Reky
Alphahandler
rekyct[M:-999]
SO PRO
Posts: 1,554
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Post by Reky on Aug 19, 2013 19:22:04 GMT -5
(ooc: This hatching will be violent and, my writing skills permitting, mildly graphic. You have been warned! In addition, it is likely that this hatching will consist of several posts from me without Impressions, with most or all of the Impressions in the last post.)
Spring had since shaken off the rest of winter and became a season all its own. Rukbat held some strength now, but still rose late and set early. The swings of sun-then-storm became regular; heavy coats were exchanged for lighter ones; and with the buzz of the Gather at Western Hold still warming their hearts, Dalibor nearly had an atmosphere of summer, except for the dark and rainy nights.
Audren had not attended the gather. She had attended, rather, to a nesting red, bringing her meat in the dark and making sure the unassuming and young were kept away. The wher candidates had been given but a single showing, of Ausk's mountainous body and her five black eggs in the dim glowlight. Cilia and Cilisk would have been offered a peek, as the sires, but aside from that, the clutch remained a mystery, hidden in the shadows.
On the fateful night of the hatching, it rained. The red and her clutch were tucked away in the recesses of the cavern where sunlight never hit, and so the rain could not reach her, but the humidity crept in regardless. It was a quiet night; the rain was light and tame, muffling everything with its soft pattering. Audren liked the smell of the rain on the Caverns, and walked about the larger, vaulted section for the dragons. She was its only occupant, and it gave her time to think and breathe while keeping close enough to Ausk.
Eggs hatch, the red noted calmly. At first, the quiet had been welcome to Audren, but all of a sudden it made her uneasy. It was too quiet.
Are you sure? Audren asked. Briskly, she strode back to peer in at the dark nest. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous; this was Ausk's third clutch at Dalibor. She had done this before.
Eggs hatch, Ausk repeated, but Audren didn't see anything. The eggs were completely still, just as they had been the whole time they sat on the sand. It was possible that it was too dark even for Audren's eyes, but she doubted it. The eggs weren't moving.
Ausk--
Eggs hatch, a third time, more firmly now. Ausk's eyes flashed in the darkness.
Silently, Audren nodded. She moved away, now, and into the cooler, damper hallway out of the cavern. She could feel that Ausk didn't want to bespeak the Weyr; she did not want a big audience. But the candidates needed to be there, or the hatchlings would go wild, so Audren ran through the rain to the candidate's barracks. She did not know which rooms her wher candidates were in, so she banged on each room in turn. "Wher candidates to the sands! The eggs are hatching," she called. Urgently, she called it to the wherhandlers' barracks as well, and hurried back to Ausk.
It was so dark and silent that even her heavy breathing felt like it was thunder. She strained her eyes to see to the eggs again, and Ausk rumbled deep in her chest. Had one of the eggs hatched already? Was the darkness a hole or a shell? There was no hatchling to be seen, though. A dud? She pressed at Ausk's mind for an answer but recieved none. There was only the soft hush of the rain from outside. [/blockquote]
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Cathaline
Lady Holder
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Aug 19, 2013 19:32:54 GMT -5
There were young growing in Kalesk's belly tonight, some two months from their own birth. Kalenna was grateful the hatching had come after the run, as Kalesk was more than usually belligerent while her hide was glowing; as it was, the gold, with grace and modesty, uncurled herself to go see to the new children joining their Weyr. Kalenna moved with her; the atmosphere was oppressive, and the heat of the sands fair made her hair steam when they arrived, stepping out of the night storm.
Keeping to the edges, Kalesk prowled, though not as restless as she might have been - not as restless as she often was. She did not speak to Ausk. It was not her way, to offer congratulations and hopes for the future. Together they ruled this Weyr; they were both well aware of what a clutch meant. Kalenna took up a station near the feeding area, arms loosely crossed over her chest, ready to step in if her expertise was needed - though she felt it unlikely that it would be.
Newt vaulted out of bed the very instant he heard the call, and he was yelling, "Letorin, Letorin, the whers are hatching," well before he remembered that his roommate was only a dragon candidate. Oh, well - Newt didn't have the space in his excited mind to feel guilty about that, not now! He strapped his knife and its sheath to his ankle before stepping into his sandals and yanking his robe over his head, leaving his hair tousled and standing on end. It would wilt soon enough, with rain and humidity.
For the second time, he ran to Dalibor's sands, this time skidding on mud, though he didn't fall. For the second time he arrived with his glasses hopelessly fogged, streaked with droplets of rain. There wasn't a big enough dry space on his robes to clean them, though he tried, and he blinked through them at the clutch, his eyes adjusting easily to the dark. It did not occur to him that by wearing his unnecessary spectacles, he was actively making his vision worse under the circumstances; he was too thrilled, his heart all but bursting out of his chest. Would his wher finally be here? Would it?
"I'm honored to stand for your clutch," he gabbled in Ausk's direction, bowing low. Then he reached for the nearest candidate to give them an overexcited shake, and then he let go and tried not to vibrate too much. Or talk.
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lee
Wingrider
leect[M:190]
Posts: 322
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Post by lee on Aug 19, 2013 19:46:39 GMT -5
Sometimes you had to weigh your options.
In Braele's case the option to weigh was, literally, her weight. Which was to say, how much of it could she handle on her sprained ankle, and was it enough to risk Standing? The injury had been several sevendays past at this point, but any hindered mobility seemed like a rather larger risk than usual when it came to a wher hatching. To a red wher’s hatching. She debated, for a brief minute, a sip of fellis, and decided against it, not wishing to dull her responses. She had a nasty feeling wherlings could smell numbweed, and decided against it as well. Whatever wherlings looked for, weakness wasn’t on the list, and Braele didn’t care to test their interpretations. Her eyes had flown open to stare at the ceiling in momentary confusion, disoriented by the hour if not the dark. Mines were dark, and for a moment she had thought herself back in them, with the humid spring heat hanging heavy in the air mistaken for the stagnant cloud of underground. But no, it didn’t rain in the caves, and the voice calling her to waking was the Alphahandler’s, not a Masterminer. Awake quickly, she’d had sat up, ready to step from bed when a twinge had reminded her of her ankle.
Contemplating it with a frown, Braele decided at last to wrap it quickly and tightly, disguising the makeshift brace as a holder for her knife, which she strapped against it for further support. The injury was not so bad she couldn’t move quickly or efficiently, and pain was a temporary thing. Her eyes fell on the stone Wenth had offered to those who had failed to Impress, and after stroking it once, Braele pocketed it. She was going to face Ausk's children...she could use any luck the tan may have wished into the charm.
She arrived after Newt, rather soaked but determinedly presentable, hair in a braid twisted into a tight bun that left her face severely unhindered, leather sticky against her skin under the traditional tunic neatly tied at the belt. She had taken as much time as she dared on the trip over, preferring to be wet than to risk her ankle further. She needed it to be the best it could be under the circumstances, ready for the hatching that began in foreboding silence. Braele welcomed the quiet, and did not ignore the chill that touched her spine as she at last arrived, slipping in silent herself as she bowed, wary, to Ausk. "Thank you for the honor.” She spoke her piece, and then joined the quiet with a voice stored away until another time.
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Zephyr
Weyrling
zephct[M:150]
Posts: 300
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Post by Zephyr on Aug 19, 2013 21:45:59 GMT -5
Perfectly capable of sleeping right through the hatching, Adelaide was quite thankful for the sudden, if not painfully abrupt banging on her door. The call woke her up with a start, and the girl was left staring groggily into the dark, and she almost wondered if she’d imagined the entire thing. She was almost considering just ignoring it, as she wasn’t a wher candidate. But there comes a time when one just has to deal with the reality of things. She was nineteen years old. Soon, she wouldn’t be able to stand for dragon hatchings.
