Heroic; Impressively Great (Nitrath's Hatching)

[Ruby]

Night Watch Brown
Bonded To: I'nos
Name: Tirneth
Color: Brown (170b00), Markings (a77e5a)

Appearance: Long and lean, Tirneth takes after his mother - she's the biggest Gold in the South, he will be one of the biggest browns. Unlike some of his clutchmates, though, he won't look it. Measured straight from nose to tail tip, he'll stretch over 37 feet, although most of the extra length comes from his tail - his frame is distinctly brown-sized, even if it is large brown sized. Every part of him is overlong, from his legs to his neck to his wings, and as a young dragon his limbs will be awkward but solidly sleek, packed with muscle. As he ages, that may begin to atrophy somewhat, softening into gently slack pudge, but honestly, Tirneth will never look anything but skinny. Even eating five chubby herdbeasts a day won't put an extra pound on his frame, nor will endless exercises increase his bulk. His body is as stubborn and awkward as he can be, and that is that.

Of course, since every bit of him is long, his wings are long too. They are not, however, wide, and the lack of surface area will make liftoff challenging, at least at first. On the ground he is awkward and uncoordinated, often pratfalling and endlessly clumsy; in the air, he isn't much better. While other dragons seem to be able to straighten out once they're in the air, Tirneth will always look like he's hanging limp from his wings, and while it looks funny from the ground, it won't be so funny for his rider. He'll never have much speed or stamina, although the long, thin wings will make his agility superb... too bad his body flaps around like a forgotten rag, only his neck and head seeming to stay in contact with his shoulders. It is especially silly when you take into account the extra long tail, which whips and flips of it's own accord, only appearing more obvious and strange because it is missing the split finial most dragons have. His tail tapers smoothly to a point. It is a minor disfigurement, but it does seem to hinder his steering, if only a little.

A rich espresso brown covers this dragon's hide, so dark it is nearly black. He is liberally speckled with freckles the color of a latte, which cluster thicker on paws, nose, and tail tip. Only his wingsails are pure, unspoiled brown, although the bones of his wings also bear the telltale freckles. His extra-large eyes nearly always whirl with the green of amusement, and his mouth almost always open in the imitation of a human laugh or smile. He figures if humans express entertainment through laughter, why can't a dragon?

Personality: Tirneth is always the goofball, the class clown. Even when he doesn't mean to be (and he doesn't always) he is hilarious. Bad luck seems to follow him, but he can always rely on one of his many friends to get him out of a jam. For if nothing else, Tirneth is absolutely a pleasure to be around; no one is more well-versed in laughing at themselves, and at making others laugh right along with him. No matter what goes wrong in his life - if banana peels mysteriously appear in his path, rain dumps on him right after an oiling, or an errant gust blows a big tangle of thread into his face - Tirneth will treat it like a hilarious joke, perpetrated by the universe on him. That doesn't mean, though, that he won't go out of his way for a great pun or hilarious turn of phrase. If his friends are laughing, Tirneth is happy. Of course, not everyone will be his friends - he has a nasty habit of laughing at those who are angry or annoyed, and some creatures are certain to take that the wrong way (especially wingleaders and teachers who are trying to get him to be useful). Nothing makes him angry, so he cannot be baited into a fight, but if someone else strikes first, he won't hesitate to protect himself or escape, whatever seems best.

The Brown will never seek to lead, and honestly he is more of a follower. He is patently uncomfortable in positions of power, and will treat any appointment beyond Wingrider as a joke (generally leading to shoddy work and demotion). His good humor and good nature will win him plenty of friends, but Tirneth's need for attention comes from a deep-seated insecurity, something he may never shake. Secretly, he is ashamed of his body and his strange tail, and his inability to take anything seriously makes him worry about his personality. He wishes he was sleek and smooth, suave with the ladies like some of his siblings, but he knows he never will be and accepts it (never mind that many females find his genial personality far more interesting than the cotton-brained pretty ones). He will chase, but less often than most, and he tends to go after greens that have little to no interest in him - that way he can laugh at what little chance he had when they don't pick him. It is rare for him to chase greens he actually cares for, and even rarer for him to to go after golds; he'll only attempt those two categories of female when the outcome is 100% assured (the one exception to this rule is Quesseth - the two will always be the closest of friends, and he will chase her every time she rises). No matter what, Tirneth will always think of himself as a fraud; he believes he himself is somehow a joke on the world, one he's not in on.

It is highly likely that Tirneth will keep that outlook always, and take his insecurity to his grave. It is possible, however, that if put in a dire and desperate situation where His, a true love, or the weyr of his birth is in danger, he will stop the jokes for a moment and rise to the occasion. If this ever happens - truly, it would have to be a life or death situation, or a time when only his action could save Selenitas from destruction - he may find out that he's braver, stronger, and more capable than he ever imagined. That would lead to a much improved dragon, one who loves himself as much as his rider loves him, and who values himself as a contributing member of society. That could lead to a more well-adjusted Brown that will take things more seriously, who may even be comfortable leading a wing, or chasing those females he isn't sure of. Only time will tell.

[Chey]

Ilaxnos watched with something akin to great amusement as the Halfling Blue stumbled, but the explosion of a shell, expelling the Night Watch Brown, made her seem elegant and spectacular in contrast. The Brown stumbled and practically pinwheeled into Kelinale as he somehow managed to tangle his exceptionally long limbs into his exceptionally long tail. The dragon looked down at the boy he'd accidentally mauled, as if confused before looking up and sweeping his head across the crowd of candidates, like he'd lost something precious. Before Ilaxnos knew it, the Night Watch Brown had tackled him and was happily chirruping in his ear.

It didn't really make any sense to him until he registered that the Brown had called him I'nos. Or that he'd heard the Brown at all. He looked into the Brown's eyes, as he also realized that the little beauty sitting on top of him was named Tirneth. He drew in a shaky breath as he felt something that he'd craved since being Searched by Anusha and realizing that he had the opportunity to join the ranks of dragonriders: a mindmate. It was an absolutely mindblowing, a world shattering experience. Never in a million years could he ever understand why Ely would call his gorgeous little dragonet, his mindmate, a monster. He was just so utterly perfect and seemed to fit I'nos perfectly with his extreme clumsiness and his endearing, yet neverending, jabber.

