Alesia gave a long sigh as she straightened the dress she had donned for the occassion; a simple dress of tanned coppery coloring, yet the fact she wasn't wearing pants and tunic surely being a symbol of something special happening. She looked upon the hatching sands where the eggs now stood proudly, fully hardened on the sands, and now awaiting their first encounter with the candidates. The queen was nowhere in the hatching sands, but that was because Alesia had ordered her beast to feed, and feed well. The golden one might have even eaten a little more than she should have, but the Weyrwoman wanted her gold to be fully placated and content for the approach of the candidates. Iolath had been more than happy to accommodate a few visitors every now and then, but with the coming of all the candidates, the queen's possessiveness finally began to kick in.

The whoosh of wings brought the Weyrwoman's attention to the open air above, where truly enough, Iolath was gliding down to take her place once more by her eggs. Alesia let out a laugh at how her golden bond swaggered so, crooning in contentment giving her such a comical and undignified appearance that one couldn't help but find her amusing. "Feeling better, dearest?"

Oh yes. I have not eaten for a while now. I am happy you suggested I take my fill. It was indeed true that the gold might have been happy to stay in the hatching grounds till the eggs finally hatched had her rider not ordered her off the sands. To emphasize just how content she was, Iolath let forth a belch before curling around her prized eggs, finding it fit to move a few into a new position.

"I'm glad to see you content, love, because we are expecting company very soon." The tinge of yellow in the whirling eye facing Alesia made the Weyrwoman frown. "I don't see why you're making such a fuss now. Only a sevenday ago you were content to let the whole Weyr in!" Well that was then and this is now. I hardly remember anyways... but I will let them in. It is important that they do not fear the eggs... but they had best fear me.

((Nako, the candidatemaster, will usher the candidates in.. so I'll get my candidate posts ready and you guys can just follow suit =D ))

"Alright everyone, it is important that you bow before Iolath before approaching the eggs. Don't run, don't fight or push or raise your voices, and speak when spoken to." Nako seemed a bit on edge as she ushered the candidates towards the only other entrance than the main large one where guests came in; the candidates entrance. This is where candidates came in, and where they hopefully came out dragonriders. For this reason, this entrance forked towards either the Bowl or back to the candidates quarters. Though it was not Tiazora, the familiar setting was enough to elicit great memories, but that was not what had Nako so strained. She hadn't done the best of jobs as a candidatemaster, and she knew she probably wouldn't be given the job again. In fact, she expected a replacement after the hatching. That suited her just fine, but she didn't like the fact that she had not been able to perform her duties. Alesia had been sincere and understanding enough... but still..

Iolath returns from her feed, and she is ready for the candidates to come in now. Mellanoth interjected into her thoughts, saying the comment with such intensity that Nako was sure it was an attempt to jar her out of her strained and distracted mood. How it made her guilty that she let her own personal issues leak out into her dragons usually pleasant demeanor. "Okay everyone.." She pulled out a key that was used to unlock the heavy wooden door, pulling it open. "Single file; bow to the queen before approaching the eggs, and go touch. Touch as many or as few as you like; and when you are done, stand to the side where the sands aren't quite as hot, and wait until we are dismissed." She made a gesture for them to go, and slipped out ahead of them, smiling and bowing to Iolath before sidling closer to Alesia to watch the candidates.

Ollyriale carefully smoothed out the creases in her skirt, although it was such a flouncy skirt that creases kept appearing everywhere else when she did this. Mainly it was just something to do to keep herself occupied, because she was absolutely terrified.

The past few days had been a radical change from life as she knew it at Izvand Hold. Three days here and she'd already scrubbed the dining tables, mucked out the runnerbeast stables, and hauled boxes of who knows what back and forth as the Weyrfolk settled in. The strange thing was, though... it felt great. It was amazing to actually feel productive rather than just lounging around the Hold and waiting for her father to schedule another lesson, or looking at new pairs of shoes (Olly was very quickly realizing the great value of the pair of plain sandals she had been given at the Candidate Barracks). Plus, she was meeting new people every day. She'd already befriended a girl who was kind enough to let Olly share her room in the barracks, and her brother seemed to like Olly as well. She was even pretty sure she remembered some of the others' names.

This, though... This was something much different. Dragons were much different than people, and Olly didn't really know much about them yet. But every time she saw a dragon flying overhead or feeding in the Weyr Bowl, her heart leapt with desire. The dragons were so magnificent and powerful and graceful, and the chance to be paired with one still blew Olly's mind. It was with clammy hands that she walked forward in line and onto the sands.

Nako's words echoed in her mind, and as soon as she was able, she gave Iolath a deep bow (fluffing out her skirts so that it was a sort of mix between a bow and a curtsy). She spotted Alesia as well, and gave the Weyrwoman a smile as she passed. Olly had taken Alesia's first words to her to heart, and although she wasn't completely adjusted yet (it was still quite hard for Olly to take orders from anyone), she was--she thought--really doing her best. She liked the Weyr very much, and she realized with a quickening of her heart that it would be rather nice to stay in Kharasi as long as she could.

She wasn't the first to step forward to the eggs, but she wasn't the last either; Olly followed the first few that stepped towards the clutch. The sands were quite hot, and she could really feel it through her sandals, but she walked carefully so as not to get any between her toes. Besides, she was rather preoccupied with the egg before her.

It was a gorgeous egg, no mistaking that. Silver cloud-like markings seemed to float upon the midnight sapphire and cerulean of the egg's shell, with lighter colors beneath like the shore of a beach. Olly had only been to the ocean once in her life, when she was a small child, but that was during the day. She imagined that if there were ever a way to see the ocean at night, this would definitely be it.

Taking her cue from those around her, she reached out and barely stroked the egg with one finger. Immediately a cozy warmth seemed to envelop her hand, and smiling, she placed her entire palm upon the egg. She thought she heard someone whisper then, but when she looked up, everyone around her was too far away to have said anything. She looked down at the egg in awe, now touching it gently with both hands. The egg didn't seem to be so hot; it was more of a heart-feeling than a hand-feeling. Olly marveled at the egg's beauty, only imagining what sort of creature lay waiting inside.

L'gan stood next to Alesia quietly, wearing one of his finer tunics over a new pair of riding breeches with his boots polished to a shine. On the nearby ledge reserved for him, Behemath looked equally as splendid as he impassively watched the Candidates filing in. The Weyrleader almost mirrored his dragon's expression, showing an unusual amount of reserve in both face and stance. His normally jovial demeanor was somewhat muted and his piercing green eyes were clouded over as he stared into the distance, lost in thought. He favored Nako and the Candidates with an absent smile as they passed by, the gears in his mind obviously working overtime.


Cailyn was one of the first in line to see the eggs. Her every nerve was on edge and she trembled slightly as she walked. It's not even the Hatching and I'm already this nervous! Shards! She thought ruefully as Nako opened the great wooden doors. A wave of heat emanating from the sand rolled out, blowing tendrils of hair from her face and making her break out into a sweat that couldn't be entirely blamed on the temperature. She moved forward slowly and gave as deep a bow to the golden queen as she could manage, then straightened and moved forward, trying not to meet the Weyrleader's eyes. Faranth knows she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of him again! As she turned to the eggs, her eyes widened and her mouth made a silent o. This was the first time she had seen dragon eggs before, and they were even grander than she had imagined. She moved cautiously through the sands, breaking away from the line to investigate this egg or that one more closely. She lightly brushed each egg with her fingertips, marveling at their strange not-quite-smooth, but not-rough-either texture. She came to a stop before one of the eggs, cocking her head curiously to the side. Yellows and creams swirl about the eggshell, giving it the appearance, but definitely not the size of a queen egg. Cailyn grinned and wondered if the dragonet inside would be just as audacious as its shell seemed to be. She placed her hand on the hardening surface for a minute or two before moving on, determined to spend time with every egg. Who knew which one would be sheltering her lifemate?

((In a hurry, it's time for class now, but I'll put up a post for Zehper as soon as I can. :)))

Alesia nodded kindly toward Nako, but was more interested in watching the candidates. Iolath also watched through half lidded eyes, both content in being full, and with the respect the candidates had shown so far. Some people were dallying by only one egg, and this was fine, but it would also be good of them to touch and bond with other eggs. "You'll not be considered rude if you wish to touch more than one egg; though we believe egg touching makes the Impressions faster, and less hectic, touching more than one egg shouldn't confuse the dragons as they will always choose who is best for them."

Taking note of L'gan's thoughtful expression, Alesia frowned and touched his shoulder. "Something on your mind?"

Taibe might have burst if Nako hadn't let them into the hatching sands. He wanted to see the eggs! No matter how much swindling he had tried, he could never find a reason to go see the eggs for himself. Rumor had it the Weyrwoman was getting annoyed by the constant intrusions and people were only allowed in if they had business with the Weyrwoman. Well, unless you were running an errand, no candidate had business with her!

