Post by Memorie on May 4, 2006 16:45:20 GMT -5
A few seven-days after the lengthy Flight, Caliath and Merda were down in the sands, looking over the clutch the senior queen had just laid. It was a good-sized clutch, totalling thirty-four in number. Over ten of the number were jumbo size, indicating larger dragons. It had been a good, long Flight, one that Merda had been pleased with, and more than on one level. "Looks great, Caliath," the rider said, meandering throughout the group of eggs, inspecting them. It had taken two full days, and into a third, for Caliath to lay them all. Whe she had finished, she had curled herself around them. In her forearms was a giant golden gleaming egg. Merda smiled to look at it. Nodding to Caliath, she said, "That was bound to happen, you know."
I know. I was flown well. The dragon sounded smug. Merda laughed.
"Of course you were, you silly beast. Who would dare fly you poorly?" Merda asked facetiously. Caliath snorted, laying her head nearer to the egg. Merda approached her.
"Let me see it, I want to check it over." Caliath lifted her head, finding Merda's fingers in a quick eyeridge scratch. She crooned and let Merda in to see the gleaming thing.
Looking it over, though she didn't turn it, it appeared as a normal queen egg--one-third larger than the largest egg in the rest of the clutch, a good sign. It's opalescence was reminiscent of Caliath's eyes when she was pleased. It had good color, and the leathery soft feel of a fresh egg. This egg, Caliath would pay more attention to, turning it three or four times a day, instead of the one or two paid to the other eggs. Caliath growled, breaking Merda from her reverie.
Turning to see who had entered the cavern, she grinned. "Oh, hush, you silly clunch. It's just H'mei." She faced the man, the Candidatemaster who would soon be leading in the candidates to touch and become accustomed to the eggs. "Good afternoon, H'mei!"
"Hello, Weyrwoman. Congratulations on such a fine clutch," the man said, smiling pleasantly.
"Thank you, Caliath thinks pretty highly of it herself." As if to emphasize the point, the gold threw her tail around the rest of the eggs. Merda rolled her eyes.
H'mei laughed. "I see that she does. Merda, when would it be most convenient to bring in the candidates?"
"I'd say a couple days. Come here, H'mei, look at this gold egg." She guided him over to it. Caliath lifted her head proudly over it.
"It is nice, big too. Have any likely girls in mind?" H'mei asked, thinking among his girl candidates for possible Impressors.
"No, I've hardly met any of them, though I fancy our harper for any dragon. I think having a dragon would make her stick around for always."
H'mei nodded, a smile on his face. "Indeed. Dragons tend to do that," he said, thinking of his own blue. "Well, Merda, I hate to cut this meeting short, but I must get back to my office. Candidates to teach and a dragon to take hunting." Privately, he thought, And fellis to take. But he didn't say that out loud. Merda already knew it anyway. Her mouth pursed, and he knew that she knew.
Nodding, she smiled, breaking the tension. "Take care of yourself, H'mei," she said, and she gripped his forearm. "I'll see you later." The man exited, feeling pleased that she had shown concern for them.
Turning back to her dragon, she grinned. "Well, Caliath, I've got records to read with me, so I'm going to go set up weyr and make myelf comfortable." The dragon crooned. Merda walked to the side of the cavern, where a cot and table were set up.
I know. I was flown well. The dragon sounded smug. Merda laughed.
"Of course you were, you silly beast. Who would dare fly you poorly?" Merda asked facetiously. Caliath snorted, laying her head nearer to the egg. Merda approached her.
"Let me see it, I want to check it over." Caliath lifted her head, finding Merda's fingers in a quick eyeridge scratch. She crooned and let Merda in to see the gleaming thing.
Looking it over, though she didn't turn it, it appeared as a normal queen egg--one-third larger than the largest egg in the rest of the clutch, a good sign. It's opalescence was reminiscent of Caliath's eyes when she was pleased. It had good color, and the leathery soft feel of a fresh egg. This egg, Caliath would pay more attention to, turning it three or four times a day, instead of the one or two paid to the other eggs. Caliath growled, breaking Merda from her reverie.
Turning to see who had entered the cavern, she grinned. "Oh, hush, you silly clunch. It's just H'mei." She faced the man, the Candidatemaster who would soon be leading in the candidates to touch and become accustomed to the eggs. "Good afternoon, H'mei!"
"Hello, Weyrwoman. Congratulations on such a fine clutch," the man said, smiling pleasantly.
"Thank you, Caliath thinks pretty highly of it herself." As if to emphasize the point, the gold threw her tail around the rest of the eggs. Merda rolled her eyes.
H'mei laughed. "I see that she does. Merda, when would it be most convenient to bring in the candidates?"
"I'd say a couple days. Come here, H'mei, look at this gold egg." She guided him over to it. Caliath lifted her head proudly over it.
"It is nice, big too. Have any likely girls in mind?" H'mei asked, thinking among his girl candidates for possible Impressors.
"No, I've hardly met any of them, though I fancy our harper for any dragon. I think having a dragon would make her stick around for always."
H'mei nodded, a smile on his face. "Indeed. Dragons tend to do that," he said, thinking of his own blue. "Well, Merda, I hate to cut this meeting short, but I must get back to my office. Candidates to teach and a dragon to take hunting." Privately, he thought, And fellis to take. But he didn't say that out loud. Merda already knew it anyway. Her mouth pursed, and he knew that she knew.
Nodding, she smiled, breaking the tension. "Take care of yourself, H'mei," she said, and she gripped his forearm. "I'll see you later." The man exited, feeling pleased that she had shown concern for them.
Turning back to her dragon, she grinned. "Well, Caliath, I've got records to read with me, so I'm going to go set up weyr and make myelf comfortable." The dragon crooned. Merda walked to the side of the cavern, where a cot and table were set up.