It was a good thing she volunteered to stand for these wher hatchings.
Getting out of bed at this time of night was actually an issue. But she forced herself up and out of bed, the black, empty room the only thing that greeted her. It didn’t take her long to throw on her candidate’s tunic, stark in the darkness. She put her hair up in a loose braid, took a look in the mirror at herself, and then slipped into the rain.
It might have been difficult for the chipper girl to get out of bed, but by the time he’d made it to the sands, not only was she thoroughly wet, but she was bouncy and endlessly pleased. The rain seemed to have washed away her fatigue. The girl was now ready for the hatching. She didn’t know any of her fellow candidates, as she hadn’t had the chance to meet any of the wher candidates, but she smiled at each of them cheerfuly, a new bounce in her step as she arrived soon after the first few candidates.
“Thank you for this opportunity. I am humbled.” She said to the massive red wher, dipping herself down into a bow before she went to go take her place. She blinked as she realized that she probably should have brought a knife. Wher candidates were required to bring a knife in case a wherlet was interested in bonding. She didn’t hold much hope for impressing anyway, not with so few eggs…and wher hatchings were supposed to be pretty violent anyway.
So who knew?
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Dragonwher
Weyrling
dract[M:215]
A wild Tomboy appears!
Posts: 214
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Post by Dragonwher on Aug 19, 2013 22:03:44 GMT -5
For once in his 16 turns of life; Randiel actually wasn't completely dead to the world. Insofar as it only took him one nosing by Aela to wake enough to hear Audren's call. Then he was rushing out of his sleeping clothes and into his Hatching attire. With a suggested addition under his Hatching robe; a sturdy leather 'training armor' type tunic his sister had gotten from home. Likely borrowed from their father at the Gather. But now, in nice clean trousers, his candidate robes with the leather padded training armor underneath and his boots. The boy went to head to the sands; thus prepared.
Only to stop, turn and look at his two flits and a pillie "Aela, take Farkas to where Asher is; don't between so Majere can follow". At her inquiring chirp Randiel opened the door "I know she's likely to try seeing this hatching. I don't want her to risk Malinoth's sanity or their connection". Finally Aela chirped in affirmation and landed on his shoulder long enough to headswipe him lovingly before calling Farkas to wing. As Randiel looked at Majere "follow Farkas and Aela Majere; do whatever you can to help".
At his questioning chitter Randiel rolled his eyes "magic her to the bed if you have to, just keep her in her room all of you". His pets thus informed of their orders, Aela set to flying low enough the pillie could see her as they moved. While Farkas flew a bit behind. As they reached their goal Randiel walked to the Sands, ignoring the rain aside from an occasional shake of his head. He idly wondered for a moment how poorly his sister would react; then steeled himself to enter what was currently Ausk's domain, carefully wiping rain-wet bangs out of his eyes. Though he politely waited till others had passed before lightly, for him; stepping in fully.
Like the others he too thought to bow "Thank you for the honor of standing before your Clutch Red Ausk". Then, with his face impassive he trod slowly and calmly to where the boys were likely to stand. He tried to keep relatively positive thoughts, but if the hatching his sister impressed at could get bloody then so could this. Well, bloodier than what he'd be expected to do with the small knife he'd started carrying waking and sleeping since Ausk had laid her eggs.
~~~
Meanwhile Mira was greeted by the sensation of more than her number of pets on her. Though she nearly had heart failure as she opened her eyes to see not Perrin astride her sternum. But a brown pillie. Who she almost didn't recognize until she saw Aela on one shoulder and Farkas on her other. She gave the trio a flat stare "Randiel put you up to this didn't he?". At Aela's affirmative chirp Mira would have facepalmed if the overzealous flits hadn't decided that was too much like a getting up motion and moving so they were both able to lay on her arms and grip her bed. Thusly restrained, the young Weyrling could do little beyond sigh and try to get comfy again.
Malinoth did little more than crack one eye open and chuckle before settling down to finish sleeping. Majere, unaware or uncaring that he'd nearly scared the shards outta Mira merely sat where he was stationed by Aela, antenna at the ready to magic his bonded's clutchsister to the bed...though he knew not what a bed was.
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Kiran
Weyrling
kiract[M:-125]
Posts: 614
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Post by Kiran on Aug 19, 2013 23:19:11 GMT -5
Jafari had been tossing and turning with anticipation of the hatching. Eggs were on the Sands. Wher eggs. Eggs that might have a wher for him, so that he could be a wherling like Saowyn.
Or, then again, there might not.
There were plenty of Candidates and not enough eggs for all of them. If this batch didn't have a wher for him, the next one might. Might. He hoped. Or did he? Because after all, if Saowyn graduated before he got a wher, then maybe he could simply quietly drop out of the program and... And... And what? What else did he have but this and some salvaging skills he had gained as a Holdless? He could be a drudge, Jafari supposed. That wouldn't be too bad or unusual. And then...
He snorted and rolled over, burying his head beneath the pillows. Useless thoughts and suppositions. And they were acidly interrupted by a wild pounding at his door and the announcement that the eggs were hatching. Nervousness coiled in his stomach as he leapt out of bed and got on his robes and sandals. A quick glance at the armor, but no. He had been to a wher hatching before. He had little fear of them. He only hoped that Saowyn would be there in the Stands, cheering him on.
Jafari noticed the other Candidates rushing for the Sands, hoping that they got there in time. They all hoped to get there in time. He hoped he got the in time as well, no different from the rest. He shivered as he stepped onto the hot sand. He should have been warmed by the temperwture, but instead as he stood there, the water dripping off of him, Jafari felt cold with anticipation and nervousness. He was glad he wasn't a dragon candidate, since there were far more of them, but at the same time it would have been comforting to have a large group of people around him for silent support. Not this dim, gloomy affair. And the place was quiet, and the eggs dark. It was... Frightening.
Waiting his turn, Jafari then stepped forward. "Thank you for this great honor." He gave a deep bow and made his way over to where the others stood, and fixed his eyes on the eggs, wondering what would happen next. ----------- Imber wasn't prepared for her rousing. Then again, few were prepared for a Hatching when it happened. Eggs didn't give much forewarning, unfortunately. She stumbled over to her chest and donned light armor, sliding her robes over them. She knew how dangerous wher Hatchings could be.
It was a terrible thing for her imagination, bringing up just one more way to die, but Imber had courted death for a long time. This didn't scare her much. Just gave her bloody thoughts when she let her mind wander. But soon enough it would be over and someone would hopefully have a wher. At least one had to survive, didn't it?
And a few Candidates had to survive as well. Hopefully she would be one of them. But if not, that was okay, too. Who did she have to live for? Herself. And if she died she would slip silently from this word without a whimper.
Imber stepped out into the rain and shivered, the coolness of it drawing out all the warmth she had from lying beneath her covers. Like the coldness that overtook you when your blood seeped from your body...
Shaking herself, she stepped forward, making her way to the Sands like the other Candidates. Her pillie was staying behind. The little one had no place at what was about to happen. She regretted the Impression, and hoped that if she died someone would take care of it in her stead.
The sands slid gently underneath her feet, and as the other a candidates took their places, she stepped forward. The eggs were black as night. Appropriate, for what they contained. "Thank you for this great honor, Red Ausk," she stated calmly, bowing to the subqueen. A the heat of the sands quickly dried her off, Imber took her place with the other girls and faced the darling eggs, vaguely curious about what would happen.
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Boo
Jr. Weyrwoman
booct[M:-425]
Shirath: THOSE aren't spirit fingers... THESE ARE SPIRIT FINGERS!!!
