View source for Logs:Jenryth and Dzurath's Clutch Hatches (4)

{{ Log
| who = Matheny, S'din, S'rist, Birgitte, Karimina, Niadara, Shalyn, M'rek, Reiah, Birgitte, Th'res, Z'vir, Caritha
| where = 
| what = 
| when = 
| gamedate = 2004.06.06
| quote = 
| weather = 
| categories = Hatching, Clutch 21 
| mentions =
| icons = 
| log = Matheny rushes out onto the sands, hair in wild disarray. She tromps through the sands and goes to stand near the humming Jenryth. “At last! And a day earlier than I was thinking. This is great.” She waves to S’rist as he emerges. 

S’rist makes his way across the sands over towards Dzurath and Jenryth, still fastening up the front of his formal riding jacket. He glances back to make sure that it was Matheny he saw moving to the ledge right behind him and towards the sands. 

S’din has arrived. 

S’din strides confidently out onto the sands. With a flash of a smile to Matheny and S’rist, he nods a bow to Jenryth and Dzurath, then takes up station closer to the entrance to the sands. 

Merek has arrived. 
Birgitte has arrived. 
Caritha has arrived. 
Karimina has arrived. 
Nikki has arrived. 

S’din stands easily at attention near the entrance to the sands, watching the Candidate pairs entering the sands. His eyes twinkle with…something.

Marist has arrived. 
Shalyn has arrived. 
Reiah has arrived. 
Niadara has arrived. 
Therst has arrived. 
Beaf has arrived. 

Loose Leaf Egg quivers from top to bottom, sending a shallow cascade of sand from its surface. 

Zallyndra has arrived. 
Yarilene has arrived. 
Zavir has arrived. 
Kelsa has arrived. 

Matheny waits beside Jenryth as the candidates start to pour onto the sands. She starts to chew on one of her thumbnails, nervous as the eggs start to rock back and forth. 

The humming increases in tone, loud and deep enough to make everything seem to vibrate along with it, sand, stone and body. The candidates have all assembled about the mound of eggs, and as the first begins to move, they all bow in unison to dam and sire before taking up a wary watchfulness of the eggs. 

Birgitte is all but dragged in, barely tethered to the hot Sands on bare feet and scrunching toes. Only her hand in Merek’s keeps her grounded and on her feet as attention skips from shivering eggs to dragons to Riders to eggs again, anywhere but where she is walking. On the third stumble she mutters an apology and focuses on taking up her proper place around the eggs. “Okay… relax.” Breathe in, breathe out, and bow. There. “You okay, Merek?” 

Shalyn holds Nia’s hand nervously steeling a glance at her and across the galleries for any familiar faces. 

Niadara releases Shalyn’s hand for a moment to scrub the back of her hand over her sweating forehead, leaving a slightly grimy mark. “Shards, it’s hot here,” she whispers almost to herself as she takes the younger girl’s hand again. “Don’t remember it being this hot when we came out to do the egg touching.” 

Nikki watches the quivering of some of the eggs before she looks sideways at Marist. “How you doing?” she asks, a slight tremble in her voice. 

Kelsa walks out onto the Sands, giving the prerequired bow, choosing a spot near the black egg upon the Sands, a muscle in the left side of her neck nervously as she doesn’t notice the crowd above, staying close to Therst, Zavir, and Reiah, but doesn’t touch them, peering interestedly at the eggs, particularly the black one. 

Reiah follows another pair of candidates out, hands clutched with Therst’s. She blinks at the dragons, both on the sands and up on the ledges, in surprise at the volume of humming. 

S’rist moves over to Matheny’s side and reaches for her hand, leaning over to whisper something in her ear then turning his attention back out to the candidates around the eggs. 

Zavir files in with the others, smoothing down his robe, twitching at it here and there, muttering something about “looking like a girl in a dress.” After the group pauses to bow to the appropriate parties, he takes his place in the semi-circle, near Therst and Reiah. 

Shalyn looks up, way up at the older girl, “We were wearing boots and the sands get hottest on hatching day.” she smiles and scans the eggs wondering which one will hatch first. 

Karimina stands on the sand, shifting from side to side, her eyes looking out over the egg, and then one last look at her new found friends, before the eggs take all her attention. In a whisper, she says, “Good Luck, everybody, and don’t forget to move.” 

Loose Leaf Egg turns its wild ivy pattern still wilder as the shell shifts and begins rocking, the force growing from within. 
Therst looks about as nervous as well, a candidate. He nods to Zavir as the other candidate stands next to him. Reiahs hand gets a little squeeze, just making sure she is there. 

Zallyndra glances around, her smile as nervous as she feels. She takes a step to the side, nearer Beaf as one of the candidates from Keroon slip into the semi-circle next to her. 

Caritha glances across the sands to the gold egg to check on its progress before pulling her gaze away to catch the movement of another. “The gold never hatches first.” She reminds herself as she lifts first one foot then the second, trying to keep them somewhat cool. 

Yarilene mutters to Zavir, “Honestly. Worrying about that now.” It’s only to get her mind off the imminent Hatching, though as the eggs start to move in earnest she hushes. She settles with her back to the galleries, not even turning to look behind for familiar faces. 

Beaf loafs out onto the sands, Zallyndra’s hand somewhere in his, as he goes. He sends a glance toward the Tea Leavings Egg before joining the group in the semicircle. Looking down at the young woman beside him and offers her a somewhat nervous grin. 

Merek legs go of Birgitte’s hand as he starts to sweat and nods to his partner. “Aye, I’m good. A little nervous.” He glances at Brie as he asks, “You doing all right?” He rubs his hands on his robe now, probably both hot because of the sands and worried about the hatching dragons. 

Zavir scans the Sands and then the Galleries with a quick, nervous sweep. “Totally different perspective standing here instead of seated up there.” He mutters to Yarilene, adding with a quick grin, “You look great.” Never one to miss an opportunity, is he? 

Reiah leans over and wispers something to Therst, pointing to the Loose Leaf Egg. 

Loose Leaf Egg stops the steady rocking and first teeters slightly to the left, and again slightly more. It’s just a breath from tipping entirely when it straightens, composed, and starts a tapping-shaking sequence that’s not to be ignored. 

Marist nods to Nikki, “I’m okay, I think.” She gives a little thumbs up motion, but she shuffles her feet restlessly and tries not to look over at her parents. “You okay, Nikki?” 

Karimina eyes focus on the Snowflake egg. With twinkle in her eyes, she waits for the little dragon to hatch out of it. Looking over to Therst and Reiah, “I bit it will be a brown.” 

Birgitte, as one of the first Candidates on Sands, finds herself ’round near the galleries and spares a glance upwards. With her hands now free she waves quick-like towards anyone in Fort’s brown and black before turning back to Merek. “A /little/ nervous?”, her laugh is as fragile as ice, “Right. I can do that. Just be a little nervous.” 

Therst looks over at the Loose Leaf Egg, and whips the sweat from his eyes. He grins bit as he hears Zavirs comment, and nods to Reiah as she whispers. 

Zallyndra’s eyes widen as she watches the egg. Hearing Zavir’s words about the different perspective, she nods. “Um. Yes. Very different.” she admits. 

Nikki looks to her right and left at all of her fellow candidates. She gives a nervous gulp before her attention is caught by the Loose Leaf Egg. She cringes slightly, seemingly expectanting it to burst open at any moment. Nikki smiles at Marist and nods. “I’m okay.” She does take a glance over at Matheny and S’rist and then back at Marist. She giggles and shakes her head. 

Reiah nods to Karimina, then glances to see who Birgitte is waiving too and apparently catches sight of the /large/ crowd for the first time. She pales, and turns away again. “Therst,” she hisses. “There are /people/!” 

Shalyn spies a couple of friends in the galleries and spares a moment to wave to Lyss and Ellery. Before gluing her eyes back on the rocking eggs. “I wonder what will be first to hatch?” 

Zavir spots one of the girl Candidates from Fort Hold and does a double-take, pointing her out to Therst. “Hey, Therst, get a load of her–now -that- is a nice robe!” He whistles long and low. The robe in question is made of a threadbare piece of white material, backlit from the glows on the walls and nearly see-through, unbeknownst to her. 

Kelsa keeps her eyes focused on the black egg, glancing at the rocking Loose Leaf, the egg drawing her interest for now, lifting a foot up briefly to relieve herself of the heat, putting it back down. 

The Loose Leaf Egg has hatched to reveal a striking green dragonet. 
Virescent Tranquility Green 
Lachrymal leaf shapes form the structure of her petite wingbones, spilling dewdrop tears of filigree across the green of her absinthe-doused wings. Traces of laudanum flavor the jadeite delicacy of her wingveins with a dark glimmer, that mesh soothing the glaring hue of her ‘sails and ‘spars. A turbulent melange of virescence erupts from the emerald harmony of her wedge head, waves of lustrous color that careen along the sinuous ride of her neckridges before plunging into the tranquil malachite of her slim torso. Coniferous swirls sprout from the grooves of her musculature with carefree abandon, twining her tail and limbs with faux fronds. With every movement, the shades of her hide flow in a somnolent dance, inspiring memories of a summer reverie. 

Shalyn squeals, “Oh a little green!” 

Kelsa has reconnected. 

Niadara is watching the heap of eggs with the same wary caution as usual – though for once her normal pessimism seems to be submerged in the wonder of the day, a soft smile curling her lips. “The shells are so lovely still, it seems almost vandalism to crack them….oh shards, Shal, look over there! Look at her!” Her eyes are fixed on the new-hatched green. 

Karimina tears her eyes away from her chosen egg, just in time to see the green hatch. “On she is wonderful..” 
As the first dragonet appears Therst’s voice catches, he intakes and marvels abit at the dragons color. Thou he does relax his knees, as he remembers the words of the riders. 

Nikki’s giggling is cut of short as the green finally emerges from her egg. Although her eyes are locked on the green hide, she comments, “I knew it would be green first,” to anyone close enough to hear. 

Reiah rolls her eyes and is about to say something to Zavir when the little green arrives and suitably distracts her from all humans out on the sands — and in the galleries. “Wwwwwoooooowwwww!” is all she can muster at this point. 

Yarilene’s attention is on the eggs now, so Zavir’s words escape her notice. Lucky him. She pays special attention to the fluted silvery egg as she rocks her weight back and forth. 

Shalyn nodnods, “I see her Nia, oh she’s so pretty!” 

Beaf sandals on the sands are not the same as boots. The large candidate begins shifting from foot to foot until he sees the new green hatching. “Oh..Pretty. Pretty green.” He smiles brightly as he turns aside to Zally. “I like green.” he reminds her. 

The candidates are all barely formed about the clutch when the first cracking of shell echos from the Fluted Spiral Ring Egg. It breaks apart and a brown wing first appears, followed by a tail then the rest of the small dragon as it backs out of the remains of the shell. It looks towards the large gold and bronze at the back of the hatching sands, then with a few encouraging rumbles from his dam and sire, he turns around and heads off to find a young blonde miss from Pars hold, impressing to her with a cheerful warble. 

Caritha has reconnected. 

Zavir eyes the rocking eggs with some trepidation. “Shouldn’t be long now.” He murmurs to Kelsa, pushing the coppery mass of frizz from off of his forehead. “Are you nervous?” Honestly, what a silly question! As the first hatchling springs forth, he swallows convulsively. 

S’din smiles as the first Impression is made and he guides the blissful duo from the sands with a bemused chuckle. 

Merek chuckles at Birgitte and says, “It’s just like watching a hatching, right? Only from really close up and you have to move around some. Okay, maybe that’s overly simple.” The former messenger blinks as the green hatches and nods in admiration, “A beauty all right. Just look at her.” 

Virescent Tranquility Green shimmers even through her disorientation, moving swiftly from vulnerable to composed, shedding slippery eggshell pieces as she stands. Testing, one set of talons clawing at soft sand, she raises her head and regards those white robes for the first time. 

Zallyndra smiles at the sight of the green. Tilting her head back to look up at Beaf, she remembers his preference for the color. “Yes she’s very pretty, isn’t she?” she asks before her attention returns to the hatchling. 

S’rist smiles and moves his arm to around Matheny’s shoulders as the first impression is made. He pauses and reaches up to rub at his eyes, must be the heat or something. 

Birgitte says nothing, too stunned with the reality of it really /really/ being on the Sands again to do much more than watch the first dragonet, the green, her eyes bright. She reaches over and tugs at Merek’s robe, lest he have missed it. “Aye, and look, that little brown certainly knew what he wanted!” 

Kelsa nods a little at Zavir but doesn’t voice anything, studying the new green as closely as she can. She alternates stares between the dragonet and the black egg. 

Shalyn bouncies, “Oh look a brown made the first impression!” she cheers for the new dragon-pair. 

Karimina smiles at the green, lost in the colors that radiate from the little beauty. Chuckling, she says to Cairtha, “Well well, I wonder if her temperament is anything like her shading.” 

Caritha has partially disconnected. 

Yarilene huhs as the fluted egg cracks to reveal a brown. “I told D’san it’d be brown. So much for -him-.” She calls out a congratulations to the new pair. 

Kelsa has partially disconnected. 
Reiah swollows as the little green turns her attention to the candidates, and balances on the balls of her feet as if prepared to relocate herself swiftly. 

