The Shards of Shells, a Hatching

[Memorie]

Merda's body was filled with a deep bass vibration, and bronzes began to enter the Hatching Grounds, voices humming in their deep brassy way. Caliath, herself, sat up, golden egg still sat protectively between her front claws, and hummed to encourage her hatchlings. The candidates were being brought in, the Gold Candidates being presented to Caliath. She passed each one, of course, but remained with her egg. It was still whole.

H'mei drank down the last of his fellis-laced redfruit juice, and ran out to Sarith. "Let's go, Dragon."

Of course. The blue took off.

Kaunth called to P'resh. It's Hatching! The gold egg Impresses! P'resh got up from the bed where he'd been taking a nap, and strode out to his ledge. Hopping on the dragon, he almost fell off in Kaunth's rush to begone.

"Watch out, wouldja?!"

~~~

When the biggest hatchling made his way into the world, the people oohed and ahhed about the good luck of a bronze being first. Caliath rumbled encouragement to her new son, and he stumbled out into the sands. He tripped over his still wet wing tips and fell into a candidate named Cranan. After leaving several scratchmarks, he stumbled in the opposite direction, sat down, and began to cry piteously. Beodith rumbled for him to continue his search, and the dragonet, somewhat surprised, quickly stood back up and wandered to the male candidates again. There was His! In the back!
Ur'tan, why do you hide from your Haliniath? he asked, crooning for the others to move as he barrelled toward his new rider.

The small green dragon was dwarfed even more by her large bronze brother, who had been the largest in the clutch. Avidly avoiding him and his, she meandered over to an also dainty young lady, Luem. I am Cuth, and I am yours, Luem. Please feed me, my stomachs rumble so.

The large blue hatched moments after his green sister, though on the other side of the clutch, so that their bronze brother's shards didn't hit him at all. He stumbled over to the candidates after finding his large mother and father. He saw his candidate, a lovely girl, and looked back to his father.
Ina, your Menoth won't ever be that big, huh? he asked. Maybe it's better that way!

Thinianth hatched fourth, and the people were excited about the health of the clutch. A bronze and a brown, and a queen egg?
"It would seem as though you had a successful flight, my Caliath," Merda said to her Queen dragon.

Indeed. Beodith flew me well, she replied fondly. Merda grinned at her dragons words.

Meanwhile, the brown tottered over to the candidates, and selected his rider. W'lin, you are now mine. I am your Thinianth.

The light red-brown dragon hatched seconds after his brown brother and only a moment before his bronze brother. The egg shells shattered quickly, and there stood a very average sized brown in the middle of the shards. He looked around at the young people gathered, and barged defiantly over to a group of young men, trampled through them, and almost mauled a boy to death. He chose his quickly.

Ah, my D'bin, it is good to finally see you. I am your Klineth, and no one else's. Now feed me, he demanded.

[lyricalblue]

Picking at his tunic, Searisan sighed wistfully. White really wasn't his color. The tension began to build and the first egg hatched, Sea forgot all about the tunic and stared in awe. When the bronze plowed down one of the candidates he winced and took a step backward. That did not look like a pretty way to earn some scars, or even die. Scars could be very dashing on some men. Kind of like that Bluerider he'd seen earlier. Another egg hatched and then another, Searisan forgot all about the Bluerider and focused on trying to no get mauled as the awkward hatchling bumbled around the sand.

Lyla and Micho were sitting on each of his shoulder, crooning as loud as they could and with eyes whirling excitedly. Sea had tried to calm them down before, but now he was as fascinated with the goings on as the little lizards. He gulped and watched as the eggs continued hatching. Oh please let there be one for me, if I have to go back.... Shutting his eyes tightly he refused to think of it. Instead he tried to project love and welcoming to the little creatures as he had been taught to do.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This really was ridiculous, all of it. To think she would Impress a dragon. And a month ago she would have been surprised to see one. Now... now she was seriously considering staying her, was standing at a Hatching and had managed to get herself utterly besotted with a bronzerider. Kami watched as the eggs began to hatch and the little dragons Impress. Something in her wrenched at the sight and she knew then that it was for this that she had come. That little hope deep within her heart bloomed and Kami glanced back at the stands, wondering if Z'rion was there and what he was thinking.

She swallowed and began to hum to herself. How amazing was this, the hatchlings themselves were such a wonder. Her dark eyes raised to look at Caliath and the golden egg she was still protecting. And the little creature that would come out of that shell could become as large as the adult Queen. It was all fascinating and a tune began to wind itself around in her mind. What wonder was this indeed?

[hrsegrl245]

Amneris froze in her tracks. Humming....she should go to the Hatching...did she even want to? In the time it took her to think this she found herself being pushed by the other candidates that were rushing to the Hatching sands. Apparently shhe was expected to attend. Solo eyed her angrily...Ugh...what a brat. Next time she played on the Hatching sands she would be suyre not to land ina nest of Firelizard eggs. This was the bossiest flit she had ever met. Rummaging around for the customary white robes she grimaced. White...why couldn't it be a nice color...like blue?

The tall blonde eventually found herself standing with the others in similair robes. It was clear the other people were nervous. Like old wherry hens running from a canine. Hah...well she wasn't nervous. Looking at the Queen Caliath she quickly changed opinion. Okay, mayhap she should be nervous? That was without a doubt the largest dragon she had ever seen. Faranth save her, she almost wanted to go up and touch the beauty. No no. That would get her into trouble.

