Small but Still to Matter....(Orylth's Hatching)

[Shoki]

Mau watched him take her hand and she turned just a little bit read on account of the events as they unfolded. It wasn’t that it was bad, it was just that she was just feeling a little bit…well yeah whatever. She didn’t need to overthink this. She hadn’t over thought it so far and it seemed like this was turning out really well. She was happy about that. It was nice to think that Holt hadn’t let go of her hand and had even given it a little kiss, so she was filling up with a nice warm feeling. She didn’t have much to say, until he started to encourage conversation out of her.

“True, wouldn’t want to miss the whole thing.” She paused, still very much pleased. “I don’t know any of them, what about you?”

---

R’le leaned forward as the smallest egg broke, and grinned massively. He could feel how proud Quiorith was, and it kinda rubbed off. Quiorith would be in such a good mood after this. He could tell. Still, they would both be much happier after the eggs were hatched an impressed. It was amazing how the perspective changed what he wanted. Usually he wanted the hatchings to go on as long as they could so that he could see everything happen in order. Now he just wanted the fastest hatching in history, so that everyone would impress quickly and safely.

[Terayne]

The little White continued to look around the Sands, grumbling to herself about the gunk and sand she collected with every icky, sticky step. Oh all she wanted was this DISGUSTING stuff off of her! She shook herself violently, trying her hardest to remove it, but all that achieved was to thwap herself in the rump with one of her shimmering wings, causing her to squeak in surprise and glare at the offending limb.

Her dam was trying her hardest not rumble with amusement at her precocious daughter, and instead looked back to the bulging egg, which was continuing to make the oddest, most pissed off noises she had ever heard come from an egg. Her curiosity mounting, the Wood lowered her muzzle and nudged the egg, then raised her head and cocked it as the shell abruptly and with a whipcrack split in half.

Not one but TWO handsome Blues were spilled onto the Sands, the smaller one snarling and snapping at his brother. The two were both pure in hue, but they could not have been more different in shading. The smaller one was as dark as a Darkblue, purest midnight in shade, but was far too sleek and lithe to be considered one of that hue. His brother, on the other hand, was both larger and almost white his shading was so light. The lighter male shied away from his snarling sibling and immediately began moving towards the gathered Candidates, only to be halted in his tracks when his eggtwin rushed past him, snapping irritably at his foreleg to make him stop.

The final egg had not moved, was, in fact, resting off to the side and out of the light. Many people were whispering, reminding one another that a Chewing Wood's clutches never seemed to be entirely fertile. Said Wood was ignoring them, focused instead on the drama unfolding between her sons, her tail flicking with annoyance at the brash antics of the smaller one.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Can I tell Korith yet?

No, not until I’m in the stands. K’tar slipped to one side, then, having edged out of Holt’s likely field of vision, he darted up into the stands, aiming to get at least a single layer of people between him and Holt.

How about now?

No.

Now?

Viarth, stop teasing.

A collective intake of breath, mingled with smatterings of laughter, interrupted the conversation for long enough that K’tar noticed the sudden appearance of two Blue dragonets on the Sands.

Two, there are two of them. But there was only one egg!

For a moment, K’tar could see the Sands from another angle, with the as-yet-un-hatched third egg clearly visible. Of course, there was the minor matter that he couldn’t see the stands around him for that same moment. Shaking his head to clear it, he leaned forward and craned his head around for a better look. Sure enough, the egg was exactly where Viarth had spotted it, still un-hatched.

Interesting, K’tar mused, grappling after remembered Candidate lessons. Twin eggs aren’t really that common. Watching the smaller Blue lurch forward, he smiled, remembering the day he’d first looked out and met Viarth. It was as if everything before that day was nothing, that day the true beginning of his life…

What about now?

…even if Viarth had no ability to understand the meaning of “stop”.

No.

[Nicole]

Artemis stood because she was required, not because any of the eggs on the Sand particularly interested her.

It wasn't the Wood's fault, of course; she was a Wood, and she would had laid lots of beautiful healthy Eggs. Artemis saw that and adored it, but she had always dreamed of riding something... more regal.

But still, standing on the Hatchings was interesting practice for if that day would come, as the odds of her Impressing today were slim. Too many Candidates, too little Eggs, and the colors that had come so far normally weren't associated with her typical brand of power-hunger. (She had been reading and studying; she was not above that. Knowledge could lead to power, and power to knowledge.)

