Hatching
of
Herath and Talibenth's Clutch

January 29, 1999

The following is a log of roleplay from PernMUSH . The world of Pern is copyright Anne McCaffrey, 1967. The Dragonriders of Pern is a registered trademark.

Hatching Sands -Telgar Weyr This is the immense cavern containing the hatching grounds of Telgar Weyr. It stretches for several hundred feet across, and even farther in length. To the north is the large mound of sands used by the queens for their clutches. Looking up along the high walls of the cavern, the ledges where dragons and their riders observe the hatchings are visible. Much of the eastern wall is dominated by the galleries. Row upon row of tiers are capable of seating hundreds of people.

Trilana slips out into the sands, grabbing Rillanon's hand tightly. She drops it momentarily, bowing reverently, almost, to Herath and Talibenth. "Thank you," she tells them. "Thank you for letting us here. And for your marvelous eggs," she says again, blushing as her statement is incoherent and silly.

Reed enters behind the goldrider and turns towards the Weyrleaders. M'hryn and Kindre both recieve a bow, as do the dam and sire of the clutch. Slowly and carefully he skips over to take his place around the eggs.

Herath is pacing back and forth, her head swinging dramatically with each step. When the Candidates begin to assemble, she huffs grumpily at them. "Love, quit it...once they hatch they're not you eggs any longer," Kindre scolds her mate quietly. The gold is not pacified, apparently, and croons at Talibenth as if asking for back up. "The two of them are truly too much, Maen," Kindre remarks quietly to the Weyrleader before nodding to the Candidates and Staff herself.

Rillanon bows quickly to the gold and bronze, taking her place by Trilana, and holding out her hand to Meara, "Come and hold my other hand, Meara!"

As the Candidates appear on the sands, they bow, almost in an orchestrated manner, to Herath and Talibeth and their riders, then do as Candidates have done for Turns, ranging themselves along in a loose semi-circle in expectation of the hatchings to come.

Maylia emerges from the candidate barracks.
Maylia has arrived.

D'ton emerges from the candidate barracks.
D'ton has arrived.

M'kla emerges from the candidate barracks.
M'kla has arrived.

Meara enters to the back of some of the other candidates, but quickly bows to both dam and sire, eyes flickering over the trembling eggs, and then steps into the circle next to Rillanon, taking the other candidates hand with a grin at the girl.

Syrali sticks near Thaelon, her back rod-straight, her teeth clenched so hard the muscles in her jaw jump with the tension. She takes a sharp breath, letting it out much more slowly, and squeezes her partner's hand, whispering, "G'luck, Thae..."

Trilana's hand is shaking as she grips Rillanon's. "Okay. Good luck," she tells Rillanon.

The urgent, hungry cries of a blue and a green hatchling echoes across the Sands as the two of them move in completely opposite directions from one another. On the edge of the Sands lies the intertwined remains of their eggs, giving the appearance of a thunderstorm over the MasterBeastHall as the eggs in their pre-Hatching form were the Thundercloud Azure Egg and the Bewildering Beastial Beauty Egg. Appropriately enough the blue hatchling finds a StarCraft apprentice posted to Keroon as his mate while the jade green chooses a young man from a beasthold near the StarCraftHall.

Leigh glances first towards the galleries, even before bowing. Her lips purse at what she sees or doesn't see as icy blue eyes breeze over the assemblage of people, then abandon the search. She faces the Weyrleaders and their dragons and bows as instructed.

Talibenth rumbles at Herath, as he pushes the icy inferno egg down the small hillock it is upon with his muzzle, as if trying to push it towards the white robed people down there. He completely ignores their bow, but stops his efforts as Herath croons and turns to look at her. M'hryn laughs quietly at Kindre. "They are," he smiles before acknowledging the bow of the Candidates with a nod of his head.

Daffela looks up fromt he eggs for amoment, eyes seekign desperately through the galleries and dragon ledges. Neither one shows what she's looking for and she looks back down with a gulp, her face paler than usual and almost matching her robe."

Gaivn's cheeks bulge as he runs his tongue inside them, hoarding all the moisture he can in this hot, dry cavern. Once he manages to straighten up from the bow, he follows Thaelon into line, nodding at Syrali on the holder's other side.

Pakse steps into the circle, giving Brynn a tight smile.

Annie swallows softly, doing the customary bow to dam and sire of the clutch, as well as each respective mate. Her eyes look up into the stands, looking ... searching... and there they are. She gives a small girl, a steward and an uncle a waning smile.

M'kla heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
M'kla has left.

Squeezing the candidates hand in return he murmurs, "You to Syr. And Gaivn." as he slides in between the two in the ever increasing circle about the eggs.

M'kla emerges from the candidate barracks.
M'kla has arrived.

Saskia glances nervously at Herath and Talibenth and hovers near Leigh. "So it begins." and blinks a bit at the blue and green. "That was quicker than I remember."

Trilana blinks. "First Impressions, already," she murmurs, hand tightening convulsively around Rilla's. "Crazy."

Syrali grins weakly to Gaivn. "You, too," she manages, then tugs her hand free to wipe both off on her robe before offering it back. "Oh, Faranth... there they go."

Gaudy Gladsome Gypsy Egg wobbles back and forth, the motions of the inhabitant inside the shell causing the ovoid to tumble from its little perch of sand and roll some meters from where it was.

Ryen starts to occasionally lift one foot up, then the other as he watches nervously. He looks over to Thaelon and grins. "Nice robe." he says trying to keep his nerves down.

Ceria stands in a small group of candidates but doesn't touch any of them, instead clutching a bit nervously at her robe as she glances around. Her green eyes are wide and excited.

Alyssa gives Kindre and M'hryn respectful nods that echo the affection and admiration for the gold and bronze, then she steps away from the Candidates toward the other riders, hands swinging loosely at her side.

Trilana's eyes dart towards the wobbling egg. "Rillanon? Is it just me or did that egg just.... move?"

Rillanon holds her two hands hard, her eyes welling up with tears. "So beautiful1" She whispers. She glances at teh egg Tril points out and frowns, "Not sure. Meara? Did it move?"

Myklan shuffles almost absently, watching the eggs hatch with a detatched, almost emotionless blankness. One hand brushes dampening hair out of his eyes...he looks scared silly, to anyone with eyes.

M'hryn smiles as the blue and green Impress. "Well, that's a half-mark lost," he says quietly.

Meara wipes her spare hand across her brow, even though no sweat beads there yet, more raw emotion that seems to be leaking through. She glances quickly to the egg that just wobbled, and flinches a little at its near proximity. The same hand that wiped her brow tugs the hem of her robe as she looks over and nods to Rillanon, "Sure did. Sharding close as well."

Reed slits his eyes and glares at a few of the moving eggs. Why? No one knows. He just shifts back and forth to relieve one heated foot, then the other, occasionally nodding to fellow candidates as he overhears whispers.

Ryen eyes widen as he watches the egg wobble. "It did move... it did."

Silen scurries out, bowing to the candidates and finding his place, wringing his hands nervously as he watches the eggs.

Maylia strides out onto the sands, following the last straggling candidates. A bow of respect is given to the Weyrleaders, then quickly heads towards the first impressions of the evening.

Nimiriel smiles, nodding respectfully to both M'hryn and Kindre, and joins Alyssa.

Daffela can't watch them all. Pity that she tries, amber gaze flicking from one to the nezt in a nervous pattern.

Rillanon shivers, even with the intense heat, "How wonderful, and horrible...OH its scary!" She moves her feat up and down, trying to let them cool down a little.

Mellany is holding onto the hand of a small blonde Bitran lass, her eyes wide as the eggs actually -move- of their own accord!

Gaivn knuckles his eyes at the sight. "You called it, Syr," he agrees before he glances away, up to the galleries where herders just might sit and the ledges where Meli and her Juliath just might perch, if the air weren't so heat-hazy between him and them to see.

Trilana has a trick. She's walking aloing with her feet curled so that just her toes and her heels are on the sands. "Think of cold things," she says, wincing as she can't curl her feet like that for long.

Ceria edges across the sands, somehow once more ending up near Daffela. "Everything happens so quickly," she murmurs.

Rumpled Sleeping Pallet Egg squirms on the Sands, burying itself deeper instead of digging its way out.

Leigh is unusually well groomed for a candidate, hair neat and demeanor calm; yet somehow without her expressing it, an aura of dread surrounds the redhead, heightening as eggs wobble and crack and Impressions are made.

Kindre gives Alyssa a smile that seems to say, "This again," and then winks before her widening eyes feather across the wobbling eggs and Impressions.

D'ton quickly intercepts the Weyr's newest greenrider and begins guiding the pair off the sands.

A teal blue muzzle pointing to the ceiling of the Hatching Cavern through a single hole in a distinctly pink shell is the first sign that the Exceptional Egotistical Egg has cracked. Deliberate movements of the blue dragonet burst the remainder of the shell, with each of the pink fragments falling to the Sands. A large shard, pink swirled with purple occupies the blue's attention, and he brings it along with him speared on still-soft talons, surprising the dandy into whose solar plexus the shard-encrusted talons are jabbed. Anxious crooning follows immediately, and the uninjured young man assures his lifemate, "As long as we're together."

"C-called what?" Syrali swallows again, licking dry lips and shifting from one foot to the other. She darts a nervous look at the nearest of the twitching eggs, and another to the hatchlings already broken free.

Gaudy Gladsome Gypsy Egg wriggles in the sand where it lies, narrow end angled toward the floor. The tapping inside sounds louder, more frantic.

Daffela bite sher lip again and glances sideways at Ceria, almost in relief for someone to take her attention away from the happening in front of her. "Very quickly." she agrees, shifting uneasily as her feet heat form the sands.

Rillanon breathes out a sigh, watching Tril's feet and doing the same. She watches the next egg and Impression and lets out a cry of amaxement, "He's beautiful!"

Reed laces his fingers together behind his back. All that effort put forth not to sweat in the barracks is lost on the sands, persperation trickling down his forehead. The first few impressions only cause him to react with little jumps until someone says something.

M'kla heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
M'kla has left.

Ceria draws in her breath sharply as the blue hatches and Impresses nearby. Then she points to the Gaudy egg. "It's moving," she says, stating the obvious quite well.

Trilana gulps. "Shards," she says softly, nails digging into Rilla's hand as she watches the Impression. "Ow!" she hisses suddenly, hopping up and down. And then the Gaudy egg is blinked out. "Yes. That's definitely moving."

Thaelon's eyes scan the mound of eggs, stopping occasionally as a wiggle or tremor comes over an egg. He steps lightly from foot to foot trying to see everything at once.

Annie lifts one foot, then the other, her summer blue eyes watching the quick pairings. "So... /fast/. I didn't know it happened so fast." Her voice is shakey, soft, and choked with emotion.

Gaivn twists his attention back. "Them. Did you hear that? Together. Th-the boy sai. ...Stop that, I didn't s-stammer before you did."

Bronwynn shifts her weight to one foot, placing the other one on top of the first. Her eyes widen at the dragonet, "That's a little bigger than I had expected," she mumbles to herself.

Ryen swallows hard watching the hatching... "Its happening... oh boy... oh boy..."

Silen is watching the Impressions with wide eyes and an unusually calm look. "Wow."

Syrali says, "S-sorry," with a too-high-pitched giggle, shuffling again. "Ow-ww."

Maylia hastens around the ring of candidates, her feet blessedly protected from the heat of the sands by thick boots, unlike those of the candidates. Following the motions of the teal blue, she's close at hand when he finally impresses. The new pair are led from the sands at the slow, awkward pace of the dragonet.

Myklan shuffles in silent contrast to many of his fellows, just brushing that one misbehaving lock out of his eyes over and over. The eggs are watched...as are hatchlings, finding lifemate after lifemate.

Rumpled Sleeping Pallet Egg gently rocks from side to side as the hatchling within starts its quest for freedom. Striations appear on the top of the egg and creep down the sides.

Saskia's head tilts this way and that as different eggs hatch and dragonets find their lifemate. Her gaze sweeps across the dour red-head, and she smiles wanly to Leigh, "It's not so bad. Whatever happens."

Daffela nods slowly, gaze wandering again, delighted smile appearing as she watches the impressions... the incredible happy pairs. "And some of the others too." she adds in a hushed voice.

Pakse blinks, pulling at the hem of her robe as she glances everywhich way at once. "It happens so fast!" She shakes her head and turns to another wobbling egg, lifting one foot off the sands to let it cool.

Keron has arrived.

Trilana whispers to Rilla and Meara: "They're moving really fast now. Can you believe it?"

D'ton returns from escorting the green and her new lifemate, and hurries back to keep a wary eye on the Candidates and Eggs.

Thaelon cranes his head trying to catch a glimpse of the pairs walking off the sands to see who impressed. His head snaps back around as an egg very near to him tosses violently and a crack appears in the shell.

Rillanon holds hands tight, watching in awe. "I can't beleive it...." and then, "I know!"

Ceria rocks on her feet, trying to alleviate the heat she's absorbing. She's oblivious to how ridiculous she must look as she keeps her eyes on the eggs and hatchlings. She nods hastily to Daffela.

Gaivn copies Thaelon's easy movements, or tries to, much as he might to keep feet warm instead of cool while waiting for a runner mare to foal. "Ow-ww, all right - Thae, what did you see?"