Posts: 1,917
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Post by Boo on Aug 20, 2013 2:00:33 GMT -5
As soon as the eggs had been laid, they’d made their long journey from Western Hold to Dalibor even Tareniss who was heavily pregnant with their sixth child. He had announced himself to the Weyr and taken up his new duties as candidate with as much dedication as he had offered to his Guard duties. Now, however, he was to fulfil his agreement with D’lios or he hoped. Honestly, Hulair wasn’t entirely sure about the whole thing but he was here now. This was to be his duty and all his children would be watching.
The former guard had been awake when the knock came on the door of his room although only because he’d had trouble sleeping. He had been concerned about his children coming to watch especially Nisair, not to mention his unborn child. If something were to go wrong… There would be consequences he did not like to think of for his children. For a 4 turn old, seeing violent hatchings could very well cause a lot of anguish. Hulen and Huress were also, of course, very young but strong enough. His girls didn’t worry him as much Talair having adopted her mother’s healing nature and craft whilst Turen was more interested in doing anything her father happened to be doing.
Hulair dressed in the robes he had been given. They stretched taut against his broad chest apparently having been made for a smaller potentially younger candidate at some time. His knife was sheathed at his side as he stepped out into the rain. It would be dark so hopefully if it was also bloody his children would not see.
He stepped into the warmth of the caverns and then bowed low but did not speak. He had not been bidden by Ausk to speak and he knew not to speak out of turn under the gaze of those ranked higher than he. Hulair took his place amongst the other candidates, standing straight-backed and proper. His position as a guard shown in his stance. The man’s eyes flicked up into the stands where his own personal cheer squad had assembled. The only one, he knew, who was worried was his wife. They almost hoped, the both of them, that he wouldn’t impress and that D’lios would call him back soon but at the same time… Impression would not only help him further his career but also give him unquestionable honour and prestige.
[/blockquote]
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Gray
Wingrider
grayct[M:-350]
Posts: 870
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Post by Gray on Aug 20, 2013 10:48:15 GMT -5
Lliira loved spring. There were baby animals, and rain, and the sun started to get nice and warm. She had been tending to her flock carefully. Letting first the boys out, then the girls. She had no intention of letting the whelp any time soon, not while they were all still acclimating. It had been a full turn, yet she was still 'acclimating'. Lliira was unsure if she'd ever be used to the hustle and bustle of the Weyr.
Still, that didn't plague her sleep tonight. No, tonight her mind was filled with the soothing sounds of rain, and the warmth of Kobold. What ever she dreamed of, it was peaceful. Well, it was until Okku trundled his way over and started tapping her cheek with his feelers. Instantly she awoke with a shriek and did her best to push, thrash, and roll the pillie away.
Esriii? Okku's muffled question came from under a newly formed pile of blankets. Lliira stared at the pile for a few moments, her knees drawn to her chest. “Okku.” She sighed, rubbing the heels of her palms against her temples. “How many times have I told you not to wake me like that?” Lliira would prefer if the pillie didn't wake her at all. Shrugging off the thinly woven material, Okku started gesturing wildly with his antennae. Esriii! Esriii!
Gingerly, Lliira picked him up, so the pillie could place his antennae against her forehead. Surpressing a sudder, she closed her eyes as quick snippets of color and images flashed through her head. Dark. Red. Black. Lots of little black lumps. More red. White. It didn't really make sense to her at first, but soon, Lliira put the pieces together. “Oh! A hatching!! The whers, right?” The large pillie in her hands just stared at her. Esriii.
Setting him down, Lliira frantically started to dress, pulling on her clothes from the previous day. They smelled really sheep-y, and they were still damp in some places, but they were right there. “Kobold, heel.” The canine, who had fallen to the floor with a few furs, stretched and stood up. The canine didn't know what transpired, but they were going on a nighttime adventure! Tail wagging, he bound over to his owner's side and nudged her. Okku followed behind, watching the rear for any items he may have not named yet.
Pulling up the hood of her Tunic, Lliira peered through the rain. “We're going to cheer on Jafari, ok guys? These are going to be whers, so It might be a little scary.” She stumbled a bit as she spoke, but Kobold was there to steady her when needed. Soon enough, they made it to the hatching sands with out any real major incidents, and only a bare minimum of mud. Taking a seat, she kept her eyes peeled for Jafari, and waved when she spotted him.
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Chimera
Weyrling
chimct[M:-380]
:o
Posts: 592
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Post by Chimera on Aug 20, 2013 13:03:58 GMT -5
Jafari broke him.
Well, not physically, else Lirmox would be tossing and turning in the Infirmary right now rather than the tiny cot he'd been sleeping on for what, almost a Turn now. Maybe it would have been better if he'd gotten a broken bone or something, as opposed to having his entire negotiator complex broken down, leaving him with guilt and shame instead. He was selfish, pretty bad in fact at socializing (hence the few friends he had compared to the taller Candidate).
Suddenly there came a tapping.
As of...the Alphahandler (judging by what the voice spoke) not-so-gently rapping, rapping at Lirmox's room's door. And it was raining, raining outside, a fact which was alleviated by the thought of the Sands' heat, which would quickly dry him off anyways.
Lirmox threw his leather armor on himself, then his Candidate robes, and slipped his feet into his sandals.
And he was running, running to a hatching which would be more likely to end his life than start a new period of it. A hopeless hopeful, indeed.
He avoided even glimpsing at damned Jafari as he entered the Sands, bowing silently to Ausk before taking his place, not daring to slouch as he waited for the action to begin.
***
"Blugh blergh."
She wiped off the drool that had collected in the corner of her lip with a hand tingly from being lied on while she slept.
She wondered why she was up.
And did not go back to sleep.
Ausk's eggs were hatching.
It was past curfew for Dardranel the dragon Candidate, but L'xon's angry mention a while back that she could've been killed had she snuck into the Sands later got her curious about what a wher Hatching was like.
Plus, she had the excuse she was going to see her dual Candidate roommate, Garna!
Unfortunately the redheaded girl did not realize it was raining until she was running outside, but by that point she was closer to the Sands anyways. She slipped quietly into the Stands, sitting down and trying to make herself look as unnoticeable as could be.
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lee
Wingrider
leect[M:190]
Posts: 322
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Post by lee on Aug 20, 2013 13:53:42 GMT -5
ooc: medical issues referenced!
He had followed the meat.
Joshu hadn’t been at the Weyr long, abandoning the outdoor home shared with his siblings reluctantly, and the scant turns he had spent living in a hold had been a long, long time ago. Stone caverns and ceilings were foreign and unfamiliar, uncomfortable and unwelcoming. There was no air, no breeze, no kiss of stars to brighten the dark nor whisper of grass against a cheek. There was nothing green at all, which brought memories of long ago, when he came up only to his father’s knees, and they too, were not entirely comfortable, hazy in the way of dreams blurred with a child’s mind. But he might have slept, despite it, except it had rained.
Weather had a way of making his leg—or rather, where his brain imagined a leg to be, for the wasn’t one any longer, beneath the knotted trouser leg under his left knee—ache. It was handy, at times, for it ached like fire when the skies filled with thread and while they were careful, always careful, the extra reminder wasn’t dismissed. But when it rained, it ached like a slow twist neither numbweed nor fellis could dull.
So the former holdless man had found himself in the Kitchens.
If there was an aspect of Weyrlife he adored, it was the kitchens. Real kitchens. Wheat that had been allowed to ripen instead of filched and wild and still green. Flour that wasn’t mealy, and cream, real cream turned until it was sweet from the herdbeasts that munched grass. He felt uneasy in the Weyr, but in the kitchen he felt welcomed. So when the ache had pulled him from sleep he had found himself there, mixing ingredients he felt guilty still about filching, kneading and turning them into dough. It would be a dark bread, thick with nuts and fruit and honeyed warmth, and he had set it to rise when he had noticed sleep-blurred drudges loading buckets with meat, and leaving.
With nothing left to do with his dough but wait, Joshu had been suspicious.