The door swung open, and a blast of hot air hit them in the face. Taibe breathed in deeply, relishing in the smell of.. well.. hotness and general dragon smells. Oh yes, this is where dreams would come true! Not today though, he reminded himself. No, this was just to get acquainted with the eggs, to reduce panic. The young Weyrborn lad was too excited to be frightened though. Dragonriding was what he had always dreamed of! Besides, as long as he didn't do anything stupid, then he wouldn't get hurt, right? He practically edged on his tippy toes while waiting for those in front of him to move forward, bow, and move to the eggs. Hastily, Taibe bowed deep, his dark, unruly hair flopping forward into his face as he did so. He heard a giggle from some girl he didn't know and smiled sheepishly. He couldn't help it if he was excited! The queen seemed particularly content, and was still wiping the remnants of blood from her muzzle. Hopefully not the blood of a candidate; Oh-ho!

Oh, but which egg to touch first? There were very large eggs in the group, but Taibe wouldn't waste his time with those. He wouldn't get, and didn't want a bronze. He absently touched Whispy Cloud Egg as he walked by, running fingers across Widescreen Wonder egg. He paused a moment before spotting Demure Pocketfull Egg. Such a tiny egg! Walking over, he confidently placed his hand upon the shell, which was hard beneath his hands, and uncannily warm. Even though he knew it held life inside, there was something odd about touching something that looked like a pretty rock but was as warm, if not warmer than his own body! He smoothed his hands over it appreciatively before heading back to Widescreen Wonder Egg to look at it for a while longer.


--

Once the formalities had been given, Jasyn contented himself with walking through the maze of eggs, walking with particular caution around Iolath's golden tail. He wasn't looking for any particular egg, just gazing at them, not yet touching any. Some of them were.. rather ornate; very peculiar since most of the time the eggs would be mottled rather simply. Or, that's what he had heard. Maybe most people couldn't see the individuality between each egg? At that moment in time, one egg would in fact catch his attention. Average Joe Egg seemed to be the only egg that matched the art he had seen of them. Reaching out, he touched the egg, only to pull his hand back quickly. It had unnerved him at how warm and alive it had felt.

Frowning, Jasyn composed himself, pushing his light blond hair past his shoulders before putting his hand upon the egg once more, with renewed confidence that he knew what to expect. It was warm, and hard as stone, yet felt nothing like stone. He almost wished to knock against the shell, but surely knew better. Would it sound hollow if he did? Maybe it would sound like a ripe melon. He forced himself to push back his strange curiosity, turning his attention away from the shell to look at the others. What did he want to touch next? Should he touch all of them, or just particular ones? Deciding upon touching what was nearest, he casually touched Real Men Wear Pink Egg. He liked this one, but if it were to hatch a bronze, it would not choose him. Then again, if there was no chance for him to Impress it, then there would be no harm in touching its shell.

Jalderyk waited in line with the other Candidates, fairly bouncing on his toes with anticipation. He glanced continually from face to face, wondering if any of them, like him and Zaela, had managed a glimpse of the clutch before this. He felt a curious blend of smugness and guilt that he had done so; for after belatedly meeting Nako, he had learned from the Candidate Master that Candidates were expressly forbidden from going near the Hatching Grounds without the permission of the queen's rider and the supervision of the Candidatemaster.

Oops. Well, but hadn't that been his design all along? To get in there and see the eggs before he learned for sure whether he was doing anything wrong? Silently, he blessed Zaela and her ingenious ruse to get them onto the Sands without sneaking. She was somewhere behind him, he figured; he hadn't seen her in the corridors when Nako had trooped them out.

Following her instructions, Jalderyk bowed deeply to Iolath. No awkward tray to bend over this time. If possible, the queen's flame-gold color was deepening, making her even more brilliant to look at. Was it normal for queens to change their colors, he wondered, or did it have something to do with the eggs' hardness and the upcoming Hatching?

That formality done, they were now free to wander around the eggs. Jalderyk's heart was in his mouth; although he'd seen them before, he'd never been so close to them. The biggest ones, like Endless Threadfall Egg and Real Men Wear Pink Egg, stood nearly waist-high on Jalderyk. He passed them by without a glance. No doubt those eggs would contain bronzes, the regal dragons whose purpose it was to lead the wings against Thread, and mate with the queen to repopulate the Weyr. Nothing so grand for him, especially because he doubted his own worth as a Candidate!

Jalderyk wandered freely amongst the eggs for a while, occasionally reaching out to brush the hard, mottled shells with his fingertips, marveling at the warmth. He stayed well clear from any egg already claimed by another Candidate, until at last two caught his eye. He went first to the Peasant in Warrior Clothes Egg; its shell had a lovely bronzey tone, but the egg was far too small to contain a bronze. He didn't know much about dragons, but he was pretty sure Nako had told them that queens hatched from golden eggs, and bronzes from the largest eggs. He placed both hands on the curving sides of the shell. It felt rougher than he'd expected, and so warm it was almost hot. Frowning, Jalderyk moved his hands over the shell. Was he supposed to feel something, some sort of connection? All he felt was that this egg's skin might well rub even his callused palms raw. Giving his head a little shake, he moved on.

The second egg that attracted him was the Wispy Cloud Egg. He was tentative about touching it, but the creamy swirls of white and blue mesmerized him and drew his gaze deeper into the mottlings. To his surprise, the egg's surface was much smoother, and about the same temperature as his skin. With a shy, delighted smile on his face, Jalderyk squatted on his heels and gently pressed his cheek against the egg, his arms half encircling its circumference in an awkward, adolescent hug.

Zaela was indeed there, but in the far, far back. That morning she had took extra long to lace her boots, took abnormally slow steps. It wasn't seeing the eggs that frightened her; oh no, she had done that already. This time, she was expected to touch those shells, so prematurely BOND do the creatures within. That seemed far worse than merely waiting for the hatching, where it would be over all too fast, and the dragons would either choose her, or leave her. Instead, she found herself waiting in line to increase these chances of getting chosen, and in essence, putting herself on a platter for those dragonets.

One could imagine that her lack of enthusiasm made it easy for others to get in front of her. That was fine, since Zaela was in the back, mulling over her thoughts. She had hardly listened to what Nako had said, but it was common sense to a woman who had encased her life with a hard shell of manners and thinking before acting. As they filed in, Zaela bowed, as was customary, and was keen to move to the side to let others by... except she was the last one in line. Now, she stood there, watching the others. She caught Nako's meaningful gaze, and the curious looks of the Weyrwoman, so she took in a breath and moved forward.

She took note of Jalderyk almost immediately, and what she saw made her giggle immensely. He was hugging the egg! It was a firm reminder of how eager and excited so many of these people where. It was a happy occasion! It was unfair that she was filled with such dread. It was almost.. as if she was missing out somehow. It was almost instinctive to go toward the one person who had made her feet comfortable in this place, and she slid through the maze of eggs, going slow to give a respectful amount of time for Jalderyk to bond before clearing her throat. She had a smile on her face, if only because of how sweet and touching the scene was. "Hey." There had been no rules against speaking, but she murmured the greeting softly so as not to disturb others.

Summer gave an enormous gulp as Nako opened the foreboding wooden doors to the Hatching Grounds. He'd only been here once, and that time he would have had his head bitten off for trespassing if Alesia hadn't been willing to forgive him. Holdborn was one thing, but being raised in a Harper Hall was entirely different. Summer had learned all about the history of dragonriders and their bonded, but nothing about how to behave when one encountered a queen in real life. Luckily, he was good at learning by example, so he made a note to behave with the utmost respect whenever he was around any dragon, especially the queen of them all that now lay before him in the Hatching Grounds.

He gave her a bow so deep that his long blond hair fell to the sands. If he looked silly, he didn't care; he was still grateful that Iolath hadn't clawed him to death when he'd snuck into the Hatching Grounds without permission on his first day at the Weyr. Summer gave Alesia a friendly smile, then proceeded towards the eggs--this time, with permission.

Some of the Candidates around him were going around to as many as they could and grazing them with their fingertips; others focused on one, even embracing the egg before them with their cheeks against the shell. Summer didn't know any of their names; it was hard for him to approach people, and he imagined that they all felt the same, since he was terrifyingly tall. For not the last time he shoved his hands into his pockets and slouched, trying to make himself appear as short as possible. Besides, with his head bowed, he had a great view of each individual egg, so he walked about gazing at them all.

The mystical colors of the Arabian Nights egg drew his eye, but a girl with long red hair was already stroking that one, and he would have felt awkward intruding. The Cheap Imitation egg made him do a double take--**They had said there wouldn't be a queen at this one!** he thought wildly--but he realized that it was far to small to hold a gold, and the spots of green on the shell gave it away.

As he passed the Endless Threadfall and Ominous Red Star eggs, he touched them both gently with his palm. Both reminded him of songs that he'd learned by heart Turns ago, and subconsciously he began to pluck out their melodies in thin air with his other hand. The words came to mind too, of course, but those would come from Summer's lips only spoken, never sung.

He came to a stop at the Rare Ocean Treasure egg. This one brought songs to mind as well, but none that he'd heard or played at the Harper Hall. These songs were ones that he heard from traders from the seaside Holds, dreaming of treasure and ships and life upon the open ocean. Summer bent down to examine the egg more closely. The swirls of color upon the shell reminded him of a clam with its mouth open, and he thought that if he looked hard enough, he could see a little spot of white where a pearl might lay. He touched the spot gently with one finger, and he imagined that the creature inside gave a little jump. **Don't be silly...** he thought, but all the same he grinned and stroked the egg with the pads of his fingertips, caressing each shade of color on its surface.

