Egg-Touching

[Memorie]

H'mei waited patiently in his chair in the Candidate Barracks Common Area. The candidates were arriving shortly, and he would take them to go see Caliath and her eggs, and to touch them. H'mei knew that touching an egg while the dragonette was still in it didn't mean that the dragon would be biased when he cracked, but it did make the candidates grow more accustomed to the fact that the eggs would hatch. It also took away the belief of a Hatching Ground as a sanctimous place, and that meant candidates would lose their fear on Hatching day.

Apero and Tera flew in, Aparo chittering and scolding away at Tera. The two reflected H'mei's own moods of impatience, but yet, calmness, as Tera settled on H'mei shoulder, and Aparo still flittered around. H'mei sent a mental command to the firelizard to calm down, and the angry green lizard gave her friend a last scolding cheep, and disappeared between. "Where'd she go, Tera?" the rider asked his friend. The firelizard gave him an image of H'mei's bed, neatly made. H'mei nodded. "Want to go see the big one today with me?" he asked the lizard, referring to Caliath. The senior queen liked firelizards, and was properly fascinated with them, and in fact, never took a bath without a complete fair or two to accompany her. Tera agreed to going to see the Queen, but then fluttered down to H'mei's lap for a nap.

[lyricalblue]

Still humming when she entered the large room, Kaminari gave the Candidate Master a bright grin. She wasn't quite sure she should be here, in fact she wasn't sure about any of this Candidate stuff at all. But letting an opportunity to see the eggs without incurring Caliath's wrath was an opportunity the young Harper couldn't pass up. Erg, a lump rose in her throat, all the things that were said to happen at a Hatching, she wasn't sure she could do this. But Z'rion was sure she could and that for the moment was enough for her.
"Good-day Mast H'mie. Shall we be going soon then?"

Her mind ran with the tune she'd been working, Kami had told Merda she would have a song for Caliath's hatching and for sure she would. Though those couple of lines were sticking and were at the moment driving her mad. Keeping down the urge to hum aloud, Kami ran the lyrics through her mind. She really had to get this just right, there was simply no alternative.

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With his usual exuberance, Searisan bounded in. All goofy smiles and lanky limbs he too greeted the Candidate Master. Micho sat calmly on his shoulder, tail wrapped around the boy's neck while Lyla flitted about cheeping happily. He hoped Dyalos would show up soon, that boy was lots of fun. Sea sighed wistfully, too bad he liked girls; all the other boys seemed to like girls. He didn't get it, what was so great about them any way? Well dressing up was fun but other than that they were kinda flighty and annoying. Lyla flapped and settled down on his other shoulder with a twitter and Sea reached up to scratch her. The little green crooned happily and rubbed her cheek against his. Well ok, not all girls were bad. Girl dragons were definitely alright.

[hrsegrl245]

Amneris had not remembered that they were supposed to meet with the candidate master in the barracks common room. Actaully she had planned on not attending lessons that day. Unfortunately she walked right into the common area her gitar strapped to her back and Solo wrapped around her right forearm. Tipp and Note were following her as they tended to do. The tall blonde girl's face masked her suprise at walking straight into the lessons she had intended on avoiding.

Frowning slightly for a second she looked down at Tipp and Note. "Go lay down girls." The canines went off to the girls bed. She stood there looking over the other people gathered. She recognized one or two of them though she may not have aknowledged it. Amneris nodded to the Candidate master and then stood next to the girl she had met the other day.. another Harper was always welcome company.

[Memorie]

H'mei looked up as Searisan, Kaminari, and Amneris entered, almost all at once. Kaminari looked preoccupied. "Thinking up songs, Kaminari?" H'mei smiled. It seemed the girl was humming all the time like a dragon at a hatching. Searisan appeared happy; maybe he was glad to finally get to see the eggs. Amneris looked somewhat surprised, as though she hadn't expected him to be sitting there. "Amneris, I suggest you go put up your gitar. I'm afraid it might warp on the Sands, and no one wants that."

[hrsegrl245]

" Yes sir." She said calmly and walked to the girls barracks. After getting to her bunk she placed her gitar gently on its side adn underneatht eh bunk. She herself plopped onto the bunk and feet on the ground, while her back rested on the bed. Ugh... she hadn't wanted to do anything. Of course it might be wise tojust go and then not be in trouble.. I mean her vocal lessons would be later and she didn't need to be wearing out her voice.

She got up not because she wanted to but because little Solo wanted her too. He had tried to bit her fingers and was now flying around her head angrily chipring at her. "OKAY okay, I'm moving." The brown flit found himself aperch on her shoulder.

Walking back into the common room she was much more composed and ready to do Candidate lessons whatever that may be today. She was a bit cconcerned when she saw how excited the boy was. She must be missing something.

[Nragod]

Noise drifted in thru the door to the common room and Glepgh found himself growing properly annoyed by the commotion. How was he suppose to concentrate on these blasted hides and words if there was going to be noise here too? Shoving the hides beneath the pillow, the tall man rolled off his bunk and grabbed a shirt to pull over his tank.