With all the rumors pinning the holdless to poisoned meat, seeing gobs of it leaving the kitchen in the middle of the night set off wailing cries of alarm in his mind. So he had followed, the cane he rarely used in his hand this night as he followed the drudge’s progress through the rain. He arrived at the Hatching Sands, steady on his makeshift prosthetic despite the slippery damp, blinking in the dim glowlight and understood instantly.
Quickly glancing around—he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to be here or not—he didn’t immediately find himself shooed away. He had missed the excitement of the wild wher hatching that had begun the series of events leading to his—and many of the other holdless’s—arrival. The silence surprised him, and, with an eye to the woman who looked like she was in charge here, in case she wished him gone, the tall kitchen worker climbed to the stands to watch.
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Chek
Weyrlingmaster
chekct[M:-15]
I'm so magical I vomit rainbows
Posts: 1,091
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Post by Chek on Aug 20, 2013 14:48:58 GMT -5
Though in her room, Dizzy was not sleeping when the Alphahandler’s voice came through her door. No, Dizzy was two candlemarks deep in the ongoing project of trying to teach her pa’s firelizard NOT to ruin anything blue. She froze, allowing Sif to rip the shirt they’d been tugging back and forth on while Dizzy attempted to cajole the irritable red into letting the hated blue go. Claiming victory, Sif rolled around on the material to show her dominance, when then, when she realized she was rolling about on the hated blue, disappeared Between with it, returning a moment later looking notably smug.
Dizzy, slowly vibrating in growing excitement, barely noticed - well, until she remembered that HATCHING mean DIZZY GET DRESSED and she realized that her shirt was now lost [/b]Between[/b]. “You horrible monster, that was new.” She said, though her tone was at least a little admiring.
Still, she had others. A lightweight shirt and leggings went on, followed by a thin layer of padding, then the armor which her father would kill her if she didn’t wear to a hatching. Her robe went on over it all, oversized to account for the armor, but still looking more like a tabard than a robe by the end.
Sif perched lightly on her shoulder as she went to open the door, hunkering down to balance and Dizzy shot down the hallway, the girl not even bothering to close her door behind her.
Tius was waiting for her in the common room; Sif lifted off to circle her man possessively for a moment, before she drifted on silent wings down the boy’s hallway, heading back to her owner’s room; it was lucky that Tius had been spending more time actually sleeping in his official rooms rather than his crafter rooms since Dizzy had officially joined the wher program; otherwise who knew how long it would have taken to get word to him.
Dizzy grasped her father’s fake hand – it was the wooden one, with realistic though creepy gripping action today – and started tugging him out into the rain. “Da, da, da, da my first time standing!”
Tius tucked his daughter under his arm to at least partially shield her from the drizzle, “And you’re wearing the armor, good girl. Remember, this is a red’s clutch; you saw the last one. If something comes for you, wedge the armor in it’s mouth and pin the claws.”
Dizzy sighed, tugging on her father’s prosthetic, “Yeaaah, da. I know. ”
Soon, the pair were steaming in the heat of the Hatching Caverns. Before stepping fully onto the Sands, Tius tugged a knife out from under his robe and started strapping it to his daughter’s forearm, “Uuugh, da, how do you always know when I forget something…”
Tius just chuckled and gave her a nudge onto the sand. They bowed before Ausk, “Thank you for the honor of Standing,” the said, Dizzy’s words a piping chorus to Tius’s low gravely drawl, before the two went their separate ways on the Sands.
High in the Stands, as far from Ausk as they could get while still being in the Cavern, Damali and Damask paced along the wall, watching the entering Candidates and spectators. Both were wearing protective rain gear, heavy oiled cloth and leather, and were due to report for a patrol within the hour, but they had time to watch yet.
One of said spectators was Embla. She’d been woken by the quiet hubbub and had ventured into the dark and rain with interest once she’d found out what was going on. A wher hatching was interesting; good to know what to expect, since people were starting to imply that she’d be up close and personal with one, soon enough.
So, damp from the rain and clad in slippers, nightclothes and bedfur, Embla yawned and set her feet on the bench below her own, leaning forward with interest.
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Raining
Wherling
rainct[M:245]
Dammit man! I'm a doctor, not a physicist!
Posts: 226
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Post by Raining on Aug 20, 2013 19:10:58 GMT -5
(shh stealing boyfriend's laptop while he's at work)
SHARDIT! SO SHELLING SLOW! SAOSK FLY TO SANDS CRAWL BACK AND HIS STILLHERE. SLOWER THAN WHERRY WITH BROKEN NECK!
"You've been waiting like two minutes. As far as I know dragons and whers don't explode from their eggs all at once," she stated as she pulled on a thin coat, "you were slow hatching out of your egg, if I recall correct-- hey!"
Apparently her wher was a giant hypocrite, as he expected everyone to listen to his ranting, but gets super impatient, and starts to push now that he's large enough to push her. STOP TALKING, SO ANNOYING. WE LEAVE! NOW!. Saowyn rolled her eyes sidestepping out of the way to let her excited wher pass so she could fall instep with him rather than get pushed from behind.
Of course as soon as they reach the outside, they are instantly soaked. So even though they were in no real rush, she didn't want to end up looking too water-logged. They entered the sands with quiet steps, all that was heard was some of the candidates voicing their thanks. Saowyn was as quiet as she could be, since Saosk made very little noise, so she had to focus on his feet shuffling the ground to navigate her way once she couldn't rely on the natural light. BLIND WHERRY. STILL SUNTOUCHED?. 'I'm sorry I don't have your "superior" night vision.' she'd mentally scoff as they made their way to the stands. YOU DARE MOCK SAOSK?! SHOULD LEAVE SAOWYN STRANDED IN DARK! LOST! POOR PUNY HUMAN LOST IN DARK! he'd babble not even bothering to turn around, though there was a scuffle of feet, as he probably stopped for a second puffing himself up. Of course then he'd remember Saowyn can't see that.
Once they were both settled, she squinted down below, if the candidates didn't wear white she wouldn't know where to find them. Though with Saosk's help (not without some more teasing) she was able to find Jafari. He's why she's here, that and it was her wherling master's wher whose eggs were hatching. If Jafari could see her, or if she caught his gaze she would wave. "I hope he impresses.." she whispered to her wher. PUNY HUMAN BETTER OR GET TROUNCED FOR FAILURE
She hoped he impressed, he definitely deserved it he worked hard and well... she just always wished him the best. After this was all over, she hoped to have a chance to talk again.
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RavenSong
Jr. Weyrleader
songct[M:-364]
Posts: 710
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Post by RavenSong on Aug 20, 2013 19:26:02 GMT -5
Mengir was awake still, nocturnal already like the wherhandlers she wished to join. Her ostensibly-pink firelizard, whom she'd named Spotface, had already found some paint to get into. Today she was blue. She was in her room, carefully stitching a tear in one of her skirts, when Audren knocked on her door. The call for wher candidates to the Sands made Mengir get up hurriedly. Spotface chirped at her questioningly as she got dressed in the traditional white robe, a knife on her belt. Because of the many times she'd heard to wear armor under her robes, she had a heavy leather tunic on as well. She eyed her flit.
"No," Mengir said quietly. "You must stay here." Spotface chirped in acknowledgement and curled up on the shelf Mengir had given her as her bed. The shelf was covered in various colors of paint thanks to Spotface's habit of covering her spotted pink hide with colors of paint because of Mengir's not-so-secret dislike of the flit's large spots. Mengir never actively thought it, but the dislike was there.
Mengir arrived on the sands in an appropriate amount of time. She curtseyed to Ausk, smiling warmly. Ausk wasn't a friendly wher, not in the least, but she'd already found a place in Mengir's heart.