[Rowana]

N'rik grinned when Olivia saw him. This just had to be her day, he was sure of it. Of course, he'd been sure in the past. Yet with so may eggs, Olivia's just had to be there. He just hoped she wouldn't get hurt in the process. He still had a scar from the Hatching that had given him Ophiuchusth. A few of the Candidates were injured already, though none looked serious. They hatchlings were taking their time, though, and was that a yellow one? This was an odd bunch to be sure.

~

Anna could hardly sit still in her chair as she watched each hatchling emerge with joy in her eyes. She'd been to hatchings before, of course, but each one was new and amazing. Except the one where the babies had been killed. Anna hadn't been allowed at that one because of the bad men who were there, but she still felt sad about it. She hoped no babies would vanish today. It was just too sad. So far all was well though and they were even starting to find their people.

"Look, Auntie Mae!" Anna pointed at each new dragon as it emerged. "Is that a queen?" She squinted at the yellowish hatchling. It didn't look shiny, but maybe she was too far away. Hoayamae chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm. "Looks a mite small, but you never can tell with dragons," she shrugged. "They seem to live to surprise us." Anna nodded, her eyes drifting. She spotted Phaiden and wave fiercely. "Good luck to your mamma!" she called.

[Sheari]

It all happened so fast for Kelinale. One moment he was standing, laughing with Ilaxnos, the next he was bowled over by a tangled up brown dragon. The weight on his body made breathing hard but the connection he felt made him excited. Whoops! Sorry, I didn’t…wait. You’re not mine.[/i] Hind claw dug into the back of Kelinale’s hips, and scraped the backs of his thighs a little as the hatchling leapt from him onto his friend. The pain brought him back out of the high emotions that made him think he had Impressed.

The wound from the shard in his knee stung fiercely as the bandage slipped and sand got into it. Further, his ribs were sore and his hips burned from the shallow gouges. There was also the vacancy of the connection fading from Tiranth. The touch hadn’t been anything like when he’d Impressed Morrigan. It had felt almost just like when he’d been search by L’am and his blue. The name of that dragon escaped him at the moment, and slowly, gingerly, he stood up. With the pain now coursing through his body, Kelinale found watching the eggs a bit difficult. Cleric, however, was simply having a fit with her person being so injured and she slowly started her walk out on to the Sands.

~*~

Weith turned his attention to Tiranth, watching the gawky, awkward brown carefully, as well as his other progeny. The blue seemed like a dancer next to his brother. His clutchsister Minth had been nearly as awkward, and now she was among Pern’s most graceful fliers. Perhaps there was hope? Llketh says that Nitrath’s has deep fears about Nitrath and I’s hatchlings being culled like his clutchsiblings were. Nitrath says that she herself is fine, and Llketh says that this hatching going well and smoothly will help Nitrath’s overcome her issues.[/i] The bronze relayed the message matter-of-factly.

R’men lifted a hand to place on Caden’s shoulder in comfort, but thought better of it. “Caden, with everyone here, everything will be fine. I would charge those Sands myself if anything did. I know its hard,” he felt wrong saying that, but he did have one dragon relay the messages of two others, so three dragons tell him it would be very difficult for her. He felt sort of like he was talking to a small, terrorized child that would fight off all contact, save their mother. When she relaxed a little, he assumed her dragon had said something by way of Er’ani mentioning upsetting Nitrath. He couldn’t express his sympathy, but he very well expressed his concern for her and her well-being.

[InsaneWhitey28]

.:oOo:.

"Hot enough to cause more discomfort on stinging skin than you should care to find out," the bluerider replied to the woman's query, letting go of her as she sat back in her seat. "I would hope not. I don't believe Nitrath would take kindly to a surprise on her Sands this go around."

Watch the little stars only, look at them go. Two blues yet, a green or more to match; let's hope their minds are just the same.

[/color]

Ka'aen wrinkled his nose at the blue's voice, the dragon perched and watching the hatchlings with intense interest as the dragonets stumbled and found Theirs. Shrugging off the comment, ignoring the riddle-like quality of it as he usually did, he answered Diamonique, "Bathing Rhiiseth more like. Not my fault ther-" Oh look a brown, one with a hide nearly as entrancing as my own.[/color] "-e wasn't any time to dry myself off, the heat from the Sands will do that." The pause between his speech was subtle, hardly a pause at all though his nose wrinkled again. Why not give your comments to someone else and stop interrupting me?

Because your a convenient conversation maker.[/color]

Gee thanks. "S'not like you couldn't have found me if you wanted to," Ka'ean replied with a raised brow, "I don't like Rhiiseth stinking up my weyr anyway." He shrugged as she clung to him, pausing briefly for a moment when she mentioned her salamandyr, "Aodh is keeping him company. He shouldn't be too lonely, Faranth knows the both of them should be grateful Rhiiseth is no longer chatting their minds off. Aodh should keep him out of trouble." Or make it worse. Hell hath no fury.

The bluerider dragged his attention to the blue the woman had mentioned, studying him for a moment, "There's nothing wrong physically. He's just small. We'll see as he grows though. And if Rhiiseth had been born a green I may have very well avoided him at the hatching. I like sex as much as the next man, but hardly that much." Another wrinkle of the nose.

"...Your welcome." she really seemed to have family issues. [/blockquote]

.:oOo:.

Rolling her shoulders as she wobbled from foot to foot, cooling the one then cooling the other, Rosanna tried to rub the kinks out of them; particularly one that seemed to have been almost dislocated when a rather moody yearling had decided to yank his lead out of her hand. She... will never ride one of those beasts. Ever. They were liable to throw her off.