Gaudy Gladsome Gypsy Egg moves from side to side, digging a wallow into the hot sands. It seems to be happy, though, moving downward as it is.

Keron shuffles from foot to foot. "It's.. it's.. REALLY happening."

Meara's eyes widen slightly as another egg nearby starts that crazy hatching dance, then frowns a little as she tries to observe who just impressed the blue. Giving up she directs her attention to Trilana's comment, nodding slowly as she considers, "I'm seeing it, but I'm not quite believing it. Not yet" she adds, almost as an afterthought as her eyes go back to watching the stumbling dragonets.

Ryen continues to watch that poor egg. "It sinking. Someone should help it."

Trilana points with her Rilla-entwined hand at the Gaudy egg. "Look!" she cries, hopping up and down so that her feet leave the sands in a moment of blessed respite for just a moment before they come in contact with the searing sands.

Reed quirks a brow, keeping an eye on the few eggs that are burrying themselves. He turns over to see where Daffela and Leigh are, licking his dry lips to try and save them from cracking.

Syrali startles as Thaelon does, a shiver disturbing the fabric of her robe, though between her shoulders it's already damped flat. "It's... it's coming /out/," she mumbles, her toes digging into the sand a moment until she shifts feet again with a wince.

Alyssa gives Kindre a warm smile to acknowledge the earlier glance and wink, then resumes her watch of the Candidates and the hatchlings, calm but guarded.

Crrrrack! The Spinning Spatial Swirl Egg veritably explodes--eager, it would seem, to release its occupant from pre-birth stasis. The cream-and-klah brown left behind, however, appears more... reluctant? Not quite. Perhaps choosy. However, there can be no stopping his destiny: when his mad-whirling crimson eyes meet those of tall, lanky Arimmern, a lifelong match is made. "Yes, you can call me R'mmer, Listerth," the young man tells his dragonet. "What else could I possibly be called?"

Daffela's hands twitch at her robe, at her hair, even tugging atthe robbon neatly tied off the plait. Fett shuffle edgily but she is less bothered by the heat than some. Or perhaps, more distracted.

At last the tempest battering the hardened shell of the Gawdy Gladsome Gypsy Egg from within is victorious, and striations across the eggs surface widen. All in a rush, shell fragments are scattered to the wind, revealing the dark hatchling within.

Ceria jumps, startled by the explosion of the egg. Her gaze shoots over to watch as the Impression is made. "They're beautiful," she almost whispers to Daffela.

Leigh's reaction to seeing those first Impressions is a drawing back as her hot feet edge her away, trying to find some cooler ground where there is none. She remains more or less between two other candidates, but turns her body so that she faces the shattering eggs only obliquely, unwilling to be direct with them.

Keron gazes with awe as the Spinning Spatial egg cracks. "Wow." Is all he can say.

Rillanon almost cries with the next Impression. "Oh Meara! Trilana! Look at that! If only it could happen to me, or any of us three." But her eyes land on the next green and she whispers, "But she's even more beautiful!"

Bronwynn's lips are tight and pale as she watches the eggs twitch and dragonets Impress, she glances over to Pakse.

Thaelon looks over at Gaivn, hopping back and forth almost in a dance, "I'm not sure. I saw a blue and a green..." His banter ceases when an impression is made near him, "Yay Arimmern."

Trilana blinks again. She looks more calm, in fact, as each Impression and hatching happens. "Look," she whispers, a finger lifting to point at the silvery, dark green. "Look," she says again.

Shadow-Crossed Landscape Egg starts to give a bare shudder, then a more noticable shake from it's place in it's well entrenched sandy hollow. Then, it stops. Abiding it's time for just a bit longer.

Daffela twitches rather than jumps. Where's the energy to jump right now? "She's lovely." she murmurs to Ceria, eyes the green with an openly interested expression.

Pakse ahhhhhs at the newest ppair, then whips her head back at the next cracking egg. She grins at Brynn's glace, trying to seem more at ease the she really is. "She's.....beautiful."

Meara can't help it, and a bubble of laughter escapes at Rillanon's obvious excitement. She gestures to the green, but keeps an eye out for any others that might come rushing this way, "She's very pretty."

Reed lets his mouth drop open to an oh as he eyes the green that finally made her way from that half burried egg. "She's a pretty one." He glances about to the prospective candidates before other eggs moving catches his eye and he's forced to turn his attention back to the clutch.

Ceria ohs softly as the green makes her entrance. "Beautiful," she murmurs again before her gaze continues to move across the Sands. Her eyes come back to the green once more though.

Gaivn suggests, fumbling a palm over his chopped hair, "Talk to it, Syrali. Tell it to go back in. Malia said, did I ever say? that you could tell in the eyes. But that was for apprentices. Not blues and greens or not-sures or whatever."

Ryen seems to be lost as he watches the hatchings. "They are so wonderful looking." He looks back towards the other candidates, then at the dragonets again.

Rumpled Sleeping Pallet Egg no longer gently rocks. This egg moves as if it was a ship on stormy seas. Cracks start to gape in the shell, obscuring the egg's natural design.

Maylia begins to head around a close-clustered knot of candidates, seeking after R'mmer and his new lifemate. It doesn't take long before the pair leave the sweltering heat of the sands, and the Weyrlingmaster reappears.

Saskia gasps softly as she spots the newest green to hatch. "Shells, that's the prettiest hatchlinng yet."

Syrali shakes her head rapidly, tugging her hand loose to impatiently brush back her hair. "It can't /not/ hatch. It'd die." Nevertheless, her next shuffle takes her just a half-inch away from the cracking egg.

Herath's head turns and twists as each of her precious eggs falls apart to reveal charming, strong, and lovely dragons. She seems to be easing into the 'letting go' stage...easing being the operative word. "Oh, dearheart, you and Tali should be so proud! They're beautiful," Kindre echoes the sentiments filtering across the grounds.

Annie's eyes are following the brown pairing, her attention no where near the green untill her shell cracks. Her murmering comments are added to those of the general direction of the candidates: Lovely, beautiful. Her feet move, her eyes dart, her hands resume being clenched on the hem of her robe.

Talibenth lets out a rumble that sounds strangely disappointed and nudges again at the icy inferno egg again with his muzzle, almost as if to force it to hatch.

Myklan watches the youngest green with a distinct distance, though she brings a faint smile to his face...that forelock is knocked out of his eyes again.

Thaelon gives Syrali's hand a squeeze as a small green dragonet tumbles out onto the sands near them, "Oooh. That ones close."

Talibenth draws Ceria's attention and she gives him and the icy inferno egg a curious glance.

Keron gazes with hopeful eyes as the rumpled sleeping pallet egg craks. He scoots closer, as much as he can to the newest cracking egg and admires the beauty of a Hatching.

Shards of obsidian quartz burst outward and sprinkle the Sands, causing a group of too-eager Candidates to back off hastily. A glaringly green snout emerges from the shell to call stridently to her dam before the rest of the dragonet's long, angular body . The green's gangly and awkward movements don't keep her from marching up and down from Candidate to Candidate and raucously dismissing one after another. An older candidate from Half Circle chides the dragonet, "You can't yell and eat at the same time," before the two are led off the Sands.

Gaivn mutters back, "That one, one of the first ones, it took part of its shards with it... so if it hatched but went back in, it would have hatched, so it wouldn't die, right? ...Too close. She's dark."

Keron congradulates the newest Impressee and he looks back at the eggs hopefully.

Midnight Grasslands Green Hatchling wobbles forward a few meters, moments after leaving her confinement. With her wedge-shaped head angling about, she churns through the sands determinedly. Nothing's going to stop her! Not even the huge form of Talibenth as he somehow appears before her. O wait. Where is she to go? That way? *sigh* Back she goes, no less determined.

Trilana peers at the green, brow knitting in thoughtfulness as she watches her. "What do you think of her?" she asks Rillanon, finally, grinning suddenly as the Green finds her way.

Syrali shakes her head at Gaivn, though she doesn't look too sure she knows what she's shaking her head back. "Shells, she's... she's practically /black/," the girl murmers, staring round-eyed at the hatchling green, and then giggles just faintly at the other. "She'll trip."

Rillanon scratches her nose, watching the little green with caution, "She's not being very quick, is she? Why hasn't she IMpressed? I love her, well, ou know."

A deep fissure works its way across the surface of the Rumpled Sleeping Pallet Egg, cleaving the ovoid shape neatly into two very evenly matched halves. The tip of a brown snout appears and gives a huge /push!/, and out the solid-looking brown tumbles, landing flat on his belly.

Ceria grins as the green makes her way towards Talibenth and then gets turned around. "She's cute," she says to Daffela, nudging her.

Ryen looks over and eyes the midnight green with wide eyes. "She looks a little lanky I think."

Shadow-Crossed Landscape Egg continues to move in sudden spurts of movement, wearing away the sand around it as it tilts to one side.

Talibenth serpentines his neck to look at the tiny little green and croons after her, batting his head towards her almost as if pushing her to hurry up.

Reed's eyes are just spinning, and that's obvious, from the green tint his face as taken on. Trying to look too many ways at once will do that to a lad.

"Oh!" Trilana says, a finger pointing towards the brown. but somehow, her eyes flicker back towards the green. Rillanon is answered: "She's taking her time, I think. She's lovely, that's what she is."

Keron looks at the newest brown with awe. "Amazing." His few words express much as his emotions are all that seem enough for him.

Ryen mouth drops as he sees the brown hatching. "He is wonderful looking. Truely wonderful!"

Thaelon chuckles at the small green's antics as she makes her way back and forth across the sands, "I don't think she knows where she's going."

"There's a strong one," Kindre remarks of the brown and leans back to pat Herath's foreleg. Her eyes scan the grounds for the little green who seems to still be making her choice.

Daffela grins and ohs softly at the brown. "Now, he's handsome. Powerful." she returns to her friend, unable to keep the smile off her face any more. "She's sweet I think." The green. Daffy points to the green and her gaze flicks to the other moving eggs.

Ceria turns her attention to the brown. "He's a handsome one," she agrees.

Gathering Storm Egg gives a little quiver, dancing lightly across the sands before coming to rest against another egg.

A sigh escapes Rilla's lips, "Yeah. They all are, though. All of 'em are beautiful. If a little mucky after hatching. Look at the brown! He's nice, too. I like the green beter, though. What do you think, Meara?"

Midnight Grasslands Green Hatchling nears the candidates, not looking at them. Well, not really. There's a sense of something that's drawing her onward though... someone. Someone very close by. With a frustrated warble, she pushes past two young men to get beyond them to the other white-robes beyond.

Saskia covers her ears and takes a step back away from the racuous green's recriminations, then breathes a sigh of relief as she is led off by her new lifemate. Then she looks over at the Mahogany Brown and her hands drop and swing to her sides as she stares at the hatchling for a moment. "Never seen so muscles on a hatchling." she comments quietly.

Syrali shrugs, shoulders jerking against the cloth. "She's got a lot of us to look through." The girl's jaw tenses again, her hand tugging a little at Thae's. "Look at him," she says, gesturing with a motion of her chin to the brown. "He's /huge/."

Keron tries to squirm closer to the brown to get a good look at him. "What a lovely brown."

Reed swallows again and wrinkles his nose, lifting one foot, dusting it off, then completing the same ritual with the other. "Hot hot..."

M'hryn looks at the brown with surprise. "It's huge," he says to Kindre, then looks at Talibenth. "Stop that. Let them take their time."

"Like fathers." Annie says simply on the arival of the brown, her voice low and nearly unheard above the din of the crowds.

Gaivn steps back, half-stumbling on the shifting sand. "Looks like she does -now-. Darker than Juliath. Yeah. Darker."

Trilana nods sagely. "Me, too," she says, peering at the green. "She's lovely, that's what she is," she decides lightly, tho her voice quavers. "Isn't she? And so particular."

Supple-Sinewed Mahogany Brown Hatchling seems perfectly non-plussed by his prone position as he takes the opportunity given to him to study the Sand that sparkles right before his whirling eyes. His wings idly flop at his sides as he nudges the sparkling grains with his muzzle, curious about their appearance.

Leigh watches that first dark, moonlit green with a wary eye, so focused on her that she doesn't even see the brown hatch and move towards the semicircle of candidates. Her arms cross over her chest as she inhales and heaves a tremendous sigh of concentration.

Ryen seems lost as he watches the brown... "He is something..."

Shadow-Crossed Landscape Egg gives another small shudder as it rolls off to one side, bidding it's time like a silent storm.

For those nearby the Accretion of Time and Space Egg and are listening closely, they just might hear the taptapping of the hatchling within. A narrow section of the egg breaks off and a small bronze muzzle pokes through. The hatchling's nostrils widen as he sniffs this new place and with a herculean effort he leaps free of his shell, landing directly in front of Vallorin. The weyr-bred lad reaches out a shaking hand to free the bronze's wet wings. "You'll get plenty of food soon, Gronth," V'rin tells his lifemate.

Ceria smiles at the antics of the brown. "He doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry," she observes. The shifting of her feet has almost become a hopping as she tries to prevent the heat of the Sands from burning her.

Thaelon peers over in the direction Syrali is pointing and nods as he catches sight of the brown hatchling, "Yeah. He's beautiful." Though his attention is quickly drawn back to the green hatchling who seems to be making a bee-line for someone.

