Hatching of the Starry Night Wher Clutch

[nightingale]

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The wild queen was restless. She had been treading circles around the perimeter of her clutch since before midnight, her large eyes whirling with yellow and the occasional streak of crimson when her impatience got the better of her. They were taking too long, these children of hers! The night would soon be over, and if they did not begin hatching promptly she would be forced to spend another day pricked by sleepless anticipation.

She snorted, nudging Aries Egg impatiently when she noticed it listing to one side. Odd that it seemed to be warmer than she remembered it...and did she really feel it moving? Perhaps the infant tucked beneath it’s scarlet shell had awoken itself, or perhaps she was only imagining that she felt heat and movement to make this long wait slightly less grating upon her nerves. She was beginning to regret clutching in a human settlement.

A loud crack drew her attention sharply toward the Libra Egg, which had begun rocking without her notice. The queen studied it for a brief moment, watching as a hairline crack appeared between the interlocking gold rings before rasing her head in a summoning bellow that was both audible and telepathic. Any humanthing who dared to think itself worthy of a wher’s attention would come to her! NOW!


CANDIDATES PLEASE NOTE: This is a clutch of wild whers, and so you should know that they differ slightly from their domestic cousins. Wild whers are slightly smaller, and are built more solidly than watch-bred whers. They are also born without photophobia, and so while they are still chiefly nocturnal it is possible for one to venture outside during daylight hours. For more information on bonding rituals, see Weaving’s Wher Guide.

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Cygnus Egg ~ Hatched blue Venusk to Venus

Sirius Egg ~ Hatched blue Mask to Malara

Draco Egg ~ Hatched Brown|WILD

Libra Egg ~ Hatched green Elask to Elanise(NPC) and green Maisk to Mairen |LETHAL DEFORMITY

Pegasus Egg ~ Hactched bronze Roisk to Roivao

Aries Egg ~ Hatched green Cadisk to Cadil

Andromeda Egg ~ Hatched gold Rozsk to Rozen

[Rei]

Malara heard the queens summons not because she was anywhere close, but because the Candidate master’s bronze fire lizard Brass had seen fit to awaken the whole barracks. Did one need the white robe for a wher hatching? The blonde wasn’t sure but she donned it anyway. Small tendrils of nervous anticipation began to bloom in her gut. That was a new feeling. The candidate prided herself on her level head. Surely it wouldn’t fail her this night.

Malara shook off the feeling as she made her way to the boats and let a male candidate row her and a few other hopefuls across the now swift flowing river. She would not have had the strength to row it herself. Would the wild Queen let them anywhere close to the hatching whers? She had brought her own knife for the blooding. Perhaps she wouldn’t need it but she felt much better cutting herself then letting someone else do it.

The girl stilled her shaking hands as they made landfall. Taking a few deep steadying breaths she navigated the hallways until she stepped foot on the scorching sands. The candidate walked forward a few feet and noting the queens nervous and angry demeanor she bowed low and waited for a signal that it was ok to approach. No sense getting mauled at the beginning of the hatching.

[ladybug]

Cadil was awake, lounging around the common room. He was starting to get used to a wherhandler's schedule. When the humming started, he could hear it and feel it in his feet. Surprised, he jumped up, wondering if an earthquake was starting. Then he put two and two together and realized that the Hatching had begun. "Oh Faranth..."

Heart pounding, he ran to his room and tugged on his white robe. The robe was bland enough to hide anyone's gender, and that suited him just fine. Taking a deep breath, he headed to the Hatching area. He was glad he had a chance to see and touch the eggs before this. At least he knew a little of what to expect. He clutched his belt knife in his hand, hoping he would need it.

Stepping onto the hot sands, he took in the situation. One other candidate was there so far. Cadil had seen her around the barracks, but hadn't formally met her. He gave her a tentative smile as he approached the clutch. The Queen looked grumpy, a little more threatening than when he first met her. He bowed and waited with Malara, hoping the wild Gold remembered him.

[Rowana]

Roivao felt, rather than heard the queen's summons. A mental tug on his mind, so similar and yet alien. It reminded him of what it was like to have someone else's dragon speak to you, as Kaaoloth had days before. He rolled easily out of bed and pulled on some clothes. They were new, and in considerable better repair than his old ones, but the Headwoman must have assumed he would grow wider. The fabric hung rather loosely around his thin frame, which seem to be taking it's time to get health back. Already, though, he was feeling more alive than he had in turns. The queen was partly responsible for that. Without her firm insistence that he decide for himself, he might just have wasted away without a care.

