Erith and Zyanth's Hatching - Fort Weyr
February 4, 2001

NCpern - Sunday, February 04, 2001, 2:54 PM
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Your location's current time: 16:36 on day 1, month 10, Turn 34, of the Tenth Pass. It is a autumn afternoon.

Lunan is on his cot, peering at a piece of hide.

Saphan leans back on his cot, arms folded behind his head, humming to himself.

Christania is sitting on her cot, picking dirt out of the soles of her boots. She grumbles quietly and wipes her nose on a hankey before she mumbles, "Why do runners have to use the necessaries everywhere."

Aine comes in from the caverns and claps her hands. "Everyone get their robes on. It's time!"

Roan is digging under his cot, "Now where did I leave that.. muffle muffle.. I know its in here somewhere...."

Sovalin is making his bed still. And he is still muttering about someone who came and messed it all up when he made it nice and neat this morning.

Terrel comes charging into the barracks, completely rump naked. He's also wet and flustered looking. Somehow, he manages to avoid killing himself on someones cot, with his wet feet. "It's started!"

Caralain bounces in from the corridor. "I heard it! Listen! They sound like a whole big lotta bunch of vtols!"

Lijan eventually lets go of the pillow Caralain tossed at him earlier, tosses it back, and then just stares at Aine with mouth open wide. After a moment he regains composure, calmly stands and gets his neatly folded robe from the press.

Taralinda enters from the Inner Caverns, letting the curtain fall shut behind her.
Taralinda has arrived.

Aluren is busy stuffing her little half grown firelizard so full it will sleep for the next day. As soon as she is done with that, oiling looks like the plan. The bottle is on her press. "I know Terrel! That is why I am trying to get Bubbly comatose!"

Sovalin turns so fast that he nearly trips over his feet. "What? It can't! I'm...not dressed!" He is dressed he means his robe.

Taralinda frowns slightly, putting a hand to her stomach, "And I just missed the best meal!"

Vaelyn is resting on her cot, fiddling with her hair until every strand is in place. The bun is tight, and doesn't appear to be able to come loose too easily. "It's time?" she starts, looking towards Aine in a startled fashion. Quickly, she reaches over and picks up her robe from her press and wiggles into it.

Saphan sits bolt upright, eyes wide at Aine's words. "The eggs?" He asks, sliding off his cot. He reaches underneath and roots around. "Where's that robe?" Finding it, he pulls off his clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor as he dons his robe.

Lijan of course misses Caralain, who's skittered out to the corridor and back.

Talene shrieks as she runs around the room, then dives for her treasure chest and starts to throw clothes around. She grabs her robe and calmy slips it on and stands there, frozen.

T'shar follows a few steps behind Aine, muttering something to himself about the sands still going to be hot whether or not Toniath is out there too. He has that 'I'm talking to my dragon' look on his face.

Jenna is coming in from the caverns, towel slung about her shoulder and hair wet. She is just ahead of Terrel, and blushing furiously. She heads for her press, haphazardly tossing clothes everywhich way.

Roan says, "Its started?" WHAM! He smacks his head into the cot. He pulls his head out rubbing to sooth down a bump, "That smarts..."

Kiryn comes in from the hall also, not running, but at least walking quickly. Surprisingly, he doesn't say anything, and goes straight to his cot, and to the place he has his robe folded. Quietly, he unfolds it, checking something inside, and then starts to undress, only to drape the robe over his body.

Lijan is shy enough to try to hide from the looks of girls and quickly pulls on his robe. May others wear thong, he goes for the traditional underwear approach. He then sits on the cot and puts on his sandals. Methodically. He's such a correct boy.

Hiriwa is busily plaiting her hair, pulling the wispy strands tight and cursing them as they misbehave. "Shards, shells, shards, shells" she mutters repeatedly under her breath, a nervous reaction she's scarcely aware of.

Lunan rolls of his cot in surprise, landing with a *whump* on the floor. "Eggs? Hatch? Now?" He strips, then realizes his robe is under his cot. The barracks gets a hind-end view as he drops to all fours to retrieve it.

Aine watches all the ensuing confusion, jumping back to avoid being barrelled over by an excited candidate.

Luckily firelizards are gluttens so it isn't long before Aluren can dump the little beasty and start digging through her press whimpers "Where is it! where is it?" her hair dripping water in her eyes still wet from the springs.

Terrel scrambles among the cots and grabs his robe, still in a heap on his cot, and throws it on. He hurriedly grabs the first piece of underwear he finds, and realizes he left his boots in the hotsprings. "Shards! Oh... I'll cope, it can't be worse than summer beach sand...what do we do now?"

Christania blinks at Aine and hops to her feet. She runs to the end of her cot and flips open the lid of the press, pulling out a robe. She shucks off her clothes, not really caring who's around, and slips the robe over her head before smiling back at the others, "It's time. Either another two turns of work, or vacation time!"

Dastra has just put her robe on. To her dismay it's quite a bit larger than she is, and it looks more than vaguely sacklike. She tugs on it a little, pulling the shoulder up off of her arm.

Vaelyn leans over and reaches for her boots from beneath her cot. After a few good foot rubs, each one is slid into their respective boots and tied neatly.

Caralain laughs delightedly and runs to quickly dance out of clothes, into huge robe, visible body parts looking terribly skinny in contrast.

Milque looks over at Dastra and her robe, "Need a quick hem in that Dastra?"

Dasil dives into his robe and then has to spend precious moments pulling it off again and removing his other clothing first. When he finally gets it fully settled he frowns a little at the fit, a bit snugger than his first choice would be.

Sovalin shakes his head again. "I'm not clean either!" he wails though he could possibly be missed in the general din of the room.

Saphan stands next to his cot, trembling slightly in his robe, goosebumps covering his exposed arms and legs.

Taralinda hugs her lean body against the wall and eases over to join Aine, T'shar and Miritha with questions in her eyes, "I hope I''m not late."

Jenna mutters under her breath, "Where *is* it. I just had it." As the thrumming can be heard through the rocks she stops stock still. A few moments of silence and then she rather calmly extracts the robe from the pile of covers at the foot of her cot. Shedding clothes, for once not modest, she climbs into it. Like Dastra's, it's also a bit big, though does seem to fit enough not to hinder movement.

Lijan stands and smoothens his robe. Perfect. He looks around himself, then notes Dastra's look of dismay. "You still look like a lady, Dastra," he says with a crooked smile. His eyes go searching for Caralain next, and he just shakes his head at the giant-sized robe.

Aluren pulls out a very rumpled robe with a triumphant "Ahha!". She wiggles out of her wet clothes and into the wrinkled robe. Frowning she tugs at the fabric, as her hair makes a wet splotch down her back.

Kiryn shifts around, adjusting to the feel of the garment, and reaches to smooth it out. He still hasn't said a word, and pauses to check that patch he'd been attaching earlier. It's not visible to the outside world, except as maybe a slightly darker spot on the front of his robes. Once that's done, he gets his sandals, and takes a deep breath. "Ok... calm." Then a look around, to pick out where everyone is.

Aine steps back to near the door, sharing a look with T'shar, Miritha, and Taralinda. "Shards and shells, were we this bad?"

Dastra smiles a little. "Or something! I didn't know it was gonna be so long, Milque! What if I trip and fall!" At Lijan's comment, she flashes him a grateful smile.

Roan pulls out a battered old looking robe, "Well maybe this time you will bring me some luck." He says af if talking to the robe. he slips it on after swiftly removing his clothing.

Talene takes a deep breath and throws her hair up into a braid. She's ready. She gives Krypto a stroke. He's warbling anxiously at her. She sits down and hugs him, murmuring to the firelizard. Then she's off her cot and standing there to wait for the others.

T'shar's reply is a curt, "No." Then he pauses. "I don't think my face was still numb at the hatching. But I got my robe on okay."

Milque grabs her thread and needle, moving over to help Dastra, "This isn't going to be much, just a few stiches, so be careful or you'll tear it right out again."

Lunan hops from foot to foot, after successfully pulling on his robe. A big, dirty spot is right where his belly button should be. He peers at it, shrugs, and yanks on his sandals. "Whooops, wrong feet," he mumbles, hurriedly switching them. He looks at the others, and calls, "Anyone need help?"

Terrel has ended up by the door, actually rather ahead of most people. Of course, given the flurry of panic, it probably wasn't a surprise. He does take a moment to calm, trying to straighten out his robe...a little long, it actually seems to fit him better than he's been saying it did.

Caralain makes a triumphant face at Lijan, "It's finally happening!" Plopping down onto the cot that needs to be neat no more, Cara rustles for shoes and quickly pulls them on.

Taralinda grins and crosses her arms over her chest, eyes glinting, "I was."

Jenna asks Milque, "You get one side, I'll get the other?" She nods to Dastra's robe, and smiles tightly at the other girl, also moving to help.

Miritha grins at Aine. "_We_ weren't. Hey, there's Zmeth, and Kassima's come, too! Not that I'm surprised."

Lijan looks more hesitant than triumphant at Caralain's words and shrugs, then awaits further instruction.

Vaelyn stands finally and gives herself a good once-over, making sure everything is in place. She moves over towards Roan and Jenna and a few of the others, looking slightly jittery. "You guys have everything in place?" she asks, briefly looking to the riders chatting over by the enterance.

Dastra stands very still and nods. "I'd sure appreciate it, Jenna, Milque. Guess I'm not so good at sewing and stuff after all."

Milque smiles and nods to Jenna, "Sounds good, don't worry about getting it even, we just don't want her to go face first into the sand."

Kiryn searches out a few people, as he looks; Terrel, Vaelyn, Jenna, and a slew of others. He notices that Terrel at least has broken away from the back, and wanders a few steps to join him, once his sandals are on. "Well, this is it. Did you see where Fluria went? She's still here, right?"

T'shar grins. "Has Kassi *ever* missed a hatching?"

Aluren takes a deep breath and knots her fingers behind her back to keep them from tugging at the wrinkles more. Stepping into her boots she hops over towards the door, laces flapping.

Miritha flashes a grin at T'shar. "Nope. I'd better have Farlioth pass my bets on."

Hiriwa bounces to her feet, tugging a scrap of ribbon into a firm bow at the end of her second plait, winceing mentarily as the soft fabric of her robe snags on a splinter. "Why me?" she queries of no one in particular, fingers tucking the snag down. Small feet wriggle into boots and she attends to tieing the laces. Tightly and with knots guaranteed not to come undone.

Jenna nods and grins nervously. "Anything to keep my mind off it." Needle and thread are produced, and she starts to whip up the other side of Dastra's hem. Feet are still bare, and hair wet, tongue clamped between her teeth.

Terrel looks over at Kiryn and nods, "I'm sure she is... Qirith probably kept her here." He seems to be working on calming down. Breathe. Calm. Zen. "I think my heart just started beating again," he offers with a wan smile.

Sovalin groans, ripping through his press. Clothing gets tossed onto the just made bed. "Oh, here it is!" quickly he yanks off his shirt, kicks his sandals off. One sandal hits the wall and the other actually flys across the room. "Oops." Next he pulls down his pants and in a flash he pulls the robe over his head.

Aine turns back to the candidates. "When you're ready, line up against the wall, alphabetically, please." She points to the wall against which the riders are currently leaning.

Dasil gets his sandals on and hoves into place near some other candidates, he looks a little green about the gils with nerves.

Roan looks at the plain worn silver ring on his hand, "I sappose I got to take this off again..." he looks about the room and spots Pryde sound asleep on his bed and tucks the ring into the paws of his little bronze, "Keep that safe Pryde." He grins and gives the lizard a quick rub and sits down on the bed. "Oh I forgot how chaotic this time of hatching got."

Caralain laces the boots and stands, looking around nervously. Ready to sidle towards Lijan, the candidate then hears Aine and sidles towards the wall instead.

Vaelyn turns, spotting Kiryn. That nervous twitch of an eyebrow calms and a smile manages to grasp her mouth. "Fluria went out to talk with Qirith. I'm not sure what about. I'm sure she stuck around though." At Aine's announcement, she looks about, and goes to stand on the far end of the wall.

Terrel squeezes Kiryn's shoulder, and pats off to position himself about two-thirds of the way down the wall.

Roan gets up off the bed and walks over to the wall calling, "R"

Saphan nods to Aine, and mutters something that sounds suspiciously like the alphabet to himself as he heads for his spot against the wall.

Aluren clumps into place, then kneels to tie her boots. Aedevan gets a nervous smile as she double knots the ties.

T'shar starts to move into alphabetical order, then stops, coughing. No one saw that.

Lunan trots over to the door to be first in line. Then he registers the 'alphabetically' part of Aine's instructions, and sighs. "Um, I'm after, Dasil, an' Cara, an'... in front of, uh..." He stands to the side, confused.

Taralinda tries to look impressive and intimiadating, towering as she does over many of the shorter candidates.

Aine reaches out a hand toward T'shar and grins as she stops.

Talene inhales and stands a little ways away from the door, where she thinks the T's might be. She waves goodbye to Krypto, waching the others take their places.

Miritha says cheerfully, "Here, Lunan, after Kiryn."

Lijan looks disappointed for a moment, then looks around. Alphabetically? That would place him behind Jenna. He finds the other candidate and stands behind her, at the wall.

Christania isn't short at all. Nope. Not one bit. So she gives an even nod to Taralinda as she passes the greenrider to settle in behind Christian and infront of Cole.

Kiryn reaches to give his fellow candidate's shoulder a little clap. "It'll be ok." Vaelyn's voice catches his attention, and he turns back. "Good... good." Alphabetical what? Oh dear. He looks around, notes Lunan, and takes a step that-a-way.

Aedevan slips over towards Aluren, flashing a wide smile and a wink and generally looking goofy.

Caralain wonders, voice higher than normal, "Do we hafta stand this way on the sands?" Twitch. Twitch. Fidget.

Terrel will end up after Tara and in front of Vaelyn. Almost the end of the line...

Lunan gives a grin to Miritha, and ducks his head. "Th-thanks. After Lijan too, right?" He gets behind the other Candidate, and hops from foot to foot. "Mustn't trip, mustn't fall," he mutters to himself.

Milque goes over to take her spot right behind Lunan.

T'shar mumbles to Aine, "This was less confusing when I just had to stand out there next to Toniath."

Aine shakes her head. "You don't have to, no. This is just for introduction's sake." She tucks the hide with all the candidates' names into her pocket.

Vaelyn is too far back to see Taralinda looking so intimidating. Instead, she focuses in on Terrel and smiles at him weakly. "Well, good luck!"

Sovalin looks around then moves to his spot. He eyes the others lined up before taking his place right behind Roan.

Taralinda just scowls lightly and then flashes a covert grin at Aine. "Where do you want us to fall into place Aine?"

Jenna quickly ties off the knot in Dastra's robe and breaks the thread. By no means could it be called a masterful job. The cloth is mostly even. Mostly. She grins at Dastra and murmurs "G'luck," before grabbing boots to go take her place in line.

Dastra waits until the last-minute mending is done and skitters over to stand next to her brother. She pokes Dasil's shoulder. "You nervous, Stinkyfoot?"

Miritha laughs. "No, no. Yes, after Lijan, very good. You can clump up - girls clump up more towards the gold, I think."

Sovalin passes Chrissy, touching her arm lightly. "Ready for this?"

Roan blinks, "They are going to intoroduce us?" he starts to go a little green.

Lijan looks over his shoulder at Lunan and says "Watch it, it'll be as easy as skipping stones." Not that he was ever good at that. He stares to the front again, and remains oddly calm, chin raised, only his eyes hinting at his panic.

Saphan hesitantly eyes Sovalin, then inserts himself between Roan and Sovalin. "Alphabetical," he mutters.

Aine looks at those helping her. "Bring up the rear, Tara? And T'shar and Miri to the sides so they don't wander off?"

Hiriwa finds her spot in the line, nervously nibbling away a fingernail as she waits - eyes wide - beside Jenna.

Christania looks over at Sovalin, wearing a nervous smile, though her worried eyes betray her false facade, "Always. You?"

Terrel nods at Vaelyn, looking kind of wan, yet smiling. "I just hope I don't faint like I did during that hatching-play thing we did."

Public announcement: Vivian announces "Greetings Pern! Fort Weyr's hatching will begin in 15-20 minutes. All are welcome to join us in the festivies! #200 (center of the bowl - ground level) #958 is the Galleries. Sands are +watchable (Fort-Sands). :)"

Caralain yells forward to Aluren, "Good luck, Baker!" And then twisting towards Lijan, "Good luck, Baker cutie!"

Kiryn waves to Jenna, just to help her out. "Over here, in front of me." What luck, eh? A glance to those behind, and those in front, and he takes another moment just to breathe, one hand on his chest. Not that he's having trouble, it's just over that spot where the patch was added.

Sovalin nods. "Sure am." he oopes to Saphan. "YOur right. You go there and I go here." he twists a hand. "All ready. Sure." he mumbles.

Taralinda nods and strolls on towards the back, offering a little push into line to a couple candidates already clinging together. Then she takes up her spot at the end.

Dasil edges around in his place, behind Christania and in front of his sister. He turns and gives his sister the eye but can't thing of anything sufficiently clever enough to say so tugs on the sides of his robe.

Milque takes a really long breath and just looks nervous. "I said I wasn't going to be nervous this time. I wish I'd listened to myself."

Lijan flushes. Lots. Cara called him cutie. It's an interesting contrast to his pristine robe. "Um, good luck, baker," he murmurs, Caralain would never hear that.

Vaelyn now gets a chance to peer up at Taralinda. The difference isn't so great for this 5'10" candidate, but still... "Hey there," she states with a little wave.

Lunan works his mouth into some kind of words, undecipherable as he stares at Lijan, then wildly turns to stare at all the others. "C-can I... I hafta... Miri!" he howls, legs crossing.

Talene takes another deep breath. And another. She stares at the back of the head of the person staring in front of her. What an interesting head that is...

Aluren jumps as Caralain yells good luck in her direction. Hair trigger nerves. "You too!" she shouts back down the line. "If one of us doesn't Impress, think Ofira will be happy or sad?"

T'shar moves into position, flanking the candidates with Miritha. "Don't even think about it," he mutters to the fidgety boy in line, who's reaching out to tug on the braids of the girl in front of him.

Terrel leans out to peer up at Lunan, then snickers. Then looks back at Taralinda as she steps in front of him.

Jenna ends up in the right place: behind Hiriwa, before Kiryn. "Good luck you two."

Lijan is pushed back in line and ends up behind Kiryn, still very flushed. That Caralain. Always so disconcerting. He calls his best wishes to Aluren as well. Bakers unite.

Miritha puts a hand over her mouth. "Go now, Lunan, and hurry up about it, kiddo."

Lunan dashes out to the necessaries, face redder than... well, pretty sharding red. He returns quickly, the back of his robes stuck in the back of his pants. What a mess.... He doesn't seem to notice.

Roan begins to mutter to himself, "This time is diffrent.. this time is diffrent... this time is diffrent.." over and over as his face gets paler and paler.

"Good luck," Kiryn echoes, although it's hardly aimed at everyone. He's stuck at his point in the line now, and getting anyone specific would be impossible. Still, he reaches out to the girl in front of him, to give her shoulder a little squeeze.

Karie rolls her eyes at Lunan. "Better hurry up. You don't want to be late!" she chides.

Milque looks back behind her at Roan and smiles, whispering to him.

Christania starts to sing quietly to herself, "I've got a loverly bunch of citrus fruits, tweedly dee, here they are a standin' in a row... big ones. small ones, some the size of your head.."

Vaelyn musters up a more cheerful smile for this last warm moment. "Yes, good luck everyone! I hope to see you all after," she calls down the line, waving again.