M'hryn repeats that name quietly. "Gronth."

"Magnificent brown," murmurs Alyssa, tossing the compliment toward the dam and sire while shifting comfortably on the sands. V'rin's Impression does win an approving smile and a quiet, "Well-done."

Keron tries to squirm ever closer to the browns, immitation what he had seen at 'lizard hatchings before. Only this time it was so much more.. real. His gaze quickly looks over at the time and space egg, but returns to the brown. "So strong."

Kindre smiles a bit after rolling the bronze's name over her tongue. "Sounds...strong?"

Nimiriel shifts quietly in her own little hollow of sand, still standing near Alyssa. "He's a lovely one," she murmurs, then grins over at Lys. "I forgot how hot the sands were."

Maylia raises an eyebrow on her way to the nearby impression. "Val.. V'rin, please. Bring Gronth this way." And with that, the Weyrlingmaster leads the pair off the sands.

Midnight Grasslands Green Hatchling moves past the flanking row of candidates, before pausing at a creamy-skinned, befreckled lass with long dark hair and dark eyes. Red-whorled eyes intent, she croons plaintively.

Pakse grins at the newest pair, glancing at the green and brown while trying to look at all the moving eggs. Just seems to proze that the treuly dedicated can, in fact, look everywhere at once.

Reed runs shaking fingers through his hair and grumbles something about wondering why he ever got himself into this, then clears his throat and glances next to him. "Gindra...that you?" he asks in a hushed voice.

Gathering Storm Egg wobbles again, its surface tapping gently but repeatedly against the egg beside it as it jerks around in the depression beneath.

Rillanon lets go of Tril's hand for a minute to pull some hair out of her face. Then she puts it back, watching the green as it chooses its pair.

Syrali hisses between her teeth, balancing for a moment on one foot and a little lean on Thaelon to press her lifted foot against her other leg in vain hope of cooling it. "It's so..." She swallows, looking after the green. "I think..."

Alyssa says with a bemused, sideways glance at Nimiriel, "Twice with bare feet makes it more tolerable with boots...and a touch of numbweed didn't hurt."

Supple-Sinewed Mahogany Brown Hatchling reluctantly tears his attention away from his study as the growing heat of the Sands against his belly makes him uncomfortable. Creeling with surprise at the pain, he waddles to his feet, his oversized head bobbing this way and that way as he searches for comfort.

Leigh pays little attention to the bronze; he poses no danger, at least none to her. The others, however, may. Leigh's lips purse as she deliberately takes her eyes away from them and onto the only thing which doesn't threaten, namely, the stands full of spectators. Her gaze narrows, even as her feet shift once on the sands. Whatever she seeks, she doesn't find.

Daffela watches the green intently for long moments, shining eyes congratulating the one who looks like being the next one to Impress before the brown recaptures her attention.

Trilana blinks at the green. "She knows just what she wants, doesn't she?" she asks of Rillanon, hopping up and down still, fingers idly squeezing at Rilla's hand.

Ryen watches the Brown with intent study, truely awed by the 'little' one.

Meara takes a moment to smile her congratulations over to the new pair and then suddendly blinks, staring down, down into those darling eyes that whirl so fast, and so.. Another blink, followed immediately by a wide smile, as she drops Rillanon's hand to stroke the muzzle in front of her, "Isath? Now there's a pretty name, and yes, we are together," A pause, then, "Yes, together, Isath!"

Keron tries to call out to the hatching. "It's ok, really it is. Your so beautiful." His actions try to hide and intense feeling of the hatching, but all that comes out are 'mushy stuff'

Saskia watches the Midnight Green closely while Gindra sighs softly "No, she's looking at someone else. I do hope more greens hatch." Saskia gives her friend a grin "I'm sure many more will." and glances at Reed as well.

Myklan gives a sudden sort of hop, as if he JUST remembered his feet were...hot! He mutters something as he nearly runs over a smaller candidate, trying unconsciously to find a new and less hot place to stand.

Ceria's feet seem to move at the same speed as her gaze. Her feet move quickly up and down as her eyes shoot over to Meara. "Congratulations!" she calls out, not really caring if she's heard or not. A sincere smile adorns her face.

"Meara!" Trilana cries, head turning to grin at Meara. "Well, congratulations to you!" she says, eyes widening in surprise.

Tiny chips of shell flake away, revealing ever-widening cracks that spread to encompass the entire width and length of the egg as the hatchling inside struggles to be free. In a flurry of shards like debris cast from the heart of a storm, a wildly hued blue hatchling is suddenly revealed, giving loud voice to the glory of his release from imprisonment.

Pakse quakes with nerves, her hands clenching and unclenching as she watches the movements of the dragonets. A congrats is given to Meara.

Rillanon nods, squeezing back. Tril might not be able to see her what with all that is happening, but she doesn't get to say anything when she sees Meara, "Meara! OH congratulations!"

Light reflects from the trembling Hollow Holographic Hallucination Egg in a sudden blizzard of rainbow glints--glints that are soon overwhelmed by black as mirage is destroyed to make way for the reality of a sun-dazzled oasis blue hatchling. Aqua-drenched wings trailing behind him like a sort of cloak, this one hesitates long... which one? Which? *There.* Newborn knees buckle, and the dragon-child falls before the feet of a red-headed Igenite boy... at once both kneeling and bestowing himself, his love, and his soul to his chosen like the precious gifts that they are.

"I think..." Kindre begins to say as the green seems to have finally chosen her mate. "Maybe..." Herath is too busy watching her and Talibenth's offspring dart after their lifemates. "Oh! Isath...what a charming name...And to Meara. What a perfect pairing, I think," is remarked once the weyrling-pair is bonded.

"Meara and Isath..." Alyssa repeats to herself. "Charming."

Reed nods over to Saskia with a fleeting smile before Meara gets a glance of startlement. "Oh, congratulations Meara!" he calls. Pausing, he sees his favorite egg hatch, and the dragonet impress. Is that a pout on his face?

Thaelon braces himself, wincing a bit as Syrali's weight pushes his feet farther into the hot sands, "Happening so fast?" He cheers in Meara's direction as the dragonet finds it's lifemate, "Congrats!"

Ceria's emerald gaze continues to move across the Sands, this time coming to rest on the newly hatched blue.

Keron quivers as a chill of excitement overcomes him as an elegant blue comes forth from an egg. "Oh, so pretty."

Saskia turns to Meara and beams, "Oh! Wonderful! Congratulations! Isath's such a pretty name."

D'ton smiles and makes his way over to Meara. "Congratulations," he says to her, "Help Isath along now, we've got food for her in the barracks."

Meara giggles, "Hungry?" she says, hands going to her stomach, "-Is- that what the sensation is?"

Ryen looks over at the blue and smiles, then to Meara. "Congrats!" he says before turning his attention back to the other hatchings.

Maylia gazes across the mound of rocking, spinning, and cracking eggs, her eyes sighting on the dark green and her choice. A nod to D'ton, who's closer, to assist them, and she continues on her way.

Tears are now streaming down Rilla's face because of the beauty in Meara's IMpression.

Gaivn gapes. "Meara? Did you hear her name, Thaelon? I mean, not Meara's, but the other one. And isn't that something, how the brown nearby, he's mostly one color soft of, but this one that's closer, he's all colors? Sort of like my mare, Lacey, who's back at Herder. Not here. Definitely not here."

Trilana gives Meara another smile as the weyrling is lead off. "Congratulations." And after a moment, she eyes the blue sagely, taking her time to look him over as her hand trembles inside Rillanon's. "This is insane," she murmurs, looking around at the commotion. "but wonderful," she adds, smiling softly. "Look at the blue, Rillanon."

Bronwynn's tight lips curl into a giant smile as Meara impresses. She watches in awe.

Daffela lifts a hand to scrub fiercely at her face while she eagarly eyes the unhatched eggs again, gaze sometimes switching to the brown with open curiousity.

Meara looks up at D'ton, a confused look on her face -- what's he doing here? A moment, and realisation dawns and she grins sheepishly, "Oh, sorry, Sir, we're coming, right away! Come on Isath, I know where there's food!"

"Sorry," Syrali whispers to Thaelon, weight off of him again. "W-was that Meara?" She swallows again, taking a breath that relaxes only slowly. "She looks... awful happy."

Rillanon nods, shaking her head with a sigh, "Lucky Meara! Oh, but I'm so happy for her!"

Impetuous Icy Inferno Egg wobbles gently, almost imperceptibly. A bit of sand that was on it falls off in a gentle shower.

Supple-Sinewed Mahogany Brown Hatchling swallows another scared creel as he notices the white-clad things for the first time. The tips of his wings drag in the Sand, leaving furrows behind, as he waddles towards a dark-haired girl. His creels turn to croons as he gets ever closer.

Midnight Grasslands Green Hatchling has left.

Meara heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Meara has left.

Stormy Patchwork Blue Hatchling doesn't waste a moment as he bravely steps forth from his the remants of his shell. Taking the time to look about and plot his course in this sea of white robes in the distance, a blue muzzle pushes forward towards something he knows is out there for him.

Gathering Storm Egg shivers again, a few tiny flakes of grey-blue falling from its surface. Ever-widening cracks begin to trace their way from top to bottom as the dragonet inside struggles to be free.

Leigh smiles, though with that distance that can only come from someone who has no idea what her friend is experiencing. How could she? And though she murmurs congratulations with the rest, they are by definition as hollow as a blind man's compliments of a woman's fine eyes.

Trilana looks at the brown, now. "For Faranth's sake, I never even noticed him. He's lovely," she says to Rillanon, a finger pointing at the brown.

Keron wiggles foward and manages to get infront of the group of Candidates, 1 because he can keep his feet from burning, and 2 he wants to see the hatchlings more clearly. "Oh wow. What a lovely blue. Oh and a strong brown too."

Pakse tries to watch the newest hatchling and the rocking eggs. "Too much too fast!" She rocks herself, from foot to foot to cool them down a bit.

Thaelon nods to Gaivn, though he doesn't take his eyes off of the hatchlings wandering about, "Isath, I think. Couldn't hear very well for the creening." He let's out an ahh as a blue dragonet makes it's way into his view.

Reed looks left, and right. Each way either an egg or a hatchling occupy, so he just stands there, edgy as ever, nerves abounding.

Ryen nods as he looks at the two dragonets then to Keron. "yes they are."

Rillanon nods, her eyes fastened on the blue, and on the brown a little. But there is no time to look at them all.

Gaivn agrees, "Real happy. And it didn't even make her bloo - but we're not supposed to think about that. Dunno how we're supposed to not think, though." At the sinewy hatchling's change in sound, he looks over to gauge his course, and draws a heavier, heated sigh of relief. "Isath. That's good. Short. You could yell that."

Annie watches the green pairing of Meara and Isath, a wide smile turning her lips up. "Oh, Meara!" A sigh passes from her, attention returning to the situation at hand. This whole hatching thing.

Impetuous Icy Inferno Egg suddenly gives a violent shudder, and bounces slightly. A tiny crack appears in the shell, but doesn't spread. Then, it slowly begins to tip to one side.

Bronwynns eyes takes on a new light and she reaches out to cradle the brown snout in her hands, "Fehuth?"

Talibenth sits up on his haunches suddenly, a small bugle escaping from him as the icy inferno egg wobbles. It wobbled! He saw it! He drops down to his forelegs again and reaches forward to nudge it towards the Candidates some more. As it cracks, he croons at it, stepping back.

Trilana eyes the blue, too. Determined little fella. "There's so many. I'ven't an idea where they're going. Even a little." Eggs, too, are watched idly and warily at the same time. Then.... "bronwynn?" she asks, eyes widening. "Oh, bronwynn! Congratulations!"

Rillanon looks at Bronwynn and gasps, "OH! Look! OH congratulations, Bronwynn! What a beautiful name!"

Keron watches the eggs slowly hatch, and then the hatchlings walk around, and then back again. He tries to miss nothing. "Oh pretty blue, oh mighty brown."

D'ton returns from guiding Meara off the sands just in time to see Bronwynn and Fehuth. He quickly hurries towards them.

Ceria's wide green eyes sweep across the cavern, her mind struggling to take in the myriad of information her eyes are sending. After a moment, she chooses to focus on Bronwynn's Impression. Another congratulations is called out before her attention is drawn back to Talibenth and the egg he's paying mind to.

Myklan blinks slowly, as his gaze following the brown has led him direction to...Bronwynn. He gets the oddest smile and actually breaks his silence, "Bronny!"

Pakse grins at her friend, moving to the side a bit to give the new pair room. "Oh he's wonderful, Brynn! Just wonderful! Congrats!"

Ryen looks over to Brynn with wide eyes again. "Brynn! Oh my! Congrats!" He waves to her with happiness.

Alyssa ahs at Bronwynn and her brown finding each other, and she smiles to herself, nodding. "That's suitable...indeed."

Hairline fractures spread their way across the surface of the Gathering Storm Egg, until it seems as though nothing should be holding it together. With one last, loud *CRACK!*, followed by an exuberant young bugle, the shattered pieces of this egg shower around a desert-sands brown dragonet.