Tea Leavings Egg wobbles left and right in a slow, rhythmic motion. The steadiness of the swaying is alluring, hypnotic. Then with one long lean to the right it rolls on its side and lays still. 

Niadara has almost forgotten the discomfort of the hot sands. Eyes flicker from the green to the brown, a smile as she watches his Impression and a soft call of congratulations to the girl, then her eyes go back to the green again. “She’s so dainty – I don’t think I’ve ever seen one shaded quite like that before.” 

Therst grins as the first lifemates are formed, his hand is cool but his feet are hot as he shuffles them abit. 

Nikki watches the newly Impressed pair depart from the sands, a bright smile on her face. “I’ll have to congratulate her later.” the girl says, making a mental note to herself. The green hatchling on the sands is watched carefully. “Just look at the way she moves.” Nikki says, her voice directed at Marist. 

Shalyn smiles, “There all different, each and every one of them.” 

Beaf recognized the blonde miss who Impressed the brown and he smiles as she’s lead off the sands by the Weyrlingmaster. At the 
Virescent Green begins moving, he keeps and eye on her but does notice the toppling of the Tea Leavings Egg. He simply “Ohs.” slowly. 

Karimina shifts from side to side, trying to to feel the heat under her feet. Sighing she tears her eyes off Virescent Green to look at Tea Leavings Egg. 

Virescent Tranquility Green is careful with those steps, her direction perhaps too unclear for her liking. From the slowly narrowing distance, she regards this one and another, each met with a pass-over and awarded no more of her interest – she seems to follow nothing but a perceived breeze to the next candidate, and the next. 

Therst glances at the Tillekian Tea Chest Egg, yup still there. he whispers to Reiah “you okay” he says 

Marist nods in agreement with Nikki, “She’s lovely! Oh! And that brown. I love browns.” The girl chews on her lip and tries to stay loose and ready to move out of the way in a moment’s notice. 

Caritha calmly watches as the first impression is made, giving only the merest glance at the green dragonet and the Tea Leavings egg, before turning her attentions back to the golden egg which has not yet moved. 

Tea Leavings Egg trembles in quick pulses. Sometimes still and then suddenly vibrating with a furious effort from within. Then, after a particularly long spasm the egg lays still-gathering strength! 

Shalyn stays well out of the way of the little greens very sharp claws. 

Zavir studies the eggs, spotting the Talk of the Weyr Egg and keeping his gaze upon it for a few moments. He blinks and truns his head to see who is leaving the sands, “Who impressed the brown? I missed it.” 

Reiah looks up at Therst, eyes wide with excitement, then back to the hatchling considering her choices. “It’s so…/amazing/!” she whispers. 

Zallyndra pushes those stray wisps of hair off her face with one hand, the other still engulfed in Beaf’s paw. She has unconsciously started to shift from foot to foot. 

Therst keeps his eye on the now approching Green dragonent, and shifts abit more. looking at the other eggs as well as the Tea Leavings egg. 

Nikki grins. “Browns are very nice, but I’m preferential to blue. Mother says that my father rides blue.” she says with a proud nod toward Marist. Her eyes are skeptical as she watches the Tea Leavings egg. “Now what is that up to.” she murmurs. 

Niadara is still clining to Shalyn’s hand – possibly a little too tightly for comfort. The other hand has characteristically reached up to tug at one of her braids. “I wonder what she’s looking for,” she murmurs, watching the green’s careful progress from one candidate to the next. The rocking of the Tea Leavings egg seems to have totally escaped her for the present. 

Shalyn says “I think Freida got the brown, I’ll bet a bronze hatches out of that egg.” she points to the tea leavings egg.” 

Merek did indeed miss the brown impression but when Brie points it out to him he whistles and nods, “Good for him. And the lass he picked too! Nice to see a decisive dragon.” He chuckles and then steps back a little as a dragon wanders by. 

Yarilene says “I didn’t catch who it was. But look around and see who’s missing.” She notices the green just then, and watches the meandering dragonet suspiciously. “That one’s taking her time though.” 

Birgitte stretches her attention from green to the impressed brown to the cracking eggs to the watching dam’n sire to the galleries till, like any twisted bit of something, it snaps and she’s left focusing on nothing but Merek and the eggs. “Where’s the one you liked Merek, can you see it? The one that looks like a sewing-scrap basket exploded?” 

Karimina continues to keep and eye on the green in case she has to move, or impress one or the other, and the other eye on the egg, she says to Caithra “I wonder who she will chose.” 

Tea Leavings Egg jerks upward onto the long end and clacks resoundingly against the Weaver’s Nightmare egg. Then it tumbles backwards, rolling and rolling until ending up in a spin in the sand and spins there several rotations. 
Reiah winces as the two eggs collide. “Ooh, I hope they’re not hurt!” 

Shalyn smiles, and tries to keep her eyes on both the little green and the tea leavings egg. “She’s looking for her lifemate.” 

A dainty green dragonet has emerged from the Tea Leavings Egg. 
Soothing Chamomile Green 
The round curve of velvety green is broken by vivid bursts of yellow as it splashes over the spine of this dragonet. Dripping down the sides and flanks, the tiny starbursts of color look like stripes from a distance as they melt sleepily into the deeper color of the plump body. Upon closer inspection the bright stripes are formed by multiple dapples from shoulders to the blunted end of her chubby tail. Short of tail, body and blunted muzzle, her overall appearance is a small, robust figure draped in oversized wing sails. Bright speckles of saffron stand out from the rich green on the bridge of her nose and eyeridges and again on her fore and hind claws. Her expression is one of calm contemplation, her eyes half obscured behind heavy lids. A calm reassurance radiates from her, as much from her coloration as from her physical posture and body shape. 

Shalyn grins, “Oh I was wrong, it’s another green!” 

Matheny pats Jenryth’s leg and then shuffles her boots restlessly in the sands. “That green is nice looking. I like the shape of her wings.” The shaking Tea Leavings Egg draws her eyes, “Looks like another one is ready to hatch. Oh, another green! Lovely!” 

Nikki holds out a hand like she could keep the eggs from coliding. “Oh, ouch!” she says with a grimace. Looking down to Marist she asks, “Can they hurt each other?” 

Kelsa watches everything carefully, not speaking. Perspiration beads on her brow from the heat and a parboiled foot is lifted…for just a moment. Everything is watched with a calm, almost a detachment…but the gray-blue eyes shine…very softly. As the next green hatches she nods and backs away a bit from the circle, to give room. 

Virescent Tranquility Green unknowingly flaunts all the fronds and absinthe of her lean form as her interest strays, turning almost full-circle in the opposite direction. It’s more certain, this time – that wind finally leading her right – and she’s as firm with her direction as she is with her decision. 

Therst grins and watches the egg spin and winces alittle as a thought comes in his mind. It is removed quickly when he sees the green, comes out and grins “see just fine” 

Zavir whews! at the Tea Leavings Egg. “Energetic one inside of there, wouldn’t you say?” His attention is jerked back to the immediate area in front of him as the green hatchling sniffs nearby and moves past. 

Niadara laughs down at Shalyn. “You couldn’t really have been more wrong, could you?” She looks at both the greens. “Both lovely – and yet totally different. 

Virescent Tranquility Green is now listening. 
Virescent Tranquility Green peers into the pale eyes of the tall young woman with the fair hair. 

Beaf almost chuckles as the Tea Leavings Egg *leaves*…sort of. “What if it can’t get out?” he murmurs before it happens and another green appears. “Ooooohhh! Another pretty!” He unwittingly squeezes Zallyndra’s hand, maybe a bit too hard. 

Karimina smiles as another green hatches, “That one is beutiful, too 

Reiah bites her lower lip and grins as the second green appears. “She wanted /out/, didn’t she?” 

Niadara seems almost stunned – then a hand reaches out, almost blindly, and her arms are around the green. “Hespeth? Oh Hespeth, I’d have waited no matter how long it took you. And you will be taller. Far, far taller” She seems uncertain whether to laugh or cry – and in fact now appears to be doing both. 

Birgitte stretches out a skinny arm, pulling her awkwardly-set robe up to her knees, on one side, and down on the other, “Oh look there it is.. there, behind that new little green.” And, back to find the first green, “Shardit, Mer, I think Niadara just impressed.” 

Karimina smiles and “Congrats” 

S’din smiles, “Congratulations, Niadara and Hespeth!” he helps the new pair towards the passageway away from the galleries. 

Shalyn bounces and claps her hands, tears in her eyes, “Oh Nia!” 

Therst nods to Reiah, then ohs as he sees who it impresses to. He whispers to Reiah, “look Niadara just found here life mate” he says 

Zallyndra bites her lip as her fingers get crunched, but she grins anyway. “Yes. Very pretty. Both of them. That was your favorite egg?” she asks as her eyes dart back and forth between the hatchlings, the rocking eggs and finally seeing Niadara. “Congrats Niadara!” 

Merek points out the nightmare egg for Birgitte, “That’s her, right there. She’s going to make me rich. Or at least get me enough to buy a new pair of boots.” He nods at this and winks at the egg as if it could care. “Was that Niadara who impressed? Good for her!” He claps for the tall candidate and asks Birgitte, “You still don’t have a favorite egg?” 

Weaver’s Nightmare Tea Cozy Egg is set sharply into motion, as if spurred by the other egg’s impact that had sent cracks radiating all across its garish shell. After that first movement, though, it shifts more slowly against the sand that grates all around its base, slowly yet strongly, as if scratching some sort of itch. It may be the last time it or its inhabitant are anything approaching methodical, but for now, its many colors just seem that much more eyebending as rose and scarlet shift and swell against purple-threaded lime. 

Niadara has left. 
Hespeth has left. 

Caritha offers Karamina a reassuring smile, and then a much warmer smile over in Niadara’s direction, finally appearing to come to life on the sands, “Congrats Niadara!” Turning back to Karamina, without even glancing at the second green, she adds, “I guess she made up her mind in time for her sister to have a chance now.” 

Reiah claps lightly, beaming at Niadara and her new lifemate. “Wonderful!” she breathes. 

Marist nods to Nikki and says, “Blue is my next favorite, they’re so wicked quick. I like that.” Of course, Marist likes all the dragons, whatever the color. “I don’t know, I guess they could hurt each other.” 

Kelsa nods and raises a hand of victory as Niadara is led off with her little green, and then she once more settles back against the wall. This ruse of calmness was getting harder to maintain. 

Yarilene makes no moves toward the eggs or stumbling dragonets, but neither does she move away from them. “That new green reminds me of someone, though I can’t say who.” A flurry of congratulations catches her attention… but she turns too late to catch it. 

Nikki looks over at Niadara, her mouth help open. It takes a moment before she can close it again. “Wow! Congratulations Niadara.” She watches as the ex-candidate leaves and turns her attention back toward the hatched green and another rocking egg. At Marist’s reply she says, “Not too bad, I hope.” 

Soothing Chamomile Green jerks her head up from the cracked shells. Her blunt muzzle dribbling goo and a powder of sharp shards. She shakes her head and gives one wing a wild flap while the other remains pinned under her body. With a soft creel she tips backwards, struggling to stand up, whirling pools of red scanning what’s before her in this reclined posture-the stands. 

Zavir looks happy as Niadara and the green unite. “Good for her!” he says. “I’ll congratulate her later. It’s way too noisy in here right now, and her attention is obviously elsewhere.” 

A spirited green comes slicing out of the side of the Sweet Comfort Egg and takes off in a curving path towards the candidates. It makes two loops around a group of three girls before stopping in front of one of the older candidates from High Reaches Hold. They just seem to peer at each other for a long moment, before the girl bursts into laughter, “Oh that’s the best joke I’ve ever heard!” Then she slips an arm around the green’s neck and together they make for the edge of the sands. 

Karimina looks at the other green and then at Weaver’s Nightmare, and then back again, almost if her eyes are following in time with her feet. 

Birgitte looks around her as shells turn to shards almost at the tips of her bare toes. “What, and risk offending all the rest?” She’s grinning though, bright-eyed and damp with sweat. Not her best look, but the grin keeps flashing in nervousness. “Pick me one and I’ll claim it for my favorite, Merek. That way I can blame anything that happens on you?” 

Shalyn woots! As another green hatches and finds her mate. “Wow lots of greens!” she smiles. 

Beaf smiles and nods to Zally before he call to Niadara. “Congrat..Cong..Yay, Niadara.” He can’t think straight enough to use big words. Once said, he turns his attention to watching the Chamomile Green, who looks pretty not so comfortable. 

Nikki watches the Chamomile green, but has to tear her gaze away to watch the green hatch from the Sweet Comfort Egg. It’s likely that her head might spin off the way that she is looking back and forth. 

Therst switches his feet abit, he smiles as the greens find there life mates. “I knida wish I took bets on those eggs” he says to Reiah, but still watches the dragons and eggs. 

Weaver’s Nightmare Tea Cozy Egg distorts all at once, those purple-threaded stitches seeming to rip out in an unceremonious clatter of tiny, falling shards. It’s not enough to let its hatchling break free, however, although the openings are just barely large enough to release a muffled squawk of impatience. 

