It was early morning at Valley Weyr. The sun was just beginning to shed
light over the land when Adlan woke to her dragons voice in her head,
"The eggs there shaking, there about to hatch!
Come Quick!!"
Adlan stumbled out of bed the cold floor sending chills through
her body,
"Already, I must go alert Ulan and A'ao!"
She got her clothes on as quickly as possible and ran to go tell the
Weyrleader and Weyrwoman.
A loud dragon bugle sounded across the Twin Weyrs
letting the people know of the hatching clutch. All the candidates
got up excited, but all a little nervous. They quickly put on the traditional
white robes and raced down to the sands where Adlan and Green Rarrath and
J'kal and Brown Takelth waited nervously.
"There about to hatch, get them in
quickly!"
Rarrath said, looking over the quivering eggs.
"Calm down, there almost in." Adlan said calmly scratching her
dragons hide, knowing deep down in side she was just as nervous.
As the last of the candidates gathered around the clutch,
Rarrath checked them all over, being the caring mother she was, she wanted
to see whom her children were going to.
The room grew quiet, as the first egg began
to shake violently, a small crack ran down through the egg and out tumbled
a small brown. He wobbled to his feet but fell back to the ground, he attempted
it again and this time managed to stay up, he took a few unstable steps
but stopped and peered around the crowd. He spotted a young boy towards
the back of the crowd and picked up speed, but was stopped by his smaller
sister who had hatched while attention was on him. They collided into each
other and became entangled.
"Are you ok Azureth! We didn't see you there
my emerald beauty!"
Chex said stepping through the crowd to help wipe off some of the eggs
shards that rest on Azureth back.
"Yes I am fine now that I have you by
my side!"
The brown dragonet watched as his sister left the sands, he got back
to his feet and looked back towards the crowd finding that boy once again,
this time he slowly walked to him glancing around cautiously. "Cireth!!"
Nevin now N'vin called out, as Cireth pounced on him once he got
close enough.
Another egg began to shake. It cracked through the top and out
peered to eyes, another moment and a blue dragonet fell through the rest
of his shell, he stood very quickly proud of his entrance, he shook off
the shards and goo covering his royal blue hide and peered around the crowd,
many eyes were watching him, but only one catch his.
"Kessa! We shall fly the skies together!!"
"Yes Rimanth!" Kessa said embracing her dragonet
and taking him from the sands.
After a while a medium size egg began to shake and another brown tumbled
out of his egg, he took a second to look around at the new world but set
off away from the eggs, half way to his destination point he tripped over
his tail and crashed into another egg. A webbing of cracks appeared on
the egg and out cascaded a blue, he was very different from the other blue,
he was bigger and looked tougher. The to dragonets sniffed each other and
took off in different directions. The blue saw Quillitan and ran
towards him, and with great forced pounced up on him,
"Hi Q'llitan,
I am Serreith!"
The blue exclaimed excitedly.
"Whoa, there Serreith! You are not like the other blues now are
you!" Q'llitan said embracing his dragonet.
The brown didn't look back at his brother but kept on till he found
a older boy who stood towards the front of the crowd. Morth
stood firm as he announced to Voralth that he had found him as his life
mate,
"I am yours V'ralth,"
V'ralth knelled down and scratched the dragonets eye ridge and
wiped his shards from his hide, "Are you hungry?" he asked.
"You bet I am!" Morth
said leaving the sands with his new friend and life mate.
The room went dead again, only four candidates remained on the sands,
there eyes meeting occasionally. Another egg began to rock
ferociously, as a stunning blue busted from his egg and shards were sprayed
around the sands, the blue was very different from most. Berrol looked
at him almost knowingly. The blue raced towards him and Berrol tried to
move but it was to late the blue had him sprawled out on the floor before
he knew it. "Jinerath!! what a entrance...ouch!" Berrol
exclaimed.
"Are you all right B'rrol? I'm sorry!"
Jinerath cooed with concern.
"It's all right, I love you very much!" B'rrol said hugging his dragonet,
"We are going to live a great life!"
Oliver watch the blue leave the sands, he really had hope it
had gone to him. He centered his eyes back on the remaining three eggs,
another one begun to shake and a small crack ran down the center, and out
came a small green, she was not premature but dainty and small, she lazily
walked around the remaining candidates who all looked at her with want
she did not stop until she reached Oliver. She peered up at him and cocked
her head to the right, "Ciraleth you are finally here,
what took you so long!" Ol'ver got to his knees and embraced his dragonet,
and wiped the shards from her hide. "You were
the first one I saw but I had to make sure! But I am here now"
She said her eyes glowing with happiness.
Andrea and Raylan eyes met. They were both had there eye on the
larger golden egg, it began to shake but stopped, and
after another candle mark it began to shake again. Raylan was
holding her breath, as she watch the egg. A small crack drew down the middle
and one more shake erupted the egg an out tumbled a gleaming golden dragonet,
her hide seemed to glow in the morning light, every one gasped, a gold
in a greens clutch. Every one was stunned, Rarrath crooned happily at her
golden dragonet and Adlan petted her green weyr-mate. The dragonet wobbled
to her feet looking at the two girls that were left on the sands, she looked
back at her mother and slowly wobbled to them. Raylan grew nervous, "will
she come to me," Raylan thought to herself. The gold circled them both,
Andrea got to her knees and Raylan thought she had chosen her, but the
gold backed away and looked up at Raylan and nuzzled her hand. She felt
a Adrenaline rush all of a sudden as another voice entered her mind, it
was feminine and soft,
"Raylan I am yours, we shall own the skies
together, and fly everyday!!"
Raylan fell to her knees and hugged her dragonet, tears streaming down
her face, "Yes Nazareth, we shall!"
Raylan wiped away the tears and looked back at Nazareth,
"But first we need to learn how to fly!" Raylan said.
Andrea watched them as they left, she felt foolish and stupid
to be the last on the sands, what if she didn't impress at all, how stupid
she would feel. She was almost Jealous of Raylan, she really wanted that
gold. She looked back at the remaining egg, it looked much to small to
hatch. A candle mark or two passed and Adlan came over to her, a worried
look on her face, she rested a hand on her shoulder and looked at the egg,
"Those things happen. It might just be to soon for it to
hatch, give it a day or so." Andrea nodded and they both turned and began
to walk away, but were stopped by a faint croon,
"Adlan look!"
Adlan heard Rarrath say. They turned to see a small green dragonet,
her hide pale but she was still very beautiful.
"Andrea, wait for me, don't leave me!"
Andrea's eyes filled with tears as she ran to her dragonet. "I would never
do that Kiarath, you are the prettiest green in all
of Pern!!" Andrea hugged her dragonet and Kiarath nuzzled her face. Adlan
Grinned and hugged J'kal. Rarrath cooed lightly as she watch her last dragonet
leave the sands.
"Funny, I never remember being that clumsy
when I was a little dragonet."
Takelth said.
"I am sure you were, I knew I was."
Rarrath said.
"You both were!" J'kal and Adlan said in unison.
Ulan and Ayao came over to them,
"I think everyone is happy don't you? I remember impressing Ziarrath,
it was a great day!" Ulan said pausing and looking to A'ao, "We better
hurry and go get the Candidate Banquet ready."