Solo sat on her shoulder his litle brown body barely visible from the stands. There really was nothing to worry about. If she impressed then so be it. If she did not impress she would go back to being a harper adn a candidate. It wasn't as if her life would be over. That was when the first hatchling came from his shell followed by a green adn then a few others. They were amazing...if only she had her gitar. This was at least interesting. The little beings seemed perfectly capable of identifying who was perfect for them almost instantly in some cases.

This was othing like a firelizard hatching. Soon amneris realized she was entirely sucked into the whole event and would proabably not even hear someone should they say something to her.

---------------------

Hanen had been brought over from Lateo in hopes of impressing to Caliath's clutch. He didn't realize how close they had been cutting it. He wasn't prepared when the dragon humming was heard. Carefully he put on a white robe. He spent several moments sitting in the barracks jus breathing adn listening to himself. He was young to impress really. Everyone thought as much but he was still taller than several boys five years older than he.

Daze had remained where he had told her too. He wasn't sure how well Caliath liked flits and didn't of all things wish to upset the queen of a Weyr he had never been to before. He spent the first few minutes looking around for Milaka and Shereae, hopefully he had not los them so soon. He was already nervous about being at the Hatching at all and then to be so far from what was familiar. What dragon would want anything to do with him right now. He was obviously not himself.

In a way this was oddyl exhilirating. Leaving home on a dragon was better than he had imagined it would be and much better than hisdreams of riding off on a runner. He knew a couple people since the others that came from Lateo werre there. It wasn't like they would keep him at Sodalis forever if he didn't want to be there. He watched the first egg hatch, the dragonet was very big, so big he almost missed his green sister that hatched next. They were followed by three more. None of which came anywhere near Hanen. He hoped this wouldn't be a repeat of last Hatching.

[Nragod]

Glepgh found himself standing near the young boy Searisan, one of the few he had managed to bother himself to learn the name of. Unlike the boy, however, the man could not have cared less about what he wore at the moment as in front of him eggs were rocking dangerously. Several dragons had hatched and Glepgh, not being one to wait to see what life gave him, was having a hard time resisting the urge to walk up to the dragonets and attempt to force an impression simply to have it done with. At least then he would be able to choose which he got. Silently, he wondered if it would work?

[E]

Amoare stood, dressed in the white robe that marked her as a candidate, upon the hot sands completely oblivious to the heat. Many times she had played upon these sands so it was easy to see how she could overlook the heat, expecially when the moment she'd waited for all her life was here at last. A hatching... her hatching. There was no question of impressing in the gold candidates mind. She simply would. Never had she though of life without impression, so to her, it would be impossible to happen anyways.

[dragonmenta]

Dyalos barely remembered to go back and slip on his white robe before dashing to the Hatching. A hatching, oh yes, this was his chance. He would show everyone and he would Impress the best Bronze in the Bunch. He stumbled into the sands, immediatly notcing the heat of the place and hopping like a funny little bird over to where he wanted to stamd. "Oh, hello Amneris." He said as he looked up and noticed the taller Harper girl next to him.

He turned his attnetion back to the eggs as they continued to rock, first gently than more violently. He wasn't known for his attention span but he as totally wrapped up in the hatching now and the eggs. He was startled from his near trance as the first egg hatched and he felt excitement bubbling up inside of him. A bronze! He remembered what he had been told and sent out feelings of love and welcoming, but the hatchling wasn't meant for him. AS the other colors began toh hatch he found them just as beautiful as the first bronze. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad Impressing to another color...

He didn't noticed the burning on the soles of his feet or the crods in the stands behind them...he just waited, hoping for a hatchling to chose him.

[hrsegrl245]

Amneris heard her name, being pulled out of her fascination she turned to see Dyalos. "Hello, Dyalos. Ready to impress your bronze?" She asked referring to their previous conversation. She would be happy to get off these sands with or without a dragon. Solo seemed to not like that thought and he nipped her in the shoulder. She mumbled something about flits and looked over the remaining eggs. This was indeed a large clutch. Over thirty eggs if she was counting correctly. The hatchlings were beautiful in their new forms. How could such interesting creatures come from such simple looking eggs?

[Memorie]

Shereae and Milaka, having been on time, stood next to each other a scant seven feet from an egg. Both were from the Lateo Weyr, looking to Impress from a Sodalis clutch. Shereae shook her head, she wasn't sure it had been a good idea to come here at all. Milaka kept telling her she would be fine, and to just look towards the golden egg. She had a vague idea that the boy liked her, but she wasn't interested. She had her eye on a paricular brownrider from the Helios wing herself, and nothing would deter her, except maybe a gold dragon.

Milaka waited patiently, calmly, looking at the eggs. He wasn't nervous; if he didn't Impress now, he always had a good four turns to go to try again. And if he did Impress a dragon, all the better. Either way, he'd be just fine, and was not worried about either possibility. Seeing Shereae shake her head, he mistook her concern for fear, and patted her shoulder. "You'll be okay," he told the tall redhead.

