Finally Cracking {ATTN: ALL - HATCHING}

[Kouga]

The air in the Weyr was thick and not just with the heavy wet feeling the nearly black clouds in the sky brought either. It had been nearly four days since the hatching should have started and a since of dread had settled over much of the Weyr. Afore mentioned clouds only seemed to be reflecting the downcast mood of the occupants of the Weyr as a whole. Some had even started to doubt that the hatching would happen.

Zenth refused to believe it though. He knew his eggs would hatch he could still ‘feel’ the life that each of the seventeen eggs held. Now though he knew when. Just as all dragon knew when a hatching was to be so too did this bronze ‘clutch mother’. He spread his wings wide budging loudly a deep baritone sound ringing though the Hatching Cavern and the Weyr as a whole. {{They hatch}} he announced to the dragons of the Weyr as he started to hum yes now was the time.

Xy’on lifted his head looking out over the occupants from a force of habit. He couldn’t see them truly, but he couldn’t help the reaction to the announcement of the coming hatching either. It was actually midday just now and by the sounds of things most people were still gathered here eating, which meant the best time for quick reminders.

Pulling himself to his feet he raised his hands to gain attention. “As I am sure most of you have figured out the hatching will be very soon. Riders make haste and gather the guests, the Senior Weyrlings who had been cleared for solo *betweening* will of course help with that task if needed. Junior Weyrlings I’m sure you can find something to do until the eggs start cracking, which does include helping the kitchen staff butcher meat for the hatchlings that will be shelled today. Candidates back to the barracks and get changed Zenth will call you when it is time. Be careful everyone no need to be hurt on hatching day, but do be swift.” he said before making his way out of caverns and to his weyr.

They probably had as much as half an hour before the eggs started cracking, and so he made haste. About fifteen minutes later the Weyrleader could be found in the middle of the burning sands glairing up at his bronze mate for reasons unknown. Though by the way Zenth kept shifting the gold egg it probably had a good bit to do with it.

ooc: feel free to continue the touching, but I am going to get this going now so I’m not late with it.

[whitedragon920]

Jerodyn was informed by many dragon sources that the eggs were close to being ready. When she asked how close, she was only urged on and she felt a humming in her bones, and she took that seriously and walked quickly back to the Candidate barracks. She grabbed the horribly itchy Candidate robe and put it on, wriggling from its scratchiness.

Lydarin burst in a moment later, looking as excited and scared as Jeri felt. His eyes were wide and it took him several seconds of looking around rather frantically before he remembered just what he was doing there and grabbed his robe. He pulled it on over his head and looked around the room once more, noticing Jeri. He grinned at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. He then whirled around, looking for something-- Jeri didn't know what-- but then apparently abandoned that idea. Honestly, that boy was the flightiest, most volatile creature Jeri had ever met.

Lydarin had, in fact, been looking for nothing in particular except anything he might need on the Sands. He then remembered and pulled out his thick-soled boots from under his cot and exchanged his dress boots for them. He was scared, and excited, and he didn't know what to do with himself. He looked to Jeri, and she nodded to him, and they both left the barracks together, going to the lower caverns to sit and wait. Neither of them could stand to be away from activity, isolated and not knowing what was going on.

[maira]

Syriella had felt the humming begin and she was one of many candidates bolting to the barracks to get ready. She ran in just as Lydarin and Jerodyn ran out and she waved at them in passing. As quick as she could, Syriella pulled on the white robe. Once she had it on, she pulled her long hair back into a respectable braid rather than the messy knot at the nape of her neck. She had had it drilled into her from a young age that all candidates must look presentable for the dragonets, though she'd never understood why. The poor dears hatched starving and she couldn't for the life of her figure why they'd care what their chosen looked like so long as they fed them once Impression was complete.

Once she was ready, Syriella bolted out of the barracks, dodging other candidates as they rushed in, and headed in the same direction her two friends had. The whole weyr was abuzz with activity now that the hatching was imminent but she found her friends easily. After all, only candidates were dressed in white today. As soon as she spotted her friends, Syriella rushed over and gave Lydarin a tight hug and asked, "Are you ready?"

[Kyii]

At the sound of the humming Jerik left the feast and made his way back to the barracks more calmly than the others, he'd experienced this before so nothing was new to him. Changing swiftly into her thick soled boots and white robe he left with the same lack of urgency as he'd arrived with. The eggs would take their time cracking and hatching and so would he. He was one of the first among others on the sands, though he arrived more calmly than the others had.