Talene looks up ahead, as she tries to find her one constant friend through all of this, from Searching through Candidacy. "Good luck, Chrissy!" She waves and then yells at Roan, "Good luck." She turns around to shout the same to Vaelyn, "Good luck." Glancing, she finds Saphan, offering him a good luck as well. Then she's done, and staring at the head of the person in front of her again. Nice head.

Dastra fiddles with the skirt of her robe, glancing around at the rest of the line of Candidates. "Yeah," she calls. "Good luck, everyone!"

Caralain idly starts to poke the Candidate next in line.

Aine eyes Lunan. "Lunan," she calls out. "Check your robe."

Saphan leans out from his spot in line and looks up and down the row of candidates. "Good luck," he calls out to them.

Roan looks up and gives Milque a slight grin and say "I hope so too." But he looks more plae then he normaly does. And after a few moment he picks up the chant again.

Jenna grins back over her shoulder at Kiryn. "I think my brothers actually got to come." She takes a deep breath, and then starts calling out 'good luck's to those up and down the row.

Talene offers a general good luck to everyone, "Good luck." She squeezes her eyes shut and then opens them, staring down at her feet.

Lijan watches Caralain poke people as he moves out of line to stare ahead, then calls out "Good luck, young lady," to Dastra. And moves back into line. Better to keep that flush, if he can't get rid of it anyway.

Dasil echoes his good luck as well and then tries to straighten up and fly right. He stops fidgeting but can't keep from glancing around at the other candidates, wondering what will happen.

Terrel seems to be concentrating on just remaining calm. His newly gained tan is looking pretty pallid at the moment.

Caralain gets poked back and subsides mutinously.

Lunan is hopping from foot to foot, rear end waggling robe-less. He hears Aine and looks down. Everything seems all right from the front, so he looks back, confused. "What?" A smirk from the boy behind him, and he sees, yanking the robe out of his pants. Redder than a redfruit, Lunan actually begins jumping up and down in place.

Kiryn smiles a little, and lets his hand fall back to his side. "My cousin, too. And one friend of mine. They're pretty much my closest family anyway..." Parents? Who needs parents.

Dastra blinks in surprise at that comment from Lijan and beams at him before turning her attention back toward the riders. She hisses to Dasil, "Wonder if Mom's coming?"

Aine raises her voice above the din. "Alright, we're moving! To the bowl, pause outside the hatching grounds. On second thought, just follow me!" She heads for the door.

Aedevan keeps pulling at his robe, as if trying to make it longer. He twists and turns a bit, "Faranth, I feel naked..." he murmurs to no one inparticular.

Sovalin shifts left and right. "Oh moving! Lets go!" he squeaks.

Vaelyn whips back into line with the others and waits her turn as the candidates move out.

You trek the half mile to the northeastern end of the bowl.
Fort Weyr Bowl, northeastern area
The Bowl of Fort Weyr, a large, featureless plain surrounded by steep mountain cliffs, stretches out before you. It is vaguely oval in shape, long from southwest to northeast; you're standing near the wall at its northern end.
Off to the northwest is the long path leading up to the Junior Queens' Weyrs, while steps to the north lead to the Weyrleader Complex. From here you can see in to the Hatching Grounds to the east, and the steps leading up to the gallery stands in the Grounds to the southeast. Stretching off to the southwest is the center of the bowl, where the Lower Caverns, Weyrling Barracks, lake and Feeding Grounds can be seen.
Contents:
Vaelyn
Aedevan
T'shar(#13670PJacemq$)
Lijan
Saphan
Dastra
Dasil
Milque
Terrel
Roan(#16964PVace)
Sovalin
Kiryn
Caralain
Lunan
Aine
Hiriwa

Saphan jumps up and down. "That was my sister! That was my sister!" He hoots, as Timena passes by.

Vaelyn steps up behind Terrel, peeking over the line ahead of her out towards the sands. "They're finally hatching," is all she breaths, a bit nervous for more articulate conversation.

Jenna has turned more and more pale as the walk from the barracks went on. As the humming from the dragons inside can be heard, she scrunches shoulders for a moment, to get used to the bone-rattling sound.

Terrel nods, looking back at Vaelyn. He gnaws on his lip, leaning down to murmur, "I don't think I've ever been so nervous in my life."

Caralain has big handfuls of robe in each fist, holding it up, and eyes are round as saucers.

Lijan shifts nervously as others mention family. His mother will be there. He swallows hard.

Kiryn keeps quiet, mostly, as he was before, marching in order behind Jenna. When the group pauses, he takes another moment just to breathe.

Lunan is still hopping, trying to see to the head of the line. "Are they going? Are they going? Is it my turn yet?" he mumbles. The Candidate behind him snickers, and Lunan quiets, though his eyes are large and he's blinking quite a bit.

Sauscony walks up from the center of the bowl.
Sauscony has arrived.

"I'm dreaming" Aluren whispers softly "I just figured that out. And when I wake up I'll be at home."

Talene swallows hard. She tilts her head to the sky as she takes deep, calming breaths. She closes her eyes and listens to the humming of the dragons, but her expression indicates that she doesn't quite believe this is happening.

Aedevan takes a deep breath, his eyes darting about and telling of his nervousness, which invades the smile he casts over his fellow candidates.

Sauscony walks up the stairs leading into the Hatching Ground galleries.
Sauscony has left.

Aluren walks out onto the sands.
Aluren has left.

Dastra stands quite near to her brother. Her face is a pasty white and she seems to be looking anywhere but at the way into the Sands.

Aedevan walks out onto the sands.
Aedevan has left.

Bahlt walks up from the center of the bowl.
Bahlt has arrived.

Roan frowns and mummbles, "I know my family isn't comming. I didn't tell them."

Norri walks up from the center of the bowl.
Norri has arrived.

Jenna gulps softly. "Here we go." She takes a few deep breaths, eyeing the suddenly yawning tunnel to the sands.

Norri walks up the stairs leading into the Hatching Ground galleries.
Norri has left.

Vaelyn glances towards Roan and frowns a bit. "Well, my family will cheer enough for the both of us," she offers.

Dasil turns and offers a hand to his sister, along with an encouraging smile. "Best face forward. We'll be alright Dastly."

Bahlt mentions a hearty, "Very nice lines!" as he escorts his wife on by.

Bahlt walks up the stairs leading into the Hatching Ground galleries.
Bahlt has left.

Caralain walks out onto the sands.
Caralain has left.

Dastra nods. "Long as they remember what I told 'em and don't try to eat you," she mutters back to her brother.

Kiryn wathces as the candidates start to head in, and again reaches to give Jenna a comforting pat on the arm. "Good luck." He falls silent then and starts moving with the line.

Christania walks out onto the sands.
Christania has left.

Vaelyn's brows are furrowed in anticipation now, watching the candidates walk on two by two.

Lijan comes to stand next to Kiryn, and runs a hand through his hair, nodding to the other candidate.

Dastra walks out onto the sands.
Dastra has left.

Roan nods to Vaelyn before picking up his chant once more.

Dasil walks out onto the sands.
Dasil has left.

Talene murmurs to herself as she takes deep breaths. Obviosuly, she's trying to calm herself down.

Terrel falls back a bit so he's standing next to Vaelyn. He shifts from foot to foot, discreetly trying to move pebbles out from beneath his feet, that currently feel like boulders.

You walk out onto the sands, careful as the heat begins to make itself known.
Hatching Ground Sands
The sands here are heated by the volcano that birthed the Fort Weyr Bowl itself... still hot enough to burn through anything less than a sturdy pair of wherhide boots. It is here that the golden queens of Fort Weyr come to lay their eggs, and brood over them while they mature and harden.
Along the southern wall are the galleries for spectators, and broad steps lead up into them. The lower entrance is to the west and above it, you notice a larger entrance for the dragons. Ledges ring the upper levels of the cavern, providing perches for the hundreds of dragons of the Weyr.
Contents:
Dasil
Dastra
Christania
Caralain
Aedevan
Aluren
Ariandra(#3378PJOce$)
Vivian
Zyanth
Erith(#5005Jaeps)

Hiriwa walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Hiriwa has arrived.

Dastra steps gingerly out onto the sands, one hand gripping her overlong robe tightly. She swallows convulsively as she looks around at the eggs and the dragons and all the people up in the galleries. Then, remembering her manners, she looks back to Erith and Zyanth and bobs and awkward curtsey before taking her place in the semicircle with the other Candidates.

Dasil hoves onto the sands, in tow with his little sister, Dastra. He stops as they reach the right point and bows to both clutch dam and sire. When they take up their places with the other candidates Dasil offers Dastra a wink and then straightens himself up, like a guard on duty.

Kiryn walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Kiryn has arrived.

Jenna picks her way onto the sands. The sight of the galleries momentarily stuns her. She stops, eyes huge in her face. Then the bow to the dragons and riders is remembered - or is it a curtsy? Either way, it's awkward, before she hurries on to the other candidates.

Lijan walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Lijan has arrived.

The winds of autumn don't really penetrate down so far in the bowl. But when they do, they add to the humming of the dragons, like flutes played by unsteady hands. Faint shadows from clouds trundling by paint the sands in dark splotches, hiding, then revealing the eggs in the clutch. Sand shifts, and shimmies, coming down from the slight, protective barricades around the eggs. Something moves...or is it just the wind at play?

Caralain studies the dragons intently after looking quickly over the eggs, then peers over shoulder to the entrance, grabbing handfuls of too-large robe. Spotting Lijan, Cara blushes even now, and turns to hurry on into the group around the eggs.

Lunan walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Lunan has arrived.

Milque walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Milque has arrived.

Hiriwa's gaze darts to Eriath and Zyath and she stares at them for a moment before managing a little bob of a curtsey. Sidling into her place amongst the Candidates, she finally looks straight ahead to see the big eggs that are currently the center of almost everyone's attention.

Kiryn moves forward at a fair pace, his eyes more on his own feet, than anything else. Glancing briefly to the lad beside him, Lijan, he moves forward and then looks up, spotting the sire and dam. He bows then, as soon as he's out a bit further, and moves off to join the circle the others will be forming, seeking out the girl who'd been ahead of him in line.

Lijan apparently must have gotten another push from behind, but manages not to stumble /again/. He shoots a dark look over his shoulder and then inhales. Bowing. Yes. He bows low to Erith and then Zyanth, and his former etiquette teachers would be proud of him. Such a good boy.

Milque walks onto the sands then bows to the queen, the bronze, and then finally to the riders. Then she looks about and moves to join the forming circle of candidates, already wiping one hand nervously on her robe.

Lunan walks on, eyes wide and for some reason, mouthing the word "Four." He manages a few steps onto the sands, then freezes. Eyes dart towards dragons, and he bows once, twice, three times. Then, finally, a fourth time. Then he hesitates, eyes gazing up at all the people.

Saphan walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Saphan has arrived.

Roan walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Roan has arrived.

Vivian watches with growing anticipation as the Candidates take their place on the sands.

Saphan nervously bows to the queen, Erith, and then to the bronze, Zyanth. He then turns to their riders and bows again...once and twice more.

Talene walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Talene has arrived.

Sovalin walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Sovalin has arrived.

Roan enters and looks around. He quickly bows to the queen, the bronze and the two riders before moving out of the way.

Lijan follows Kiryn and comes to stand next to him. He looks at eggs, then remembers to look up to the galleries, where strangely enough he recognizes his mom and her Craftsecond right away. He winces, and then his eyes go looking for that other baker. Where's that Caralain? Of course he's still flushed too.

Caralain peers back again, and hisses, "Saphan! Lijan? Over here?" The candidate edges towards Dastra and Dasil, gaze everywhere but those eggs.

Vaelyn walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Vaelyn has arrived.

Talene enters, walking in a stately fashion, with her head held up high. She heads straight towards the Queen and Bronze. She bows low, turning to their riders and bowing. She moves to join the semi-circle after she's done, tilting her head back and looking up to the sky with her eyes closed. Breathing techniques are a must.

Terrel walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Terrel has arrived.

Sovalin walks in beside Talene already looking nervous. "Time." he mutters. As he approaches he bows stiffly to both the queen and bronze then takes two more steps and repeats the process in front of the riders. Then he walks quickly towards the mostly formed line of candidates.

Vaelyn moves listlessly along onto the sands with Terrel at her side. She pauses to give a quaint and graceful bow to Erith, Zyanth, Ariandra and F'ren. Her attention focuses in on her spot on the sands soon, however, as she quickly makes her way to stand with the others, or moreso, the girls, which appear to be clumped near the gold egg.

Lunan spots Saphan and darts over to him, whispering to the other Candidate and seeming to want to stay by him.

Jenna nervously tucks hair behind her ears, eyeing the mound of eggs. She grins as Kiryn and Lijan end up near, already sweating in the heat.

More sand shifts, a long slow sound, like some tamborine being shaken by unseen hands. Erith stirs, lifting herself higher now, and she peers into the midst of the eggs, anticipation making her shiver, like sails on a boat at sea, teased by the wind, gilded by the sun.

Saphan leans over and whispers something back to Lunan, then pats him on the arm.

Kiryn finally stops when he reaches Jenna, standing a step or two away from the girl. A smile to her, and he glances back over his shoulder next, eyes briefly searching the stands. And whether he actually picks out whoever he's looking for or not, which is probably more likely, with the gathered masses, the young man smiles a little, and turns his attention back on the clutch.

Christania shifts on her feet, left than right, eventually finding herself next to Talene. She offers her friend a comforting smile before swallowing hard and looking out at the big eggs.

Dastra stays right next to her older and much taller brother, gripping his hand convulsively when Erith rises up and starts looking out over the eggs.

Terrel pauses in front of the sire and dam, offering them both a graceful bow as Vaelyn moves on to take her place on the sands. Immediately after, he bows to the riders, before pacing off to go stand somewhat near to Kiryn.

Aine walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Aine has arrived.

Caralain sidles up next to Dastra and pokes her - gently! - and mumbles, "I hope she doesn't chomp us."

Taralinda walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Taralinda has arrived.

Miritha walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
Miritha has arrived.

T'shar walks onto the sands from the Bowl entrance.
T'shar has arrived.

Aedevan shifts his weight nervously, eyes moving from egg to egg, looking for signs of which will hatch first. Again he swallows hard.

Sovalin looks wideeyed over all the candidates then all around. His short legs take him to stand beside Chrissy. On the other side of Talene. "hi." he whispers.

Aine makes her way quickly toward the entrance to the holding room, pausing just outside and turning to keep a watchful eye on the candidates.

Milque shifts into the circle of candidates, watching the queen and then her eyes are on the eggs. She rubs both hands on her robe again then moves over a bit as the last of her fellow candidates make it into the circle.

The warm springs egg gives the faintest ghost of a shake, displacing sand grains from around it

Vaelyn turns momentarrily to glance up in the tiers. Spying what she seems to think is a section of her family and friends, she gives a little wave and a smile.

Talene fastens her eyes onto the clutch. She finds Christania next to her, and smiles, slipping her hand into the girl's. Squeezing gently, she gestures to the clutch with her free hand and whispers, "It's time." Then she giggles nervously, "Finally!" Then the eggs move, and they take up all her attention.

Roan stands where he is looking around with a confused look on his face but his attention is drawn to the eggs as they begin to move.

Saphan's pat on Lunan's arm turns into a grab as he spots the moving egg. "Look," he hisses. "It moved!"

Hiriwa nudges the sand with her feet, wriggling them impatiently, hands clutching at her robe with fretful gestures. Moveing eggs are watched, focused on with wide-eyed fascination.

Lunan is keeping his eyes steadfastly away from the stands until he hears something out of all the noise. He peers up and balks, seeing some familiar Benden guards. He waves frantically, excited to have somebody there watching him. At a nearby gasp, he turns, and goes very still watching the eggs and grabs Saphan's hand back. "I saw!"

Well, lots of candidates are shuffling around, trying to find the best place, and it seems to be popular tonight to push Lijan around. He's pushed right by Jenna and Kiryn, and somehow ends up not too far from Caralain, Dasil and Dastra. His swearing would not have impressed his etiquette teachers as much as his previous bow would have.

Aluren tilts her head in a listening gesture. She steps back and away from the group to hear better.

Kiryn glances over, noticing Terrel, and raises a hand to gesture for the other young man to come over. He falls fairly still then, with only the occasional look back and forth between the candidates nearest to him. Yet then, as many start to watch the clutch, his eyes shift that way as well.

Dastra gulps, squeezing Dasil's hand tightly. "Didja see? Didja? That egg over there! It moved." She looks to one side and sees Lijan. "They're moving, they are! Already!"

Deep thrumming, deep as a Harper drum. Erith sways now, a foreleg out, lifted as if to make an encouraging gesture.

Taralinda follows Aine, an attentive eye on the candidates before she looks over at the eggs.

Christania smiles and nods a little to Talene before giving Sovalin a warm smile. She clears her throat, "Whatever happens, well... you get the idea." Not one for sentimental schtuff, Chris just hehs a little.

Vaelyn's attention is turns from the tiers to the sands as someone mentions an egg moving. Standing up slightly on tippy-toes, she peers over a few heads to see what she can see. Not spying the culprit, she slowly walks over towards a small cluster of girls and asks them quietly to point it out.

Terrel moves up beside Kiryn, nudging him, and pointing to the small blue and white egg, just in case he missed it. He doesn't say anything, however... it doesn't seem necessary.

Jenna takes a halfstep backwards as Erith moves, and then a deep steadying breath. She directs a wan smile at Terrel, also motioning for him to come stand with the small knot nearby, then, "Oooh! You saw that, Terrel?"

The molten lava egg shifts just a touch. Did it really? Maybe so. There! It twitched again.

Dasil raises he eyebrows at a particularly eloquent bout of swearing and then chuckles a bit, perhaps at the direction it's coming from. "Don't get to hear that kind of descriptive on an average day." He mutters and then turns his attention back to the eggs, brown eyes darting to and fro as they try to determine what egg will hatch first.

Caralain glances over towards Lijan, lip clenched tightly between teeth. It's released so Cara can call, all wobbly, "Did you see that?"

Sovalin nods. "Yeah. I do." he flashes a winning smile to Christania before clearing his throat gruffly. Then his head whips around. "Moving? Did someone say they are moving?!"

The fertile atoll egg twitches, a barely perceptible movement, then subsides.

Talene nods to Chris, with an understanding tilt of her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees another move, and once again, her eyes are fastened on the clutch.

Lijan just nods to Dastra then eyes the eggs warily. They're really moving. He gives a sidelong glance to judge Caralain's reaction and then nods. "Yeah, saw that. Wow." There's something more interesting than runners after all.

Saphan swallows hard as he eyes the eggs, still hanging onto Lunan's arm.

Kiryn's head turns to look over, when Terrel points, and he gives a slow nod. "Yep... they're all starting." Then the molten egg catches his attention, and the young man looks that way instead. So many eggs.

Milque is standing a bit by herself, not wanting to let anyone see just how her palms are betraying her nervousness. She watches out over the eggs, remembering which ones caught her eye in the touchings.

Terrel finds his favorite egg, out of habit...and pales a bit more as it twitches. Long fingers catch at his robe and twist at it, plainly betraying his nervousness.

The warm springs egg trembles again, this time with more force, definitely shaking itself free of the sound piled up around it. Cracks seam its surface, changing the texture of the shell.

Vaelyn points excitedly towards one of her more favored eggs as it shivers. "Oh, did anyone else see that?" She spies Milque nearby and shuffles over towards her.

The tension builds and builds. Tightly twining around the forms on the sand, palpable in the heat, in the faint golden haze in the air. Eggs move, but when...when...

Lunan is clinging to Saphan, and points with his free hand to the lava egg. "Lookit!" Another glance at the stands, and saucer-eyes go wider. He gives a wave to the Telgar riders that seem to be waving at him, then turns back to gawk. "It's... opening! Cracking! Hatching!"

