It is a hot summer day at Aden Weyr and in the sweltering heat of midday, there is hardly anyone stirring. Everyone is either seeking shelter in the cooler inner caverns or escaping for a dip in the ocean. Weyrwoman Bretta is in her quarters sipping a cool blend of fruit juices when she feels her queen Anissimoth stirring from a nap. In a still groggy voice, the golden queen informs her rider that everybody better get a move on to the Hatching Grounds if they don't want to miss the Hatching! Within minutes the Weyrwoman is heading to the sands and alerting the rest of the Weyr.

Emerging into the overly-warm cavern, Weyrwoman Bretta is surprised to find nineteen white-robed candidates already there. At her incredulous look, one of the boys steps forward with a timid bow. "Ninaevai here hears the dragons," he says gesturing to the girl. "She told us that it was time." The Weyrwoman nods as the first group of spectators arrives to take their seats.

A quarter of an hour later, most seats are full and the candidates are gathered in the traditional semi-circles around the mound of eggs. They shift nervously from foot to foot on the scortching sand. The Weyrleaders watch anxiously from their seats in anticipation of their Weyr's first Hatching. A hush falls over the crowd as an audible cracking sound interrupts the dragons' and firelizards' intense humming.

A large egg near the top of the mound tumbles to the ground, splitting neatly in half. As a timid brown head appears, a cheer goes up from the crowd. Then the audience quickly hushes as the sturdy brown gets to his feet and heads for the circle of boys. With no sign of hesitation, the hatchling stops in front of a young man who is wearing a leather belt over his white robe. A huge smile breaks over his face as he kneels in the sand. Turning his head toward the cluster of girls, Lotiapez shouts, "He says his name is Lilioth!"

Amidst cheers, the brown is led off the sands. Suddenly three more eggs show large cracks splitting down their sides. The first to hatch is a dainty green. Stepping primly over her shell, she regards the group of girls carefully. After several seconds, the youngest-looking girl impatiently steps forward. Before she can do anything, the little green butts at her legs, anxiously crooning. Sheenai's blue eyes fill with tears as she bends down to scratch the hatchling's eye-ridges. Only those closest to her hear her whisper, "Freoth, you're even better than my trinkets!"

The other two eggs hatch at the same time, revealing a glistening bronze and a blue. They tumble to the sand where they sit staring at each other for a moment. Then with a loud squawk, the blue suddenly jumps up and races toward the girls. As if on cue, another eggs starts rocking violently. The bronze watches it curiously as the shell fragments fall away to reveal another shining green hatchling. She slowly walks over to the girls while the bronze watches her progress. All of a sudden he lurches to his feet and runs full speed toward the waiting male candidates. He plows smack into a redheaded boy's legs, knocking them both to the ground. The softspoken harper turns his blue-green eyes onto the bronze wedge-shaped head with an incredulous look on his face. Then with uncharacteristic certainty, Jaizin shouts, "His name is Notioth!"

As their brother is led off the sands, the blue and green dragonets regard each other. Then with a sudden lurch, they both lunge at the same brown-haired girl. She uncertainly takes a step back, her ringlets bouncing. But the green reaches her first, crooning excitedly. Tears stream down her cheeks as Lilikay gazes into the green hatchling's eyes. "Natoth? You really want me?"

The blue dragonet regards the rest of the girls, crying piteously. His head suddenly snaps around as one of the boys shuffles his feet. His cries turn ecstatic as a wide-eyed brown-haired boy steps forward to meet him. Keslier laughs as he reaches the dragonet. "Sure, Tiboth! You can eat now!"

A hiss from Anissimoth draws everyones' attention to the golden egg that is set apart from the rest. Small spiderweb cracks have covered its surface. The audience holds its breath until a tiny hindleg pokes free. It waves wildly in the air before the egg rolls over, splitting into several fragments. Righting herself, the little golden queen peers up at her mother. She croons uncertainly as Anissimoth nudges motherly her toward the circle of girls. Trying to keep an eye on her gigantic mother while she hurries toward the girls, the little hatchling trips over a discarded shell fragment. A cry escapes Ninaevai's lips as she rushes forward. Helping the tiny queen to her feet, Ninaevai turns back to the semi-circle. One foot poised in the air, she freezes. Slowly turning back to the hatchling, her eyes look confused. Then laughter bubbles up from her as she hugs the little head to her chest. "Of course I want you Galamoth! I just didn't know you were talking to ME!"

Another large egg tumbles from the top of the pile, cracking into many pieces and knocking into several other eggs on it's way down. A few seconds later, three blue dragonets are gawking at each other. One still has a large shell fragment stuck to it's wing and another seems ruffled at it's sudden birth. The third appears contrite for a moment before shrieking a challenge and running full pelt toward the girls. In its excitement, the little blue rams right into the first girl. Burying his head into her white robe, he keeps on shrieking his challenge. Giggling, Nerala looks down. "Gustoth!" she says loudly. "It's okay! Look!" She points at the other two blues who are absorbed with studying the remaining boys.