Standing only 3 people from the end of the line, Zehper eyed the entrance to the Sands with a mixture of trepidation and intense curiosity. He was far from ignorant of his tendency towards clumsiness, but at the same time, he was burning with desire to figure out a number of questions that had been plaguing him since his arrival to the Weyr only two sevendays ago. What made the sand so hot? How hot was it, really? What do dragon eggs look like? Were the Weyrleaders as imposing as he had heard? The line inched forward slowly, and as he took a tentative step, Zehper felt himself suddenly off-balance. He pitched forward, knocking into the person in front of him, who in turn hit the person in front, and so on for about 4 more people. He blurted an apology and then immediately returned his attention to the entrance that was approaching all too fast, and yet indeterminably slow.

When it came his time to approach the queen, Zehper moved slowly and with more caution than he had practiced in his life. The heat radiating from the sand up through his boots was uncomfortable, but he shoved that thought away and bent to sketch a respectful bow. He bent as low as he could whilst still watching the enormous queen, but as he straightened, something moved in the corner of his eye, causing him to whip his head around to investigate. Naturally, he was thrown off balance, and he found himself taking a tumble toward the hot sand right in front of the Weyrleaders. Blushing furiously, he scrabbled around, trying to right himself again. He flashed a sheepish grin in Iolath's direction, gave a smaller, more careful bow, and beat a swift retreat as he brushed sand off his clothing.

He was immediately drawn to an egg that the other Candidates seemed to be paying little attention to. The Slightly Off-Kilter Egg was an anomaly compared to the others, and it intrigued him. He reached out slowly, wincing slightly as he hoped against hope he wouldn't somehow manage to knock over the egg. But as he placed his palm gingerly on the egg, he discovered to his immense relief that it would be nearly impossible to tip the egg unless you charged it full-speed. He squatted down next to the egg, content to just spend time with it until they were told to leave.

The news of the Touching spread like Thread in a green field, the results being the flood of candidates that poor Iolath was going to have to deal with. Honestly, one would think the gold would suffer a panic attack.

Crys was excited... To a certain extent, she had been looking forward to the time when they could all touch the egg, and in a back-handed way, meet the dragons inside... Yet, the idea of that many candidates, that many people around her, had the candidate thinking about staying behind. Even as fear and a shyness she might never escape gnawed at her insides, the longing of actually seeing dragon eggs was over-whelming. It was that last feeling that had her walking towards the grounds with the others, not the former one.

What if Iolath had changed her mind by the time they got there? She obviously hadn't, as Crys arrived in time to hear Nako insturcting the students. It was Nako wasn't it, she was sure of it. The candidate master's name was Nako... Right? Oh great, she really didn't want those thoughts whirling in her mind , not when she was soon to have so many, many more in there as well. Also, she really didn't want to be thinking about the Candidate Master's name, when she should be thinking about how many eggs there were, what would be in each, how many blues, greens, browns... Bronze. And well, the news of no Queen Egg had already gone throughout the Weyr, so that didn't matter. It wouldn't matter to Crys anyway, why would it?

Oh bow, yes, bow. No, bend at the waist, yes now lean forward, good. Crys ducked her head slightly, avoiding eye-contact with the great gold as she looked at her feet, and the sands beneath her feet. Rather hot weren't they? Why were they so hot, was there some sort of underground spring? No... Wouldn't the water make the sands soggy? And the sands was the same as the dry sand at the beach, something you just... Picked up... And let sift through your fingers...

Would she always end up thinking about things that weren't the Eggs taht she should now Touch? No, focus, eggs. Dragons. Thread. Oh... There were... So... Many. They were supposed to pick a select few to touch? How hard... Yet even as these fleeting thoughts brushed against the candidates mind, one egg drew her attention. Smallish, the Cheap Imitation Egg should have been one of the last to draw the sapphire gaze of Crysania. Instead, it was the first, yellows, creams... Honey brown, it was so lovely, the colours seemed to swirl, seemed to mingle oh so perfectly. Then there were whisps of grey and green across the mottled shell, patterns within the patterns... Slowly, her fingers touched the shell first, her palm next, flinching slightly as though scared to be told to move away from such a lovely egg.

Eyes closed, letting the feeling wash over her, they said, the stories, that when touching the shell one could almost feel the personality of the dragonet inside it's protective casing. Whether that occured for her or not, Crys didn't exactly care. No, the warmth of the shell flowing through her fingertips was enough. Enough to make her never want to leave the comfort of the Cheap Imitation Egg.

Hands smoothed the blue hide, her fingers traced the icy blue on it. Soothing the flitt as best she could before she left the barracks.
"I'll be fine Caeser. Promise love." She whispered, bending her head to press her lips to the soft wedged head. Said flitt chirped, worry swirling rapidly in his eyes... What if His didn't return? What if she was hurt while he, Caeser was unable to go to her aid? Yes, he believed his much bigger cousins would look after His... Yet she was His... Her assurances she'd be fine, only made the flitt worry, unable to pick why. His had never left him. Ah, there it was. That was the problem. Acacia had never left Caeser alone before, she'd always taken him with her, no matter what. Now, he wasn't allowed, but was it her safety she worried for, or his? Often there were stories around of dragons that didn't like them, but surely the gold wouldn't mind... Much?

Seeing her flitt so upset had slowed Acacia's steps greatly, the girl almost wondering if she should leave him. Yes, a Touching was a wonderful event, something she wanted to be a part of more than anything else. Yet, Caeser was her best friend, her family. She'd left him worrying, with a mere assurance not to worry. Did that assurance ever work? Not sharding likely. Caeser would worry, then she'd feel bad for worrying him and it was going to end up as a whole big, sharding mess.

She should be concentrating on the Touching, should be thinking about... Oh the eggs... They were gorgeous. Acacia's eyes widened on sight of them, the breath catching in her throat. No Queen egg... Why did people say that as though it mattered? Greens were just as beautiful, and browns... She had a rather soft spot for blues as well... Thanks to Caeser. Slowly, Acacia bowed, respect in every feature on her face, every movement she made... Iolath was allowing them to veiw her children, had even given permission for the Candidates to touch them, though, Acacia could see why if she had refused. Who wouldn't want to keep their child close to them... No matter what?

Footsteps carried her forward, fingers brushed against the Peasant in Warrior's Clothes Egg, a slow smile stretching across her lips as she did so. She didn't seem to care that the others might be touching more than one, looking at the one was interesting. The brown, the green, like this little egg was trying to be something it wasn't, something it didn't need to be.
"Aren't you lovely?" Words were murmured to the egg, palm resting on it, allowing the warmth to spread through her body, pounding in her veins. Making her feel... Light.

Tracey and Del had argued from the minute Tracey had mentioned her dissapointment in no Queen egg, after all, what good was a clutch if there was no Queen? Del disagreed, he thought all dragons were equal, they were just talented differently, he'd bet even a gold would listen to a green or blue when it came to Thread Fall. Again, Tracey disagreed, she thought that a Gold was the only ranked dragon worth having, why would she want anything lower?

A sigh passed Del's lips as he cut her off with a shake of his head, turning to Iolath and bowing deeply to her, one glance was spared for the Gold loving Candidate before he turned. Del could only hope that on the day she Impressed, whether it be the gold she desired or a green, that dragon would give her a right good kick up the sharding-

Hey, what was that? Well, well, wasn't this egg interesting? A large egg to be sure, but that hadn't been what drew Del's eye, no, it was the simple... Simplicity of the egg that drew him. Though, on closer inspection of the Endless Thread Fall Egg, it wasn't simple at all, not in the least. It had an almost... Menacing appearance about it, even so, there seemed to be something more to it than that. For though Thread was horrible and dangerous, it was beautiful. The silver strands supposedly floating out of the sky. From what he'd heard, which being a Hold Lad, wasn't much.

One palm gently touched the egg, Dellanoran giving it a slow greeting, respect in his tone. These were Dragons. Not something to be toyed with, no, these were intelligent creatures. They had their own personalities, not mirrors of their Handlers, as alot of flitts seemed to have. Yet they had beauty on the outside, and grace, that a watch-wher did not. Not to say there was anything wrong with Watch-Whers, they were lovely in their own way. But they didn't have that same... Authority and love about them that a dragon did...

Tracey had sighed, flicking back her hair with a roll of her eyes. How little did he know. Excitement pounded through the girl's veins, making her breath come faster and her eyes sparkle. The Touching! After all that had gone on... They were finally going to see the eggs! A low bow made to the Queen, her eyes averted. She deserved a gold, yet... From what Dellanoran had told her... No! A gold was the only colour for her. Slowly, she made her way over to the Wheaty Goodness Egg, laying her palm against the mottled surface. A green. She'd bet.