Reiah leans forward towards the kreeling Chamomile green, but manages to keep herself from taking a step. “Oooh, I hope someone can help her!” she glances towards the riders standing on the sands. 

Kelsa jerks her head again as another egg pops…and a muscle starts to twitch on the left side of her neck. But still she watches the unfolding drama with an interest all the more intent for her silence. 

S’din stands stil where he is, only moving occasionally to guide new pairs off the sands. Other than that, he leaves nature to take its course as always. 

Therst looks at the Chamomile green as well, and helps hold Reiah in place. he smiles alittle at the green incourageing it to stand. 

Merek chuckles at Birgitte and points out a small dark egg off to the side. “That’s a good one over there. But maybe we shouldn’t limit you to just one egg.” He gives her a wink and then looks about to mark the progress of the second green. “Where’s she gotten to…there she is.” 

Zavir calmly watches the backstroking green hatchling look as though she’s attempting to swim on the sands. “She’ll right herself, no doubt.” He glances over at Kelsa. “How you doin’?” 

Caritha’s gaze moves away from the cloudly suface of the golden egg upon hearing the cracking from the overly colourful one. In passing, it moves over the struggling green dragonet with detachment, before curiousity forces her to take another look to see what kind of dragon would emerge from such a bizarely coloured egg. 

Nikki turns back toward the chamomile green. “Wish I could lounge back right now.” she says, dancing to the other foot. 

Soothing Chamomile Green lays on the sand for a moment, sides heaving as she gets her breath and then with a grunt she pushes up, holding her wet wings on either side for balance. One leg lurches forward and then another as she makes forward progress, making out clustered of white-robed-forms. Creeling she stumbles forward, fumbling towards the right, coming at a group fast and unable to stop her eager forward momentum. 

Marist looks hopefully at the Chamomile Green and nods to Nikki, “Yeah, it’s pretty hot, isn’t it?” She holds her breath as the green seems to stumble. 

Shalyn dashes out of the way of he careening green. 

Birgitte eyes the indicated egg, attention skirting over the blister’n bustle of the hatching Nightmare, “That one, near the back? Yes, okay, perfect. Small’n dark, that’s the one I’ll watch then.” And, so as not to get run over, she keeps one eye on the emerged dragonets, “Poor little beggar.” 

Weaver’s Nightmare Tea Cozy Egg rocks some more, its muffled noises getting louder, but although it loses the occasional bit of shell, it doesn’t really get anywhere. At least, until it goes quiet, much like the Tea Leavings egg earlier had stopped… and with that extra energy it rocks harder, stronger, enough to smack into its neighboring egg with a dull thud – and a corresponding set of fallen paisley shards – as if passing the time-to-hatch message along. The hard way. 

Kelsa steps carefully, manuvering her guant frame out of the way expertly and dark eyes seek Zavir’s for a moment. “As well as can be expected, Zavir.” Her answer is soft and brief. 

Already shifting to her left, Karimina dodges to the side as not to get run over by the green. “I hope she chooses before she hurts herself.” 

Therst watches the Chamomile Green as it starts to take up speed at the candidates, if it moves a little more to the letf he is going to have to move quickly. 

Zallyndra’s eyes widen as she watches the green. She’s reminded of that out of control runner not so long ago. “Um.” She throws a quick glance up at Beaf and returns it just as quickly to the hatchling. 

“Careful,” Yarilene warns the others unnecessarily. “She’s a fast one. Doesn’t look it though.” 

Reiah holds her breath, eyes focused on her fellow candidates as if /willing/ them out of the little green’s path. When they dodge, unscathed, she lets out her breath with a whistling noise. “This is getting a little frightening, but still amazing…” she confesses to those near her. 

Beaf uh ohs as the Chamomile Hatchling stumbles out of control, his first instinct is to step infront of Zally, but he pauses and draws her closer to him with his paw. “If we must move. We will.” he smiles. “Trust me, Lady.”

Nikki tries to watch both the colliding Weaver’s egg and the eager Chamomile green. Deciding to watch the more dangerous one, she locks her eyes on the green, ready to jump back if necessary. A small grunt of agreement is given to Marist. 

Sparkling Snowflake Egg starts to shiver, just a bit, reflecting the coolness of the snowflakes on its shell. As if the movement has warmed the hatchling inside, it begins to rock harder and with more authority. 

Zavir murmurs to himself, “Lot of eggs whacking each other out there!” He sounds a bit worried, but there’s not a thing he can do about them, of course. Kelsa get’s a thumb’s up. The fast-moving green is noted and he calls out a warning to those she seems headed for. “Watch out!” 

Karimina tears her eyes off the green as sparkling snowflake egg begins to move. She starts to mumble over and over. “You can do it, I am right here.” 

Marist looks excited as the Snowflake egg starts to shake, “Oh hey! That’s one of the ones I really like a lot. I bet it’s got a brown in it for sure.” Always the optimist, that Marist. 

Caritha takes note of Karamina’s movement beside her and looks startled to have seen the green come that close to them, since her attention was elsewhere. Once certain that there is no danger close back, her gaze wanders across the eggs that have moved before returning to the stormy suface of the golden egg. 

Soothing Chamomile Green screams in frustration as her voluminous wing sails tangle up and she tumbles, flipping all the way over onto her side with a grunt. Several candidates who missed getting in the way of her saffron freckled claws get a bathing of hot sand that flies up. As the scream dies she lifts her head, eyes squinting as she creels, scanning the faces of those around her. 

Therst keeps his head and eye on the green dragon, but also sees movement from the eggs, he grins at the Snowflake egg. but he goes back to the matter at hand, keeping his feet from burning up, and watchin the green. 

Kelsa’s head snakes again, taking everything in, or trying to. The green is carefully watched and the tempo of the tic increases. Her eyes dart to the black egg, wondering for the brieftest moment when it will start to rock, and then brings her mind back to the more present task of dodging and watching the activity. 

Nikki turns her gaze toward the Sparkling Snowflake egg and then glances down at Marist with a grin. “He’s probably sitting in there, just waiting to come find you.” she says brightly. 

In the end the nightmare is resolved into a dream as the Weaver’s Nightmare Tea Cozy Egg hatches out a healthy sized bronze. 
Ice in Summer Bronze 
Summer’s golden bronze soaks the hide of this young dragon, sharp lines highlighting icy edges and bright expression. Sunlight seems to filter through him from within, illuminating joints and breast, ricocheting off talons’ dark gleam and emerging as a shade-dappled pattern on smooth surface. Even a small amount of light pervades lean wingsails, a glow that swirls amidst lighter flecks like stirred sugar. Clearer strains of bronze trace a stubborn maw and even neckridges, and a tart, translucent green forms frayed crescents near long tail and powerful shoulders. The balance is subtle yet striking, cool and crisp against the darker, burnt shades that fade up from tailtip and talons to merge with shimmery warmth. 

Shalyn gasps, “Oh the poor little dear, I hope her wings are okay.” 

Reiah squeezes her eyes shut and buries her face against Therst’s arm as the green hatching screams. 

Merek looks around to see if the nightmare egg has hatched yet. “That egg must have a tougher shell than I thought it did, the dragon’s having a hard time with it.” Then the Chamomile Green seems to be up to something and Merek finds his attention wandering towards her, missing his favorite egg hatching. He looks back and is confused, “Did that bronze just come out of that crazy colored egg?” 

Birgitte eyes the desperate little green as if the dragon were an examination she’s not quite prepared for: trepidation, antici…. … …pation, a touch of fear, a touch of reckless daring. Fingernails dig deep half-moons into opposite hands, unfelt for now. She takes but a small sidestep away from extra hot sand. “C’mon little dragonet, choose.” And, with an upflash of her chin, “Uhuh, he did.” She tries nudging her partner with her shoulder, “Keep an eye on that one, Mer.” 

Sparkling Snowflake Egg is rocking harder now, shell cracking against its nearer neighbors in what is likely a very jarring rhythm for its clutchmates. The hatchling inside, however, obviously doesn’t care in its haste to exit. Cracks start to sprout at both ends. 

Kelsa winces at the green’s scream, baring her teeth in a silent grimace. Then she nods to Zavir. “There is your bronze,” she murmurs, and then moves to a half-crouch in preperation to move fast if it is needed of her. 

Therst shifts abit as Reiah ducks into his arm and whispers “she is fine, look there is a bronze” but his gaze is drawn back to the Chamomile Green, just keeping an eye out. 

Karimina continues to repeat her phrase, encouraging it to hatch, “You can do it, Come on. I am right here.” so intense is her chant now she doesn’t even notice the bronze hatching. 

Zallyndra jumps when the green tumbles and she winces. “Ouch.” She mutters. Turning her head, she sees the bronze hatch and an “oh wow” is next out. “He’s gorgeous.” She’s not sure where to look at this point, so much is happening. 

Reiah hears Kelsa and Therst mention a bronze, and peeks out to look at the new hatchling. “He’s beautiful…” 

Zavir shakes his head at the green’s scream. “Temper, temper!” He is looking all over the place now as things begin to move faster. “Stay alive, that’s all I have to do…” The newly hatched bronze is noted and an elbow is sent Therst’s way. “He’s, ah, formidible-looking, isn’t he?” 

Soothing Chamomile Green utters the more heart-wrenching of creels, very soft, perhaps too soft to be heard over the splintering of eggs around her. She tips her head towards a gasp and stretches out her neck to its limit in a silent plea. 

Caritha nods belatedly towards Merek, a bit suprised to see such a handsome dragonet emerge from such an overly busy looking egg. She offers Karamina another reassuring smile, trying to send some of her own calm thoughts towards the girl while her gaze pases over the creeling green towards the snowflake egg and then back to the one egg that holds her attentions. 

Yarilene takes a step forward as the Chamomile green falls, then remembers herself and steps back into the increasingly ragged half-circle. “I hope she’s less clumsy as she grows. …Oh, did someone say bronze? Where is he?” 

Soothing Chamomile Green is now listening. 
Soothing Chamomile Green peers into the olive green eyes of the curly headed weyrbrat. 

Nikki chuckles as she hears Kelsa’s comment and peers down across to look at Zavir. A sympathetic look goes over to the green at the soft creel. 

Ice in Summer Bronze claws his way to his feet in one convulsive motion on the heels of his older clutchmate’s creels. Or, at least, that’s the idea – he gets his head out of his shards, at least, tossing it in a way that sends more sticky egg-fragments flying, and lurches his greenish forequarters up in the air to go with it. It takes even more sand- and shell-clawing to get enough leverage to get his hindquarters up and out, but once there he stands with a moment’s utter pride in his undoubted accomplishments, even shaking out lean, flecked wingsails as if awaiting applause. That’s right. He stood up. 

Merek looks vaguely disappointed, “So much for new boots. Where’s my pickle green?” He rolls with the punches though and is quickly all smiles again, “He’s a good looking dragon, though. I can’t begrudge him coming out of that egg.” He nods at the bronze and then looks to see where the Chamomile Green has gotten off to. 

Shalyn rushes out and helps the little green to her feet, “Oh Oenoneth! you’re the prettiest green ever!” she says as she hugs the little hatchling.

Sparkling Snowflake Egg tips on its side and rolls a short way from its in-the-shell abused clutchmates. More cracks shoot across the surface, but the egg refuses to fall apart. All at once, a foot bursts through a weak spot! However, the egg goo prevents identification of color. The foot is withdrawn into the increasinly fragile egg as the hatchling makes another go at actually cracking its prison apart. 

Birgitte eyes the summer-bold bronze, “At least he’s more handsome than his egg, Merek. And, well, less pickled. And more gold than Jenryth ever seems, neh? Not as tattered as I’d have expected by now, neither. Much better stitching than the shell, yes, much better.” She grins at the older (much older) Candidate, “Lessie if all that egg work does any good?” Back to the green, “Oh, /good/. Shalyn! She’s lovely!” 

Therst gets missed by the elbow but nods to Zavir, “he does” then tugs abit at Reiah “look Shalyn, got her dragon” he says with a wide grin. his eyes go back to the Bronze on the sands. 

Kelsa jerks her head again and then raises a hand to Shalyn. The bronze is still eyed carefully and she backs carefully away to give the little guy room. 

Beaf mms at the bronze hatchling, nodding a bit to agree with his partner out there. But his attention is drawn back to the Chamomile hatchling just in time to see her choose her lifemate. He smiles at both. “Oh. She’s so pretty, Shalyn.” 

Reiah has to stand on tippy-toe to see Shalyn and her hatching. “Oh, thank Faranth! And to that poor little green who needed someone!” 

Oenoneth bumps a sand-crusted muzzle into Shalyn’s face with a gusty and shuddering sigh as /her/ weyrling helps her get untangled. 

With a last series of determinedly rapid shakes, the Insanely Dotted Porcelain Egg finally splinters into a flying rain of rough-edged shards; dismayed by the suddenness of all this, a damp green hatchling collapses like spent sails onto the warm sands. The green hatchling struggles to get up, slowly making his way to a young man from Pars Hold. 

Matheny claps and jumps up and down, patting Jenryth, “Oh! Sh’yar and Kaelyn will be so pleased. Another good impression.” Matheny is quickly back to chewing her thumbnail now. 