A dark crack suddenly splits the Blood Red Egg asunder, jagged as a lightning bolt against its crimson depths. From the interior climbs a green dragonet whose dusky forest hide is banded, much like malachite, in wavering ribbons of a lighter hue. Wings spread wide as she achieves her bearing, scanning the Sands before her with eyes that glow garnet in eagerness. Smoky red shifts to clear, sweet blue in an instant as she rushes to her found match among the semi-circle: a scrawny, black-haired Half-Circle lad, who reaches to caress her head in tender amazement before gently leading his new lifemate away.

Saskia smiles warmly to Bronwynn, "Congrats Brynn! A big bouncing brown Fehuth! Congrats!"

Daffela gasps as she looks along the semi-circle. "Bronwynn!" she manages, incredibly delighted as she watches. "Oh /Brynn/" The blue is noticed then and Daffy's gaze stays on him in wonder until another brown appears.

Syrali's hand grips Thaelon's tightly. "Brynn... look, Thae, Brynn!" She giggles quietly, taking a heavy breath that slips out again on a shudder.

Reed turns and waves towards Bronwynn. "Oh! Congratulations!" he calls as he spots that impression. Talibenth's movements cause him to look over toawrds the one egg, curious expression placating his face.

M'hryn smiles as Bronwynn announces the name of the brown. "Wow. Fehuth was it?"

Stormy Patchwork Blue Hatchling raises his head carefully and sagely, looking away from his shards and over the group of robes that are coming more into focus. Continuing on his path to finding what he believes is true, he starts to aproach a nearby cluster of white.

Thaelon smiles as the brown makes his choice, "Congrat's Bronwynn!" He winces and looks over in time to see another brown emerge, "Oh, there's another one."

Kindre can't help but chuckle a bit at Talibenth's playful nature with the egg. "Congrats, Bronwynn," she calls a moment before another brown pushes forth from his shell. "By Herath's egg," she whisper-whistles, "what a striking creature he is..."

Bronwynn nods quickly "Yes, Yes, your feet. Mine hurt too." She searches someone to lead them from the sands.

D'ton places a gentle hand on Bronwynn's shoulder, and says to her, "I bet he's hungry. We've got food in the barracks. Shall we go?"

Leigh's surprise is plain as Bronwynn Impresses the well-muscled brown practically right under her nose. She backs away to give the pair room to move off together, casting a wary glance at the rest of the eggs even before the congratulations leave her lips.

Syrali nods shakily, edging back just a little more. "Ow. Huge. They're so much bigger'n I thought they'd be...."

Rillanon begins to cry, not because she is sad at not Impressing so far, but because she is so happy for her friends. "Oh Tril!" She whsipers, holding on to her with all that she has.

Keron watches Bronwynn Impress, and calls out congrats. "Oh another one."

Trilana shakes her head in awe. "Congratulations, brynn," she says finally, eyes flickering back towards the new hatchlings. blues, browns... blue, moving towards the candidates. "Look at that," she says, murmuring as she points with her Rilla-hand. "And that," and the brown is eyed. At Rillanon's outburst, she smiles and gives RIlla's hand a tight squeeze. "I know," she whispers.

Gaivn releases his hand from his robe enough to wave at Bronwynn and her rich brown, palm's clamminess soon licked up by the thirsty air. "Yeah. Another. Lots, all over. Did you see that one from the red egg? She looked like she was all gussied up for a gather."

Mournful Midnight Melody Egg twitches in its comfy sandspot, while a tappitytap comes from within the shell itself.

Fehuth takes an edge of Bronwynn's robe in his teeth, giving it a little taste.

Black and white blur to grey as the Checkered Chiaroscuro Chessboard Egg whirls in frantic movement, sending sand spraying over the shell-shards of its former neighbors. At long last, the dizzying motion is stopped; the egg itself is broken, shattered by the efforts of the dragonet inside. It's a lithe, lanky hunter green that emerges from the confines, falling almost immediately at the feet of a blonde, green-eyed Candidate. Her indignant squawk turns into a croon of pure joy as she looks up--how kind of Lorina, to be right there and save her the fuss of searching! "You're just lazy, Khetieth!" the girl chides lovingly as she aids her lifemate to stand.

Reed eyes that blue for a moment. He seems to be endlessly turning his head, back and forth, back and forth. "This is all going so fast," he mumbles Saskia's way.

Furtive Flecked Sandstone Brown Hatchling practically falls free of his broken shell, smacking nose against forelegs. He gives a short creel of pain, but it's suddenly cut off as he realizes there are other things on the sands with him. Gazing around in wonder, he doesn't move from his former home.

Pakse glaces from the blue to the new brown, pulling at the edge of her robe. Rocking back and forth has been replaced by high stepping. Maybe that will work.

Keron notices yet another Impression. His eyes are surely on the brown and blue. "Oh such lovely creatures."

Ceria continues to shift back and forth on both feet. Suddenly she reaches out to grip Daffela's shoulder, as if anchoring herself in the flurry of activity around her. Her eyes remain on the egg near Talibenth.

Rillanon chuckles at the new brown, telling Trilana, "He's awful cute. I like him. BUt why doesn't he move from his egg shell?"

"Oh!" Trilana cries, as the brown trips and falls. "I don't know! I hope he's all right."

Maylia's occupied nudging a reluctant candidate back into the circle, and misses the impression of the brown to Bronwynn. But next to her, the joyful cry of Lorina, is sounded. "Once Khetieth's on her feet, help her this way," Is quietly stated to the girl.

Bronwynn lets out a small laugh, "Come this way," she beckons her beautiful lifemate.

Bronwynn heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Bronwynn has left.

Impetuous Icy Inferno Egg begins to rock back and forth in a particularly agitated manner. It even spins a little in its shaking, knocking against the egg next to it.

Fehuth heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Fehuth has left.

Daffela starts at Ceria's touch but her hand creeps up to cling to her friends as she watches breathlessly.

Saskia smiles faintly to Reed, "Yeah, I was just saying to Leigh that it's a lot faster than I remember." At the brown's creel, she looks his way and adds, "I hope he finds his lifemate soon. He seems a bit lost."

Annie winces softly, watching the brownling fall. "I thought /we/ had to be careful not to hurt ourselves, not them too..."

Stormy Patchwork Blue Hatchling continues to move towards that white robed bunch, needing no encouragement as to where his true path lies. And there it is, his one true goal in life. Or the first in many as he stops at the warm looking knees of his chosen, his beloved.

Keron looks at the brown, not moving from the shell. "Oh, yes I could see why you wouldn't want to move." He continualy looks between the blue and brown.

Mournful Midnight Melody Egg spins neatly on its base as the occupant begins to demand freedom, and a tendril of one crack rapidly grows into a webbed pattern across the rest of the uppermost end.

Talibenth looks like a cat playing with some small, helpless creature. That tentative reaching towards it, then drawing back, then reaching again. Only the object of his attention is the icy inferno egg and he doesn't seem like he's stalking it. Each time it moves, he pulls his head back, but then leans back in, only to pull away suddenly as it spins a little.

Gaivn points out the creeling dragonet, "Thae, Syrali, look. He's not going anywhere. Maybe -he'll- go back in." Overhearing, he nods at Annie, and then just flat-out stares at Talibenth.

Alyssa is trying to keep a watchful gaze on the sands, but Talibenth's antics draw her attention and her bemused approval.

Leigh nods at Saskia's comment, now absorbed in watching the hatchlings already emerged from their shells. "Mmhm," she murmurs absently, "it's faster than I thought it would be." But her voice is low, undirected towards anyone, really.

Ceria glances over at Daffela, almost startled to find herself touching her. She grins nervously and moves her hand down, still holding onto Daffela's hand. "I wonder why Talibenth is so interested in that particular egg?" she wonders.

Keron watches another dragonet, about to hatch, and then looks to the brown that sits there. "Come over here, fine looking brown."

Syrali just shakes her head again at Gaivn, scarcely breathing now as she tries in vain to keep an eye on everything happening, everything at once. She catches Talibenth's motions only belatedly, a corner of her mouth twitching into a fleeting smile, and back her attention turns to those hatchlings tottering within even a dragonlength.

Annie meets Gaivn's eyes, nodding again.

Rillanon says nothing, her eyes misted over. Her feet burn, and she tries to wipe one off, but her hands are warm, too. Sweat pours down her face.

Thaelon chuckles at Gaivn as his eyes come to rest on the reluctant brown, "I doubt he'll wanna go back in. He looks kinda cunfused, though I can't blame the poor thing."

Daffela shakes her head, "I don't know. Maybe its a bronze or maybe he just took a fancy to it." she answers softly, tilting her head as she does so.

Saskia peers over at Talibenth and blinks several times, "That's very strange. I wonder what he's doing."

Reed sifts his toes through the sand pending burns up the wazzoo. But he doesn't even seem to notice any of this, with his feet, as there's too much going on around him for that. The brown gets a good look, then the blue to see where he's gone off to chose.

Furtive Flecked Sandstone Brown Hatchling cranes his neck around to take in all the fuss going on around him. As if that view decides him, he gets to his feet and takes first one step, then another and another until he waddling as fast as his little legs will carry him across the sands, directly for Maylia. Suddenly he stops. No, that's not the right one. Another look is given to the ring of white robes. Maybe one of them...

Pakse has her own thoughts about Talibenth's actions, but now lacks someone to share them with. So she just turns to the poor brown. "He should start looking," she says to no one.

The half-circle of Candidates parts suddenly, with a few of the white-robed figures diving back as a hatchling rips through, the Delicacy's Dangerous Deception Egg lying broken behind her. The dragonet is a tiny green, her leafy green hide bringing to mind the branches of a tree whipping about in the wind as her muscles ripple during her chase. Her quest ends as her right wing, which had been spread out to help her maintain her balance, knocks a girl from Balan Hold off of her feet. The dragonet angrily whips her head around to see what dared touch her and in an instant her eyes calm down to a lazy whirl while she lovingly nudges her muzzle against the girl's chest.

Keron calls out softly to the brown, now moving. "Oh beautiful brown, am I the right one for you?"

Ryen smiles as he watches Keron tempt the brown.

Gaivn nods a second time at Annie, for lack of something better to do, and then just agrees. Doubtfully, "They say they get better. Takes a while, just like caprines and all, but at least they have their mothers to lick 'em dry... did you hear Keron? Talking to them, him."

Keron smiles back to Ryen, "Oh wouldn't it be wonderful, just think."

Maylia returns to the sands, her jacket loosened in deference to the heat. A measuring look is given to the sandstone brown as he skids to a halt, breaking into a grin. "G'wan, now," she chides, and keeps moving.

Myklan shifts his weight again, from foot to foot, then moves to close up a gap made in the semi-circle by Impressions, watching the remaining eggs studiously...

D'ton spends several moments vainly attempting to get the newest pair's attention as the new greenrider and her lifemate nuzzle each other in complete absorption. Finally, he coaxes them off the sands by talking about food.

Rillanon does the candidate dance, moving from one foot to the other. Her hand is still grasping Trilana's and her eyes are fixed on the eggs and the dragonets closest to her.

Keron gazes at the brown, calling soft encouragements to him, ignoring and comments abotu his behavior. He smiles at Ryen who seems to be on his side.

With the faintest of popping sounds, the Icy Inferno Egg crumbles into long jagged shards, tumbling the surprised dragonet to the warm sands with a squawk. Slowly, the damp creature rights itself, and spreads large wings to dry, sand slowly falling off the newborn's hide as a crimson gaze takes stock of the white-robed creatures nearby.

Thaelon leans over close to Syrali, his hopping beginning to slow as his feet either get accustomed to the temperature or simply lose thier feeling, "The brown seems to be going to...Oh, now he's coming this way."

Leigh has stood still for too long as her skin takes on the shine of sweat, wetting the bangs and curling sides of her hair. Now that the sands' heat has penetrated the soles of her feet, however, the Healer-cum-candidate hops with an involuntary expletive, remembering from now on to keep moving, if only a little.

Syrali's fingers close hard and tight on Thae's abruptly, her eyes on the quick motions of the dangerous green. "Th--... oh." And she relaxes, shivering a little, again. "I thought she'd hurt her. I... he is?"

Mournful Midnight Melody Egg is struggling now, openly so, as the tendrils become cracks along the previously pristine surface of the egg. Soon whoever is within will be outside that ovoid confine.

Ceria beams as the Icy Inferno Egg finally deigns to hatch. "Lovely," she says approvingly, grinning over at Daffela.

"Ansuth?" Trilana asks, whispering. "Ansuth? That is you, isn't it?" she says, mouth dropping open in surprise as she looks down at the blue in startled, reeling surprise. "Of course you are mine," she says finally, in a louder, firmer, more confident voice. "Yes, and we will get you some food presently. Immediately, you're right."

Pakse jumps at the arrival of the new green, gaze and ahh giving her the respect she deserves. "Quite the little lady?"

Keron eyes open as he sees a green pop from the egg. "Oh a green." He abviously goes back to the brown with his calling and tempting.

Furtive Flecked Sandstone Brown Hatchling pauses in his tracks as the Weyrlingmaster's voice carries to him. Maybe she *was* right? No, something else is pulling him, and so he continues onward towards the circle of candidates. One female gets a sniff, but then he moves on, looking for, looking for... Suddenly he finds it, in the form of a blue-eyed young man.

River of Gold Egg shifts in its warm hollow, sending rivulets of sand spilling over its sides. A faint tapping is audible from within, but only for a moment.