{{Here, Missa's Muse dies}}

Aeryn had been helping fill firestone sacks, and came tearing back into the Candidate Barracks when one of the drudges reminded her what time it was. She hoped they'd miss her - so what if they were just drudges? She filled sacks with fierce intent, determined to make up for her small size and weak limbs by working twice as hard and twice as fast. She had found a new resolve since coming to the Weyr, and now thought day and night of proving that she was worth something, somehow. If she could be Searched, alone among all her family, then her brothers must somehow be wrong about how useless she was.

That, in itself, had been a revelation. Oh, Aeryn still didn't talk to anybody if she could help it; wouldn't even meet their gaze unless she could absolutely not avoid it. But there was a little flame growing in her quiet soul, and every day it got a little bit stronger.

Once in the cubby that she shared with three other Candidate girls, Aeryn hurried to change into her clean clothes: plain leather jerkin two sizes too big, and brown hide pants that she had to bind her sandal thongs around to keep the cuffs from slipping over the tops of her feet. She bound her sheet of silver-blonde hair into a loose tail at the nape of her neck, for Nako had said the Hatching Sands'd be hot. Puffing slightly, she joined the line of the other Candidates and made her way into Alesia and Iolath's presence.

The gold dragon was regal and frightening, she was so big and - and - protective! Aeryn's bow was almost a cower, but she reminded herself in her new strong voice that she had a right to be here, and surely Iolath knew it. Straightening up, she dared a glance also in the Weyrwoman's direction. How beautiful Alesia looked! So proud and pleased, and she was smiling. That gave Aeryn heart.

She moved away from the other Candidates and began to wind her own path among the eggs. The Sands were fiercely hot, and it was humid: strands of her hair began to stick to her neck. But Aeryn scarcely noticed. Left to herself amongst the quiescent baby dragons, she was utterly absorbed. She touched the curve of a shell here, there, pausing out of respect for the growing creature inside each one. How lovely they all were! How could she ever choose? Thank goodness the dragonets would do the choosing for them!

She paused beside the Hide My Pretty Face Egg, an unnerving thought striking her. What if no dragonet chose her? There were lots of eggs, true ... but were there more Candidates than eggs? Oh, she couldn't bear it if she was sent home without Impressing. Her brothers would make life unbearable then. Aeryn resolved that she would not go home. She'd rather stay at the Weyr, working as a kitchen drudge, than face her family in disgrace.

The fierceness of her decision left her lonely and frightened. She hadn't moved; she'd only thought it, but it felt as if she had taken a very big and uncertain step. Aeryn bit her lip and glanced down at the egg, which had a big ugly brownish-gray splotch covering most of its surface. She wrinkled her nose, and then noticed something else. Bending closer, she peered at the shell. Why, it was lovely! A fragile spiderweb pattern of blue, green, and sunny yellow spread across the egg like colors in cracked glass. If she looked hard enough, she could even see the veins of color running, texturelike, underneath the big brown patch.

Smiling, Aeryn gently reached out and rested both hands on the curve of the egg. "You're just like me," she whispered, barely audible. "You're a lot more underneath than anybody sees."

Amadak strode in amongst the other Candidates in his usual fashion: projecting a confident, easy demeanor. Funny, that. The more he cared about something, the better he was at pretending it didn't matter a wingless wherry's chance in Threadfall. And he cared about seeing this clutch so much it made his chest ache. Seven Turns he'd waited in exile, dutiful nephew to the only mother he'd ever known. She had loved him; she had wished it. Seven Turns without seeing a dragon, save the occasional sweeprider, so high that the dragon was little more than a speck. Yet before age and advancement had landed the mantle of his Craft permanently on his shoulders, he had been Searched.

And he'd cared about that, too; so much that when he walked away from the envious looks of the other young Hurrican Hold hopefuls, had gone to his small quarters to pack his things, Amadak had wept, quietly, for a brief moment. Out of duty, he would have taken on his mother's Craft. He did not hate it, but he did not love it, either. Dragons ... dragons, he loved. And the Search had made sure he could follow his dream.

So yes, he wanted to be here more than anything else on Pern. But he had learned very young that if he wanted something too badly, it was taken away from him. And so he stood with the other Candidates, listening politely to Nako's instructions with a half smile on his face, acting nonchalant in front of the other boys, casually handsome in front of the girls, and felt his pulse beat in his temples so hard he feared he might black out.

At last, they could go in. Amadak bowed first to Iolath, and then inclined his head and shoulders to Alesia and L'gan, looking stern and regal in beautifully tailored clothes. Then, only then, did he let himself look at the eggs. His feet took him toward them, the object of his longing for as long as he could remember breathing. Amadak made himself stroll among them, looking at all of them, but from the beginning there were a few that held his attention. And true to form, he went to them last, as if he could find nothing better and would settle for one of them. First was the Undefeated Warrior Egg, whose mottled surface was reminiscent of the stern battles he'd fought within his own heart, when he'd struggled between love of his aunt and his most desperate desire to become a dragonrider. He lingered there, and after covertly making sure that nobody was watching, Amadak allowed himself a slow, delighted, and completely innocent smile. He rested his hand confidently on the egg, paying attention to the texture and curvature of the shell, absorbed in its suggestive pattern of battle scars.

The other, when he could finally tear himself away, was the Ominous Red Star Egg. The overall darkness of its shell, and the orange hue spread throughout, made this a striking egg, and Amadak could not resist kneeling in the hot sands to scrutinize the fascinating, vivid patterns on the shell. The egg just plain looked hot, although it was no warmer to the touch than any of the others.

The three biggest eggs also warranted his attention, as they likely contained bronzes. Amadak knew one's parentage was no guarantee, but his father had been a bronze rider and dearly loved at Ista; he'd given his life to save a panicked Weyrling in her first Threadfall. The Real Men Wear Pink Egg he did not approach, as there was another candidate hovering over it already. Same with the Endless Threadfall Egg. So, last of all, Amadak approached the You Are My World Egg. He had seen globes of Pern in the observation room at Ista Hold, and marveled without bothering to hide his grin at the resemblance this large egg shared with a globe. Even the colors were accurate. His sense of humor rising, Amadak traced a line around the egg's equator with his fingertips, lightly, as if stroking a lover. "I'll bet you'll be big and strong enough to fly all around Pern," he murmured to it.

Then he stood, and reluctantly backed away from the egg in order to give others a chance to approach it. Not fair to hover jealously over any of them. And how could he choose a favorite among these three distinguished eggs? Thank Faranth it was the hatchling who did the choosing, he thought.

Then a thought struck him. The Candidates, at a glance, were all busy among the eggs. Amadak walked slowly back to the Weyrleaders, stopping politely out of earshot as he noticed they appeared to be deep in conversation. It was a bold move to try to speak to them, but he dearly wanted their opinion and could hardly ask Iolath, who was so beautiful in her flame-gold color and zealous shape that it hurt to look at her.

Jalderyk jumped a little at Zaela's soft greeting and backed hastily away from the Wispy Cloud Egg, looking sheepish. "Oh, hello, Zaela. I was just...um....hugging this egg. How masculine of me, yes?" Finding refuge again in humor, Jalderyk struck a pose and puffed out his chest, even though he felt his face going red.

Then he noticed the expression on his friend's face, and softened. "Oh. Oh, Zaela ... don't you want to be here?" He gave her no time to answer, but took her hand. "Come on. There must be one egg, at least, that you like the look of. Show it to me?" He gave her a pleading look, for she looked so miserably out of sorts that he had to cheer her up.

Alesia frowned as her question fell on deaf ears. She knew that when he was so absorbed in his own thoughts, reaching him was sometimes impossible. Instead of worrying him further with questions, she let her Weyrmate be. It was then, looking away from the troubled man, that she noticed a lad, standing ever patiently in front of them. He stood there, rigid and prideful as a young man ought, but Alesia could very well see the unsureness in his eyes, the slight hesitance and need for reassurance in his expression. Nako had shot a look over to the scene with a look of apology, but the Weyrwoman would give the slightest flick of a grin to the bluerider to be at ease. True, she wouldn't want the candidates flooding towards her wishing for her good graces, but she'd hardly be furious if one of these insecure candidates wished for her council. In fact, it made her feel quite good, since it meant they looked to her as a source of wisdom instead of just the woman behind the egg factory. Maybe the Weyrleader helped finish the picture? Ha! Good luck getting wisdom out of that man at the moment, with how distracted he was. True, she had good feelings toward the man for more of a reason than because he was Weyrleader, but sometimes he could be so absentminded.

Alesia gave a small smile a gesture for Amadak to come closer, lifting her chin slightly and raising her brows in indication she was ready to listen to what he had to say. Iolath too, inclined her head to look at the lad with idle curiosity, extending her neck about a mans length away to sniff at the one candidate who had proven brave enough to come near the Weyrleaders.

I like many of the candidates we have here. They will Impress very well. They are all so happy to be here.. well.. most.. She watched a girl being persuaded by one lad, who had the girl by the hand as if begging for her to participate. Many are hogging the eggs. I will have a stop to this. Mellanoth, please tell your rider to remind the candidates not to dissuade others from touching other eggs.

-----

Nako very much jumped as if she had been goosed. Mellanoth had jarred her quite violently out of her own thoughts, and she flushed with embarrassment. Still red in the face, she raised her voice so the candidates could hear her. "I'd like to remind everyone to touch multiple eggs. Don't stick by one egg and.. dissuade others from touching the egg." Her dragon had heckled her to say some things verbatim to what the queen had told him. Why couldn't Alesia have just told them herself? Her blue dragon berated her slightly, and she sighed.

