. Jereboam has arrived.

Merien stands by the stairs to watch the candidates as they come from the quarters.

Makeda comes out of a yawning tunnel onto the Hatching Sands. Makeda has arrived.

Jorenan comes out of a yawning tunnel onto the Hatching Sands. Jorenan has arrived.

Neith warbles as she catches sight of Habrith's actions from the corner of one quick-swirling eye, and heads over that way to promptly uncover the egg.

Jennae comes out of a yawning tunnel onto the Hatching Sands. Jennae has arrived.

Jereboam smiles at Merien, winking roguishly before composing himself for the walk on the sands.

Melina walks on the sands, stepping lightly, knees jerking up like an overspirited runner. She finds her way in the vicinity of the proud parents and bows to each in turn before shuffling toward Maehryn and taking his hand nervously.

The candidates pause as a group and bow towards Ista's golden queen. Well it would have happened as a group if Carmos hadn't been too busy looking up at the galleries. Borad elbows him in the side which provokes a quick, "Hey, stop it you sharding . . . " His voice trails off as he realizes that it is carrying a bit too loudly in the cavern.

Liz grabs Jennae's hand, following allong.

Ianthe glances over, grabbing one of Mercy's hands and squeezing--maybe a bit too hard. She's scared out of her wits, wide-eyed. And it doesn't help that her feet have made the revelation that it's /hot/ out here. Quickly, she starts a more tip-toed walk... towards wherever everybody else is going.

Vine-Traced Satinwood Egg has arrived.

Merien nods to the candidates and says, "Good luck!" She smiles and salutes L'tan and Merellia, then gestures to Rykel and heads to the corner of the sands to prepare for the hatchlings.

Merien walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Merien has left.

There's an audible cracking sound which heralds the beginning of the hatching and the Musical Wooden egg splits right down the middle to reveal the glistening green form of a hatchling. This green is sure of what she wants and strides directly across the sands with her wings raised to stop in front of Triana, the ambitious girl from the High Reaches. Triana moves quickly to embrace the green, calling out, "Heriath" before she bursts into tears.

Makeda yanks Jorenan's hand away from Chegaren and squeezes it. She's not a bit nervous.

Elexand is holding Lusani's hand tightly. Not quite a death grip, but almost. He winces at the heat of the sands on his bare toes.

Randrin shuffles into place beside Mercy and Rivael and Ianthe, 'mongst other people, and bites fiercely on his lower lip. Folding his arms over his chest, he closes his eyes for a long moment before shooting them open and looking to the eggs. "Jays..." he murmurs, almost under his breath. "Jays, look at that."

Jorenan just looks relieved not to be holding Chegaren's hand anymore.

Liz grasps Jennae's hand, squeezing it. Her other hand searches for another Candidate's hand. Not nervous, no perfectly calm. She pulls emotions inside and supresses her anxiety.

Orimia makes her way out onto the sands as all the formalities have been taking care of. She takes but a moment to look up into the Galleries...perhaps in a vain hope to catch the eye of her brother. with all those people its near impossible...so she goes back to looking at the wobbling eggs. Tilting her chin up she refuses to look nervous, not her, nope nope nope.

Madelynda stands tall and upright next to Carinah, her hand grasping hers tightly with white-knuckled earnestness. A small gasp wrenches out of her as the first hatchling emerges and Impression occurs, her aqua eyes wide, clear and awe-struck.

Melina swallows hard, watching the first impression. After some time, her voice cracks into a congratulations for Triana. Her weight shifts again and a foot raises from the hot sands to cool. Her hand tightens on Maehryn's again. And she watches intently.

Ack! Already? Ianthe squeezes harder--poor Mercy!--and settles into her spot in the circle. Left, right, left, right... hothothothot. First toes, then heels, then toes... how to keep cool, on these scorching sands!

Lusani doesn't even feel the heat at first as she looks around the cavern. Up. People. Lotta people. Forward. Dragons. Eggs. Her eyes get about the size of dinner plates and she practically returns Elexand's death-grip on her hand.

Rivael's nervous bouncing up and down on his feet increases as the heat from the sands finally comes to his attention. He hovers close to Mercy and Ianthe, face lite up in surprise at the speed with which at least one eager egg has hatched.

Maehryn grasps Melina's hand tightly, his grey eyes on the eggs and the large forms of Neith and Habrith. Almost before the sound of cracking egg reaches him one of the girls has Impressed. "Oh wow," he says softly, looking towards Triana stupidly.

Jereboam takes up Lusani's and Jennae's hands tenderly in his large ones. his eyes are more on the candidates than the eggs, but he watches carefully.

Jennae stands between Jereboam and Liz, watching the eggs with an intensity she's never had before. Too nervous to chew her lips, she simply stands with her mouth half-open.

Vine-Traced Satinwood Egg rolls away from its previously carefully chosen place and starts to rock back and forth almost rhythmically, each movement more incensed than the last. A few, minute cracks start to spread out over the shell, with little bits flaking off to drop against the sand.

Melina points at the shaking egg excitedly and whispers, "Look, Maehryn!"

Shaking, shaking, shaking, the Mottled Abalone almost seems to be dancing as it vibrates with the need for freedom. Finally, a bronze head emerges. Once the remains of his prison are discarded with a flick of head and tail the bronze moves to the boy closest to him, a tall and skinny lad from Keroon. Impression is made.

Shivering despite the heat, Laurene watches as the Hatchlings begin to emerge from their shells. She stiffens her spine and clasps her hands behind her back, swaying slightly to relieve her feet from the scorching of the sands.

Elexand hadn't even noticed the filled stands until Lusani looked that way. His eyes widen too, then he stands more straightly. His posture wilts a little with longing, though, as he watches the first two Impressions.

Shifting his weight from foot to foot, Randrin bites harder on his lower lip and tries to concentrate more on the eggs and hatchlings than on the heat of the Sands. A difficult thing at best, but he gives it his best go.

Vibrant Patchwork Egg has arrived.

Jennae doesn't even notice the intense heat of the sands against her bare feet. Her whole being is centered on the rocking, cracking, hatching eggs.

Merellia's smile broadens with delight, sending a congratulatory smile towards the first Impressions, even though they're too preoccupied to see her gesture; Neith, however, makes her pride very evident with a loudly piercing bugle.

Ianthe finally starts standing with one foot balanced on the other... and switching every few seconds, although it's hardly enough time for the sole of one to cool. A sigh, and she glances over to Mercy. "It's so /hot/!" Why didn't she notice that before?

Habrith peers intensely at the shells cracking about him. He lets out a quivery bugle and then packs more sand around the Mahagony Cream egg. Stay in there, he seems to be saying.

Carinah clenches Madelynda's hand where she stands next to her fellow candidate, her weight balanced on one foot before it's shifted to the other. Taking a deep breath, she lifts her ashen eyes, filled with a strange mixture of anxiety and wonder, from the first Impression to the stands and then the ledges.

Another ragged breath taken, Mercy clasps Ianthe's hand; pain isn't noticed, though the heat is: a sheen of sweat coats both hands, though the one not holding anyone's hand is wiped absently against too-large robe. Dark-eyed glance steered from sight-to-sight, she merely watches, silent.

Maehryn squeezes Melina's hand tightly once, grey eyes going to where Melina points. He wipes his free hand along the white robe he wears, trying to keep his sweating palms dry. "I see it," he whispers back. "And there -- oh!" His voice is cut off by another quick IMpression.

Makeda stands like a statue only her eyes move to follow the dragonettes, and her hand which squeezes Jorenan's tightly.

Liz watches the eggs and the Impressions in a stunned silence. She holds tightly to Jennae's hand, eye's wandering over the eggs. She only moves her feet slightly, almost unconciously.

Jereboam gives Lu's hand a reassuring squeeze, reminding her she can squeeze his hand off if she'd like. His feet move slowly on the sands, and he watches the egg bounce. Jorenan cranes his head around, looking at the stands. He can't make out a single individual in the crowd, of course, and so goes back to watching the eggs.

Madelynda edges nearer to Carinah, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Her blank expression shows a consciousness and focus that allows her to keep both feet firm on the hot Sands, seemingly numb to the all sensations -- excepting sight.

Neith's bugle turns to a plaint as she sees what her mate's up to again; with a protesting rumble, she uncovers the sand from about the cream-colored egg once more.

G'fen begins moving, covering his mouth with his hand, then slowly starts herding the first confused pairs off the sands, giving them direction.

Eyes shift from eggs, to candidates, to stands, to Maehryn. Finally, Melina just focuses on the eggs, squeezing her friend's hand again.

Lusani smiles widely as the green chooses, then the bronze. "First pairs...." she says to Elexand. "Oooh, look... there's another one moving." This doesn't get any easier, she appears to decide as she takes the invitation and squeezes Jere's hand back.

The wobbling of the eggs has caught Orimia's eye..well both of them for that matter. Staring she seems frozen, until the heat makes its presence known...painfully. "Ow, ow, ow!" she curses softly but with great conviction as she hops from foot to foot. Noticing that it might not be the most becoming thing to do she quickly stops, setting for a slight shuffle from side to side.

Elexand has totally forgotten about his feet, and Lusani, and in fact the whole of Pern. He's totally focused on the eggs as they start to move, and crack.

Vine-Traced Satinwood Egg seems to stop moving for about a minute, poised to make another jerk, which it finally does, the movement sending it spiralling around in a half-circle as the cracks spread up over its surface, widening significantly.

Emerald green eyes tainted with a blue-grey ring zoom back and forth, Rivael taking in the sight of the shaking eggs and dragons impressing already from this new and close vantage. A whisper most likely going unheard towards Mercy, Ianthe and Randrin "It's so much more, um, -real- looking down here."

Liz watches the eggs in a stunned silence. Her feet stop moving as she concentrates on the eggs, but her hand is still clenched tightly about Jennae's hand.

Habrith puts his muzzle down in the sands, just a few steps away from 'his' Mahagony Cream egg. When Neith's not looking he begins to edge just a little bit more sand over the top of the egg.

Vibrant Patchwork Egg moves just alittle in the sand before stopping, almost as if seeing as anyone caught that movement. A minute later, it moves again, rocking gently, the occupant almost ready to pop out.

Jennae gives Liz's hand a reassuring squeeze, clutching at Jereboam's with the other hand. Finally aware that her feet have feelings too, she starts to hop from one to the other.

Eggs begin to hatch all over the sands. One which has become separated from the rest, the Gilded Flower egg, opens to allow a small blue hatchling to emerge. He stumbles in the sands and falls at the feet of a petite girl from the Healer Hall who never seems to stop speaking. She helps him to his feet and falls silent as he lifts his eyes to regard her.

Attention caught and held for the moment by the eggs, Randrin straightens and begins to chew his lower lip into raw meat. "Jays," he murmurs in answer to Rivael's statement, whether he really heard it or not.

Maehryn's eyes are drawn back to the sudden movement of the Satinwood egg. He licks his dry lips quickly, then reaches up to wipe a sheen of perspiration from his forehead. "Is it going to hatch?" he asks, then breaths again as it moves once more.

Carinah's eyes move back to Madelynda as she draws closer then flicker back to the dark, glittering sands before her and the eggs nestled there. Her brows are knit firmly together, and she looks to first Neith then Habrith before her gaze skips back over the rustling eggs.

Oooh-ooh-ooh! Ianthe nudges Mercy. "That one... it's nearly hatched... one of my /favorites/, even." She's nearly shaking--nervous, and with such tender footing. Amber eyes dart back and forth as Orimia tries to take in everthing at once. Swallowing her nervousness...no not nervousness, its just hot out here and she's thirsty..yeah, that's it.

Jorenan glances over at Makeda. "You okay?" he asks quietly. "Is your family here?"

Madelynda almost startles at the loud sound of an egg cracking into shards, inhaling swiftly. Her unsteadiness shows as her body almost sways on the Sands; just as suddenly, she forces the swaying to stop, exhaling slowly and steadily as she stands up and straight again.

Makeda lifts one foot to rub it against the back of her calf. One foot and then the other as the heat from the sands begins to feel uncomfortably warm. She manages a nod to Jorenan. "I...I think so."

The Twisted Grapevine egg swirls around in the sand, spinning to an abrupt stop as if it were making an elegant gesture in a complex dance of its own design. As cracks systematically spread over the surface of the shell in a fine web, a rhythmic thump finally produces the snout of a dragonet from within the egg like a flower unfolding its petals to reveal a damp center. With a subtle movement, the egg breaks completely apart, shards decorating the sand in a precise staccato of beats.

