Pageantry for Peace

[Kaya]

| 3078.12.28 | Morning | Hatching Sands |

Thirteen speckled eggs were nestled into the sand around their golden mother. The creamy shells were just hardened enough, proclaimed the Candidate Master. That had been three days ago. Today was a hot, humid summer day, with condensation clinging to anything the least bit cold. It was a day where the coming and going breeze made the stickiness bearable. And it was the touching day, for hopeful Candidates to introduce themselves. Archith felt both excited to show off her eggs, and wary of any sign of danger. These new eggs brought back up the sharp loss of her missing egg. Extra eyes had been brought to watch, all the overseers of Candidates, and a few of the watch that had been convinced to take the extra shift. No chance could be spared for these eggs that shared the Igenese line.

Rilora- Archith tried to put her thoughts to words, but felt her feelings of overwhelm spilling over through their bond.

It’s alright, Archith. Rilora said, casting her own appraising eye on the eggs. They were a good bunch. An unlucky number, but it couldn’t be helped. We are all here to support you. Do your best to welcome them. Some will soon be your riders.

Archith sniffed. Rilora was right. Yes, of course she would have chosen a sensible Rider. She looked to catch sight of a white whirl near the entrance. They were here.

Enter. she boomed. The Gold and her Rider turned to look at the entrance. But before Rilora could see much in the way of Candidates, she felt a little flutter in her chest as she spotted a certain Bronze Rider in the corner of her eye.

[Shoki]

It was the day of the touching. It was a familiar event. He just didn’t know what would be the same as at Igen. If anything about settling in as Weyrleader had been impressed upon him, it was how different things felt here. It wasn’t just that he was in a new position, though there was some of that. The little things felt different. He couldn’t shy away from it, so he had gone out of his way to see how it felt, then figure out what to do from there.

Speaking of things he didn’t want to avoid.

He stopped lingering at the edges of the event and went over to Rilora. She’d had her eyes on the sands, of course, but he hoped not to surprise her.

“Good Morning Rilora.” There was a small smile on his face. He wondered when that had gotten there. He turned to look at the clutch, and the white clothed people moving toward them. No Queen egg, but he could hardly complain about that. He also didn’t mind the number, he’d wait to see how the clutch shook out to name good or bad luck. For now though…

“A fine clutch. Should I be looking for any egg to stand out?” He’d seen some Queens favor certain eggs, but from his perspective he couldn’t say.

[Kaya]

"V'lan," Rilora acknowledged, her fair skin coloring a shade pinker. She looked briefly to greet him but felt Archith's nerves keeping her eyes on the eggs. A good group of people, a little more selective bunch this round. The Weyr needed sturdy souls in this time. With the conflict on the minimum age had been temporarily raised. As the whole the Candidates looked taller. Rilora saw a few of the Weyr's younger teens looking on from the entrance, sans white robes whereas once they might have expected to have them this time.

"Mm," Rilora nodded. "That delicate little one," she pointed. It had a large pale splotch, and dusted dark speckles, and almost a greenish hue to it. "She fusses over it the most, at least. The dragonhealers say they're all hardy and show all the right signs. I'm relieved. What do you think we'll get out of those two big ones on the ends?"

[Shoki]

V’lan followed the end of Rilora’s finger to the egg in question. It was a small one, and it looked much like an ordinary egg. He marked it though, remembering its markings. If the Queen saw something in it he should remember it well. He turned back after a moment, satisfied to hear the eggs were healthy. When asked he smiled politely.

“For Doramath’s sake I would say a Bronze in one.” He could almost hear Doramath’s voice booming with pride, were it so. “I cannot say though, I feel I have easily seen a Brown from such a sized egg. Perhaps a Purple then?” He had been trying to gauge all the colors. Not that color stereotypes were true, but he had been trying to keep the rankings straight. Things seemed more fluid here, and situations like cloud riders got things more muddled for him. So for now settling for size references were good enough. He knew the king and queen colors well enough, but he had trouble with Moonlights. Or was it Midnights? Dreams? He needed to review it again.

“Would you hazard a guess?”