Rillanon leans over to hug her friend, but stands back, not wanting to disturb the happy moment. She lets out a sigh.

Daffela blinks, haveing been lookign right at the Ice Inferno Egg when it broke and she catches ehr breath atthe sight of the green. "Oh my. She's perfect." For a hatchling newly shelled, of course. Impressions occur and she scarcely seems to notice.

Saskia smiles widely at Trilana and calls out to her "Congrats Tril!"

Ceria looks startled as she takes note of Trilana and the blue. "Congratulations," she calls over to the pair who are oblivious to everything but each other and food.

Talibenth raises his voice in a bright bugle that falters for just a second as the green comes tumbling from the shards of the egg. But then he lowers his head to look closely at the young hatchling, cocking it to the side slightly.

Gaivn adds speculatively, "Herath is awfully big. And I bet her tongue is, too. But not -quite- big enough... Faranth, and look at her. Yeah, he is, or was, and look, there's Trilana, and..." it couldn't be a sound, there across the way, that draws his attention to the skinny, hopping redhead. Not over such a distance.

Claws poke out through a crack in the Dancing Decisive Dice Egg, scrabbling at the thin gap until the self-assured brown hatchling within is released. He seems in no great hurry--leisurely, even, about making the rounds of the Candidates. One black-haired young man originally from High Reaches is considered for a long time before the dragonet turns and runs, kicking sand up towards the poor lad's face. Lucrakan stands frozen at the end of the path the brown has now chosen--frozen, it would seem, by delight. "Skillth, of course we'll always be together," L'uck assures the hatchling in tones of confidence.

Herath croons at the charming green as she hatches, leaning down to get a closer look at her before turning to be sure the gold egg is still staying put...well, almost put. A roll of her weyrmate's eyes precede a called congratulations to Trilana. "Ansuth, did she say? Another interesting name," Kindre notes and smiles.

Maylia appears just behind Trilana, her hand reaching for the girls' shoulder. "And that food's just this way, weyrling." There's something about how she pronounces that title, almost caressing the word. "If you'll help Ansuth this way, you'll find what you need."

R'yn looks down at the little dragonet... "Dagazth?"

Reed glances over Trilana's way and smiles. "Oh, congratulations!" he calls, having deja-vou. He nods over towards the one egg Talibenth had been fawning over as it hatches, grinning. "There we go." The brown's choice causes another, "Way to go!" to emerge from his throat, directed towards R'yn.

Burnished Beguiling Malachite Green Hatchling turns her head upwards to look at the big bronze that sort of bugled when it got a good look at her. She lifts her head proudly and squawks back at him. And promptly tumbles backwards into the sand, neither vocals nor muscles being in perfect control just yet.

Ansuth wuffles the robe of his lifemate, Trilana as he contently follows her whereever their paths lead.

Syrali breathes, "Trilana," shaking her head slowly. "It's so fast," she whispers, catching now R'yn's Impression. "And another one. Oh, Thae..."

Annie glances over at Gaivn, only catching one part. "Why would you care how big Hearth's tongue is? Huh?" Blue eyes shift from one new hatching to the other.

Rillanon calls out to Ryen, er R'yn, "Congrats!"

Ceria turns slightly, looking over the remaining eggs and hatchlings. Her gaze comes to rest on R'yn and she calls out another congratulations.

R'yn swallows hard as he looks at the little one. "Yes, you are mine and I am yours." he says calmly lost.

Keron sighs a little and looks about for a hatchling, seeing only a green, he shuffles his feet. "Congrats R'yn. I knew you would."

Thaelon spare's a moment of watching to cheer for the newly impressed pairs, "Yay Trilana and R'yn!" He wipes the sweat from his brow and nods quickly to Syrali, "Too right."

The Molten Sunbeam Egg shivers slightly as if it was cold and buries itself deeper in the burning sand. Minutes pass with nary a movement from the egg when suddenly, in a flurry of tapping and pounding, the sunshine-streaked ovoid is shattered. Still swinging away, the mossy green hatchling within tumbles to the sand, creeling helplessly as she struggles to her feet. A weyrlingmaster warns the Candidates back and so the small creature is forced to battle alone. Another minute passes and then two more before Cxirinth finds the strength to waddle determinedly over to a white-robed figure, chitterbugling at him like an old auntie. "I'm sorry," M'lar moans as he hugs the small, green head to his chest. "They said I couldn't help."

Saskia turns her wide smile on Ryen "Congrats" She pauses for a moment then adds "R'yn."

Trilana shakes her head in awe as she reaches down to stroke Ansuth's neck gently. "Oh... oh yes of course," she whispers as she turns towards Maylia from her kneeling position. Ansuth is helped back to his feet and the pair -- the blue weyrling pair -- follow Maylia exultantly.

M'hryn purses his lips. "Why do i even try to keep this straight," he says to Kindre. "Who was that? Ryen? And... Dagazth?"

Rillanon now stands all alone, and although she is proud of her friends, she feelsjust a little bit lonely. But still, there are plenty of eggs left.

Leigh glances towards Trilana's joyful outcry, then Ryen...R'yn's, her lips smiling for them, yet her attention -- could one see her eyes clearly from the distance of the galleries -- elsewhere. Seeking, searching, not finding...for the last time. After that final scan the petite girl keeps herself focused on the sands and the contents thereof, candidates and hatchlings and heat.

Gaivn futilely scrubs his palms over his robe, looking away from malachite green and Leigh alike. "It's, uh, herder stuff, Annie. That's it. Tell you later?"

Trilana heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Trilana has left.

Ansuth heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Ansuth has left.

R'yn smiles with wide eyes. "You are hungry... yes... lets get us something to fill that belly shall we?"

Burnished Beguiling Malachite Green Hatchling slowly rights herself again, shaking herself off energetically. She headbutts the nearest egg as if blaming it for her fall, then suddenly charges towards the white robed cluster of candidates, as if unable to stop.

Annie nods at the boy, shruging. "Yeah. That's something I might like to understand..." Her eyes crinkle as she see's Ryen--R'yn and she lifts a hand in cheer.

Kindre bobs her head to M'hryn and laughs lightly. "Faranth's ghost, I can hardly keep up myself," she quips between chuckles. "Ryen...er, R'yn now...should prove to be quite a pair."

Maylia's busy this evening, as nearby Ryen is found by his lifemate. Pausing as she leads Trilana from the sands, she gestures to the lad. "Aye, R'yen. Food and oil are in there," and the Weyrlingmaster points the way.

Reed blinks towards the charging green and hastily tenses his muscles to move should she come barreling his way, and not be able to stop in time.

Along the jagged shapes of obelisks came the first cracks to mar the Mournful Midnight Melody Egg; now, as the hatchling within pounds against them even more than do the illusory waves, they split asunder at long last to spill a small, wet bundle of blue draconic flesh out onto the Sands.

Pakse watches the green nervously, but with intrest. Is she going to slam into someone?"

Syrali gulps, scootching back a little. "Uh oh. She's coming this way."

R'yn nods as he leads his new lifemate towards food.

Rillanon watches the malachite green, as well as any others that are about. She moves over to another candidate that stands all alone, and whispers something to her.

R'yn heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
R'yn has left.

River of Gold Egg twitches more violently this time, in tandem with a sudden flurry of noise.

Furtive Flecked Sandstone Brown Hatchling heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Furtive Flecked Sandstone Brown Hatchling has left.

Leigh's eyes widen at the green barrelling towards the clustered barefoot lot of hopefuls. She takes a quick step backwards.

Keron looks at the green and gives it a sidelong hopeful glance but then, lo and behold, a beautiful blue emerges. "Ooooh. You are so beautiful."

Ceria clutches at Daffela's hand and squeaks a bit as the green charges across the Sands. The her gaze darts to the new blue hatchling, the gold egg, and back to the green.

Thaelon chuckles at the green, though his laughter is short lived as the small dragonet charges towards them, "Oh! She's in a hurry!"

"Whoaboy." Annie backs away from the charging dragonets, giving them all wide birth and a clear path. She nearly collides into Leigh's space.

Copper's Cobalt Chemistry Blue Hatchling steps away from the shards that have been left behind in the devestation of his egg during hatching...what cares he? The largest shard receives a nudge with his nose, but it's not edible, nor is it what he seems to want aside from food, so he begins to walk toward the Candidates, a thin creel of interest coming from his elongated throat.

Daffela hides a squeak. She can't squeak. Not even as she watches the green barrel over the sand with wide open eyes. "Another blue... Oh Faranth!"

Overwhelmingly Obnoxious Omnipotence Egg shudders once, dislodging its precarious balance and tips over, sliding about half a foot down a small hillock of sand.

The candidate next to Rilla nods, whispering something back. The two stand together, holding hands, even though before today neither knew each other very well. They watch in silence.

Saskia erks and takes a step back from the charging green, and almost backs into Leigh. She erks again and hastily apologises to her compatriot. "So sorry."

Pakse turns her attention brifly to the beautiful blue, but the charging green is the more immediate threat.

Reed now has more than one problem, obviously. He watches the blue out of the corner of his eye, the green off of the other side, and a few rocking eggs occasionally make him go cross-eyed.

Keron looks at the blue with longful eyes, hopeful eyes, eyes that try to say, 'come to me'. "Oh little blue, come over here so that I may gaze upon you more." He seems to be in an eccentric poetic mood.

A crack zig-zags along the side of the Purple Horizon Egg, splitting it like a lightning bolt shatters the night sky. Wet, black talons, still soft from the months in the egg, pry at the edges of the crack, until a verdant-colored head pokes through. A lad from Fort Sea Hold steps forward as if summoned, his ruddy face registering surprise as the green awkwardly slithers free of her birthhome and moves towards him, her lime-streaked tail dragging in the sand. Tenderly he wipes the goo still clinging to her headknobs and muzzle as Impression is made.

Syrali nods uneasily. "She sure is," she says, tensing noticeably. "And she's got claws."

Alyssa's eyes fairly gleam as the hatchlings choose their lifemates, nods of approval and appreciation coming here and there...and she is smiling.

Leigh's backstep takes her almost into both Annie and Saskia, and she reaches out each hand to one side to stop the impending collisions. "Sorry," mutters the redhead to those on either side of her, casting a very wary eye towards the green as well as the blue, both so intent on their purpose.

Gaivn hoists up his robe just a little, prepared to run should the beguiler - or that vivid violet-touched blue, or even some other with sharper claws and a still-tarnished hide - run his way with uncharitable intent, "But has she learned how to... how to stop?"

Burnished Beguiling Malachite Green Hatchling skids to a sudden halt in front of the Candidates, showering Ceria, Daffela and Thaelon with sand. She creels loudly as various white robed figures hasten to get out of her way, and raises a sharp looking claw.

Keron whispers to himself and anyone near him, "Is that blue for me? Do you think he wants me?"

Syrali, traitorously, promptly lets go of Thaelon and scoots to one side a couple of steps. "C-careful, Thae," she whispers, though he probably couldn't hear her in the din.

Rillanon yelps at the near collision, "Look out!" She calls, and then is silent. They seem to be looking out for themselves.

Maylia keeps moving across the sands, meandering around the candidates, their ranks growing steadily thinner. Passing Alyssa, the greenrider takes a moment to offer a smile, before she's off again. That raised claw brings her running!

Myklan watches the one green with a wary eye...stepping back out of the way once more.

Gaivn answers himself, "Not -well-," even as he reaches for Thaelon's shoulder to try and tug the other lad to safety.

Reed pales as a claw is raised. "Aiee...move move move," he mutters to the candidates closest to the hatchling, slowly edging himself away from the group.

Pakse takes a step forward now that the green has stopped, but watching that claw intently.

Daffela goes sideways, backing up and keeping a wary eye out for others as well as watching the green. "Careful..." she murmurs, mostly to herself.

Annie glances to her side, blinking at the contact. "Oh, Leigh! Saskia... sorry."

Keron ignores the green, who is not near him, but tries to entice the blue to come ever closer.

Ceria ducks as she's covered with sand. She takes a careful step back, trying to avoid the claw.

D'ton takes one look at the green, and sets off towards the Candidates at a run.

Copper's Cobalt Chemistry Blue Hatchling seems to lack the uncertainty that other hatchlings have demonstrated, because his movements imply that he knows the white-garbed, perspiring pinkcritters have something that he is craving. He snuffles the sand, then gives Kindre and M'hryn brief glances - Herath receives a thin warble - then more steps are taken toward the Candidates and a small knot in particular.

Saskia tries to avoid Leigh and so crashes into Annie and blushes a deep red. "I'm sorry. I'm as clumsy as a hatchling." She smiles sheepishly at the pair and takes another step away.

Thaelon begins backpeddling with the other candidates, eyeing the ever nearing green cautiously, "I..I'm not sure if she does know how to stop or not."

Keron squirms and slowly advances on the blues position, never getting /too/ close, but enough for him. "Oh little blue.."

Herath warbles back to the little blue, something of a smirk is implied by her demeanor. "He's an interesting little one," Kindre comments as the blue hatchling heads towards the circle of Candidates.

Reed turns his attention to the blue. That's a much more friendly figure at the moment. "Ahem...you seem like a nice fellow..." he mutters, wearily looking over his shoulder to see what exactly that green is doing.