Nikki spots Shalyn’s Impression. “Way to go Shalyn!” she says happily, and hopefully loud enough for the girl to hear. 

Sparkling Snowflake Egg shakes harder as the hatchling inside becomes more and more frustrated at this impossible egg. Snowflakes, indeed! Harder than any snowflake on Pern! Finally, with a bubbling, blurbling growl from deep inside the egg, the prison /finaly/ breaks apart. 

A shimmering green dragonet hatches out from the Sparkling Snowflake Egg. 
Jasmine Blossom Green 
Glossy, mottled hide shifts from light to medium green in an array of endless dappling that spreads down her svelte form — breaking over neckridges from headknobs to refined tail tip. The mosaic patterning also covers the spread of her wingsails and their spars, though the hue shifts from graduated tones of aqua along her wingspars to shades of sea green across semi-transparent sails. Her intoxicating coloration makes another change as it graces her concave face, yellowing out to a warm amber when reaching the dainty muzzle at its tip. She moves with a simple timelessness that shows through a newly hatched dragonets clumsiness, as though shes already wiser than her turns. 

Therst grins and looks out at the sands “oh another Green” he whispers, then looks around now where did that bronze get to? 

Shalyn helps Oenoneth get her wings and legs straightened out, a look of total love in her eyes, “Let’s get you something to eat.” she smiles tears of joy running down her cheeks. 

S’din smiles and calls out, “Congratulations Shalyn and Oenoneth!” He moves to guide them both towatd the exit off the sands where meat and oil await the new pair. 

Shalyn has left. 

Karimina takes in her breath as the little green breaks for the shell, the chanting that she was so intense in doing, seems to bubbling up in her mouth as her eyes take in the green. 

Zallyndra’s smile blazes into a grin. She almost hops up and down. “Congrats Shalyn.” The appearance of two more greens make her blinks. “It’s all going so fast.” 

Zavir turns at Therst’s words, “Shalyn? A green? Really? And here I figured her for a gold, she’s certainly bossy enough for one.” This is said with a teasing tone and he’s waving at the new pair as they make their way off of the Sands, even though he’s fairly certain they won’t notice. 

Reiah seems almost dizzy with relief as the Chamomile green Impresses, and applauds happily as the Jasmine Blossom green arrives. 

Nikki looks back in time to see the Jasmine Blossom Green emerge from her shell. “Not a brown,” she says over to Marist, “but oh my, just look at her. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she.” In the excitement of eggs hatching and Impressions made, burning feet seem to be forgotten at the moment. 

Ice in Summer Bronze gets around to staring at everyone else, eyelids blinking a few times to clear away traces of egg and membrane and all, and then lifts up his wings a little more. Although he looks around curiously enough, catching the occasional nod and mm and stare and all, in the end he swishes a decidedly un-pickled tail and hops somewhat randomly into the mix. He heads for the boy from Pars – but then his elder sister gets there first, and he snorts, and veers sharply off towards some tall boys. Girls, too, but rather more by chance. 

Kelsa jerks her head. Shards, there were a lot of greens in this clutch and was it moving fast. Again a foot is raised. The left side of her neck is dancing now. 

Caritha offers a smile and quiet congradulations to her fellow weyrbrat, noticing the impression only after the other candidates point it out, “Looks like a fitting pair.” When she hears Karamina’s intake of breathe, she offers the girl a hand again to try to reassure her, “Look at the lovely gree that came out of that egg you like so much.” 

Oenoneth has left. 

Therst grins as Reiah tuggs his arm in her clapping, and nods with Zavir. The Jasmine blossom green gets a grin “very showy isn’t she” 

Merek claps for Shalyn and then admires the newest Green with a nod of the head. He starts to ask where the bronze is but then stops as he sees it looking over the boy from Pars that got the green. “Must be hard for them to pick, you think, Brie?” He shuffles his feet, trying hard not to think about the poor fit of his sandals. 

Reiah nods quickly. “She’s beautiful.” Seems to be a characteristic she feels all of the hatchlings share. 

Yarilene calls out a belated, “Congratulations!” to Shalyn and her green. “There’s just too much going on to really pay attention to it all, isn’t there?” she murmurs to the others near her – Therst, Reiah, and Zavir. “Oh, and another green, too.” 

Jasmine Blossom Green looks around with narrowed eyes, her sides still heaving at her exertion. It almost looks as if she is surveying the field of Candidates with a very ungreen attitude. And then her tail is stepped upon by a wandering clutchmate. With a hiss and a growl at her loss of concentration, she chastises her clutchmate, making an abreviated swing of still-soft talons at him. Grumbling, she returns to her perusal. 

Birgitte folds her arms tight across her skinny chest, hugging herself as armor. “Y’know, if you’d thought to wear someone’s /larger/ sandals, Merek, we could have shared.” She squenches hot toes into even hotter sand, “And that egg you picked for me hasn’t moved at all.” Still, there’s others to watch, attention shared around her, “That green’s not pickled neither, Merek. But they seem to choose pretty quickly… seems that way. I think it must be easy, if you’re the dragonet.” 

Reiah takes a moment to flash a smile at Yarilene, then returns her attention to the dragonets. 

Marist whistles loudly for Shalyn and then takes a step forwards to try and see around one of the taller candidates, “I like that green too, she’s got a very pretty shade.” 

Karimina looks dumbly at the green not sure what to do next. She just waits as if the world around her has stoped. She just watches Jasmine Blossom Green with unsure eyes. 

Nikki frowns as the green takes a swipe at her clutchmate. “Agressive one, isn’t she.” Unconciously she takes a step back, her height still allowing her to see alright. 

Therst grins as he still keeps an eye on the bronze, but the new green gets a head tilt and a soft smile. “She is pretty, isn’t she Reiah” 

Zavir is sweeping the Sands with his eyes, when he spots Kelsa’s dancing, twitching neck. His eyes are riveted upon it. Fascinating! Then he shakes himself and returns his attention where it should be–avoiding sharp claws and charging hatchlings. 

Beaf is beside himself beside Zallyndra. “So many pretty green ones. I like green.” Yes, he said it again. He watches the activity closely, his height being and advantage — no one but a dragon could obscure his view. 

Tillekian Tea Chest Egg tilts a bit to the side, quaking a little against the sand around it. The grains shift with the ovoid’s subtle movements — and then just as tentatively as the movements began, they halt. 

Reiah enthuses “Beautiful!” 

Ice in Summer Bronze stares icily around, lurches a few more steps towards the candidates, and stares some more. The tall boy from Nerat? No. The tall boy who’s futilely trying to grow a mustache? No. The tall boy who’s giggling eerily to himself? No. The tall boy with near-white hair? No. The tall boy with black hair, and those braids in? He snorts, lifts his head, and impulsively if awkwardly bounds closer to look the Bitran over, ignoring the girl by his side – he still hasn’t any use for them, no matter how dramatic are -their- manes. 

Therst caught that movement from his favorite egg, he glances back to the Tillekian Tea Chest egg, then back at the Bronze, and Green on the sands. 

Jasmine Blossom Green isn’t so much aggressive, as she doesn’t like to disturbed in the middle of things. And she was very much in the middle of things. With her initial look-over of Candidates completed, she moves away from the shards of her egg, heading towards a group which includes amoung them a very, very large individual. Of course, when you are not much over knee-high at the shoulder, most things are very, very large. 

Nikki watches the bronze perusing his choice of male candidates. “Well he sure picked an interesting group to look over.” She peers at the giggling male with unsure eyes. 

Merek chuckles at Birgitte, “Aye, easy to say but hard to find larger sandals.” He looks suspiciously at the feet of some of the other candidates, “Somewhere out here someone is standing in my roomy sandals.” He waves a hand then, there’s so much more to think about than feet. “They do seem to be picking quick enough.” Then he’s being looked over and he gets suddenly very quiet and wary looking, he’s not going home gored if he can help it. 

Kelsa shifts her feet again, tossing her head like a restless stallion…but only for a moment. The movement of the new egg catches her eye and distracts her for a moment…and then she goes back to watching the sands, the twitch in her neck slowing as the pace of things slow for a moment. 

Reiah ooohs as the green seems to be focusing on someone. “Look, look!” she points towards her and the tall candidate. 

Therst looks at Merek as the bronze checks him out and grins, but doesn’t make any guesses. His lips quirk in a grin but he still looks a little worried, very sharp claws after all. 

Zallyndra grins up at Beaf. “Yes, they are.” she resists the urge to scale his back so she can have a better view over his shoulder and shifts from foot to foot as the heat finally seeps through her sandals to her feet. 

Ice in Summer Bronze flexes his claws as he stares at that Bitran, see, his sharp, shiny claws not unlike the man’s own dark eyes – something to be wary of, indeed, but that’s just the _beginning_. 
Ice in Summer Bronze is now listening. 
Ice in Summer Bronze peers into the dark eyes of the oldest male candidate. 

Jasmine Blossom Green stands for a long moment in front of the group of Candidates that first caught her attention. She peers at each in turn, staring with an intensity which is suprising in a new hatchling dragon. However, none pass muster on whatever scorecard she is using, and so she moves on, this time to a group of several girls, a couple of which have dark hair. After that earlier hiss and swipe, no one is impeding her march! As she treks across the sands, a slight bounce of eagerness enters her gait. 

Birgitte shakes her head, braids snapping. “Dredging the bottom of the barrel, this one is. Is it just me, or is this little bronze only scrying out the taller bits of you boys… erm.. men?” She tugs at a braid, cocks out her hip, and stares down the young summery prince. “Looks to me like you might have fairly big shoes to fill soon enough, ol’Merek.” And, melting inside, “Sooner than soon. Congradulations.” 

Tillekian Tea Chest Egg begins to tip back in the other direction, now, and quakes again, trembling with a hint of more certainty. The sand that caresses its base ripples again with the motions caused from within, and then again, the egg is stilled. Perhaps it’s just getting a feel for things. 

Caritha’s attention is drawn to the bronze simply because he seems to have stopped moving – she’s curious as to who might be sneaking back on the sands for the shards of that nightmarish egg! She watches the impression and smiles broadly, actually giggling as she sees Merek ‘get caught’. The green gets nary another glance at this point though Karamina gets another smile in passing as she moves back to studying the gold egg. 

Karimina stops breathing as the green is focusing on someone. Her eye wide. 

Nikki continues to watch the Jasmine Blossom Green with wariness. Her feet are ready to move with need be. 

Yarilene hastily skips out of the path of the Jasmine Blossom green. 

Beaf smiles and leans down a bit to whisper to Zally as he points at the Jasmine hatchling. “She’s coming this way.” and then next thing he knows the green is gone. With a close up look at her before she heads for the group of girls he smiles. “Mmhmm. Very pretty.” he says with a nod. 

Therst grins “look Merek got a bronze” he says as he glances out at the eggs as his moves again. But cranes his neck to see where the Jasmine blossom Green is. 

Merek blinks in surprise and laughs loudly, “Shards. You certainly aren’t a green are you? Aye, I suppose bronze could be the best color, if that’s what you think, Ulfianth.” He chuckles and says loudly to any around him, “His name is Ulfianth, and he’s not a green.” Merek, M’rek now, wipes a tear quickly from one cheek so nobody will see. 

Zavir fans himself with one hand. I am hot!! And not in the way I usually am.” He quips to Yarilene with a half-grin. He pinches the robe from his chest with two fingers and pumps it like a bellows, allowing even hotter air to circulate. Well, that certainly didn’t help. He leaps when Yarilene does and misses Merek’s impression. 

S’din steps forward, calling out, “Congratulations M’rek and Ulfianth!” He guides the star-struck mutual; admiration society from the sands and into the beginning of their new lives. 

Kelsa nods to Merek quickly, but then shifts her eyes to keep the green in view. That one is too fast to let out of one’s sight for long. But again her eyes stray to the black egg. -When- was it going to move? The tic picks up again as she shifts her weight once more. 

Zallyndra says “Yes she is. All different colors of green in the dragons tonight.” She rolls her eyes when she hears Zavir then blinks as she looks beyond to see Merek impress to the bronze. “Congrats!” 

Jasmine Blossom Green stops and solemnly looks over the clot of girls (ignoring any boys present). There is still a slight switch to her tail as she peers at each girl in turn. Only the dark haired girls, mind you…the darker the better. And then, she sees a girl with beautiful green eyes, eyes almost as green as her hide. 

Jasmine Blossom Green is now listening. 
Jasmine Blossom Green peers into the emerald eyes of a petite girl with ebony hair. 

Beaf ohs again — his vocabulary is being stretched. AFter a moment he smiles. “Good for you, M’rek.” 

Marist looks surprised as Merek impresses, “Would you look at that?” She claps then and giggles, “I’m rich! I’m rich!” 

Reiah tells Therst, as if his eyes aren’t working properly, “Merek Impressed the bronze! Merek Impressed the bronze!” 

Nikki turns to call out a congratulations to M’rek, but finds that he is already gone. Realizing that she’s taking her eyes off of the sands when there are dangerous hatchlings about, she quickly looks back. She laughs at Marist. “Do you know how much?” she asks. 