As she contemplated whether she should get the shoulder checked, or whether she should just go soak in a long hot bath, she studied the tiny blue that had hatched, her mind immediately wandering back to the legendary Ruth. That was the size of the tiny blue, but his hide didn't fit the bill. As he Impressed, she forced herself to look away, frown still apparent on her lips and back on the eggs to spy the green whose leg had appeared earlier now outside of her egg and licking the goop off her hide. ...and staring at the female candidates as well apparently. Awkward.

Personally, Rosanna was a little creeped when that intense stare landed on her, her base reaction to glare at the dragonet even as a small part of her ranted that negative things like glaring chases the dragon away, that same little part shoving hope off on her mind which caused her to glare more when the green looked away and seemed to discard her, crushing that little part once again. Well fine then. Who needs you anyway? The young woman let her attention be grabbed by the other hatching dragonets, the next one a green who seemed almost like her sister. At least she didn't have a stare down with any of the candidates.

Huffing to herself, she found herself getting bored with the going ons, surprisingly. With all the fuss that Caden had been giving, Rosanna herself nervous about the possibilities, the hatching was almost... anti-climatic. It didn't help that the constant rocking of eggs, appearances of dragonets and their Impression to people she didn't know or hardly cared for, just got that same-old, same-old feeling for her. She supposed the riders enjoyed the hatchings over and over so much because it was like reliving a wonderful experience. But she had nothing to relive, huh.

The second green caught her attention again, just as she impressed to a boy -Kidem was it? She'd at least been in the barracks long enough to learn everyone's name, but that didn't mean her solitary loner wolf kind of feel made her go socialize with everyone. Speaking of socializing and Impressing, where was the other green? Just because boredom was threatening to overcome the miniaturized part of her that loved every second of the hatching, didn't mean she wasn't interested in who Impressed and who didn't.

Oh there she is. Right in front of me, I'll just step aside then a- You... My rider is a prankster and a thief, is she not? No matter, I know what I am doing. I always do, the dragonet's face wrinkled into what could only be a dragon smile, removing any sting from her words, Come, Rosanna. I am Istarith, and I am hungry.

[/i]

... What.

"Wha- Uh, yo- uh- wasn't I discarded?" she's such a poet.

Come now, I simply had to make sure my choice was correct, even if I knew from the beginning it already was, you were never discarded young one,[/color] Istarith stated kindly, flicking her wing at the teen, even as Rosanna bristled at the phrase 'young one' coming from a dragonet. Now let us go join my sister and brother, I'm still quite hungry and unless you'd like to carry me to our quarters I suggest we press onward to the food.[/color]

Rosanna snorted, rolling her eyes even as she placed a hand briefly on the green's head, running her fingers over that peculiar marking before leading the dragonet over to the meat, though she was certain the hatchling could have followed her nose just fine by the way it was flaring. Her outward appearance may be calm, but there was no denying her surging lust for food at the moment.

Istarith.

That was the name of her dragon, her dragon. After so long and having simply written herself off as never the closer it came to the end of her eligibility, she had found, or rather been found, by her dragon. Lovely, wonderful, Istarith. She felt like she might cry.

Adanth, Tarrith, Istarith greeted brusquely, I trust both of had no trouble? Rosanna these are my siblings, Adanth and Tarrith, as well as Theirs. Briefly the little green turned her attention to both Raylanne and K'dem, Parden my intrusion, but may I ask your names? Theirs, Hers, His, Human; terms that are so impersonal it's insulting at times. Names are what I prefer.

"Hi..." Rosanna muttered, blowing a fly away strand out of her face as she snagged the meat and handed a piece to Istarith, making sure she chewed and all, while ignoring the slight red on her face. So maybe the reason she didn't socialize was because she was blindingly shy? Who knew. [/blockquote]

.:oOo:.

"Would you like to take a seat lad?"

The question was kind, concerned even, but it made him jump briefly and peer at the giver peculiarly for a moment. Sitting. Could be worse for him at the moment, then standing. He could fidget at least, when standing.

"No," he replied curtly, ignoring the wrinkled brow of the other, the concern managing to seep past the annoyance of a brat talking back to his elders. Wouldn't be the first time, but it had been a long time since he'd gotten that look, among others. He didn't need mirror to know he'd probably gone pale, his tanned skin taking on a sickly undertone, as his lips pressed close together in an attempt to keep the nausea down. It had started a couple minutes ago, when that first blue had popped out of his shell. The bugger wasn't wingless and not nearly close to the same color as Kerpth's, his hand been more teal, but that didn't change the fact that Chandil hated the color blue.

Cold sweat matted his hair against his neck, the wall becoming his utter most support even as Besyr placed his front paws on his ears, a distracting annoyance that only the little blue knew how to pull off. Using any means at his disposal the flitter made to distract the teen, prodding at his hair, scratching at his check and flicking him with both wing and tail. Distractions are good, healing is good, and adding the two together during a Hatching were sure to destroy His's sense of illness.

"Will you quit it!?" the boy snarled, swatting briefly at the blue who easily dodged by climbing into his hair and settling on the other shoulder. Ahaha, success!

Chandil missed the next few Impressions with Besyr wandering all over his upper body, but when he turned back another blue was on the Sands being helped by a... yellow? What. Distraction from the blue go.

[Ivy]

Corvin:
Late. Or he would have been, had he actually been a Candidate. He wasn't though - so while he had been tagging along during the lessons and training now and again, he wasn't obligated to rush onto the Sands in a white robe like the others. After his solo training exercises, which were quite similar to what the group of Candidates had been doing, he went back to his apartment and freshened up. A nice hot bath. A fresh change of clothing. His hair looked nice as well. So when he did arrive at the hatching, just in time to see a brown Impress, he was very well put together.

Rolled up white sleeves came halfway up his forearms, the button up shirt was tucked into some light tan capri cut pants. Sandals finished off the look for the rugged trader as he made his way through the crowd until he found a free seat to watch from.