M'hryn watches the candidates near the little green, his eyes sidling towards Kindre briefly, moth set in to a worried frown.

Rillanon stands, almost digging her feet into the sand, even though the burns hurt. She watches the blue, and the green, and the candidate next to her. "Ohhhh," she whispers.

Maylia yells, "Blast it!" as she heads for the threatening green, "We warn'em every time!" Ducking quickly to avoid fleeing candidates, hot sand sprays up from her booted feet.

Annie omfs against Saskia, extending a hand and making a triangle of the three girls. She grins, wrinkeling her nose. "Don't /worry/, Sas. We're all in this together."

Alyssa's mouth thins in a line, though she holds her position as Maylia takes matters well in hand.

A fusillade of crystalline green shards settles over the Sands as the Glasscrafter's Crystal Green Egg shatters. The dappled ivy green dragonet emerges with wings fluttering as they stretch to strafe nearby Candidates with shell fragments colored like fire-blown emeralds. Step-hop, repeat, and hie onward, the dragonet stops only fleetlingly by a group of three girls huddled together before passing by them with a cocksure toss of her elongated head. Choosing a thin, fidgety older candidate, Gydath propels D'yre toward the edge of the Sands by nudging him from behind to cause him to scoot several feet ahead of her before he darts back to her side.

Pakse looks to her two empty sides, wondering how that happened. Then she looks back to the green and blue, one hand replacing and escaped black lock.

"And we'll all get gored together," Leigh reminds Annie, breaking the contact. "/Move/...she's not going to stop."

Gaivn confirms breathlessly, "We'll f-find out," as he continues his mission, incautious of the sands' danger to ankles unbraced by boots. At least Saskia isn't rumored to have claws.

Daffela stills then stareing at the green silently, shocked even. "Teiwazth." she manages, shaken to the core. "Teiwazth... Of course... Of course we can find food."

Rillanon lets out a cry and calls to Daff, "Oh congratulations, Daffy!"

Leigh exhales relief. "She stopped," mentions the Master of ObviousCraft.

Ceria smiles shakily at Daffela. "Congratulations," she calls softly, backing a bit further away.

Reed aahs quietly towards Daffela. "Good...watch out for any claws..." he calls with a somewhat bemused expression, then relaxes some and gets back to gazing towards the others.

Kindre watches D'ton and Maylia dash across the sands. She worries her lower lip while shaking her head just a little. "Crackdust," is a whispered curse that slips out of her mouth before Daffela's Impression pulls her attention. "Oh, congrats dearheart! Teiwazth...lovely name."

Saskia reaches out and squeezes Annie's hand gently, "That's true. I do hope you stay.." She doesn't finish her sentence, but instead jerks her head towards the green. "Oh! Daffy! Congrats!" and lets out a soft whoosh of air.

Syrali's held breath shudders out, and she sneaks back toward Thaelon, looking apologetic. "C-congratula-ations, Daff," she manages through teeth clenched in nervousness, and her attention turns back toward the unpartnered dragons. Claws. Yes, claws.

Thaelon let's out a sigh of relief as the green comes to a stop in front of her lifemate and he calls out, "Congrats Daffela!" He straightens his robe and walks back a bit closer to the mound, glancing over at the candidates on each side of him.

Overwhelmingly Obnoxious Omnipotence Egg shifts again, the motion of the egg digging a shallow wallow in the warm sand beneath, like a burrowing creature trying to find the safety of the ground.

The River of Gold egg begins to sway in its place for several long moments. Finally, it actually gets itself free from the hollow in which Herath buried it, and starts to roll slowly across the sands. When it stops, it lays quiet. Onlookers would likely wonder what the little gold inside is thinking. Come out. Stay in. Come out. Whatever the decision, she seems to be taking her time at it. Then, quicker than a woman can change her mind, the egg simply shatters into what appears to be hundreds of tiny shards! Sitting in the center of the shells litter is Telgar's newest queen.

Gaivn, Craftsecond, witnesses with a, "She sure did. Yes, she did. But..." the ivy green's no longer searching, but what about that copper-dusted blue? He catches up with Thaelon for a better view.

Rillanon lets out a deep breath, her smile not completly hiding the disapointence she feels inside. And then - "Ahhh! The gold!" The girl next to her grabs her arm, and they watch together in happyness.

Ceria gasps suddenly as the gold choses this moment to make her entrance. She takes an involuntary step forward before halting herself.

D'ton looks visibly relieved when Daffela Impresses Teiwazth without injury, and says to her, "Congratulations, lass. Why don't we get the two of you off the Sands and over to the food now?"

Annie's eyes follow Saskia's, watching the last moments of Daff impression. Again, her mouth turns up. "She did it!"

The Preternatural Putrid Primrose Egg and Tremendously Turbulent Tangerine Egg both shatter at once, revealing a pair of greens as unalike each other as can be: one is a pale lady who steps with care and caution towards the Candidates; the other is more robust and clover-hued, striking, brash--and knowing *just* whom she wants. "Oh, Shamroth!" L'chaun, once Lyrichadun, exclaims in a broken voice. As though that spurs her on, the first green starts to turn that way... but then pauses, changes course, and makes a mad dash straight for a chunky young man who has been hovering shyly at one end of the semi-circle. "Roasth!" Barrefe shouts, taking steps to meet her halfway. "Yes, I am your B'eef!"

Maylia's breath explodes in a gasp of relief as Daffela escapes unscathed. "You'll have to learn to duck, weyrling." she states, continuing past her at a jog, heading for the next impression.

Daffela lets out the long breath she scarecly knew she was holding, moveing forward instantly to touch, to help her lifemate, "Yes, together. Forever." shes not making sense. "This way love," manages dazedly looking for the way off the sands.

Pakse just stares at the new queen. And queen she is, no matter what her size. The heat has faded to a dull pain, and the blue still gets a glance or two.

Keron gazes upon the gold with wonder, but no hopefullness because he will never Impress a gold. He still gazes upon the blue intently.

Herath CROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS a welcome to Telgar's newest queen! "Oh dearest," Kindre murmurs as she gives Herath's foreleg a brief hug, "You and Talibenth have surely done the Weyr well. She's lovely..." A snort from the ever-conceited Herath implies that she knows as much.

M'hryn smiles as the situation with the young green diffuses into an Impression. He then pauses and looks towards Herath, reaching to touch Kindre's arm. "The gold," he smiles.

Daffela heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Daffela has left.

Reed turns towards the gold for a moment and gapes, as best a male can towards one of those. "Wow." He compliantly forgets about all of the other hatchlings and eggs, and just shifts back and forth, watching that gold.

Burnished Beguiling Malachite Green Hatchling heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Burnished Beguiling Malachite Green Hatchling has left.

Myklan's attention, like most of the others', is drawn to the newborn queen, and he actually cracks half a smile.

Alyssa's eyes widen, and she sighs as the gold appears. "Well done, Herath...oh, what a glorious daughter...!"

Ceria's feet shift in an everpresent rhythm she is no longer aware of. She watches a few new Impressions before her curiuos gaze is drawn back to the beautiful young queen.

Benden Vineyard Gold Hatchling delicately spreads her wings to dry them, oblivious to the white-robed candidates--for the moment. Tailtip twitching in the sand, she turns to regard her dam and sire calmly, as if wondering what to do next.

Saskia smiles to Leigh and Annie, then smoothes down her robe. She tilts her head and glances at the gold curiously.

Copper's Cobalt Chemistry Blue Hatchling sits back on his haunches and, again stretching his throat, creels with the hatchling equivalent of a trumpet, as though emulating the brassy declarations of his sire. He is conveying something. Something certain, something definite. Forefeet plop onto the ground again for balance before he proceeds toward something petite and coppery of hair, using it for a beacon. What he desires, what he craves, is right there, and he heads toward it.

Rillanon shakes a little, and she and the other girl hold each other for fear of collapsing. THey excitement. The joy. Everything.

There the Protective Provoking Parchment Egg was, minding its own business, when one of its wandering clutchsibs happened to bump into it and crack its glorious shell. Really, the nerve! But that does get its occupant started on the track to widening that opening--widening it enough to allow him out into the world, and to reveal the glorious inky blue of his hide. Shaking fragments from his wings, he prowls the Sands quietly, unseen... unseen until he rears up on his haunches, bugling his joy at finding his most unsuspecting choice! "Oh, Lohiroth," B'coy breathes, dropping a hand to find just the right scritching place on the young blue's eyeridge. "Yes, I've been waiting just for you too."

Kindre's head bobs as she looks at M'hryn. "Let's hope she has her sire's temperment," she quips quietly and smiles.

Leigh watches the gold hatch, but at first glimmer of her bright hide, her head whips around towards the cobalt blue, resolutely refusing to even look at the queen. Over and over her mouth forms a single syllable of negation.

D'ton hustles B'coy and Lohiroth off the Sands, keeping a close eye on the rest of the chaotic scene.

Reed clamps his hands together in front of him now and watches the gold, and occasionally the blue.

M'hryn looks at Kindre with mock alarm. "Shells! I hope not. She'll be wedging herself into the lower caverns just to see what's back there all the time. And who knows what it'd do to the image of the Weyr if she has to regularily be pulled out with ropes by the other dragons."

Keron looks upon the blue, for if it should head his way he will be ready. "A wonderful gold. Such a pretty blue too."

Gaivn has to use his height, vulnerable toes digging into the sand to brace his look up, over the vine-traced hatchling and to blue - Leigh - blue. Will there be chemistry indeed?

Syrali scuffs her feet, throat working, and licks her lips again. "Th-they're going away," she notes, perhaps to Thaelon, but not really looking at the boy. "Look at that blue... and..." Her voice breaks on a squeak, catches, and her hand slips from Thaelon's. "Oh-hhh.... Oh, you really... really /do/ know your name," she says shakily, her eyes caught and held. Then with an incredulous smile, she reaches forward and touches her hands to the young blue's muzzle. "Hagalath!"

Now that the collision has been averted, Annie turns her attention as most of the caverns has been turned: to the gold. "Isn't she just... wow." she breaths out, unable to continue with words.

Saskia turns to Syrali and beams happily, "Oh Syr! Congrats! He's perfect!"

Gaivn stutters, "B-but, S-syrali," closer than he'd thought. "Uh, Thaelon?" He swallows. "What do we do now?"

Rillanon lets out a cry, "Oh Syr! He's perfect!"

Reed ahs quietly as Syrali impresses. "Congratulations Syra, and Hagalath? Wonderful." He's practically beaming for the pair, but he looks about ready to melt where he stands he's sweating so profusely.

Thaelon takes several steps away from Syrali as the blue nears. Watching impression made before his eyes, he smiles, "Way to go Syr." he says quietly, trying not to startle the blue dragonet.

Keron congradulates Syr on Impressing the blue, and looks around for another hatchling that might be his.

In an explosion of shards, the Omnipotence Egg bursts apart, freeing the cramped creature who was lurking within. Tumbling forward on wobbling knees, the bronze surges free, his inquisitively angled head peers about with eager curiosity. With a kick and a strut to his canted step, the young male dragon lifts and spreads his wings instinctively to dry them. With a squeak of sound that swells into a soprano bugle, he assesses the waiting circle of candidates as he sets off on the quest for his lifemate.

Kindre, despite the chaos rampant on the sands, laughs aloud at the Weyrleader's words. "Better than her noting how much bigger she is than the Weyrlingmasters' dragons and hautily refusing to obey them," she retorts and giggles. Syrali's Impression quickly draws her eyes and she beams. "Hagalath and Syrali! How wonderful."

Ceria continues to attempt the absorbtion of everything going on in the cavern. She's not quite successful, but she does manage to note Syrali's Impression and call out a hasty congratulations.

Leigh, watching the blue closely, catches every moment of Syrali's Impression. Suddenly the negation, even repulsion, on her face mix with something even more unlikely: fascination. One brow lifts. She even takes a step /towards/ the two.

Keron gaze suddenly turns, with wide eyes, to the magnificant bronze that cometh forth from the egg. "Faranth, you are extrodinary."

Maylia's far too busy dashing hither and yon to notice the golden hatchling as anything more than a newly hatched dragon, marking its place with her eyes. "Stop staring, keep moving!" A cluster of candidates are told, prompting jumps as she speaks. Soon, she's by Syrali, nodding quietly to herself. "Hagalath. Syrali? When you're ready?" With more patience than the new weyrlings will see again for a long time, she waits to lead them off the sands.

Hagalath wraps his neck about his weyrling, his rider, content to be with Syrali eternally. Soon as he gets food, that is.

Thaelon watches Syrali for a few more moments before turning his gaze back to the eggs just in time to see a bronze emerge, "Oooh, another bronze." he says, elbowing Gaivn in the ribs gently.

The Feather Swept Egg begins to pulse, the feather-like silver wisps that dot its surface seeming to sway like a curtain in the breeze. Gasps come from the Candidates nearby when, with a final big push, the blue hatchling within bursts open the egg. Goo and shards streak his marbled, peacock blue body as the hatchling crawls free of his prison, raising whirling eyes towards the face of a chubby young man from Crom.

Syrali barely nods to Maylia, too caught up in the fascination of those eyes... those /eyes/. "Oh. Oh." She wraps her arms around his neck in turn, her own eyes squinting shut and teared. "Loveling. Y-yes. I know. Come on -- over here." Stumbling and giggling despite herself, she makes her way after the Weyrlingmaster, arm still hooked around Hagalath's neck.