Birgitte shakes her head again, “Pickle’d green indeed. I’m going to keep reminding him of that Merek. M’rek. Ulfianth I mean. Turns from now, how he was supposed to be gerkin-green.” Brie cares not if her words get lost, today, “One day, when Ulfi’s not so hungry.” And then, blue-eyes teared with emotion, “Oh Merek, he’s /lovely/.” So’s the little Jasmine’d green, but Brie’s missed it. 

M’rek has disconnected. 
M’rek has connected. 

Psamanth butts her head against Karimina and creels. 

Ulfianth snorts, lifting his not-green head, and then aims a solid nose-bump at his chosen’s shoulder. He raises not-green wings, brandishes them, and lowers them in a more unruly fashion back to his not-green sides – and although it takes a little while to persuade him to actually go towards where S’din directs, then he ignores the rest of the world and lurches forward to try and lead the way. 

Reiah grins over at Brie. “Maybe there is still a pickle out here?” she nods to the remaining unhatched eggs. 

Karimina tears her eyes from the green just in time to see the bronze impress, and then quickly forces on Jasmine Blossom Green again, her eyes wider than before, dropping to her knees at the feet of the green, she takes a deep breath, “Oh, Psamanth, You found me, I told you I would be right here.” 

Therst grins and nods at Reiah and looks over as The Green impresses “And Karimina found hers as well” he says with his voice having a touch of emotion in it.. 

S’din moves quickly as the next Impression comes quickly, “Congratulations to you both, Karimina and Psamanth!” he guides them in the right direction. 

Caritha suddenly makes note of the Jasmine green dragonet, finding her almost in front of her. Her almost passive expression is replaced by a broad smile as she looks at the girl standing beside her, seeing that Karamina’s hopes and dreams did come true, “Congrats”. 

Tillekian Tea Chest Egg shudders in place once more, a movement which elicits a stronger rocking and teetering from the egg. Hairline cracks begin to appear in the shell, and they grow, slowly widening into chasms as something within forces its way out. 

Karimina has left. 

Reiah oos! and cranes her head around to look at Karimina and her new lifemate. 

Yarilene’s watching after that dangerous-looking green and so misses M’rek’s Impression, and then Karimina’s a few moments later as she looks to the bronze. She turns quickly, but too late for each one, only able to offer a few hand-claps before she returns her attention to the sands. 

The prize inside the Tillekian Tea Chest Egg is revealed to be a dark blue dragonet. 
Aromatic Obsidian Blue 
Deep bluish slate hues cover this dragonet’s hide, swirling in a mad cacophony of smoky hues over his rather hunched form. In some places the coloration seems clotted, as though the pools of blue and gray somehow became clumped together around the bases of his neckridges, around his haunches, over his wingbones and near the base of his tail. His face and muzzle seem to be unusually pointed, and bathed in a mixture that’s more gray than blue, particularly near the base of his chin and on his neck. Eyeridges seem to be a bit on the thin side, deep navy covering them both, which contrives to give him what seems to be a bit of a scowl. Solid black-blues encase his belly, the same hues evident upon each muscular limb. Although these murky shades dominate most of his lean body, his wings, on the outside, are a perfect midnight blue, and when spread, tendrils of warm honey and lemon break through what would have been an otherwise immaculate darkness. 

Ulfianth has left. 
M’rek chuckles as he’s bumped and follows the Weyrlingmaster off. 
Psamanth has left. 
M’rek has left. 

Kelsa lowers her head and then raises a hand to Karimina in congratulations…but there -are- hatchlings about so one must be careful and nothing can hold one’s attention long…though the heat of the sand was growing on her mind. That and the fact that being keyed to such an intensity of living was an experience she very likely would not have again.

Nikki doesn’t even both to attempt to congratulate anymore new weyrlings as things are just moving too fast. She “Oooos!” and points as a blue emerges from his egg. Her eyes are fixed on the blue hide, a hopeful look on her face. 

Birgitte, partnerless, skirts a tad closer to Reiah and the rest to close the suddenly more-empty Sands, “Heh. Perhaps. I think it was spiced stew and pickles, souffle and, shards, bumblerberry pie? Something blue.” Enough about food, more about dragonets, “Oh and look, she /did/ want Karimina, what a clever green Psamanth is.” 

Madly Spinning Egg bursts open on the south side of the sands. The green finds her lifemate, a young harper-apprentice boy who was always sneaking his flute out to practice late at night in the barracks, garnering him more than a few pillows flung in his direction. 

Therst grins as his egg hatched, and ohs “look it is ablue Reiah” he says as he watches the dragonet, his eyes seem to lock on it has he holds his breath. 

Zallyndra’s eyes widen even as she calls her congrats to Karimina. At this point, her fingernails have to be making a dent in Beaf’s hand. “Those colors on that dragon are incredible.” she blurts. 

Zavir hears Reiah’s cry and turns just in time to spy M’rek and Ulfianth being led away. “Way to go, Mer– M’rek!” He calls. Things ar ehappening so fast now, that as he’s turned to congratulate M’rek, he misses Karimina’s impression as well. 

Reiah smiles as Birgitte comes over and nods towards the Obsidian Blue. “Bumblerberry?” she suggests, and nods quickly to 
Therst before adding, yet again, “Beautiful!” 

Tempest in a Teapot Gold Egg mimics the turbulence of its shell as it starts to shake intensely, enough that it almost rolls out of its mound of sand before sliding back into place again. 

Kelsa eyes the blue as well, the blue-gray orbs shining a bit brighter. What a beautiful dragon indeed! Far lighter than Dai…no! She was not going to think of any other dragon now. Who knew what the young things could pick up and how it would effect their minds? The tic spasms faster again though. 
darker* 

Caritha makes no notice of the newly hatched blue, for after seeing Karamina’s impression, her attentions returned to the stormy coloured egg. And now that the golden egg has actually moved, she actually seems to exhibit, for the first time since stepping on the sands, the first signs of nervousness with her hands involuntarily smoothing the front of her robes. 

Matheny moves quickly behind one of Jenryth’s legs as a young dragon gets too close and seems to flounder in the sands. She laughs when she realizes she’s okay and slips back out. “Whew, they’re moving fast tonight.” 

Therst smiles softly at the dragonent, his face is that of wonderstruck. He watches the shades of the blue as it moves. As his eyes are almost locked on the blue he doesn’t even notice the Teapot Gold Egg. 

Birgitte finally catches sight of the blue, “Oh /yes/, indeed. Pie-perfect, this one.” She takes up position off Reiah’s left wing, or elbow, really. “Are there really only that many eggs left? So few… and sharit, I’ve lost the one Merek picked out for me.” Brie can’t manage M’rek, today, she’ll have to practice. 

Yarilene’s eyes sweep over the chaos of eggs and hatchlings and Candidates, not resting on any one for very long before skimming on to the next. …Except for that blue, who gets a long, considering look. “Now he reminds me of Mawlarth. Wonder if he’s got his temper too? Hope not, for his lifemate’s sake.” 

S’rist nods as he moves back a few steps himself, “Very fast, always surprises me just how fast they come out of those eggs.” 

Marist looks hopefully at the dark blue dragonet as he moves forwards. “He’s a nice color!” She moves in closer to the candidates next to her, seeming to get more nervous as the hatching progresses. 

Aromatic Obsidian Blue gives an energetic shiver, blinking with some surprise at his surroundings. There’s this wet stuff all over him, and around him, too. How odd. Midnight wings lift the tiniest bit, dark tail swishing from side to side as he takes a little step forward. Whirling eyes focus on those white things that seem to be far away, and the dragonet takes a tentative step forward, muzzle slowly tilting downward as his foot lands on something with an audible *crunch*. Hmmm? What’s this? Experimentally, he takes another step forward, and there’s another *crunch*. The newly Hatched blue gives a proud little rumble. Look what /he/ found! 

Zavir swipes at sweat tricking down his temple and cautions, “Enough about food. They warned us not to…” He glances towards Therst. “You’d look good on a blue…” 

Reiah’s eyes catch at the Teapot Gold egg moves, but are drawn back by the crunching noise. “Oooh, he’s going to make a mess!” 

Birgitte glances at the Weyrleaders and then back to the dragonets currently searching. “So far the Candiates have stayed safe.” Half muttered, and the rest lost as she catches sight of Marist close by, “He really is lovely, isn’t he? I’m not sure what he’s doing, but lovely, yes.” 

Tempest in a Teapot Gold Egg begins to shake again, less intensely than before but for much longer. The quivering slows gradually until the egg is still once again. 

Kelsa snakes her head around again. One foot raises to paw the sand, but is forced to still. Yes…to be keyed to such an intensity of living was almost painful, though she felt no hurt. But it would all be over so soon… 

Nikki turns her head as her gaze is caught by the movement of the Tempest in a Teapot egg. As she does so, she catches 
Matheny’s motions. Her smile shows humor as she turns her head back to hear Marist’s comment. She points out at the blue. “It is a very nice color, very nice indeed.” she says, her neck craning forward to get a better view of it. 


Therst grins at Zavir and then chuckles at Reiah as he changes feet again “Aye, I think he likes the idea” he says as he shuffles abit. Finaly looking at the Gold egg, though only a glance as he returns to look at the blue. 

Zallyndra grins as she watches the blue’s antics. “I like him.” she says. “Think he’ll be one who likes to make a lot of noise?” 

Beaf wouldn’t know if his hands are being dented by nails or not being accustomed to working with them as he is. He smiles and nods to Zallyndra as he takes in the coloring of the blue then nodding again at his partner’s next question. “I think so, Lady.” he says. 

Yarilene glances over to Zavir, then nods. “I never thought of that. Good point. He looks like he’ll be a handful though, doesn’t he?” 

Reiah grins and leans forward to comment to Zavir. “Perhaps a trouble maker like you?” 

Aromatic Obsidian Blue takes several more steps, none of them landing on egg-shards, which almost seems to disappoint the hatchling. But … there are more important things out here, yes? Like his empty tummy! Hunger obviously takes a greater importance, and so he makes his way closer to those white things, passing by a lad from Fort and a girl from Igen without a second glance. Definitely not for him. A pause, as he draws near a lad who seems to have been watching him, and then he continues past, head alertly turning this way and that toward the various Candidates at his disposal. 

Birgitte watches, though impressions now skip across the surface of her attention like flat rocks on still waters. She chooses her focus, “Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.” A lick at the sweat on the back of her hand, random nervousness. “Yuh, well matched, trouble to trouble.” 

Zavir flicks sand from his feet by shaking first one, then the other. “Ooh, ick! I have sand stuck in between my sweaty toes!” He comments to nobody in particular. One foot is lifted as he reaches and tries to rub some if it away. This isn’t the best thing for maintaining a steady balance. 

Marist nodnods eagerly to both her fellow candidates “Yeah, I really like him. Maybe he’ll come over this way and take a look at me.” She smiles starts to tap her fingers against her robe. 

Tempest in a Teapot Gold Egg begins to rock in a seemingly steady rhythm. At first in slow motion, the egg picks up speed as it rolls back and forth. Color blurs as one side becomes visible, then the other. There are no cracks as of yet but the egg’s movements seem to continue to pick up speed, so much so that the steady rhythm it started with has disappeared. 

Reiah icks. “Thanks for sharing, Zavir,” she says with a roll of her eyes. 

Kelsa watches the blue carefully, breathing shallowly but steadily, as she prepares to step aside should it be neccessary. In some strange way she is reminded of hanging in the rigging, furling sails, and trying to dodge seabirds. 
Therst grins at reiah and nods, though he watches the Blue walk again. He shifts abit in the sands now as the Aromatic Blue moves closer. 

Yarilene offers an arm and a, “Need a hand?” to the taller red-head. “Though honestly, Zavir, now’s not /really/ the best time.” 

Caritha has disconnected. 

Birgitte glances at Kelsa, suddenly all perked up as if to query, seagull like, ‘Mine?’ 

Nikki watches hopefully as the blue looks over his choice of the candidates. Holding her hand close to her body she makes a small ‘come here’ motion, like it is going to do any good. 

Caritha has connected. 

Caritha shifts from foot to foot, finally noticing the heat of the sands. After a passing glance at her older sister, whose attentions were drawn by the blue, her eyes are drawn to the shaking egg, nary a look for the striking blue dragonet. 
BR> Zallyndra rolls her eyes at Zavir’s comment as well. “I think we all do.” she answers with a glance down at her own feet. Unfortunately, that reminds her just how hot the sands are. Okay, let’s go back to watching the hatchlings. 

Kelsa cocks her head at Birgitte, her icy gaze revealing nothing yet…but under the ice a growing fire rages…a fire of hope and desire ready to burst forth at any moment. A restless foot paws slowly again, but is forced into stillness. 

Aromatic Obsidian Blue rejects several other Candidates in a similar manner, passing by with nary a glance. There’s another pause, as he draws near another cluster of white-robed things. What about here? Whirling eyes gaze upward, muzzle lifting as he peers almost desperately into each face. But wait! What’s this? Ah, perhaps this one will be able to help him find food, and maybe guide him through the rest of the most interesting, and confusing world, yes? Surely someone with such lovely eyes must have an equally lovely mind. 

Aromatic Obsidian Blue is now listening. 
Aromatic Obsidian Blue peers into the dark honey eyes of a girl with a small, neat nose. 