She still hadn't read anything about how to block out the accursed sound of the dragons in her head. It was brilliant to have them there, sure; she knew everything, and to an extent, she liked the closer relationships she had with the dragons compared to their Riders, even if the Riders didn't know why. But days like this - it was hard. She couldn't listen to all of it, and she hadn't managed to turn it into white noise. So she shoved it out the best she could, headache drumming in the back of her head.

But it meant she knew everything that was going on. The agitation of the twin Blues. The excitement of K'tar's Viarith in the crowd. The anticipation of the Wood who had laid the eggs.

She heard it all, felt it all, and tried to filter out what would be important for later.

[mirror]

Most people were awake at this time and no one was supposed to be asleep. And, of course, no one was also meant to include her. Not that she particularly cared. She was tired, and when she was tired it meant that it was time for her to go to sleep. It wasn't like she was hurting anyone by taking a little nap! And she wasn't missing anything important. Nothing big and urgent was going on today, certainly nothing that would effect her. With this in mind she flopped down on her bed in the candidate's barracks, a slight 'hmm' leaving her as she began to doze off.

But sleep just wasn't something that she was going to be getting at the moment. Not to mention that she would soon be eating her thoughts about nothing important happening. A loud humming began, signifying a hatching. Of course she did not snap into alertness immediately. Instead Naylin let out a groan, her sleep-addled brain trying to piece together exactly what was going on. Any and all confusion was whipped away only second later though when the wood dragon's voice entered her head, calling her to the hatching.

It was slowly that she stood up and began to head to the sands. While she was technically a candidate she didn't really care if she impressed or not. If she was a little late there was no real harm done, there were plenty of other candidates for the dragon to impress to. But it seemed that she wasn't that late after all. By the time the redhead had arrived it seemed that none of the dragonets had impressed. "Well then," Naylin muttered to herself, "I guess I arrived just in time to see the real show start."

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’kar had, to his mild embarrassment, arrived late to Orylth’s Hatching. He hadn’t meant to be, but, well, Boot had stolen someone’s shoe again, and it had been one from a guest to the Hatching, so he’d had to identify whose it was before he could return it, with the result that he was late.

Did I miss anything?

No, the dragonets have yet to Impress.

T’kar slipped up into the Stands. Well, that’s something, at least, he thought, sliding into a seat just off R’le’s left shoulder.

“How’s it feel to be a father?” he teased, leaning forward on his left elbow.

[Shoki]

R’le was watching the eggs on the sands, grinning with the appearance of the twin blue dragonets. Quiorith would be pleased as well, a good hatching this was. He finished up one of his sandwiches before a familiar voice was heard behind him. R’le leaned back and grinned, seeing that T’kar had just showed up.

“Well I tell you its way different now than it was adopting.” R’le chuckled softly before turning back to look at the other rider. “I tell ya, Quiorith is just the right kind of dragon for hatchings. Loves ‘em. Add the fact he’s responsible for this one and you couldn’t drag him away if you tried.” Quiorith was watching both of the blue dragonets while keeping an eye on the white. He was far too busy rooting for each and everyone one of them to find a human quickly. It was one of the few occasions that he had no problem sitting still. He wouldn’t want to move his eyes away even for a moment.

[Terayne]

The two Blues were both eyeing each other, the smaller one still snarling and growling fit to beat the band. Eventually, they separated, the lighter male going to one of the girls, and the darker to a boy who was at the back of the row of boys. He swiped at a couple of them in the process, causing them to jump and one of them to fall, but he didn't actually HURT anyone with his temper tantrum. That one would be a handful, Ylara thought, shaking her head. His brother seemed to be far more passive and calm, and the girl he'd chosen looked thrilled, of course. Chuckling, the Woodrider then turned her head to eye the White, who was taking her sweet time about things. Such a girl, she thought, and Orylth whuffed softly with amusement at her thought.

Her child was just sitting there now, fastidiously cleaning every little bit of goop off of her she could reach, her tail flicking in a rather annoyed fashion back and forth. Abruptly, everyone was greeted to a rather loud MINE, would you STOP hiding in the shadows and get your butt over here! I reFUSE to walk over those Sands again!

Who she was talking to was anyone's guess, but a large figure in the shadows jumped in surprise at the sudden appearance of not only her voice but her emotions as well in his head. Annoyance, disgust, hunger and impatience all rolled through him, and he came runnin to her side, revealing himself to be the Wher Candidate, Terran, the man who had refused the Citrine Wher because she was a female.