"Th-thank you f-for the honor, Lady Ausk," she said, adding a title as she felt was appropriate before taking her place among the candidates. Perhaps this would be the day she found her other half, her strength, and became more than the timid person she was. She just knew she'd become strong like Audren and Yuri once she Impressed.
---
Since the eggs had been laid, Naras had been poking his head into the hatching cavern every so often to see if anyone was there. He wasn't stupid enough to offend Ausk, so he made himself as inobtrusive as possible. He was on his way to peek again when he noticed a sudden bustle of people heading for the Sands. A bright smile on his face, he headed into the cavern and picked a spot way out of the way to watch. Maybe he'd get a good ballad out of this one.
---
Davalla had signed up to be a candidate for both programs, deciding to increase her chances at greatness that way. Since arriving at Dalibor after Zuccheroth's Search, Davalla had done her best to stay out of the way while she learned the politics and climate of the Weyr.
Those with anti-Holdless sentiment had been written off as worthless in Davalla's mind. Didn't those dimglows understand that not all Holdless had committed crimes, that some Holdless were Holdless because their parents were cowards? Clearly not. Davalla didn't have time for that brand of tunnelsnake fart, so she chose to do her own thing with people who weren't so blatantly bigoted. She was okay with her roommate, Joni, but she honestly would've preferred to be rooming with Idra. Idra was her sister, and they'd be ruling this Weyr soon enough. Somehow. At least Davalla thought so.
Audren's summons were balked at briefly before she sighed and got up, donning the traditional Candidate attire, her belt getting a knife. She had armor on beneath her robes, because she wasn't about to die before she got a chance at her new life. Heading out to the Sands with her golden hair pulled up into her typical severe bun, she bowed to Ausk.
"Thank you," she said simply. She looked around, noting other former Holdless around her. She'd grown up with them, and she relaxed. If anything happened, she was at least with those she trusted to some degree. She plastered her usual sweet smile on her face and waited.
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Reky
Alphahandler
rekyct[M:-999]
SO PRO
Posts: 1,554
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Post by Reky on Aug 20, 2013 19:41:11 GMT -5
Inrahim ducked into the dark, low cavern with the rest of the flow of candidates. The rain had wetted his white robes, but he didn't mind. If anything, it made him feel lighter; more rightfully exposed. Out of respect, he had left even his leather chest guard and bracers in his room with his sword, and he stood only, purely, as himself.
He had seen many hatchings in his time. He was filled, though, with a different sort of apprehension than he had felt in his youth. Rather than excitement, he felt uneasy. He had not attended a hatching since he had bonded to Inrahisk - and since Inrahisk had died. He blamed himself for his blue's death. He always had. As if the bond had never been broken, he felt that standing in the wet heat of the cavern was destroying their faith in each other. Did he have any right to propose himself for a new lifemate? Among these younger, fresher, unbonded candidates beside him? Still, it wasn't fair to worry new life with his misgivings. If the hatchlings wanted to find it in his memory, they could, but he would not keep it at the front of his mind. Rising from his bow to Ausk, he let free a breathy sigh, unwinding. He would stand only, purely, as himself, for the good of the children.
---
Audren, watching the candidates come into the quiet dark and fill it with their gratitude, was strapping leather guards to her hands and arms. She couldn't shake the anxiety in her gut, but she swallowed it back whenever it rose. All she needed was for no one to die, and to come out of this with a new class of wherlings to train. That was all. Blood would be inevitable. Hurt, inevitable. Whers would be whers, but still, she was worried.
Her eyes flicked up from her bracers and probed the dark. Ausk rumbled a deep, ominous hum, scanning the growing crowd. Audren's jaw caught tight as she spotted Kobold - who in Faranth's name would bring a dog to a wher hatching? She nearly moved to make the girl and her creature leave, but a drudge came through the tight tunnel behind her and set a bucket of fresh glows at her feet. None of the wherets had shown themselves yet - seeing them would be more important than saving some dog. Audren waved the drudges away to safety and took the bucket in her gloved hand.
With the candidates now on the Sands, the quiet crept back in. The low sound of the rain sifted in from outside; the trickling as it ran down the mountainside and into the forest below. In the lull, even Ausk's rumbling receded, and a faint scrabbling could be heard in the back of the cave, where the dying glowlight could not reach. Something was scratching at the rocks. A tunnelsnake? But Ausk would have noticed. The egg in front, then, had hatched without notice. Baby or not, the glows needed to be replenished, and so Ausk moved into range of the eggs.
She shoved the cover of the first glowbasket up. The glows inside were faint, damp and rotten from the humid, hot air. She took the wire basket from inside and dumped it onto the sand, scooped up fresh, bright balls from her bucket, and snapped everything back into place. Now it was clear that the egg in front had split nearly on the curious X pattern on its side, and the hatchling had long since left the shell. Pressing her lips together, Audren proceeded, to the next basket, and the next. The scrabbling was inconsistent, but it continued.
When the third glowbasket was refreshed and she had snapped the cover down, a small creature was illuminated at the back. It had gained purchase on the sand-crusted wall, near the bottom, and in the new glowlight it looked almost sickly. Its spine rippled down its back, and its tail was long and thin. Little pinpoints of light flashed off its flat eyes, and it whipped itself at Audren, defiant of the glows. It stuck its claws in her pants, clambered up her thighs and ribs, intent on getting at her face. But Audren caught its teeth in her bracer and flung it back down to the sand, where Ausk snarled it into submission - almost. The little green, a sickly shade though she was, scuttled back into the shadows.
Then, the blue-sheened egg, furthest back, pulsed open. The hatchling inside pressed at the shell, breaking it into small pieces and expanding it, only to have the bits come back together on the thin film that had not yet broken. Slowly, the wher pushed itself free. It dripped slick with fluid, ducking bits of shell off its head against its leg. Even in the new glowlight, it was difficult to tell the hue of the newborn. It was dark, glossy, and of middling size - it could very well be blue, or brown, or cyan. It lurked behind the largest egg, though, emitting a low hiss.
Audren did not stay to look at it any closer; she tramped back to her post in her heavy boots, taking her bucket with her. The puncture wounds in her leg and side stung, but not terribly. The bigger trouble was the pounding of her heart and the sweat that had broken out on her forehead from the hot sand. She hated feeling this uneasy.
Ausk's low, gravely hum rose in volume again. The largest egg cracked clean, but did not split; the small egg to the left began to break as well. The dark child in the back remained there, and the green was expertly in hiding. [/blockquote]
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Azhdarchid
Jr. Weyrwoman
azhct[M:-1490]
Totes.
Posts: 1,627
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Post by Azhdarchid on Aug 20, 2013 19:52:18 GMT -5
Sitting beside a stone dining hall bench, Tusk's neck curved back, snout leaning in stations like the hand of a clock till her head pointed, upside-down, toward the Sands. Master Tussbuul glanced down at the posed green, then returned to his food with an acknowledging "mmph." He broke off a wherry wing and bit it clean, his appetite still that of a working man. Discarding the blue bones to his plate, he cleaned off his fingertips and his chin, then picked up his dead leg and pushed it over the bench. He got up, both hands on the cane, and steadied. Steady.
Tusk slithered after him out of the hall, her head twisting back upright as an afterthought. They hit the rain, and Tussbuul's leg fired under him like the mist had soaken straight into the marrow. Blinking rapidly, he now followed Tusk, she an emerald phantom sliding in and out of the downpour to light his way. When the pain did not ease from his desire for it to do so, he took up a song, soft against the storm and not reaching far enough to any Weyr wall to echo.
"I want to praise and adore and fear you..." Tusk hissed at something in the night ahead, but came back to him silent. She circled around the edge of his vision, then crawled off to advance him. "Suffer everything, experience everything, endure everything..." It was, supposedly, a song about a woman. Tussbuul smiled as he reached the steps, and laid his rough hand over his wher's smooth head. He hummed the rest of the lyrics as he ascended, step by careful step. Your speech, your looks, your bearing, make one flee and hate and detest...all vice, and cherish and desire all that is good...
