Dragon Egg Touching

Writers: Ames, Chelle, Noli, Miriah
Date Posted: 6th July 2013

Characters: Eirlira, H'vack, Gelira, Rhosyn, D'lorn, N'tur, Ameala
Description: The candidates get to touch the eggs before Hatching.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 2, day 11 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Fitchan; Mentor Approved

"Good day Rhosyn," H'vack greeted as he approached the Weyrwoman.
Today was the day they had arranged for all the candidates to get to
experience the eggs on the Sands. "How is Orlaith today?" He wanted to
check the mood of the gold before he allowed the candidates in to see
the eggs.

Gelira had been through this many times before. She participated each
and every time, though so far it hadn't led to her lifemate. She
arrived a bit early at the designated spot, but hung back a moment as
she noted the Weyrlingmaster and Weyrwoman talking.

Ameala was very excited and very nervous all at the same time. She'd
seen the eggs on the Sands, but had been too afraid to go near them.
She'd been working hard, learning what she could about the Weyr, the
dragons, and what was expected of her. She wanted to do herself, the
Weyr, and Fitchan proud. Though she didn't expect to Impress, she
wasn't going to whimper and cower in the corner during the Hatching.
Moving up as confidently as she could she smiled to the other woman.

"Hello," Ameala greeted her.

"Hello," Gelira replied back. She'd met the new candidate when she'd
arrived, but they hadn't really interacted much at all.

Giving a look over at the large gold who was hovering near her eggs,
Rhosyn was quiet for a moment. **Are you ready? They're just going to
look and touch a little bit. Same as before.**
}:They can come forward but if they are disrespectful or touch too
hard, I will not be nice.:{

Smiling slightly at that response since she expected it, Rhosyn turned
back to H'vack. "She's all right as long as they don't misbehave. You
might want to lay the ground rules before they go out. No touching her
and no touching the eggs too hard."

Natur stood quietly, a little intimidated by the prospect of approaching
the eggs. Of course, like most weyrbrats, he had often snuck peeks of
the Hatching Sands during his fifteen Turns; however, this would be the
first time he ever set foot on them while the protective golden mother
was nearby. He felt a thrill go through him.

Standing a little apart from the other Candidates, Eirlira kept her
gaze on the eggs. Her eyes turned to the biggest eggs, but there was a
moue of disappointment. There was no gold egg. She hid a sniff. There
was no real point to her being here, but she had to play her little
part. She pasted a smile on her face.

"Excellent," H'vack replied to Rhosyn. "I will speak with them all in
just a few moments." He knew it was still a few minutes early as many
of the candidates were still hurrying towards them. When it appeared
most of them had gathered, H'vack began.

"Good morning," he greeted the candidates. "I've spoken with most of
you, so you know that _if_ you Impress you will be working under me.
First, before we begin today, I will remind you that I do not take
kindly to foolishness or disrespect. Consider me your Wingleader from
this moment on. You will do _what_ I say, _when_ I say it, _how_ I say
it. Understood?" H'vack was not one to take things lightly. He knew
just how dangerous and difficult the job ahead of them all was.
Officially they were not his to command yet, but when it came to eggs,
he was in charge.

"Some of you have done this before. Some of you this is your first
time. Regardless, you will follow my directions _exactly_ the way I
give them. When we enter, you are _not_ to play games or fool around.
If I or one of the Weyrling staff see even the slightly _hint_ that
you are not taking this seriously you will be removed from the Sands,
immediately." He waited to let his words sink in.

"You are permitted to move about the Sands to touch the eggs. You may
touch as many as you wish until you are called to leave. When touching
an egg, please use your open palm," he demonstrated this with his own
hand, "and gently place it on the top of the shell. You are welcome to
speak to the eggs, if you choose. You are _not_ to touch the eggs with
any other part of your body. You are _not_ to touch roughly.
_Anything_ you do that is not acceptable will cause you to be removed
immediately." He gave them all a hard stare, watching each one for
signs that they would be trouble on the Sands.

Natur had noticed one of the other candidates had an air of
disappointment about her, and he had a mind to speak to her until
H'vack called them to attention. Now he listened intently to H'vack's
instructions, each word ringing heavily on him. Natur figured himself
to be one of the youngest Candidates on the Sands today, and though he
felt a giddiness that comes with youth, the reverence for the
situation and all it implied for his future kept him in a somber mood.
**By the First Egg** he thought, *Who in their right mind would do
anything that would risk them being here?* Natur returned his

thoughts to the task at hand; he straightened his back and held his
gaze up, a look he had seen demonstrated by many a dragonrider. Out
there on the Sands might very well be his future, and he was ready to
get to it.

