| Airianell's |
| Hatching Story |
You're woken from your peaceful sleep with a rough shake,
"HUNH? What? Whoosh daer?" You mutter, looking around and trying to rub the sleep out of your eyes. "It's me!" Someone lights a lamp and you cover eyes from the brightness, "WHAT? AHH!" "Whoops, sorry" The girl turns the lamp down and your eyes adjust. You see Genevieve is the one holding the lamp, "What're you doin' here at -" you look around for a clock " - late in
the night?" Gena looks at you with a raised eyebrow, "Two guesses." Your eyes open wide and you jump out of bed, "Hatching!"
"Bing, bing, bing! You've got it! First try too. Now hurry and get ready and go straight to the caves, I have to go fetch the others. See ya!" With that she dashes off and with a nimble motion leaps on top of the shadow at the doorway that you now realize is Kentigern. Kentigern leaps into the air and takes off for the next nearest cave of a candidate.
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Genevieve looked around at the crowd of hopeful candidates gathered at the cave entrance and stifled a giggle. Well, this is what happens when the hatching begins at three am, she thought, not everyone is quite - prepared. She almost started laughing out loud as she looked at the girl she and Kentigern had just dropped off, the last on the list. The girl's anxious frown and wrinkled brow didn't coordinate very well with the "Winnie the Pooh and Piglet too!" nightie she had on. The crowd was a jumbled mixture of the half dressed, people who had managed to fully dress themselves but must have done it in the dark, and those who hadn't even bothered and just pulled coats on over their pajammas as they ran out the door. One boy, (Names won't be mentioned to protect the innocent) had Darth Vader "It is only a matter of time before you join the darkside" PJs and another was wearing a Batman costume/footie pajamma set. At this Genevieve frowned, I wonder where they got those?
As it began to rain, everyone clustered together just inside of the cave entrance, afraid to go farther in and disturb something they shouldn't. Genevieve looked over to where a very sleepy boy was sitting with his head in his hands and sighed, "You know, you didn't have to come" he opened one brown eye, "You can't do this alone. We both know that there may be - complications. Just because I don't like dragons doesn't mean I can't know something about them. Now, perhaps it's time you told them why I'm here. Some people are starting to give me suspicous looks." He put his head back down and grumbled something about upstart candidates thinking he was there to steal their dragons. Genevieve rolled her eyes, "right." Then in a louder voice, "For anyone who cares to know, this non-candidate is Duncan, the wheyrs handy man, he's here to help should any complications arise, and that's it. Don't mind his grumblings, he's just chronically grumpy." at this, Duncan glared (Again) and several weary candidates let out sighs of relief and went back to tensely waiting.
Finally, Eirianwen immerged from the recesses of the blackness, "Follow me, and be careful, for it is easy to get lost in these caverns, and we have a long way to go." With that she turned around and stode into the cave. Malaq, Killiam, and Althne boldly stepped out and started to follow Eiry. After shooting a few nervous looks at each other, the rest of the candidates followed in tight formation, Genevieve, Duncan, and Kentigern bringing up the rear to make sure no-one strayed and to hold the lanterns (Or, in Kent's case, to put his fire-breathing capabilities to good use).
After a while, the candidates relaxed enough to observe their surroundings. Classic cave things like stalagmites, stalagtites, crystal clear pools, and eery drips were accompanied the slightly odd (Only slightly) glow moss, echoes coming from nowhere ("Where did he come froooom? Where did he gooooo? Here he cooooomes!! Ahhh!"), and, of course that lovely sort of rat that has red eyes and an amazingly bold personality. They also couldn't help but notice Duncan's more than slightly audible grumbles. It was clear he was not happy about being brought along. Two or three let out long sighs at his impossibilty and the rest just rolled their eyes at the others.
Not many could tell how long they'd been walking, so just think of it as a long time. Eventually they reach a cattacomb of caverns, dozens of tunnels crossing and recrossin several times. Here, Eiry paused, then picked the third to the right, Fallen Angel gulped nervously and glanced over at Silver Tear, "I hope she knows where she's going!" she whispered, "because if we get lost..." she didn't need to finish the sentiment. Silvertear jerked to attention, "I don't know... I think we should trust-" there was a large gasp as they entered the cavern, in one corner, on a large bed of straw lay an enormous pile of eggs.