Elexand gasps at the blue's Impression. "They're so... the color is just... I can't even..." Apparently what he can't even do is finish a sentence, as he watches the eggs roll and shake and crack. "Lusani, was it like this last time you were here?"

Melina squeezes Maehryn's hand again, watching in wonder and murmering congratulations to the people who have impressed. She looks at the mound, looking over all of the eggs, as ifin watching them enough, she could see what was inside.

Soft illumination seems to bathe the slim, delicate form of the dragonet, as if a spotlight focused only upon her. In a precise manner, wings like the sweeping panels of a dancer's kimono drape with the silken rustle of translucent membranes around her torso in a precise manner. The curve of her neck arches in graceful serenity that extends to her fine-boned head. Her diminutive frame is lavished by the cast of dusky jadeite, the green dappling her body in an aesthetic silhouette of colors which only emphasize her presentation. Everything about this hatchling is flawless and exquisite, from the coy tilt of her pale muzzle to the charming coil of her slender tail.

Makeda looks up toward the ledges and spots the Benden contingent. She manages a wave with her free hand. "Yes, yes, my family is here."

Vibrant Patchwork Egg rocks again, almost in time of the hatching of the green. One large crack appears in the side and once again it falls still.

Mahogany Cream Egg has arrived.

Lusani smiles nervously at the Healer girl, congratulations in the incredibly-nervous state of her mind. She nods feebly to Elexand, then nearly stops breathing as the Grapevine egg hatches and the green emerges.

Melina ohs at the green quietly. She tugs on Maehryn's hand, "Look.. she's gorgeous"

Carinah turns her head, all nervous anxiety fled when she feels Madelynda sway beside her. "You alright?" she whispers, voice nearly inaudible. Her fingers press Madelynda's reassuringly.

Laurene turns her head, gazing through the crowd, though she is too far to pick out faces. One foot is lifted then set down, the other soon to follow in the strange dance of hot sands. All throughout, her hands remain clasped tightly behind her back.

Maehryn whips his head around, the sound of more cracking shells drawing his attention. His next breath is a long gasp as he sees the soft, silken looking green. He nods wordlessly to Melina, gripping her hand all the more tightly as he stares.

Jereboam gasps softly, looking at the hatchlings, mindful to keep out of the way of sharp claws if they draw near.

Jennae watches the little green Hatchling closely, then lets her eyes trail to the blue. Too much to see at once! And she still hops from one foot to the other, squeezing the hands she holds.

Liz smiles at the green, giving Jennae's hand an extra squeeze, "Look at her..." she whispers.

Mahogany Cream Egg moves a bit on the sands, tossing the dusting that covers its top to the sides.

Green? Ooh, green. Ianthe watches, eyes wide, freckles stark against her so-pale face. "Ooooh, /Mercy/!" Hardly loud enough to be heard by anybody else... her voice almost a squeak.

G'fen convinces another green and her lifemate that they shouldn't stay on the sands forever, moving them out of the throng of candidates. Then he trudges back.

Makeda sucks in her breath with awe as the green emerges. "Beautiful," she murmurs.

Over in the corner of the grounds, almost ignored by the candidates, the Rainbowhite Illusion egg shatters. The bronze which totters out comes up behind a large boy with dark hair from the Beastcraft. A tap on the shoulder by the bronze's muzzle causes the boy to turn and face the bronze. A wide smile appears on the boy's face as impression is made.

Jorenan jumps. Literally. He flinches at the green's sudden appearance, and in the process probably gives Makeda's arm a good yank. Then he recovers, looking embarassed. His face was already pink from the heat, but now it creeps up into his ears, as well.

Rivael's eyes are draw to the newly hatched green dragonet, "Look at that.." he murmers to the air.

Exhaling softly with the arrival of the green, Randrin tilts his head sideways to look at her. "Jays," he says, yet again, proving once and for all that he has one of the most expansive vocabularies on Pern. But he does look toward the Mahogany Cream egg, after giving her the once-over, and then to the bronze that just hatched.

Pearly whites firmly clamped upon lower lip, Mercy merely nods in response, for her attention is pulled upon one thing: the expanse of midnight-colored Sands and all the beauty it holds upon it -- rocking eggs, hatching dragonets, glorious Impressions. At Ianthe's prompt, a nervous smile is coaxed from her lips.

Orimia actually smiles..and the cavern cieling doesn't even cave in. "Oh my..." she says and glances once more to the Galleries before returning her gaze to the sands.

Elexand leans toward Lusani. "She's perfect. Just perfect. Kind of jungle-colored. Like leaves in afternoon shade." His eyes narrow as he watches the little green move, whether from concentration or emotion is unclear.

Jereboam cheers as he sees his large companion impress, a bronze even.

Madelynda's eyes flicker up at Carinah, a small and quiet smile on her flushed lips; she nods once in reassurance that she is, indeed, alright, her hand pressing her companion's firmly. Just as quickly, her eyes dart back to the rocking clutch, her body jerking slightly as the irridescent white egg shatters.

Habrith tries to pack more sand around the Mahagony Cream egg but the egg just shakes harder and faster. The bronze's confusion is evident as he works furiously to keep some sand on top of the egg.

Captivating Geisha Green lowers her head, turning it slowly as she seems to want to absorb just -everything- happening around her. Whirling eyes of scarlet look over the mounds of other eggs to finally catch sight of the white ring of candidates standing in pale relief on the black sand. With a faint shake of her wings, she starts to make her way toward them, tail trailing behind her like the train of a gown.

The Vibrant Patchwork egg explodes outwards, sending shards for yards around. No nonsense tolerated in his escape, the hatchling gives a tremulous, tiny, yet triumphant roar as he lies askew upon the sands. He picks himself up immediately, casting whirling eyes around, he warbles another query, satisfied that--no matter where this is he is--he'll definitely be heard.

Liz smiles softly, her nerves slowly returning, and she rocks from one foot to the other. She keep a relaxed, happy look on her face, but it's hard.

This blue hatchling, all uncoordinated muscle and clumsy limbs, as all hatchlings are, might almost considered partially white at first glance. However, the pale shadings which blaze up the underside of his neck, stomach, tail, and under his limbs are, in fact, incredibly light shades of blue. Even so, they might not appear so burningly light were it not for the nearly midnight blue shade of his hide on top of his back, head, and tail. It stretches down between every blaze of light blue. The two shades never meet, however, for wherever they approach, the colors somehow darken and lighten within the space of several fingerwidths of each other, so that nowhere can they be specifically differentiated. Even now, in his new-hatched state, the blue shows signs of the rock he will become, a mass of strength with deftness yet unsacrificed. On all of his limbs, which darken as they stretch towards near-black talons, the same streaks of white fire dance along his tendons and muscles, as if the power contained in them were enough to create fire itself.

Jennae keeps her eyes firmly locked on the Sands, the eggs cracking and bursting, the hatchlings scuttling about, the elated smiles of her now-Impressed fellow Candidates.

Melina's eyes remain trained on the little green. Suddenly, they turn to the new hatchling. Her face seems to light up at the pretty little guy and she chuckles, "Loud lil thing, aren't you?"

Lusani realizes that she needs air. Breathe. In. Out. Yeah...okay, she's getting air again. "Yeah..." she says to Elexand, admiringly, then gasps again at the blue. "Wow." Her vocabulary is /just/ short of Randrin's for originality. "Wow." she repeats, in case anyone missed it.

Orimia wipes her hands on her robe. As the hatching continue she actually begins to relax somewhat, even laughing delightfully as the Blue emerges with a trumpet.

Makeda stands where she is, clutching Jorenan's hand. Her eyes try to follow each hatchling upon the sands leaving her a bit cross-eyed.

Liz smiles at the Fire-white hatchling, "Wow, loud is he."

"Oooh, and bluuuuue!" Ianthe lets go of Mercy's hand just long enough to wipe her palms off on her robe, then clutches it again.

Neith eyes Habrith and the mahogany cream egg suspicously before she's distracted by the noisiness of the new blue hatchling; encouragingly, she warbles back in surprisingly gentle tones.

The roar catches Randrin's wandering attentions, and he ceases to shift his weight long enough to locate the source of it. On picking out the blue, he grins faintly, taking another breath. "Oh, jays, look at that." So much for his perfect record. "Look, Ianthe..."

Carinah's attention reverts to the cacophany of noise as Impressions take place and eggs shatter. A tell-tale shudder trembles her shoulders betraying her emotions more than her rigid posture ever could. At the same time, a look of awe passes across her features, ebbing then fading as she trains her focus to just one hatchling or Impression at a time.

Elexand shifts from foot to foot, apparently starting to feel the heat of the sands again. "Where's she going? What's she doing now?" He's trying to watch everything at once, every dragon, every candidate, everything.

Madelynda breathes deeply at the beauty of a particular blue hatchling, seemingly ablaze with vibrant blues. A glimmer of emotion flashes across her pale face, her blank expression sacrificed as she is struck with awe and wonder.

Laurene unclasps her hands for once, lifting one to run it through the misbehaving mop of copper curls that crowns her head. She chews absently on the corner of her mouth, a worried frown marring her features.

Maehryn starts at the tiny roar, eyes tearing away from the green for only to land on the blue. "Oh," he whispers. "He's... he's blue." A master of the obvious Maehryn proves himself to be. Now his grey eyes dart nervously between green and blue hatchling.

Sweat beads on Jereboam, beginning to soak his robe as he continues to slowly shift his feet, the candidate's hatching dance.

Vocal Fire-White Blue shakes his head, flinging one last clinging shard away. Elated by the power of his first attempt at a bugle, he merely sits on the sands and tries another one. *buusqueak*. If dragons could blush, this one would. Nonetheless, he looks around and merelly croons as he looks at all those white-robed /things/ looking at /him/!

Jorenan takes a careful look at the green, now that he's supposedly calm. And then looks at the blue, too. It's a puzzled look, a look of concern, and perhaps of very small hope.

More sand, more sand, Habrith continues to try and heap sand onto the mahagony cream egg, but the egg's vibrations just keep shaking it off.

Jennae chuckles softly at the little blue, shaking her head at his squeak.

Mahogany Cream Egg rolls first to the left and then to the right as the dragonet within the egg does its best to win free. The bronze hovering above the egg lets out a confused and frustrated bugle as his best efforts at keeping this egg from hatching are useless.

Liz uses her free hand to push the hair back from her face, continuing to smile at the loud one. Her other hand clutches tightly at Jennae.

Melina tugs gently on Maehryn's hand again, giggling, "Look at him.." her eyes shift, "and her.. this is so.. wow"

Makeda manages a chuckle and a gentle smile for the little blue.

Ianthe giggles. She can't help it--she giggles. Left foot, right foot... but at least, distracted for a moment by the blue. And the green. And everybody and everything... it's getting hard to pay attention to little things like hot feet.

Orimia's quirky grin can easily be seen on her face as the Blue's second attempt falls a bit...short. "Well, can't succeed if you never try." she comments mostly to herself..and the few withing earshot of the mutter.

Lusani's eyes swivel between the green and the blue, then are drawn to the latter at the squeeky bugle. Her "Wow.." turns to.. "Awwwww..." as Lu watches. Her feet choose this moment to begin distracting her, causing her to shift her weight from one to the other.

The Masked Bronze egg rocks back and forth before it bursts into small fragments. A loud bugle announces the arrival of a sturdy brown hatchling. After perusing the candidates for a moment he goes to stand before Borad and Metyn. One Istan Weyrbrat becomes an Istan Weyrling, as B'rad calls out, "Kateth, of course we can get some food."

Jereboam smiles as he watches the sands, sweating profusely. This has the unfortunate effect of making his sheet-like robe rather clingy, but it remains modestly appropriate as he gazes at the hatchlings.

Jennae's face shows utter shock as Borad--B'rad Impresses. "Lookit that," she manages to breathe out in a baresly audible voice.

Captivating Geisha Green nearly stumbles once, hind-leg catching up in one dragging wing. She recovers herself almost gracefully, taking an extra step forward to do so. She looks at the ground for a moment, as if to scold it with a glower for ruining her performance, before she lifts her gaze once more to spy just the boy she's looking for! Wonderful emerald eyes with just the faintest hint of blue in them beckon her. Unabashedly she croons at the lad, even as she looks up into his face.

Elexand can't help his eyes' bulging as Borad Impresses. In fact, he looks like his eyes will come right out of his head.

Mercy twists, slightly, in effort to spy so-called blue that seems to have caught Ianthe's attention; the dragonet is seen, awarded a timid, yet awed, smile, before she swerves her glance upon the multitude of eggs, now awakening. Crimson, whether from the heat or the exhilaration of the Hatching, itself, flushes her cheeks, while feet just begin the slowest of shuffles.