As they crowned the steps, Tusk scampered down to the lowest barrier and peeped over the side, sniffing hard at her own golden mother before she scrambled back up to Tussbuul's flank, flicking her near-white wings. Dripping, face lined with the storm's tears- the rain seemed to have rolled right off Tusk's pebbled skin -Tussbuul made his way down now, watching for puddles from passengers past. He saw Audren: on the Sands, of course, but the benches to her side were empty. He made his way there, raising his palm a certain solemn uncertainty. Distraction might not have been welcomed. But he smiled at the Alphahandler, even in her distress.
The new half to his expression was the green watchwher climbing onto the bench behind him, running her neck along his shoulders and then gazing out at the Handler with her kind's more accusing native stare. The huge, lamp-like eyes in her serpentine skull remained lit in the darkness, unfaltering. She wrapped her whole body along the Master's back, planting her haunches in his lap and closing her wings so he could still see over her.
When she had been little, the green had fit her entire body around his neck like a chain. Tonight he had to adjust her skinny hindlimbs so that they rested on the tops of his legs, rather than at the center of his lap. He raised an eyebrow at her, but Tusk was undisturbed by her own actions. She watched Ausk. She watched the eggs. She watched everything, and she waited, tail coiling across the bench itself.
The wher's globular eyes twitched briefly at Kobold, then fixed soon enough to the Alphahandler struggling down a hatchling. Tussbuul exhaled a little sharp, and his blood tensed with the chemical of anxiety, and it was then that Tusk's eyes finally rolled pink, her lengthy body tensing around her man. Tuss coughed, a sound about as powerful as his song, easily eaten by the dark.
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Cathaline
Lady Holder
cathct[M:50]
Posts: 3,279
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Post by Cathaline on Aug 20, 2013 19:58:14 GMT -5
The quiet bore down on Newt, seemed to squeeze the breath from his lungs. He fought the incredible, stupid urge to fill it; he might have many flaws, but he was not stupid, and he'd attended enough wher hatchings to know that drawing attention to oneself wasn't the way to Impress. It was the way to die. If one of these wherets was his destined partner, his mind would shine like a beacon. There was no need of his voice, especially with no Yhimere to keep apprised of developments.
A little antsy, he shifted from foot to foot, and finally tipped his glasses up just enough to eyeball the situation without the foggy spectacles in the way. The new glows certainly helped, and he appreciatively gazed at the tiny, sneaky green before she vanished back into the shadows. There appeared to be a lot of movement, but precious little noise...precious little activity. Like murderfish, circling the scent of blood, he thought.
They were amazing, and he itched to run his fingers over their damp hides, examine their sharp baby teeth, trace the line of their wings. He cringed in sympathy for Audren, of course, but he had seen - and received - far worse injury than that, as the ugly, dark scars on his bare arms attested. There was perfection in this dark cavern, but it wasn't him. He couldn't even come close until he melded with a wher of his own, and that day was coming.
Would it be this day?
Kalesk continued her silent prowl far at the back of the sands, and unlike Newt, Kalenna did not fidget. All they could do was wait, and be prepared to act if one of them went wild.
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Kiran
Weyrling
kiract[M:-125]
Posts: 614
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Post by Kiran on Aug 20, 2013 20:01:17 GMT -5
Jafari risked glancing up at the Stands, just in case someone was there for him. He caught sight of Lliira in the stands, along with her pillie and dog, and grinned brightly at them. He was certain they couldn't see him, but it was worth it anyway. That the girl had bothered warmed his heart a lot - especially after the tussle with Lirmox. Jafari shot a glare at the other boy before his head whipped up to glance at the stands once more.
Was she here? He hoped.... And then his eyes caught sight of Saowyn in the Stands, side by side with Saosk. A relieved grin lit his face as she, too, waved at him. Jafari couldn't help the warm tumble of emotions in his gut. He had two good friends here. He was rich in them! And they were going to be here for him, whether he Impressed or not.
Jafari couldn't deny there was hope he did so that he could rub it in Saosk's face.
But if he didn't, that would be fine as well. And- His thoughts were interrupted by the cracking of shells. Eyes wide, he looked at them, focusing in on them. A green that disappeared quite quickly, and something dark in the back, and one egg that cracked but hadn't yet spilled forth its contents. His heart caught in his throat. Maybe, just maybe...! ----- Imber wasn't caught up in the heat of the moment. She watched the eggs split with interest, but with a fair amount of understanding that one probably wasn't for her. Or perhaps her death lay there on the sands. Either way, something interesting had to happen. Right? Her eyes glanced over them as they split open, revealing the contents.
Well, as best as they could be revealed in the light. One vanished into the shadows quickly enough. There was a vague hope in her mind that the dog that someone had brought in wouldn't become a snack for it. Another just... sat there. Imber wondered what exactly what it was. And, of course, the largest. It didn't seem to be doing anything. Perhaps that one would be the one to go wild and be culled.
It wouldn't be the first wher to do so. She sighed softly and waited patiently for what would happen next.
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Post by Frangipani on Aug 20, 2013 20:09:40 GMT -5
Lachan sat in the stands, staring down and watching intently as the candidates filed in slowly to stand for what he was almost certain would be a memorable hatching. Lachan and Lachask had done enough patrols with the red pair to know that this probably would not be a bloodless hatching, and that was being mild about the whole thing. In all honesty he was terrified for the candidates, although the only outward sign of his nervousness showed in his clenched fists, placed resolutely on his knees. In an attempt to distract himself his eyes cast around the remainder of the stands, there was a growing crowd but it would appear there were not too many yet. The bronze handler became aware of movement beside him and he turned to see Lachask shifting positions restlessly. The wher might not have been aware of it, but he was definitely picking up on Lachan’s sense of unease. Nevertheless, nothing had happened yet… maybe it would be a non-violent hatching. Even as the words floated through his mind Lachan found himself having difficulty believing them, even if he did hope.
And then movement on the sands. He groaned inwardly as the new hatchling promptly attacked Audren before sitting forward, watching the cracks now appearing along the surfaces of the various eggs. Lachask, similarly, stopped shifting and sat still, watching the sands intently.
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Chimera
Weyrling
chimct[M:-380]
:o
Posts: 592
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Post by Chimera on Aug 20, 2013 20:11:55 GMT -5
It was so dark.
Lirmox didn't know if the cloud around him was even literal - it could have been the steam of the water on him evaporating from the stifling cavern's heat. It could have been the mental feeling of anticipation streaked with uncertainty. It was probably both.
He noted Davalla, a fellow Holdless and thus a familiar face, among the arriving Candidates. She had never been someone he'd known very well, even in his time spent on the Islands, but it still gave Lirmox something to hold onto, another person that wasn't new, and wasn't someone he loathed and feared.
And speaking of familiar faces, no, family faces - they'd chosen to pop up in the nervous candidate's mind at far from the best time. He wondered how his family was doing, a question that hadn't been in his head for too long. His parents, poor eldest brother Mierlix, the twins Lionam, Moxie - at least the blond's cousins were here at the Weyr.
He swiveled his head at the moment Jafari glared at him, and Lirmox immediately glanced back at the clutch, pretending he didn't see the other boy.
And!
An egg had cracked, a small creature revealing itself in the glowlight. Lirmox winced slightly when the newly hatched green attacked her clutchmother's bonded, but the Alphahandler had experience with naughty wherlets and swiftly put the hatchling in her place. He put a hand over his knife where it rested, sheathed and hanging from his belt, making sure it was there if something jumped on him.
Before long another one had hatched, but no matter how hard Lirmox squinted at it he couldn't make out the color. Was it just a strange specimen of an existing wher color...