The glittering blue dragonet with the shell fragment is struggling to unfurl its wing for balance. Quickly bending down to assist, Daman smiles at the tiny hatchling. Suddenly finding his wing free, the blue tumbles over backward. An older boy looks down at the helpless dragonet sprawled at his feet, exclaiming in a surprised tone, "It's okay Evanoth, I'll help you." Eilis turns apologetically to Daman as the winecrafter stiffly steps back into his place.

The third blue is still pouting at his unexpected birth. A brown-haired boy steps forward slowly, calling "Stototh?" The blue's eyes whirl faster as he forgets his annoyance. Kalion races forward and the audience cheers.

Several other eggs have been rocking for some time now. A medium-sized one suddenly breaks in half, spilling a perfectly-formed bronze dragonet onto the sands. He squawks and beats at the sand with his wings as if he considers the tumble to be the sand's fault. Trying to stifle a laugh, a tanned young man steps forward with warm brown eyes twinkling. "Lonatioth!" he calls, catching the bronze wings before they can be damaged. Jaret breaks into a grin as the hatchling's screeching comes to a halt. "Come on, let's go get some food!"

Another smallish egg begins to split open in jagged fragments. A sparkling green muzzle pokes through just as a brown hatchling trumpets his arrival through a shower of shell pieces. The little green gives her brother a condescending look as she primly walks over to the girls. Her poise is soon forgotten as her eyes lock with Enis'. The journeyman healer smiles, her eyes tender with love. "Sure Mioth, you can have a bath! But maybe you should eat first."

The klah-brown hatchling looks meek after the reproval of his sister. Without realizing he is speaking aloud, a quiet redhead sighs. "I'm clumsy too, Janioth, but you kinda get used to it." Suddenly realizing what he'd just said, Dashal's mouth falls open. He follows the brown off the sands, his eyes still showing disbelief.

A soft tapping noise calls the remaining candidates' attention back to the eggs. They crane their necks trying to see which will hatch next. A large egg starts rocking slowly. At almost the same time, a glistening bronze and another queen break shell. A gasp is heard echoing through the cavern. Paying no attention to the queen, the bronze clamors over to a dark-haired boy with cold blue eyes. Crooning softly, the bronze tilts his head back to see Daman's eyes. Swallowing roughly, Daman wets his lips. "Your name is Datioth?" he says, rolling the name off his tongue. "Well, let's go get some oil for that itch, along with some food."

The little queen is standing in front of the four remaining girls. Her shapely head turns to regard each of them in turn before coming to rest on a curvy woman with piercing yellow eyes. Leilani sucks in her breath before grinning. "Diamoth says she's starving!" The audience laughs as the little queen is led off the sands.

The two remaining male candidates suddenly tense as a brown forelimb appears from the side of one shell. With an anxious glance at each other, they square their shoulders. The brown climbs over the two remaining eggs and races straight into Etabier's arms. The auburn-haired boy gazes at the hatchling, marveling at how perfectly-formed he is. "Trioth, you're amazing!" he murmurs.

The last two eggs show small cracks all over their surfaces as the girls try to remain patient. A sapphire blue hatchling emerges from his shell as a sea-green dragonet tumbles from hers. Wingtips practically touching, they slowly pick their way over the shell-littered sand. The two brown-haired girls watch in amazement as Kalika sinks to the sand, her blue eyes locked on the matching dragonet. Uttering a contented sigh, she strokes the blue's headknob. "Cantoth, you're so beautiful!" The last remaining green croons to get the attention back on herself. Regarding the two girls with whirling eyes, she shuffles from foot to foot. Finally she steps toward the younger of the two girls. Aysha leaps forward, walking in a circle around the little beauty. She laughs as a little blue firelizard swoops down in greeting. "Taloth," she grins, "meet Quist!"

The Weyrleaders quickly walk down to where the last two candidates stand on the sands. People begin to wander down from the stands to congratulate the new riders and to comfort the unimpressed. Aden Weyr is ready to celebrate a successful first Hatching.

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The "Dragonriders of Pern" & the "World of Pern" are copyright Anne McCaffrey. This is not an online weyr, but, an adoption agency. This site also serves as a place for people to become better educated with the "World of Pern," as well as my own cyber dragon collection. All of the graphics are linked to where I got them from, if there is no link, there will be a credit at the bottom of the page. If there is no such link or credit, Weyrwoman Carah of Jerdan Weyr or myself drew the graphic & it's copyright 1999/2000 to Jerdan & Aden Weyr & used with specific permission. Please do not copy any HTML or words from these pages! If you need HTML help, ask.
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