Makeda's eyes widen as Borad, er B'rad impresses. "Jays, that dragon didn't smell his clothes press."

[Disconnect and reconnect.]

Rivael's unnatural quietness as he watches the hatching turns to excited joy. He leans over and scratches the green dragon upon the forehead, "Of course, Yalinith."

[Back to top]

Melina's eyes open wide, watching B'rad impress. Her eyes turn to the green who seems to have found someone and then the little blue. She winces at his stumble, breathing with relief when he recovers.

Jereboam can't help but chuckle at the antics of the blue, looking concerned, but grinning once more at the Blue's arrogant attitude.

After a series of small, precise cracks are made along the side of one of the eggs, a bronze hatchling removes himself from the shards, practically stepping out of them in much the same way a peeved potentate might brush past underlings. He spreads his wings gracefully, and begins to look around with a prim air.

Melina grins and applauds, eyes not leaving the blue, "Congratulations, Rivael!"

Lusani giggles at Elexand, looking a bit less amazed but fairly so at the new brownrider, and then her giggle turns into a quiet laugh as she sees the blue attempting to do the Candidate Dance. But wait....the green found someone. Rivael. "Congratulations, Rivael!" she calls to him through her grin.

Peer. Where'd she go? "What happened to the green?" Ianthe looks toward the clutch, and the blue... a snicker, green forgotten. "Oh! Poor thing. Looks like he can't get his bearings.." Then another blink, looking over at Rivael--oh! So close, too! "Oooooh! Yay!"

Makeda almost reaches out to help the little blue before she remembers the instructions from the Weyrleader.

Elexand starts giggling at the blue, then his mouth gapes and after a moment he manages, "Rivael? Congratulations!"

Taking another deep breath, Randrin drops his arms from their folded positions to clasp them behind him. He tries to balance on one leg, to spare the other from the heat, and ultimately settles for including a toe in the stance. Leaning forward a little bit, though, he peers sideways at the very near Impression, and breaks into a terribly wide grin. "Jays... Congrats, Riv!"

There is a lordly, challenging manner to the tilt of this bronzeling's head from the first. With an arrogance surpassing even his sire's, despite his new-hatched awkwardness, he displays himself to advantage, showing off the marbling of golden bronze that is veined with green across his broad chest and down forelegs to sharp talons. The hues smooth over his hide, shading him with the rich mystery of deep bronze along his back to hindquarters and tail, then darker along damp wings until they seem nearly translucent veils of goldengreen-chased shadow. These are narrow, like the slim fingers of a fastidious sovereign plucking at the air, this bronzeling's pride as visible a thing as the regal hue of his hide. Orimia looks with compassion upon the Blue. then something catches her attention.."Oh good job Rivael."

Liz smiles, "Congrats Rivael," then her attention turns back to the little blue.

Madelynda's eyes shift to the young girl on her other side, who sobs ever-so-quietly as she clings to the older girl's hand. "Ah, Nela," she murmurs, a soft smile appearing on her face. "Never fear. Never fear." Silently, she squeezes the hands of both women beside her, eyes drifting back to the sights and sounds on the inky Sands, smiling brightly as Rivael Impresses.

Maehryn turns to look at the green, just as the beautiful little green looks into Rivael's face. "Duh-did... is... Oh, jays! Congratulations, Riv... or whatever you're, uhm, called now."

Jennae fights an incredibly overwhelming urge to help the little blue, feet bobbing from side to side until she sees the other Impressions. All she can manage is an all-encompassing "Congratulations!"

G'fen turns in his walking to intercept Rivael. He stands near her and the green, pointing towards the edge of the sands.

Makeda smiles at Rivael, not that he would notice right now. She saves her good wishes for later.

Metyn does not stand lonely on the sands for long after his best friend's impression. The Ancient Wisdom egg splits and a agile blue comes forth. Lacking the hesitancy and gawkiness that marks so many of the rest of the clutch, this blue strides over to Metyn, who becomes M'tyn and rider of blue Jasenth all in one moment.

Adroit Maharajah Bronze continues to look about him, surveying what he sees with the air of one who's not come to be part of the crowd but of one who has come to rule over it. He's deliberate - scanning each of the candidates with a discerning and almost judgmental eye. He still hasn't moved from the place where his hatching deposited him but he does fold his rapidly drying wings to his back. He shakes them, almost as if he were a man pulling down his jacket to make sure that the shoulders lay right.

Laurene's frown is briefly replaced by a smile at Rivael's Impresssion. She half lifts a hand in salute his way, then shifts her gaze once more over the eggs. Briefly, she pauses to look at the cracked indigo egg. A lock of hair mysteriously finds itself at the corner of her mouth and muchly chewed upon.

Jennae casts her eyes about, looking at the remaining eggs. The little one she's eyed so many times still sits, unhatched. She shakes her head, muttering something unintelligible.

Melina's eyes turn the the bronze, but don't rest there long. Though he /is/ beautiful. She looks back at the blue to watch him intently.

Jorenan blinks at the young bronze, and then stares back at him defiantly. "Go ahead," he mutters. It's not quite clear what the dare is for. Perhaps the young man doesn't know himself.

Scattered Luminance Egg has arrived.

"Rivael!" Mercy's cherry-hued countenance dawns with a brilliant beam -- of a mixture of pride and joy -- as she steps quickly away from fellow can -- newly Impressed. "Congratulations," is murmured after a skipped beat, dark-eyed gaze following the green and boy.

R'vael snuggles right up to Yalinith, continuing to scratch the green in just the right spot it seems. Oh, then he nods quickly, "I bet you are hungry after that."

Blue eyes stare across the Sands to look at lighter blue hide admiringly. A flash of bronze darts across Lusani's vision, though, and she nudges Elexand and points. "Lookit!"

Vocal Fire-White Blue crooons serenely. He hears the people laughing, he may not know what the sound means, but he hears it. With another shake of his head, he continues to walk. Up and down a line of candidates he marches, still trying to imitate them, but without loseing his balance again, well not too many times. He falls once or twice more, manageing to get a/lot/ of sand to stick to his still drying hide. But as he walks, and falls, he starts to croon with more urgency. There's someone out here for him, somewhere!

Carinah's attention is cast down the semi-circle of candidates to Rivael and the green that stands before him. A warm, slow smile coaxes its way to the corner of her lips, but again, her gaze is only held so long before it travels back to the other hatchlings upon the sand, eyes settling on the blue then moving to the freshly hatched bronze.

Orimia blinks, everything seems to be going even faster now if that's possible. With an appreciative look towards the Bronze she turns her attention back to the Blue.

Elexand ogles the bronze. "Wow! Look at /him!" He watches the bronze with intensity. "Who do you think he'll pick?"

G'fen speaks quietly to Rivael.

Liz smiles softly at the loud Blue, "You'll get it, really you will."

Melina winces at the little blue, "Poor thing.. you'll find the /perfect/ rider little one.." Her hand tightens on Maehryn's and she hot foots it closer.

Grin not abating, Randrin looks almost foolish, not entirely unlike a brand new father. Well, sort of, at any rate. The grin fades, though, when he notices the new-hatched bronze, lapsing into almost stunned impassiveness. "Oh, -jays-."

Maehryn's eyes go away from Rivael, now that G'fen stands near the new weyrling. He looks again for the blue, then suddenly stops realizing there's a new dragonet there, up near the remnants of one of the eggs. "Oh. Another bronze--" Then crooning catches his ears and he turns to find the source -- the little blue. He stares at the blue, chewing his lower lip nervously.

Jereboam looks at the Bronze, yet turns away at the penetrating gaze, not daring to even think he meets the speculative creature's standards.

R'vael moves with the green Yalinith over to the edge of the sands as he was previous instructed.

Makeda shakes her head at Elexand. "Well, you got the bronze in the hatching game.." She grins at her fellow candidate.

Scattered Luminance Egg shifts in the sands, the light catching on the shell of the egg and sending tiny sparkles everywhere.

Jorenan's attention is drawn from the bronze to a much cheerier looking blue. Who is still imitating. His scowl somehow, his scowl becomes a grin. "Silly."

Tense seeps away from Laurene's shoulders as the newly hatched bronze takes so much of the attention. Letting out a deep sigh, she begins rocking again, from the heat of the sands.

Lusani hmmms, shrugging a bit at Elexand's question. "I dunno, but I'll look forward to seeing." Her attention is drawn back to the blue as his creels turn more urgent and sympathy shows itself on her face. "C'mon, guy...choose someone."

Merellia laughs, echoing her lifemate's pleasure as she reaches up to brush her fingers along the queen's lowered neck. "Yes, they're a credit to you, love." Her glance flickers to the Weyrleader, arching an eyebrow in a silent query as she tips her heads towards the Impressions.

Liz catches the side of her lower lip between her teeth, chewing idely on it. Her eyes continue to watch everything, but she focuses on the Blue.

Yalinith walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Yalinith has left.

Elexand nods to Makeda nervously and says, in what's almost a mantra, "I wish this were a game. I wish it was. I wish."

Madelynda winces visibly as the vibrant blue hatchling stumbles numerously on the Sands, blinking in sympathy for what must be his poor, raw hide, watching him softly as she breathes deeply and relaxes her shoulders.

Ianthe looks out--pity, at least a little, at the stumbling blue all covered with sand. And then she looks out at the other eggs. "There's so /many/," she murmurs to Mercy.

Habrith bugles again, this time as that egg he was doting on turns into something that looks a lot like he does. What do you know? So that's what Neith was talking about. He bugles again, a sound which rings across the sands.

R'vael walks down to the far end of the Cavern. R'vael has left.

Adroit Maharajah Bronze takes a step forward and then another one and another - his pace quickens until he finds a beat which suits both his dignity and his position. It's the stride of a dragonet with things to do and people to see. He covers up any hatchling awkwardness with an definite purposeful intent - after all if you look like you know where you're going, nobody will wonder if you're supposed to be here.

Maehryn jumps at the bugle from the large bronze, his eyes going guiltily towards Habrith, as if he had done something wrong, like insult the Weyrleader's dragon by being out here on the Sands.

Neith returns Habrith's bugle with a trumpet of her own, eyes whirling a pleased green as she shifts from foot to foot to foot to foot, wings half-unfurled, sharp eyes watching her progeny carefully.

Vocal Fire-White Blue continues to walk, fall, and march up and down the line. Passing a small group of about four, all holding hands, he pauses, but only breifly. Continueing, he suddenly stops in front of a male and a female. He heard a voice. The same as any other voice, but there was /something/ different about it. Looking at the young women with fathomless blue eyes and hair so redish orange that you would think it to be on fire, he /crooons/.

At last, Mercy's gaze is drawn away from R'vael and Yalinith; it rests, again, upon the sands: from blue, to brown, to bronze, to green. Undeciding, her attention is spared upon each, separately, for a moment, perhaps longer, while she nods in return for Ianthe.

Scattered Luminance Egg rocks more violently, cracks beginning to mar the delicate surface, sending erratic spots of light everywhere, much like a disco ball gone wrong. A few lazy rolls in the sands and then it lies still again, almost thoughtful.

Randrin switches from the one foot to the other and resumes chewing his bottom lip to pieces. He flinches a little bit at Habrith's bugle, dark gaze darting toward the huge bronze form. He doesn't offer a comment this time, though, but instead folds his arms back over his chest and hugs tightly.

Elexand trembles, visibly, as the blue comes up to them. He looks at Lusani nervously, then a range of emotions flood his expression: joy, envy, happiness, disappointment. He drops her hand and steps away from her.

Melina watches the blue. Suddenly, a wide smile appears across her face, seeing the impression. With a congratulations and a smile, she looks back at the other eggs.

Memory's Catalyst Egg has arrived.

Jorenan shakes his head at theso-proud bronze. "Pride enough... You gonna fall?" He turns to look at the blue again, and grins as he picks someone.

The Scattered Luminance Egg splits open along one side as a glistening green forelimb pokes forth in a hesitant manner. As if satisfied with the first taste of freedom, the egg's occupant gathers herself together and shatters the rest of the shell wide, leaving a blinking green hatchling crouched over her egg shards. A tentative, soft warble is voiced as the green turns wary eyes about the suddenly very, very large world. Only after a significant time is spent studying the white things that seem most important does she venture a tiny step from her birthplace.

Jennae can summon no words to her lips, so she just stands and watches the Impressions around her. Green eyes fall on the remaining eggs again, and she mumbles, "Hatch, hatch, hatch..."