Syrali heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Syrali has left.

Hagalath heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Hagalath has left.

Reed glances back towards the way he came in and runs his hands through his hair a few times. Saskia gets another nervous look. "Is it almost over?"

Gaivn, unsuspecting, grunts with surprise and leans back flat-footed. "Yeah. And - did ya see that, that Crom fellow, he impressed after all? What a color, that blue. Runners are never that color... well, never any sort of blue, really."

Benden Vineyard Gold Hatchling studies Herath, her dam, for another moment longer before she extracts herself from the remains of her shattered shell. No more questions about what to do--Telgar's newest queen sets about her task of finding her lifemate with a quiet trill. Low to the sands, she slinks off toward the dwindling semi-circle of candidates...and pauses, canting her head to look up at Leigh. She lingers there for a moment, considering, before she moves on.

Keron stares blankly at the bronze who seems to hold some of the beauty of the gold with in him. "You are wonderful."

Saskia grins at Leigh, but for once doesn't say anything, then turns to Reed, "I'm not sure. There do seem to be fewer eggs now."

Pakse turns to look at the bronze, with intrest but no hope. Rock, rock on her feet, trying to stop that aweful burning. Glace at all the shards, then the gold briefly, then back to the bronze.

Alyssa inhales and exhales, patient but plainly enjoying things now they've settled...then she openly admires the handsome bronze.

Volcanic Emerald Bronze Hatchling turns his head to look at the wings held outstretched and once again the soprano bugle raises through the hatching cavern. As the sound dies away, the little bronze steps forward one step, pause. Two steps. Pause. Three, four, five steps. Then suddenly, as fast as his ungainly steps can take him he moves straight towards the line of remaining white-robed Candidates.

Leigh takes a step back, closing her eyes tight and turning her head away. Those nearest her might hear a forceful whisper, "*No*."

Rillanon takes a deep breath. Poor Leigh. To be passed over like that. The girl next to her whimpers.

Nimiriel smiles a bit distantly at the newest queen, eyes going unfocused for a minute. "Too many memories," she murmurs, casting a sideways glance over at Alyssa.

Ceria looks a bit lost suddenly as she realizes she no longer has Daffela's hand to cling to. She shrugs then and jumps a bit as she comprehends the heat and pain in her feet. Then she turns toward the sound of the bronze's bugle.

Saskia looks at Leigh again then sighs and says softly "Awww."

Thaelon chuckles at Gaivn and nods, "Yeah. It was a beautiful one." he replies, gaze darting between the bronze and gold hatchlings that are getting their bearings.

Keron looks for any movement that might suggest the bronze moving closer. "Beatiful bronze."

"Uh oh," Kindre remarks as the bronze takes off, "I think that one may be trouble, M'hryn." The gold grabs her attention once again, as it seems to have held Herath's.

Reed nods towards Saskia agian. "Good, then I can go soak my feet in the lake...sands are hot hot hot..."

M'hryn laughs at Kindre. "Aren't they all?" he smiles.

The Precious Pastel Pink Egg rocks, building up speed until it keels end over end and splits open, landing the brown dragonet in a pile of sand and egg shards. A delicate cinnamon head whips one way and then the other, eyes whirling rapidly and shading to carmine and ocher as the dragon sees Candidate after Candidate staring at him. Fastidious shaking of wings, tail, and body, more reminiscent of a feline than of a dragon, rids the brown dragonet of most of the shards sticking to his moist hide. His refined movements carry him languidly over the Sands until he reaches a finespun young woman, standing with a bearing fit for any Lady Holder. Laila's dulcet soprano carries as she agrees, "Yes, the sand must come off as soon as you've eaten, Nidawith."

Saskia frowns and looks down at her toes which she wiggles slightly, "Yeah" and reflexively lifts first one foot then the other.

Annie's head tilts softly, catching Leigh's words. Her lips thin into a straight line of understanding for the other girl. The gold, now slow close to her... she steps back to allow the lady room on the sands.

Rillanon smiles a smile of congratulations to Laila and Nidawith, turning back to the gold.

Keron shifts on his feet, half from anxioutiy, half from the heat. "No pain is too great to wait for someone like you." He seems to be a little more hopeful for the magnificant bronze.

Pakse watches the other girls, then the bronze, not even letting herself hope for that beautiful gold.

Gaivn, himself passed over by the lot of them but managing to survive, so far, grunts again in lieu of whimpering. "He'll be even more beautiful, well, -handsome-, when he's grown. Lucky fellow." In a lower voice, he adds to Thaelon, "My stomach's all twisty. Shouldn't have eaten so much at dinner. Shouldn't have eaten anything. HOw about you?"

Alyssa shifts her position, eyes on the remaining dragons, keeping her gaze on the remaining Candidates. Her arms fold and unfold almost rhythmically.

Reed wets his lips again and reaches down to fiddle with the hem of his robe, running a warm finger over the zigzaggy pattern. Overhearing Gavin, he chuckles quietly. "I ate...my stomach is fine."

Thaelon looks over at the pink egg as it splits open and impression is almost immediate, "Wow. That one was fast." He leans over to Gaivn and takes a deep breath, "I was too nervous to eat."

Benden Vineyard Gold Hatchling croons deep in her throat as she continues on down the line of the candidates. Gaivn gets a brief sniff, but...no. Something's not quite right there. Eyes whirling the bright red of hunger, she moves along, searching. A deep purple shoots through the depths of her whirling eyes--she's close, she's so very close! Finally, her wings flutter and she stops, looking affectionately up at a young woman with bright blue eyes.

Volcanic Emerald Bronze Hatchling sets wildly whirling red eyes on one individual person in the line of Candidates, rushing as headlong as he can go towards the young man with the ill-fitted robes. Small puffs of sand are kicked up behind him, but right before running the young man over, he trips his own legs up, tumbling forward, then skidding muzzle-first through the sand, stopping just to the right of Myklan's feet.

Kindre's eyes flick here and there across the sands. Each dragon assessed, each Candidate's face commited to mind. "This goes by so quickly," is a whispered lament by the Weyrwoman. Herath's quiet croon seems to pacify her slightly.

Gaivn, beginning to reply to Reed, instead clutches at his hips in sudden panic as that golden muzzle comes far too close. "I'm not - not - " she's moved on, and he loses a breath to relief.

Nothing happens. Leigh's hands, clenched into fists (when?), remain balled tight, arms pressed to her sides, as she dares to crack her eyes open just a peek. No gold. At least, not near her. She exhales the breath she'd held to herself, all her own, and forces her body to relax muscle by muscle, though her robe is now stained with sweat throughout its full length.

Myklan blinks owlishly...and actually backs up several steps, hands out before him as if he could ward off the rush of the bronze, getting a sudden panicky look.

Ceria's look is one of joy as both gold and bronze find their chosen lifemates.

The skewed 'face' of the Scream Egg skews further with the distention of the shell; the dragonet within seeks release, and shall *not* be denied. A screech of frustration from within gives voice to the mute, illusory figure for a moment, and then the eerie scene is gone, left splintered beneath egg-damp claws. A wailing creel resonates from the throat of the murky midnight green who stands forlorn--bereft of food, bereft of lifemate! One harkens to her call: slender Gwyraine starts forward a single step before pausing, uncertain. But that is enough. The darkling dragonet sees, and streaks forward with a shriek of joy, met halfway by the girl who announces her name to the world in tones of poignant delight: "Riharseth!"

Thaelon watches the gold walk by, taking a few cautious steps backwards till she stops in front of her lifemate and makes impression.

Gaivn finally finishes, in a small voice, "Not a girl. And I'm, I'm glad." He steals a look sideways at Thaelon, to make sure he's not laughing.

Saskia abruptly looks up and gasps softly "Rinath?" She blinks and the glows hilight the sheen of tears on her cheeks. She reaches out to gently touch the gold dragonet's neck as she stares rapt into her eyes.

Rillanon waits, watching. She watches Saskia Impress and lets out a sigh. "COngrats."

Reed smiles over towards Saskia. "Congratulations!" he calls, then eyes that bronze again to see if he's finally made his choice. This resident is ready to get off the sands.

Pakse watches the bronze and gold Impress, nodding to herself at their choice. "congrats!" she calms down a bit, peering out for anymore eggs.

"Now there is a lovely name, hmm," she says looking over towards Alyssa and Nimiriel. "Riharseth and Gwyraine...congrats," is then called to the weyrling-pair before she turns to watch the other progresses. Herath's warble of...delight? Distracts her. "Oh...Saskia! And Rinath...congrats," she calls happily.

Maylia ducks endlessly off of, then back onto, the sands, her riding jacket now hanging open. "Gwyraine?" She inquires, at the girls' elbow. Soon, the girl and her green are led from the sands, to find Riharseth's first meal.

Alyssa smiles and inclines her chin to the new weyrwoman. "Rinath. A perfect choice, good pairing, excellent."

Volcanic Emerald Bronze Hatchling lays, muzzle buried in kicked-up sand, for but a moment before rising up shakily to his feet. He shakes himself off -- not that it does any good, since the sand has stuck to his wet hide and there's no amount of shaking to get that off. Reddish eyes gaze up at Myklan, then move on, the bronze walking down the line of applicants like a drill sergeant looking to dress a recruit down.

Keron gazes at the bronze hopefully. He has stopped shuffling and squirming, eyes absorbing all of the bronze that they can.

Myklan seems to deflate a little as the bronze passes him over, and rubs a hand over his face in an oddly adult gesture of either relief or disappointment.

Listless rolls from hollow in the sand to another herald another dragonet's hatching. Though he's in no hurry, a plump bronze dragonet eventually emerges from the Sea Green Egg. An indolent survey of the Candidates still on the Sands is accomplished with as little movement of his head as little as possible, and, once completed, the bronze dragonet sets off ploddingly for a stocky boy from the Beastcraft. Half-way there, the bronze huffs a bugle, and the former apprentice slogs the rest of the way through the Sands to clasp his new lifemate's tubby neck.

All ready to intercept the new pair of lifemates, D'ton stands next to Saskia and Rinath. "Congratulations," he says to Saskia, "She's beautiful. Hungry too, I'll warrant."

Saskia beams beatifically at Alyssa, Maylia "She's hungry!" she pronounces as if every newborn hatchling everyWeyr wasn't hungry.

Leigh places a hand on her stomach as the nearness of Saskia's Impression to the queen jerks her awareness to the ecstasy or agony that seemed so close to being hers. "Oh, thank Faranth," she sighs, giving Saskia a smile that the girl will probably never even notice. "Congratulations," she murmurs, then turns towards Annie. "I feel sick."

Keron watches the bronzes every move, watching him come down the line, watching him come closer.

Ceria blinks as the bronze moves away from Myklan and she follows his progression curiously.

Alyssa returns Saskia's smile and murmurs, "Maylia and her people will take care of your lifemate and you, Saskia. Well done indeed."

Thaelon turns quickly to his right as the bronze's scuffling reaches his ear. He cringes a bit as the dragonet buries a wingtip in the sand and he calls out, "Oooh careful."

Reed is just itching to move himself off of the hot terrain, wearily eyeing that bronze again.

Gaivn scolds in Thaelon's ear, coppery face flushed, "Careful, him? Careful -us-!"

Annie beams at Saskia, her expression true and honest for her friend--now weyrwoman. She delivers congratulatory messages to Sas, only just hearing Leigh and taking the cue more from visaual. "Are you alright?" Craftsecond of the ObviousCraft reaches out a hand to the red head, lending aid where needed.

Maylia calls, "Of course she is," On her way past Saskia, D'ton already by the young woman's side. She's soon assisting the beastcraft lad and his bronze, reminding the stocky boy to watch his feet.

Rillanon stands back, realising how few eggs remain (if any?). She watches the bronze, moving away from the rest of the rest of the eggs, etc.

Volcanic Emerald Bronze Hatchling stumbles past one of the young men in their white robes, pauses, then turns back, dipping a wingsail into the sand and dragging it as he awkwardly turns around, leaving a trail in the floor of the Hatching ground to look more closely at a long-haired man.

Keron gazes upon the bronze studing the Candidates, watching him evaluate each. He whispers to himself, "Oh please pick me, oh please. You are so wonderful."

A dark crack suddenly splits the Blood Red Egg asunder, jagged as a lightning bolt against its crimson depths. From the interior climbs a green dragonet whose dusky forest hide is banded, much like malachite, in wavering ribbons of a lighter hue. Wings spread wide as she achieves her bearing, scanning the Sands before her with eyes that glow garnet in eagerness. Smoky red shifts to clear, sweet blue in an instant as she rushes to her found match among the semi-circle: a scrawny, black-haired Half-Circle lad, who reaches to caress her head in tender amazement before gently leading his new lifemate away.

D'ton says again after a moment, "Saskia? We've got food for Rinath in the barracks. Why don't you help her along?"

Leigh nods once for Annie's benefit, standing up straight again and releasing another breath. "I'm fine. Saskia's going to be a fabulous weyrwoman to Rinath."

Saskia unfortunately doesn't seem to notice Leigh's expression even though she's right next to her. She just smile and smiles at Leigh, at Alyssa "Thank you." She seems about to say more when her stomach rumbles quite loudly.