Zavir is in the middle of cleaning the sand-encrustations from between his seaty toes and laughing at Reiah’s comment at the same time. He makes a grab for Yarilene’s offered arm, misses and winds up sitting on the sand, sudden-like. He leaps to his feet with a cry, “Yow! I just fried my butt off!” 

Nikki watches at the blue seems to have found her lifemate. She waits to see whom it will be. 

Reiah watches Zavir totter on one foot skeptically, then blinks and looks down at the blue hatching staring up at her. “Ciaranth!” she gasps joyously, dropping to her knees to brush her fingers over his muzzle. “No bother, no bother, of course we can find you something to eat!” 

S’din steps away from the passageway leading off the sands, neatly sidestepping a little blue, running headlong into a group of nervous girls to gather together the new pair, “Well done and welcome, Reiah and Ciaranth!” He ushers them away from the chaos and through the exit. 

Therst grins at Zavirs comment and takes a side step on the hot sands as Reiah finds her life mate, he grins at her and whispers a ‘congradulations’ as he watches them with a warm smile. 

Birgitte grins across to the other Candidate, the one on slow-burn. Not mine then. “Well, still, trouble for trouble still stands, I say. I mean, really. A very good match, I say, well done little Ciaranth! Well done Reiah!” 

Beaf has to smile as the blue chooses his lifemate. He can’t help himself as he mentions, “She kissed me.” to Zallyndra. “You did good, Reiah.” he calls afterward. 

Tempest in a Teapot Gold Egg has stopped its rocking motion and sits in the cradle the sand has formed for it. But that reprieve from movement seems to signal a change of tactic for the dragonet within. Cracks start to form across the length of the egg. The cracks are all small at first, but they lengthen and branch off across the egg’s stormy surface. 

Kelsa sighs very softly, her only sign of disappointment, but then she raises her hand in triumph to the new pair…stepping aside to allow the pair more room to manuver. Zavir’s antics makes her roll her eyes, but only for a moment. How could one behave with such frivolity on such a solemn occasion? 

Marist holds her breath as the Blue picks and then smiles and claps for Reiah, “Oh, he made a good choice, she’ll be a great rider!” She takes a deep breath then and focuses back on the eggs after a quick look around to see if Caritha is still on the sands as well. 

Reiah follows the Weyrlingmaster out after casting a quick smile at her friends. She chatters happily with Ciaranth as she goes. 

Zallyndra giggles and claps her hands, even with Beaf’s big hand wrapped around the one. “Congrats Reiah!” she calls out, delighted. 

Reiah has left. 

Therst smiles fondly at Reiah as she is lead off the sand, he stands alittle akward in the sands, but grins none the less. He watches the rest of the eggs, and listens to the cracking sound of the Gold egg. 

Yarilene withdraws her arm – Zavir’ll just have to stand on his own – as she watches, wide-eyed, as Reiah impresses close by. “Congratulations – he’s a handsome one.” 

Nikki looks a little sad at the Impression of the blue, but the sadness is coupled with sincere happiness for Reiah. “Good match, good match.” she says. The cracks of the gold egg don’t escape her gaze, and soon she is back to egg watching. Watching and waiting. 

Caritha was so focused on the rocking egg that she realizes she’s missed Reiah’s hatching only when the exiting pair cross her line of sight. She offers a small smile to her former fellow candidate but her gaze does not wander – she’s not taking any chances about missing this particular egg’s hatching. 

At long last the Tempest in a Teapot Gold Egg has set the golden dragonet within free. 
Snow Rose Gold 
This young queen is much like the snow rose, an exquisite flower that has a fragile appearance but in reality is capable of weathering the worst winter storm and still maintain her own vibrant sort of beauty. The tincture of her hide is an infusion of velvety red petals and golden mountain herbs, at once both enticing and yet also soothing on the eyes. Deepest rose that is augustly burnished glows over her frame from the crest of her brow, over the supple neck and along her sides. Shades more sun stained in nature curve over her rounded, dragonet belly and into the shadows under her forelimbs. Her large, gilded lily-like wings possess sails of blossom hinted honey that cling damply to her sides and back and contrast perfectly with the deeper, aurora rose hip hue of the arete that blooms along her spine from the crest of her head to the sinuous stretch of her tail. Delicately shaped knobs crown the slender form of her head and lend her an air of porcelain elegance that is unexpectedly at odds with the rather sassy look in her large eyes. 

Zavir moans when he spots Reiah with a blue dragonette. “I’m dead! Y’know? I. Am. Dead.” 

Ciaranth has left. 

Therst grins at Zavir “just be happy for them” he says as he watches the Gold Hatch. “wow she is striking” is all he can say. 

Beaf’s eyes widen a bit as the gold emerges. “Wow. She’s not green, but she’s pretty.” he remarks. 

Kelsa jerks her head as the golden queen hatches and hisses softly…she is impressed indeed. Silently she reminds herself that no rider or dragon is more important than any other and that any Candidate had equal chance of Impression. Another twitch of the neck and she steps back to her place by the ebony egg, watching everything with an assumed calm. 

Zallyndra is trying to kick the gritty sand out from between her foot and the sandal when she hears Beaf and looks up. “Oh my.” she answers and puts her foot back down. “Yes, she is.” she agrees. 

Nikki’s attention is fixed on the brilliant gold just emerged from her egg. “My, my.” she says to herself more than anyone else. “Would you look at her. She looks like, like,” the girl spends a second to think of the right words, “like a carved figure. She just looks so perfect.” she says, cocking her head as she looks at the hatchling. 

Birgitte has naught to watch but gold, then, for all she’s blushed to pink. The dragon, not Brie. Brie’s more sort of a grubby-sweaty human pale’n freckled color. “So, they weren’t wrong about a new queen then, even as the Pass is ending. I bet she knows what she wants.” 

Matheny cheers as each impression is made and looks up proudly at her lifemate. “They’re beautiful, as always.” She looks back to the sands then and sees the gold hatch. She tries not to watch Caritha as the gold hatches, more than a little worried about the young girl. 

Zavir turns to see what Therst is talking about and his breath catches. “She’s–she’s althogether lovely!” he breathes, awed. 

Therst grins and does glance at Caritha, but keeps his comments to himself. Smilling at Zavir, he grins and nods. 

Marist grins, “She’s pretty nice looking for a gold.” Marist glances around and then turns back to the remaining eggs, trying to count them without being too obvious about it. 

“She is,” Yarilene agrees, grinning sidelong up at Zavir, “But I don’t think she’ll be interested in you. …Is she the only one to watch out for right now? That’ll make things easier, not having to look out for so many.” 

Caritha sighs softly, letting out a breathe she didn’t even realize she was holding, as she golden dragonet with the rose infused hide emerges. She starts to take a step forward, catching herself only at the last minute, winding up with one foot up in the air for a long moment before she puts it down beside the other. Lost in her own world, as though she were alone with the golden dragonet, she is completely unaware of any of her fellow candidates. 

Snow Rose Gold picks herself up from the ground quickly and looks around. She lets herself drip egg goop for a moment as she looks at her egg and the other dragonets. She finally takes a few steps before she looks down at her foot and lifts it out of the sand. She puts it back down and moves it around in the sand before breaking into an awkward run in a small circle around her egg, throwing sand in every direction. 

Birgitte too glances at Caritha, weyr-princess and heir apparent. “So…? S’what you expected, Cari?”, intruding on the reverie, if she can. “I mean, she’s kinda gooey, but I bet she’ll clean up real well.” 

Revolutionary Harbor Egg jitters energetically and then lurches violently to the left. It seems to be caught in some sort of internal spasm. Another half roll and it settles against a neighbor, threatening to crack it too but just as it seems that’s imminent, it rolls away and settles again. 

Nikki is watching the gold hatchling, the timeless awed expression present on her face suddenly broken when the hatching unceremoniously begins to run in a circle around her egg. An eyebrow is raised and a confused look given in that direction. “What the, why, I’m so confused…” Nikki voices the thoughts appearing in her spinning head. 

Therst grins at the other girl candidates, and looks over the eggs he grins as the Revolutionary Harbor Egg starts to jitter. 

Marist cheers quietly for the Revolutionary Harbor Egg, “Go little guy, go!” She’s clearly hopeful for yet another fighting dragon to hatch and maybe take a look at her. 

Zallyndra laughs suddenly. “That blue found out about noisy shells and it looks like she has fun with loose sand.” she says as her own feet start shuffling on the hot sands. 

Kelsa darts her head again, dodging the gold’s sand-tossing and watching the twitching egg. She clasps her hands behind her back and rests her weight back on her heels. 

Caritha’s expression is one of bemusement as she watches the golden dragonet running in circles. For perhaps the first time in her life, she doesn’t even appear to be bothered by flying sand landing on her clothing. Brie’s voice penetrates her reverie and she responds to her without lifting her gaze from the dragonet, “Of course she will clean up well. Whatever else could you think?” 

Zavir sends a quick grin Yarilene’s way. “Of that I am not surprised. Besides, what would a regal gold want with ugly old me?” 

A loud squalling green is left abruptly in the place And One For You Egg used to rest. She looks around for a moment, still making that appalling noise. She picks her direction and heads out, finding her mate in a green-eyed girl who has both hands over her ears in reaction to the noise. The girl drops to her knees, blushes, and takes her hands from her ears to comfort the poor dear. 

Snow Rose Gold tires of that game after a few moments and trudges through the sand towards Jenryth and Dzurath, looking up … and up. One she’s gotten a good look at the big ones on the sand she turns her attention to the smaller, much more interesting ones. She still looks at everything around her, but she is making a straight line towards a group of candidates. 

Therst is showered with sand but watches as the Green dragonet impress the girl with her ears covered. 

Birgitte realizes she’s tugging on a braid again, watching the littlest queen. “Nuttin’, Caritha, nuttin’ at all.” With great effort she stops splintering the ends of her hair and throws the braid back behind a skinny shoulder, and with turns with Marist’n some others to cheer on the unhatched eggs. “So few left… where did they all go?” 

Revolutionary Harbor Egg hops twice, not standing still for very long at all! It spins a few turns, picking up some speed and digging a little depression where it sits. It’s only after a wobble tips it over that it stops spinning but there’s no doubt it’s rocking more forcefully now, not to be denied. 

Yarilene retorts teasingly, “More manners, for one thing. You’ll probably end up with a green. Now where is — oh, listen to that green squeal!” 

Beaf shuffles feet, watches hatchlings and scans the remaining eggs. As the gold starts nearing candidates he doesn’t look hopeful until he remembers Zally is so near then he smiles. 

Therst watches the Revolutionary Harbor Egg, and says “that one is really trying hard” he says as he returns his gaze back to the Little Gold. He watches to see who will impress, he grins at Zavir and says “how about being its play toy?” 

Nikki claps her hands as the green just hatched on the sands Impresses. “Oh, I know her.” she says pointing to the blushing girl. Her gaze sweeps over the sands, the gold peering up at her parents forcing a grin onto her lips. Over to Marist she says, “It’s hard to imagine that someday they are all going to be about that big.” 

Zavir blinks, suddenly dismayed, at Yarilene’s teasing. “Ack! I never thought about that! Can youimagine -me- with a green? Me–proddy! That’s a scary thought!” He shudders, but continues to watch to see where the gold is heading. 

Marist giggles and nods to Nikki, “I know! They look so little and cute now! I bet by tomorrow they’ll have already gotten bigger.” She laughs and cheers again for the harbor egg, “Go on now, you can hatch!” 

Kelsa shifts again, keeping an eye on everything and ready to sidestep again if needed. She resists the temptation to raise a foot and see if the soles of her thin sandals have been burned through yet. 

Zallyndra is once again trying to shake sand out of her sandals. First one, then the other. She catches a glimpse of the Harbor Egg hopping and spinning. “That one is going to be dizzy when it hatches.” 

Caritha glances at Birgitte for the merest moment, mouth opening and then closing again without any words emerging – the pressure making her silent rather than talkative like her fellow candidates. Her eyes quickly find the young golden dragonet again, and her heart skips a beat as she starts to move forward towards the candidates. Her tongue darts out to lick her lips nervously. 

Snow Rose Gold stops in her tracks as a much smaller blue bumps into her from behind, sending him into a tumble at her feet. She dips her head down and nudges him, lending him her support until he’s steadily on his feet. Instead of leaving the blue to his own devices, she walks beside him as they both check out the first group of candidates they come to. Neither finds what they’re looking for there and even though the blue moves on to a group of male candidates, she stays with him until he’s found a young man to pair with. It’s only then that she continues on her own, though with a much quicker and urgent step. 

Yarilene moves a few paces away from the ladies’ man, the better to watch the dragonets moving about. “You don’t need any help, that’s for certain. Any… encouragment.” 

Revolutionary Harbor Egg bumps against the leg of a girl from Tillek who gives a little yelp and jumps to the side. The first long crack appears and then several immediately after that branch from the first. Surely it’s impatient occupant won’t be waiting much longer. 

Jenryth warbles encouragement to the young queen and then accepts another loving pat from Matheny. The Weyrwoman looks over at the remaining candidates and smiles at them, glad they’re holding up so well. 

Talk of the Weyr Egg rocks at long last. For much of the Hatching it has been quiet, but no longer. Small grains of hot sand shift loose and roll away under the tentative movement. 