----------------------------------------

Ivy:
Heart caught in her throat as the two Greens appeared and began to inspect the Candidates. One came so close to her she could have touched it - if she were a fool looking to have a hand bit off. Biting her bottom lip she watched as they Impressed off, one to a boy and one to another female Candidate. Neither gave her so much as a second glance. It was still early in the Hatching but already that familiar feeling of disappointment and dread was beginning to work over her. The smile that seeing Cainith had brought to her lips was beginning to falter, and she refused to look at him now. Even from the distance he was at, he'd be sure to see the turmoil in her eyes.

Then someone was to her right and she turned to see who it was. She'd expected perhaps Saphor or one of the other girls, but instead she was met with a whole lot of handsome. True the plain white robes did little to highlight the form beneath them (except in her case, she'd been much younger and not quite so well endowed when she was first issued her robes - and despite the fact they clung to her in places she held on to them) but she could tell he was built. A light flush worked over her cheeks, and she could just feel Cainith's eyes staring into her from behind as she eyed the handsome young man, "They're gorgeous." Her eyes flitted towards the newly christened Weyrlings with their dragonets, "I'm Ivy... I don't believe we've met?" She had to have seen him at some point during lessons or training, hadn't she? Surely if they had actually spoken she would have remembered his name...

Another voice and then a hip bump and she turned to see Saphor. Smile returning in full force she nodded a bit, the disappointment of being passed over fading into the background with all the new attention she was getting. "There are still quite a lot of them, aren't there?"

It was just then that a few more of them made their way free of the eggs and onto the Sands. Another Blue, this one was larger but still small. Then a... gold? No, no, a Green? It was hard to say what the one from the Wolven Egg was. And a Brown. She dismissed the male dragonets almost instantly - a good thing she noted to herself as the Brown went and Impressed a boy. Eyes were on the gold-green now, noting her peculiar behavior. Had she just hidden as if blushing?

Remembering she was standing between two people who were both interested in speaking to her she took a slight step back so she could see each of them in her peripheral vision, "Saphor this is... I didn't catch his name." She could have just referred to him as tall dark and handsome, but knowing her luck Cainith would later hear that and no doubt he wouldn't approve. "You there, this is Saphor."

----------------------------------------

Ruliana:
Ruliana nodded lightly as Samael spoke, never having realized how painful his last two hatchings had been. When he touched her leg she put her hand on his and offered a friendly smile (not that he'd see it). A light squeeze was given to his hand and then she proceeded to watch the hatching, whispering to him which egg hatched which color and any Impressions as they occurred.

----------------------------------------

Roselle:
She wanted to jump the rail and go to her niece's side, but that wouldn't have been proper. And Tserieth had reminded her that she'd likely be mauled, eaten, or at best stabbed by the Jr. Weyrwoman if she attempted to set foot on the Sands. So instead she stayed in her seat and watched, good there were healers. Cairenn was looked over briefly but with the haste that the healers moved on to the next injured Candidate from her it seemed the cuts weren't that bad.

Relaxing a bit, Roselle sat on the edge of her seat each time a new dragon hatched, silently willing the Greens towards her niece - not that it worked that way. But at least she was being supportive.

[archenstone]

Alcherion smiled down at the beautiful young women. "My name is Alcherion and it is a pleasure to finally meet you both." Alcherion leaned down and took Ivy's hand and gave her knuckles a light kiss. "A true pleasure." He reiterated and after a moment repeated the gesture to Saphor so she would not feel left out. "Our Queen should have laid two golds for this beautiful day, for sure neither of you deserve less." He gave Ivy a casual once over with his eyes; lingering on her fiery red hair before meeting the emerald of her eyes.

He had spared the greens a quick glance then eyed the brown as it impressed to another male candidate. The other eggs where starting to hatch quicker it seemed. He kept his eyes to ones that drew him most for several seconds, his attention divided between the eggs and the two beautiful women standing by him.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Grigore looked on eagerly as the hatching continued. He made note of the colors that hatched and appreciated the unusual beauty in those who had come so far. Was it him; or where more and more dragons being born with unusual traits and colorations? The green/yellow baby drew his attention most for the moment with her bright colors and bashful appearance. She seemed fascinating in the way her colors came together. Surely she was a green, right? Or was she a gold with a greening cast? Who was he to know?

They certainly have a cuteness about them. He thought. He wondered if he could attend more hatchings in the future, for he took pleasure in seeing their first moments of life and the way they looked upon Impression. In fact, it gave him an idea for a new song.....

[Aftershock]

Cairenn jumped a bit as Olivia greeted her, having been involved in cleaning the sand particles from her hands and arms. Looking at the other Candidate girl, she forced a veneer of confidence over her nervousness and replied, "Yes, this is my first hatching. I just arrived here about a month ago. I-I don't need a Healer, no, it's just some scrapes from falling down... I didn't realize that little blue would have so much force behind him." She did not speak the fact that she also did not realize the dragonling would get so close, only to pass her by.

She was distracted momentarily as the Maester Green and Kingly Green both hatched, hope lighting her eyes until it was dashed when they Impressed to another Candidate girl... and a boy. A blue had Impressed to a girl and a green to a boy... this was not the hatching Cairenn had learned about in the few lessons she had attended at all. She watched the Wolven Green hatch, seeing better that it definitely didn't have the shine of a true gold after all, and the Halfling Blue, smiling slightly at the latter's clumsy antics.

Suddenly, she realized she hadn't introduced herself, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry... I'm Cairenn. My aunt Roselle is a greenrider... she Searched me. It's nice to meet you, Olivia," she concluded, her introduction causing her to miss the Impression of the Night Watchman Brown.

---

Samael smiled slightly as Ruliana squeezed his hand, his mood lightening slightly with the greenrider's comforting presence, and leaned in to listen to her describe the happenings of the hatching, using them in combination with the images he received from Feyrianth and Freyr... though Freyr was more distracted lavishing compliments on his green companion, despite the other male attention she was getting.