~~~

Having been the second bronze to hatch in under ten eggs, people began to get excited about the size of the clutch. And who wouldn't, with thirty-four eggs?! This bronze, a little more graceful than the first, shuffled over to the group and immediately found his rider.
My name is Nemenath, and you are S'lit, the little dragon said politely. I'm very hungry.

The oddly-colored bronze hatched at about the same time as the midnight green dragon, though the green was a bit more spritely on her feet than the bronze. They both stumbled around, weaving little patterns in the sands with their long tails, and claws grasping only sand in their attempt to steady themselves. At one point, they neared each other, almost running into one another, but the green turned at the last moment, and began to barge at the candidates. She chose a petite young man of fourteen turns.

R'ang, please feed me. I'm very hungry. My name is Bainth.

Sewrinath followed her trail up to a handsome young man of fifteen turns. Hullo, Dy'los, he said. My name is Sewrinath, and I'm very hungry...is there something to eat nearby?

Ornath watched as his larger bronze brother Impressed and began in his direction, following his example. He seated himself, now confident, in front of the candidates, and the burning sands were nothing to his thick hide. His small head nub nodded as he contemplated the young men and women, almost looking like a healer decided which fellis fruit to squeeze juice out of. After a second, and the hatchings of two more eggs, he chose a responsible young man most like he was and would become.

I know it has taken a while, but your Ornath has finally found you. And I'm hungry. Let's go eat, he said, nudging at Sh'dul's legs.

The two green sisters hatched simultaneously. The lighter sister wandered to the candidates, bypassing a sweet quiet girl and a hopeful boy, and approaching a wild girl who had already been bedded by many riders, blues through bronzes. The dragonet bugled and leapt up, putting her sharp claws on the girl's chest, slashing through the thin white robe and imprinting scratches on the girl's chest that would later turn into scars.

Ah, my Lorem. Your Firth needs food and attention, so let's go.

At the same time, the other, slightly darker green slowly approached a young man that was standing off from the rest of the group. What a silly sister that is, she said. Your Perith would never act that way, Is'veri, she continued snobbishly. Except around food, she added.

The brown hatched with two blue brothers, though the blue brothers looked different with their shadings. All were made darker, however, by amniotic fluids dripping from their extremities. The brown and first blue unfurled their wings and flapped them, but the second blue cowered near his egg shell, preferring to check out the candidates from the vantage point of a far side of the eggs. The first two ignored all others.

Hullo, S'ten, the blue said. I am yourIrath, and your Irath is starving.

Your Garuth has found you! And I'm hungry, S'kol, the brown said happily.

The second blue glanced from behind his legs at the candidates, calling for his to come get him. T'menk! Surinath needs you! My stomachs ache! Please, help me, he said.

[hrsegrl245]

Amneris could ahve gasped for barely were the words out of her mouth and another bronze hatched. Well he would hopefully get the bronze he wanted so badly. For herself she was very nervously standing around, watching as the next few hatchlings impressed to those around her. They seemed so odd when their faces changed... the dragonets had more of an affect than she thought. Watching Dyalos impress his Bronze had been rather touching the boy had wanted one so badly. He deserved it. As for herself she didn't mind hanging back to watch the other Candidates impress.