[Kaya]

"I was thinking a sturdy Iron from that one," she indicated the one on the far left. "You make a good point though that Doramath comes from old lines and he's like as not to see a Bronze in this Hatching. We don't get so much of the traditional colors here," Rilora ventured. In fact the Weyr hadn't had a Green born in Turns. It was starting to make some unusual stories. "But you're right - maybe we'll get a clumsy and energetic Purple. Those ones have a lot of heart. Or have you seen Paigleth or Stenecoth around the Weyr? Those two, the sunlance duals. Beautiful hides. I'm sure Archith would love to see more like them. They're quite eye catching, I'm sure you've seen them."

"And that little egg seems as good a one as any to turn out something like those two. But you never know. It might be a darling little White and that's the end of it. Though you know those ones tend to grow out of precious and into precocious and world changing pretty fast. And you know, there could always be a Rainbow hiding in there. Though Faranth knows Orikaeth would throw a fit over it." Rilora hazarded a chuckle. "Or maybe we'll get a mess of Greens, at last."

[Shoki]

Iron huh? A metallic sort of color that was very large. A good option. He nodded once in understanding for the lack of traditional colors. He had to expect things to be different. And he certainly had seen a lot of unique colors. He listened and then slowly nodded again.

“I believe so. The sort of freckled dragons?” He could only describe it thus. He looked to the side and noticed just a few freckles of a different sort. He forced himself to look back at the sands for fear of staring at Rilora. He listened more to Rilora speak and seemed surprised at the Rainbow comment. Well, there could be one, he remembered something about them appearing from any sort of eggshell.

“Perhaps, but it would be a welcome surprise all the same.” Queen dragons were to be celebrated. Though there were a few at Rainbow Mists already, it was still joyous. “I would not mind to see a Green. Good dragons those.” It would be comforting too. He’d never been to a hatching without a Green. Ever. But he mentally prepared for that to not be the case.

As the candidates moved among the eggs he noticed the age was a bit older than usual. Of course, yes. It wasn’t a happy thing, but the candidates themselves held much the same air of nervous excitement. There was something else that felt different, but he was trying to put his finger on it.

[Kaya]

Rilora nodded when he asked about the Blue- and Purple-Sunlance dragons from the last Hatching. Those were the ones. He seemed not to be familiar with Retny's temper from his comment on Rainbows, but for trying to maintain good diplomatic relations that was probably for the best. And Artemis had been out on diplomatic missions all over the globe once Rilora had managed to talk her Azure into it. Or well, it was probably just as honest to say they decided themselves. And it was deceptively useful to send their hear all to parts far and wide. Though it was always just as difficult getting the information back out of the pair of them when they stopped by the Weyr for a time. She sat on the politics of it for too long, finally surfacing to let the joy of the eggs and the event pull her out of it. And V'lan's company. Just maybe. Actually definitely. Not that she'd make that opinion public.

"This will be Archith's fourth. Has Doramath others? Is that where your guesses come from? Look at her, puffing up in front of those weyrbrats," Rilora let out a fond sigh. "But she wouldn't be my Gold if she acted any differently."

[Shoki]

“No, this will be the first time Doramath’s fathered a clutch.” Not entirely surprising, Golds were few at his Weyr (as in every Weyr) and no other clutching females existed. Even with his often extended stays at different Weyrs, it didn’t often coincide with flights at all, or even if it did, no clutching dragon. Present company excluded.

“I often get invited around hatching time or to hatching feasts. Many of my good friends have invited me to their dragon’s clutches as well.” Work and friends often overlapped. But not always conveniently. He paused a moment before continuing.

“I actually was wondering what you might think about me inviting a few of my friends.” He wanted to say more, but didn’t want to weight the suggestion any more than that. If nothing else V’lan was always very careful with what he said. He did turn slightly to look at Rilora, but continue watching the milling candidates.

Something still tickled at him about the candidates.

[Kaya]

"Ah, well congratulations to him." Rilora commented politely. She kept her gaze on the sands while he spoke of his travels. Her Weyr was the one hosting guests, rather than her visiting elsewhere. Maybe in one day of peace, that would be an occasion, visiting some other Hatching. And speaking of guests, V'lan pitched bringing some of his own. Interesting.

"Well, obviously we'd need to consider who. It might be a good moment to wedge in some peaceful negotiations. We're so close, V'lan. Maybe this event of life and new beginnings would be enough. Do you think?"

[Shoki]

Doramath’s attention had not been focused on human things but V’lan relayed to him congratulations and he rumbled. V’lan let a small smile play on his face as Doramath’s pride threatened to grow large enough to engulf the weyr. If needed, the Bronze could be found perched so he could gaze at the sands for most of the day. He was every inch a Bronze.