---

Cainith watched the hatching, seeing the Healers take care of the small cut on Ivy's ankle and frowning in frustration as the two greens that hatched passed Ivy by. He looked back out to the eggs again as the Wolven Green finished hatching and went to assist her bluebrother, then looked back to Ivy to see her reaction... only to see Alcherion kissing Ivy's hand as the muscular Candidate looked her over with undisguised interest and a smile.

A loud growl rumbling from his wide chest, he suddenly realized he was nearly shattering the bottle of wine in his white-knuckled grip, and placed the bottle down carefully on the ground next to him as he stood up, his thick hands on the short barrier between the Stands and the Sands, every muscle in his enormous body tensed as he glared daggers at the flirty Candidate who was talking to his girlfriend... if he tried anything further, he would jump the barrier and take care of him, dangerous or not.

[Lotty]

"Well, please pass it on to Fey that I am the reason Petta doesn't come around. I keep him away and to myself far too much," it was true... he had been busy with drills and various little things, but there was probably more than that too, like some communion forged during their days of exile. They didn't stay apart longer than they really had to.

"Daddy," he harumphed and shook his head, "yeah, yeah, yeah.... soak it up." He watched then as she bounced off to take care of some injured candidates, one hand reaching up to awkwardly wipe off the kiss to make room for the wry smirk on his face. Silly girl. He wondered how long exactly he was going to be teased and subjected to comments about his parenting status... maybe actually.... this was just a part of his life now. He couldn't exactly say that he expected it, but well maybe a few taunts were worth it. Besides, it was a change from all the "Kasella" jokes over the many years.

Mid-muse she was back, and the brownrider's attention quirked back over to her as he casually stood there on the hatching sands. He was a bit smug, no doubt, about the fact that he was getting away with his presence there, and even without having to invoke the title of "professional healer body guard" at that. Which was good because he wasn't even sure what that meant. Was he supposed to ward off wild hatchlings or what? Maybe he'd ask in a moment, when the woman wasn't so clearly enraptured by baby dragons, "I don't know if I am the best person to ask about hatchings. I didn't exactly Impress first go around.... or second... or third... and I can't say I remember much about most of them. The only thing memorable was Pettahth. He was very irritated at my self loathing and threatened to bite me unless I stopped." Ok, so maybe hatchings weren't all bad. They just weren't very high on K'sel's list.

Ah. Pettahth was so content there with the wing over him... and with a glance around he noted the presence of an Ismaroth at the hatching too, taking up the opposite side of the green and greeted him accordingly, So we meet again Ismaroth... This was quite good yes, to be in the presence of all of these wonderful types whom he deemed to be true friends, and he rumbled a bit in delight underneath the louder hum in which he had joined, It is hard to say about the two-legger littles Feyone. They are so small, and look squishy and soft. In fact they come in bundles like little snacks to eat up. But I know I can't. Sellamine loves the little, and I see in it a bit of Mine and a bit of Nuoth's. I will know better when the little is big enough to snuggle. I want to see how soft they are.

Lifting his head ever so slightly he caught sight of the strange little firelizard who had come to greet Fey, and sticking his nose out, he was determined to investigate this creature. It was so odd after all, coming by to chatter with dragons. Petta was thoroughly amused, and twined his tail with Fey's as he questioned her about the bronze, So many admirers. Tell me should I worry about this one? He seems to have so much charm...

--

Well she certainly seemed happy. Maybe not as happy to see him as she was to be at a hatching, but something about infatuation clouded Mi'rah's judgement. Being the schmuck that he was, he just allowed himself the be infected by her contagious personality, and bobbed his head along in agreement. Sliding into the spot that was opened for him, he folded his hands into his lap where they could grasp each other in the usual nervousness, "My hatching? I mean...well Kier's?" He considered the question, and tried to make an abridged version of it. She hardly would want to listen to him ramble on and on after all.

"Kier hatched towards the beginning of the clutch. So it is good I wasn't late. I did fall over though. I thought he was coming to maul me so I fell backwards into the sands. He was quite humored by it."

Spurred by the thoughts in Mi'rah's head, Kierjaarth couldn't help but interject a little bit, adding to the rider's inner dialogue, I don't know Rahmine. Was I amused, or worried about my decision making? Who are you kidding, you only question others, never yourself, you critical lump.

[Ruby]

And what, precisely, do you know about it?[/i] a warm, silky voice hummed in to Alcherion, Saphor, and Ivy's minds. An absolutely gorgeous hatchling had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, although those watching the clutch carefully would have seen the Elven Egg split neatly in two, depositing the perfect specimen before them on the sands without even the tiniest awkwardness. Somehow, the Elven Blue seemed like he'd missed out on the standard hatchling egg goop, too - he was spotless. No really, I seriously want to know,[/i] he continued, brow furrowing in pretty confusion. I thought we picked, not you all. Should I go back to my shell and try again?[/i] Looking from one Candidate to the other, the pretty little hatchling blinked big, liquid eyes, waiting for an answer -

Taking too long, brother![/i] the Dwarven Green shouted, shaking off the remnants of her ugly, lumpy egg. She was equally lumpy, near the size of the Elven Blue, and GREEN. No question about this baby's hide. While the Elven Blue spent his time looking confused, the Dwarven Green let out a roar, apparently just for fun, and charged her brother. The Elven Blue managed to get out of the way, crashing sideways into Saphor, but Ivy and Alcherion were probably not so lucky. Regardless of where they were, though, the Dwarven Green wasn't stopping for anything or anyone. She made a beeline directly over the two candidates, heading unerringly for Eselda. She didn't quite manage to put the breaks on in time, though, and skidded into the young woman's legs. Rolling on to her back, she flopped one wing out sideways, huffing audibly as she addressed her new Rider. Hi. Sorry for the rush, I had to beat Eldath. I'm your Nogoth, and... hey, we'd better get to the food before Eldath, too. Could I get a bit of help finding my feet?