Nako moved slightly as the golden dragons tail lashed slightly, as if to emphasize the need for people to get a move on.

--

Zaela's mouth moved rather uselessly as nothing came out, silent protests falling short as she saw the plea in his voice and on his features. She bit her lip, seeming about to burst with all the things she had been trying to say, but shw quickly deflating, letting out a long breath. "Okay..." Then, she blushed, as if finally realizing that he was holding her hand in a most embarrassing way.


Now, all she could do was look away toward the eggs, if only to not let him see how red she was turning. Looking around, she saw quite a few unique eggs, and many of them were being occupied. Of course, most of them didn't bring her attention to them. With a smile that promised she wasn't going to make a run for it, she slipped her hand from his, now turning her attention toward the eggs. She looked for the small ones. Those hatched greens, right? Greens and blues, which is what girls Impressed. She held her hand out and ran her fingertips along it, turning to give Jalderyk a smile. "See? I'm not avoiding it. Honestly.. I just.." Then, she frowned, looking at an egg roughly the same size as the Emo Egg, but much stranger. It had odd straight lines of gray running across it, and seemed so... alien. Almost forgetting Jalderyk was there, she placed her hand upon Industrial Future Egg. It wasn't even the looks of it that had brought her attention to it. In fact, the strange look of it was almost frightening in its unfamiliarity. Was it something else that had drawn her to the egg?

It was warm, and alive. For some reason, that unnerved her. She'd hardly seen the eggs as harboring true life until just then. Maybe she'd eaten too many wherry eggs in her time to appreciate it? That was a particularly dark thought to think of while petting an egg, and she withdrew her hand as if she were afraid she'd convey it. Feeling helpless, she shrugged and smiled grimly towards Jalderyk. "I don't know if I was supposed to feel the warm fuzzies or not, but if I was.. it didn't happen."

Taibe fitfully made a hasty retreat from Demure Pocketful Egg, mostly because of Iolath's reaction. Nako rarely had enough authority in her voice to make anyone do anything.... unless she was slapping hysterical greenriders. Oh-Ho! Taibe dared caress a few more shells of the smaller eggs before he felt comfortable he had Imprinted on at least one, and took a stand at the side. Overly arrogant that he would be chosen? The innocent glee in his eyes and broad smile merely told of childlike optimism.

Jasyn was by his side soon after, his face stoic as usual. It was a very solemn affair so Taibe decided not to disturb him, though he'd probably harass him fitfully about today's affairs later in the evening. A few other people were not standing to the side as well, seeming to have their fill. The queen seemed more than happy to let them keep touching, but many of the candidates had already touched all that they were going to, and the sands were awfully hot.

((This is by no means a hint for everyone to get off the sands. Just tossing these two characters onto the sideline mostly XD the 'other' candidates are NPCs.))

Alsvair was in the midst of the candidates, blending in by his inconspicuousy. He had not the slightest bit of nervousness, but he also wasn't too certain about the event. He'd seen many clutches, and Touchings were nothing new, but nevertheless he couldn't help but feel as though this one would also be nothing special. For having a Bronzerider for a father, it was taking him an extremely long time to find his lifemate!

The faintest of bitterness accompanied that thought, but he pushed it aside and dully absorbed Nako's words, so similar to any other Candidate Master he'd heard speak before. Even when the protective soles of his boots hit the soft sand, and he felt a flood of heat rise through the messy blond-brown strands that protruded from his head, he couldn't help but regard the Weyrleaders witha vague shrewdness. Nevertheless, he bowed respectfully before the golden queen. His eyes stayed on Alesia, although she was busy conversing and didn't look his way. Then again, it was probably for the better. She might have taken eye contact as disrespectful, which had happened once.

And then, the eggs. They weren't particularly spectacular by his standards, but he attempted to shake off the jaded shackles binding his thoughts. Stepping carefully, his hand found the Real Men Wear Pink egg, and he paused, vaguely pleased-- as he always was-- to feel a responding thrum of life under his skin. After a lingering touch, he stepped around it and paused before the Ominous Red Star egg, which he stopped at for longer, caressing the hard, durable eggshell.

~*~*~

Erein ducked into line the minute Nako closed her mouth, and proceeded with caution from there. She still had no friends, and the lonliness was affecting her, for she was experiencing withdrawals from a busy life at Izvand, but-- more importantly-- one close friend, one she'd been trying in vain to replace ever since she'd left her mother. Since she had no firelizard, virtually all of the communication she could possibly carry out was eliminated.

The blond bowed, averting her eyes to the sands. She was in plain breeches and tunic, not uncommon and different from a Rider's breeches and tunic. Being clad in brown helped her feel more at ease, like she wasn't standing out very much. The light Pink and Blue Cotton Candy egg drew her attention, and so she approached it first, extremely apprehensive, having never seen the eggs but on one occasion, --the Laying-- and this one hadn't been laid at the time.

Soon enough, she stood, just as Nako told the candidates to move along. A pink flush burned her cheeks, and she approached the Arabian Nights egg, flushing further when she saw another girl already at it. "Oh, um, sorry..." Erein didn't leave, though. She had just as much right to touch the egg as anybody else.

Gentle Kai shifted slowly, wishing she'd remembered to wear boots instead of the sandals. She was glad that she wouldn't be totally burning her feet, but a recollection told her that there was still chance of heat overexposure.

Her pale skin was flushed with warmth by the time Nako opened the door, and too late, Kai realized that there was a small chance Weyrwoman or dragon might remember her from her single visit. She'd recalled the incident enough; candidates hungry for news of the eggs had hounded her when she accidentially said she'd seen them, and she was too shy to enjoy the attention.

By the time she reached Alesia and the queen, she had developed a nervousness so potent, her pale skin had paled even further. Extremely carefully, she inclined her upper half, all too conscious of the Healer's colors she wore. As soon as she stood, and thought a fervent thank you to any dragon or person who could somehow read thoughts, for her lack of clumsiness, she turned to the eggs and approached. She was drawn, primarily, to the Hide My Pretty Face egg, because she was fascinated with the brown shades dominating the shell. Once she had touched the egg, accompanied by a nervous flutter in her stomach and a responding warmth in the eggshell, she smiled a little, and began to trace the brown pattern.

Near the base of the egg she gasped, because colors emerged from the darkness. She was still examining the way the brown 'birthmark' swallowed up the colors when Nako cleared her throat and reminded them to keep moving.

Kai pivoted and headed straight for the Rare Ocean Treasure egg. As she was placing her hand upon it, she saw that somebody on the other side of the egg was touching it too, though he'd been previously hidden from view. "Sorry," she whispered, flushing that she was talking to a boy. Then she realized he'd seen him before. "Hey. You're the one from the Sands, aren't you?" There was really no mistaking that build, anyhow.

~*~*~

Mishaea was flushed with anticipation, and her round face was apprehensive. Clearly displayed was a sort of sign; her emotions had always been easily readable, and this was no exception. She didn't talk to anybody; she was clearly cowed by even a glance in her direction, so she kept her eyes averted first to the floor, then the ground, then the sand. She only noticed it was her turn to bow because the candidate behind her jabbed her in the ribs and, with a squeak of pure terror, she jerked her head up.

Looking for all the world like a doe in the headlights, Mishaea surveyed the queen with sheer awe. Her eyes lingered on the sharp claws, and she whimpered ever so quitly before bowing and looking down again. She stopped herself short from throwing herself prostrate upon the ground, but then she finally realized the Weyrwoman might be looking, and so she rose, turned her eyes to the eggs, and shuffled off in that direction.

Mishaea picked the My Puppy Patches egg and frightenedly placed her hand upon the surface. Shaking, she was surprised to feel a warmth, and jerked her hand back. Then, ever tentatively, she placed it once again on the surface, and finally grew the courage to stoke the egg a bit.

At one point Nako told everybody to shift, but Misha wasn't about to move. Nobody could get her to go touch another egg, not when it had cost her so much bravery to touch this one.

Darengon's dark features stood out on his pale shin, which shone in the sunlight, and he shifted more than once in discomfort of the bright light. His dark colors, as was customary, were uncomfortable, as was also customary. He'd pushed the sleeves of his long-armed tunic up to his elbows, and tugged on the waistband of his pants uncomfortably. But, when it was finally time for him to bow-- having listened intently to Nako's instructions-- he stepped forward confidently and gracefully. He observed Alesia as if from afar, but the dragoness he stared at intently, wondering at the lack of pupil, the many facets, of her eyes. He didn't turn his head down as he bowed, but kept his gaze on her, and when he rose, he looked back at Alesia. He wanted her approval, but it mattered less than the Gold's-- after all, this wasn't exactly Alesia's clutch.

Darengon's first stop was the Undefeated Warrior egg, and this he remained caressing for some time. The marred grey hue fascinated him, and he spent his time attempting to puzzle out the random pattern. Finally, though, he moved on and stopped at the Blue and Pink Cotton Candy egg, which brought an uncharacteristic smile to his face. This one he focused on until Nako's voice fell upon his ears, and he stood, rather irritated at the authority reasserting itself, although his expression was entirely harmonious.