The mud pots egg gives several quick shakes, sand slipping gently from it's surface as it quiets down once more.

The medial moraines egg shudders ever so slightly, the barest of movement, then stills again.

Caralain edges even closer, gathering far-too-large robe in a white bunch, twisting it between both nervous hands. "C'mon, already.." Murmured not to Lijan.

Desert Earthquake egg begins to tremble. Barely visible at first, it suddenly bursts open in an explosion of shards revealing a very jovial little lapis blue Hatchling. He pauses, then scans the Candidates and makes a line straight for a tiny girl from Nabol. She calls his name, throwing her arms around him, and the first Impression is made.

Roan begins looking at all the eggs as they begin to rock and sway with a happy look on his face. He makes sure he is not jostled too much as he thinks he is the right spot to see all his favorite eggs hatch. "Its all so beutiful."

Saphan shakes Lunan's arm. "That muddy one moved!" He gasps as one of the eggs hatches. "Look!"

Christania gasps at the blue hatchling and watches it impress a girl from Nabol. She grins and looks over at Sovalin and Talene, "wow! That was fast!"

Lijan wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, even if Caralain commanded him to, and besides, the trembling eggs command his gaze now. His eyes are wide open and he tugs at his robe.

Vivian grins openly as she watches the first Impression.

Another egg rocks from side to side. All at once, there's a loud cracking sound. One moment there's a Warm Springs Egg, the next there's a Hatchling standing there with.... could that be a grin on his face?

Talene's eyes widen as the eggs crack, and smiles at the girl who Impressed, waving a little with her free hand. She smiles out at the eggs, but there is a nervous gleam in her eyes.

"Aw!" Cara yelps loudly, bouncing up and down, "Look! Blue! Aw! Wow!" Lijan's arm is grabbed somewhere in the deluge of exclamation points. "That is too awful nifty!"

Frosty Ice Lake Blue:
Light dances off ice crystals that seem to form on the ridges of this dark, murky blue dragonet. Beyond the wetness from his egg is a frosty formation of icicles and snowflakes that give his rather thick form a hint of wintery beauty. He's solid through the chest and shoulder, promising strength and some endurance in his future. The silvery blue of the geometic ice clings to his muzzle and under his yes, frozen tears of happiness permanently imprinted on his being. His upper half seems to have been left out in the snow, for it's in a frosty layer of icy blue from his head to his haunches. Drifting lower, it gives way to a unique brownish-blue, as if he's been sitting in the waters of the Ice Lake itself and letting himself be snowed upon. The warmth of his lifemate will surely get past that icy exterior and to the heat of the draconic heart beyond.

Aine beams brightly and heads out on the sands to help the first impression off the sands.

T'shar doesn't seem nervous at all, but that's likely due to the fact that his dragon's up in the ledges and not in one of those eggs. "Poke me when it's my turn," he whispers to Taralinda.

Dastra runs one hand down the side of her robe, glancing toward Lijan. "Lots of 'em are now. Oh wow." She turns her head this way and that, trying to take it all in, and then the first hathcling arriving. She just /stares/ at the little blue.

Hiriwa shifts her weight, brushing away fine beads of sweat from her face. "That one." she says suddenly, to no one in particular. "It moved. And that one and..." She trails off, her gaze flicking over all of the eggs as one after another twitches. "Oooh!" She exclaims over the first hatchlings, her gaze stuck on it even after the blue Impresses. Then her gaze whips back to the new blue and she stares again.

Vaelyn jumps slightly as the first hatchling graces the sands. "Oh! First born blue!" she calls cheerfully. Several of the other eggs cause her head to spin one way, then the other. "Another blue. He's so pretty..." she states, clasping her hands in front of herself neatly.

Jenna reaches out for Kiryn's arm. "Oh! Look! A blue! Already! And there's another one!" She points, and then wipes sweat from her forehead.

Aedevan just beams as the little blue hatches and so quickly makes a lifemate of the girl from Nabol. But as another blue emerges and doesn't run right for his destiny, Aede shifts again, "Ready to dodge, ready to dodge," he mumbles to himself.

Milque smiles and looks down the arc of candidates to where the first blue has impressed, her grin wide and the nerves of waiting passing a bit. She looks as another blue hatches forth and watches it closely, to see if it moves as quickly as the first to find his lifemate.

Lunan watches the first hatchling Impress, looking startled. "Did you see? Saph, the Nabol girl!" Then he redirects his attention to the muddy egg, shared favorite with Saphan. Eyes dart from egg to hatchling, incredulous. "He's... smiling?" he murmurs of the blue dragonet.

Lijan blinks as Cara clutches his arm, but then nods all eagerly. "Wow, a blue. Very nice colouring." He whistles and doesn't try to remove his arm from Cara's clutching. He might blush again if he consciously realized it.

Talene gasps as she stares at the blue, "He's magnificent," is murmured under her breath. She just stares, which is understood.

Christania's brow lifts as another blue hatches. She blinks and looks around before squeezing Talene's hand and swallowing, "Be ready to move."

Taralinda grins wryly to T'shar and closes her eye in a wink to him, "You get the one after me." She pushes her hair back over her shoulder and smiles, "Ah, that's good luck isn't it?" At the first impressed pair.

Kiryn swallows. "That's one." He repeats his nervous ritual, looking back and forth between Terrel and Jenna, and then to the clutch once again. As calm as he seemed before, the young man is definitely showing some signs of fraying nerves now, although he smiles back at Jenna when she grabs him. "Yep."

Saphan nods, his eyes wide. "They're so...so...beautiful," he murmurs. He lets go of Lunan's arm reluctantly.

The mud pots egg rocks back and forth, gently at first and then with growing determination.

Terrel has pretty well fallen still and silent, watching owl-eyed as hatchlings start to emerge. He seems frozen, nervous, but raptly caught up in the proceedings.

"Don't didge too fast, I want to use you as a shield" Aluren teases Aedevan, her wet hair starting to steam in the heat from the sands.

Roan eyes the blue, "Its soo handsome..." he smiles with pleasue and makes sure no one is crowding him out of his spot.

T'shar watches Aine herding the first pair off, nodding at Taralinda. "Much better when they know right away," he agrees.

Sovalin shifts his feet. "Impression already? WOw." He ooohs silently as a blue suddenly appears and stays on the Sands. "Another blue...."

Dasil smiles to split his face as the first impression is made. When a cool hued blue breaks forth on the sands his attention is drawn that way. Sandals shift and grains of sand are caught between his toes, something he doesn't notice at the moment, the excitement is just too great.

Frosty Ice Lake Blue tips his head upward, as if tasting the air, he blinks a few times, then moves one limb forward, blinks, stops, looks down at his own legs, then tries that again, setting off at a slow, ungainly pace across the sands.

Dastra stands up a little straghter when the dragons actually break shell, shoulders back and head held high as her dark eyes watch the uncertain progress of the little blue.

The wind picks up, as if cued by some mysterious means. It swirls a few tatters of the first leaves that are falling, edges curled in brittle fists. The litter the ledges first, before beginning to drift down, like sad snowflakes. One comes to rest on a bit of broken, upturned shell.

Roan grins excitldly as the blue makes its first proud steps. He resists the urge to rush over too it knowing that to do so might get him trampled.

Caralain doesn't let go of that arm, either - Lijan will be lucky if he doesn't have to pry it off later. "There's another! You know blue's my favorite color right? What's yours?" the skinny candidate gabbles.

Vaelyn looks up to the tiers for her blueriding brother, hopeful to perhaps catch a glimpse. She gives up after a moment or two though, unable to spy his face amidst the sea of watchers. She turns about and eyes that little blue again, making sure to mark his progress.

Christania hisses to Sovalin and Talene, "You know how Vaelyn loves blue... maybe this one will like her?"

Talene seems to have forgotten about the heat as she stares at the hatchling. Her eyes widen even further, if that's possible, as he starts to move. She clutches her robe in her free and tears her eyes away to glance at the leaves. She smiles and turns her attention back to the blue.

Jenna shifts nervously next to Kiryn and then turns her face for a moment towards the breeze. Far from cooling her, it just seems to make her warmer, for she wipes sweaty palms on her robe. "He's so slow. That other just went so quick..."

Hiriwa is fascinated, watching the icy hued blue with rapt attention, her gaze tracking each ungainly step across the hot sands. Her left hand has locked around one of her plaits, holding it taunt - and the rest of her is just as tense. Not unlike a bowstring.

Black Smoker Egg shudders right next to a bouncing Alluvium egg. The former hatches to reveal a liquid green hatchling, the latter cracks and leaves a treebark brown dragonet on the Sands. They head out together, the green finding a willowy young girl from Tillek while the brown bugles happily at a stout lad from the Bakercraft.

Lijan isn't humbles, has never been. "Bronze," he murmurs to Caralain and moves to clutch the other candidates arm, just as his is clutch. It must look odd the way they're standing there. They better be fast if someone runs their way. "But that blue is really very handsome."

Saphan squeaks excitedly. "It's a brown. That egg had a brown in it!"

Lunan also lets go of Saphan, though he now seems to be grabbing his own baggy robe just as tight. He watches the blue try out his legs, grinning. The scared-speechlessness is gone, and he's just plain excited, now. He hops a bit from the heat, thin sandals not helping. "I saw... he was big!" he says to Saphan.

Frosty Ice Lake Blue is starting to get the hang of this walking thing. Yeah ... this is good, his cheerful expression seems to say. And then boom, back legs don't coordinate with front and he tumbles, nose plowing a furrow in the sand. He creels softly in surprise, picking himself up with a shake of his head. And then he notices the circling faces, head tipping to the side to examine them.

Terrel laughs softly, murmuring to Kiryn, "He reminds me of Telgar frosts... makes me want to shiver even though my feet are burning." He shifts from foot to foot, scraping the hot sand off on his opposite shins. He seems kind of overwhelmed, eyes darting from hatchling to hatchling.

Aedevan chuckles weakly, "Well, how about I just grab you when I dodge?" he teases Aluren. But his eyes never leave the unpaired hatchlings.

Taralinda chuckles softly to T'shar and moves away from him to help the girl and her lovely brown. "Just this way." She murmurs in a reasuring tone as the two are lead away.

Christania swallows and watches the hatchlings nervously.

Sovalin looks awed at the presence of the blue hatchling. Suddenly a Green and a Brown appear. Then they Impress. "So quickly he murmurs. "Go on little blue guy. Go find your lifemate."

Kiryn nods slowly, his eyes still fixed out on the clutch. "They're all different, really. Big and small, quick or slow, quiet or... loud." At the last, he glances back over his shoulder, and again a warm smile fills the young man's face. Then to Terrel he nods, "Yeah..." One foot up, then back down. Then the other.

Caralain tugs Lijan's arm, "Look! A baker, remember him? An' I didn' mean dragon, I meant all, or is that still your favorite color?" Cara catches the hatchling's plow, "Oooh, look, he fell down."

Vaelyn just barely catches sight of two other hatchlings moving about the grounds. A soft smile forms on her lips. "This is going by fairly fast." As the blue falls, she wrinkles her nose in sympathy. "Ouch."

"Deal! You dodge and take me with you. Ooh a brownrider baker!" Aluren cheers for the former crafter as he gets his lifemate.

Milque smiles as several more candidates impress, a brown over to one side, a green over there. She gives a longer look, thinking it's the candidate she was on chore duty with just the day before.

Dastra bites her lower lip, concerned, when the little blue stumbles. "C'mon, get up," she whispers softly. Her face remains pale while she watches the hatchling, but she does smile as the green hatchling goes to the girl from Tillek, tugging on Dasil's shoulder and pointing.

Roan smiles happily at the blue dragonet as it manadges to pick it self up. Occasionaly he does glance about to see what the other candidates are doing but his attention is always drawn back to the handsome blue.

T'shar takes his cue, heading over to the green weyrling pair and trying really hard not to check the girl out as he says, "There's plenty of food for her, don't worry," leading them over to the holding room amid much joyful babbling and tears.

Hiriwa tore her gaze away from the blue for a moment, enough to see the green and brown eggs transfor to hatchlings and then weyrlings. Back to the unpaired blue and she winces in sympathy as he tumbles. "Babies. Baby dragons." she says in soft wonder: no matter how many times she sees a newborn creature, she doesn't lose that wonder.

Lijan blinks. That's just like Caralain. Talking about colors in general. He says "I like a very deep blue, I think the weavers call it lapislazuli or something. Because there's a stone like that." He stiffens. "Look at that poor blue, he just fell!"

Talene starts to chew on her bottom lip as her eyes shift from Hatchling to Hatcling. A brown there, a green there, two Impressions there. She gasps as the blue falls, chewing relentlessly on her lip.

Jenna ohs as the blue goes down. "I bet that hurt. Poor thing." She shifts again, nearly bumping both Kiryn and Terrel, suddenly awkward. "I swear, it's hotter than when we touched 'em."

Frosty Ice Lake Blue takes a few steps forward, creeling again, tail twitching back and forth and showering off sand from his tumble. Then suddenly he croooooons loudly and makes a beeline for one of the white-clad lads in the circle, practically galloping across the sands, albeit awkwardly.

Dasil whispers something in an excited fashion as a girl from his home hold impresses a blue and then shifts his attention back to the fallen blue as Dastra tugs on his shoulder. He makes a noise of encouragement towards the dragon and then exchanges a glance with is sister, knowing they are all to look but not try to touch the awkward young dragons.

Lunan points to the frosty blue hatchling as it tilts its head. "It's figuring out who it's lifemate is. He got up quick," he says to a candidate next to him. He hops, cooling his feet, and ends up near Milque. He watches the rushing blue and points it out to her. "Look't!" as if she can't see.

Christania inhales sharply when the blue lunges towards the other candidates, her hand squeezing Talene's. She swallows and hisses, "This is it..."

Saphan nods at Lunan. "It's like he just...knows."

Caralain lets go one hand from the other baker's arm to pull the billowy robe out and fan it back and forth a little. "So did you end up wearin' underwear? I bet Terrel's wearin' that thing."

Vaelyn lips fall downward into a slight pout as the blue goes trotting off. "Well, there will be pleanty more in those eggs, I'm sure." She does however keep watching the one, curious to see which candidate is going to get bowled over.

Sovalin shifts his feet, ready to spring. "What it." he mutters to those standing around him

Talene nods sharply to Christania, "He's...very cute," she manages to stammer out, but her eyes remain steadfastly on him as he makes a beeline for the Candidates.

The mud pots egg gains momentum as it rocks back and forth, back and forth as the occupant within begins to demand release.

The molten lava egg gives another, more violent, shudder. Then another. Signs of internal stress can be seen. Hairline fractures spreading across the surface. But it is not quite there yet as it suddenly hops forward in its mound. As if the hatchling inside were ramming its head against the sheel in the effort to escape.

Roan does finally look a little scared as the blue begins to gallop towards the candidates. He shakes his head as if toward away any fear he might have but he does look tensed to dodge. Suddenly he stops and says, "His name is Azureth!"

Milque smiles and looks over at Lunan, "Do you think he has already figured out who and is just taking his time to get to him now?" She shifts on her feet, the thick boots starting to get warmer on the insides now.

Lijan blushes again and gives a sidelong glance to the billowy sleeves. Too bad, can't see anything through it. "Um, yes," is his reply to Caralain, and then he waits with held breath to see who the blue is picking.

Aedevan reaches a hand for Aluren, the grin on his face plainly showing how very anxious he is. "But you have to pull me if you dodge, alright?"

Hiriwa eeks softly and jumps back a wee bit from the suddenly swift moveing blue. "Who..." she trails off, gaze following him to his destination although she does look away to check for any more eggs that have metamorphosed. "Oooh! Roan!" The squeal is high pitched, excited as she bounces in place.

More sand falls, the sound lost in the commotion of dragonets and candidates. A slow shower, a golden, silent avalanche. Do the eggs lift up as if propelled by hands underground? Or is it just because of the why the cloud shadows move as the sun begins toward the horizon.

Kiryn's eyes flit to the charging blue, and his previously dancing feet find a firm hold on the sands. Just in case he has to jump out of the way, or something.

Terrel hears his name, and cranes his neck to see who said it, but...his attention is yanked back to the molten egg as it prepares to shatter. Then...over to Roan, and a bright smile. "See?" he calls to him, "You just had to wait..."

Talene yays softly and jumps up and down for Roan, "Go, Roan!" she shouts out quietly.

Sovalin blinks as his eyes follow the blue's path to....Roan. "Roan and...what did he say his name was? Oh wow! Way to go Roan!" he cheers sooo loudly.

Aluren clasps Aedevan's hand, squeezing it as Roan shouts out a name "That looks so easy, how did he do that?"

Vaelyn peers over towards Roan brightly. "Roan? Roan! Congratulations! I knew you'd impress!" she calls cheerfully, waving a hand frantically in the air towards her fellow candidate. "Nice name, too."

Caralain points with that free hand, forgetting to let go of the robe. "Aaaaah!"

Jenna cranes her neck as well, to see where that blue got to. "Who was it? Who got him? " She hops up and down a bit, trying to see. "Oh! Roan! Congratulations!"

Dastra blanches as the blue gallups toward the group of hatchlings to her right and steels herself for..something when she sees it stop right before Roan. "Oh, wow" is her comment. "Congratulations!"

"Roan!" Ok, so Kiryn didn't need to dodge. But he still looks pleased. "Good job." And then a quick reminder, "You get to run the renunion!" Hahaha, poor him.

Saphan yips. "Roan Impressed!" He cries out, his voice cracking. He grabs Lunan's arm again. "He did it!"

Lijan blinks then. "Oh, there's Roan. Wonder what his name will be now. Azureth. Nice name." If he's maybe getting a bit more nervous now, he tries to hide it.

Azureth croooooooons fit to shake his little body and butts his head into Roan's legs as if to say "Mine ... all mine. Now let's go eat."

The limu o pele egg shakes a bit, then settles to quiet again.

The mud pots egg gives a violent shake and then suddenly grows still.

Miritha, standing until now with her hands behind her back and smiling, gives a broader smile and moves forward towards the newest weyrling. "Congratulations," she says cheerfully. "C'mon this way, Roan - R'nal? - and Azureth."

Lunan's eyes go wide. "Oooh, Roan... Azureth found him!" He smiles up at Milque. "He found'm right away! Congratulations, Roan!" he calls. He gazes at the new pair, grinning foolishly, then gets distracted by the mud egg. Too many places to look, too many things to say!

Miritha steps into the holding room.
Miritha has left.

Christania oos and smiles, "Roan impressed!"

The Mud Pots egg rocks hard to the left, spinning on end and rolling down a small slope in the Sands. It lays there, shaking back and forth as the dragon inside fights the battle of birth, working with all its energy to get out! The egg splits into two huge pieces that seem to just part ways, giving the creeling wet hatching plenty of room to wriggle out onto the warm Hatching Sands.

Turbulent Muddy River Brown:
With the ragged appearance of an earthslip or storm-weathered hillside, this hatchling seems raw and exposed. The resemblance seems exacerbated by his awkward and gangly hatchling movements. Brown granite hues shiver through the ochre and tan shades of loose rock and then again in the muddy grey shades of silty clay that covers his hidequarters and tail.%r%r[space(5)]Dark swathes of colour sweep back from his eyeridges, fields of earthy loam amidst the paler, slightly tan and ochre hues that colour his body. His wingsails, when unfurled, appear muddy. Rivulets of silt merging with the ruddy shades of red clay, and the tiny fleckings of foam roil and roll on the turbulent, flood swollen waters.

Aedevan clamps onto Aluren's hand, "Roan? Shard, Roan! Congratulations!" He turns to Aluren, "This is really happening..."