The Elven Blue looked somewhere between startled and miffed, but shook his perfect neck back into place and crossed his arms, looking down at the girl beneath him. It does not matter, I did not want her anyway. Saphor, beauty, will you be mine forever? For I will be yours, your Eldath. Now and always.[/i]

All this drama served to disguise another hatchling: the Aiel Egg shivered and chipped, eventually exposing a little green with a grass-patterned hide. She spent a bit of time examining candidates (staying wide of the Eldath/Nogoth debacle) before selecting a dark-haired, dark-eyed, dark-skinned boy from the middle of the crowd. He knelt in front of her, all the tears and hugging indicating impression just as well as the dragonet's rainbow eyes. Eventually, he raised a tear-stained face to the crowd and announced, "I am Py'pr, and this is Quesseth!"

[Ruby]

Elven Blue
Bonded To: Saphor
Name: Eldath
Color: Blue (00ade6), Markings (abcdef)

Appearance: Eldath is... perfect. There is really no other word for this dragon, and none of his sisters will come close to matching his beauty. Regardless of personal taste or sexual orientation, the Blue is nothing short of gorgeous, and no one will be able to deny that. Even the most gold-loving of Bronzes would be able to find no other adjective; he is neither strong nor stalwart nor handsome, or rather he is, but only in perfect proportions. It is only his beauty that sticks out. He knows it, too, and is happy to pick poses that show off exactly how stunning he is. Standing, sitting, flying, even sleeping, no one can help how often their eyes rest on Eldath's perfect body. It just happens.

Honestly, he's fairly average as far as size goes, but the perfect, delicate symmetry of his form, the elegant curve of his neck and tail, and his understated yet clearly powerful musculature make him seem far more that simply "average". His wings, too, are perfectly normal in size, and in flight he will have the best of all worlds: he absolutely dances in the air, even if he is just flying straight. With speed, agility, and good stamina (for a blue anyway) on his side, outflying other blues will be incredibly simple. He will be as good in battle as he is in threadfall; flowing from enemy to enemy, dazzling them with his startling, near-impossible maneuvers, taking them out, and moving on. On land, even as a hatchling, he will be no less impressive, seeming to glide along like a swan on a lake.

His hide looks somewhat like a lake too, albeit a very pale, clear one. Always reflectively shiny, even when he hasn't been oiled in weeks, Eldath's hide is a stunning shade of bright sky blue, or maybe the color of a tropical sea. Paws, tail, face, and wingsails bleed into a silvery pale blue, more of a cornflower shade than anything, although approaching white rather than approaching purple as darker cornflower shades do. This silvery shade has a definite shine even compared to his usually shiny hide, metallic like a gold or bronze rather than matte like a normal blue. It traces faint ribbons and lace all over the tropical blue of the rest of his hide, blurring into faint swirls from a distance but intricately detailed up close. It could easily be gaudy, but Eldath being Eldath, the overall effect is incredibly tasteful in every way. To finish everything off, his left forefingers bear a total of three ring-markings, tropical blue standing out sharply against silver-blue.

Personality: Beautiful outsides, beautiful insides, right? Well... arguably, in Eldath's case. He is gentle and kind and above all courtly and polite, especially with females, but it cannot be denied that Eldath is downright stupid. His bonded will have to do most of the thinking for the pair, at least thinking that goes beyond following orders, courting females, and destroying enemies. Forgetful and not remotely street-smart, he is especially prone to stating the obvious ("Thread is falling!" as he appears at the leading edge of a Fall, for instance) and making completely unnecessary observations ("Ah, the sun is bright today"), especially when they take attention away from whatever important thing is going on. Luckily his mindvoice is as silvery and sleek as he is, so it is fairly easy to forget exactly what idiocy he is spouting if you aren't paying close attention.

Beyond a bit of extra fluff instead of grey matter, Eldath tends to be quite serious and fairly dramatic about everything, making the smallest, simplest interactions into situations of epic proportions. Every feeling seems amplified a hundred times or so, so if someone is marginally nice to him they are his best friend ever, if someone is marginally mean they become a sworn enemy, and if he feels vaguely attracted to them, well. True love, obviously, which is very different from Flight. He especially likes shiny gold hides, but any shiny hide will do in a pinch, and he will do his best to attract the bright ones with little coy glances, meeting of the eyes, etc. Then he'll worship whichever one seems most resistant from afar, and eventually declare his passionate devotion. He expects to be rejected, of course - if she did not reject him she would not be the virtuous Queen he thought she was, after all - so he will have to prove his unending commitment with oaths of love and heroic deeds, accompanied by all the hallmarks of love sickness. That's usually where it ends; he'll attempt to fly the Gold (or occasionally Green) in question, but if she ever picks him, he'll do his best to hide the fact from the world, being humble and attempting to cleverly conceal their love. It isn't seemly, after all, for a Queen to be mated to someone as lowly as Eldath. He expects to be displaced, so the game can begin again.

He treats his bonded, male or female, as a part of himself, and Eldath loves himself at least as much as he loves the golds he tries to court. They will be showered in gifts and praise and devotion, and he will do his best to make them happy, often meddling in their affairs to do so. Noticed a pretty/handsome Rider at dinner? Expect to run into them constantly, walk in on them bathing, etc. Eldath may not be smart, but he has a talent for setting people up with each other that borders on brilliance, even if things don't usually turn out quite as he planned. He especially enjoys forbidden love, so if the Weyrlingmaster or Wingleader is an appropriate match, expect to be in awkward situations with them embarrassingly frequently. He also has an extremely close relationship with his sister, Nogoth; the pair will be nigh inseparable, her sensibleness and sharp wit balancing out Eldath's endless foolishness. He'll fly her whenever he can, and the riders had better like each other, because they will be spending a disgusting amount of time together. However, Nogoth will never be courted like a Queen - she's different, Eldath will insist, without being able to explain.