Finally he stopped at the You Are My World egg. It was a healthy size, which he appreciated, and gently ran his fingers along the browns of the surface, trying to trace out a pattern once more.


~*~*~

Roaland smugly watched the eggs from afar, even as the line progressed forward. Just a few candidates behind, Selena stood, practically eminating loathing-- at the candidates, and the brak in their routine, and (most of all) the sun, whichw as doing its best to mar her most beautiful feature (in her opinion), her skin. The boy hungrily feasted his eyes on the orbs, until he found himself before the Weyrwoman and Queen. He bowed deeply and smiled rogueishly to the Weywoman, before ambling over to the eggs. Just as he approached the Industrial Future egg, he was overtaken by the blond, who had completed her bows and such with the minimum of required flourishes.

Roaland ran his hand along the eggshell. "So, you think you'll Impress this time around?"

Selena shrugged vaguely. "I could care less, really, you know. It's not like I desperately want to. It's just another hatching."

Roaland waggled a finger at her. "It's not really, though. Each of these eggs is special, just like each of the eggs of all the previous clutches was. They just weren't right for you."

Selena's mouth set into a firm line. "Well, let's just say that there's no point in getting your hopes up. That way, when you don't Impress, it's not too much of a letdown."

Roaland smiled wistfully. "But won't it be so great when you do?"

"Maybe when you do." Selena was icy. "It'll be hard work for me, actually."

Roaland was a little taken aback, and as she rose, Nako reminded them to keep moving around, so he followed her to the Lacklucter Emo egg. "I wasn't implying that it'd be all fun and games."

"No?"

"I just think it'll be worth it. All the waiting, I mean. And the transferring."

"Why are you following me?"

"Just having a conversation with a lovely candidate."

Selena flushed, but stuck her jaw out stubbornly. "Well, we'll see come hatching who's still a candidate, won't we."

In spite of himself, Amadak flushed when the attention of both Alesia and Iolath fixed on him. It didn't help that, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed another of the boys - a pale lad with dark features - hovering covetously over two of the eggs he had so favored. He forced himself to look away and concentrate on the question that had driven him to approach the Weyrleaders.

"I-I'm sorry to interrupt, Weyrwoman." He bowed to her, grimacing at his little nervous stammer. By the time he'd risen again, he had mastered himself. The sands were hot, which made his brown hair mat and spike in front, but that didn't matter. Amadak was gripped once again by his fervent love of dragons, and along with that, his concern for the well-being of this new Weyr he now called home. "But do you think that queens know what is needed of them?" He half-turned toward Iolath, inclining his head toward the queen, who still studied him with her eyes whirling idly, and indicating the clutch with a sweeping gesture. "I mean, because this is Kharasi's first clutch, is it possible that Iolath will have instinctively lain more eggs of the color that's needed most? Like--" here, he almost stumbled and said bronzes, but caught himself in time. "--Greens, who are so useful against Thread? Please forgive me asking such a stupid question." He gave Alesia and L'gan an embarrassed smile, for Amadak suddenly felt as if he was woefully out of his depth. "I'm just finding that now, as a Candidate instead of an outsider, I haven't thought through nearly as many things about dragons as I thought I knew." Then he shut up, figuring he'd done enough damage.

Aeryn was a little surprised when a pale-faced, shy-looking girl came straight over to the egg she was examining and began to look it over, for all of Pern as if Aeryn did not exist. Well, that was what she always wanted, right? Giving herself a little shake, she stood and backed away from the Hide My Pretty Face Egg. Not a moment too soon, either. Nako's voice cut across the murmurs and whispers of the Candidates, reminding them to look at other eggs.

Obediently, Aeryn moved to the next egg she came to. This was the Blank Canvas Egg. She didn't touch it, just slid her eyes over the pale, almost-invisible cream mottling on the shell. Once again, she found herself slipping into a comparison with what she fancied the egg to be like. This egg gave no hint of what was truly inside, just like Aeryn herself. She was starting to believe, for the first time in her life, that she had some worth and that she stood a chance of making her own way without depending on the approval of her family. But she didn't show any of that; she was too good at hiding.

***

Jalderyk watched Zaela's every move with interest. He paid scant attention to Nako's warning not to hog the eggs; after all, isn't that what he was doing? "What did you feel?" he asked Zaela quietly. Then he held up his hand. "Wait, don't answer yet. There was something I was thinking about while I was...er...yeah. With my egg." He coughed. "Anyway, you know how you said you wanted to get married and start a family? Well ... these eggs all have babies in them. And they'll be totally dependent on whichever person they Impress. And, well, there's no real reason, is there, why dragonriders can't marry? I'm sure I've heard a ballad or two where a dragon, even a green dragon, refused to be flown by any male other than her rider's mate's dragon." He nudged her with his elbow. "See what I'm getting at? The future's not set. What matters is right now. Not what happened, or didn't happen, that you might regret, or not. But the choices you make now and how you deal with that."

Jalderyk patted the surface of the Industrial Future Egg, very gently. "These little guys are all potential. Just like life." He shook his head and laughed a little at himself. "Listen to me. I should have been one of those philosopher shepherds, roaming the hills with my sheep and spouting wisdom to wayward travelers. And all because I wanted to cheer you up! You sure bring out an interesting side of me."

Alesia's more gentle expression twisted up into an amused grin.. hopefully not too condescending as her grins tended to look. "Well, she obviously didn't know her duty too well. There isn't a gold on the sands." The flashing red of Iolath's eye shone brightly, and Alesia Took a step toward the queen to touch her flank, her face reflecting emotions of reassurance and love. Quickly though, she composed herself. It was so funny, how he had asked the question, stalling, and his lips barely forming a consonant with his lips, and Alesia knew probably what this lad preferred.

"Honestly, other than having more eggs during a Pass, and.. normally laying more queens when there are few in the Weyr... but this is her first clutch, she'll surely lay golds when the need arises.." She seemed like she was talking to herself a moment, stroking Iolath's shoulder absently before continuing. "But.. other than that, we honestly don't know."

They will all be strong. Iolath told both Alesia and Aeryn with deep passion in her mindvoice, crooning gently as she reached out to roll over You Are My World Egg and reached out with her tail to roll My Puppy Patches Egg, rumbling apologetically to those at the eggs and giving her rider an apologetic look at having given a few of them near heart attacks.

"Nothing wrong with outsiders, lad. It brings new blood in, and new ideas.. Though I admit you'll find that some ideas are moot point in a Weyr." She added the last part cryptically, but ended it in such a way that beckoned it not to be pursued. "But, you asked about greens, but you're not after a green, boy... and don't act as if you've been outed! If we didn't have ambitious people, then we probably wouldn't have dragonriders at all... and not very many good bronzeriders at that." She was getting into her speech now, a wild grin forming on her expression. She jerked a thumb towards Iolath. "I actually wanted to Impress a threadfighting, firebreathing green, at first, but I still -touched- that gold egg... Ambition, my friend. It's not what brings you down, it's what moves you forward." Though her words sounded greedy, she actually almost choked up right at that moment, and Iolath brought her head towards her rider as much as to acknowledge their deep bond as to hide Alesia's face as she composed herself.

Ugh, embarrassing, to say the least. It took Alesia only moments to get herself together, and Iolath drew back, but only slightly. "Have I alleviated your fears, lad?"

(Ew. Well, I guess I was always good at being a drama llama XD))

-------------

Zaela stood there, listening idly as he spouted out reassurances to her. She took heed of what he said, and even some of it to heart, and blushed a bit at her own musings from time to time. It was then, that she'd say rather bluntly. "Sleeping with strange men isn't what really.. bothers me. I'd have my duty to my husband, which probably wouldn't even by my choice" The fact that these words were coming out of her mouth horrified her beyond anything. Saying this... to a man(albeit a young one)! But, he wasn't just a man, but a friend.

Then, she smiled, reaching out and touching his forearm with a meaning of thankfulness that she couldn't put into words. "I won't lie. This scares me; it's completely what I hadn't expected, and what I had given up on. I will see it as my duty to go through with it. Besides, I know once it's over with, I won't regret it." She gestured to the Weyrwoman, who was, for some reason, overcome with emotion and enjoying the closeness of her dragon. Zaela paused, watching the pair with a sort of fascination. During that, her hand had actually crept back onto the shell. "I'm just afraid that if.. I totally commit to wanting to Impress, then I won't. It would be rotten luck." Another person had approached the egg.. actually two people but they were so engaged in conversation they hardly payed her any mind. She frowned, watching their hands casually touch the eggs, as if this was not a solemn moment at all. They didn't stay long though, and moved on to another. "You think they've been to hatchings before, and just haven't Impressed? That happens sometimes, you know."