Belen followed Jerik but with more urgency than 'he' carried, changing quickly he bolted from the barracks his nerves getting the better of him as he left. He arrived before Jerik did and found a place on the sands, hoping from one foot to the other in anticipation rather than over the heat of the sands

Azuka was waiting on the stands long before anyone else arrived. She never dined with the others, keeping to herself despite everyone knowing about her. It was her hair that gave her away her long white hair and blind blue eyes. She was sitting in the stands before Zenth called out, it was her favourite place to be, the only place where she could be alone at least until everyone arrived.

Oralia followed Xy'on down to the sands, Zah already there at her position on the sands though she was on the other side. Zah humming alongside Zenth, this was her first hatching since her own and she wasn't going to miss anything. "I wonder who impresses the gold?" Oralia asked Xy'on quietly after following him out there.

Aradia was directing her weyrlings, first the juniors which she sent down to the lower caverns and second she helped the Senior's to organise and transport spectators to the sands to watch the hatching. Perth being his usually cranky self refused to help but instead took his place high on one of the ledges to begin half-heartedly humming.

[whitedragon920]

Lydarin grinned at Syriella and nodded, saying, "Yep," though he didn't feel ready. He was secretly surprised and pleased at the hug, and he hugged her back. "Today's the day!" He rubbed his hands together in anticipation after he let her go, dancing on the Sands only partially from the heat. He could feel the hum from the top of his head down to the soles of his boots, and wondered that he hadn't felt it before.

Jerodyn smiled at Syriella, who was surely as excited as she was. Along with the humming she could feel in her body, there was a residual hum in her head from the dragons who were letting her hear their thoughts. All she could hear were focused totally on the Hatching, and the magnified hum resounded through her in great waves. She smiled a smile that looked as if it normally would be a very private sort of tweaking of the lip-corners. Surely she would Impress this day! All the turns of speaking with the dragons must mean something.

[Kouga]

Zenth growled lowering his head his eyes whirling fast and flecked with red {{I have not called you Candidates, how dare you come here without being called.}} the bronze snapped at Jerik and Belen as they made their way onto the sands, their white knee and wrist length white robes easily making them identifiable to the bronze.

<<Now is not the time. We will address it later.>> Xy’on said sharply forcing his mate to focus on other things. Suddenly behind him he could hear slight cracking sounds that meant that the eggs were not going to be taking their time now that it was time. “Well it sounds like we will not have to wait long to find out.” he replied to Oralia before turning to face the eggs. <<Call them /NOW/>> he added to Zenth.

The looming shape that was partly shaded because of the darkness over the whole Weyr turned his gaze to the entrance as he sought out the minds of those he knew to be candidates. {{Come to the grounds now. The eggs are not waiting}} he said.

[Kouga]

The eggs were not waiting though. They didn’t care who was there and who wasn’t they were hatching, and they were hatching /NOW/.

The first egg to shatter was a cool and calm looking one. Greens and browns, grays and tans are the colors the small egg held before the pieces were sent flying every which a way. The surprise came when the dragonet that tumbled out was a rather golden looking color. It hadn’t come from the gold egg though so surely it wasn’t a gold.

The dragonet didn’t seem to mind the whispers it had drawn though and remained still for a long moment before pulling it’s self to it’s feet bugleing loudly. Moving some the muscles played under it’s hide and showed off the bronze patches here and there and the definite bronze patches over either eye. It was truly a bronze and there for a male, but he looked like a ‘Golden’ Male. He could care less about little else though then his search, he had to find his chosen.

The ‘Golden’ Male hatchling wasn’t alone for long though as an egg that looked much like the depths of the ocean picked that moment to split down the center. The two halves tried to fall neatly away from their captor, but it didn’t quite work out as they shattered some at the bottoms of both when the dragonet within planted it’s muzzle into the sands rather ungracefully.

Not to large, but not to small this royal blue boy wasted no time in pulling himself to his feet. He knew what he had to do and he could even feel His. All he had to do now was to find them. The Determined Blue made his way forward his intent in his very movements he was not stopping till he found the person who matched this feeling of the one he knew was His.

A medium sized egg was the next to break open. A whole in the bottom of the brown, tan, black, and cream colored thing and just enough of a push from what looked like a muddy tail and the egg was on it’s side.

The dragonet within seemed rather pleased with that though as a happy croon could be heard by those a bit closer to the egg from within it. As the new hatchling pulled it’s self out of the hole making a very off sight of it’s self it’s muddy hide was revealed. He was an odd shade of brown that was for sure, but still a brown this Muddy Hatchling.

He swung his head a bout for a moment before lumbering towards the candidates that had gathered by now. Nuzzling Belen in the chest he crooned once more happily. {{Ooh see now that was easy, now you do not have to hop any more. I am Hikinth and you are my B’len you are.}} he declaired.