S’rist smiles over at Matheny, “Now she’s a pretty one.” He sounds about as proud as Dzurath’s smug draconic grin looks at the moment. 

Birgitte is tempted to lift a foot and see if the soles of her soles have burned through yet, but today she feels the world muffled by nervous excitement and Candidate adrenalin, “I’m imagining, Zavir, I’m imagining.” Him. Green. Ha. At the noise, Jenryth gets a look and then Brie’s attention goes hunting for the little queen, “Where’d she get to anyways?” 

A strong brown dragonet has won his liberty from the The Revoluntionary Harbor Egg. 
Not My Cup of Tea Brown 
The end of this dragonet’s nose is turned up maybe just a bit more than most, be it a physical thing or a conscious air he has, no one could really tell simply by looking at him. Beneath a dark brow, sparkling eyes scrutinize everything, taking the world in and perhaps trying to understand it. The majority of his hide is creamy brown colored, the color flowing over his neck, shoulders and back to his tail. Upon closer examination the creamy surface reveals hints of the darker blend, swirling as if recently stirred, appearing to be set in motion as the dragon shifts and moves. Darker areas, like his wingsails, are a rich brown that seem almost bitter – no cream — compared to the lighter flavors. Nearly black they are so brown, his wings are strong, just what one would need to be kept up for the duration of Fall or flight. Grounded, he stands on what will prove to be powerful legs, with percolating muscles ready to send him forward, or upward. 

Kelsa ‘s head snakes again on the end of her long, scrawny neck. “Your egg, Zavir.” Then she sets her eyes to a scan of the grounds. 

Nikki chuckles at Marist. “With all the food they’re probably eating in the barracks, I’m sure they are already getting bigger.” She looks out to the sands and at the Revolutionary Harbor Egg, “1,2,3, hatch.” she says flicking her hands out. With a shrug, like that should have helped, she turns her eyes again to the Rose Gold hatchling, watching curiously as she inspects a group of male candidates along with her brother. 

Zallyndra blinks. “Oh wow. She stayed with him until he impressed.” she looks up at Beaf. “And look at that one.” She points to the brown hatchling. 

Therst looks at the Harbor Egg, and grins “look at the Brown, Zavir.” he says softly looking over it with a soft smile, much like a father has for a favorite child. ‘He looks so strong’ though the words are not but a whisper on the lads lips. 

Caritha tries to take a deep breath and relax, reassured in some small way by Jenryth’s warble. She watches the golden dragonet help the blue and smiles softly – not just beautiful but caring and considerate as well. 

Zavir grins over At Birgitte and mock-warns, “Careful, imagining me proddy, could give you nightmares!” He smirks, then notices the Talk of the Weyr Egg’s movement. “Look, Therst! The egg I like best is moving!” He watches it intently, “Wonder what it’ll turn out to be?” 

Marist agrees with Nikki and then cheers for the newest brown, “Look at him! Did the gold impress yet?” She takes a peek over at the gold dragonet, and watches her for a moment before she can’t help but look at the brown again. 

Kelsa eyes Zavir. “Bronze,” she answers firmly, then moves her eyes to the dragonets again. She steps back a bit, towards the wall. There were fewer eggs…but she would not give up hope until every last one had shelled. 

Nikki shakes her head and smiles at Marist, following her gaze toward the brown. “He’s lovely, isn’t he?” she asks the girl next to her, already pretty much knowing the answer. 

Snow Rose Gold weaves through the candidates one by one without stopping long at anyone in particular, careful to keep her talons and wings to herself. If any candidate should move towards her she’ll back up immediately and leave them in the dust without a second thought. She trots in her braided pattern as if it were a game, albeit one that she wants to end as soon as possible. She finally slows down as she approaches some white robed girls. 

Beaf almost screws up his face at the color of the newest hatching, but he has to admit, “He’s kinda good looking.” Tho his mouth keeps moving as the words ‘but he’s not green’ go unheard. He looks for the gold then, watching her and shifting his stance a bit to fend off a bit of the heat there. 

Talk of the Weyr Egg moves again, this time more strongly. It works its way loose from the mound and spins a bit, first to the right and then to the left. A few more tries, and then it falls quiet. 

Yarilene shivers again, despite the heat, and rubs her hands up and down her arms. “I’m not hoping for anything, myself. I just want it over with one way or the other.” 

Not My Cup of Tea Brown shakes his shell free and greets Pern with wide open eyes, whirling more quickly than most and deeply tinged with hunger. His thin yet authoritatively brassy bugle is enough to wake up several nearby Candidates who had been lulled into inattention by the heat of the Sands. This little one’s energy is evident as his wingsails nearly quiver with purpose. He takes his first steps with the same purpose, toward a tight knot of three Candidates. So forceful is his presence that they all take a step back, as one. 

Therst grins and leans over to Zavir “maybe its a green” he says as he goes back to dragon watching, seeing were that gold got off to but his eyes still look at the brown. 

Marist glances from the brown to the gold, not able to decide who to watch. “She looks like she might be picking!” 

Nikki points out at the Talk of the Weyr egg. “It’s trying, isn’t it.” she says. “It’s like you wanna run out there and help them, but you can’t.” she says, her hands making clawlike gestures. At Marist’s words, her eyes catch on the gold, her breath held for a moment as she waits to see who will Impress the lovely Rose Gold. 

Called the Tea Kettle Black Egg suddenly begins a slow intricate rocking motion that manages to make this egg sink deeper into the crater of hot sand forming around it’s shell. Just as suddenly it stops, teetering back and forth in the center of the sand crater. 

Caritha finger her robe nervously, alternatively grabbing the material between her finger and smoothing it with her hands, eyes fixated on the golden dragonet. Completely unaware that the brown dragonet has hatched, she nearly stops breathing as the dragonet slows her movement. 

Birgitte bites on a laugh, “Thanks for the warning, Zavir. I’ve got the idea of Reiah, Niadara, and Karimina already, among the rest.” Shiver. Wintry blue-eyes flash attention ‘twixt brown and gold, now, eager to see where what will be, will be. “C’mon Caritha, c’mon Caritha, she wants you.” 

Snow Rose Gold is now listening. 
Snow Rose Gold peers into the eyes of the lanky girl with the sunfire colored hair. 

Zallyndra’s attention goes back and forth between the gold and the brown as well as the eggs that are still rocking. She shoves now damp, clinging tendrils of hair back off her face. 

Kelsa tosses her head at the brown’s bugle, but a sound of something moving close by. The sable egg! It was moving! She pivots quickly, sending sand flying herself, but halts herself. The tic in her neck comes back, sharp and fast. Breath comes fast and shallow. She takes a step forward, but forces herself to stop, calf muscles trembling. 

Therst grins at the Brown and says to Zavir “he has a lot of energy” though he nods with nikki “yes it is trying” his stands on one foot, as the hot sands now make it hard for him to stand. 

Zavir grins at Beaf, “Green, is it Beaf?” He looks Therst’s way, jerks his head toward the huge Candidate. “Now imagine -him- proddy!” The smirk fades at Kelsa’s word. “Dunno how you can be so -sure-.” 

Kelsa totally ignores Zavir now…and everything else. Only one thing holds her attention. 

Thin cracks have formed across the surface of Ornate Igen Kettle Egg, when suddenly the startled brown hatchling tumbles out. Righting himself, he finds himself right before an older girl from Tillek Hold. Impression is made and the pair heads off the sands in good order. 

Birgitte isn’t Caritha, but suddenly it doesn’t seem to matter. Roses melt winter, to summer, spring to autumn.. autumn, roses, browns, faded, falling… Birgitte, she who would be blue, sinks forwards as if she could melt into the little gold. She can’t, so she settles for melting against her, braids to wings, arms to arches. “Sili… silil… si… /Sililith/!” And then, with tears bright-shining, “You can call me Brie, of course you can. Just for you. Always for you.” 

Not My Cup of Tea Brown pauses a moment, showing his sophisticated side as he comes closer to a young girl and coons charmingly in his complex voice. She’s rejected quickly as his head snakes this way and that in frustration and restrained energy. 

S’din makes a circuitous path through the zipping, staggering dragonets until he reaches the newest pair, “Congratulations, Birgitte! And you as well, Sililith! This way…” he helps them make their way safely off the sands through the throng. 

Nikki watches as the Rose Gold Impresses to Brigitte and smiles happily. “Congratulations!” she calls out quickly. 

Beaf nods to Zavir with a smile. “Green would be…” Then he stops as Brigitte impresses. “Oh. Look. That girl got the gold.” Finally able to get the word out he says, “Congratulations, Brie.” He can remember that much. 

Yarilene says “Oh, was that Birgitte? Did you catch the gold’s name? She was from Fort, wasn’t she?” 

Zallyndra grins. “Congrats Birgitte!” she calls as her shifting from foot to foot quickens to a new tempo. 

Called the Tea Kettle Black Egg :spins about in a dizzy array of motion before stopping again. Quietly a tapping is heard, soft though insistent and it seems to grow just before this shell tumbles to the left. The first cracks begin to hairline across this hardened shell. 

Therst grins and gives a little clap as he switches feet, “congratulations Birgitte” he says with a happy tone. He goes back to watching the eggs and the brown that seems to be look for an energy to match his own. 

Marist cheers happily for Birgitte as she impresses “A new junior, that’s always great!” She looks about then to see where the brown has gotten off to. 

Talk of the Weyr Egg moves again. Tapping sounds emit from inside the delicate shell, audible to those close enough. Want OUT! OUT! The dragonet inside has had enough of imprisonment, and its struggle to hatch knocks the egg every which way, albeit in small increments. 

Birgitte has left. 
Sililith has left. 

Caritha finally exhales, oh so slowly, as she watches Sililith’s impression to Brie. She closes her eyes for a moment, then blinks several times, lifing up a hand to wipe her eyes – whether its to hold back tears to to get sand out of her eyes, no one will ever know. She stares at the edge of the sands for a long moment, looking tempted to flee from the heat and then, ever so slowly, she lifts up her chin proudly and stays put. 

Kelsa misses the impression of the golden queen, and the tic in her neck moves in time to the rocking of the sable egg. She leans forward, a strand of hair coming free from her runnertail and falling across her perspiration-soaked neck, and her hands drop to her sides, fingers half-curling. 

Zavir does manage to catch Birgitte’s impression. He’s smiling and clapping for the pair, and carefully glancing at Caritha to see her reaction. His eyes wander back to the Talk of the Weyr Egg. 

Therst dances from foot to foot like Zavir as well he grins to his fellow candidate and watches for the very sharp claws. Though he still grins at the Brown. 

Nikki watches with anticipation to see who the Tea Brown will choose. 

Finally, the Talk of the Weyr Egg reveals what all the talk is really about; a small bronze dragonet. 
Red Currant Bronze 
This dragonet of currant berry bronze is very hardy looking and even fresh from his shell seems right at home on the hot sands. Strength ripples across his smooth metallic hide in waves of reds and browns that blend into a vibrant shade of burgundy bronze which flows from the tip of his velvety soft muzzle to the straggling stem of his tail. Veins of a deep green tincture taper outwards in groups of threes and fives as they travel upwards along his back, to finally turn into smudged golden-green floral patterns that decorate his headknobs. As his wings extend the undersides are revealed, each dotted with red, white, and gilded champagne colored specks. His multi faceted whirling green eyes possess a hint of wildness that gleams bright from his overall appearance of cultivation. Unused Sharp talons that are the palest of almond in color seem too large for this small bronze hatchling, but give promise to the size he could become. 

Therst smiles as he turns his head sharply arond and looks at the Brown he grins and drops to on knee and wraps his arms around the dragons neck “Yes Qortenenth, we will together till the end” he says with a tear running down his face and stands. As he looks at every on else “This is Qortenenth” 

S’din finds the going easier across the sands this time as the throngs of new dragonets thins. He smiles and opens his arms to the new pair, “Congratulations Th’res and Qortenenth!” He helps them find their way through the fog of their happiness. 

Kelsa misses the hatching, misses Therst’s Impression to her regret (or will be regret)…for her attention remains on the ebony egg. 

With a crisp snap, the Chocolate Biscotti Egg breaks apart with flying crumbs of shell scattering about it. A bright blue head peeks out the top and is soon followed by a sleek body. There is a quick scurry across the sands to a slender lad from Nabol with curly hair, who drops to his knees and cries out happily as he throws his arms around the blue’s neck. 

Zallyndra claps Beaf’s hand again. “Oh congrats Therst!” She is almost hopping again with delight. 

Called the Tea Kettle Black Egg’s hairline crack becomes a split as more tapping is echoes across the sands. With growing incentive the hatchling inside now strains to break free. 

Therst grins and walks with S’din, keeping stride with his new life mate as they walk off the sands. 
Therst has left. 

Zavir blinks at Therst’s impression, then a slow smile spreads across his face. “Well, buddy, it was nice knowin’ ya!” he calls with a knowing smirk. 

Marist cheers for Therst and then laughs at the bronze, “He’s pretty!” But then her favorite egg seems to be moving and she claps for it, “It’s the little black egg! One of my favorites!” That’s Marist, all enthusiasm. 