As they watched silently, the eggs began to roll back and forth violently, one of the eggs rolled down the pile and landed with a "CRACK". A small, dazed looking, sky blue hatchling pushed her way out. The little female gave a shake of her head and looked around, waiting for her eyes to clear. The blue's eyes slowly focused on the group of girls clustered by the door. Assured, she steped out and marched towards them, very decided about what she wants. The girls let out a collective gasp as they jostled each other in order to be the first to impress. The little blue walked past them and straight into the arms of Dragonwolf, Dragonwolf looked into her dragon's eyes, "Her name is Ceara", she whispered. Genevieve let out a big grin from near by, impression had officially begun.
The next two eggs to hatch were a small and large in the corner, the traditional "Crack" erupted as the large green and small rainbow erupted out of their shells. Then another blue female hatched as they made their way to the group and joined them. Secra was the first, she looked down into the creeling green's eyes, "Her name is Lorna!". Next, Lana looked down at the little hatchling butting her leg, trying to get her atention. She picked the rainbow up, "Her name is Newlyna!". Tyra grinned at the girls, not noticing as the the confident blue female climed into her arms, "Oh!" she looked down, "Good waking Fenalla!". No one had noticed the egg in the back as a spider like crack grew throughout it, or as the little red had come out. But they did notice when the large black dragon came out of his egg, first pushing one back leg through, then effectivly kicking his way out of the egg. The red and black eyed each other and the corner where the male candidates were gathered. Letting out a creel, they ran full force towards the guys. The first to reach them was the red, who crawled up Kit's shoulder and turned to give the black a triumphant look. Kit laughed, "Good job Tiernac!". Meanwhile, the black gave a dragon equivelant of a shrug and looked around the group of males, finally setling on Jordan, who grinned as the black climbed onto his own back, "His name is Conaire". Simultaneously, two eggs up front hatched and two identical greens crawled out at the exact same time. Chica and YouNeverKnow both smiled as they picked the crooning greens up, "Mairi!" said Chica, "Maili!" shouted YouNeverKnow. Both were thrilled. Suddenly, four eggs all rolled and their dragons emerged. The first, a blue male, was on his way when he tripped over the sea-green dragon, the green whirled on the blue, and there would have been a fight if the quiet dusk-blue female hadn't gently placed heself between and begun crooning at them. The male rolled his eyes and walked over to Koddragon, "His name is Amargein!" he yelled. The sea green's temper healed, she ran over to Fallen Angel, as the dusky blue strolled over to SilverTear, "She's Marsaili!" "Mariota!" shouted Fallen Angel and SilverTear at the exact same time, they looked over at each other and giggled. But what about the fourth -? Genevieve thought worridly, then sighed in relief as a green pushed her way through. All looked at the pine green dragon as she tried to make her way to the candidates, but was slowed drastically from her limp. "Don't worry Mairead!" Luna crooned, "I've got you!" As they watched, she picked the green up and carried her safely out of the way of the two eggs that had rolled from the top of the pile. I must say, the royal blue's entrance was severely dampened from the first gold's, and he might have taken offence if she had tried to go the same way. As it was, they just toddled to their own groups. "Ach! Hello Slaine!" Killiam said with a proud giggle, she had not been expecting a gold. "Hi Baird!" Zartan said with a laugh of his own as the blue male climbed up and began showering him with dragon kisses. Moon started laughing at them, not noticing the blue/white sitting next to her, the blue gave a quiet creel and tugged on her leg, "Whoops! Looks like I should've been paying attention myself, hunh, Ailsa?" A rainbow, blue, red, and gold all hatched at that time and took off for the candidates, Deya was the first out, hoping for the gold, but instead the blue female ran into her arms, "What are talking about Muierall? Of course I'm not dissapointed!" she gave the blue a hug. "Same here Catriona!" Artemis said to her own rainbow baby as they watched the gold run past. Several of the remaining girl candidates gathered forward as the female came, then went by them. The gold ran straight back into the shadows where Althne was standing, "Airianell!" cried Althne as the baby started crooning in her arms. The red, meanwhile, had different ideas, and was taking his time to inspect the leftover guys. With a little snort of happiness, he ran