Moving into the common room, he was surprised to find a growing group of candidates. Seeing the rider, H'mei, he realized now must have been the time they were to see the eggs. Had the day gone by so quickly? Shrugging it off, he moved off to the side of the group, where he leaned against the wall and waited quietly.

[Memorie]

When everyone had gathered, H'mei rose from his comfortable chair. "Let's go to the Hatching Grounds." He started for the door, clicking for Tera to join him. The brown flew to the man's shoulder and settled there.

"When you get there, it would behoove you to bow to Caliath, and be respectful. It is, afterall, ultimately up to her whether or not you are allowed to stand on her Sands. After that, you may move in and about the eggs." He stopped and turned to face them. "Any arguements over which egg belongs to whom will result in taking away the priviledge of all parties involved to stand on Impression day. So don't fight. Besides, the dragons inside the eggs are most likely not affected by touch anyway. So it's worthless to argue over."

They arrived at the cavern, and H'mei stopped them again. "Remember what I have said." He let them enter ahead of him. When everyone was inside and had bowed to Caliath, H'mei proceeded over to the Weyrwoman. "Will Caliath be allowing a touching of the Gold egg?"

"I should think so, yes. I certainly hope we've brought enough girls for the dragonet to choose from, H'mei," Merda told him confidentially.

"Of course we have, Merda. Don't worry."

[hrsegrl245]

Amneris was following distractedly. She always seemed to be thinking about something other than the appointed task. In fact she seemed to be quite good at not listening whenever it was important to do so. Good thing for her she was paying attention to H'mei's instructions. Upon entering the Hatching sands her eyes immediately noticed the eggs, the shells that appeared so smooth and oval. They were almost too pure to touch, she thought to herself wistfully. The next thing she noticed was of course the great gold before them. She bowed respectfully as she approached and hoped this whole egg touching bussiness did not go wrong.

Her brown eyes glanced up at the Weyrwoman almost too brazenly. She was not afraid of rankers and in fact she rarely feared anything. She did fear impressing.. More than anything she feared that. Most the candidates here thought of themselves as dragonriders already. In a way they were probably better off for it. She saw herself as a harper and nothing more than that. There was somethign alluring about the eggs. If she were a painter she would want to paint this. It was a serenely calm place in time. The days before the little ones would be out and off to fend for themselves, to choose those who best suited them as their chosen. She was glad that was not her lot in life, to ahve to pick from all the people who wanted a dragon and to know that you could only take one. It would almost be cruel in that way.

Coming out of another thinking absence she smiled to the Weyrwoman. "Greeting weyrwoman Merda." She made a point to say it so that the rider would not feel slighted that she was not aknowledged. Amneris wondered if it was a good idea to bring Solo who seemed unafraid of the Queen, though he probably ought to be.

[dragonmenta]

Dyalos was late, as usual, but this time he really wanted to go. They were going to see the eggs! He had like most Weyrbred boys peeked into the grounds after sneaking away from parents of aunties, but he'd never actually been up close, or been inside the sands. His father had always been too busy helping new Weyrlings during hatchings and his mother found him a bit too much of a handful to watch during such a precious event.

He would find the biggest, non-Queen egg, which would be a Bronze of course, and touch it nd it would know him and then he was sure it would find him again at the hatching. This was going to be great! Dyalos ignored most of what H'mei said, as per usual, and just followed happily. He walked quickly becuase he wanted to be one of the first to reach the eggs.

[lyricalblue]

Following with a spring in his step, Searisan tagged along right behind Dyalos. He kept trying desperately to think of ways to win over the boys affection. But something told him the younger lad had no interest in boys, at least not the way Sea did. Sighing dramatically, Sea stayed quiet and followed. When they got to the sands he bowed deeply to the Queen and to her rider. Not sure what to say he opted just to stay quiet.

What would a woman like her want with an awkward youngster such as himself anyway. Besides he wanted to go touch those eggs! How beautiful they looked, he cast and appreciative glance Caliath's way and then his eyes rested on one of the smaller eggs off to the side. Oh that one looked like it needed a big hug and caress sitting at the edge of the clutch as it was.

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Following the Candidate Master, Kami too was lost in her thoughts. Between the song, the prospect of seeing the eggs and still worrying over Z'rion, she was sure her head would explode. When they got to the sands she smiled warmly at Merda and bowed to Caliath who was still hovering protectively over her eggs. She was glad Merda was here, the Weyrwoman had been nothing but support since she arrived. And even if Kami was unsure about this whole dragonriding bit, Merda seemed confident in her. But then the Weyrwoman seemed confident in everything she did.

Everything was changing so fast, it seemed to Kami she hardly had time to adapt. Her dark eyes wandered to look over the eggs again. And those things held baby dragons, baby dragons that much just take a liking to her. What folly was that, she was a Harper, sooner or later she would be leaving again. Actually she was surprised she hadn't been recalled yet, but then her Masters were probably enjoying the quiet without her there. What would happen if she did Impress, absolutely everything would change. This whole thing had her mind in a whirl and it was the first time she could ever remember being this unsure. Everything had always been laid out in her life, her path had always been clear. Now though, who knew; and most of all she was afraid. Afraid and yet there was that thrill that hope. She'd seen the bond between dragon and rider and the allure of such love was sorely tempting.