Thaelon bends to his knees, carefully reaching out and pulling the wingtip out of the sand. As he gazes into the bronze's eyes, he smiles broadly and looks up, "His name is Algizth."

Rillanon moves quietly over to Leigh and Ceria, "Ohh." She sighs, "I wish we all could have IMpressed." She continues to watch the hatchlings meet their pairs, and then see Thaelon Impress his bronze.

Gaivn groans, seeing his fellow apprentice snared. "Leara's not going to like that. No, she won't. She won't like that at all. Only good thing is baby dragons make a bigger mess to clean up than ferrets, which is what ... what any of us will have to do when ... when any of us get back. Uh." He catches a breath, then loses it. "Thae? -Thae-." And he steps away.

Rinath croons encouragingly, looking up at Saskia, eyes whirling the deep amethyst of devotion.

Reed grins over towards Thaelon as the bronze makes his picks. "Cognrats to you!" he calls, then looks back towards the shards, then to the Weyrleaders.

Ceria smiles widely as she congratulates Thaelon. Then she turns her attention to Rillanon. "You'll have other chances," she says softly, the smiles still adorning her face, though not as wide.

Annie nods Leigh, weary eyes on the girl. "Yes, she will..." Concern is still fliting at the edges of her voice for the younger candidate.

Myklan looks over the sands, and then tugs his longish hair back over his shoulder, the golden strands plastered to his face now, with the heat of the sands.

Saskia looks over at D'ton and blinks, "Food. Yes." her tone is urgent. She looks down at Rinath "This way, love."

Rillanon looks up and sighs, "Yes, won't you, though?" She questions with her eyes as well as her mouth.

Keron congradulates Thaelon for Impressing a wonderful bronze. "Way to go."

Kindre's mouth forms a quick "oh" as the bronze stumbles upon his lifemate in Thaelon. "Congratulations, dearheart," she calls to him despite his obvious distraction.

Orange fluff and flaming auburn meld into a kaleidoscope of color when the Winsome Whirling Weirdos Egg ruptures. The powder blue dragonet prances out of his shards with an extravagant flourish of his gauzy colored tail. With a sashay right and a strut to the left, the blue dragonet ends up in front of a young lady whose horrified expression transforms into one of rapture before the two saunter off the Sands together.

Saskia heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Saskia has left.

Rinath heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Rinath has left.

Th'lon reaches over and free's the other wingtip, "Yes, we'll get you some food. But if you drag your wings around like that you'll hurt yourself."

Ceria shrugs uncertainly. "I might be getting too old," she murmurs in response. "Most Weyrs won't Search past a certain age."

Rillanon nods, slowly, "I'm sorry." Her voice is light, she whispers the message, but she really means it. She looks to Leigh, "Shall we go and see if they need any healers? ONce this is done?"

Algizth lifts his wingtip up, trailing loose sand that doesn't stick to the moisture that coats him, his eyes looking at Th'lon with a red-tinged green.

Ceria smiles briefly at Rilla. "Thank you," she whispers back.

Rillanon nods, standing still on the sands.

D'ton gets back to the Sands with a remarakbly fast turnaround time and heads over to where Th'lon and his new lifemate are standing. "Congratulations, Th'lon. If Algizth's hungry, we've got food for him in the barracks. You can help him with his wings if he stumbles," he says somewhat breathlessly.

"Congratulations, Th'lon!" Alyssa calls to the new bronzerider, then glances about to see if any eggs remain. Shards are everywhere, along with the distinct footprints of Candidates, Weyrlings, Dragonets.

Th'lon chuckles lightly and smiles as the pair follow D'ton off the sands, "No, I wouldn't ever let you hurt yourself."

Annie looks about on the sands, hearing her name. Lifting her eyes from the sands, her brows furrow, tring to place the source.

Gaivn rubs one foot against his ankle, scraping off the sand-grains, and stares after Thae. Thaelon. Th'lon. "Bye, Thae," he calls with a low, dry voice.

Reed peers about and calls to the nearest of the people left on the sands, "Any left? I'm up for a good bath."

Th'lon heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Th'lon has left.

Rillanon gulps back tears, finaly sitting down on the sand.

Keron looks about the hatching cavern, trying to find at least one more egg. He walks over to the pile of sand. "What's this?"

Algizth heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Algizth has left.

Leigh casts a worried eye towards Rillanon, but for the first time looks hopeful. So few left; there's a chance, isn't there, that she'll escape the clutches of this experience, or was that the experience of this Clutch? She nods, not yet able to voice her wish to her fellow former Apprentice.

M'hryn looks around at the mess that is left upon the hatching sands, searching for any more eggs or hatchlings.

Ceria kneels down next to Rillanon, wincing as she touches the hot sand. She hugs her gently and whispers, "Don't cry..." She looks rather helpless as she keeps her arms around the young woman.

Kindre looks about the sands just as Alyssa does. Nodding as a small sigh escapes her lips, she raises her voice to be heard as far as the galleries, she hopes. "Everyone is invited to our caverns for spirits and a meal. Telgar thanks you for you kind attention to this happy event." She then turns to M'hryn and sighs again.

Keron deciding it was nothing, he continues to search for another egg. "Is that really /all/ of them?"

Pakse blinks. Simply blinks.

Alyssa sighs, some of her delight fading as she approaches the remaining Candidates; how can she not be saddened in the eyes of their disappointment?

Rillanon takes a deep breath and finaly gulps back the tears for good. Finaly, she manages, "Oh well. I think....I'll manage."

Maylia waits for the all clear, then pivots, following the last of the weyrlings off the sands. Her work, and that of her assistants, has only just begun.

Maylia heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Maylia has left.

Pakse gives one last long look at the pile of sand.

Reed glances at the Weyrleaders, still hopping about. "Are we allowed to go now?" he asks imperviously.

Myklan waits quietly, as if he can't decide which way to go without someone to tell him....maybe the heat's gotten to his brain.

Gaivn, once Th'lon has disappeared, turns around - luckily, distraction hadn't sacrificed him to a charging dragonet. Just a Weyrwoman. As if she had been speaking to only him, he replies, "Yes. Uh, but I don't think they'd be good for me. My stomach hurts. Even the bovines never did that."

Ceria stands up and offers Rillanon a hand to help her stand. "How can you sit down there?" she wonders with a teasing grin. "It's so hot!"

Keron sighs a mournful sigh. "Well... maybe next time." He sits down on the sands and gazes at the shards.

M'hryn shakes his head, echoing Kindre's sigh. "I heard in the days before the last Pass, they used to only Search the number of eggs they had."

D'ton casts one last look back at the Sands, then hurries towards the barracks for the last time.

D'ton heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
D'ton has left.

Wroxath flies down from above.
Wroxath has arrived.

Rillanon stands up, her clothes all sandy. FInaly she smiles, "Don't worry. I'll be alright."

Here she stands, on the sands, the shards of dragon eggs near her bare feet. With a solemn expression, Annie lets the moment sink into her. She's left standing... But who's that yelling at her? What's he saying?!

Leigh releases a breath, blinking as if waking from a dream. "It's over?" asks, not smiling even though relief flows off her like fog from the Cold Storage rooms, spilling over these hot sands an almost palpable succor.

Alyssa takes a few steps toward Rillanon and Ceria, then glances at Leigh and Keron...Gaivn. "It's over..." she murmurs to Adonith's Candidate.

Kindre bobs her head at the Weyrleader and moves to speak to those Candidates remaining on the sands. "You are welcome to stay on here at Telgar. If you prefer to return to your Hold, Hall or Weyr, we will convey you when you are ready," she says and smiles a bit. "Thank you for your time here, and we do hope you'll stay."

Reed can't exactly spare his feet anymore torture, since there's nothing left to do on the sands. "I'm gonna go get my things," he calls and hops quickly off to a cooler location.

Keron stands and dusts himself off. He asks hopefully. "How soon until the next one?"

Reed walks over towards the galleries.
Reed has left.

Rillanon takes another deep breath, "Well....I guess we should go now." She smiles to Kindre, nodding softly. She moves away.

D'thon slides off Wroxath's back to the ground, landing lightly.
D'thon has arrived.

Ceria smiles at Rilla and then moves over to give a last bow to the Weyrwoman and Weyrleader.

Ceria turns around as she notices D'thon and Wroxath.

Gaivn just looks at Kindre. Stay? Go? "I, uh, definitely don't want to stay right here," he decides. "It's hot. Bet it's cold outside, though."

M'hryn nods at Gaivn. "Wintertime," he agrees.

D'thon dismounts quietly, standing at the far end of the Sands. He surveys the candidates, not unkindly. "Well - " he murmurs softly to himself.

Rillanon moves towards the galleries.

Gaivn nods right back. "Wintertime. Cold. Snow. Winter."

Keron walks over and sits on cooler sands near the galleries.

Ceria moves toward her weyrmate, a rather disappointed smile still on her face.

Pakse gives the area a sweeping glace, and comes up with nothing but shards and sand.

Alyssa gives Pakse a worried glance, then turns toward Leigh. "You all right, dearheart?"

Kindre grins at Gaivn. "Why don't you head into caverns...have some wine, some food, and spend the evening," she suggests. "Decisions can be made tomorrow if you'd like."

D'thon simply looks at Ceria, then steps over to hug her quietly.

Ceria wraps her arms around D'thon and holds him tightly. "I've missed you," she murmurs.

Myklan seems to snap out of it...and nods to the weyrwoman, even if he wasn't being spoken to exactly.

Myklan walks over towards the galleries.
Myklan has left.

Pakse walks over towards the galleries.
Pakse has left.

Leigh's hands, still clenched into fists, are her only outward signs now of tension as the heightened adrenalin of the nervewracking hatching bleeds out of her, flushing and then paling her skin. She nods for Alyssa, answering with distant tones, "Yes. I think I'd like to go get my things. Wingsecond." Without awaiting reponse, she turns towards the galleries, taking the long way out.

Annie's attention is devided between the weyrwoman and the ... well, yelling Assistant Steward of Boll. "Anselm?!" she yells back, tears finding their way down her cheeks. The weyrling masters are ushering the remaining candidates into the caverns.

Rillanon wipes her face, wipes the sand off herself as much as posible and finaly asks, timidly, "Shall I be going home in the morning? Or now?" She follows Leigh, in the end.

Gaivn's head nods as if all by itself. "Tomorrow sounds -good-." Giving a last glance at sands and shards, not to mention Annie, Leigh and the others, he follows the other candidates out into the cold.

Rillanon walks over towards the galleries.
Rillanon has left.

Gaivn walks over towards the galleries.
Gaivn has left.

Keron has left.

Leigh walks over towards the galleries.
Leigh has left.

D'thon nods. "Don't worry," is all he can say rather lamely.

Annie nods once to the man, disapearing under the covering of the caverns lip.

Annie heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Annie has left.

Ceria takes a step back, her smile growing brighter. "I'm not," she assures him.

Alyssa sighs, brushing her bangs with her fingers, then follows the Candidates toward the galleries. Before she goes, however, she murmurs to Herath, "Excellent well done..." and winks at Talibenth. Their riders receive consolation prizes of salutes.

Herath whuffs Adonith's rider's hair and makes a quiet croon at her. "Suck up," Kindre quips at her dragon before smiling wide at Alyssa. 'Thank you' is mouthed to her before she looks back up at Herath.

M'hryn smiles wanly at Alyssa. "I wish we could Impress all of them." He looks towards Talibenth who settles down on the warm sands and egg shells, closing his eyes tiredly. "I agree. I hope you don't mind, Kindre, if I beg out of the festivities tonight, but I have to get some sleep."

Alyssa's traditionally melancholy smile breaks forth in a genuine of delight as she is whuffled, then she embraces Kindre and smiles warmly to M'hryn. "Pern's never seen a finer clutch. I'll go settle the rest of the Candidates now. Excuse me..."

D'thon blinks, his expression easily read (/Women. Who knows what they're thinking?/). "As long as you say so - "

Kindre shakes her head at M'hryn and smiles wide. "Not at all. I'm rather tired myself," she remarks. "I think I'll peek in on the Weyrlings, however, before moving to the caverns."

M'hryn nods. "I shall too."

M'hryn looks back at the Candidates remaining on the Sands and smiles at them. "Thank you. I'm sorry."

M'hryn heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
M'hryn has left.

Kindre heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Kindre has left.

Alyssa walks over towards the galleries.
Alyssa has left.

Nimiriel walks over towards the galleries.
Nimiriel has left.

Ceria chuckles at the expression on D'thon's face. "I do," she assures him. Her eyes are still slightly clouded, but she seems to be doing fine.

D'thon looks around. "Do you feel up to going to the feasting?"

Ceria hesitates for a moment and then nods. "Just let me clean my things out of the barracks," she says.

D'thon nods. "I'll help you," he offers.

Ceria nods and heads toward the candidate barracks that have been her home in the recent past.

Ceria heads off towards the bowl on the way to the weyrling barracks.
Ceria has left.

Public announcement: M'rgan announces "For those of you who took my advice about setting yourself and things Halt, now is the time to do '@set me=!halt' and '@set <object>=!halt' to clear it. Thank you for a mostly lag-free Hatching. :)"

Herath huffs a bit before settling down for a short nap.