into Malaq's arms, "Oh Cadeyrn!" Malaq said happily. Another green pulled hereslf out of her egg and gave the cavern a wide look. She inspected every egg and the cavern wall until she was satisfied. On her way to the candidates, however, she was waylaid by a large red, climbing out of his own egg, she snorted and tried to push him out of the way, but he turned and glared and the little girl backed up hastily. "Woah! Don't get in a fight this early Rhianwen!" Ladyarcher cried, picking up the frightened green and watching the red free himself and run towards the two remaining males. Alan and Apollo each eyed the other nervously, a little scared they might be forgotten during impession, Apollo grinned with relief and happiness as the red chose him, "His name is Torquil" At that second, A green and a pastel rainbow were making haste to the girls. The moss green girl sat looking a bit bewildred, but she jumped up in hapiness as Nova came over and lept up into her arms to look in her eyes, "She says she's Ederna!" The little rainbow was making her way around the candidates, inspecting each one, cocking her head, and moving on. As soon as Emelia came into site, she let out a creel of joy and ran right up to her, Emelia started laughing, "I know Gailies! I shouldn't have been standing in the back, it's my fault!" Gailies clucked quietly in Emelia's ear and shelaughed again. Alan, meanwhile, was looking a bit more frightened as two more greens hatched. He gulped audibly as one of the last two eggs gave a shake. The forest green baby wandered over to Sarafina, "Hello Briallen!" Sarafina trilled as she picked her up, "I was getting worried!" The little jungle green remaining looked between Serkeenia and Maigh, and chose Serkeenia. "I'm so glad I was picked, Malivina!" Serkeenia said, as Maigh watched, dissapointed she had not impressed, she did not realise that a gold had come up behind her, "Of course I wasn't worried Lasair!" she gasped, thrilled that she had impressed the last gold. If Alan was worried before, he was scared to death now, the last two eggs looked as if they may never hatch, but one egg shook, and a very large, very crumpled looking black male looked around with a dragon grin then ran straight over to Alan. "I've been waiting, Gaeth!" Alan yawned, "It certainly took you a while." The black just gave a shrug and a grin as they turned to join the other candidates. It turned out that despite their long journey, the eggs' cavern had been right behind the CeltDragon wheyrs the whole time. A few candidates raised their eyebrows at this, but most were perfectly happy now that they had impressed, and were glad to get out of the damp cave and into the warmth and comfort of the wheyrs, where Genevieve would let them stay the rest of the night.
As the candidates left, Genevieve looked at the last egg with a twinge, A pity she thought, But I suppose there is a dud in every batch, and all of the others have found good homes at this last thought she gave a smile, and they should have good homes, for they all chose well. As she turned to leave, Duncan stopped her, "Are you sure that egg's not going to hatch? Maybe we should wa-" a large sound like a gunshot interupted him, and the remaining candidates looked up in alarm, "What the-?" he gasped, as the egg gave a shake and a small black emerged, but this wasn't like the others, instead of being black, it was a mixture of it's parents' colors, black and gold. The little dragon gave a superior glance around, and marched very determindly up to Duncan, "Hey!" he yelled, "I am not a candidate. I am not hoping to impress" he attempted to shoo the little dragon away, "I'm sure there are plenty of people who want a black, I'm NOT one of them! Go!" The dragon just shook its head and jumped onto his shoulder, "Feyanoor! OFF!" He stopped and growled in consternation as Genevieve started laughing, not only had the dragon succeeded, but it was a girl too! Duncan glared, "I have no time to take care of dragons! And it's a girl, guys aren't even allowed to impress girls!" Genevieve shrugged, "That's just because a girl never picked a guy before, besides, this one looks like she likes to make her own rules, but if you don't want her... I guess I'll find a dragon orphanage to take her, there aren't any candidates left, and I have even less time then you." The little girl gave a dejected look and jumped off of his shoulder, as if she had understood what was said (She had) and slowly walked with a mope over to Genevieve, "Oh all right." Duncan mumbled, "I'll take her" The dragon gave a creel of joy and dashed over and jumped back on his shoulder. Duncan allowed himself a small smile as they rejoined the candidates who had come to oggle and went to get some food at the wheyrs...
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