...Or was it a new mutation?
***
She did not regret going to watch this hatching. Sleep-deprived as Dardranel was, the candidate was bored and contemplated leaving before more glowlight was put on the Sands and two of the whers hatched. There were less wher candidates than the amount of dragon ones at Dalibor, but there were still many that would leave without Impressing.
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kireon
Candidatemaster
kirct[M:-191]
Posts: 739
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Post by kireon on Aug 20, 2013 20:16:56 GMT -5
Shadows danced as Kairhi threw the robes over Mairhi's head, hers still half undone as the excited teen rushed to get everything done so that they could get on the sands. "Think Rhikail'll come and watch us with Mama?" She asked, throwing her head forward to gather the shoulder length hair into a high ponytail that'd hopefully be out of reach of all but the clutch mother- or another candidate. Secured with a scrap of decorative red cloth- in honor of Ausk, of course- Kairhi waited, fidgeting, until Mairhi was finished preparing and grabbed her sister's hand to lead her, or be lead by, they never knew who was leading who anymore.
Together, as they always had been, they dashed through the rain and into the hot sands. Awestruck and gleeful, Kairhi gave a sweeping bow at the exact time that Mairhi did as well, their actions falling into their unconscious, exact timing they'd spent whole seasons practicing until they'd gotten it down right as children. "Thank you for the honor of Standing!" Courtesies over and done with, the bright eyed, outgoing teen practically bounced back into line with her sister on the girls' side of the Sands.
She caught a glimpse of a now familiar pink dragon, a dark, nearly black shadow settled in beside her with a distinctive barrel chested build. A thrill went through her. Not only were Rhikail and their mother there, but Ondine was as well. Sure, the woman was definitely there as a Healer, because wher hatchings were totally wicked and full of bloody violence and not necessarily to watch her rival potentially Impress.
...but she could pretend, right?
Taking a deep breath, squeezing Mairhi's hand in silent support and show of nerves, the chestnut haired apprentice steeled herself for the worst, or the best, and watched eagerly for the first egg to crack and spill a wheret to the sands. She didn't have to wait long, something attacked the Alphahandler and was just as quickly flung to the ground. As expected of the fiercesome red headed woman, she thought admiringly. Maybe Audren would be her second rival... it was always good to have a back up rival just in case.
**
Cilisk was grumpy. He hadn't been called to see the eggs, and that annoyed him greatly. After everything he'd done and she'd put him through. It wasn't fair, he'd contributed greatly to the eggs' existences in the first place, it was only right that she show him enough respect to begrudgingly allow him to see what their combined wrath had wrought.
That's what you get for being a fathead, fathead. Cilia informed him lazily, lounging in a deceptively precarious looking position up on a ledge. Audren was given a wave, should the Alphahandler have looked up to see the feline-like pose and attitude the bronzelady was rather notorious for displaying. Be grateful she's not hauling tail up here to chew your face off for the crap you pulled. I would.
Cilia not Red. Think like Red, act like occasionally. Cilia Bronze, act like little bronze. One day be like Cilisk, and then will be good Cilia.[/i] The noise he made was a cross between a buzz of disapproval and a grumble of affection.
Cilia's eyes narrowed, borrowing the king's vision as things began to go. Green? Looks like it, maybe. Might be cyan, can't tell too much due to the glows. What's the other?
Cilisk gave a shift from one paw to another in his parody of Cilia's infamous shrug. Not know, dark even for sight. Will scent if get closer.[/i] He was watching carefully, looking to see if any of himself had managed to overcome the wild, chaotic nature of their red dam.
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Zephyr
Weyrling
zephct[M:150]
Posts: 300
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Post by Zephyr on Aug 20, 2013 21:00:37 GMT -5
It was far too quiet.
Besides the babbling of the other candidates and the shuffling of boots on the hot sands, there were no other sounds. Usually hatchings were raucous things, with babies creeling their hunger or jubilation or even distress and the sounds of eggs exploding. No. These eggs were silent as they hatched, and the babies were quiet as they slipped out of broken shells. Only the flash of glow on slick hide was the only thing that showed that the babies were in fact hatching.
Adelaide had to tune everything else out, something that she’d been doing as an after though anyway. Hazel eyes were focused completely on the nest, as she tried to chase the foreboding feeling that was weighing her down. Maybe wher hatchings were drastically different from dragon hatchings, but Addy knew that this was not normal. If the girl had been a little more familiar with the way whers came into the world, she would be able to tell that this was likely the lull in the storm, the quiet before the complete and utter chaos that was about to rain down upon them.
As it was, she wasn’t completely ignorant to what might happen. She had heard about wher hatchings, even if she hadn’t attended one personally, had seen the aftereffects of the hatchings. The girl couldn’t shake the unease that she felt at the quiet of the hatching, the way she could already see blood on the alphahandler’s leg, and the way that she couldn’t actually tell if any eggs had even hatched.
This was going to be a long night, she knew. But she was strong, and she had to be strong. She steeled herself, ignoring the other candidates and keeping her eyes locked on the yawning maw that was the nest before her, almost as if she weren’t completely blind in this dark.
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Gray
Wingrider
grayct[M:-350]
Posts: 870
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Post by Gray on Aug 20, 2013 22:01:03 GMT -5
Was it supposed to be this quiet? She wasn't sure. Dragon hatchings weren't... well there had been sound at least there! People murmuring, talking, the sound of eggs hatching and cracking. But here? It was quiet. Too quiet. She shivered, though it wasn't from the chill of the rain. The thin, soft hairs at the back of her neck stood on end, and for a moment, she felt a purely animal fear. She wanted to run. To hide. But no, she couldn't do that. It was just quiet. Nothing bad had happened yet! So Lliira dug her fingers deeper into Kobold's fur, the canine having wrapped himself around her, like a fluffy shield. He did not really mind whers. They didn't bother him, and he didn't bother them. But even Kobold knew they could be trouble.
Esriii... Okku waved a feeler, as if he were brushing away an illusion or spell, and there was something. Something happening around the eggs. Something was moving. It was faint, but if Lliira strained her ears, she could hear it. Oddly, being in the dark was better than being in the light. She had no need to squint and try to make up for her failing sight. Instead, she could listen intently. Even through the blood pounding in her ears, she could hear a faint scrabbling. Things were really happening.
For Jafari, and the others on the sands, she felt both excited and apprehensive. Kobld quivered under Lliira's fingers, but didn't make a sound. He was a good dog. He knew when it was best to stay quiet. Closing her eyes and focusing on her ears, Lliira tried to hear other things. She heard the sound of something hitting the sand, and Ausk's snarl. Biting her bottom lip, she reached a hand towards Okku and tugged him in closer. She could not shake the feeling that this was the calm before the storm.
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Dragonwher
Weyrling
dract[M:215]
A wild Tomboy appears!
Posts: 214
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Post by Dragonwher on Aug 20, 2013 22:36:57 GMT -5
Out of all the things he expected, the near total silence hadn't been high on the list. Then again it might just be one account of the eggs not having hatched as far as he saw yet. Though he didn't dare fidget or look around, would be a fine thing if he were to look for anyone he knew only to get mauled by a baby wher. He faintly got after images of the progrees his flits had made in keeping Mira out of this and almost smiled. Though he clamped down on anything but calm happy thoughts rather than visuals. Looking at the mother Wher out of the corner of his eye he figured not smiling was safer than making the momma think he was baring fang or something.
Which proved smart as a few eggs gave up their contents and one of the babies made a nuisance of itself. Incurring the irritation of its momma; ok definitely gonna work on keeping the straight face then. Least the baby seemed to settle...even if it; no she if that was a green, had skittered to the full darkness at the back of the sands while Audren finished dealing with a few of the glows. If that first wherlet's antics showed anything; this was likely to be quite...eventful sometime soon. He just hoped nothing mauled him so bad he couldn't Stand again. Though as soon as that thought crossed his mind Randi shoved it away. He'd learn to deal if that happened; but no one could hope to move forward in life if he examined every 'what if' in life. His talk with Tussbuul showed him that.