R'nal stares into the eyes of his new blue colored life mate. "Yes yes. Lets go fill that empty tummy of yours." and he tries to lead Azureth out.

R'nal steps into the holding room.
R'nal has left.
Azureth steps into the holding room.
Azureth has left.

Saphan tugs on Lunan's arm. "It's a brown. That muddy egg had a brown in it!" He is nearly shaking with excitement.

Dasil cheers loudly out for Roan and his new lifemate! He's still cheering as he sees the next egg crack somewhere nearby and release a handsome young brown onto the sands.

Milque smiles over at Roan, watching the impression up close, blinks, he was just behind her on the way out. She just smiles at him in congratulations, then cuts her eyes back to the eggs and other hatchlings about, not wanting to come to mischief for not paying attention.

Aine claps and nudges Miritha. "Look, a brown!"

Vaelyn laughs a bit as she spies the brown fall out of his shell. "That one didn't even make us guess. Brown from brown." She watches R'nal walk off with his lifemate, a grin most likely permanently fixed on her lips for the rest of the evening.

Lunan stares at the brown. "He's so... brown! You were right, Saph, it had a brown in it! Look't him! Looks so... muddy!" He sounds extremely pleased. "Perfectly muddy," he says again, shaking his head in wonder.

Dastra turns from watching R'nal and Azureth to see the brown dragon make his appearance. "Shells, look at all the colos on 'im. He's pretty, Dasil, isn't he?" She seems to have relaxed a little, the color returning to her face, and she's smiling.

Talene's eyes follow Roan, now R'nal out, and then she's turning her attention back to the eggs. She notices the new brown, and a smile lights up her face.

Sovalin tugs at Christania's sleeve, his excitement overtaking him. "Impressed. He Impressed." he near bouncies. "Lookit a brown. He'd be perfect for you Chris!"

"No it isn't happening, I decided I am dreaming. Everything is a lot more fun that way" Aluren informs Aedevan with a wink. "Ohh a brown, I thought they said you can't tell from the eggs. I think I just earned an eighth mark? Which way is it going?"

Lijan elbows Caralain. "There's a larger one, look, a brown." Big dragonet. Excited teenager.

Christania grins and looks at Sovalin, "really?"

Caralain pokes Lijan, "Hey, there's a bronze coming up behind to bite you." Cara accompanies the lie with a worried look, a tug, a glance over shoulder.

Terrel peers back at the brown, then over at the lava egg. So close, so very close. He's been taking bets with himself as to what sort of dragon curls within that fiery prison. Still, the brown spilling out catches his time for a moment and he grins.

Taralinda walks back to her spot with the other assistant weyrling masters and flashes a big smile to the next pair as Miritha leads them off.

Lijan blinks and turns to look behind him, once again falling for one of Caralain's pranks. He mutters darkly as there's nothing behind him but sand.

Hiriwa tears her gaze away from icy blue Azureth and it promptly falls on the muddy hued brown. "Oh my." she murmurs with interest, apparantly rather taken with that particular hatchling. Still her left hand clutches at her plait.

Kiryn turns his attention back to the eggs and newly-hatched dragonents, despite the excitement for his fellow, or rather former candidate friend. His eyes very much follow the path of Terrel's, it would seem, and come to rest for a while on the shuddering lava egg, despite the brown nearby.

Caralain adds sweetly to Lijan, "And you haven't been using my full name lately, is something wrong?" Go for two in a row.

Aedevan doesn't really notice the brown yet, he seems to be gazing blankly in that direction, but doesn't really see anything. "Azureth, Azureth..." he repeats to himself, smiling foolishly. "This is amazing."

Jenna chews on her lower lip, shifting awkwardly in the sand. The brown is given a long look, before she sneezes faintly from the dust and sand that that breeze keeps turning up.

Lijan just glowers at Caralain. "I've no time for that now. There's dragons on the sands. Ask me later, baker...cutie." At this point he grins, and then ducks as a turbulent green comes racing by. That was a fast one.

Saphan lets go of Lunan again and sighs. "I can't believe we were right about that hatchling," he says to him.

Caralain blushes and pokes Lijan again. "Yeah, yeah, look at that brown over there, he just impressed to Vaelyn." Three in a row, even if the second one didn't work.

Turbulent Muddy River Brown creels loudly as he is freed from his tiny prison. He lifts muddy wings that shimmer and shine in the glow of the cavern. Lifting his magnificent head, he voice carries on the soft breeze another creel as he struggles forward, wingtips dragging behind in the hot sands with the illusion of the swirling, muddy eddies of a murky river.

Vaelyn seems to be getting slightly uncomfortable in her boots now as well. One foot is picked up for a moment of ease from the sands, then the other receives the same treatment. Her eyes remain locked on a few eggs still jerking about and that little brown. Hearing her name, she glances over towards Caralain curiously. "What?" she calls out.

Sovalin's head bounces a little bit. "Brown. Yes, you'd be good on Brown." his feet lift. Right, then left then the right one again. "This is sooo much different than watching from the Galleries. Oh!" Suddenly he turns his head, first looking towards the seats where he and fellow candidates spent so many days watching the eggs harden. Then he looks up and to the ledges where the dragons are watching. "I can't see her!" he complains. His head whips around though as a creel catches his attention.

Hiriwa tracks the brown although she's faintly distracted for a moment. "Two blues, two browns and green." she notes with vague surprise. "Thought there would be more greens." Again, she speaks to no one in particular unless it is herself.

Lijan huhs and peers at Vaelyn, and then the brown. "Did he? What's his name? Are you sure?" He'll never learn not to fall for Caralain's lies, but he elbows the other baker. "You lied, that's mean."

Terrel mutters to Kiryn, "That brown has Lunan written absolutely all over him." He grins. "Or even Cara... I can see it."

Lunan nods and takes a deep breath, not wanting even to blink as he stares at the muddy brown. "Milque, Saph... 'member that mud puddle a couple sevenday ago? He looks like he took a bath in it," he pipes up, going silent after his brief realization and watching the said brown. "Lift up your wings..." he answers the creels. "T'won't be so hot!"

The molten lava egg makes the barest cracking sound, but amidst all the other noises it may not be heard. What follows is another series of shudders and then, in that nerve-wracking way eggs have, it stops movement all together. Perhaps the creature inside is gathering strength?

Christania grins at Sovalin, "as would you."

Milque watches the brown trail away from the remnants of his egg, glancing over briefly towards Lunan and flashing a grin at him, "You're right, he does at that!"

Saphan nods, as he takes in the brown. "He really does. Poor thing, his wings..."

Caralain hisses at Vaelyn, "Shhhh!" but is too late, and squeaks at Lijan's elbowing. "Yow."

T'shar trudges back out onto the sands from the weyrling room, pausing to sidestep J'tal as he returns to the AWLM corner, scanning the sands quickly. "Lots cooler in there," he remarks to no one in particular.

Kiryn looks over the indicated dragonet, at Terrel's murmur, and slowly nods his head. "Maybe." Yet his eyes shift again to the molten egg, watching closely as it seems to prepare for something. Guess he likes that one.

Dastra jumps in surprise at the creel from the blue. Her eyes grow wide and she watches on as he starts moving, looking from the dragonet to her much larger brother. She takes a tiny shuffling step backward. Just in case.

Talene nods in agreement to Sovalin, "You'd be great on any dragon, Chrissy." She smiles at Sovalin, "And you too!" She watches the brown and winces as he creels.

Terrel hops from foot to foot again as the lava egg still, more out of frustration than the heat of the sands...although the soles of his feet are bright red from the latter. "Come on...hatch...hatch....hatch..." he chants, in hope for it to help somehow.

Vaelyn places her hands behind her back now, fidgeting quietly. She watches with curiously the molten lava egg. "I bet that one will be bronze," states to Milque. "Where's that little brown moving to?"

Taralinda nods her agreement to T'shar, "isn't that the truth though?" She squints at the brown on the sands and then looks to the candidates.

Jenna swipes a hand across her forehead, keenly interested in the brown's progress. "Maybe what, Kir?" Distracted, she looks at Terrel and is unable to help a giggle.

Dasil starts to shake his left foot vigorously to dislodge the amount of sand that's settled in between his toes as he's watched the movement of dragons and candidates in an stricken manner. Once the left foot feels right again he shakes the right one in like fashion, all the time his gaze tracks on the roaming brown.

Terranes Egg hatches a cherrywood brown dragonet, Brooding Drumlin Egg a springtime green, and Finger Promontory Egg a playful blue all cracking shell at the same time, though on opposite areas of the Sands. The brown finds his lifemate in a thick girl from Fort Weyr, the blue dances around this Candidate and that until it finds a tall young man from Benden Hold, while the green takes her time, examining each and every Candidate until she comes back around to Impress to a graceful girl from Harper Hall.

Aluren circles around Aedevan, using his own arm to wind him up like a canine on a leash that is trying to escape. She peeks from behind him at the brown "Poor baby!"

Lijan elbows Caralain again. "Look, Terrel is hopping like mad. That must be the thong he's wearing. Probably riding up or something..." He blushes. Did he just say that? Good his mother didn't hear that one. He looks up to the galleries and shifts nervously.

Kiryn glances back to Jenna, his attention ripped away from the now imobile molten egg. "Oh, he was just saying that the brown might go for Cara, or Lunan. I dunno, there's no way to tell." His eyes drift back. Yeah, hatch, damn you.

Saphan snorts as he overhears Lijan, his eyes following the quick Hatch-and-Impress going on around him.

Vaelyn overhears Lijan's comment, peers at Terrel, and can't help but laugh. "Someone's wearing a thing?"

Caralain laughs a little louder than was meant, and quiets quickly to murmur, "I wonder if it's for luck or something. 'Cause, ugh, why else would anyone ever wear one?"

Sovalin leans over in front of Chrissy to beam at Talene. "Isn't this sooo cool. I...there is so much to watch." he says to both the candidates beside him. He watches then as three eggs burst open and three hatchlings Impress. "Oh!" is all he says, breathless.

Aine heads out onto the sands toward the new impressees. She congratulates them and leads them off the sands, offering a "There's food in the holding room," pacification to their worried notes that the dragons are hungry.

Dastra stiffens back up when those three eggs hatch all of a sudden, not so much as breathing as the green passes by her on the way to the girl from the Harpers. She overhears Lijan's comment and turns over to peer at Terrel.

Terrel actually hears that, and turns to complain at Lijan. "Hey! It is n....Agh!" He turns beet red, and tries to stifle his dancing about. Great, so he manages to get embarassed on the Sands anyhow.

Christania hehs and gives Sovalin a nervous look, "Yeah...cool...right."

Talene watches the Impressions go by, with a happy smile on her face. She waves her congratulations, even though they probably don't notice it, and turns her attention to the brown dragonet on the Sands.

Milque looks back to watch the brown and gives a shrug and calls out towards Vaelyn, "I don't know!" she calls back, not looking over, there are dragons too close at hand to be taking her eyes off of them.

Lijan can't hide his grin now. "Told you plain underwear is much better than furry thongs!" And quickly shuts up again. He's as red as his hair anyway.

Turbulent Muddy River Brown shakes his head violently as if to clear it of the confusion that fills it. He quickly shakes the excess fluid from his wings before tucking them safely behind him, out of harms way. With a deep harsh, bass voice, he announces once more his presence as he studies the forms before him. The only a hint of hesitation, he moves forward with purpose towards a small group of Candidates.

Aedevan laughs wiht more ease this time. Turning to try and look at Aluren, though she hovers behind his shoulder, "They're not even headed this way yet.." he chuckles. "And besides, how can you Impress if you don't let the dragons find you?"

T'shar blushes slightly as he overhears snatches of the candidates' conversation, and shifts his weight slowly, like he's trying *not* to adjust something.

Aine emerges from the holding room and whispers loudly to T'shar, "What's going on?"

"Uh oh, here he comes," utters Kiryn, as he watches the muddy brown start to move in that all-to familiar determined fashion. Now it's just a question of where he's going.

Hiriwa watches, smileing at the second brown's Impression and grinning widly at the green's. "Oh well done!" she murmurs, knwoing they are too far away to hear a shout. Now, it's back to the brown and she impatiently rakes strays wisps of hair back from her face, holding them against her head in order to have a clear view.

The molten lava egg doesn't move. Won't even twitch. The only movement that can be seen is a small egg shard falls from near the top. Within there is only darkness, but it is only a matter of moments. Twitch. See?

Lunan spins in a full, slow circle, trying to watch all the dragonets at once. "Look't that one... over there, too! And look! That one!" Suddenly he whips around to face the source of the bass voice. "He's loud /and/ muddy," he exclaims appreciatively.

Dasil gives Terrel the old eye as well, and then snickers into his hand, "Thong!" The image, once planted in his mind is hard to shake, no matter how gruesome. Only the movement of the brown dragon and a good poke from a candidate nearby bring him back to some semblance of the good guard he really is.

Saphan holds his breath as the brown makes a beeline.

T'shar replies, rather too quickly, "I don't know!" He looks over at the eggs and says, "Oh, look, a brown." How interesting.

Caralain leans on Lijan, lifting up one foot to adjust a sandal. "I'm wearing a thong too," Cara mutters naughtily. Falsely. How many times in one hatching?

Christania gasps as the brown starts to decide, "This could be it!"

Talene watches with hopeful eyes, she can never hide her hope, as the dragon heads towards the Candidates. She goes back to chewing her lip, glancing up and down the Candidate line to see where he's going.

Dastra keeps on peering at Terrel, giggling at his protesting comment. "Betcha you were right," she whispers to Lijan. Then she has to stifle her yelp then the brown makes that terribly loud trumpet and starts moving toward the Candidates.

Vaelyn gingerly steps to the side, allowing the brown pleanty of room for manuvering where ever he's running off to. "Hey, did my favorite egg hatch yet?" She turns to look, but can't spy it amidst all the whit robes.

Aine eyes T'shar a moment, then shrugs and shakes her head.

"Spotted furry canine thong" Aluren scorrects Dasil's snicker. Aedevan gets a frown "I don't think they need to get within clawing distrance to bespeak, umm do they?"

Ariandra misses all the chatter about thongs. She's too busy trying to dodge flailing dragonets and skittish candidates. It's like a wherry roundup, or someone trying to herd felines.

Lijan grins to Dastra. "Of course I was, little lady. I tend to be right." Oh yeah. As Caralain murmurs to him, he proves that one can indeed flush more, and he just stares and swallows. "Um, really? Whoa."

Terrel tries very deliberately to -stop- paying attention to the other candidates, and goes back to watching the molten egg with an almost obsessive eye. Well, if nothing else, the suspense of watching the shell splinter so painfully slowly helps him ignore all the mocking he's getting. He's such a dark red, he's about matching his hair.

Taralinda frowns slightly and eyes the candidates, as though in fear of one of them being mauled while they're so concerend over what they're underclothes look like. "...jays...." She takes a small step to one side, keeping an alert eye on the dragons.

Lunan's nose scrunches up and he turns for the quickest second to glare at those who're talking about thongs. "Cantcha stop with all that flirty gross underwear stuff even now? You're gonna gross out the new hatchlings!" he whines. He quiets quickly as the brown speeds up, and looks ready to dive out of the way.

Caralain snickers. "-No-. Ew."

Thongs? Nope, Sovalin knows nothing about thongs. He's far enough away and it's loud enough that he doesn't hear much besides what is going on beside him. "Did he Impress yet? Shells, I can't see him anymore." he's calmed down considerably and stands still besides Chrissy.

Kiryn's with Terrel. Better things to do than talk about underwear. Like oggle the lava egg. It's almost more interesting than that brown, if not more so, and the young man's eyes do a noticable bit of jumping, back and forth. It's all so interesting, he just can't make up his mind. "C'mon... hatch." See, him and the smith will do verbal encouragements, and that'll speed things up.

Lijan sighs. Maybe it's disappointment. Or the heat. Or the dragonet that just passed him by to Impress a stout (he'd call it fat) holder lad from some remote hold in the Nerat area. But there's that brown still.

Turbulent Muddy River Brown makes his way as best he can towards his goal. He lifts his harsh, brassy voice once again, as if calling out to his lifemate. Neatly tucked wings droop as he forgets to take care and drags them helpless behind, his only thought on the young Candidate coming steadily into view. At last!

Hiriwa waits for the next new weyrling to be revealed and in the meantime, a little of her attention slides to the other Candidates. "Thong?" is asked in mild puzzlement. "I missed that."

Dastra nods soberly to Lijan. "Guess maybe you are," she says, her eyes trained back on the brown dragon that's makng all that noise and doing all that movement out there. "Yeah, Lunan. Yeah, that's be nice, wouldn't it?"

Jenna ohs at the brown, "Has he found someone? Who is it! Listen to the lungs on him!"

Christania gasps and watches.

Vaelyn leans over, pulling lightly on the tongue of one of her boots to straighten it. As the brown emits his decree, she glances up to see where he's running to.

"His name is Toranth!" Saphan shouts.

The Molten Lava egg rocks a bit, then lies still. All at once, a head bursts out of the top! A small croon comes from the hatchling as he works to get the rest of himself out of his confining birth-home. Next a foreleg, then the other, and... a tail? One huge push and his hindlegs are out, though his body is still enclosed in the egg. He gives a big shake and he's free with a small bugle of triumph!

Velvety Midnight Sky Blue:
Deep in the sleepy hours of the night, Pern rests secure in the knowledge that the stars twinkling in the velvety sky above are watching over her. Immaculately consistent in its shade, his color is a perfectly even midnight blue. A spattering of starlight sweeps across his jawline and down his neck where it tapes into a swirl of mist. Each ridge from the top of his head to his tail seems to have its own constellation of tiny stars. On his hindquarters, another swirl of stardust runs from his flank to his knee where it gives way to the soft velvet blue that is his true color. And his wings, oh his wings! The universe itself could not hold so many pinpoints of light, paling in comparison to the glory that is his wings. Long of neck and limb, he's sure to be an arrow in flight when he reaches maturity. For now, he's a tangle of neck, limb, and tail that still needs to grow into his length. Glory aside, he is sure to dance amongst the stars with his lifemate.

Christania cheers for Saphan.

Aluren winces at the brassy bellow "Oh, that is F'ren's lifemate's son alright. Down to the voice."

The fertile atoll egg shakes back and forth, far more vigorously than it did before. And the back-and-forthing goes on longer, long enough and hard enough to actually roll the egg a little. But, once again, it slows and then stops.

Sovalin moves his eyes towards a rather loud sound. "There you are." he mutters. "Now....oh my. He chose Saphan!" Again he hollers out in triumph for him.

Talene jumps into the air and whoohoos for Saphan!

The desolate caldera egg gives a sharp and sudden tip into the sand, the surface vibrating from within by a sharp tap-tap-tap that makes the surface of the shell shudder as the life inside struggles with its confines.

Vaelyn smiles wildly, spying Saphan and his new little brown. "All right!!" she cheers, though the presence of another blue has her turned fully towards the little critter.

Milque smiles as the brown finally chooses someone off to the right, oh, it's Saphan. She gives a little bounce on her feet and then looks back as another blue has entered the fray.

Caralain jerks Lij's arm again and bounces up and down, robe flapping like some obscene bird. "Look! Toranth! Saphan.. ooh!"

Lunan turns from chastising the others to listen to the brown - then cheers! as Saphan Impresses. "Toranth! Didja hear? Toranth found Saph!" He hops onto his tip-toes to watch, moving away from the other Candidate slowly so he can enjoy his new lifemate. "Congrats," he murmurs, eyes sparkling. "Congrats!"

"Almost as loud as Qi... Yeah, Saphan!" Kiryn interrupts himself, mid-thought, and calls out as another one of his ex-fellows impresses. Then his eyes snap around to watch as the molten egg bursts.