[Kyii]

Belen blinked as the muddy brown hatching butted him in the chest, that was strange, he hadn't expected to impress to soon. He stopped hopping and blinked again as the brown spoke to him, "Hinkith, what a weird name..... but okay your mine" he replied with a shrug reaching out to scratch Hikinth's eyes ridge.

[whitedragon920]

Lydarin and Jeri's eyes widened in unison at Zenth's call; they were to go to the Sands now! They both walked at a highly accelerated pace into the Grounds, where they barely had time to form a semicircle before the egg Jeri had admired cracked and split open, spilling out an almost golden bronze dragonet. Good luck, wasn't it? Jeri thought.

Next came a blue, and a brown. She withheld her thoughts from the dragonets, lest one of them come to her when it was not meant, though she wanted so much to encourage them. The brown needed no encouragement, however, because he found his mate the first, a boy neither Jeri nor Lydarin had seen before.

Lydarin's heart skipped a beat as the bronze hatched and began looking around, though he knew he wouldn't Impress it. Bronzes only Impressed heterosexual males, everyone knew that. The blue was still looking. Perhaps that was the one. Lydarin could only shift on the Sands as he waited. His father would be so proud of him if he Impressed the bronze, but Lydarin reminded himself that he was no longer under his father's wing, so to speak. He continued to wait, his insides shifting more than his feet.

[Kouga]

Besne crept onto the edge of the sands keeping to the shadows so as not to be seen. He wasn’t technically a candidate having never been searched and not a Weyr Born child, but didn’t mean he couldn’t watch from here all the same. His gaze flicked from the bronze, to the gold, and then to each dragonet as they hatched.

They were great and of course he would love to impress one. What boy wouldn’t love a dragon of their own? Well none he knew so of course he would love one too. with so many candidates though he didn’t think there would be any way for him to be chosen though.

Asena finally squirmed free of her care taker’s grasp making her way closer to the sands. She couldn’t see Mommy Pona or the Pretty very well from where she had been. This was much better. Lots easier to see too. The dragons were all very pretty she just wished this bigger Pretty was here, she had been nicer then the bronze was.

[Kouga]

Hidden behind the other eggs the small pearly cream colored egg decided that it was time to hatch. Shifting slightly at first as a scratching sound could be heard by those closer to the eggs, it was soon followed by a tapping. Then finally a small part of the shell was poked out, but it didn’t do more then cause pieces of the touch outer shell to fall away while the inner layer remained intact.

It continued small places here and there the tougher outer shell falling away, even expanding in some places. Until finally a space the size of about four fists was opened up and the dragonet shoved it’s head though it. The hide on what could already been seen looked like a new spring grass, the first green of the hatching. The rest of her body soon followed her head out the whole she had made and it was quickly revealed that she was infact a rather small thing.

She feel forward into the sand. Her sides were heaving and her eyes whirled red in her hunger, but not as fast as any of the other already hatched dragonets. Actually she made the perfect picture of the struggling dragonet, which while not saying much was true. She was still here though, so maybe it was just that she needed a rest.

Meanwhile the Determined Blue had made it partly around the grounds examining everyone he met. He had even stopped to gaze at the stands a couple times, but he had still not quite found what he was after. His was here though it was just a question of…

The blue stopped his progress, creeling happily as his mind brushed that of the one he knew to be His. {{Yes there you are. I am Mandarth and I am hungry. Feed me.}} he stated as he stopped before the one he wanted.

sorry only one new egg just now, but I am off the next three days so I can post one later today after a nap instead of having to wait for after work again.

[whitedragon920]

Lydarin watched the blue move purposefully around the Sands, looking for his Chosen. The newly-hatched green was, unlike the blue, taking her time in choosing. She looked like she might take a nap.

Jerodyn watched the dragonets, wondering if either would come to her and choose her. The blue had already passed her, and he looked determined enough that he wouldn't come back. As he made his way along the line, he seemed to be rejecting people here and there, until he came to Lydarin.

{{Yes there you are. I am Mandarth and I am hungry. Feed me.}}

Lydarin was startled by the voice in his head but that was soon overcome by the knowledge that the blue, Mandarth, had chosen him! He knelt and looked into he blue's eyes, which were rainbow in the colors of Impression. }}Of course I will feed you. come with me.{{ Lydarin led the little dragon to where the bowls of meat were, and began feeding him.

{{You are not going fast enough, L'darin}} stated Mandarth matter-of-factly.

"If I feed you any faster, then you'll explode," replied the new bluerider, continuing his set pace.