(( When you are finished in this role play, feel free to just make a post that they are done looking at the eggs and go stand to the side. That way, you can free up your character to do role playing elsewhere. Those engaged with other characters should feel free to continue rping. =) I've gotten nearly half of the dragons written up already, so I'm just waiting for another day off or some time where I'm not exhausted (I slept today after work) to finish them up. =D ))

Olly stood up from the egg she had been stroking, marveling at how much time must have passed. She had visited at least four eggs, but it had seemed like she had spent so little time at each. She had enjoyed the feeling of the rough, mottled shells beneath her fingertips, and she fancied that each time she stroked the eggs, they had murmured back to her. It was just a thought, but it was a nice one.

Her head started to whirl--she guessed it was because she had stood up rather quickly, and also because it was unbelievably hot in the cavern--and she wandered over to the side of the sands, where some Candidates had already begun to wait for their fellows to finish. Olly leaned against the wall, brushing sand from her skirt and fixing her hair which had become messy with sweat. Olly of some months ago might have been distraught beyond belief to discover that she'd looked less than perfect for a few minutes in front of her peers, but Olly of the here and now was much less concerned with her appearance and more focused on wondering when she'd be back in the Hatching Grounds again. It was an odd feeling, one that the girl wasn't used to at all, but at the same time she felt a little inkling of pride at the change.

***

Summer followed Olly from the sands, looking back over his shoulder at the Endless Threadfall Egg. Its appearance had intrigued him the most, and he regretted not being able to spend more time with it. He vowed to come back if he could to visit the eggs again... with Iolath and Alesia's permission, of course.

He bowed once more to the gold dragon and her rider as he made his way towards one side of the cavern. He hoped that his behavior today had been acceptable, if not pleasing, to the mother of the eggs, and he wondered if he saw the way he had handled the eggs with the utmost caution and respect. Summer cast one last look at the eggs before taking a seat on one of the benches and losing himself in deep thought.

He had come to Kharasi Weyr in hopes of Impressing a dragon and starting a new life as a dragonrider. He didn't think he could bear returning to the Harper Hall if he failed to Impress, because there was nothing left for him there. Returning to the Hall meant that he had failed as both a Harper and a dragonrider, and if he couldn't fulfill either of those dreams, what else could he do?

Summer struck his knee with his palm in determination, startling the Candidate next to him. He would do whatever he could to increase his chances of Impression. He wanted nothing more than to join the riders of Kharasi Weyr in Threadfall, acting out the brave deeds that he had only sung of before. Maybe there would be ballads about him and his dragon, Summer mused, smiling at the thought. Maybe...

Crys had pulled her hand back, only to be told once more to move along, to find another egg to touch. A small smile graced her lips as she shrugged her shoulders, stroking the egg once more.
"Bye..." The fare well was whispered once to the Cheap Imitation Egg before she moved off. Eyes wide at the amount of candidates in the caverns, she didn't know what to do, not right now. She didn't even know what egg she wanted to touch now. Slowly, her footsteps went randomly about the sands, until she knelt before the Pink and Blue Cotton Candy Egg. Her palm gently touched the smooth surface, tracing patterns on the shell.

Acacia jumped at Nako's voice, reluctantly removing her hand from the surface of the shell. She didn't want to leave this egg, but she had to, that was annoying. Slowly, she moved over to the Blank Canvas Egg, there was just somethign about it, maybe it was just the plainess of it, or the position. Either way, Acacia moved over to it, seeing no harm in scooting around the others in order to get to the egg she wanted to touch. The presence of the Weyrwoman wasn't bothering the normally shy girl, too entranced in the eggs, the feel of the warmth beneath her palms.

Del wouldn't have moved if not for the order that he touch others, slowly, after saying a fare well, he pulled his hand back. There were so many eggs, who cared if there was no Queen? Iolath had lain a magnificent clutch, and one that she should be proud of. Which egg next? Wandering about the eggs, Del wasn't sure which one he'd like to look at closer, until he passed the Average Joe Egg. Perhaps it was the fact that it was average and nothing out of the ordinary that drew his hand closer.

Tracey didn't want to move, of curse she didn't. Even so, she did. Pulling away from the egg she'd been Touching and casting a glance around the cavern. It took her a moment, before she decided on the Demure Pocketful Egg, running her hand over the shell gently. Another green. Or perhaps a blue.

Amadak withstood Alesia's first gentle reprimand staunchly. Not difficult to keep his face composed, because the Weyrwoman took her attention off him to placate Iolath. Amadak was certain she was reassuring her queen that she meant her no criticism for the lack of a gold egg. Nope, he thought with the barest flicker of a wry grin. The criticism was for me, dear Iolath. I think your rider can read minds. Or at least intent.

He did jump, just a little, when Iolath's voice replied inside his head. A fiery yet dignified voice, fierce with passion and love, and all female. Amadak's mouth gaped open for a split second before he remembered to control himself. He'd never heard a dragon speak, and the power of that ringing mental voice shook him. But a bronze rider's son should be made of sterner stuff. He noticed Iolath's concern about the You Are My World Egg and his heart soared. Maybe it was because he'd taken a liking to that egg. Whatever the reason, it gave him a boost of courage.

Which he needed after Alesia's final incisive remark and question. Note to self, thought Amadak, torn between shame at being so easily read and respect for this woman's insight, Don't go so brazenly up to the Weyrwoman without a better plan. Alesia's voice sounded strange, but Iolath chose that moment to duck her huge head at her rider, so Amadak was unable to read her expression.

Thinking fleetingly, you only live once, Amadak decided he was already committed to looking the fool and might as well go all the way. So he grinned impudently, hiding his abashedness at being found out. "Actually, between you reading my mind and Iolath speaking into it, you scared me a lot more than I was just coming over here to ask, Weyrwoman." He bowed without a hint of mockery; she had done more to earn his respect in a handful of seconds than anyone he'd ever known. Now the problem would be earning hers. Boldly, he met Alesia's eyes. "And yeah - I do hope to Impress a bronze. But..." Here Amadak shook his head. There were too many reasons why he wanted a bronze dragon, and too many years of waiting and yearning, patience and fears, to put into a few short words so that someone else would understand.

Instead, to cover his confusion, he bowed again; a sweeping bow to include the Weyrleader and Iolath as well as Alesia. "Thank you," he said, and backed away before he made a further idiot of himself. Alesia's word of "ambition" warred with his aunt's favorite word whenever the subject of dragonriders came up: "selfish." Also, she'd said something cryptic about new ideas not being favored at Kharasi. His head was too full of thoughts; he needed time alone to sort through the confused jumble and find answers. So rather than go back amongst the eggs, Amadak retreated to a niche in the Cavern wall, his mind buzzing with new thoughts and old conflicts.

Jalderyk was so busy feeling awkward about Zaela's candid speech about sex that he almost didn't notice the other two Candidates approach the egg they were standing beside. He understood what she meant about duty, and about being afraid, even if his sentiments about Impression were somewhat different. He nodded at that, letting her speak, and appreciated her gentle touch as the wordless gesture of friendship and thanks she meant it to be.

He couldn't help overhearing the verbal sparring between the other pair, although he averted his eyes from them so as not to be caught staring. At Zaela's question, he frowned thoughtfully. "You're probably right, Zaela. I don't really know; this is all new to me. But not for you." He gave her an uncertain smile. "There is something odd about them, isn't there? Sort of--I don't know. Distant." He waved his arm, unable to come up with the word he wanted. "Cold? Like they don't care that they're here."

He looked sideways at her. "Have you seen a Hatching before, and seen people like that? I can't understand it...In here, with all these eggs, it's hard to detach yourself from what's going on." He emphasized the last two words, again unable to express exactly what he meant. So he spread his arms and looked round at the whole cavern: Iolath, sorting her eggs with care; the Weyrwoman, holding a conversation with one of the Candidates while the Weyrleader looked on; the Candidates amongst the eggs, whispering, looking, touching; the fierce dry heat of the Sands; the eggs themselves, quiescent and hard and holding so much silent promise. "This whole place is just filled with potential. It's like lambing in the spring, only there's even more anticipation. You can't help but feel it." And his eyes strayed to his favorite, the Wispy Cloud Egg, one more time before he looked back at Zaela.

Aeryn had seen her fill. One of the eggs she had liked very much, but it seemed to be a popular one amongst the girl Candidates. She had never heard of a dragon bonding with its rider while it was still in the egg, so she decided it was best not to get too attached, lest she suffer too great a disappointment if the dragonet inside did not choose her.

Shaking her tail of white-gold hair back over her shoulder, Aeryn walked away from the clutch to wait for Nako to summon them back to their chores. She found a relatively unoccupied space along the wall, and only then did she realize she'd come to the egg touching with her hands still black and filthy with firestone dust. Blushing, she snatched her hands behind her back and hoped no one had noticed, and that she hadn't left any smudges on the eggs.

There was a tall, handsome lad standing to her left, his face expressionless but clearly lost in thought. The old Aeryn would have glanced just as quickly away, but the new Aeryn found herself turning fully toward him. He looked a lot older than she was--at least seventeen--and that made it easier. She probably wouldn't have dared speak to him if he looked closer to her own age.

"Did you like any of the eggs?"

It took Amadak a moment to realize someone was talking to him. The someone was a slight little thing with enormous, odd-colored eyes and the lightest hair color he'd ever seen. He didn't really want to be bothered, but again, the Hatching Cavern was not the best place in which to pursue all the ideas whirling around in his brain. So he looked down at Aeryn, and said solemnly, "There were one or two. What did you fancy?"