Jenna is unable to conceal a quick flash of disappointment, but then as Saphan announces the name she jumps up and down, whooping! "I knew Saph would impress! I just knew it!"

Hiriwa squeals again in surprise although she's plainly happily surprised. "Saphan! S'phan!" she calls, bouncing up and down again before her gaze is drawn back to the newest hatchling.

Terrel starts to look over at the brown...but the blue spilling out drags his attention back...ink spilling out of fire. Blue! Well..not what he expected either way, but... "Faranth, he's gorgeous," he comments to the candidate beside him.

Dastra blinks when that loud brown stops before Saphan and chooses him. "Saphan! Oh, wow! He found you. That's great!" She beams over at her friend and then turns back to look toward the eggs and the new blue who's appeared.

Aedevan's face spreads into a wide smile, "Oh Sapan! He Impressed the brown! Congratulations Saphan! Wait, that's not his name now.. what is it?" He turns to Aluren, directing his question to the hiding candidate.

Taralinda smiles to Saphan and Toranth, stepping through the sand towards them, "Congratulations." Motioning towards the removed area for the new Weyrlings, "If you two will just follow me."

Lijan cannot help it and bounces with Caralain. "Toranth is a really neat name," he says. And starts looking for the next dragonet that might be anywhere close to them.

Velvety Midnight Sky Blue throws his head backwards and around the watch the egg depart his body. Now he stands there, in all his nightime glory, and takes pause. A moment to look about as he raises star-speckled wings high to dry. And then that first step is taken. Ever so careful and perfect. Then another...and another...heading for the line of candidates. Then he pauses and opens his great maw to let out a throaty sound -- half croon and half trumpet. He is here.

S'phan's face lights up, and he and his new lifemate follow Taralinda.

Taralinda steps into the holding room.
Taralinda has left.
S'phan steps into the holding room.
S'phan has left.
Toranth steps into the holding room.
Toranth has left.

No trace of leaves anymore, unless some linger on the ledges yet. They're ground to dust, mixed in with the sands in a futile fertilizing. But the sands give up life, with every clutch the crop is delivered. The wind dips down to create a tiny dust devil in the bowl, sending a fine storm of sand over the gold and bronze off to the side, obscurring their view for precious seconds. Erith bugles, but Zyanth overrides it with his trademark clarion call, full and brassy, ringing out over the bowl in concern and exaltation both.

Dasil hoots out his good wishes to Saphan, and then grins over at Dastra. "See, it's not so scary! Look at that blue there!" Vision tracks the arrival of the darkly hued blue while Dasil picks a stray leaf out of his hair, "What the?" He asks even as he tosses the debris aside.

Vaelyn watches the blue's every step, quite taken by his graceful movements for such a newborn. "He's absolutely gorgeous," she breaths.

Lunan watches S'phan incredulously, proudly. "He did it, I knew it!" He turns to admire the latest hatchlings, but looks after his friend a few times before ducking his head and sighing. With a grin, he turns to grin at the croon-trumpeter. "He sure wants to be seen!" he chuckles to Milque.

"Listen to that one," Cara enthuses. "He's blue, too." Such a pechant for stating the obvious. Letting go the grasp on Lijan, Cara shakes that robe out again and wipes sweat off forehead.

Dastra winces at the loud trumpeting from this next blue. "Shells, he's loud, Dasil," she whispers to her brother, keeping a wary watch on the loud one. "But he is kinda pretty really. Guess he wants us all to see it too."

Aine steps into the holding room.
Aine has left.

Jenna claps hands over her ears at the bugles from dam and sire. "Woah! They're hatching so fast." A quick, nervous look is darted up to the stands, perhaps attempting to pick faces out of the crowd.

Aine steps out of a small cavern off of the Hatching Sands.
Aine has arrived.
Taralinda steps out of a small cavern off of the Hatching Sands.
Taralinda has arrived.

Milque flashes a smile over at Lunan, then looks back to the young dragons moving about. She doesn't seem to have heard what Lunan said, her ears still ringing from all the noise.

Taralinda slips back out and takes a stand beside T'shar, "They're very fine pairs." She notes in a hushed voice.

Lijan gives Caralain another sidelong glance. He's really good at that. "So I see. That it's a blue. Looks different than the other one too."

Caralain bunches hands on the robe again and grins at Lijan. "Your robe's stuck in the back of your underwear."

Velvety Midnight Sky Blue swivels his head to and fro in a slow and deliberate movement. Yellowy facet whirling slowly for the moment. Those massive wings pull back against his side in an elegant manner, drapping like a cloak as they drag slightly upon the sand. He does not notice as he walks, not runs, right up to one candidate. For a moment he looks, then snorts and turns to move down the line, his tail sweeping back and forth and kicking sand onto feet.

Christania watches the blue with baited breath.

Kiryn's eyes track the blue now, and the motion of his feet on the sands becomes a little more noticable. It might be the sands, or it might just be nerves. He looks sidelong at the two candidates standing with him in turn, and then back. "Man..." Then a blink as he notices the energetic blue's movements. Uh oh.

Vaelyn chuckles quietly. "It's like he's got the mannerisms of a Lord Holder." She continues to watch his progress, flashing Kiryn and the others a little grin.

And indeed, Lijan's robe is doing just that. But as he's heard enough of Caralain's blatant lies for the night, he just snorts and ignores the other baker. "Right." So much about looking good on the sands.

Talene follows Christania's lead and just watches now, staring. Her lip chewing continues on, almost as if she doesn't know she's doing it.

T'shar grins. "Fort dragons always are."

Terrel is all but riveted on the blue at this point. "Look at the -wings- on him. It's a good thing he's a blue... if he was a bronze they'd be so huge he'd block out the sun!" He steps back a little, just a bit of nervousness rising as the blue shambles purposefully down the line, though he does crane his head forward a bit to see if he can get a better look. "Just like the night sky over the Starstones."

Lunan is bouncing on his toes, watching that blue. "He knows what he wants, too..." he notes, watching it walk decisively up and down the line of Candidates. "Picky..." he murmurs.

Lijan pouts. "Did you see, that blue just snorted at me. I don't like him."

"What a Lord Holder that blue is, elegant and rude" Aluren giggles. Hopefully not so loudly that any Lords in the stands will hear, since she was speaking to Aedevan.

Milque watches one dark blue dragon, "He sure is stately, right out of the egg, isn't he Lunan?" She glances over to her left as she points out the blue.

Jenna follows Kiryn's look, and automatically tenses. That blue is coming awful close to those white robes. Vaelyn's smile is caught and returned nervously, even as she shifts, trying to keep an eye out for any sudden charging.

Dastra watches raptly as the blue makes his stately way toward the Candidates, staying quite still as he passes by her. She shakes off her feet afterward, however. That errant tail brushed enough onto her feet to almost cover them.

Ring of Fire egg rattles and rolls, taking it's time to Hatch right under Erith's nose. The frisky young brown who hatches pauses to take a good look at his dam, bugling up at her happily before bounding off towards the Candidates. He falls over, picks himself up, dusts himself off and bugles again, this time looking right into the eyes of a laughing lad from the Seacraft.

Caralain pokes at Lijan's arm. "No, no, listen, I'm not kiddin'. Your robe's stuck in your underwear." A pause. "Nice underwear," Cara snickers.

Sovalin stands still once again simply standing and watching. "He was a happy brown." he indicates to the brown who hatched and Impresses.

The fertile atoll egg trembles, almost imperceptibly, like a fidgeting child staying out of the eyes of its parents when told to sit down and stay quiet.

Aedevan chuckles, "Nah, he's better than a Lord Holder," he replies to Aluren quietly, eyes following the blue.

Vaelyn watches the ring of fire egg split apart. "Oh, that was one of my favorites!" The fertile atoll egg catches her eye as well before she turns her gaze back to see where that blue has gotten off to.

"Cara, can't you stop doing that, just tonight? You can make fun of me another time. My mom's here, I need to look dignified." Lijan runs a hand through his hair and just shakes his head at the other baker.

Velvety Midnight Sky Blue takes another pause now. This time by a girl and looks up at her and then he seems to note something behind. With an excited half trumpet he pushes past the two candidates. For a moment he pauses and then circles around behind one other. There is a whuff at that candidate's robe hem, blowing it upwards in an almost playful manner. But it is more to get fabric out of the way of big hands. Which are now nuzzled tenderly.

Christania mms and shakes her head, "Jacob isn't going to like that."

Lunan follows Milque's gaze, chuckling. "He is, you're right," he answers her. "Look... he's found someone, I think," he mumbles. His head is wagging back and forth as he looks from new hatchlings to the blue.

Caralain looks skyward, then reaches over and just gives Lijan's robe a tug to put it in the proper place. That done, that blue is sought after with eager eyes.

Terrel blinks and looks at the inky head shoved between his oversized palms. Frankly, he looks like he's just about to cry. "Lestith...." he mutters, then clears his throat. Louder, "He says his name is Lestith," he announces, though his voice kind of cracks at the end of it. Then, rather all-a-sudden, he throws his arms down around the blue's neck, dropping to his knees.

Kiryn does indeed have to dodge, just as he'd planned, as the blue comes up to Terrel. But that doesn't stop him from grinning, as he knows very much what it means. "Terrel!" It's a very loud yell, filled with happiness for his friend. "Terrel, he's wonderful, good job!"

Talene smiles as she sees the blue has found who he's looking for. And it's Terrel! Her smile turns into a grin as she waves her congratulations!

Vaelyn waits patiently for a name to be announced, looking slightly more dejected as yet another fine blue passes her by. "Who... " she starts, then grins brightly. "Terrel! Congratulations!"

Dastra blinks as the blue passes by again, watching his progress and watching him finally stop and blow air up a robe. She giggles at the sight of this and then beams when she hears Terrel. "Oh, gosh. Terrel! He's real pretty! Congratulations!"

The Fertile Atoll egg sweats, if an egg could sweat, seeming to have water forming over its surface. Perhaps that's the heat of the sands, perhaps not. A foot bursts out of the back of the egg, then a tail and the other hind foot. Scooting out backwards, the young dragon pulls itself out of the egg and what do you know? There he is!
Deep Sea Blue:
The sea, hours away from any land, is a deep blue, shining when the sun falls upon it, and darker under clouds. Such are the colors of this hatchling: The deepest colors of the sunlit ocean along most of his sides and back and nec, but a darker coloring under the wings. Subtle streaks of a slightly greener blue mingle in, here and there - barely visible except close up. And along the ridges of the neck, the deep color lightens just a touch, the brighter blue of the deep sea seen closer up.

Sovalin sees who the blue has stopped in front of and beams. "Talene! Allright!"

Jenna nearly falls on her rump, looking for all the world that her heart stopped for a moment as the blue stopped for a moment, then pushed past. Then she bellows excitedly, "Terrel! Lestith! Oh, he's beautiful, Terrel!"

Lestith :rumbles deep in his throat and those star-touched wings flutter again. As he is hugger by his lifemate the blue lets out another oh-so-happy croon. Again he nuzzles at burgundy hair, beggining to nibble at the ends as hunger takes over.

Christania wows, "Another blue!"

Milque flashes a bright smile down towards Terrel and the blue, bouncing a bit "Oh good, Terrel will be a good one!" Then her eyes flick back to the hatching dragons, stepping a bit to the side just to make sure her feet are ready to move her out of the way if need be.

The medial moraines egg shudders mightily, spraying fine grains of sand on the eggs nearby. It begins to show the first signs of cracks just before it falls quiet again.

Terrel laughs...another set of teeth to chew at his hair. "Come on," he tells the celestial dragonet. "Let's get you something to eat." A wave is given to the others as he leads his newfound companion off the sands.

T'shar waits for the initial hugging-and-crying moment of realization to pass and then steps over to the newly impressed pair. "Congratulations Terrel, er, T'rel?" he tries, then gestures for them to follow him. "Why don't you and Lestith follow me."

Lunan does a hop. "Terrel did it! Lestith! He's Impressed!" he tells Milque insistently. "Oh, everyone's Impressing, look't that!" Duh, that's what happens at hatchings. Another Candidate points that out to him, but Lunan just shrugs. "Yeah, but... still. An' look't, another blue!" He goes back to hopping, eyes darting to the shaking egg until it stills.

Talene grins as she turns her gaze to the new blue, waving to him in spite of herself. She nudges Christania, "There's another one!" She says excitedly.

Caralain tugs happily at Lijan, "And Terrel. Gee, Lijan, everyone's impressing. You will next, I bet."

T'rel nods, following T'shar.

Dasil cheers for Terrel with one arm raised, he looks eagerly towards the nearest candidate and grins, "See that?" which of course, most everyone has. He takes a breath in and makes the seems along the sides of his robe creak in protest.

T'shar steps into the holding room.
T'shar has left.

Vaelyn smiles brightly as another favorite egg cracks, revealing a beautiful blue. "So many of them. I was right to guess blue for all the eggs." Dimples form in her cheeks as she smiles towards the newest hatchling.

Lijan looks behind him at the tugging, then glowers at Caralain. "Shards, I missed the Impression. Never complain again that my mother groped you. You tugged at my robe!" He shuts up at Caralain's words. "Dunno, you might be next. You go green."

T'rel steps into the holding room.
T'rel has left.
Lestith steps into the holding room.
Lestith has left.

Sovalin ohs softly. "Another blue. He's as wonderfull as the others one's." his eyes shift though towards the eggs still waiting to hatch. "Hasn't hatched yet." he murmurs.

"Good job," Kiryn calls again, before his eyes are called to yet another egg-explosion. It's going fast now, and the tall young man settles back on his feet, from the tense position he'd taken to avoid the passing blue. A glance back to Jenna, just to make sure she didn't impress without him noticing, and he calms down to wait.

Taralinda smiles and wipes at her eye a bit as she watches the emotional display, then pulls herself together and watches the blue make his progress through the candidates.

Deep Sea Blue pulls back from the shards of his shell, eyeing it warily as he backs far enough away to see it properly. Comically, a single piece is on his head, stuck above one headknob. He shakes his head out to dislodge it, then noses at another piece before looking around.

Aedevan lets out a sigh as Terrel, well T'rel, Impresses. "Another one of us gone, Aluring... But he's a beautiful dragon, Lestith."

The shalesscape egg twitches and shudders. Then it lies still again. Oh wait, no...just the bottom is quivering.

"Ew, green," Cara says, not really sounding displeased at all. "They're fast though." And can't you just see Cara proddy, Lij? You should know better. "An' I was just gettin' your robe out of your underwear."

From where the sand is less likely to heave and huff, Ariandra stands, surrounding by only memories of other hatchings. A hand has come up to her mouth, knuckles grasped between her teeth, tears sliding freely over the gold blush of finely powdered hatching remains. She watches the mad tear to and fro, the trampling of shards into tiny bits, the yells of happiness, the speaking silence of disappointment.

Dastra tugs on the shoulder of her overlarge robe, pulling it back up as she begins to fidget a little, shaking her feet to relieve some of the discomfort from the heat emanating from the Sands. She watches the newest hatchling make its appearance, giggling at sight of the piece of shell on its head.

The desolate caldera egg turns and rolls from side to side, making a little valley in the sands as, thus far, the efforts of breaking free prove to be futile. A single black line creeps over the egg's surface, spreading quickly.

Sovalin grasps Christania's hand and yanks. "It moved it moved it moved!" he announces. "It moved." once again for good measure.

Christania meeps a little and looks where Sovalin is talking about, "Shells and shards be had!"

Vaelyn chuckles softly, eyeing the blue. "He's definately a pretty one." She turns a bit, looking over towards the others to see who's still out here on the sands with her.

The shalesscape egg shudders and twitches in its sandy depression.

Lijan watches the blue and that shell on his headknob, then grins. "Yes, Cara, green. I just know it."

Lunan can't help it, the Deep Sea Blue hatchling has his attention and his chuckles. "Didja see that egg shell stuck to it?" he asks Milque. "OH! That one shook... a little. It's gonna hatch!" His voice cracks as he points to the shalescape egg, and Lunan shuts his mouth, hand clamped over it in horror. He looks around to see if anyone noticed.

Aluren tugs Aedevan's hand laughing "Don't call me that. And T'rel will make a wonderful rider. I keep missing things. I want eyes in the back of my head too." So she compensates by trying to slowly spin in place.

Sovalin points to the Shalescape egg. "I was looking at it and it moved! See! It did it again. I talked to that egg, ya know." he falls silent, sighing deeply as he watches.

Jenna manages to steady herself as Terrel, now T'rel makes his way off the sands. She edges a bit closer to Kiryn, taking a deep breath. "It's going so quick." Sweat has begun to stain the back of her robe, and she swipes again at her forehead.

Milque grabs the sides of her robe, taking a deep breath to calm herself down a moment. Then she steps over closer Lunan to point out some more of the shaking eggs. She knows he can see them too, but it's just too exciting to be completely rational.

Talene murmurs, "Shards.." as she stares at the blue. She then glances at Vaelyn, nudging Christania, "I bet this one's looking for Vaelyn." She says with confidence in her voice. She then nods to emphasize her point, turning back to the blue to stare and watch it's every movement.

Christania grins at Talene, "Or you."

Caralain sighs and fidgets from one leg to the other. "Haven't been any over here for a while. Maybe we oughta move." The candidate leans forward to see where the blue's gotten to.

Kiryn sidesteps a little, moving into some of the room vacated by the new bluerider, with a glance back at Jenna as he does. "It seems that way, once it starts. Like I said... everyone was complaining this would never come..." his eyes trail back out to the clutch, "... but now that it has, it goes by much too quickly." Memories coming to the surface, there.

Vaelyn looks between Christania, Talene and the blue. She waits patiently to see which direction the little fellow is jogging off to.

The heat gets to him by now and Lijan shifts from one foot to the other. Those soles aren't thick enough. "Move? Where to? You can't just walk up to them, you know."

Talene blinks at Christania, "Me? Nah." She shakes her head, "Vaelyn, most definately." She smiles and pokes Christania gently, "Or you." A smirk goes to the Candidate.

"Probably 'cause of Dasil's feet," Dastra mutters to Caralain. "Warned 'em about that." She, too, watches the little blue.

Deep Sea Blue peers around at the others around him. The white-clad Candidates draw his attention, and he stills as he watches them, all but his wings: those wave back and forth, a tiny, tiny bit, more like a leaf shivering in the breeze then anything else.

Caralain oohs thoughtfully at Dastra. "I bet you're right. See, Lij, we should move." A few moments, then Cara says from the same place, "So Dastly, you scared?"

Lijan blinks and looks at Dastra. "Is that what's smelling so bad in here? Dasil's feet?" He wrinkles his nose, then moves to the other side of Caralain, away from Dasil.

Christania shifts her feet a little and then swallows, "Or me."

The medial moraines egg urgently begins to shake, the hatching inside intense on finding release from it's birth prison. More and more cracks appear on the surface.

Milque laughs just a touch, "It looks like he wants to start flying already, doesn't it?" She leans in over closer to Lunan as she speaks to make sure he can hear over all the noise.

Vaelyn watches the little guy quiver, frowning slightly. "I hope he's okay," she breaths, turning a bit as another egg threatens to break open.

Dasil relaxes his breath just in time to puff himself back up and turn away from Dastra, "They don't smell that bad." Comes muttered under his breath as he looks around and then sniffs, just to check.

T'shar steps out of a small cavern off of the Hatching Sands.
T'shar has arrived.

The shalesscape egg gives a lurch to the side and the sound of cracking shell might or mightn't be obvious. But either way it is getting closer to hatching.

F'ren smiles as he arrives and makes his way over to Ariandra.

Jenna gives Kiryn a swift, sympathetic look, and then turns, craning her neck to follow that blue. "Oh, look, he's stopped. Where's he gonna charge to, y'think?" The question is obviously rhetorical, sweaty hands clenching in her robe.