“Yes, I agree. I would be happy to go over a few people I think would help.” Maybe not now though. He was enjoying just spending time with Rilora.

Something clicked and he looked at the candidates again. They were older, yes, but there were far more girls present. Rainbow aside, there were no chances of producing a Queenrider, yet they were there, all the same, hoping to have a dragon. Even in the restrained feeling of the touching they were so much more boisterous then what he was used to. It was different. He didn’t know what to think about it all but as a rider there really was only one thing to think. He hoped every dragon would impress.

He did feel a little uneasy though. For reasons he couldn’t put his finger on.

“Perhaps I will find a few bottles of something special. Nothing like a glass of wine to help peaceful negotiations along.” V’lan gave a slight chuckle. He did his best to keep his words perfectly pleasant, even while his brain was a flurry with politics, candidates and a distractly pretty woman standing next to him.

[Kaya]

"Make your list and we'll talk."

The laughter floating up from the sands caught her attention too. These were her people. She'd do anything for them. An echo of Archith's feelings about her clutch. It was a good emotional aura to put around the eggs this day. She really believed those around the young dragons shaped them. Maybe the Aerie believed it differently, stronger, but surely they were onto something there. The good mood and hopes of the Candidates was a good sign.

She chuckled with him and his suggestion of drinks. "You haven't met my sister yet, have you? She has that particular talent," Rilora laughed. She'd ask Lithena to scrounge up something nice for the meeting. The basics could be managed by the Weyr stores, of course. But an eye catching bottle with the features for taste and a good time, that was Lithena's specialty.

[Shoki]

“I will.”

V’lan’s gaze shifted back to Rilora, though she was looking at the candidates. His polite smile smoothed over, to something hard to read. He could see the look she gave her Weyr, and honestly, he had a hard time keeping up any poker face at all. She was inspiring. V’lan almost wished he could have been someone else, if he had been from just about anywhere else, or in any time other than this, it would have been easier. He let his gaze linger a few moments longer before turning back to the sands. It was hard to turn away. He stood straight though, and something solidified. Part of it would be no different than before, but he’d learned a long time ago, actions and attitude both had to work in tandem.

“Only in passing. I may have to consult her on the matter then.” The small smile was back, ever so slightly more relaxed then it had been. “Between my knowledge of what is to their tastes and her talent I think we will have something singularly special. However…” He turned to her again. “I have to ask what you like in your wine as well.” It was hardly a work related question. V’lan really did not care though.

[Kaya]

"What I like," she mused, pivoting to confront him. She stood just a bit closer, a smile pulling up on the corners of her mouth. "has much more to do with what's around the wine than what's in it." An image of people talking, holding glasses, sharing in life and sharing a meal, that mattered most. "But Lithena would tell you I like a clear head and not too bitter, tend towards the lighter colors, and other particulars." She caught the edge of his sleeve.

"And for yourself?"

[Shoki]

V’lan well and truly smiled at that. “Well said.” He noted her preferences in wine regardless, it all interested him. When she grabbed his sleeve, he felt his stomach lurch being so suddenly filled with butterflies. How was it that it didn’t feel unpleasant in the slightest? “I could tell you what I tell everyone else. However…” He leaned a bit closer, the subtle sign that he was about to tell a secret. “I prefer sweet and fruity for my wines.” A childish sort of flavor, but he honestly liked it better than being sophisticated. The sort of things he could only have when he was alone, really.

“I’ll try almost anything though.” V’lan still looked relaxed, though now he was a different kind of nervous. “If you like, I have a bottle of my favorite sort, you could give it a try.”

[Kaya]

"I'd love that," Rilora said. The entire conspiracy of it thrilled her, of secret sweet wines, adventurous spirits, the subtle way his expression changed when she got closer. The offer to sneak away and have a drink. The touching of the eggs would happen, Archith was there. How soon could they slip away? She slipped her hand into his, releasing the sleeve. There was something to be said for looking forward and the suspense of waiting. She leaned in towards his ear to whisper, "We'll have to try a few things." She turned to look at his eyes and make this time about them, as much as she could.

So often it was business, hatching preparations, plans for peace talks, and coy personal moments. The balance between moving forward and caution; eventually it would all tip to one side or the other.