This tiny hatchling appears at first a rather light shade of green, but upon closer examination, the deeper, intricate shading of her unusually sleek form is revealed. Eyeridges, jaw line, and even the vague slope of powerful muscles in her neck are traced--almost accented--with the very light brown of bamboo. The tracings continue down her forelegs, drawing attention to whip-chord tendons, then to her claws. They could almost be of marble, for even here trails of bamboo seem to run along the nearly blackened hue of the talons. The artistic accentuation of the green's rippling muscles and framework continues along the brief length of her body, and slowly disappears toward the end of her tail. Her wingsails, short and useless at the moment, clumsy (along with the rest of her undeveloped hatchling's form), show the beginnings of magnificence, for her green hue lightens even further here, mingling with bamboo brown and taking on, somehow, a quality of evening sunshine. Jereboam cheers hapily for Lusani, releasing her hand for a gentle clap on the shoulder.

Melina grins again, watching the new green. She smiles warmly then looks across the sands, so much to see.

Liz smiles a quick congratulations to the Impressees, then she turns back to the other eggs and hatchlings.

Orimia smiles once more as it looks like a another hatchling has made his choice. With a shake of her head she comes out of her thoughts just in time to sidestep a careening hatchling.

Memory's Catalyst Egg starts trembling in earnest, its occupant getting a hand on pecking. The sounds emerging from it are drowned in the general confusion of the Hatching, but tiny motions become quite obvious.

Ooh... another green. Ianthe looks over, examining her. A soft hmm. "Purdy," she finally decides, keeping a hold of Mercy's hand.

A red head of hair and a sparkle of blue eyes marks the candidate from Half Circle Sea Hold. She calls out joyously when the gloriously green ex-occupant of the Glimmering Aqua becomes her lifemate.

Laurene watches the green hatchlings with something akin to wariness. She paces a small path around the hapless Candidate who stands next to her.

Adroit Maharajah Bronze comes to a halt again, this time in reach of actual candidates. He arches his neck and then extends his wings, probably in some sort of attempt to make himself look larger than he is, as even at this young age, it's apparent that he will be a smaller bronze - but then small is good, no, small is better and there is nothing about this bronze hatchling's manner which indicates any feelings of inferiority.

Lusani suddenly forgets how to breathe again. Dropping to her knees, again heedless of hot sands, the normally loud girl's voice is dimmed to a near whisper as she says in amazement, folding her arms around the blue, "Oh, /Myndirth/, you're beautiful!"

[Back to top]

Jennae looks quickly at the little black and gray egg. "Hatch, will you?" she mutters in its direction. She's been waiting to see what's inside that egg a long time.

Stampede of Runners Egg has arrived.

Makeda shakes her head in disbelief at the amazing beauty of the green hatchling. "Each one is more beautiful than the last," she murmurs to Jorenan.

Bronia moves towards Lusani with a smile on her face. "Congratulations, Lu - want to come this way and we'll get Myndirth something to eat?"

Tentative Bamboo-Traced Green sits on her shards, her head turning slowly to examine her new surroundings and the movement and the sounds and the sights and everything. She bends her nose down to the shattered remains of her egg and gives them a tentative poke, creening so softly as to be unheard in the mayham.

Jereboam nods politely to Bronia, eyes shining with pride and joy for Lusani...then he turns his attention back to the eggs.

Carinah's head snaps up at the sound of Habrith and Neith's bugles, and she lifts one barefoot, rubbing it nervously against the back of her opposite leg, the motion allowing it to cool somewhat, then shifts her weight. She proceeds to watch the hatchings and impressions with a purse-lipped intensity that borders on amazement, finding a brief, though sincere, smile for Lusani as she passes.

Jorenan glances at Makeda thoughtfully. "Yeah," he says. Oh-so-profound. But he's a boy in a traumatic situation, so perhaps it can be forgiven.

Liz smiles at the shy one, "We won't hurt you, come on out."

Jennae manages to tear her eyes from the Memory's Catalyst eggs, and settles them on the little green with a soft smile.

Myndirth croons serenly as Lu embraces him. Yup, this is the one. Course, she's getting all sandy from him and the sands, but that doesn't matter..

Melina raises a foot sharply, a hiss accompanying the movement. Her eyes watch the green ever so patiently, grinning warmly at her.

"Jays, shards, and shells." Randrin looks out across the churning dark sea and the coloured shapes wandering all over, around and around and. He takes a breath, seeking out first the blue, and on finding him Impressed the bronze. He stares at this hatchling almost thoughtfully, then sighs heavily, and finally peers toward the green.

Maehryn glances towards Lusani as he hears the name of a dragon. "Congrats," he says softly to the other candidate, his eyes going back quickly to the eggs. His lips move, as if counting, then they land on the young bronze with his wings spread, looking big.

Elexand watches Lusani, head tilted, taking in everything she and her little blue do, and what she says, and how she's kneeling, there in the sands. The bronze catches his eye, and he turns back to watch, but not without regret.

Feeling seems to come into the body of Madelynda, and she frowns as she looks down at her feet, her toes gently wiggling in the inky Sands. Silently, she looks up again, just in time to hear the loving cry of Lusani. A wondrous smile, appearing where the frown once was, lights up the blankness of her face as she vicariously shares the now-bluerider's joy.

Stampede of Runners Egg wobbles a little, nestling itself a little more firmly into the sand. Small tap-tap sounds are emanating from within, and it leans over towards it's neighbor, insistent.

Makeda remembers her feet are burning and shifts her stance on the sands.

Orimia shakes her head again, muttering to herself, "Have to be more carefull...a person could get hurt out here." Looking around she tries to keep tabs on all the hatchlings at once...yeh right, fat chance. Even still she puases long enough to give the timid little Green an admiring look.

Lusani's smile looks like it would need a couple hours with a blowtorch to get off her face. "Hungry! Food..." She follows Bronia in a daze.

Lusani walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Lusani has left.

Memory's Catalyst Egg rolls slightly to the side, as tiny shards start to detach from it. The cracks appear in concentric patterns and start to spread, the pecking becoming audible as the egg is about to hatch.

Bronia walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Bronia has left.

Adroit Maharajah Bronze takes an intense look at one of the candidates, looking at her for quite some time, focusing especially on her face and then her upper torso. He takes a step towards her, intrigued. The he pauses again, an almost comic look on his face - there's something not quite right here. Wait, he turns to the candidate's right and sights on a blond haired blue eyed boy with a hint of acne about his face. Now that's even more intriguing than those bumpy things on that other one's chest. A step closer, another step, the bronze hatchling is standing directly in front of the candidate.

Jennae hears the audible cracks of the egg she's watched since her arrival and beams at it. "C'mon, you know you want to." That said, she turn back to the Hatchlings, admiring them with glittering green eyes.

Ianthe blinkies--a bright smile over at Lusani. "Congrats!" Then she looks out, over, around--eggs, hatchlings, all sorts of colors and then, on top of it... the /heat/. Left toe, right toe, left heel, right heel. Something to stay /cool/. She disengages herself to wipe her hands again. Then she grabs Mercy's hand once more, swallowing. No, the heat isn't worse. The nerves are.

Confused or bewildered, the boy from Nerat could be adequately described by either. The chaos swirls around him as first the Tiled Flowers egg hatches a green who impresses to the girl from Igen Weyr standing beside him and then the Silken Silver egg hatches a another green who impresses to the boy from the Minecraft standing on his other side. Finally the Vine-Traced Satinwood hatches and the boy from Nerat becomes a bronzerider.

Melina looks at the bronze wide-eyed, then at her friend. With a regretful s mile, she pulls away from him. She grins, "Congratulations"

Makeda watches the bronze 'baby' and a smile turns her lips up. "Look at that one."

Bronia walks over from the far end of the Hatching Cavern. Bronia has arrived.

Tentative Bamboo-Traced Green pulls herself to her wobbling feet, as if some bit of resolve has solidified within her and looks around again. If not the egg, perhaps all these pale little things that keep moving might be useful. She eyes them closely before taking her first, still tentitive, steps towards them. A dainty claw steps forward, testing each bit of sand with curiousity before she moves.

Jereboam turns a brown eyed gaze thoughtfully upon the candidates, studying their expressions for a moment, before returning his serious gaze back to the eggs and hatchlings.

With a last series of determinedly rapid shakes, the Memory's Catalyst egg finally splinters into a flying rain of rough-edged shards; dismayed by the suddenness of all this, a damp brown hatchling collapses like spent sails onto the dark grains of the Hatching Sands.

Bronze. Ianthe boggles. "My favorite egg was a /bronze/?" She wiggles her fingers at the Neratian, smiling. "I pick good eggs," she says proudly.

Jorenan shakes his head. "Quite a character," he manages to say. He looks thoroughly relieved that that one passed him by.

Elexand freezes at the bronze's attention to someone, watching, carefully.

Maehryn stares blankly at the Bronze that stands before him, his jaw dropping open comically. "Oh, Faranth," he whispers, then repeats it again for good measure. "Oh, Faranth. Are you... you're really..." He blinks, his hand slipping from Melina's. "He says his name's Talibenth." This is said barely above a whisper.

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Laurene, with effort, makes herself stop her pacing. Another straightening of her shoulders finds her standing at almost attention while watching the cracked of eggs, the stumbling of dragons and the making of Impressions.

Hues of a smoky dark brown swirl about the hide of this spindly, scrawny dragonet, his head so big it appears a wonder the skinny neck is able to support it at all. But support it he does, with an agility surprising in one so newly-hatched--and with an infectious sense of challenge as evident in his carriage as in the tan and auburn hues are marbled through his body. These display a deep, quiet coloration of unblemished brown: an unassuming but heady color which shades from the brazen sorrel dominating the lines of absurdly long fingerbones and wingsails to the chocolate undertones tinting his neck; in a strange inversion for one of his youth, a haze of gray wraps about his muzzle and along his tail with the lazy loops and curls of incense smoke teased by a breeze.

Jennae smiles broadly at the new brown. "I guess he's not bronze," she mutters, then smiles.

Stampede of Runners Egg flutters against the ebony sand, it's tight nestle restricting it's movements only slightly. It seems to spur on the little occupant, and a more vehement movement can be noted from within.

Elexand smiles for once, broadly, happily. "Maehryn! He's yours?"

Melina pulls her way from her friend to look at the brown. She gasps slightly and grins widely, murmering, "What a handsome creature" to no one inparticular. After several moments of staring, she looks back to grin at her friend again before returning her attention.

Myndirth nudges Lusani, almost impatiently.

A Stampede of Runners egg seems to tremble, as if the very ground itself were rocked by the thundering of runner-beast hooves in a stampede. It rolls over on its side, previous striations splitting open wide as the claws of a young dragon spear their way through the shell in an attempt to fight free of their engagement. All at once the mighty battle within seems to halt its progress, and then with a frenetic eruption, the hatchling bursts unrestrained from his confines and tumbles onto the sands in a startled sprawl.

Jereboam hops slowly from foot to foot, keeping an eye on the sands before him and the myriad of hatchlings bumbling about.

Liz smiles, her hand clenching Jennae's and her feet moving on their own. She swallows hard and watches the hatchlings.

Myndirth walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Myndirth has left.

The deep midnight blue form of this hatchling's body is all angles, folds and flat planes. Lacking the usual sleek softness of the young, he appears almost to have been created from a single sheet of some sort of paper, though his proportions are perfect without any of the gawky qualities which might be expected from his severe design. Creases in color delineate his body parts: the chest with its swirl of lighter ocean-blue cresting up like a wave to his neck, the tail with a rivulet of black, the same black as the stone of the Weyr, streaming down the midline, and the neckridges where the background of deep blue fades into a softer tone more resembling the sky before dawn's light creeps across the face of the sky. Brilliant Baccarat Egg has arrived.

Makeda grins at Maehyrn. "How wonderful!"

Randrin watches the bronze Impress and ponders the choice for a moment or twelve before grinning and nodding solemnly. "Congrats," he murmurs, gaze slowly shifting from the new pair back to the clutch. He settles on watching the Stampede of Runners egg. "It's hatching!"

The Cracked Indigo egg doesn't so much split or crack as disintegrates - one moment there's an egg, the next there's a bronze hatchling. He sits calmly on the sands as he looks for the one who is his. His choice comes in the form of a young man with dark skin from Bitra.

Jennae's eyes widen as eggs burst with alarming frequency. "So fast," she mumbles.