Lunan looks desparately up at the stands, hoping no one heard the voice-crack. He glances up at Milque and grins weakly. "Look't the blue," he whispers, squeaking slightly. He seems to decide against talking, lips clamped shut. He nods to Milque emphatically to answer her question.

The desolate caldera egg fissures with cracks that spread in a network of black seams down the side from the top as the tapping grows more insistent. There's a petulant creel from the confines as several large flakes of shell cascade onto the hot sand.

Dastra keeps watching that peering blue. "Lookit his wings," she says quietly. "Wonder if he's scared or something." She shakes her head at Caralain's question, then nudges Dasil, teasingly.

Sovalin nods feverently. "Yup. It moved some more." he does look away time to time to see where hatchlings are on the Sands.

A slow slip of her hand through F'ren's arm. She uses his shoulder to hid her emotion-drenched face, and, perhaps, to whisper to him her own set of hopes and diappointments.

T'shar returns, less one blue weyrling pair, and heads back to Taralinda and Aine. "What'd I miss?" he wonders in a low voice.

Kiryn looks back to Jenna, and shakes his head. He's allowed to answer rhetorical questions, ha! "If I could predict that..." Again his eyes drift to the sands outstretched before him, and to the now more quickly-moving blue. He tenses a bit, once again, and one hand moves to cover a spot on his chest.

Taralinda keeps her voice lowered, "lots of eggs rocking and a couple young dragons milling around." She grins at T'shar, "How are they settling in?"

Aedevan shakes his head, "Nope, you're Aluring..." he persists with a smile. Teasing, that will distract him. Ayup.

Deep Sea Blue jumps away from the shalescape egg, casting it a startled glance. Now that he's not looking at the Candidates, the constant murmur of sound from the gallery draws his attention, and he gazes towards them for a moment or two. But that's all it takes for him to turn away, back towards the more interesting Candidates. He takes a few bumbling steps towards them, wings flaring out for balance. After another pause to get his legs properly under him, he walks forward again - once more awkward, and then suddenly with the fluidity of water he's moving gracefully, picking out one Candidate to head towards.

"Flatter will get you" Aluren starts to say then goes for the distraction "What is that over there!" and points towards the general mass of eggs. Something has to be going on that will catch Aedevan's attention.

Caralain whimpers towards Lijan, "This is taking too long. I'm hungry. I wish I could ha' brought cookies. Dragons don't eat cookies." This with a sniff and a quick glares towards Ariandra.

T'shar shrugs. "No one's choked yet, so that's a good sign." He wrinkles up his nose. "There's meat *everywhere*."

Aine turns to look at T'shar. "Good. That's all we'd need." She makes a face too. "Ugh. Well, at least we won't have to clean it up."

Vaelyn neatly folds her arms across her chest while her feet continue to shift through the heat. She just watches the blue with a certain air of curiousity.

Sovalin points. "Lookit. He sees someone." his eyes cut over towards the Shalesscape egg again. He's torn between so he watchs both. The blue and the shifting egg.

Stormblown Loess Egg topples over and a minty green Dragonet rolls out onto the Sands. She sits there a moment, blinking as she wonders why she's seeing the world upside down? Getting her bearings, she rights herself and rumbles, red eyes swirling with hunger as she heads straight for a group of female candidates. Shoving them aside, she finds a slim young man from High Reaches Hold in the back, her choice and Impression is made.

Kiryn keeps standing there, as the blue gets closer and closer, until he's just sort of staring at it. Staring for a long time. The hand on his chest falls away, and the young man blinks once or twice, before emiting a small sound. "Tavorth." His lips crack into a little smile, and he falls forward to embrace the little dragonet. "His name is Tavorth."

The shalesscape egg rocks back and forth and again cracks are visible across the surface. Then there is a slight *pop* from the egg.

Lijan elbows Caralain again. "Don't mention food, that's not good. Or so I've heard. Don't whine, this is supposed to be exciting." He looks rather uncomfortable though, far too warm in here. "Oh look, Kiryn Impressed that blue."

Taralinda makes a face slightly and nods her agreement with Aine, "Not yet anyway."

Like a boulder that makes up part of its namesake, the Medial Moraines egg rolls end until it stops by hitting another egg with a loud crack of collision. This seems to give it the extra little oomph it needed to get towards its goal, however, and a crack appears at the point of impact, running down the side in two or three lines. The next moment there's a dark, glistening wet head creeling with effort until the shell falls away and leaves him there on the Sands.
Fiery Molten Bronze:
Liquid metal runs its course at the forge of Pernese metalcrafters. Dark, rich striations of dark bronze, some so dense a shade as to appear black, are barely visible in the near perfect hide of this young dragon. The majority of his color is a bright, golden bronze, as if lit from the fires of the Smithy's forge. From his nose runs a dark, thin line that swirls about his eyes, then continues on down his neck, over his shoulders and hindquarters, wrapping in a spiral around his tail, as if someone had stirred the metal and then poured it into a dazzling draconic mold. His large wings, when spread wide, show what appear to be gloriously detailed etchings of filigree, complete with the curls and swirls involved in such a design, blacked by a paler, more delicate shade of bronze. As if a Master took every precious detail to heart, this dragon holds intricate detail to his very talons, each one circled with a thin line of dark bronze that curls around the toe like a wire.

Jenna ohs, stunned, backing off from Kiryn. Tears well up and she positively beams at him, to split her face wide open. "KIR! And Tavorth! Oh, Kir, he's beautiful!"

Aine heads for Kyrin and Tavorth. She smiles at them and motions for the boy and his dragonet to follow. "This way."

A methodical tapping gets louder and louder. It moves from a calm tip tap, to an urgent knocking, the dragonet inside working hurriedly to find it's way into the world. Its efforts are not in vain, for a moment later there's a head sticking out, followed by forelegs and a torso. A push with hind legs and wet wings are revealed and soon the rest, leaving a hollow shell sitting behind her on the Sands.

"Oh, golly," Dastra whispers as the blue seems to have made up his mind. "I wonder who it is that he picks...Kiryn! Hey, congrats!" She beams over at him and his blue. And then gulps again, watching one Impression and then seeing the bronze appear. "Golly," she qhispers. "Just lookit him."

Lunan's eyes widen more - how?? - as he watches the blue spread his wings for balance. "Look, it went right up to.. Kiryn!!" He tugs on Milque's sleeve. "Look't! Kiryn Impressed! An' look, a bronze!! Tavorth 'n Kiryn! An' a bronze!" His voice cracks about every other word, and he quiets again, merrely hopping to show his excitement.

High Mountain Green:
Mist curls around this hatchling's forefeet, tickling the undersides of her belly as moisture-laden air is cooled on alpine slopes. The deep greens of conifer forests, flecked with cyan, blanket her narrow shoulders, arching upwards to follow a slender neck. There, the snowline hints at the approach of winter, where a dusting of powdery snow clings to branches. Ice glints with the pale light of the distant sun across her ridges, while a flurry alights upon her nose. Across her haunches, the even coverage of the forest is disturbed by craggy cliffs. Streams of icemelt course their way to unseen valleys down her tail, cascading over the rocks that dare peek from the timberland. When her wings extend, glaciers are retreating, a pale icy-green shade, along the leading edge. Alpine meadows have claimed the gravelly cirques left behind, covering her wingsails in lush verdant greens with sprinkles of the final floral shades of autumn.

Caralain mutters, "And there goes that blue. Shards."

Vaelyn spies Kiryn after Jenna's yelp and claps. "Oh! Congratulations!" she calls. The bronze's arrival startles her, causing her to leap slightly.

Milque looks over at Kiryn and smiles brightly, "Look Lunan, Kiryn must have impressed to that blue!" She shouts into the young candidates ear.

The Shalesscape Egg topples over on its side and writhes there for a moment under the efforts of the dragonet inside. Two or three large cracks appear across the surface of the egg, dividing it into a number of large areas. The first piece falls away leaving a wedge shaped hole where a left foreleg, wing, and hindleg come appear. With a shake and a grunt, a glistening green dragonet is left on the Sands next to the remnants of her egg.
Pale Moonlit Grove Green:
Standing silently alone amidst a sea of activity and life is a place of solace, a single being that offers safety and seclusion. She stands alone, the pale moonlight caressing her hide in beautiful dusts of silver from her neck to her tail, as if this lone dragon was standing to catch the rays of Timor herself. The green of a moonlit grove when Timor is full and flying low in the sky, she seems a gift from the stars and a whisper on the breeze. Perfect in every way, she seems impeccable, from darling wedge-shaped head to long, lissome tail. Her wings, when spread wide, hold the rich, fresh green of new ivy in the spring, wrapped with tendrils throughout as if her wings were woven of fresh leaves and delicate branches. Slim form holds the promise of agility and speed in flight, while her quickly swirling eyes holds the hope and promise of life on Pern.

Lijan bounces. "Look, Cara, there's my bronze and your green!" He runs a hand through his hair. Where he gets his arrogance from, is really surprising. "Or maybe that's your green."

Sovalin watches Kiryn Impress, the green hatch and then he just blink. "Shells. I...I can't watch it all at once!"

K'ryn rises with his new-found friend, one arm still draped over the creature, as he looks up, trying to decipher Aine's instructions. A little difficult, but he manages, and starts to wander from the sands, dragonet-in-tow.

Talene follows the Hatching of the bronze and the two greens, but after staring at the bronze for a few moments, she turns her head to the greens. She can only watch so much...

Aine steps into the holding room.
Aine has left.

Dastra can't quite keep track of everything that's going on, looking first one way and then the other. "Gosh, lookit the greens too!" she says in a hushed voice, staying right where she is and just trying not to miss too much.

Christania gasps as a bronze and green are hatched. She pulls on Talene's arm, "Oh Talene!"

Caralain pokes Lijan for just about the thousandth time. "I -said- I like blue better. You jus' wanna get a bronze and me a green so you can chase. So cut it out."

Milque bounces and smiles at Lunan, "Oh look, three of them all at once!" She turns back to watch the dragons, three at once means triple the dragons to dodge as they move around.

Tavorth has left.
K'ryn steps into the holding room.
K'ryn has left.

Aedevan grins, "Oh, Kiryn Impressed. Oh Faranth, wow!" Then he grips Aluren tightly, "Look at the bronze..." he gasps. "He's breathtaking!"

Vaelyn's head almost spins as right around her several hatchlings emerge. She steps back away from the egg the girls have been clustered around, for fear she'll be struck with a flying shard when it decides to crack. "By Faranth's golden egg," she mutters, just peering all around her.

Jenna misses all the other shells cracking, watching Kiryn, now K'ryn, and his blue Tavorth make their way from the sands. Her face is still split into a huge smile, and she finally turns back to the eggs, wiping at forehead and eyes now.

Dasil pumps his hand and cheers for Kiryn and then quickly takes a few steps back as he gets pelted by a fine spray of shards. He looks to make sure Dastra is all right and then shakes himself like a wet canine and moves back into place, eagerly looking at the greens and the bronze.

Talene winces as the girl pulls on her arm. She squeezes her hand and nods, "I know, Chrissy, I know!" She shouts above the din.

Aluren ended up pointing at the fast troi of cracking eggs. She pulls back her finger and stares at it befuddled. So she tries pointing at another group off eggs. They stubbornly do nothing. So she shrugs and beams a smile for Aedevan "Gorgeous, and you are crushing my hand."

Lijan snorts and then shrugs at Caralain's words. "Why not? You wouldn't mind that yourself, admit it. You called me cutie." His eyes are all on the bronze now and he holds his breath.

Fiery Molten Bronze :stands there in the remnants of his shell for a good long moment, surveying his domain. It is *his* domain after all, or so he thinks by his stance. A deep breath and he seems to have made a decision, that along with the rumble in his belly. Nobly he moves forward, down to the bottom of the egg mound, one foot, then the other then.... oops! Head over tail he somersaults to the bottom, then bounces to his feet as if to say, 'I meant to do that!'

F'ren simply smiles as he watches the goings on, a pleased look on his face as he comments on each of the hatchlings to Aria.

Pale Moonlit Grove Green stands up and gives herself a shimmy. Which promplty makes her fall onto her side. That was a surprise and thus she gives an indignant little chirp of a noise. Let us try this shake and stand thing again, shall we. And so she is on her feet and more carefully flicking limbs now covered in sand.

T'shar squints at the bronze and sighs slightly. "Not again."

Caralain snickers, eyes catching on the bronze. "He's as clumsy as you are, Lijan, you'd be perfect. An' you called me cute too, so shut up."

Christania grins at Sovalin, "There's a bronze... you'd be so wonderful on bronze."

Taralinda whistles softly and then grins over at T'shar's remark, "What's that?"

High Mountain Green shakes her delicately wedged head from side to side, flinging the sticky and moist strings of membrane from her silken muzzle, creeling softly from the ruins of her egg. Slowly one wing unfurls and then the other, flicking slightly to dislodge a bit of shell that sticks to the sparred tips. Small foreclaws grasp the edge of shell and she leans forward with an unexpected tilt and then topple over as ungainly wings fail to balance her.

Milque shifts and bounces back a step as the bronze makes a tumbling roll, even though she's not very close to that young dragon at all.

Aedevan grins, "Oh, I'm sorry..." he releases her fingers. "I guess I don't know my own strength," he laughs. "That green's beautiful too. I bet she'll be over this way for ya, Aluren."

Lunan sighs and watches the green hatchlings, grinning. The bronze then captures his attention, so his head is wagging back and forth slowly. He says nothing, his hopping and wide-eyed blinking saying it all for him. He points to the bronze for Milque, glancing up once or twice to see if she's looking.

Lijan absently mutters "I'm not clumsy, you know that. Look at him, he knows what's up. He'd be perfect for me."

Sovalin says. "Oh...my." he blinks. "Hey, my favorite egg is gone. Where'd it go?" he looks around. And sees three hatchlings moving around. "Oh." he says. "I didn't see which one came from it. Maybe the green..." he shuts up and looks to Christania. "Yeah. I would." he answers absently. "He's....perfect looking."

T'shar grins. "He reminds me of Toniath."

Christania grins at Sovalin and then looks at the green, "But she's magnificent."

A slight smile, gilded with a bit of moisture, sweat or tears, hard to say. Ariandra leans against the bulwark that is F'ren, and simply watches the chaos as it has its way with the hatching sands.

The color has certainly returned to Dastra's cheeks; indeed, she's red-faced and little rivulets of sweat are dripping form her chin. She's not paying attention to any of that right now. She's clinging desperately to Dasil's hand as the hatchlings seem to be taking their time in figuring out how to walk. "I sure hope they don't get hurt."

Vaelyn watches the bronze tumble, turning her head slightly with one eye closed. "Oooh. Poor critter." She winces again as one of the greens calls over. "Poor babies. Thank Faranth they'll get more coordinated as they get older."

Jenna shifts over towards the others, now that the ones around her have impressed. Aedevan and Aluren are found in the crowd, and she edges up, "*How* many greens are there? Shells, I missed 'em all hatching."

Talene grins at the Candidate, "One of those greens is looking for you, Chrissy!" She leans over to see Sovalin, "And the bronze is, of course, for you." She ays, her gin brightening.

Christania grins at Talene, "How do you know that the green won't go for you?"

Aedevan chuckles to Jenna, 'Trying to total up your winnings?"

Aluren shakes her head and wraps an arms around Aedevan's waist. "Not me, but I bet that metallic has an opinion. I hope it is about you. All the colors are so pale, it reminds me of home."

Milque smiles and steps back up near Lunan's side and nods, oh boy, she sees the bronze, and both of the greens. She bounces a little bit, getting a second wind of excitement even with all the strength sapping heat.

Fiery Molten Bronze is now covered in sand over his back from head to tail. Of course, this is not supposed to happen to someone of his stature and glory! He spreads his filigreed wings wide and gives a shake like a canine, spraying sand all over everywhere. Sand and egg goo since he's still dripping, of course. There, much better. Propelled forward by that rumbly belly again, he starts on his quest to find *the* perfect man. Well, as perfect as he is, anyway!

Sovalin flashes a look and a smile over to Sovalin. "He could be." he's never actually let go of Chrissy's hand. So he stands there with two girls to his left, still holding a hand.

Talene blinks and nods, "I didn't mention that? The other green is looking for me." She says with a shaky confidence...under her breath is the barely audible, "I hope..."

Caralain snickers softly. "He's got an attitude, Lijan, and Faranth knows you got one of them."

Aine steps out of a small cavern off of the Hatching Sands.
Aine has arrived.

Christania giggles at Talene and squeezes her hand gently before giving Sovalin's hand a squeeze as well. "Um... if the dragons come running at us, we'll have to let go, right?"

Lijan flashes a grin at Caralain. "See? And you'll have the green to match it."

Talene didn't think of that possibility, "No, we can all run to the side."

Pale Moonlit Grove Green starts down the mound at something resembling a gallop. And for all hatching clumsies, she doesn't fall a second time. At just before the bottom she makes a little leap and falls *ploff* in front of a male candidate. Not very graceful, but she doesn't fall over. And now she looks up at the male and snorts. Nope, not the one. But she'll croon playfully anyway as she starts on her search.

The limu o pele egg trembles lustily, if that's possible, shaking with the urgent need to be free! Free! Freeeee!

Jenna shakes her head at Aedevan, blushing faintly. "No. Distracted. - Oh, and there's a bronze out there too?" She catches Aluren's words, and edges near the others for support.

The wind kicks up again, a long WHEEEEEeeeee sound to it as it dips and tears down through the usually sheltered bowl. Gusts of sand rise, like curtains drawn for privacy, shutting off some of the views of what occurs. Something happens behind them, titivating bits of motions suggesting impressions here and there. As quickly as it surged through, it kicks back up, leaving only a shower of sand to fall in a slow descent.

Sovalin shakes his head. "No, remember I told you i'd push you...oh. Then I guess i'd let go." he suddenly drops her hand to cover his eyes. "Hey!" he protests to no one.

High Mountain Green sneezes as she draws her now sand-crusted muzzle up and blinks in surprise. With a scuttling of limbs and wings she rights herself and sniffs the air, bits of shell dotting her shoulder and clinging to one wing sail. There's a throaty creel of amazement as she lifts her head, looking up and up and oh my! Turning slowly around and around on her hind-end she takes it all in and then slowly starts a progress forward on wobbly legs.

Lunan's mouth forms an 'o' as he watches the bronze, head still wagging back and forth from watching the bronze, to the greens, to the eggs. Abruptly his head jerks so he's looking up at the stands. He waves to a couple female Telgari riders nervously with a faint grin, then turns back to get ready to dodge hatchlings.

Vaelyn reaches up, idly making sure that her hair hasn't fallen from the bun she worked it into earlier. She then turns on her heel to look at the hatchlings running around, and the other candidates. Hearing the wind howl, she quickly places a hand over her eyes to shield them from the blowing sands.

Christania swallows and watches the hatchlings with baited breath

Aluren coughs, throwing her free arm up to protect her eyes from the swirling dust and sand.

Caralain sneezes sand, coughs for a moment. "Ugh, that's nasty, where'd that green get to?" Cara drags a hand across face, spits out more sand, and coughs again.

Dasil quirks his head and coughs into his hand before poking Dastra with one of his feet, "That bronze is a right handsome fellow, take a look at him. Er, picture him without all the muck on him." He nods and then pivots his head to stand prepared as one of the greens gets closer.

The limu o pele egg rocks and rolls, bouncing against an unhatched egg on it's left, rubbing against another on it's right.

Milque makes a face, nose scrunching up and one eye closing then she reaches up to clear some sand from her eye before she opens it again.

Sovalin turns his head this way and that way to pick out where the hatchlings. Leaning waaay forward he looks up and down the line of candidates. "There are some missing now." well duh!