Dwarven Green
Bonded To: Eselda
Name: Nogoth
Color: Green (01a009), Markings (00c909)

Appearance: In contrast to many of her siblings, Nogoth is very thick. In fact, she'd be considered thick even for a workhorse brown, and it doesn't help that she's near the size of a small blue. There's nothing cute about her - her musculature is ropy, she has a wide barrel chest and an equally wide gut, her limbs are thick, her tail is club-like. Even her too-big head is a little odd, with an oversized forehead, pronounced eyeridges, and small eyes, which seem to always have a slight red tint no matter how relaxed and happy she is. She looks powerful in the way that an old Rider past his perfect-abs prime might look powerful; gone somewhat to seed, but still insanely strong. She's the kind of dragon that looks like she could take your head off with the swipe of a paw. Perhaps the only mitigating factor is her apparent lack of claws and teeth - they're there, but they are much more green-appropriate, and seem almost lost against her otherwise hulking form.

Her wings are equally squat and wide, and the membranes are as thick as the rest of her skin, which will be hard for anyone to rip through. Given her heft, she'll have a hard time getting off the ground in Weyrling training; likely, she will be the very last member of her class able to get into the air. Once she does, though, she'll be a sight to see. Her natural endurance is extraordinary, and she has a sort of bull-rush flight style that should intimidate anyone. She is extremely fast over short distances, although if she tries to keep that sort of thing up her speed will quickly drop off. Agility will take work, and she will likely always prefer a more straightforward style of flight, even if she does eventually get her fancy tricks up to snuff. Nogoth, however, will always be one of the steadiest fliers - if Hers is at all prone to gymnastics, they should be able to pull off even the trickiest of moves on Nogoth's broad back.

Honestly, though, Nogoth's bursts of speed and insane stability are probably her best attributes. Her body is odd, and her color does nothing to help. It is the most obvious of greens, a standard sort of bright grass or something akin to ichor, the color every other green's hide is a shade of. She doesn't even have the advantage of the pretty markings some of her siblings sport. The shade is unbroken, not mottled or variegated at all, it just is. The only exception is the tip of her nose and the tip of her tail, which both lighten almost imperceptibly. The delicate bones of her wings are highlighted too, ever so slightly, and a total of seven bright green ring-markings encircle various fingers and toes, leaving only her left forepaw bare.

Personality: Nogoth can seem gruff and grumpy, but it's the same sort of gruff grumpiness your favorite grandfather might have. She's hardly ever actually annoyed or irritable, she just sees no need to bother with pleasantries when simple statements will do just as well. Under it all is an amazingly good heart; Nogoth's ability to love and accept people and creatures of every type seems practically boundless. It's not really possible to get on her bad side, because she doesn't seem to have a bad side to get on. While the Green will never be a social butterfly, those that approach her and manage to get through her rough exterior will be richly rewarded. She's a true friend, the sort that will put herself in harm's way for you without thinking about it, and will ask nothing in return. Literally nothing - there are only three people in the world Nogoth would ever think to impose on: her rider, Eldath, and Eldath's bonded.

Even through her gruffness, though, it is clear that Nogoth is a sharp, witty, and sensible dragon. Yes, she might be short with a wingmate or sibling (or mate) if they are doing something stupid or goofing off when they should be working, but she'll follow that up with a joke to lighten the mood or by doing everything in her power to fix any problem they might be having. She is highly aware of her own limits, but is always looking to improve herself and those around her in whatever way she can. She's an incredibly active dragon, but she is also excellent at enjoying whatever she's doing for it's own sake: if she's sunning and relaxing, she's actively wringing every possible second of enjoyment out of it rather that just passively being. Eating, sleeping, training, fighting; she throws herself at anything and everything with a sort of enviable passion few can match. Nogoth never does anything 'just because', nor is she ever really confused - no time to dither, she'd rather make a split-second educated decision and revise later if she turned out to be wrong.

She and Eldath will always be extremely close, from hatching until death. Why is anyone's guess - Eldath's fluff-brained idiocy seems like the exact opposite of sensible, clever Nogoth, and the two are endlessly competitive and will make it a point to out-do each other whenever possible. Still, the fact remains that she tolerates a level of idiocy from him that she tolerates from no one else. The fact that Nogoth is half in love with him and that he will likely never see it could be the reason, but generally the Green seems too smart for that. She's usually too shy to pick him more than half the time when she rises, though, generally opting for whatever dragon is least like him - the rude ones, the uninterested, the violent. Those with disengaged or too-engaged riders are also a great target. Better yet, the first time Hers has alcohol, Nogoth will discover that she absolutely adores the sensation of being drunk, so Hers should expect to drink heavily leading up to Flight (and, honestly, whenever Nogoth can influence Hers to do so. It's sooooo much fun!) so best of luck with that one. Remember, Nogoth seems to do everything with a bit too much enthusiasm.

[Chey]

I'nos crouched on the ground, next to the lengthy Tirneth. The dragon's limbs were so long that he was awkward no matter what he did. The best I'nos could do was keep him still so he didn't end up tripping again and mauling someone else. Speaking of mauled Candidates, he looked over to check on Kelinale. His hip had been gouged when Tirneth had jumped off him and he hoped that he wasn't injured too much. He wasn't moaning in pain or anything, so it probably wasn't too serious, but the blood still made him feel a tad bad. Kelinale's dog had become distressed and was slowly making her way out onto the sand.

Don't worry so much I'nos. Your friend with the four-legger seems just fine.Tirneth assured him from his place, where he was clutched in I'nos' arms protectively. I'nos, look at my siblings.... I think that one is a Blue....

I'nos nodded distractedly, feeling Tirneth's dark, speckled hide under his fingers. The Elven Egg hatched into the Elven Blue and I'nos was somewhat taken aback. The Blue was positively gorgeous, as if he'd come out of his egg perfect and ready for any type of action. The Dwarven Green that hatched with him seemed somewhat bulky in comparison, but she too was well built compared to his little dragonet. Tirneth quivered under his palms and I'nos stroked him again. So what? His dragon was just positively adorable with his clumsiness and his jokes- and I'nos didn't care how feminine that made him sound.