Jorenan turns to look at the new brown, and grins. "Are you going to say that one's beautiful, too, Makeda?" He shakes his head. "I'm not sure I'll believe you, if you do."

Jereboam nods in reply to Jennae's statement, "So quickly...and so many..." he says softly.

Orimia reaches up to wipe the sheen of sweat off her forhead, causually wiping it off on her robe. Seeing the newest Blue she gives that quirky little smile she's perfected over the years.

"Huh?" Again, caught off-guard, Mercy swivels from Lusani and her moment of glory, to Maehryn - and his wonderous moment. "Congratulations!" Softly, most likely not heard above the mayhem of the Hatching, and all that's happening so fast.

G'fen turns from sending a green pair off the sands, and walks over to Maehyrn, trying to interrupt his enchantment with the bronze long enough to get off the sands.

Gahhh---it's all going so fast. Ianthe shifts her footing a few more times, then resigns herself to blistered feets. "Oooh. Blue." She glances around again... eyes alight on the gold egg for a moment, but only a moment, before shifting back to the blue.

Melina slides one hot foot off of the hot sands. As she does, she finds herself shuffling towards a group of candidates. She stops and blushes slightly, not moving to take anyone's hand.

Laurene rubs both hands against her robe, and the through her misbehaving curls. Jittery energy briefly appears through her carefully exerted self-control.

Madelynda hears the barely-audible sound of a voice she knows well, and turns her glittering eyes on Maehryn. Hardly able to contain her emotion at his Impression, she cries out in glee and almost bounces on the sand. "Talibenth," she murmurs happily, savoring the syllables of the young-bronze's name as she watches the new bronzerider with his lifemate.

Maehryn barely hears Elexand, his head too full, but still he nods to the other Candidate, then looks at Melina almost apologetically. But his eyes, of course, are drawn back to the little bronze. "Oh... I'm hungry, too," he says quietly, then looks up at G'fen. "He's hungry," he says to the weyrlingmaster. "Or maybe I am."

Brilliant Baccarat Egg begins shaking more insistently, a back and forth let-me-go let-me-go-now-you-ingrate-of-a-shell movement, the egg's occupant's insistent demands almost audible through the language of its shuddering.

Elexand stands on the sands alone now, a big gap to his left and right where candidates have already been taken away by hatchlings. He's only now noticed it, and his shuffling back and forth is equally from nervousness, worry, and the hot sands now.

Jennae squeezes Liz's hand, smiling at the younger girl before she looks back at the sands.

Tentative Bamboo-Traced Green moves forward, her confidance building with each step. She turns to see what is dragging and watches her wings for a long moment, considering them before finally tucking them up off the ground and proceeding forward again. She shys away from the loudest of the pale creatures, coming over to a group of girls to watch.

G'fen addresses Maehryn. "Food is over there, by Merien. Help your lifemate..."

Makeda's head twists and turns trying to follow everything, dragonettes, candidates, ledges, stands, impressions. Her head snaps around as the golden egg begins to move.

Jereboam cheers for he that was Maehryn as he sees the bronze pick his shy friend.

Talibenth leans up against his rider, waiting for him to lead them off to food. Lots of food.

Serene Origami Blue lifts his head up and out of his natal armor, eyes whirling a splendid and voracious crimson. Raising his muzzle he rips out a roaring *Brrruuuoogle* to prove his vigor. Giving his wings a sturdy flap, he notices some interesting white things gathered over there... He must inspect!

Moving? Oooh, moving. It is. Ianthe noticed--well, maybe a teensy bit belated, but she /did/ notice. Really. Eyes shift back to the blue--he doesn't look like the sandwich-liking sort, which produces a small sigh. But she watches him for now.

Elexand jumps, startled at the loudness of the blue. "Shells! Like we weren't nervous enough already."

Liz wipes her free hand on her white robe, she smiles at the shy little green. Her own green eyes sparkling.

Falling into absolute silence, now, Randrin tries to concentrate on keeping his feet from burning. He looks between his toes, and the eggs, and his toes, and the dragonets, rubbing his upper arms with his hands and doing his level best not to move. Failing this, the takes a step backwards, lifting his gaze toward the rather vocal blue.

A dark brown hatchling, late of the Rusty Klah-Pot egg, wanders the sands, going from candidate to candidate, not finding his choice anywhere until he comes upon a nervous young man from Nabol. His fidgeting stops as he searches his lifemate's expression, finding answers to all his questions in the swirling eyes of the hatchling.

Incense-Smoky Brown first gives a good look at himself. After standing upright, he takes a tiny shake, detaching the shards from himself. The he gives another, inquisitive look at the eggs around him, then at the sand below him, then at the Candidates. Aparently those seemed right for him, as he makes his first uncertain steps toward them. Soon enough, he starts moving with more assurance.

Jennae laughs at the newest blue. She lets her gaze slip back to the confused green, trying as hard as she can to keep her eyes from darting back and forth all over the Sands. "There's too much to absorb at once!"

Laurene does, apparently, notice the movement of the gold egg. Though, judging by the half turn of her body away from it, that's not a life she's looking for. Her gaze, at that time, pauses to watch the movements of the Incense-Smoky Brown.

Melina's dark eyes light on Maehryn, casting him with an 'it's ok' look. Her eyes travel back to the eggs and the hatchlings. Touching on each with a quiet grin.

Jorenan gives up trying to watch even one of the hatchlings. Instead, he stands with Makeda in a sea of motion, color, and white. A momentary island of calm.

Liz squeezes Jennae's hand, "Don't I know it?" she agrees, her own eyes looking around to see what might have caught her eye.

Carinah casts her attention towards Maehryn, drawn to awareness by Madelynda's cry. Again, that slow, soft smile lights her features for one swift moment before passing, called away by the roar of a freshly hatched blue. The newest hatchling redirects her attentions to the brown and green beginning to 'walk' the semi-circle of candidates. She inhales shakily then forces herself to relax.

M'hryn blinks at Talibenth. "Jiggly things?" he repeats, lost. "What jiggly things?" His eyes go to Melina, then he starts. "Oh! Those! Uhm.... We should get you, uhm, food."

Jereboam does that shifty two-step, eyes carefully scanning the sands, looking from his fellow candidates and those impressing, to the hatchlings making their way along the sands.

Orimia shuffles form foot to foot, or perhaps just getting ready to leap out of the way shoudl another careening hatchling come her way. With so many hatchlings its hard to decide where to look...she shakes her head as she realises that her eyes were crossing there for a moment with the effort.

M'hryn walks down to the far end of the Cavern. M'hryn has left.

Talibenth walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Talibenth has left.

Madelynda sees the crimson eyes of the blue hatchling and shows the hint of a smile on her lips. She squeezes Carinah's and Nela's hands as if for support, or as an outlet for the incredible range of emotions that seem to course through her body. Her eyes drift from him to the cracking eggs around her, from hatchlings to Weyrleaders to shards on the Sands.

Brilliant Baccarat Egg thumpathumpathumpas persistently, the noises emerging from the brittle shell, while shell-flakes pop free in sharp-edged shards. Like a drunken sailor, the gold egg teeters on its axis, perched precariously on what remains of its personal sand-mound.

Tentative Bamboo-Traced Green pauses finally, in front of one girl in particular and watches her with a burning intensity. A soft creel, to see if her lifemate is listening, then one with a bit more behind it.

Over the course of a few minutes the Seashell Promenade, the Stripy Firestone, the Combative Colors, and the Smooth Tan egg all hatch greens. The hatchlings stand together in a group, almost in conference, before the begin to make their selections. A pair of sisters from Rocky Hold are both chosen and are joined by a boy from the Weavers and a stocky young Smithcraft lad.

Serene Origami Blue starts on his trek towards the wriggling, writhing pink thinks with funny white hides. He's cautious and slow, taking each step with careful precision. Head held up and firm, he casts his gaze around as he steps closer, eyeing each loosely clad figure with detached curiosity. Despite his caution, he feels an unexplicable tug, and with an unbidden creel, takes faster steps towards the half-circle.

Jennae shakes her head softly at the little green. "I hope she finds someone soon..."

Ianthe has no incredible range of motion. She's scared, and she's nervous. And that's about it. There's a little measure of awe, and hope... but nervousness reigns supreme over the sweaty-palmed former kitchen worker. She blinks a few times, trying to keep the salt out of her eyes.

Liz nods, her grip on Jennae loosening slightly, "I hope so too."

Incense-Smoky Brown does quite well - he made it halfway to the Candidates without anything attracting his attention. But then another Hatching passes near him, and he stops, lost in a sudden curious fascination.

Melina turns her attention to glance at the green. She's such a pretty little thing. She looks up again and looks across the cavern at all the happenings. So much to see.

Makeda shivers suddenly. She certainly can't be cold. Her eyes dart about taking as much in as she can. Feet do a little dance to relief the heat of the sands.

Elexand gasps as the blue comes closer, and the green chooses a lifemate. "I can't take it any more. How many are left?" He starts trying to count, but he can't quite manage.

L'tan looks from candidate to candidate as they become weyrlings. He turns away and mumbles to himself, "Hope half of them turn out to be bloody worth something."

Jorenan still stands. Just stands. Not even his feet are moving. A quiet seems to wrap itself around him. He gives Makeada a look, and then grins. "You'll be all right. Just stay calm."

Merellia narrows her eyes at L'tan's comment, saying pointedly to the Weyrleader, "You sound like your mother." The goldrider shifts her attention back to the jumping, trembling eggs.

Melina giggles quietly, watching the brown. Her dark eyes glance around again. Too many things here to keep track on at once.

Almost tenatively, almost the softest of whispers, Mercy replies to an unspoken comment: "Evath?" From confused, to stunned, a wonderous breath is breathed: for the green, for herself, for their new life together. "Evath," she repeats, then giggles, probably for the first time within her life. "Let's eat, Evath."

[Back to top]

L'tan's head jerks up, surprised that Merellia has said anything to him. Once again he shows his remarkable grasp of vocabularly, "Huh?"

Peering from the blue toward the gold egg, Randrin steps back to where he'd been standing and grins knowingly at it. Mayhaps he finds it easier to watch than anything else on the Sands, because that's what he does, at least until the little green chooses her lifemate quite close to where he stands. "Oh, jays... Mercy..."

Bronia moves towards Mercy and Evath with a smile, murmuring something to the girl.

A bronze hatches from the Elusively Patterned egg. He wanders across the sands, discarding candidates left and right before he settles for the most unlikely candidate of them all, a man from Ista Hold almost too old to be considered impressionable and too quiet to have made any friends. He seems as surprised by his impression as the other candidates standing around him are.

Jennae looks up sharply at Mercy. "Hurray!" she is heard to vocalize, somewhere between a call and statement. She doesn't want to frighten Hatchlings, but she wants Mercy to here.

Melina looks around again at a familiar voice. She smiles widely, "Congratulations, Mercy!" She looks around again, making sure that she isn't in the way of stepping on anyone or running into anything in her joy.

Elexand breaks into another wide grin at Mercy's words, and the sight of the green at her feet. "Mercy! She's beautiful!"

Makeda says "Mercy, Mercy! How wunnerful! Congrats! Congrats!, Hugs, Makeda"

A smile lights upon Laurene's features and she waves to Mercy, a congratulatory motion.

Orimia's amber eyes go down the line of candidates, trying to discern who the Blue and Green with choose as lifemates. "Oh good job." she says softly before turning her gaze back to the sands. Hey, when did the Gold egg start rocking so much?

Green? Green! Ianthe glances down--Oblivion, thy name is Ianthe. "Oooh! Mercy! Yay!" A little squeel of congratulations, then she looks back at the eggs... scooting over by Randrin. At least /he's/ still there, isn't he?

Merellia shifts her weight to one leg, resting the other on its booted tip as she eases the warmth of the sands on her feet. "You didn't hear me?" the Weyrwoman asks in a deceptively relaxed tone.

Liz congratulates mercy, "Congratulations." She speaks with only enough force for the sound to reach the other girl. Then she turns her attention back to the confuing scene in frount of her.

Jereboam dances slowly on the sands, eyes seeking out folk, and calls out loudly to congradulate Mercy, beaming like a sun.

For a moment, the Brilliant Baccarat egg seems to hold itself in perfect stillness, a withdrawing and gathering of strength, before it shudders one final time, splitting neatly in halves that fall away to shards about the damp hatchling so ignominiously spilt out onto the Hatching Sands.

Madelynda's eyes, resting on the ambling hatchlings, turn at the loud yelling of a friend's name. "Mercy?" she says wordlessly, standing tip-toe to see over a Candidate's head in front of her. A vibrant smile surfaces on her face, and another cry of glee emerges from her as she sees that what she heard was true.