Jenna echoes the sneeze of one of the greens, blinking sand out of her eyes. Hands come up to scrub at her face, which only serves to get sand *and* sweat in them. The grit is then wiped on her robe, muddying it further.

"Oh, gross," Dastra says as the bronze hatchling's shaking flingss a gobbet of egg goo right into the middle of her forehead. She reaches up to wipe it off and then wipe her hand on her overlong robe. She watches the hatchlings move, her gaze wary. "Yeah, he is, but he got goop all over me."

Faranth, sand in his hair. Lijan runs both hands through his hair. Got to look good when you're about to find the bronze of your dreams.

Aedevan coughs a bit and pulls the collar of him rob up over hismouth and nose until the wind dies down a bit. thankfully it's to big for him, so there's plenty of room to pull it up and no embarrass one's self.

Caralain mouths, "Priss," at Lijan with grey eyes highly amused.

Fiery Molten Bronze rushes towards a pair of similar looking Candidates who not only look alike, but are holding hands! He is moving quickly, sure he's sensing something from their direction. Skidding to a stop, he sprays even more sand over the pair of them and eyes the girl critically. Hm. Close, but not exactly what he's looking for. Wrong body parts. But her brother... ah, that's what he's looking for! He closes the gap between himself and the lad.

High Mountain Green tosses her angular head from side to side as she walks, nostrils flaring as she breaths in all the new scents. With a delight trumpet, full of love and happiness she leaps forward, wings fanning out to offer something 'like' balance, but the Red Star help anyone that's in her way. She roars at her bronze brother who nearly tangles with her and misses a near collision by falling flat on her tummy and skidding forward the last body length to her lifemate.

Christania gasps and watches with surprise!

Lunan opens his mouth to try saying something again, and gets a mouthful of sand for his efforts. A pathetic grimace, and he spits, down hear his feet. His eyes start to water as he tries to scrape sand from his tongue with his fingers. This is the position he is in as the bronze and green rush to their lifemates. He stands, tongue hanging out, watching.

Pale Moonlit Grove Green comes around now as she walks forward. First at a leisurely pace. But as she doesn't find the one she wants quickly the trot quickens. Finally she is bolting across the sands, both for fun and in her search. Finally the one is spotted. And she begins to run across the sand, slipping along the way, but never stopping her forward motion. The loud screeching, REEEEEEE! REEEEE!, can be heard before she tries to stop before the one. Of course she can't stop on a mark yet, and the sand beneath her carries her into the legs of her chosen. Together they fall, together they stand. Together they are now bound.

Taralinda winces and lifts her hands to her head, "Jays....wait....move...oh..." she doesn't quite close her eyes though. "I hope no one gets hurt

Aine peeks from between fingers at the aftermath. Everyone ok?

Vaelyn shakes her head slowly from side to side, quite taken by how fast the three of them hatched and impressed. She scans faces, waiting for someone to announce a name. The squealing only makes her wince moreso than the hot sand picking at her skin is.

Sovalin falls over in heap. But he doesn't seem to care as he calls out a name. "Vaerdanth!"

Dastra blinks. "Oh, shells, they're coming this way," she mutters, steeling herself. Her free hand clenches into a fist as the bronze gives her a look-over and then barely manages not to run when the green comes skidding toward her. Slowly, however, she kneels down to reach out and caress the head of the little green at her feet. "Course it's me, Cheylth." She giggles. "Who else would it be?"

Caralain yelps and jumps away from the dragonets -right- there, "Dasil! Dastra! Lijan, look look look!" Fingers reach out for the candidate's hand.

Dasil's jaw drops and he nods a bit as the part of his brain that runs his vocal cords plays catch up, "Xannarth! I'm going to hold you to that!" He lets go of Dastra's hand and reaches out to stroke the bronzed hide.

F'ren chuckles at the newest pair. "I sure hope this isn't a preview of things to come with this pair."

Vaerdanth lets out a happy and piercingly high creel in return at her lifemate calls out. Her tail thumps him across his chest, but lovingly.

High Mountain Green :whuffles warm breath up at Dastra, eyes whirling up at her from her flat, sprawl at her feet.

Lijan blinks and nods. He looks very disappointed though, but manages a genuine smile for Dastra. "A lady for a little lady."

Xannath :bugles proudly and sits regally in front of his new lifemate. Perfect.

The Limu o Pele egg shakes and shivers. The hatchling inside seems to be having some difficulty getting out. Was that a grunt from inside the shell? Cracks appear from the bottom, wriggling their way to the top of the eggs when suddenly *crack*, the egg bursts into a flurry of shards! There, standing alone and looking very proud of herself, if somewhat hassled by the work she's just had to do, is a wet, gooey dragonet.

"I don't even want to consider..." Ariandra trails off as she watches and sighs, and just shakes her head.

Talene's eyes dart back and forth, back and forth, glancing between the hatchlings. She claps heartily for Sovalin, "Congratulations." She claps for the other two as well, "Dasil! Dastra! Congratulations!"

Deepest Lush Jungle Green:
Hidden deep within the Southern Continent, so remote that only the rarest of humans get to experience it, is the heart of the jungle. Held within that heart is a green so strong, so deep, and so lush that the color brings a lump to one's throat. This is the green that this young dragon claims for her own. Her color, so like that of the tropical foliage that carpets the jungle, is dappled in varying shades of dark green. Perfectly wedge-shaped, her eyes are encircled by a different hues of green, the left one very dark, the right one still deep green, but two shades lighter. The dappling covers her from head to talon, giving the image of leaves dampening falling sunlight with their warm, moist life. Here and there, a lighter leaf green, a darker leaf green, a deep moss green. She is covered by this plethora of shades of green. Larger than the average green, she's also thicker through the chest and shoulders than most. Her rear haunches show muscle already, promising that they will be strongg and sturdy when put to work, powerful for launching into flight. Her tail may be a bit short, to a critic's eyes, but fits her form perfectly. Wings, when spread, reveal lighter shades of green, as if dappled by sunlight through a canopy of branches.

Vaelyn grins as Sovalin, Dastra and Dasil all proclaim names. "Oh! Congratulations!" she calls, her hands clentched together to refrain herself from bouncing too much.

Aine heads out toward Sovalin and his green. "Congratulations," she says to deaf ears. She waits a moment for them to come to their senses and smiles. "Follow me and we'll get her some food."

Jenna beams! "Congratulations! Dasil! Dastra! And *Sovalin*! How great!" She shifts awkwardly, "What were their names? Did anyone hear?"

F'ren grins. "Oh, now I like this green!"

Lunan bites his lips in excitement, then says quietly to Milque, "Xannarth 'n Dasil, Dastra 'n Cheylth, and Sovalin 'n Vaerdanth." His voice cracks, but he continues anyway to shout, "Congratulations! Oooh, congratulations!!" He watches the newest green hatchling with a grin, but watches after the newest Impressees mostly.

V'lin shakes his head, managing to get to his feet. "V'lin. I'm V'lin now!" he announces his own new name.

Red Butte egg pops open in a shower of egg shards to reveal a grassy green Hatchling. Nearby the Silent Avalanche egg slowly falls away to reveal a darkened blue. The two head in opposite directions, the green with a purpose, the blue taking it's time to find the perfect lifemate. The grassy green arrives at that group of girls so easily shoved aside before, looking into the face of a sweet and lovely blonde girl from Greystones Hold. The darkened blue peruses a group of troublesome young men, choosing the biggest pranker of the entire Candidate class, a freckle-faced boy from Igen Weyr.

Milque smiles and grabs for Lunan's robe arm, "Do you think Sovalin's okay? That was some collision!" She bounces as she watches the brother and sister impress as well, then her eyes are brought back to the remaining eggs with a snap at the sound of cracking shell.

Vaerdanth manages to get herself up and shakes again as she rumbles in a very happy tone. Again her head nudges against him, but more plaintively, as she again creels. This time the note is held as her stomach rumbles hungrily.

Dastra giggles and beams at Cheylth. "Hey, you're not hurt or anything are you? You okay down there?" She reaches out to scritch an eyeridge. "Hey, Dasil didja..oh, wow, you found the bronze! Gosh!" She keeps one hand resting on Cheylth's headknobs.

V'lin nods and moves over with AIne.

"Look at those muscles, I pity the males who chase her" Aluren laughs at the stocky lush green. The trio moving towards the meat room catches her attention and she ooohs.

T'shar steps forward, considers, and heads for Dastra and Cheylth. "Congratulations," he echoes, making sure no injuries were sustained during the impression. "If she's hungry, and I'll bet she is, I'll show you to the food."

Talene waves down at Jenna, "Xannath for Kiryn, Vaerdanth for V'lin, and Cheylth for Dastra." She shouts.

Taralinda lets out a breath as the dust clears and walks to Dasil with a bright smile, "If you two will follow along. We'll get you settled in with the others."

V'lin steps into the holding room.
V'lin has left.
Vaerdanth steps into the holding room.
Vaerdanth has left.
Aine steps into the holding room.
Aine has left.
T'shar steps into the holding room.
T'shar has left.

Dastra pats Cheylth's head. "Hey, I think we're supposed to go that way," she says quietly. "C'mon, let's go see."

Dastra steps into the holding room.
Dastra has left.

Christania watches the hatchlings walk off with their lifemates and then looks back to the hatchlings still tehre.

Vaelyn leans over and corrents Talene softly. "Xannath for Dasil." She's still excited though as the green moves around the sands, and a few eggs have as of yet, not hatched.

Caralain points, "And there, another green, maybe -that- one's for me," Cara teases Lijan.

Taralinda steps into the holding room.
Taralinda has left.
Cheylth steps into the holding room.
Cheylth has left.

Rain Shadow egg topples over into the Frost Polygons Egg, both cracking to reveal glistening brown dragonets. The former is a light, sandy brown while the latter is dappled in the brown shades of autumn. The first rights himself, shaking the egg goo from his wings before setting out towards a pair of Candidates who are holding hands. He chooses the girl of the pair, who calls out his name and is reluctantly released by the young man. The dappled brown finds his lifemate in a short, studious young man from the Smithcraft who vocalizes his dismay at having to give up machining, but is thrilled to have such a perfect partner!

D'zel follows the directions out, one arm slung as far around Xannarth's neck as he can get it.

Lijan nods to Caralain. "Yeah, I know you'll have a green. Even if I won't have a lifemate, you'll have a green." For some odd reason he takes Caralain's arm again.

D'zel steps into the holding room.
D'zel has left.

Deepest Lush Jungle Green bugles with annoyance, shaking a stubborn piece of shell from her gooey hide. Disgruntled, she stands there glowering for a moment before she realizes she's being watched. Watched by not just one person, but a whole gigantic cave full of people. Well, ahem. She gets herself together and strikes a pose, flipping her glistening wings wide.

Xannath steps into the holding room.
Xannath has left.

Christania raises one hand to cover her mouth, trying to hide a small smile. "She's... interesting?"

Vaelyn snaps her fingers as the last of her favored eggs hatch and the dragonet inside impresses. The green causes the candidate to muster a smile, watching her awkward movements with intrigued eyes.

Talene blinks at Vaelyn and blushes, with an enthusiastic nod. "Xannath," she repeats. She nudges Christania, "If those weren't looking for you, then that one.." and this is accompanied with a point, "Most definately is." She seems confident about this, hope in her eyes, hope for her friend.

Aine steps out of a small cavern off of the Hatching Sands.
Aine has arrived.

The rolling mudslide egg shifts slightly upon its mound, waterfalls of sand skittering down as it begins a slow descent to a rift in the sand.

Jenna ohs and gives a wave of thanks to Talene. Wasn't it Talene that shouted? She darts a nervous look at Aluren and Aedevan, and then back out to the eggs. The number is dwindling fast. "Oh! Did you guys see that green?"

Christania says "It may also be looking for you."

The Rolling Mudslide egg shakeshakeshakes. Then it's still. Is it going to hatch at all? Another few moments of silence, then another bout of shaking until finally it shakes itself full of cracks. A piece of shell falls away here, falls away there, until nothing is left but a wet, shiney dragonet standing in a pile of its own egg shards.
Mysterious Thermal Pool Blue:
Where the molten lava bides its time closer to the surface of Pern, pools of water are warmed to steaming temperatures above. Dark, deep, mysterious. The blue is so otherworldly as to seem unreal. And so is this beauty, stepping into life with a slow cadence. The blue that covers his body is jewel-like, but not sapphire. Along his tail, up his spine, and around his eyeridges, the markings are more blue-green, as the water is in thermal pools where living things grow at the edges, and minerals collect to coalesce in beautiful patterns. The same markings dapple his legs. His wings, when spread, shimmer in the light, and lacey dapplings of bluish green fringe the edges, while the main sails are all that same deep, mysterious blue of his body.

"She's a priss too," Cara says, still cheerful - maybe at that arm being taken? - "Just like you."

Lunan grins and points his favorite egg out to Milque. "Look't, the muddy one hatched! It's... it's... blue!" He seems surprised as he watches the Mudslide egg shatter. "Ooooh, look't the patterns on'm! He's so dark!" he squeaks.

Lijan looks at Caralain, then squeezes the arm. "Don't call me priss."

Vaelyn's hopes take flight one more time as another blue manages to pop free from it's shelly jail. "Blues are best," she states proudly towards Lunan, after hearing his mention of the egg.

Talene shrugs to Christania, "I don't think so." She says, and then she's gasping, "And a blue!" She glances up and down the Candidates, her eyes matching the blue up with a Candidate. She seems to take heart from rooting on her friends, even if it doesn't work out as she though it would.

Aedevan nods, looking rather shocked, "It all just happens so fast...." He lets out a heavy sigh as the eggs start to dwindle.

Christania swallows at the blue, "That could be yours! Or mine!"

Deepest Lush Jungle Green holds her head high. Wow, the center of attention! Whatever will she do with herself? She *struts* forward, attention on those in the Stands and her sire and dam. She pauses, eyes going wide and taking on a red tinge when a frightening rumble comes from somewhere in the vicinity of her midsection. Panic! What was that! Must find help and must find it now! She hurries towards the white clad figures.

Christania squeezes Talene's hand, "Be ready to bolt!"

Milque smiles brightly at Lunan, then looks to watch the blue, "He's very handsome!" She bounces a bit as her eyes dart from that blue over to the lush green that's stalking out towards the candidates as well.

Caralain flushes again. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry." Accompanied by a bright grin and a returning squeeze.

Aluren tiptoes up to smooch Aedevan's cheek as he sighs "There will be other bronzes. You wouldn't want someone elses lifemate. That would be horrible, like having someone elses face and seeing it every time you look in the mirror."

Jenna grins a bit at the green as she preens, "Whomever impresses her will have their hands full - whuh oh! Lookout! She's coming quick." A worried look goes to Aluren and Aedevan as she shifts her weight, ready to run if necessary.

Talene nods, her whole body tensing in readiness as she squeezes back. "Gotcha," is said to her fellow Candidate.

High Mountain Cirque egg shows a great deal of minute cracks before it shatters into a pile of egg bits, leaving a windswept blue Hatchling posed with a dazed expression in his eyes. He looks around, realizes that rumble in his stomach isn't going to go away if he waits long enough, so he heads towards the Candidates to his right. Passing ten or twelve, he does an about-face, moving back four and crooning up at an average young man from the Keroon area. Impression is made.

Aedevan laughs, "Well, thanks, I think. There are a few more eggs out there, but well..." He doesn't finish, he just watches the hatchlings intently. Maybe one of those...

Maybe not having a bronze is alright. Lijan at least has Caralain to hang on to. "Look, if the green's for you, I could have the blue and still get to chase you." He grins impishly. Standing on the sands sure has made him more relaxed than before the hatching, oddly enough.

Taralinda steps out of a small cavern off of the Hatching Sands.
Taralinda has arrived.

Aine smiles as one of the riders helps the latest pair off the sands into the small room adjacent. Her attention is turned back to the hatchlings and waiting candidates.

The gold node egg finally begins to move. It twitches slightly as its occupant begins its struggle to escape into the world.

Abyssal Plain egg hatches to reveal a flowery green dragonet, to it's left the Nuee Ardente egg cracks shell and drops away to show the forest green Hatchling that's been inside. The two exchange a glance, seem to argue with a series of chitters and wurbles, then head out in the same general direction. The flowering green Impresses to a bawdy girl from Benden Hold, while the forest green chooses the tall, dark haired young man whose love Impressed a brown a few minutes before.

Mysterious Thermal Pool Blue holds statuesque among the shards of its broken home, wings outspread to catch the light and emit sparkling droplets. He moves forward slowly, deliberately, his head lowered to the sands, his muzzle methodically nudges shards from his path. Ending a good dragonet-length from the egg remains, he halts. He moves his faceted gaze from one end of the candidate spectrum to the other, apparently debating.

Deepest Lush Jungle Green kicks shells out of the way as she barrels towards the Candidates, urgency in her eyes and her bugle, but these shells just *have* to go! She stomps forward, directly for a person who's caught her mind. Yep, she's determined, all right. She's got a goal and it's in her sites. She runs towards a group and skids to a stop, then just sits there, looking up at a single girl with an impatient croon.

Vaelyn keeps hopeful eyes turned towards that blue, trying hard not to seem too intent on him.

Caralain makes yet another face at Lijan. "You're funny. Oh, look, there goes the green!"

Christania watches the green with interest.

Lijan peers. "Is she coming your way?"

Talene pulls on Christania's arm this time as the green moves for her lifemate.

Lunan bounces on his toes to watch the blue hatchling from the mudslide egg. "Move, I can't see'm!" he says to a taller boy in front of him. "I wanna see!" He ducks in front of the other Candidate to peer at the blue being picky. "He's clearing his own path," he chuckles to Milque.

Taralinda rubs both hands over her head and looks around, "Jays."

Jenna cranes her neck, harried attention split with all the eggs, trying to keep track of greens and blue. "Who? Who're they - oh, those two." She wrinkles her nose at the 'lovers', "What about the other one? And that blue?" Anxious looks are given to Aedevan and Aluren.

Milque laughs and steps out to the side of the taller candidate Lunan is trying to boucne around, "He's taking his time Lunan." She smiles and looks down to see if she can see where that green ended up in the circle of candidates.

Aluren takes a startled step back, half crouching with shock as a green stampedes her. She leaps forward from that almost sprinters starting position to squeals at Stith "Silly Stith! I wasn't hiding!"

Stith croons at Aluren with satisfaction.

Vaelyn hears Aluren's voice ring clear over the sands and grins. "Congratulations!" she calls, giving a quick wave to the other girl.

Aedevan's jaw just about hits the sand, "Aluren... Stith? Stith!" He takes a step back, giving the new pair plenty of room.

Jenna's anxious look turns into a beam of pure delight. "ALUREN! Oh, Aluren, she's great!" She hustles back, trying not to get tripped over by Aedevan.

"Aluren impressed!" Cara beams and waves an arm frantically after the pair.

T'shar steps out of a small cavern off of the Hatching Sands.
T'shar has arrived.

Mysterious Thermal Pool Blue complets his deliberation, moving stealthily forward to one end of the candidates' semi-circle. Sand sprays to the side as he passes first one candidate, and then another, none seeming to fit the bill. His pace is leisurely and calculated, his inspection of the candidates scrupulous. He knows what he wants, and he has not yet found it.

T'shar reappears, wiping his forearm across his forehead and getting his sleeve all sweaty and gross.

Aluren glances around a little shell shocked at all the thanks "Ohh!". She is grinning from ear to ear as she rubs her tummy in sympathy.

Lijan mutters darkly. "Okay, so I was wrong, and you won't get a green anyway. But a blue." He points at the blue and nudges Caralain.