Listening to the Weyrlingmaster, D'lorn stood to the side, there to observe
the candidates and make sure that no one was doing anything they ought not
to. More eyes were better than one pair, after all.

At Rhosyn's request, Orlaith backed up and curled in the corner, but she was
still quite watchful. The golden queen saw the candidates come forward to
visit her eggs even as the Weyrwoman kept her own watch over them, trying to
judge who might Impress and who wouldn't.

Seeing that Orlaith had made room for them to enter, H'vack gave one
final note to the candidates.

"Best behavior all of you, and good luck. Now, walk slowly and
carefully. You may go in." With that he stood aside to let them enter
slowly. He grabbed one over eager young boy who'd tried to run and
held him to the side, giving him a private talking to, while still
keeping his eyes on the rest.

Ameala was very curious and eager. She walked cautiously onto the
Sands, noting just how hot they felt under her feet. She watched some
of the others for awhile before approaching one smallish egg. She bent
over and just looked at it closely, noting the faint lines along the
shell.

"Hello, little dragon," she whispered, "just because you're small
doesn't mean you won't be amazing." She knew it was probably foolish
to talk to them in their shells, but she couldn't resist. She gently
placed her hand on the egg and felt the warmth of it spread across her
hand.

Gelira had done this many times before, yet it was still an exciting
prospect. **Maybe this time will be my time.** She'd tried many
approaches in the past, this time she decided to move more quickly.
Stopping at each egg for a few moments, laying her hand on it's warm
shell, stating her name and imploring for the dragon to pick her.

Eirlira wasn't as entranced as the others, but she did pass her hand over
the eggs carefully. Unlike the others, she didn't say her name, but instead
studied with interest the shells and the textures beneath her hands. She
couldn't help but feel uninterested. She wanted to stand for a gold egg, not
some silly green. The other girls might be happy with that, but she wanted
far better. Smart enough to be respectful, especially under the weyrwoman's
and the weyrlingmasters' eyes, she kept her eyes lowered and moved carefully
amongst the eggs.

Natur walked wide-eyed out onto the Sands. The cavern looked even more
massive when he was down on this level, and the ground ever hot under
his thick-soled shoes. Natur touched each egg for a moment; he knew
about the link between rider and dragon so he tried to keep his mind
focused on the qualities he thought defined him. He hoped his thoughts
might reach through and help the dragonets determine if he was a good
match for them. As his palm rested on one egg he felt the urge to
stop, and his nerves seemed to settle into a calm. He looked intently
at the egg's swirl-colored pattern, felt its texture under his hand.
He thought he had paused only for a moment until an impatient
candidate behind him broke him from his trance with a harsh "Hey,
numbwit, are you going to stand there until it hatches? Keep moving!"

Natur straightened wordlessly and continued on, but he couldn't help
glancing over his shoulder at the swirled egg.

H'vack watched each and every candidate as they moved about the eggs.
Thankfully, no one did anything that required his intervention. After
an appropriate amount of time, he called over the caverns.

"Final moments. Make your way back outside so we can allow Orlaith
time to rest without all of us taking up her space!" He moved to stand
by the opening of the cavern and waited for the candidates to start
making their way to him. He knew his staff would gently nudge the
slowest ones towards the doorway.

Gelira, having heard the announcement, moved through the eggs to the
edge where it was easier to walk. She made her way to the cave
entrance, nodded to the Weyrlingmaster and was gone.

Ameala, however, was still rather entranced by the whole thing. She
stood, just staring at the eggs. She reached her hand out to touch one
final egg and will the dragon to be strong and live. One of the
weyrlingstaff cleared his throat behind her, motioning with his hands
for her to make her way out. She glanced back with a sigh. She had no
idea what this Hatching day would bring, but regardless she would
treasure each and every moment and memory she'd made along the way.

Natur began to funnel out with the other candidates but something stopped
him. He thought about the excitement of sneaking a look at the eggs as a
weyrbrat, about not getting caught by the Queen, and he thought of the big
gold sitting in the corner watching over her eggs. Natur realized that he
had been allowed to come here not just by Rhosyn and H'vack, but also by
Orlaith. Natur turned to face the Queen and bowed. "Thank you, fair
Orlaith," he said and turned to walk off, feeling more than a bit foolish,
but better all the same.

From her vantage point, the large queen watched them all leave her
Hatching Cavern and made a satisfied grunt when Rhosyn turned the
lights off so she could watch her eggs in the natural light she
preferred. The eggs would continue to harden until it was Hatching day.

Last updated on the July 17th 2013

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Dragon Egg Touching