Evath nuzzles Mercy lovingly, all hesitation gone as she stands with her lifemate.

Serene Origami Blue arrives at a small group of pink things that are making strange noises. His whirling vermillion gaze slows. No, not here. Taking his time, he stalks around calmly, coming at once to a little clutch of boys. He snorts dersively. Not for me. That small twinge hits him again, and he swings his head to the left and his eyes start whirling faster. He heard a voice! It beckons him! Spurring on faster, he crosses the sands and makes for the sound he craves.

L'tan crosses his arms across his chest, defensively, "I heard you, Weyrwoman, but I don't know what you're talking about. My mother isn't even here tonight." The 'Thank, Farnath' is not spoken but can be heard in any case.

With all the beauty of a master crafter's lifework, this young dragonet appears finely made from the grace of her narrow muzzle to the filigreed sweep of damp pinions. Her step is light, her form's trim modeling awash with an even-toned shade of heart-pure gold: a shade achingly beautiful, one that calls to mind the courtesies and intricacies of bygone courts and dynasties. Over the gleaming canvas of her hide, a subtle fretwork of inky traceries--loops and whorling swirls barely distinguishable as more than shadow tinting the molten gleaming of her hide--deepen the young queen's hue to the antique richness of a priceless illumination, mystery and legend made flesh with the brush of pen dipped in Ista's obsidian sands.

Busy Babushka Egg has arrived.

Jennae looks at the remnants of the gold egg, then at the gold that emerged from it. She smiles broadly at the little Queen. "Aren't we lovely?" she mumbles, not really audible.

"Oh, lovey, I love you -- come, Evath." With a brilliant beam, Mercy starts the trek across the Sands. "Come -- here, food's here."

Ooh, and it hatches--Ianthe affords a last smile to her friend, then blues her eyes to... Elegant Calligraphic Gold. A little bit of boggling... a lot of quiet blithering. "Oh, she's so /pretty/..." Pretty. Right. Well, Ianthe's not exactly eloquent.

Jereboam gasps softly at the gold...."She's beautiful...a credit to Neith and Habrith.

Mercy walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Mercy has left.

Melina sucks in a breath at the awesome sight of the gold. "She's so lovely, " she whispers. She looks around at the semingly forgotten brown.. or is he the one that forgot the candidates?

Orimia gasps, her mouth hanging open a bit as the queen makes her presence known. with an audible snap she closes it once more...but something that could almost be called a silly grin remains fixed on her face.

Evath walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Evath has left.

Incense-Smoky Brown resumes his motion after the pause. He seems more concentrated, and gives more attention to the Candidates. Closer he moves, in almost straight line, although his head moves left and right. His initial uncertainty starts to dissipate, and he moves across the sand with more resolve.

Elexand gasps at the gold hatchling, all breath stolen from him. He turns to the nearest candidate and mutters, "Oh! Only to girls, right! But she's... she's just..." He sighs in agony.

Makeda releases a long sigh of appreciation as the young queen arrives. "There aren't words," she mutters.

Liz gasps and reaches for Jennae's hand again, "Beautiful," is all she manages to get out.

"Mmmm," Merellia remarks, forbearing from following up with a similar thank-Faranth to L'tan's response. Her eyes rest instead on the sands, the hatchlings and eggs, while Neith bugles with a triumphant pride at the golden hatchling.

Another brown hatches. This one is the color of many a runner's hide and comes from the confines of the Indigo Velvet egg. He barrels across the sands, moving quickly. After crashing into a tall and willowy girl, he looks down at her and croons his distress until she sits up and scratches his eye ridges.

Jereboam laughs softly at Elexand's words, "Aye...she's gorgeous, but only to girls...we're not quite right for them...lacking...if you know what I mean?

Busy Babushka Egg wobbles a bit, not as if something is struggling to escape, but as if something is merely surprised to be suddenly in such a dark, small space. After the wobble, several seconds pass, as if deep thought is required, before it starts shaking in earnest, it's occupant's mind having been made up. Even if it took a minute to do so.

A group of eggs, Delicate Wedgwood, Blushed Seafoam, and Shadow-Cast Gray, hatches all at the same time to reveal a trio of green hatchlings. They march out, almost shoulder to shoulder before impressing to a trio of girls, all from Telgar, who were huddled together for support.

Carinah shoots Mercy a swift grin as the candidate's name and the news of her Impression travels down the half-circle. She even seems to relax as the hatching continues -- confident or complacent by no means -- but her shoulders are now level, and her breathing begins to slowly ease. Hushed sounds of awe draw her gaze to the gold, her uncertain smile a dim echo of the other candidate's praises.

For lack of a better idea, Randrin reaches to grab Ianthe's hand and to squeeze it fearsomely tightly. "Jaysjaysjays," he tells her, blathering right along with the other girl. He steps a closer to her, and then back to where he was, and then close to her again quietly.

Mm-hmm. In other words--"Purdy." Ianthe's Word-of-the-day. Or something. She nudges at Randrin. "Helloooo?"

Ianthe smiles, triumphantly. "Jays? What's a Jay, anyway, 'sides a letter of the al-fa-bet?" She glances outwards. "I like 'er. I like 'em all."

Laurene takes a deep breath, then lets it out again. Her next movement is a stretch, trying to work loose some of the tension caused by this night. Arms over her head, she stretches, then relaxes, letting out another deep breath.

Melina shifts her weight again. She wipes sweaty palms across the already see-through robe she wears. A frown and she sweeps up her damp hair, muttering, "Sharding hotter out here then I remember"

The Antique Tapestries egg cracks open to expose a ocean blue hatchling who announces his birth with an ear shattering creel. He continues to make noise, creels, bugles, warbles, an entire symphony of sounds as he selects Carmos from the lot of candidates. C'mos speaks but his words are drowned out by the callings of his dragon.

Madelynda's eyes flicker toward a movement and the sound of a shell splitting perfectly in two. Her eyes widen as she realizes the gold has found her way into the world, gasping at the affect that thought has on her. Her eyes shift from the gold to the other creening hatchlings on the Sand, unflinchingly upright and tall.

Jorenan watches the swirl of activity leave him and Makeda for the moment, and takes a deep breath. "Nice color," he comments about the gold. He glances at Makeda, and loosens his grip on her hand. Just in case.

Jennae stopped hopping long ago, and now begins to be sorry for it. She takes up the nervous, necessary activity again, looking at each of the Hatchlings in turn.

Liz shivers slightly, how could it get cold? It was so hot, she sifts her feet slightly, looking for warmth this time. She smiles at the hatchling.

Makeda smiles at the Candidates from Telgar, not that they notice as their lifemates creel with hunger. Feet move up and down automatically as she watches the dragonettes. A nod to Jorenan. "Mmmm." Not a bad comment considering where she is.

Busy Babushka Egg shakes again, its sides remaining unblemished with any of the cracks that might signal success for all its occupant's efforts. The egg stills again, another minute passing before it begins rocking violently, end to end and side to side, sending the egg in a slight roll away from its former resting place.

Jereboam shakes his head, sending droplets of sweat down to piff into nothingness on the sands beneath him. He still moves from foot to foot, watching his companions and the objects of their scrutiny.

Ianthe wiggles her toes in the sand--hothothot! Left foot gets lifted up, if only for a second, then right... she smoothes the front of her robe, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "Why do we have to wear these, anyway?" she complains softly to

Randrin, squeegy-ing her eyes with the side of one hand. Sweat is /not/ good there.

Elegant Calligraphic Gold shakes her head in a thoughts-clearing movement, sending the pieces of shell stuck to her hide in the hatchling-dampness flinging away

A quietly searching green stands by the remains of her Cobalt Shining Night egg. After finding the candidates lacking in whatever characteristics she requires she moves to peer up at the galleries, still silent. Arrima, who's been crying, her face covered as she huddles with her arms on her knees, ever since the impressions of her friends, B'rad and M'tyn, looks up and wipes her nose on her sleeve, "She can't want me? I'm not a candidate. Desieth, no." An Istan rider in the sands escorts the protesting candidate down to the sands to be with her lifemate.

Orimia seems to realise that she had a silly looking grin on her face and quickly removes it. Quickly glancing from side to side to make sure no one saw, she replaces it with the quirky grin..there, that's much better. She's cool (ok, so her feet are burning) she's calm (ignore the sweaty palms) she's collected (good thing you can't hear the thundering of her heart).

Elegant Calligraphic Gold then continues the shake down to her tail, spreading wings wide as she lifts her golden muzzle to take her first glance around, multiple eyelids blinking. Hmmmm. Eenie, meenie, miney is /not/ the way to do things. She takes a considering step forward, then plunks herself down. They'll come to her. Yes. That's the Proper Way of Things.

Jennae smiles softly at the little gold. "Picky little thing," she remarks to Liz.

Serene Origami Blue finally, after what seemed ages of trying to get to his goal, reaches his destination. Waltzing right up to a pair of girl pinks, he raises himself up, puffs out his azure chest and offers a slightly off-tune trill to them. One slightly tall and with a braid, the other diminutive, and curiously shaking. He noses the one that's shivering, with the funny red-colored head and then hears her voice! That's it! I came for you! He looks up at her, giving his wings a flap, and gazes into her eyes.

Elexand watches the gold with wide eyes. "I wish I were a girl." He blinks and shakes his head, looking around in a lame attempt to act as if someone else just said the offensive phrase.

Incense-Smoky Brown gives a good glance to the group of Candidates before him. His look seems more curious than studying - he walks the one and the same way, toward a girl. Step by step, his glance darting to all sides, but his walk moving him before one Candidate. He looks up, waiting for the attention.

Jereboam smiles softly at the gold, then looks over at the rocking egg with obvious concern on his face, even from the sands.

Makeda manages a quirky smile at Jorenan, "She must not know she's supposed to pick us, not us pick her."

L'tan looks over as a rider leads a girl down from the stands to be with what looks to be her green. He turns to Merellia, "Well, there's one the searchriders missed."

Orimia humphs a bit at the gold's attitude. At a loss as to what the candidates are suposed to do in this situation she looks towards the weyrleaders.

Reaching with his free hand up to run fingers through hair and to plaster down the bright, sweat-sticky tendrils, Randrin shrugs a little bit to Ianthe. "Dunno," he offers, most explanitively, looking toward the gold again. He snickers at her in a quite reverent fashion, and leans forward a little to survey the remaining eggs and dragonets.

Plunk. That's more like it--plunking is a thing which Ianthe can actually understand. Plunking is also something which Ianthe would /like/ to do right at this moment, but instead she has to do with fidgeting and blessing Randrin's ears with soft whining. "My knees hurt."

Liz nods, "Seems so, doesn't it."

Melina looks at the gold a bit to giggle slightly at her then back to the little brown with a soft smile and a murmered, "I bet you'll be a big strong one, eh?"

Merellia widens her eyes at the sight of Arrima Impressing, though her only comment is a, "Well, at least she found someone she liked." Her nose wrinkles, most likely in a lack of anticipation of what the barracks will be like with the trio of B'rad, M'tyn and Arrima reunited.

Jennae nearly steps forward, but the feel of hands in and around her own reminds her of her place. She settles for abusing her lower lip and looking at the little Gold with a worried expression.

Laurene shifts her gaze to the Incense-Smoky Brown, the previous lock of hair once more clamped between her teeth. Her fidgetting hands are set firmly at her sides.

Liz smiles down at the little blue, "Yes, Dioth, we'll get you something to eat. Don't worry."

[Back to top]

Eggs hatch in a flurry, the Delicate Ivory and Enwrapped Darkness both no longer contain browns and the Copper-Etched no longer contains the blue that was once in it. They impress to a girl from the Tanners, a holder boy from Benden, and a boy from the Beastcraft.

Jennae positively beams at Liz. "You did it! I knew you would!"

Jereboam cheers for Liz, winking at her and feeling sorry for all those folks that will be the prankster's victims. He gently squeezes Jennae's hand.

Elexand turns at Liz's words, then laughs happily. "Congratulations, Liz! That's just great!"

Melina looks around, this time at the blue. She claps delighted, "Congratulations, Liz" Almost immediately, she looks back at the brown with the same soft smile as before.

Madelynda watches the vibrant brown hatchling a moment, then flinches as a tiny bit of shell flies by her. Turning in the direction of its source, she sees the gold hatchling settled on the Sands, and watches her with a puzzled expression.