Jerodyn cheered for L'darin as he led his little blue off the Sands, and turned her attention back to the Hatching. Who would be next?

[Kouga]

The ‘Golden’ Male was still searching. He had been unable to find the once for him yet and actually now that he had made a full trip of candidates he turned his attention to the stands.

He moved forward watching the gather people not in white. He saw nothing, where was he. He knew His was here there was a slightly odd feeling in the back of his mind this tingling like thing, that told him he was. He tail swayed behind him as he kept going, he would find him. He was sure of that.

Looking much like the sands and deserts surrounding the Weyr the next egg to hatch was small and covered in tans and browns for the most part. From the crown of gray was where it appeared, and quite suddenly. A vibrant hunter green muzzle shoving it’s way free of it’s prison.

The new little female didn’t stop there though, she wanted out and kept shoving until her egg toppled over and she pulled herself the rest of the way free. Once free the hunter green that had covered her muzzle could clearly be seen over her entire body as she quickly righted herself after a quick trip to the sands when she jerked to hard that last time while trying to get out. A slim and delicate looking thing she was already a sight to behold as she arched her neck watching her clutch brothers that had hatched before her.

Quickly though she shifted lowering her head and hissing. She might like being watched, but she had to find Hers. This little girl was certainly Green All Over and she showed it as she headed right forwards glairing at her already hatched clutch sister where the Wavering Grass Hatchling still laid gathering herself. A snort and she was once more ignored as the Green All Over hatchling pulled up short her posture once more changing as she turned her attention to the stands.

{{Ooh well there you are Azuka. Why are you all the way up there your Erkendth can’t get to you there. Do come down here.}} she said accidentally projecting what she was seeing to her chosen.

Almost uniformly brown, round, and definitely a larger egg it was the next to crack. A spinners web started to spread over it from a place towards the bottom as the dragonet worked on making it’s way out. it didn’t take very long though and within seconds the egg shattered pieces falling everywhere around the new dragonet as it feel out landing on it’s back with it’s wings spread out to either side of it.

{{Oops, that’s not what I meant to do}} he broadcast to no one in particular and he laid on his back watching the candidates and his clutchmates where they were upside down. His hide was a much darker color then the already hatched bronze and unlike his was most defiantly a bronze color, just like he was larger then the other. He pulled his wings back to him after a moment and with a nudge from Zenth was on his feet.

That didn’t seem to change much though. Well except that now he was making his way towards the candidates, and odd trilling hum coming from somewhere within his throat as he went. The Singing Hatchling didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the candidates though despite the fact that he was now weaving though them with no regard to anything even the females he came across got a sniffing.

[maira]

Syriella had jumped when the bronze ordered all the Candidates onto the Sands and she had run after Lydarin and Jerodyn. She took up a place in the semi-circle surrounding the eggs and watched in awe, not for the first time, as eggs cracked and hatched and gave way to hungry dragonets. It was always such an amazing sight and she was certain that the only thing more amazing than watching would be to Impress.

Just at that thought, one of the hatchlings chose her friend. Lydarin became L'darin in the moment it took for his eyes to meet those of the blue dragonet and Syriella couldn't be happier for the pair. Like Jerodyn, Syriella cheered for L'darin and his new soulmate then turned her attention back to the growing group of dragonets.

[Kyii]

Azuka jumped at the rush of colour before her eyes and the voice in her mind. Getting up sharply she nearly tripped over the person in front of her as she did. Following the image Erkendth sent to her she reversed it, despite is's faceted colour distorted image, she raced down the stairs and jumped the barrier landing with grace. *I'm coming Erkendth* Azuka called as she landed on the sands, holding her hands out to find Erkendth.

The images cut off as Erkendth came forward nuzzling her face into Azuka's hands making her smile. "Are you hungry Erkendth?" Azuka asked her long white hair falling over her shoulders as she knelt on the hot sands and hugged the green to her. {{Oh very very hungry}} Erkendth replied enthusiastically, making Azuka laugh. Smiling she stood placing a hand on Erkendth's head "Alright lead the way dear" Erkendth crooned and walked off in the direction the other's went hissing at anyone who looked at her rider strangly.

Oralia smiled softly as she sat next to Xy'on "she can't see and yet she was chosen" she whispered to herself smiling, Zah crooned in respose before resuming her humming as she watched the eggs.

Aradia patted Xy'on on the back and grinned "You not the only blind rider now, looks like I really will need your help" she grinned, she always loved hatchings they always held such surprises. Perth only grumbled from his perch about the childishness of hatchlings and how why did he have to teach them, secretly however he loved ever moment of the hatching and the hatchlings themselves.