A little startled that he'd actually answered her, Aeryn swallowed nervously. "Oh--I don't know. None really, I guess. Or all of them." She lied instinctively, covering up her true desires, just as she would from her brothers.

But the boy divined her words. "Oh come on. Which one? At least admit it to yourself. Someone really smart once told me that ambition doesn't hold you back, it moves you forward." Amadak grinned to hear himself repeat it, but he'd never quite viewed the world from that angle, and he found himself liking it.

"Well," said Aeryn, "I did like one...it had a big splotch on it but underneath it was so pretty. But a lot of girls seemed to like it." She shook her head, a tiny gesture of despair.

"Hey. Don't show it, okay? What's your name?"

"Aeryn." She swallowed.

"I'm Amadak. Let me give you some advice for Hatching Day. Whatever happens will happen. Don't show it if you're upset; be brave and strong and optimistic. The dragonets will look for Candidates whose minds are open and shining. At least," he frowned, "That's what some of my friends who Impressed told me. And I'm sure they're right."

She lifted her chin. "So do you think if I want the dragonet in that egg bad enough, it will want me too?"

Amadak's frown deepened, and he shook his head. "It's too hard to say. The dragon chooses the rider, no matter what the rider wants."

The chin quivered. "I want to be a dragonrider so badly." Hardly more than a whisper. Amadak knew exactly how she felt. This girl's words were his soul, the things he felt but could never say.

"You will be," he told her with conviction, and smiled.

With how awkward Jalderyk looked when she mentioned a more sensitive topic, she immediately regretted it, but was glad that he would keep talking and not run off, thinking her a flimsy wench to have said something so candid.

Still though, she smiled at his analogy. She very much liked lambs. They were terribly cute, and was probably one of the few creatures that she wasn't terrified of. Then again, baby animals typically were cute. Were dragons also adorable, miniature versions of what they would become?

"No, I've never seen a hatching." She admitted, allowing her fingers to graze across the shell of Industrial Future Egg once more before backing away from it. "But I do think you are right. You have to be jaded to think nothing of it. Me? I'm terrified!" She couldn't help but give a laugh at that. "Well, it seems that Nako is getting anxious, so I guess that we should go ahead and join the others.." And indeed only a few stragglers were still lingering around the eggs. Most others were waiting impatiently on the sidelines where the sands, though minutely cooler, were still uncomfortable to the feet. Smiling, she gestured that he should follow as well, hoping the awkwardness had been washed away. Privately, she vowed to avoid bringing up such things again. True it was a Weyr, but they weren't all dragonriders yet, and she had to remind herself that Jalderyk was indeed younger than her.

------------------


Alesia, once able, looked at the lad again. He looked greatly flayed to the bone by her lashing tongue, guises and composure torn away to reveal a lad who desperately wanted to Impress, and one who didn't want to be afraid of the situation. She half expected the lad to crumble, and was pleasantly surprised when he instead responded to her, and though it might have been in her minds eye, she thought she might have seen a new fire within him. Read his mind, eh? The Weyrwoman couldn't help but gloat, but instead of flaying him further she merely stood tall and grinned widely as he confessed what he wanted. It was good to want a bronze. It might open him up the opportunity, but even then she knew that it wouldn't stop him from Impressing another color. No matter, because no dragonrider hated their dragon. He would not regret Impressing a brown if that was what the dragon wished. Still, the Weyrwoman couldn't help but hope he'd land on at -least- a brown. They needed bright, able lads on bronzes and browns.

He bowed and left them, and Alesia hoped that the encounter would very much do him some good. She felt in her heart that it probably had. Once out of sight, Alesia tugged L'gan's arm, her grin wild and excited. "Oh, I do believe the search riders have done their part! Plenty of good lads for those dragons!" Iolath too rumbled, showing she approved. Not just of that lad, either. Iolath, did you...?

I say what I need to say, when it needs to be said and who it needs to be said to.

Eonki and Marowa trailed Nirva cautiosly as the girl wove excitedly through the eggs. The young girl threaded her way throught the eggs, brushing each one as she passed with the tips of her fingers and humming gleefully; ocasionally taking a swift spin around an egg, her fingers poised on its upper axis, before whirling away again. Marowa, in contrast, seemed undecided about proper "Egg" protocal: She would extend her hand toward an egg, then snatch it back as though burnt just before contact. Eonki raised a querying eyebrow, but the girl lowered her head and refused to explain.

How could she explain? She wanted to make a good impression in front of Eonki, she wanted to find the "right" egg and spend quality time with it... But everytime she reached out her hand the thought crossed her mind "What if this isn't it?" What if she was touching someone else's dragon?!! It felt... dirty was the best way to put it. Touching an unborn dragon was near enough to touching a hatched one, and she would never touch someone's dragon without invitation or permission. And Nirva... The girl was currently staring into the dark rectangular "window" of an egg, as though trying to peer inside to the dracling curled within. It seemed... Irreverent, to her. The girl chose that moment to look up, caught her looking, and beemed in response. She scrambled to her feet and jogged over, both arms extended to brush several eggs as she approached.

"Hey!" she said merrily. "I think I've touched them all at least once by now... Some of them even twice, or three times! Oh, I can't decide on a favorite... Maybe I'll have to make another pass... How many have you touched Marowa?"

"None of your business," the older girl snapped crossing her arms. "Shards Nirva, don't you ever stop goofing off?" She stalked away, flopping indeterminantly before an egg that squated amidst the others. She cradled her facce in her hands. What was wrong with her? It seemed like she was always going off on somebody for something... She needed to just learn to let things go... To relax for once in a blue moon. She glanced up at the egg before her, then lazily traced a fingertip across the mottled egg in front of her. It was warm, but not uncomfortably so... The shell was monochromatic, almost layed-looking, with soft gray and harsh black tones thrust madly against a harsh white. A small smile filtted across her lips, and she tugged at her ebony hair absently. Next to the stark tones of the egg, the red tones in her hair glowed dimly. She let the strand fall, and used the tip of her index finger to trace the jagged line on the shell. She had a moments brief hesitation: What about this egg's rider? She gritted her teeth, then placed the flat of her palm on the egg. She had as much of a right to be here as anyone else. What if she did Impress? Odds were someone, probably many people, would have touched her egg. It didn't make any sense to get upset about it, no one knew their dragon until it hatched! She continued to stroke the egg, taking some of its warth for her own and using her hands to warm it in turn.

"Did I say something wrong?" Nirva asked, tugging at her brother's sleeve. He shook his head and kissed her forehead, resuming his walk through the eggs. He knew Marowa would find balance somehow, whether through Impression or just a part of growing up. He brushed his palm over a few eggs, marveling over the variations in texture, hue, height, and girth. One of the eggs, a metalic gray which appeared to be scrawled in strange symbols, caught his attention. It looked like... armor? Huh... He raised his eyebrows. Armor... fascinating. He moved on. The next egg appeared to be covered in Thread, so convincingly he almost gasped. He placed his hand on its comforting warmth, feeling the heat seep down to his toes. He patted the egg affectionately. He liked it. This egg took everything riders were taught to loathe and mocked it, ensconcing itself in a facade of Thread as though daring it to come in after it. Bold, for a youngling. Though who could tell, really, how much an egg said about its occupant.

In fact, it seemed to Eonki that it said more about the Candidates: Certain eggs held specific fascination for individuals, but did the calcified exterior really reflect any aspect of its occupant? Maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophesy... Maybe, depending on the shell, Candidates made certain assumptions about a dracling. Perhaps the unborn dragons were sensitive to the thoughts of those that touched them, and if sent specific thoughts could be impacted. Could it be that thinking at an unborn dragon it was destined to be cuddly, or dramatic, or even antisocial would have the same effect as telling a child it was smart, or dumb, or strange repetitively? His thoughts swimming, Eonki placed both hands on the egg's shell and sent with all his might: ~Be strong, little one. Grow big, and fight Thread to the best of your strength. Be brave, as so many dragons before you have been that you might have a safe place to be born into~

He felt nothing. No reply, or even a special "tingle" to let him know his message had gotten through. Still, it felt good to have tried at least. He turned to gather Marowa and Nirva... And burst out laughing.

Little Nirva had run herself ragged in her egg-touching orgy, and had collapsed in exhaustion. She was sprawled out in the sand, her back resting against a klah-brown egg. Over her shoulder, phantom eyes and a smile peered down at her, vaguely resembling a child's stuffed toy. The smile seemed both playful... and protective. Almost as though the egg were watching over the sleeping girl... Eonki dismissed his thoughts with a quick head shake, and bent, gathering the girl into his arms. She woke briefly, peering wide-eyed into his face before twining her arms around his neck and drifting off again. He sighed, but smiled, taking one of Marowa's hands to help her to her feet. The girl looked dazed, probably sharing some of the egg-thrall the other candidates seemed to be experiancing. But why was she blushing...? He escorted the two girls back to the barracks, wondering what strange dreams his sister was having...

(I'm rather belatedly officially closing this. I've gotten enough out of this session to tell me a great deal about how to make my decisions =) Good luck everyone!)