A Hatching!

Writers: Emma, Yvonne
Date Posted: 25th December 2005

Characters: K'sedel, Tsaera
Description: Tabanirth's clutch Hatches!
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 5 of Turn 3
Notes: Please welcome RBW's newest dragonriders!

B'drin on brown Lumyth
I'zar on bronze Zhenireth
Marza on green Creaith
So'nji on green Nikith
T'kala on blue Dagreth

Welcome, congratulations, and Merry Christmas!

K'sedel

Like on all hatching days, the sound of humming dominated the air. A sense of purpose filled the Weyr, and people soon began bustling around. After all there was a hatching feast to prepare for, families of the candidates to fetch, the dragonets first meals to prepare...

Alerted to the events by the humming, K'sedel changed rapidly into something more suited for formal events. Smoothing down his tunic, he knocked on the door of Tsaera's weyr.

"Coming!" A moment later the door was pulled open and Tsaera ushered him inside. She was wearing soft, light pants in a wide, flowing cut, but her feet were bare and her hair a soft grey cloud around her face. "I'm almost ready. I just need to find where they put my shirt and jacket, and run a brush through my hair, and we can be off."

"Don't forget some boots," he teased gently.

Tsaera rolled her eyes. "No. I learnt _that_ lesson. More than once!
But thank you." She pulled a cream coloured tunic without sleeves from her wardrobe and pulled it over her head, and then handed K'sedel a light jacket heavily embroidered with gold. "Hold this a moment, will you?"

"Of course," he said, taking it and holding it so that she could slip into it when ready. "We have time yet." The sound always got more intense, building up to the first egg cracking. With luck, the first one out would be a bronze, that was always a good sign. And with forty three eggs on the sands, and just enough candidates, it would be needed.

The Weyrwoman pulled a small key from its resting place on a hidden ledge in her wardrobe and used it to open a box hidden beneath folded shirts. From it she drew a pair of heavy golden cuffs, which she slid over her wrists, and a gold torque that rested across her collarbones. She relocked the box, replaced the key, and slid into her jacket. A quick glance in the mirror caused her to frown and run her fingers through her hair, but she gave it up as a lost cause and turned to K'sedel. "There. That's as good as I get. Shall we go?"

"After you." The Weyrleader opened the door, holding it for her as she pulled on her boots. "A mark says there'll be a bronze out first."

Tsaera laughed. "A mark says that I'll be happy no matter what colour comes first, since a Hatching means that I'll be back in the skies again." Her smile faded. "But we'll need all the luck we can get."
There were only _just_ enough Candidates, and Tsaera never again wanted to see a dragon die before it had a chance to live, simply because it lacked a lifemate.

"We'll all just have to wait and see what happens." K'sedel's thoughts also turning to a similar grim vein. The thought of having to take a dead dragonet /between/ - it was almost the stuff of nightmares.

Tsaera took K'sedel's arm and allowed him to lead her down the hall.
"We'll see, indeed."

They entered the Hatching Cavern through the large double doors at one end, both of which stood open to welcome the Weyr's residents and guests. The tiers of seats were filling quickly and dragons lined the high ledges on the walls, intently watching the gently rocking eggs below. The Weyrwoman and Weyrleader strode out to the front of the Sands and took their place on a small raised dais overlooking the Sands. Tsaera slipped her hand out of the crook of K'sedel's elbow and beamed at her queen dragon, who sent her a whisper of love and excitement.

Movement near the cavern's entrance caught her attention and she turned to watch as a pair of brown dragons swooped in, each bearing their rider and a group of guests from outside the Weyr, who looked about themselves wide-eyed and awed at the crowd in their Gather finery and singing dragons. Family of the candidates, probably, since she'd spotted two of the minor Lord Holders who regularly attended Hatchings already in the Stands. She felt excitement begin to radiate outward from her middle as she turned to her Weyrleader. "It won't be long now! Please tell me J'an on his way with the Candidates?"

"I believe he's on his way now," said K'sedel, words half drowned by the rise in pitch of the humming. "He better be, something tells me that things are going to happen very, very soon."

More guests were being escorted in, K'sedel nodded to a party from the Healer Hall, some of their youths obviously having been searched.

Just then a second, smaller door opened, and J'an and M'galec walked out leading a string of white-robed Candidates between the tiers to the Sands. The two bronzeriders stopped at the edge of the Sands while the Candidates continued on until they stood close to the Eggs.
Some were white with fright, some flushed, and other still looking a little green. Several of them shifted uncomfortably on the hot Sands, and Tsaera spotted two young girls holding hands to comfort each other. She touched K'sedel's arm to get his attention and discreetly pointed them out with a smile.

The humming grew louder as the flow of people into the Hatching Cavern slowed to a trickle. It seemed as if the entire Weyr held its breath, and suddenly the first egg cracked! Tsaera grabbed K'sedel's arm in a white-knuckled grip. **Please let it be a bronze! And Faranth's Egg, let him Impress!** Almost as soon as she thought it, a dark nose emerged from its shell, followed by a brown neck and foreleg. No one moved as the little dragon made a squalling sound and struggled with its shell, until suddenly one of the Candidates broke from his fellows and began tearing at the shell with his hands. "His name is Ghyrewoth!"

"It seems I lose my money again," whispered K'sedel. The lad that had impressed seemed awestruck as he helped the dragonet in his wobbly progress to the side, where M'galaec and J'an waited to greet the newest riders.

Another egg began to gently rock, then cracks formed on the mottled shell. There was an expectant hush as the cracks joined and then split. Suddenly, as if she were waiting for an audience, a dainty green head appeared. She wriggled out of her shell, and looked around the assembled candidates. Finally she chose, heading to a slight, brown haired girl. "Rulanoth!" she called out, pleasure making her somewhat homely face beautiful.

As if the first two had made hatching acceptable, a cacophony of cracking eggshells and shouted names echoed above the hum of the assembled dragon. Tsaera winced as one girl was accidentally slashed down her thigh by her clumsy green, but since she didn't cry or seem overly uncomfortable after she'd Impressed, she stopped worrying. The Weyrwoman held her breath as the last few eggs shuddered and cracked open, spilling two little dragons onto the Sands. The blue made a beeline for a young boy with sandy brown hair, but the little green hesitated, scanning the faces of the few remaining Candidates with unfocused baby eyes. **Faranth's Egg, let her find someone!** Tsaera clutched at K'sedel's arm, but then the taller of the three remaining girls stepped forward to hold the little dragon's head in her hands.
"Liskelath!" she cried, and it was over. They'd Impressed. They'd all Impressed. Despite a dearth of Candidates, not a single dragon was left behind.

A few, very few candidates stood alone looking dejected. But at least there were forty three new riders. "Time to go comfort those that didn't impress."

"If you wish." Tsaera smiled up at him and gently straightened his collar. "But there is a crowd of people eager to celebrate the success of those who _did_ Impress to attend to."

"And we should see them as well," he replied diplomatically.

The Weyrwoman smiled - her Weyrleader was a more sensitive soul than she was. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping back to survey the crowd, and the Sands littered with broken eggshells.
"The Weyr waits for no one. You either keep up, or get left behind."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a newly hatched dragon's tail disappearing down the tunnel that would lead them to their first meal. Life went on.

Last updated on the December 25th 2005

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Hatching!