------------------

Hanen watched as more shells split and more wondrously perfet hatchlings emerged. He would give an arm and a leg just to impress a single one of them. Daze might not like dragons but he never had asked her, she seemed perfectly content being the girl in his life. Silly little thing that she was. HE watched another boy impress the Bronze that hatched then a couple greens, a brown, two blues, he was having trouble keeping up with them almost. He really ought to be paying more attention to himself and not so much to what the other Candidates were doing. Even when he saw Shereae and Milaka he still felt alien to this Weyr. He might actualyl say he felt very much like the hatchlings for this was his first time on the sodalis sands as well.

[dragonmenta]

((Thankies!))

Dyalos turned and smiled at Amneris, "There's a Queen egg for you." His eyes snapped back to the eggs as another Bronze hatched. That was quick. His young face searched between the shards and shells. Wouldn't it be a nice Birthday present, him just barely turned 14, to Impress. Well, maybe it would come true. He frowned as the second Bronze
Impressed, but he allmost jumped out of his robe as he noticed another one.

It was a little wobbly...and a little odd in tone-almost greenish, but he was pretty big...and he was a Bronze. Dyalos sent out feelings of love and welcoming and was incredibly, ecstatically surpised when he felt his thoughts met my words in his head, and a horrible, starving sensation. Hullo, Dy'los, The Bronze said. My name is Sewrinath, and I'm very hungry...is there something to eat nearby?

Dy'los knew immediatly what that meant, he had Impressed! He had momentarily forgotten everyone else in building, but remembered and called out, in his slightly cracking voice, "His name is Sewrinath!" He smiled back at Amneris and then focused soely on the little dragonet. Of course, there's lots of yummy foods att the table over there., Sewrinath-can i call you Sew? He went on like this. Sewrinath didn't seem to mind to much. Certainly, mine. What can i call you? The Bronze answered cheerily. He had a sense of humor, a nice trait for a dragon. Dy'los thught about it. Well...my sister used to calll me Losi, but i didn't liek that name much. I guess you could call me Dy if you wanted, but if you called be Dy'los to the other dragons, that'd be nice, cause i'm a Dragonrider now.

Sewrinath's eyes whirled happily, he was hungry, but he had found his perfectly. Absolutely. We're gonna be the bst, you know. Of course. They walked over to the feeding table. Dy'los wanted to say hi to his father.

[E]

Amoare watched, completely enthralled with the proceedings of the hatching thus far. Watching the Lateo hatching from the stands had been nothing like this. Not only was the Sodalis' queen older, but her clutch was much larger and the hatchlings seemed to be as well. Already there was a good number of bronze's out on the sands and many of the eggs had not yet hatched... How many more would there be?

Turning her eyes back to the golden egg that sat apart from the rest, excitment built within her. Would this young queen break from her shell before all the rest of her clutchmate might beat her in impression, or would she wait till the end where she could have the attention of the entire weyr up on her as she made her choice?

[Memorie]

Several of the multi-colored, mottled eggs hatched at once, and a dark brown (made darker by egg-water), two blues, and a green were born onto the sands. The brown stumbled quickly over to the candidates, crooning for his to come forward and greet him. Words accompanied the croon, and Impression was made.

Your Polihith is here for you, my Cr'nan. Worry no more, and fill my stomach.

The light blue brother took little longer, as he was almost as strong willed as his brown brother. He chose a female as his rider.

Pleased to finally meet you, my Klarah. I am Daroth, and I am yours. The blue's stomach protested loudly, and he began to nudge the new rider off the sands towards the smell of food.

The green dragon sat and crooned piteously, noticing the hunger in her even before the burning desire to have a lifemate. The desire set in, however, and she quickly carried herself to a frightened young lad who had been hurt by the wild green that had hatched before her.

Oh, my L'skel. The green crooned, and carefully licked a couple of scratches on the boy's forearm. Enth is sorry that the green sister hurt you. I never will, I swear, she said. Warm assurance wrapped over the his mind as the link was forged between the two.

As the last of the four to hatch in the span of a second, the average blue almost bounced over to the young people assembled in white. Finding a fun lover like himself, he greeted him warmly. Snorting, That was a good game, A'man. I like it when you hide and I find you. I'm Altoth. Let's go find hide-and-find with some meat! he said, inspiration striking as his stomach grumbled.