Busy Babushka Egg continues to roll on the sands, gathering speed, as it continues to shake doggedly. Finally, it slows in its roll, and spins the opposite direction, coming to rest upon its original resting place just as the first signs of cracks appear on its surface.

G'fen walks in an arc past a cluster of nervous candidates, homing in on Liz. "Rider Liz and Dioth?" he asks her.

Makeda sighs a moment as the Ivory eggs produces a brown and impresses someone else. "That was the one I talked to," she murmurs to herself.

Carinah forsakes watching the gold hatchling for the more imminent presence of the brown, her gray eyes pressing past him momentarily to Liz and her new lifemate. Her features clear once more as she finds a smile for the new pair.

Jorenan turns to applaud Liz, but then pauses. Is that a faint hint of purple dye under her fingernails? He shakes his head slowly, and then looks at Makeda with some sympathy.

Chips and splinters seemingly peel off this egg with an agonizing slowness, a raucous series of bumps and muffled mewlings faintly heard from within the thick shell before, finally, in a burst of monumental effort, a small head batters its way out of the shell, wriggling and twisting until the Babushka egg falls over onto its side, the impact breaking the egg camber and freeing a brown hatchling.

Liz nods, her face a brilliant smile. "Yes, sir." She stands quickly, one hand remaining on Dioth.

Dioth noses into Liz's ribs gently, lightly creel-crooning.

"Congrats, Liz," Randrin murmurs, looking out across what remains of the clutch. He settles for watching the Enwrapped Darkness egg, only to have it hatch on him, thus settles for watching the now-hatching Babushka egg.

He is a twilit shade of brown, that deep, subtly-hued color which can be descried in rain-wet tree boles cast into prominence by the sunset over Ista's waters. A brown so velvety deep it appears almost to glimmer with plum undertones infuses his belly, lightening along limbs and slender wingspars to flash a honeyed warmth of muscled hide. Across his shoulders and hindquarters speckle a contrast to his dark shading, a drift of creamy flecks like petals falling from the dark branches of broad-sailed wings.

Liz nods absently, "Yes, yes, we're gonna get something for you, love. Don't worry." Ianthe oohs, smiling. "Yay Liz!" she crows, her grin bright... then her gaze moves to the hatching egg... and yet another brown. A soft sigh, and she looks out... there must be something better. She cocks her head at the gold. "She's awful quiet."

G'fen addresses her quietly, pointing off the sands.

Orimia sees no answer forthcoming from the weyrleaders so she shrugs and turns her gaze back to the Gold. With a sigh she rocks back and forth slightly on the balls of her feet. Her amber eyes try to encourage the Gold to get up off her butt and make a choice. Seeing the brown she takes a moment to grin.

Melina moves again, sidling closer to the group of candidates. She looks curiously to the group, seeing Jennae. A smile and she offers her hand to her friend.

Laurene brushes back heat dampened curls from her forehead, shifting her feet against the heat. One foot is lifted to rest on top of the other for a moment or two, then the motion is reversed. She sets up a slow rhythm this way.

Jennae takes Melina's hand with an absent but genuine smile. Her eyes never leave the Sands, though, and she stares intensely at the little Gold. "Choose someone, silly..."

Liz walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Liz has left.

Elexand admires the brown hatchling with a smile, but he's all eyes for that gold. Eyes and ears and apparently heart too, from the sappy smile on his face.

Dioth walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Dioth has left.

The Clear Sea-Glass egg jerks back and forth in an almost panicked manner before shattering. The blue hatchling continues to make jerking motions, almost as if he doesn't realize he's no longer inside the egg whose shards litter the ground around him. Nela, who's been crying both from nervous energy and terror, manages a shy smile at the hatchling's comical behavior. Perhaps that smile is what wins his heart as Nela and the blue become partners.

Madelynda sees the deeply-brown hatchling emerge from his shell and tilts her head in his direction, one foot lifting up in relief from the hot Sands. Eyes flickering to the young Nela beside her, she gives her hand a silent and encouraging squeeze. Eyes flickering to Carinah, she smiles up at her before resuming her watching of the Sands with a deep and calming exhale.

Melina's dark eyes now search, falling on each of the browns and then the gold. She squeezes softly and smiles faintly.

Madelynda smiles widely, letting go of Nela's hand as she Impresses. "Ah, Nela!" she sighs, perfectly content, and she watches the new pair joyously as they saunter away.

Plum-Blossom Brown crouches for a moment where he sits, freed, lifting his clumsy wings wide, elation vividly evident in his tiny, treble bugle. He cranes his neck around, taking ample time to study his newly visible form, evidently quite pleased, from his continuing warbles, full of pride. After he tires of this, he turns his eyes towards the Candidates, a melee of white and sand to his infant's eyes. Indecision flickers briefly through him, his crouch turning slightly protective. This lasts but an instant, however, as he decides that /obviously/, as the other things that look like him seem to have something to do with the tall, two-legged things, so must he. Confidence returned with his course set, he trots briskly towards the Candidates.

Jennae takes a deep, careful breath, exhaling it through barely parted lips. That accomplished, she returns to tugging her lower lip with nervous teeth.

Jereboam gently squeezes Jennae's hand, looking more and more relaxed with each passing moment, yet still attentive to what's going on on the hatching sands.

Randrin squeezes Ianthe's hand gently, then lets go, straightening a bit to watch the hatchlings. Gold, brown, gold, brown, his attentions flicker between the two hatchlings with obvious interest at who the remaining hatchlings will choose. The biting of his lip has apparently steeled him for this, hecause he's gone almost impassive now, twitching only occasionally.

Jorenan watches the Sands empty, faster than he would have thought possible. A slow smile crosses his face. Perhaps it's one of incipient relief. Perhaps.

Elexand glances at the circle of candidates, a circle so broken in places it hardly holds its shape at all. He takes a deep breath, almost of resignation, and turns back to the hatchlings.

Habrith puts his muzzle back down to the ground and sniffs at the shards of the Mahagony Cream egg. He pushes at them, a forelorn kind of expression on his face.

Orimia gives an exasperated sigh as the gold continues to just sit there. With a *humph* she turns her attention away from the Gold and to the brown, at least /he/ gets the right idea.

Makeda sucks in a breath of the heavy warm air, trying to breath as she watches the marvelous dragonettes find their lifemates. Feet now move automatically to relieve the sting from the hot sands. Her hand reaches up to wipe the swear from her brow.

Jennae tucks her teeth back in her mouth. She gulps audibly and watches the Sands with unwavering intensity.

Elegant Calligraphic Gold looks piqued. There is someone who isn't paying attention to her! How completely, utterly rude. Trying to look casual about it, she picks herself off the sands and shakes first one limb, then the next and next and next with a fastidious air as the little queen attempts to free herself of the black grains darkening her already shadowy hide. This fails, of course, and she drops back to yowl her discontent in a piercing creel. First hungry, then no-one comes when she wants, and now /this/. Ingrate sand.

Carinah shocked by Nela's Impression, by an Impression so close to her, she merely smiles, turning dumbly as Nela and her blue hatchling pass off the sands only to find the smoky-incense brown hatchling directly before her. She nearly takes a step back but then stops, brows furrowing. "Of /course/, Berizeth," she says, stepping forward boldly towards the hatchling as she never would have before towards /any/ dragon. "I'll get you all the food you want."

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Well, she's allowed to just sit there. Ianthe wouldn't mind so much if they had, say, juice and sandwiches nearby. Her stomach gets a little grumble... not even dragon-induced. She shifts back and forth a little. Another giggle, almost shyly. "Look at her. It's just /sand/..."

Melina blinks at the gold and stifles a laugh before calling to her, "Well, you can't expect it not to burn a bit if you stand there forever"

Jennae opens her mouth to say something, then shuts it quickly, staring at the stubborn little Queen.

Melina turns to smile widely, but a bit regretfully at Carinah, "Congratulations" she says before looking back at the hatching.

Orimia pointedly ignores the Gold, just out of the shell and alread a spoiled..ok, so there's no reason to go there...but she still refuses to look at the creeling queen. "What a lovely Brown." she comments, as if to prove her point.

Laurene casts a smile towards Carinah, allowing her gaze to shift away towards the center of the clutch as the Incense-Smoky Brown makes his choice.

Bronia chuckles and moves towards Carinah and Berizeth. "Congratulations, brownrider. Want to come this way?" She indicates the corner where the other weyrlings have gone.

Makeda starts towards the young queen but stops herself feeling the tug of Jorenan's hand. "Little one, Choose!" she begs.

Jereboam cheers softly for Carinah, "Way to go, Carinah!"

Elexand grins to Carinah and says, "Oh, that's terrific! He's terrific!" The gold's creel attracts his attention back to her, and he frowns, visibly resisting the urge to help her. "Shard it, she's hungry! And lonely!"

Jennae beams after Carinah, but can't summon a proper congratulations. Instead, she returns to Hatchling-watching.

Madelynda hears the gold creel and shudders where she stands, wincing in sympathy for what must be the raw and tender hide of her, picking up her own burning feet in response. Her eyes blink at the sound of Carinah's voice, and she lets go of the young woman's hand reluctantly as she smiles up at her friend, looking betwixt her and her new lifemate as she takes a polite step backward and away.

Plum-Blossom Brown turns his tiny head to look at the gold curiously, her creel having drawn his attention. The rest of his body doesn't follow in the same direction, however, and abruptly his clumsy forelimbs spill him, head first, onto the sand. With a growl of frustration, he picks himself up, taking twice as long as need be because of his haste. The gold is quite obviously a distraction he does not need, and his attention is devoted again to the white things. All impatience gone once again, he is quite satisfied to resume his clumsy trot towards the Candidates.

Ianthe is lonely, too--you don't see Ianthe throwing little fits. She's simply whining a little. "Randrin, I want a /sandwich/."

When the one brown makes his choice, Randrin blinks, and chuckles. "Great," he mutters, the word being one step and a few letters up from his previous one, jays. Having said it, though, he looks toward the gold and frowns faintly. "Poor thing," he murmurs. "Probably has about as much idea as to what to do as I did." Once he realizes he said that, though, he turns rather red -- redder than he'd been turning in the Sand-heat -- and nods to Ianthe. "I... don't have any?"

A pair of eggs, the Musical Wooden and Climbing Blossoms, rock towards each other, colliding before revealing two bronzes, so alike as to be twins. The lifemates they select could not be more different however, a short and somewhat pudgy boy from South Boll and a tall and muscular young man from Red Sands.

Laurene lifts a hand, chewing on the corner of her thumb nail. She watches the actions of the plum-blossom brown, a tiny smile lurking behind her obscuring hand.

Jorenan looks as though he'd be happy to let go, for Makeda to go talk to the gold.

Carinah bobs her head in response to Bronia, though she hardly seems to hear. Her eyes are only on Berizeth now, and its with great effort that she breaks the contact of impression long enough to even walk where directed.

Jennae takes a half-step forward, then returns her feet to their proper place, between Melina and Jereboam.

Carinah walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Carinah has left.

Makeda turns to look at Ianthe, wide-eyed. "How can you think of food?" Incredulous she turns back to the remaining dragonettes.

Jereboam squeezes Jennae's hand gently, supportingly. "Well, you ought to." Nobody ever said Ianthe was much good with logic. Her stomach mumbles at her again, and she sighs. Another glance out, to the gold... then over to Makeda. "Easy. I didn't eat 'nuff dinner."

Jereboam blinks sweat from his brow, and squints out over the hot sands, still shifting his feet back and forth idly.

Melina lifts her foot up again in the slow paced dance she has aquired. Her hand tightens again on Jennae's and she looks over the dragonetes curiously just watching.

Jennae frowns tightly, bouncing on her toes. "Someone ought to help her," she whispers, nodding to the Gold.

Elegant Calligraphic Gold heyheyheyheyheys in a pleased chuff as one of the Candidates starts moving towards her--well, sort of towards her, if one can count a backing-away as such...and she does. Now this is Progress. The diminutive queen works her way upright again: in certain situations, it seems one must meet Others halfway, and if she wants to get that belly filled, well. In a stumbling rush caused by still-unsteady limbs, the Calligraphic Gold more or less collapses against a brown-braided girl. Found me at last, did you? Took enough time.

Makeda starts to play with her fingers, a nervous gesture.

Madelynda stands alone on the hot Sands, now, as she watches Carinah walk away. Her hands stretch out in each direction, feeling the vacancy on either side. Expressionless, she scans the shards and shells laying on the sand, examining each hard piece with glittering eyes.

Orimia actually smiles as the gold finally makes her choice, a good natured mutter brings some giggles from the girls nearest to her, "Bout time."