Granted not in so many words; but he now had some faint idea of the gist of what the kind older handler tried to thump into his noggin. As he stood straighter to look less like a slob he remembered other things that Tussbuul had said. Like the fact that Tusk was not exactly the best example of a wher; that he was far likelier to meet a vicious one or the like. As the old Greenhandler's words resurfaced in his mind the boy slowly scanned the sands, just with his eyes nothing more. He had a feeling undue movement might trigger something worse than a nip or a claw from a baby wher. Yet despite the dangers he faced; the boy was almost...excited. Sure he'd been training as a Beastcrafter caring for herdbeasts; but this held a good deal of charm for him too he could feel now. If he managed to Impress he'd definitely have to find someone artistically inclined to sketch a picture of him and his wher to send home through Aela's aid. Even if he didn't Impress now however he'd still hold onto that idea of sending word or an image back home when he Impressed, whether at this hatching or the next.
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Chek
Weyrlingmaster
chekct[M:-15]
I'm so magical I vomit rainbows
Posts: 1,091
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Post by Chek on Aug 21, 2013 13:54:06 GMT -5
Now still in the upper reaches of the Stands, Damali watched the dimly illuminated corner of the Cavern where the newborn wheret lurked, her eyes narrowed and her mouth in a grim line. Beside her, Damask paced with increasing fervor. A wheret, already attacking? Attacking Audren, with Ausk so near at hand?
It didn’t bode well.
On the hot sand below, Tius and his daughter both unknowingly echoed the Betahandler’s thoughts; Dizzy started discreetly checking the ties and buckles on her hidden armor, makings sure by touch that greaves, armguards, the whole nine yards was firmly and safely in place. She kept her eyes locked on the shadows the first, seemingly attack-prone newborn was lurking in.
Tius watched her check out of the corner of his eye, and tapped his false hand against his thigh. He was concerned for his daughter, not himself – he’d dealt with the worst an adult green could dish out; a wheret held no fear from him, just wary respect. He frowned though, at the rapidly cracking eggs – too many wherets on the field at once for his taste.
Embla jerked her bed fur tighter around her shoulders, and almost started to regret coming if this is how things were going to be.
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Ondine
Jr. Weyrleader
ondct[M:-155]
Posts: 436
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Post by Ondine on Aug 21, 2013 14:06:30 GMT -5
Maihri was just a few short seconds behind Kaihri, but she'd been just a little bit more asleep okay? Kaihri was throwing clothing over her head as the girl woke up quickly, excitement burning away the last vestiges of sleep. “Of course she'll come! If she knows. But she's Rhikail so of course she'll know!” The younger twin replied, feverishly slipping the rest of the way into the candidate robes and then securing her hair in the exact same way as her sister. She even grabbed the other half of the same red scrap, so that nobody would be able to tell the twins apart at all, she hurried up and grabbed the knife that she'd need, slipped on her sandals, and then burst out the door hand in hand with her twin.
But that was the way they had always been, together. They'd spent long seasons practicing being totally in sync for the purpose of pranks, but now it was instinctive and unconscious to sweep into a bow at the same moment, speaking at exactly the same moment as Kaihri. “Thank you for the honor of Standing!” She grinned madly as she followed or led her twin to the line of girls that were waiting, none of them knew which was leading or following anymore and that was just the way they liked it.
She looked around and found both the dragon that belonged to her sister (assuming the coloring didn't lie in the darkened night) and a pink one that was more or less familiar. She'd had to listen to her twin describe both Dilath and Ondine enough, and had seen the pinkrider herself, that she could probably pick out the two in anything but pitch-black. She grinned a little more as she wondered, and then knew, what was going through her twin's head. Ondine come to watch her rival impress, uh huh.
Her own hand was trembling a little bit as she gave her sister's a reassuring squeeze, but it was reassurance for both of them. Both of them here for each other as it had always been, facing a hatching that could...had already turned bloody and would likely get far, far worse before the night was done. Audren was cool though and threw the green to the ground as though she were doing it all of her life, maybe she had? Awesome thought to have really. How courageous was a redhandler? Probably very, they were bonded to a red, after all. Maybe that made Audren her rival?
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Ondine had been working a late shift and was nearly done at the infirmary when the call came. Immediately she sent a message through Dilath to Rhikail, and then charged off with supplies to the healer's corner in the hatching cavern. It was raining outside, and the cave itself was charged with a potent humidity, but that'd just make it easier for the little wherets to hatch. Their skin wouldn't dry out as fast, after all. Lyrnn and Lyrsk had brought the call to the healers, and by the time that she got to the caverns they had settled in in the stands themselves. But the journeywoman was far too busy to really notice, wher hatches were nearly always bloody, and the last one had been...well, Sebol had nearly died.
Rhikail had, she did notice, arrived to watch her twins, and had probably brought their mother as well. She smiled a little bit more than she normally did, as she bounded around and set up a few beds (there were a lot of candidates this time...), a few stretchers, laid out bandages, and muttered orders to any apprentice healer who was there. Of course, one of her apprentices was out on the sands right now, and her lips twisted into a quirk as she considered Kaihri. Rhikail had said the twins were trouble, but they were a good trouble, and Ondine liked them. But such amusement was her bulwark as first blood was shed by the Alphahandler, and she settled in to wait and observe.
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Garund hadn't been able to sleep. It had been like that a lot recently, as he began to question whether he should stand for dragons, whether he would be good with any of them at all. He didn't know what was right for him, and it was tearing at him, so his insomniac wandering was a weekly occurrence. This night, however, he had been in his room when the Alphahandler came by and said there was a wher hatching. This, he would be happy to go see. At least he wasn't going to impress up there in the stands, or at least not likely.
So he went in the soft rain, padding gently up to the seats in the stands and watched and waited in the dark. The idea that he might impress from the stands never quite crossed his mind, as he watched and let all of the worries of the past months flow out of him. He could celebrate the bonding of people to these whers, watching their life take off on new paths. He just didn't know where to take his own, and his status as former holdless was a wall stuck in his path. Maybe, hopefully, he could figure it out, with or without Benal's help.
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Kalet had, of course, been wide awake, and was dressing for the hatching in a flash. Calm and confident, he dressed in swift precise motions and grabbed the knife. Ausk hatching. The red was violent, small surprise, but would her spawn be? Other than the species average, of course. He'd seen the eggs once, of course, but now he'd be seeing their dark shapes from the sands, waiting for their payload of fury and protection to break forth and ravage each other and the candidates before picking a few to bond with.
But all wher hatchings were like that, so he knew what he was getting into. Besides, as a journeyman herder, he was no stranger to violence from animals. So he walked out onto the sands with a confidence that wasn't quite arrogance, and gave a deep bow to the clutchmother, “Thank you for this chance, Ausk.” He straightened and drifted over to the boy's group, keen eyes flicking over the eggs. Not that there was much to see, since all of the eggs were practically invisible in the dark. In fact, he hadn't even noticed that one had hatched at all until a little green wheret attacked Audren, but the abrupt throw and growl was hard to miss.
Kalet's eyes turned hard as he looked over the rest of the eggs. A few of them were hatching, one more burst open to reveal a wheret with a color he honestly couldn't describe. Was this his clutch? Would he die here instead? Or just an injury, as was common when you stood for the guardians of the Weyr? He didn't know, but there was a prickling at the back of his neck that said that tonight might be bloodier than usual. Maybe it was the silence, or the soft rainfall in the distance, but he didn't like how this hatching felt at all, and even on the heat of the sands he felt cold.
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