Becoming T'min

Writers: AmajoS
Date Posted: 3rd March 2019

Characters: T'min
Description: Temmin Impresses Osgrath and becomes T'min amidst joy and tragedy both.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 8 of Turn 9
Notes: Follows the 'Tragedy and New Life' Hatching Post and I included
a two sentence paragraph as a direct quote from that post, marked with
++

Temmin had been just headed toward the dining cavern for his evening
meal when he heard a strange sound. Almost more a vibration than a
sound. He had never in his life heard anything like it and he stood
frozen for a long moment trying to decide what it was. Then someone
rushed past him and yelled, "Come on! Hurry, it's starting!"

It's starting? What is?

But then, of course, he knew. And he started running too.

When he and several other candidates all arrived at the edge of the
sands, out of breath and joined others who were slipping on the
traditional robes and still others who were being dropped off from
dragonback, the hum was picking up speed. He could see some of the
eggs on the sand rocking a bit too. It was happening so fast! He
hadn't realized how quickly it would all happen. He'd been on his way
to eat supper and now he was about to face the chance to Impress a
dragon.

He'd only been Searched two months ago! He didn't know how to take
care of a dragon, not really. Panic seized him as he was hustled,
along with the rest onto the hot sands.

He heard a familiar voice calling over the din of human voices and
humming dragons and looked toward the stands and, after a moment of
searching, saw them. His parents. They'd come! He'd been told that the
families of the candidates would be retrieved in time to watch the
Hatching, but it had all happened so fast. How had there been time? It
took a moment to remember one of the fundamental abilities of dragons
was to go /between/ instantly travelling from one end of Pern to the
other. A quick trip to the mining hold he'd been born in was nothing.

He waved at his mother who hadn't stopped waving at him the whole time
he'd been staring at them, then his attention was drawn back to the
violently rocking eggs and the truly massive golden dragon peering
down on them all. The panic didn't return however. He felt much calmer
after having seen his parents. He didn't think he was very likely to
Impress a dragon today. He'd only been here for two months, but, there
would be another time and another and so on. In the meantime he'd get
to visit with his mother and father and show them around. That would
be fun.

His musing was interrupted by the sharp sound, like a 'pop' of a shell
breaking apart all at once. Every eye, including his, was drawn to the
shining wet brown dragonette shaking off the bits of shell and
beginning to stagger forward. It was a funny looking thing, even for a
baby dragon. Not that he was an expert, having never actually seen
one, but this one almost seemed pudgy, though Temmin thought it was
likely he was simply out of proportion to himself. Those feet and
claws were massive.

He didn't notice the girls stepping back or the boys straining
forward. He didn't notice anything but the utter and complete
perfection of Osgrath. His name was Osgrath.

}:Mine,:{ Osgrath said dreamily as he butted Temmin, now T'min, gently
in the gut. }:I am hungry. _Very_ hungry.:{++

"Of course you are," T'min replied softly, his voice filled with
wonder. "You've been trapped in an egg forever." He rubbed his hands
along his dragon's damp eye ridges soothingly.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a voice say, "Come along lad,
let's get him fed."

}:Yes, please. Let's get me fed.:{ The little brown uttered an
insistent kreel and butted him in the side now as if to push him along
behind the man who'd come to take them to the food.

T'min nodded wordlessly and together with Osgrath, followed the man to
where the buckets of chopped up meat waited for weyrling pairs. He
remembered something of his lessons and made sure that the baby dragon
didn't bolt his food too quickly, giving one chunk at a time and
encouraging him to chew before swallowing. Still the meat vanished at
an astonishing rate and when the bucket was empty, Osgrath still
wanted more.

He went to get another bucket of meat and noticed there were several
other people with hatchlings now, engaged in the same activity. He
recognized some of his friends and gave them a wave before returning
to the all-consuming task of helping his dragon consume more meat.

**Aren't you full yet?** He asked silently a short while later when
this second bucket was half-empty, exasperation and amusement warring
in his mental tone.

}:I dont' think so. I'm not sure because I don't know if I've ever
been full though. How would I know?:{

**Well,** he handed over another hunk of meat, **when you're full, you
don't want to eat any more for one thing.**

}:Oh, then no. I am not full. Though, I'm more full than I was when I
started, I think.:{

"You would have to be!" T'min replied aloud with a laugh.

All of a sudden there was some sort of commotion on the Hatching
Sands. He couldn't see from where they were, but there was shouting
and the horrible screeching sound of an upset dragonette and a
wretched scream of pain and suddenly Osgrath was making horrible
heartbroken sounds and crying out in his mind, }:Oh no! Oh no! Oh
NO!:{

"What is it!?" T'min demanded desperately, the pain and grief and loss
and fear swamping him from his dragon was overwhelming. He couldn't
think of what to do besides hug the little brown creature, but his
dragonette was thrashing in agitation. Then, suddenly, he was still
and drooping and making the most awful keening noise. He wasn't alone
either, the other dragonettes were as well, and from the chamber the
louder keens of grown dragons could be heard. "What is it?" He asked
again, through the tears he was helpless to stop.

"Easy, lad, easy," a voice said gently, and T'min looked up. It was
one of the the Weyrlingmaster's staff. The same greenrider who led
them from the Sands to the food. "Take a deep breath and calm
yourself. You have to stay calm to help him stay calm, understand?"

T'min took a few deep breaths and felt himself steady a bit and then
turned his attention to Osgrath who was still keening softly. "Shhh,
love. Shh," he soothed aloud, running his fingernails along the brown
dragonette's ridges and neck. After a few moments, Osgrath's keening
tapered off and his eyes began to settle.

"That's it, good. Now, see if he'll finish eating."

He took a chunk of meat out of the bucket and offered it to Osgrath
who sniffed it a bit and then took it in his mouth. His chewing wasn't
as enthusiastic as before, but he asked for another when he finished
anyway.

"What happened?" T'min whispered to the greenrider.

}:She wasn't there she didn't come and now she's gone,:{ Osgrath
interjected in a tone of utter sadness.

"One of the hatchlings couldn't find a lifemate," the greenrider
replied to T'min as well. "It's rare, but it happens sometimes and
it's always tragic. That's why we try to get as many candidates as
possible and let people stand as long as possible."

T'min felt like crying again. He wondered who it had been. Someone
who'd been Searched but then decided not to come? Then, he had a
horrible thought. What if he had decided not to come. What if he had
decided to go to the crafthall like he was supposed to. What if...

}:You did come. You did. You're here and I'm here and we're here
together. Now, I need another piece of meat, I swallowed that one
already.:{ Osgrath interrupted the boy's horrified thoughts.

**Yes, I did, and I'm so glad.** T'min replied as he handed yet
another hunk of meat over to be devoured.

Last updated on the March 15th 2019

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Becoming T'min