Lunan is leaning forward enough to see Aluren's Impression, and he grins, looking up at Milque. "Alu Impressed Stilth!" he tells her, voice rising an octave before he can stop himself. He sighs and goes back to watching that blue as he passes by him. He hops from foot to foot, feet red looking now from the heat.

Taralinda smiles and walks forward to Aluren and inclines her head, "If you two will come with me. We'll get you settled in with the others."

Stith butts her head against Aluren urgently! Matter at hand!

Aluren steps into the holding room.
Aluren has left.
Taralinda steps into the holding room.
Taralinda has left.

Vaelyn leans back as she's sprayed with sand from the passing blue. A quiet sigh escapes her lips before turning her eyes to reguard the remaining eggs. "How many are left?"

The gold node egg shakes more vigorously now. Its occupant is definitely working to escape from her home of so many months. Crackling sounds can be heard as the shell begins to give way.

Stith steps into the holding room.
Stith has left.

Milque smiles happily as she glances to see Aluren leave with her lifemate, then her eyes quickly go back to the blue that's tromping along the line of candidates, watching him closely.

Caralain turns from the impression to watch the blue. "Told you blue was my favorite color," the candidate says hopefully, flapping the robe again. "Shells, it's hot."

Lijan peers at the gold node egg. "Or maybe you'll have the gold, you know." He purses his lips and seems to have forgotten all about Impressing himself.

The wind has died down now, gone on to other teasing pursuits, perhaps far off to Nabol to kiss the ripening fruit there, and tease the locks of holder girls. The sands like still, litters with glistening shards. Knots of people still clump, but so many fewer now. The end looms over the mound like a protective nanny, tucking in the cover of finality.

Jenna chews on her lower lip, watching the blue out there. "He's looking hard," she notes to Aedevan. A nervous look goes to the other eggs, and then back to the dragonet. "And that wind's just /not/ helping." She fans herself with one sticky hand.

Caralain snorts. "Ew, and have to stand on the sands for months an' months at a time? No, -thank- you." Flap, flap, and Cara wipes more sweat from forehead.

Aedevan lets out a sigh, "Well, at least I got a kiss before she was stolen away," he mumbles. "What? Oh the blue. Yeah, I hope he finds his mate soon."

Vaelyn shakes her head, seeming to agree with Jenna's words. "Definately not helping." She waves her hand gently back and forth in front of her face, attempting to cool herself down slightly. Little beads of sweat have progressively been collecting on her forehead.

Lijan shrugs. "Just an idea, you know. She's not for me anyway. What if she'll like you?"

Ariandra presses against F'ren and murmurs. "So many of them already gone. So many still left. I wish..." a hesitation and then she says, in a rush, "I wish Erith had been a bigger gold so there could be more eggs." Guilty glances cast at her lifemate, who simply regards her with amused, draconian tolerance.

The Gold Node egg shimmers, seeming to undulate with the distorting heat from the sands. Pulsating with life, the hatchling inside takes her time getting out. Soon tiny cracks appear, scuttling over the surface of this perfect egg. The shells seem to melt away, falling to a pile at the feet of this dazzling young creature and leaving her to stand there in all her glory.

A moment is spared as Talene glances up, moving her eyes away from the Hatchling and the eggs. She glances down again, smiling at the Hatchling. She wipes at the sweat on her face, and then she's squeezing Christania's hand comfortingly as her gaze flits from the eggs to the Hatchling.

Scintillating Sunset Gold:
When the sun descends, and the water waits to catch it, on perfect nights the sun goes down in only golds. She could have been taken from such a sunset, her body a deep, peachy-gold, like that of the sunset just before it touches the water, Down along her undersides, her tail and legs, the color darkens to a deeper, almost antique golden shade, as if the light there was submerging. The rush of lighter color runs up along her neck, becoming more and more yellow gold, with darker ridges around her eyes. Her head is perfectly shaped, and the gilding shows off her fine structure. Delicate of form, she holds out the promise of grace and elegance in motion. As her wings extend, they are the beautiful heavy yellow color of freshly minted gold, with darker spangles, drops of metal flung against them, interspersed with droplets the color of the dying sun, and the light shade of the upper layer of the sunset.

"I said ew," Cara states firmly and peers towards the eggs. "Shards, they're almost all gone. An' where did that blue ever go?"

F'ren simply smiles, shaking his head. "Both Zyanth and I find our mates to be just the right size." This is reenforced by a squeeze from F'ren's arm at the same time as Zyanth lets out a low, pleased rumble.

Lijan shakes his head. "No idea. Not my way." He shifts on the sands to find the blue. "Hm."

Mysterious Thermal Pool Blue quickens his pace, sending continual showers of sand. He skitters to a stop as he reaches the end of the Candidates. Could he have missed something? Movements hurried now, he backtracks, passing the halfway point. And then, he skids to a stop. Could it be? Inquisitive, he moves inwards, passing one Candidate. Finally, he stops. It's -him-.Tentatively, he barrels into his chosen.

Lunan watches the blue, curious as to who this calculating dragon will choose, being so careful. Absently, he swipes at his tongue, sand grains still there and sticking firmly. "Ah, gahvah, ilsh," he babbles, tongue hanging out as he desparately tries to clean it off. His eyes dart to the gold hatchling respectively.

Vaelyn spares the gold hatchling a favorable look as she presents herself onto the sands. Her attention is leaning more towards the little blue however, lifting her head up to try and find where he's off to.

Christania watches the hatchlings with interest, primarilly the gold, but eyes not straying from the blue for too terribly long.

Scintillating Sunset Gold rises unsteadily to her feet and shakes the remaining bit of shell off her brightly shining hide. She blinks a few times as she takes in her surroundings.

Milque gets ready to jump as the blue barrels back into the line, her eyes only getting a moment to see the gold hatchling escape from her shell before she watches out for that blue.

Talene's eyes widen as she spots the gold. Her chewing now produces blood as she bites down hard. She suqeezes her companions hand, "She's beautiful, Chrissy!" She manages to tear her gaze away long enough to glance at the blue. "They're all so beautiful..."

F'ren points now, "That's a careful gold we have here, eh?" This said to Aria.

Jenna misses the latest egg breaking, instead looking for where that blue got to. "Who's he after? Who is it?" She darts a quick look to Aedevan, and then back to the sands.

Lunan's tongue dangles, then is quickly stuffed back in his mouth by his fingers. "Did you hear that?" he shrieks. "Did you?! Alirath! It's him! It's /you/!" His voice rises octaves, then drops again, then rises. "Alirath!" he repeats, dropping to his knees to accept the barreling head into his arms. His wide eyes are shut now as he murmurs, "Alirath, my perfect Alirath!"

Vaelyn rubs at her eye. Whether it's because of a grain of sand, or because that little blue toddled off to someone else's embrace, one might never know. "Congratulations," she offers with a faint smile towards Lunan. "It's a lovely name."

"She is beautiful," Lijan says with a look to the gold. "Are you sure you wouldn't want her?" He turns his head. "And there was the blue. Lunan Impressed."

Aedevan shrugs to Jenna, "I don't know..." He stares after the blue and beems as he spots Lunan. "Oh Lunan! Congratulations!"

Ariandra nods, the guilty little flush expunged in a sort order. A hand comes up to tease back a long lock that has escaped from her hairdo, resting on her forehead, as if to hold back the volume of noise that overflows her thoughts.

Talene waves excitedly to Lunan, "Congratulations!"

F'ren just busts out in a good natured laugh at Lunan as the impression takes place.

Taralinda steps out of a small cavern off of the Hatching Sands.
Taralinda has arrived.

Caralain eyes the gold for a moment. "Aah, she's okay. And Lunan? Oh, Lunan!" Robe flaps as Lijan bounces to look over at Lunan and the blue.

Scintillating Sunset Gold watches her bronze brother find his lifemate, then steps slowly down off of the egg mound, looking regal and surprisingly graceful with each step. Her wedge-shaped head sweeps around the remaining circle of candidates, looking at each one for a moment.

Milque gives a little cheerful shout for Lunan as she backs off a bit, that barreling was pretty close. Then she steps out a bit more to the side, looking to see where the other young dragons are now.

Vaelyn focuses in on the only hatchling left on the sands. Tilting her head curiously, she surveys the young queen, then looks about her at the prospective choices that lay ahead.

Christania watches the gold with interest, swallowing.

T'shar waits through the flood of name proclamations and then grins at Lunan and his blue. "Congratulations, Lunan," he says. "If you and Alirath want to come with me?" He holds out his arm, gesturing for the pair to follow. What gold?

Jenna lets out a cheer, "Lunan! And what was that blue's name? Al-something?" She grins over at her friend, and finally takes an eager look back to the sands. Upon seeing only the gold there, her face whitens. "Uh oh. She hatched." Feet bring her closer to Aedevan for support.

Talene smiles at Lunan and his new lifemate as she turns back to the gold, wiping a little blood from her lip. She stares at it for a moment, suprised to see it, but then her eyes are caught entirely by the gold.

Parched Riverbed egg produces a dazzling violet blue dragonet while nearby the Steam Fumeroles egg cracks shell to reveal a fresh green hatchling. On the other side of the Sands the Shimmering Sinter egg hatches to show it held a beautiful kelly green. The three head out in different directions, the first green joining with a dark haired beauty from the Healercraft, the second green finding a plain, chubby young lady from nearby Fort Hold. The violet blue heads straight for a former Weavercraft Apprentice, bugling as the boy shouts out his name, the final Impression being made.

Aedevan laughs, "Yeah she hatched... Ya think the biggest brightest egg on the sands is gonna be a dud?" He welcomes the closeness though and extends a hand shoudl Jenna want it.

Vaelyn has partially disconnected.

L'nan is biting his lips and hugging Alirath, staring into the blue's eyes. "Yes yes yes, Alirath, c'mon, we'll follow T'shar there, c'mon!" He hops on and helps his new blue off the sands."

T'shar steps into the holding room.
T'shar has left.
L'nan steps into the holding room.
L'nan has left.
Alirath steps into the holding room.
Alirath has left.

Vaelyn spies a zip of blue and quickly lifts her head up to follow it's progress, only to be dissapointed again as it runs into someone else. "Well, there's always next time," she breaths, idly curling one palm closed and rubbing at the top of it with her other hand.

Jenna does indeed take that hand Aedevan is extending. Then as those three eggs crack, she looks hopefully in their direction. Her face falls as they quickly impress. Unable to keep a quick expression of disappointment from her face, she squeezes the hand she holds.

Scintillating Sunset Gold moves toward the candidates and peers at several of them. After each one, she seems to shake her head a bit then moves on to the next.

Milque nervously grips her robe again, her hands having gotten that clammy feeling yet again. She looks around now, the candidates to either side of her gone now, more and more holes have appeared about the circle. She looks out at what is left of the mound of eggs, her eyes watching the regal gold take her time in looking everyone over.

Christania sees the last of the eggs hatch and tries not to look too disappointed, though her features are falling noticeably. She gives Talene a small smile, "Well, we gave it a good shot, right?"

Vaelyn reaches back idly to dust the sand out of her bun, relenquishing it's hold to allow the hair to fall back into a runnertail. This allows her to more easily relieve herself of the grit, shaking out the length of hair gently.

Caralain points towards the last impression. "There we go, Lijan.. shards. Only that gold left. I hear hatching feasts are awfully good though." Face brightens.

Talene stares at the last hatchling, her eyes getting misty. She smiles at Christania, and squeezes her hands, "It was really nice meeting, Christania." She tilts her head to the side and offers a genuine smile at that. She points to the gold hatchling, "Might as well see who she Impresses too. We have to hear the speech they give afterwards anyways."

Lijan nods, then suddenly his face falls. "Hatching feast. Mom will be there...think you can hide me somewhere? Please?"

Christania smiles at Talene, "Of course. I'll be heading back to High Reaches. H'am's here to give me a ride. Want a ride back? I'm sure H'am and Llanarth wouldn't mind." She still keeps an eye on the gold, but it's not near as focussed as earlier.

Scintillating Sunset Gold stops in front of a young candidate with very blonde hair and stares at her for several long moments. Suddenly she snorts, blowing the girl's hair back, then moves off across to the other end of the line.

Caralain peers at Lijan. "Oh, your -mom-. This robe's prob'ly big enough for two." A weak grin accompanies the tease. A pause, "But I don't really wanna see her either."

Talene nods gratefully, "Thanks. I'd appreciate that, unless someone is here to give me a ride." She whispers quietly, glancing up at the Galleries. She shrugs, "Ah well." A glances is offered to the gold, and she smiles.

Lijan smiles wanly. "What about grabbing some food together and then hide somewhere?"

Vaelyn perks up at the mention of family. "Which reminds me. My whole family is up there in the tiers. I'm sure they'll be dying to eat after all this is over. It'll be nice to visit with them for a while!" She too watches the gold out of the corner of her eye, smiling lightly at the very blonde candidate.

Aedevan catches Jenna's falling expression, "Hey, it's not over yet..." He offers, though he can't completely hide the defeat in his tone.

Milque chews on her lower lip a bit as she watches the gold pick her way along the candidates. She leans forward just a little bit, then leans back, bouncing on her feet again just for a moment.

Jenna holds on tightly to Aedevan's hand, "Oh - there she - oh, no." She gives the blonde girl a sympathetic look as the little queen turns away. "Almost." She jokes softly, "And I thought Sovalin was supposed to impress her too."

Scintillating Sunset Gold stops in front of an older Candidate this time. She watches the Candidate as she bounces on the hot sands, then begins to croon deep in her throat.

Taralinda watches quietly, keeping eyes on the last of the candidates and the last of the action out on the sands, a small smile playing at her lips.

Aedevan laughs, "I just wish she'd pick already. Here are the choices darlin' just pick one.... Oh there she goes!"

"Hidin' sounds awful good," Cara says. "An' we can play cards, maybe? Oh, I think the gold.."

The 'eyes' have it. Locked on the gold. The only dragon moving on the sands now. Breath is held until lungs could burst, released in hard, hot gasps, juttering little sounds from the sands and the gallery.

Christania watches the gold infront of Milque, she assumes, and ohs quietly. She grins back at Talene, "Well. As I asked, would you want a ride back with us instead of someone else?"

Vaelyn spies the gold near someone whom she thinks is Milque and smiles quietly.

Talene waves to Milque and smiles softly, "Good luck, Milque! And congrats!"

Milque stops bouncing, staring straight ahead into the face of the firey young gold, "Yes Elynth! We are all the ingredients together!" She steps forward and wraps her arms around her neck, her eyes bright with happy tears.

Aine beams at the new pair and heads out onto the sands to usher off Milque and Elynth. "Congratulations," she says to the pair. "Follow me off and we'll get her some food."

Jenna lets out her breath in a faint whoosh of relief. "Congrats, Milque!" She turns to Aedevan and smiles a trifle sadly. "Now it's over."

Milque steps into the holding room.
Milque has left.
Scintillating Sunset Gold steps into the holding room.
Scintillating Sunset Gold has left.
Aine steps into the holding room.
Aine has left.

Vaelyn smiles towards Milque and her Elynth, waving to them as the leave the sands. "Congratulations," she calls before looking towards Ariandra and F'ren.

Taralinda follows Aine, Milque and Elynth in.
Taralinda steps into the holding room.
Taralinda has left.

Lijan sighs a bit, then nods. "Playing cards sounds good. You never taught me that game you kept playing with the others." He still clings to Caralain's arm.

Talene nods quickly to Christania as she rubs her eyes, "Yeah. I'd like a ride home, if you please."

F'ren nods to himself and steps forward towards the candidates still on the Sands. "If you all will follow me, please."

"Thought I did," Cara says, picking up the robe so as not to trip, heading after F'ren.

F'ren turns and makes his way out into the bowl, motioning the others to follow.

Ariandra stand there, in the shadow of her gold as Erith looms over her, and they watch, together, the new dragons disappear. But then, she turns to watch the remaining people on the sands, and her expression is a softly disconsolate one.

Christania nods a little to Talene, "Sure. No point in hanging around here anyway, right? Friends are gone, and it'd probably be easier on our emotions." She puts an arm around the girl and looks over at F'ren. "Great. The 'We like you and want you around even though you didn't impress' chat." She winks at Talene with a smile.

Aedevan lets out a long sigh, his grin kinda of weak. "So do we sleep in the barracks tonight or do they stick us in the residents room?" He asks, Jenna, eager to look to the future again. He also moves to follow F'ren.

Jenna nods to the Weyrleader, finally releasing Aedevan's hand. "Guess we'll find out."

F'ren walks out of the Hatching Grounds, to the Bowl.
F'ren has left.

Lijan is dragged along, as Caralain follows F'ren.

You walk off the sands, escaping to the cooler floor of the Bowl.

F'ren stands in the center of the room. "Well, there's not much to say. Not much that will make you feel better right now, so I won't try. You all are, of course, welcome to remain here at Fort as residents and to perhaps stand again. If you chose to return from where we searched you, we will provide a ride back.

Vaelyn moves over to her cot and begins to collect her things, only after changing into her regular clothes. She looks to F'ren once she's collected. "Actually, I'm very interested in begining those dragonhealing lessons as soon as possible."

Davienne nods in agreement with F'ren. "Yes, please. We would like you to stay on with us...after all you are part of the family now."

Lijan shrugs. "I expect I will return to my baker posting at Reaches, sir." He looks at Caralain.

F'ren smiles at Vaelyn, "I promise you, the lessons will be starting sooner than you might expect. And you'll be first in the classroom for them!"

Caralain rustles under the cot for a moment and drags out some other clothes, changing facing away from them all. After, Cara turns and shrugs at F'ren. "Yeah, back to Boll."

Vaelyn smirks, nodding politely to the bronzerider. "Thank you sir. I look forward to them."

Jenna rubs sweat from her face, her expression drained. She moves over to her cot and starts to tidy. "I have to talk to my parents, but I'd like to stay. Or at least keep running messages out of here."

Talene enters from the Inner Caverns, letting the curtain fall shut behind her.
Talene has arrived.
Christania enters from the Inner Caverns, letting the curtain fall shut behind her.
Christania has arrived.

Talene slips in and mutters an apology for being late.

Christania follows behind Talene, taking her jolly old time.

F'ren nods. "You don't have to leave tonight, unless you wish to, of course. You can stay here until you've decided. To those of you leaving, thank you. This was a great time at Fort, because of all the Candidates. Thank you for your contribution to Fort."

Lijan nods to F'ren, then murmurs to Caralain "Got the cards?"

Christania nods to F'ren while she appears to be packing up her things in her carry sack. She doesn't seem nonplussed and almost seems happy as she sings quietly to herself, "I'm'a takin'a vacaaaaaation, gonna tan in the sun all daaaaaay..."

Caralain looks around. "Yeah. Yeah, somewhere." Cara rustles, produces the deck. "Let's go get food."

Vaelyn smiles as she tucks her things underneath her arms. "Actually, I'm just moving back into the dorms. I want to make a quickl apearance at the party before I toddle off to sleep for the evening."

Lijan nods, gets some clothes from his press, quickly gets out of his robe and nods to Caralain. "Yeah, food. And if you see my mother, let's run."

Caralain nods and wanders out.

Lijan follows right after Caralain.

Talene grabs her things, placing them on the floor before holding out her hand to F'ren. "I /will/ come visit, but I think I found my home at High Reaches."

F'ren nods. "Anyway, rides are out front if you need them. If you're staying on, let me know in the next day or so and we'll get you new quarters.

F'ren smiles. "Reaches is a good place. I'm from the area myself, sorta. Thanks again everyone.

Vaelyn smiles and waves as she heads on ut.
out

F'ren turns and makes his way back out.

Jenna nods to F'ren, just as happy to be able to not worry about moving. "Thank you, sir." She grabs clothes and heads to the hotsprings to clean herself up before bracing the family.