A few seconds passed, and no more eggs hatched. They were all rocking violently now, even the queen egg, though the latter had yet to make any cracks in its hard shell.

The green hatched after four eggs, and watched until her last blue brother Impressed before approaching the candidates left. She wanted to try to make a dramatic entance, and had to hurry it before her next sibling hatched. She found a fun, flirty boy, with a personality like her own, and settled in front of him.

My S'san, I'm so hungry! Oh, how your Neth's stomach pains! she said, whistling as she spoke.



((Decided I didn't want Milaka to Impress a dragon yet.))

[hrsegrl245]

Hanen watched as more eggs hatched and found life mates. He began to feel that sinking feeling that his wasn't out there. Though Hatchings wnet by really fast for most, this time he felt liek it was going in slow motion. The minutes went by seeming like hours. Perhaps other people felt the same way but he was beggining to feel likeit was hopeless. He wasn't worthy of a dragon....or maybe he ought to be if he would just not sink into these depressing thoughts. Ashamed that he was thinking only of himself at a time liek this, he looked around at the Candidates around him. He found Shereae easily enough but Milaka... or was that him walking off with a brown?


---------------------

Neris, for all her reasonings on why she shouldn't impress a dragon was beggining to see whay people wanted it so. True love was hard enough to find in this world, but unconditional love was harder....
Her eyes rested briefly on the weyrlings walking off with their new life mates then back to the unhatched. Perhaps she would never impress or perhaps she would. Life was unpredictable, and she liked it that way. With her long beautiful hand she pushed back some of her light blonde hair that had been lightened even more by the sun. With the curiosity of a feline she wondered how the dragons knew who would be right for them.

[lyricalblue]

As Neth's mind intertwined itself with his, Searisan wept openly. The little green preened his head and bumped him with her nose.
What is wrong mine and come feed me. Teary amber eyes raised to look into violently whirling purple ones.
"Oh Neth, my Neth."
She crooned again with a more desperate note this time. She was hungry! He couldn't believe it, the love washed over and around him. The little dragon was everything he ever wanted, but then the hunger pangs hit and he cried out in surprise. Neth whined again and suddenly Searisan, now S'san remembered what he was supposed to do.

"Oh! This way Neth! Lets get you some food." As the boy trotted away the hatchling followed eagerly, her awkward steps growing more confident by the minute.
I think I am the prettiest here, but food is even better than being pretty.
S'san couldn't help but laugh joyously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Standing off to the side a pang grew in the pit of her stomach as one after another all the dragons Impressed. Kami sighed, she'd been foolish to hope at all. Maybe Viderieth had been confused or maybe Z'rion had gotten in wrong. A part of her screamed that this was only one hatching, that there would be more chances. Her dark eyes fell and a moment later looked back up. No matter, this was a joyous day worthy of any ballad. And after all she was a Harper, it was going to be her job to entertain later and who could entertain in a foul mood.

Hopes and dreams would be stored away for a rainy day. Besides not all the eggs were hatched, her gaze rested on the rocking gold egg. Sometimes she even surprised herself, but then Z'rion said she was worthy of one hadn't he. And why not, dreams happened didn't they. Kami took in a deep breath, foolish Harper. Such eggs were for women like Merda, not wandering Harpers. Oh what a foolish hope this was, but there it nestled, in the pit of her heart along with other hopes she could bare mention.

Her gaze shifted once more to the stands, looking for Z'rion. He would have something witty to say about now and likely something that would make the hope bloom into fullness. Looking back at the egg she knew every other girl on the sands must be thinking the same things she was. But then again how many of them were her, how many of them had the backing of a bronze such as Viderieth. Almost laughing, Kami bet that most of them did. No doubt they wouldn't be here otherwise. And after all what better way was there to write music than experience the event itself. This one certainly had the young Harper in a tailspin and she knew well and truly she was hooked. Never after this could she go calmly and quietly back to hold life. Laughing quietly, Kami let herself hope, she let herself dream. Sly Merda, she'd caught a Harper for her Weyr one way or another.

[E]

Amoare watched as many of the other eggs hatched quickly, all seeming to be in a rush to meet their riders and make it to the food. The queen egg, however, didn?t seem to be in any rush at all. Certainly it was rocking by now, but still no signs of fractures were apparent in its golden luster.

Lifting her eyes to the stands only momentarily, she searched for P?resh. She knew he was there somewhere, he wouldn?t have missed it for the world, especially with Kaunth in his head. Smiling at the thought of him there even though she had not managed to spot him, she turned her eyes back to that golden egg. When would its beauty come into the world?