[Tashe]

It is the company one keeps in these times of merriment that makes the event. Crooning he watched as the little Blue Impressed to one of their Healers, and the Greens impress to a young man and woman. So we do, indeed Pettahth. Not like they didn't meet at least three times a week for wing training.

E'rro did not want to move around the sands if he could help it, not with the Junior Weyrwoman looking as she did. So his eyes scanned back and forth over the candidates whenever one was knocked down or a stray claw flashed in the dim light, if they weren't bleeding profusely they would be okay to finish the hatching. As far as he could tell, there where only scratches and some puncture marks, nothing too bad. Which was really actually very good. Either way the Councilman stood ready to aid whoever needed it.

---

Istarith. Adanth shifted his tail slightly as his other sister joined them. Only a little. But the ones who you do not work for are rarely worth your time. The Blue rumbled as he enjoyed himself. Raylanne on the other hand jumped slightly when the little Green spoke to her, the Healer was still getting used to having one voice in her head so two was a bit unsettling. Though Istarith sounded polite enough about the intrusion (how did she know the Green's name?) "It is alright, I am Raylanne." She glanced at the newest addition to their little group. "Hello."

" Look, we are missing the choosings of our kin. The Blue spread a wing out towards their now hatched clutchmates. Even pretty Eldath has chosen. I would have expected him to take a far longer time.

---

Undetered by not getting a response from the Goldierider, Kai was more than happy to watch and babble on. "Look Cadie! Two greens!" A few minutes later, "Three Greens and... two Blues and a Brown!" The young boy leaned a little father through the slats in the railing. "Aren't there 'sposed to be Bronzeies? Maybe the Bronzeies are shy!" He giggled. "Shy bronzies, shy bronzies and not shy Greenies!" He paused in his bouncing to look at Caden. "Cadie, cadie, do you think I will get a draagon somedaay? When they aren't so scary? My Dragon won't be scary!" Vain hissed at the idea of sharing his human with anyone else.

"Kai, don't lean too far out, you'll fall."

Kaegan was letting the boys deal with Caden's nerves, although she thought it was best to leave the poor girl alone now that they had voiced their opinions. At least about the whole, the eggs will be safe thing. Distract her with something else. She glanced up at Millieth who hadn't moved at all since she had gotten there. Perhaps it was surreal for her to be watching her daughter's hatching.

Millieth shuffled her wings before touching base with Nitrath, asking her how she was fairing. She didn't want to intrude too much, in fact she probably wouldn't attend another of the Gold's hatchings after this, unless specifically asked to do so.

[Ember]

Taarith's eyes swirled slowly though pleasantly at her brother's words. Patience is a very attractive virtue, was the green's comment on the matter. She glanced up at K'dem and gave a draconic shrug. He is mine and I am his; we fit together in a way unique to us. He was merely waiting, even if he did not realize it. The man in question shook his head faintly, a little overwhelmed by the whole situation and the fact that he could hear his dragon talking and responding to something he couldn't hear. Oh lord, his dragon.

K'dem nodded to Raylanne, however. "Yes, I remember." She was one of the few around the same age as him in their class and she seemed smart enough. K'dem may not interact with them much but he watched and listened. Unable to hear Adanth, K'dem added, "This is Taarith." The green in question gave a gentle nod in greeting before nosing K'dem's hand lightly. I am sorry to interrupt but... "Yes, right, I can practically feel your hunger." K'dem set to work on slicing up the meat for Taarith.

I am afraid, brother, that I am beyond patience for food at this point. I shall join you, Istarith will be along soon enough, The green told Adanth with the faintest hint of amusement. She obediently listened to K'dem's intructions to chew the morsels he fed her. If he occasionally snuck a feel along her limbs or her head she made no mention of it, just a fleeting sureness that this was good, right even. She didn't try and sever the contact, not even when Istarith arrived and she had to crane awkwardly in order to stay in contact.

Nothing went amiss for myself, Istarith. Other than, perhaps, K'dem's response to being addressed by another dragon. One was more than enough for the moment. "Kidem, if you please," he managed to say, forgetting to elide his own name. He had been Kidem for over twenty turns already - K'dem would take some getting used to. "No need to be so nervous, Rosanna. We're all in the same boat now." Hmm. Tirneth and Nogoth, too. Many more have yet to find their soulmates like we have. K'dem blinked down at Taarith in surprise. Such inspiring words and he could swear she was waiting, watching her siblings.

[Sheari]

A perfect blue. His hide a pleasing shade that was highlighted in just the right way in all the right places. Kelinale watched as he made his choice alongside his lumpy sister. It appeared almost as if whatever powers that be had decided to mismatch any parts for the blue that didn’t fit and paint them a flawless green. The colour didn’t hide the flaws in composition; however, when not standing next to her brother, she might seem more proportioned. Near him, she paled. It wasn’t his place to judge, however, and Kelinale applauded when the two Impressed. He also saw Quesseth Impress to Py’pr, the boy’s tear-stained face smiling.

Kelinale, though, was not feeling the love. The adrenaline had worn off from being trampled and used as a springboard, and now he could really feel his hurts. His knee was beginning to threaten to make life harder, and his hips still seeped blood. He knew that he was lucky to be Standing, but right now it was just too much to actually stand. Would anyone blame him if he sat down for a minute? It wouldn’t matter to the dragonets if he sat down, after all, if one of them was his, it would find him, right? Very gingerly, Kelinale sat down, legs stretched before him, leaning forward to take the strain from his gashes.

Cleric whined from where she was, head down, tail tucked, progress slow. She feared, oh boy did she fear, but hr devotion drove her. Her person was hurt, her person was bleeding. She had to get to him! Paws picking up in an odd gait as she moved across the Sands, the canine eventually made her way to Kelinale. She nosed him, wiggling her head under his left arm and sitting down. She panted, shivering with nerves but wanting to comfort her person no matter how warm she got. Part to try and comfort him, part to comfort herself, she shrank into Kelinale as best she could. She was here, she loved him, he’d be okay, right?