Kelsa tenses, the tic increasing in intensity. Breathe, she reminds herself sternly. Breathe. Thin muscles tense. 
That is not a valid player. 


Called the Tea Kettle Black Egg had been eclipsed by a gem of a young green. 
Evening Jewel Green 
Rich with dark luster this green dragonet sparkles like a rare jewel worn publicly only for the most special of occasions. She is the prize emerald set in gold, the treasure that will inspire greedy desire simply by existing, the cup of rarest tea. Visually enticing in nature, most of her hide is the deepest of greens set with minute sparkles of marigold and accenting flashes of pale rose. The mainsails of her elegant wings tend toward medium, brush green around the shoulder and supporting spars but lighten to a pale linden shade towards the trailing edge and tips. Marigold again glimmers on the nails of her wing tips and is repeated in the inside curve of her talons. Lighter green, tending towards lavender stem in hue, rims her gentle looking eyes. The facets of these orbs seem to promise that she is so much more than just her physical beauty, but what deeper mystery she may hold is something only her lifemate may be able to solve.

Red Currant Bronze punches through and out in a matter of moments. He looks around this new place. Wow, it’s bright! He half-closes his eyes and swings his head about. Once he has this new skill mastered he opens his wings and fans them a bit, sending egg goo flying about the unfortunate Candidates standing nearby. 

Beaf says “Yay, Therst!” as his hand is clapped. He even chuckles a bit while his large hand is moved. “That is a long name. Oh! Another pretty green!”" 

Caritha stays put in her place, feet immobile. She doesn’t even seem to notice the Therst’s impression or the hatching of the newest dragonet, let alone the heat of the sands. Upon hearing her sister’s voice, she seems to wake up again, though she watches now with the detachment of a spectator in the galleries. 

Yarilene was looking off across the sands and thus missed Therst’s Impression; she turns back only in time to toss after him applause. “Did someone say there’s a brown out there?” she wonders, turning back to the still-dangerous dragonets. 

Kelsa relaxes now and steps back, almost to the wall. No way she wanted to be to close to a new hatched dragonet. 

Marist edges over to stand near Caritha. She gives her sister and grin and points out the bronze, “He kind of looks like Dzurath, doesn’t he?” Not that she’d try to cheer up her sister or anything. 

Qortenenth has left. 

Nikki watches the green hatchling. “How elegant.” she says with a small smile. 

Zavir turns his head back to the Sands just in time to see the Talk of the Weyr Egg hatch. His breath again catches in his throat and he sends Kelsa an incredulous glance. “Look slike you were right–it -was- a bronze!” His eyes travel to where hers are and he also witnesses the black egg shatter. 

Red Currant Bronze manages to stand and walk a few steps before falling on the Sands. It takes two more tries but he masters yet another skill and stays upright. Hey, he’s doing well to learn so much in just a few minutes! He examines the Candidates nearest to him, even going so far as to open his eyes all the way to see better. Not finding what he was looking for, he move on to anther group. 

Kelsa ignores Zavir save for a brief nod and then steps backwards again, gving more clearance. The light dims in her eyes but does not go out. 

Zallyndra looks around at Beaf’s comment and nods. “Yes, another very pretty green. A nice handsome bronze over there too.” she nods as she again pushes her hair back. It’s not really staying in place and the braid hanging down her back is looking pretty frazzled at this point. 

Evening Jewel Green gives her tail a shake trying to remove the dampness that clings to her hide along with bits of shell. She exhales with a huff and realizing her own breath is warm. Her faceted eyes whirl about as lids wink many times over. A tentative step is taken then another as sharp talons sink into the sand. She must fine the one, her need growing by the moment as she heads towards the candidates, searching. 

Yarilene sidesteps back toward Zavir, shifting her feet in a vain attempt to cool them. She glances at him, then the green, but holds her tongue except to say, “That bronze has quite a bit of red on him, doesn’t he?” 

Caritha looks suprised to find Marist so close by, but she does manage a small smile upon hearing her sister’s words. Finally noticing that 2 more eggs have hatched, her tone of voice regains the banter she usually reserves for dialogues with her sister, “They are both bronze, I suppose. Or perhaps you are referring to the green?” 

Kelsa sidesteps neatly, to the left, backwards, and clear. 

Nikki watches the movements of the green, grinning at the blinking of her eyes. She doesn’t seem to notice that no one is standing right next to her anymore, as she is paying close attention to the actions on the sands. 

Red Currant Bronze gains confidence and keeps moving. No more spills mar his appearance, nor do any egg shards decorate his hide. With solemn deliberation he examines one white-robed being after another, sniffing the feet of one for several seconds before turning away. Perhaps he doesn’t like stinky sweat smell? Before too much time passes, he finds a smell he likes very much. Very much indeed. 

Marist laughs and says almost to Caritha, “Yeah, probably both bronzes. That green is okay, I guess. Maybe she’ll come over here, I wouldn’t mind that. She’s got nice looking wings.” Marist nods and then taps her fingers on her robe hopefully. 

Evening Jewel Green will not be overlooked, her need for food washing over her now in waves. She bolts towards a pair of girls then huffs again when she’s gone unappreciated. To a tall lad she turns to but a shiver runs down her back making her turn away yet again. Other candidates are given a close study but they won’t do. Oh wait what is this. She returns again to the first pair to confirm. 

Zavir looks behind him at Kelsa, “Not leaving the Sands are ya?” 

Yarilene gives the red bronze one more look, then turns her attention fully to the emerald green. She stays wordless, all her earlier chatter driven away by the heat and commotion. 

Red Currant Bronze is now listening. 
Red Currant Bronze peers into the eyes of a boy with fiery copper hair. 

Matheny moves over some to take S’rist’s arm as the number of eggs dwindles. “Almost over. I think it took longer than I remember, I guess I’m getting old.” She laughs as she says this though and then cheers, “Looks like that bronze has found someone for him.” 

Kelsa looks to Zavir, the dark eyes duller than usual, but she shakes her head. One egg at least yet remains, and so does a small glimmer of hope.

Caritha giggles at her sister, “Well maybe the bronze would be interested in you too.” All traces of her previous nervousness have disappeared since the golden dragonet has already impressed – now she’s just a spectactor, finally able to enjoy the show. Noticing Zavir’s impression, she gives her sister a grin, “Oh well, guess you won’t be able to impress him now after all.” 

Evening Jewel Green is now listening. 
Evening Jewel Green peers into the bright blue eyes of the Weyrleader’s more feminine daughter. 

Zavir looks down at the hatchling before him in stupefied silence, then asks, “A-are you s-sure, Teineth? You want -me-, instead of, er, someone else?” That’s shock speaking, for in a moment he’s kneeling beside the dragonette and putting his arms tenderly about its burgundy neck. “Oh, it –IS– better than se–” here his eyes dart towards the Stands and he amends, “ah, kissing a girl—-for sure! I’ll never forget it. And yes, I like the sound of it. We -will- be together forever.” Suddenly he’s laughing with joy! 

S’din moves quickly over the sands, his booted feet oblivious to the heat. It’s obvious he’s gotten used to it. He calls, “Congratulations and welcome, Z’vir and Teineth!” He urges them to follow him as he leads them off the sands. 

Marist laughs and claps for Zavir’s impression, “Oh well, I was hoping he’d look at me, like that bronze looked at Aunt Cari once.” Not that Marist remembers that herself, it’s only a retelling of a favorite story. “Oh, that green!” The girl giggles and puts her hands over her mouth in excitement.

Kelsa raises a hand and nods at Zavir’s Impression as she steps a bit more to the left to give the pair room…but she does not retreat further. 

Nikki watches in shock as Zavir Impresses to the bronze, but her shock soon melts in humor as she claps and grins. “That is going to be interesting.” she says with a chuckle, her eyes watching the green make her final choice. 

Zallyndra chuckles and shakes her head. “I should have placed a bet on that pairing.” she mutters to herself. 

Z’vir stands and faces S’din, knees wobbling a little bit as he does so. On his face is a radiant grin. He places a light hand upon Teineth’s headknobs. He nods as he’s directed to the Weyrling Room and says giddily, “S-someday, all the golds are gonna have to watch out for us!” rowr! 

Caritha really looks at the green dragonet for the first time, shaking her head slightly and then darting glances between her sister and the dark green hued dragon. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen and she simply opens and closes her mouth several times, no sound emerging. Finally she bends to reach out a hand to touch the damp hide, regaining her voice, “Of course you are beautiful Semirath, moreso than the most precious jewel.” 

S’din moves again as the Impressions happen almost one atop the other. He cries welcome for Caritha and Semirath, guiding them both off the sands as he joins them on their journey off the sands. He gives a quick smile and nod to Matheny and S’rist, knowing the tough talk they have ahead of them. 

Teineth has left. 

Beaf watches as the remaining dragons seem to be zeroing in on their feeders. And he watches more. “Hey, buddy.” he calls when 
Z’vir announces his lifemate’s name. No sooner does he get that out then he sees the green has taken a liking to someone. “She’s so pretty, Caritha.” 

Z’vir has left. 
S’din has left. 

The Powdered Treasures Egg may be the last egg on the sands, but that is not for lack of trying on the hatchlings part. The egg has so many cracks, its a wonder the thing doesnt simply fall to pieces. Quick as the thought, the egg does just that. Shards fall away to reveal a blue who looks quite bewildered at his new surroundings. Then he remembers, a lifemate! Thats what he needs. He sets off in search of such a one, and finds her, a red-haired girl from Ogren Hold. 

Nikki smiles brightly in Caritha’s direction. “Congratulations Caritha!” she calls. 

Matheny looks surprised and pleased, she cheers just as she always does for each impression and then she nudges at S’rist and moves towards the remaining group of candidates and gives them a supportive smile. 

Caritha bites on her lip as she looks back up at her sister, almost apologetically, before her attentions are absorbed completely by Semirith. Her feet move on their own as she finds herself escorted off the sands. 

Caritha has left. 

Semirath has left. 

Marist laughs and says, “She does have nice wings, I said.” Then the girl takes a look around at the sands and kind of catches her breath. “Oh. We made it through. Very nice.” 

Kelsa lowers her head and folds her hand behind her back again, eyes dimming, but she does not retreat or break position. There was still a chance. There was still hope. 

Nikki looks back out on to the sands expectantly, but finds that there are no eggs left. “Oh.” she says, her smile fading a bit. “They’re all gone.” 

Yarilene looks after Z’vir, then to the broken and discarded egg shells. She rubs her arms again, then takes a step toward the Weyrleaders. She doesn’t seem to be particularly upset by the results of the Hatching. 

Beaf smiles down at Zally and shrugs a bit. “No one got hurt. This is good, yes?” 

Zallyndra’s smile widens to a grin. “Very true. No one got hurt and lots of people are very happy tonight. I’m happy for them. What about you?” 

Kelsa realizes too late that no more eggs remain, and the light totally leaves her eyes. But still she remains, head down. 

Matheny raises her voice a little bit to speak to the candidates. “We want to thank you all for standing on the High Reaches sands. It’s a brave thing you did today for all of Pern and although you didn’t find your lifemate you should all be proud of yourselves. Those of you who are young enough may find your lifemate in another clutch, perhaps even here if you decide to stay on with us.” She glances at S’rist and then goes on, “We hope that you’ll stay for the feast. If you do wish a ride to another weyr or to a craft or hold, that will also be prepared for you. If you do stay on with us then tomorrow we’d be happy to talk to you about the open positions we have here at the weyr.” 

Beaf chukles quietly. “I am happy. There were lots of pretty greens. I am happy for all of our friends too…” He’s about to maybe say more but when Matheny steps forward he quiets, turning to listen. 

Kelsa raises her head at Matheny’s words, her face settling into grim lines. 

Yarilene’s mouth twists wryly as Matheny mentions youth, but nods politely enough. 

Marist chews a little on her lip as she listens, but she seems to take it all in stride and nods to the words. 

S’rist nods a bit to Matheny’s words, then adds a few of his own, “You’ve done a great duty to all of Pern by standing for our eggs. And please, we have grown to know all of you, and if you wish to find a life here at the weyr, we would do our best to find something that fits you well.” 

Matheny smiles kindly to the small throng of candidates and then indicates the gallery. “You are all free now to go, be it to the feast, or wherever you desire.” 

Nikki kicks a foot in the dirt idly and smiles up at the Weyrleaders. Her face is a mixture of thought and emotions as she turns to make her way off the sands. 

Zallyndra nods. “Thank you Weyrwoman, Weyrleader.” She looks up at Beaf. “Want to go get something to eat?” 

Kelsa lowers her head again, shoulders slumping. It had been exactly as she had feared. Exaxctly as she had feared. 

Nikki heads up a short flight of steps to the galleries. 
Nikki has left. 

Yarilene bobs them a curtsey, then turns for the galleries as well. 

Yarilene heads up a short flight of steps to the galleries. 
Yarilene has left. 

Beaf nods, smiling to S’rist and Matheny. As he nods more to answer Zallyndra he has to chuckle. “They said they’d find something to ‘fit’ us all. I need more trousers.” 

Zallyndra turns and starts out towards the bowl. 
Zallyndra heads up a short flight of steps to the galleries. 
Zallyndra has left.



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