Some would think it ironically fitting that he end up with the most feminine White most of them had ever seen, given how NOT feminine he was. But at that point Terran, now T'ran, didn't much care. He had to get his little lady, named Shaleth she primly informed him, off the Sands while still retaining some of her dignity... Which of course meant NOT carrying her... But she didn't want to walk over the sand again.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’kar chuckled along with R’le. The other rider was certainly right about Quiorith; when T’kar stole a quick look out of the corner of his eye at the Cloud, the dragon was staring at the Sands, as if he could somehow change the outcome by concentration.

“That’s a good thing, Ancalanath’s never been that…” T’kar’s voice trailed off as, like every other person in the Stands, his eyes snapped to the two Blues separated and Impressed, one to a boy and the other to a girl. He opened his mouth to continue, but stopped when a voice rang out through the crowd.

MINE, would you STOP hiding in the shadows and get your butt over here! I reFUSE to walk over those Sands again!

“She knows what she wants, at least,” T’kar said instead, grinning as a boy rushed forwards, obviously the one that the little White had been speaking to. Then, getting a good look at the boy, he gave a quick laugh. He’d heard all about the Citrine wherling, both at the time and at least peripherally in many other “conversations” with WherHandler Dalonia, and he found Terran’s fate highly amusing as a result.

[Shoki]

R’le turned back to the sands when T’kar stopped mid thought. The twins were impressing. He watched, attention stolen while both of the male dragonets selected their own rider, each from a different side of the sands. R’le was pleased, happy they had both decided to quickly impress. Quiorith would like that. Neither of them had any time to think, as a loud feminine voice broke into everyone’s minds. R’le stared at the sands a moment before chuckling at what he saw.

“That she does. Takes a load off of someones mind.” He grinned a little bit at the sands then turned back toward T’kar. “Was Ancalanath ever that demanding?”R’le knew how Quiorith had been, but then again, Quiorith never seemed to have changed personality wise. Guess they had that in common too. They both had never really grown up.

Quiorith crooned, as loud as he dared at the three dragonets impression. He was pleased indeed. The three of them were nice and safely impressed. His eyes wandered over the last, unmoving egg. He decided to rivet his eyes upon this egg. Perhaps he could will this one to hatching safely and impressing. Logic or no, he attempted it.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T'kar laughed. "Was he ever! Between him and my sister, I felt like I was getting pulled to pieces for most of my Weyrling training."

I was not that bad.

Actually, you have a point. I don't think you ever went public with your demands.

"I'm guessing Quiorith was too?" T'kar commented. "Since he seems to be trying to order an egg to Hatch."

[Shoki]

R’le chuckled along with T’kar. That did sound like a handful. As his friend mentioned the Cloud, R’le eyes wandered over to him. He looked contemplative for a moment, less thinking and more remembering. Had he ever found Quiorith to be demanding?

“Nah, at least not how you mean. Most times me and him want the same things, so it’s not really demanding is it? Shoot, I’m the loud one, pushing to get my way. Except on flights. Half-crazy storm flier that he is.” That was the advantage, both of them were on the same level that way. He expected that was why Quiorith was perfect. No one but a Cloud would have matched up with him, both for his desire to be on an adventure and his willingness to shirk responsibility. Well, and to go for it when it was needed. He might be friends with those who rode royal dragons, but he was happy where he was. Besides, he didn’t really care for rank. He’d call everyone by their name, and joke with them all the same. That’s just how things were.

“Quiorith doesn’t order. He tries sometimes but he’s got a cloudy voice to go along with his hide.” Quiorith didn’t seem to mind how R’le was speaking of him. It might have been thought that he was merely too focused. Rather, it was just he knew how R’le was so he didn’t have to listen too hard. It was all quite true. Perhaps he also had that little bit of R’le that was completely comfortable with who he was.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’kar grinned. There would always be that about Quiorith. He had a heart larger even then his wingspan, and would attempt anything, up to and including Queen flights, that occurred in the air. It was probably part of what made Ancalanath like the smaller, younger dragon so much, although T’kar would admit (despite the fact that Ancalanath wouldn’t do so) that Quiorith was even more addicted to flying than was Ancalanath.

“All rainy and grey, or just soft and quiet?” T’kar teasingly asked. He liked hanging out with R’le, even when he was on duty it just made things more fun. When he was of duty, well, that just made everything even more fun.

“Are you doing anything in particular later?” he asked. “Because if you’re not, Ancalanath would like a partner for rolling scissors.”