A rousing squawk announces the birth of another green. This one comes from the Iridescent Violet. She's delicate, smaller than the others in the clutch. She chooses for her lifemate the largest of the candidates, a Seacrafter boy with tight curly black hair who stands a good four inches taller than any of the others.

Plum-Blossom Brown continues in an absolutely straight line, not having altered his trot once, and only an occasional fall mars his line of pursuit. He draws closer to the Candidates, impatience and anticipation growing as he finally picks out, directly in front of him, /his/ white thing. He's absolutely sure of it. Unable to keep silent, he bugles several times as he quickens his pace, only his lack of coordination slowing him down. When he finally reaches /him/, he stumbles and slips to into a heap at his feet. His eyes, peering upwards with joy, despite his fall, find /right there/ the one he sought. Even /if/ he wears a funny tail thing on his head...

Elexand watches the gold find her lifemate and sighs in utter and complete disappointment. "She could've made an exception. Shards." He kicks at the sand with a scowl.

Madelynda feels something, however, against her body and gasps as she feels herself touched by a warmth. Looking deeply into the eyes of the gold dragon before her, she barely breathes as she reaches out toward her glimmering eyeridge. "If you are hungry, Phediath, then let's go eat."

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Jereboam cheers and whoops for Madelynda!!! Then gets back to looking at the sands.

Melina smiles warmly at Madelynda then looks at the sands with continued curiosity.

Elexand exclaims, then cheers for Madelynda, tears running down his cheeks. "OH!"

Bronia walks towards the girl and her glittering gold lifemate with a smile. "Madelynda and Phediath? Come this way and we'll get food for her."

Jennae grins at Maddy. "Congrats!" she calls.

Tearing his gaze away from the gold and her Impression, Randrin drops his dark gaze to peer at the brown as the dragonet collapses at his feet. Mouth dropping open for a moment, it closes quickly and he reaches to help the poor thing up. "Oh, Nalimoth..." murmurs Randrin -- A'drin? -- nodding quietly. "I know. C'mon."

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Makeda smiles softly. "A good match," she comments as Maddy and her gold lifemate meet each other.

Madelynda is fastened by the whirling eyes of Phediath and doesn't hear the voice of Bronia at first. But after a moment, she slowly nods as the instruction registers. Ever a creature of habit, she says softly, "Yes, ma'am. Anything you say, ma'am," then impulsively leans down and embraces the gleaming neck of her other half. Standing upright, she whispers calmly, "Phediath, this way. This way. I promise; yes. Over there..."

Berizeth walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Berizeth has left.

Elexand applauds spontaneously for Randrin as well. "Oh, wonderful!"

Madelynda walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Madelynda has left.

Phediath creels demandingly to Madelynda, butting the girl with her head and nearly managing to tangle herself in the girl's robe.

The final two eggs hatch. The Dull Brown-Marked egg and the Classic Kerma egg. From the Dull Brown-Marked egg comes a perfectly formed green hatchling, who chooses quickly - a girl from Telgar Hold. The Classic Kerma egg exposes a bronze who wanders the sands alone for some time, looking at each of the remaining candidates before choosing a handsome young man with flashing blue eyes and unruly blond hair which started the night contained in a braid. The young man looks around after the hatchling's selection is clear. A smile splits his face and he says, "I suppose here's one time where being last isn't so sharding bad." He's hustled off the sands by an assistant weyrlingmaster.

G'fen marches over towards A'drin.

Phediath walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Phediath has left.

Nalimoth quickly rights himself with A'drin's assistance, crooning his adoration for his lifemate, stretching his wings with elation.

Bronia walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Bronia has left.

Jennae sags heavily, scanning the Sands with half-relieved eyes. "Tis over," she sighs.

G'fen asks, "Nalimoth?" He adds, "And Rider A'drin?"

Melina looks at her friend and nods softly, quietly, "Aye.."

Only shards are left on the sands now. The bronze, Habrith, still pushes at the remains of the Mahagony Cream egg.

Jereboam hugs Jennae softly, "Still here, Jennae." Then he slowly turns to gaze at the shards on the sands...

Jennae smiles at Melina softly. "Don't feel badly, Meli." She manages another smile for Jereboam. "Thank you, Jere."

Jorenan watches Randrin Impress, and then just shakes his head when he realizes it's over. "So fast." He grins at Makeda. "Everything okay?" he asks.

Orimia turns back and blinks as she looks out onto a sand filled cavern littered with the broken shell fragments. So many colors glittering on the dark sands. No life mate to be found this time round, but no need for tears. There /will/ be others. Her chin tilts up, denying the wetness that makes her eyes seem to glitter.  L'tan looks over at the Weyrwoman. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and looks down at the sands, an unconcious mimmicing of his dragon's posture.

Blinking hard, A'drin looks from Nalimoth to G'fen and nods, although to who exactly he's nodding isn't entirely clear. "Uh-huh," he says, starting toward the other rider.

Melina shrugs quietly, eyes travelling over the cavern of shards and shells. She begins to look at the archway reluctantly and turns to whisper to Jennae.

Jereboam whooshes his breath out in a quiet sigh, "My my...

Laurene watches the sands empty out and just stands, silent and straight. She waits for the Weyrwoman to give permission to leave.

Makeda looks around at those left on the sands, managing a smile. "Just us left!"

G'fen points in the direction A'drin isn't going. "Take Nalimoth over there for his first meal."

Jennae smiles at Makeda. "Well, that's that! And I couldn't be happier that it's all over!"

Elexand finally takes in the whole situation. Sink. You can literally see it sink through the happiness, through his thick skull. "Oh," he says softly, at last.

Jereboam smiles at those left, not really disappointed. "It's been wonderful with you all....

Merellia's glance falls to the shards scattered across the sands, the planes of her face smoothing with sympathy as she moves towards the remaining Candidates. "Please stay for a few moments," the Weyrwoman says, brushing palms along her thighs, pausing to search for the words to say next.

"Huh?" Flushing, A'drin turns back towards his lifemate, and the food. "Oh, right. Let's go eat, Nalimoth..."

Nalimoth quickly trots ahead of A'drin, warbling happily, heading straight towards G'fen. He stops in confusion, faceted eyes following the man's pointing arm. Glancing back to A'drin, he croons confusedly.

A'drin walks down to the far end of the Cavern. A'drin has left.

Makeda gazes down at the black sands of Ista.

Orimia chuckles, "Think they forgot about us in all the excitement? the least we can do is find Ianthe a sandwitch. Hearing the WW she turns and nods, "Of course ma'am." Like they've got anywhere else to go at that moment.

Melina swallows and murmers, "I wonder if the 'Reaches still needs a records keeper" She stops her motion toward the arch to look at the weyrwoman curiously, but reluctantly.

Jereboam turns his attention to the Weyrwoman, wiping a hand across his sweat-soaked brow and then wiping it clean on his soaked and clinging robe, making sure it's not really that revealing.

Jennae looks over at the Weyrwoman, nodding. Then her eyes scan Jereboam and Melina and she opens her mouth suddenly. "You're leaving," is all she can manage.

Ianthe watches A'drin go off... sighs a little, Mercy already gone. She wanders over towards Merellia.

Bronia walks over from the far end of the Hatching Cavern. Bronia has arrived.

Nalimoth bugles once, happily once again, and follows A'drin from the sands, not casting a glance, or even sparing a thought, for the egg shards he leaves behind.

Nalimoth walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Nalimoth has left.

Bronia walks down to the far end of the Cavern. Bronia has left.

G'fen says at last to A'drin, "Follow me."

G'fen walks down to the far end of the Cavern. G'fen has left.

Makeda sighs heavily, "Well, that was an experience!"

L'tan shuffles up to take a place next to the Weyrwoman - hands still in his pockets - his expression showing his reluctance at facing the candidates who didn't impress. Good thing Merellia's a people person.

Elexand sighs and turns to listen to Merellia and L'tan.

Orimia faces the Weyrwoman, the quirky grin firmly in place.

Jennae shakes her head abruptly, blinking rapidly. She turns to face the Weyrleaders.

Patience, or forebearance, keeps Laurene on the hot sands waiting for the Weyrwoman to dismiss them. The tension that filled her through the event is gone, now, not leaving much in its wake. Her expression is unreadable.

Merellia flickers a glance to the Weyrleader, then turns back to address the Candidates, spreading her hands palm up. "There's little I can say right now that will cheer you all, I expect," she says in an atypically gentle voice. "You've heard it before--just because it didn't happen this time doesn't mean that there won't ever be a lifemate out there for you," says Merellia, then pauses a moment.

Orimia nods, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Course she does it real slowly...know need for the whole gathering to know.

Ianthe doesn't particularly want a lifemate, now... her stomach's being adamant. "I just want a snack," she admits.

Jorenan just listens. He doesn't seem at all unhappy. Nor, in fact, does the group of Traders lingering on the tiers, waiting for him. On the whole, the look is one of pride and relief.

Melina nods slowly, having heard soemthing like this not long ago. SHe looks at the archway again and back at the Weyrwoman.

Jennae manages a slight chuckle, and casts a half-grin at Ianthe.

Elexand just listens, very quietly.

Jereboam waits patiently for the Weyrwoman to finish, not saying anything or looking around.

After a momentary hesitation of uncertainty, Merellia continues, "You are all more than welcome to stay here." Glancing at each of the gathered candidates, trying to keep the worry from her features at the thought that one of the Candidates might suddenly break into crying or a temper-tantrum, the Weyrwoman adds, "We've come to appreciate your presence here very much over the past few months, and I'd like you to feel that you could consider Ista open to you anytime as your home."

Orimia nods, not really having decided what she will do. But to help out the Weyrwoman she speaks, "Thank you Ma'am, I'm sure I speak for us all when I say we appreciate the offer."

Jorenan nods, his agreement readily apparent.

Melina nods her agreement as well.

Jennae nods as well. "Ma'am, I don't really have anywhere to go, and..." She trails off, not really certain what she was going to say.

Makeda smiles at Merellia. "I think, I'll return to Benden and my apprenticeship. Perhaps I can get Ofira to post me here. You really do need a real baker."

"I'm going back to Harper," decides Ianthe. "I liked it better there. And Lanya misses me."

Elexand just kicks at the sand.

Jereboam moves forward, bowing to the Weyrwoman and Weyrleader. "As sorry as I am, I must request leave of you both, and wonderful Ista, to return to Master Beast Hall to resume my apprenticeship, Ma'am and sir."

Laurene picks absently at the side hem of her robe, listening to the chatter, shuffling her feet. She glances, almost longingly, towards the bowl.

Jereboam tries to look dignified, but his eyes are wet, and his feet still shuffle.

Melina finally finds her own voice amist her thoughts, "Ma'am.. sir.. I regret that I'll be returning to the 'Reaches.. though Ista is wonderful and beautiful, the High Reaches are now my home"

L'tan kicks at the sands of the hatching grounds and then gives Jereboam a sort of smile, "Sure you wouldn't rather escape, Jereboam? Belive it's nicer here or in Ruatha for that matter."

Merellia clasps her hands together, linking her fingers as she nods to the responses. "You're more than welcome to stay," is repeated, before a wry twists curls up one corner of her mouth at Makeda's comment. "We could probably use one, yes," she admits, then says in response to Ianthe's remark, "Riders will be willing to assist any of you if you decide to leave...Meanwhile, there are refreshments and the like in the living cavern--I know you could all probably use something cool to drink and a break from all the standing."

Merellia steadfastly ignores L'tan's comment.

Jennae nods at Merellia and then turns to face Jereboam and Melina with a very lost look in her eyes.

Drink? Feh. "I want a /sandwich/," Ianthe repeats for the umpteenth time. And then smiles. "Then somebody can take me home."

Orimia chuckles once more and nods, "Most likely. I for one would like to put some shoes back on...and real clothes."

Jereboam sniffs softly, then shakes his head to L'tan, "No sir...I'm sorry. I love the craft, and I enjoy learning more about the animals. I even enjoy Master Leara, when she's not reprimanding me for something I did...even then it's good to be amongst them. So I must go back, sir."

Jorenan discovers that he's still holding Makeda's hand, after all this time. He lets go with a grin, and says, "I wouldn't mind some food."

Laurene finally says, "Does that mean we can go now?"

Jennae starts to say something again, then decides against it. Instead, she starts taking slow, measured steps toward the exit.

Makeda wipes at her face, not that she's crying or anything. She grins at Jorenan. "Some food wouldn't hurt."

Melina looks at Jennae and squeezes her hand again before heading to the exit.

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