By way of thanks, he thought it only proper to visit her on such a day. He didn't expect anything would come of it, but it would be an honor to see young whers, possibly even some that would bond to a human. He had seen many dragon hatchings in his day, but this would be his first wher one. The room was still mostly empty when he arrived, only a few hopeful youngsters in candidate white. He stared at them for a moment, his face pained as he recalled his own day wearing those robs.

Roi didn't want to disturb anyone, not when the queen looked so agitated and all attention was on her and her clutch, as it should be. He sent the queen his thoughts congratulations and good fortune to her young, then he slipped into a place by the wall and leaned back to watch. His mind was half in that room, and half in a memory turns old and miles away. He wondered what Iloth would say to him now? Would he be happy that Roi had decided to live on? Or sad that he would not join him between. He desperately wished he could speak to the dragon, if only one more time, to assure himself that it would be alright. But he would never know.

[lilliana]

The CandidateMaster’s firelizard whipped through the barracks, and Mairen woke with a start. He blinked and raised his head, trying to organize his thoughts. By Faranth, why was a sharding flitter winging over his bed and causing such a commotion? As other candidates began to wake up – their thoughts apparently more put together than his own – and began talking about eggs, he finally put two and two together.

The wild eggs were hatching.

Mairen rushed out of his bed, shaking his hair out simultaneously. This was his chance. Was he nervous? Definitely. He hadn’t even had a chance to see the eggs, or meet the queen… or, for that matter, many of the other candidates. So as he straightened his clothes, and then smoothed over the furs of his bed, worried thoughts began to run through his head.

He grabbed a little knife from his trunk, which he had brought for this very reason – among others. The candidate left the barracks and followed another candidate that he dimly recognized down to the Wher Clutch. Wincing as his feet hit the hot sands- thankfully, he had remembered to wear a pair of boots- Mairen bowed to the queen. This was sure to be interesting.

[hseru]

The mental bellow reached Rozen before the audible one, but they were so close together that the two mingled into one overwhelming urging to come, come. She staggered, leaning against the rough wall, the large bowl of choice tidbits consisting mainly of herdbeast hearts, livers and other decadent organs nearly slipping from her hands -her apology offering for the the queen for an earlier mishap. Said reason for earlier mishap was currently sulking on her bed in the candidate barracks after a long effort of training him to 'stay'. Of course, the small slices of heart she'd prepared for Zeek went a long way to heal the hurt the little brown felt at being left behind, but she would probably need to reinforce the command if something happened while she was visiting the gold wher.

Speaking of something happening, she saw a few people rushing into the wherhandler apartments, and that plus the queen's call connected into a single momentous occasion. The eggs were hatching! Quickly gathering herself up, she glanced down at the clothes she wore, having spotted a few white clad candidates ahead of her. Well, it's not like she wasn't dressed as decently as she always was. The gold was used to seeing her in her pale clothes.. maybe it'd be ok? By the time she got her robes, it might even be over! There was no way she'd miss this. Starting forward quickly, she didn't need to check for the familiar blade strapped to her forearm -it was always there. Lucky thing, that.

Entering the dimmed apartments, she threaded her way through the now familiar route to the hatching chamber, noting that there were already several others gathered, many she'd only seen in candidate class. Also that man was there.. the one who had visited on the night the queen nearly attacked her. What was he planning, to watch? Giving a very low bow to the queen, she paused, unsure what to do with her bowl of meat. Common sense told her to not approach the clutch and its unpredictable mother, but she didn't want to be holding it when hungry whers broke through their shells, one of which she could just barely see was already doing so. After a few seconds worth of deliberation, she finally moved carefully to the far corner of the room, away from the other Candidates and the older man, and getting no closer to the clutch, to set the bowl there so that if anything was drawn to it, there wouldn't be anyone in its way.

Returning to the small gathering of hopefuls, she bowed once more to the queen, attempting to send out her rejoicing and congratulations for such a magnificent clutch soon to hatch magnificent whers. As she grew still, she pondered the older man out of the corner of her eye, nodding faintly to him as well. He wasn't an obvious obstacle to her gaining a bond with a wher, so she was courteous. She shortly returned her attention to the hatching though, her happiness plain on her face.

[topaz]

Startled out of a pleasant dream, Venus shot up in her cot, gripping her furs. Looking around, and getting her bearings, the Candidate suddenly realized why she had been awakened. Climbing out of bed, she searched for something to wear. Would the ceremonial robes for the dragon Hatching be acceptable? Well, either way, she didn't think she'd be penalized for wearing them. Yes, take the safe route. That seemed the best idea when Standing for a wild wher clutch.

Hurrying out of the barracks, Venus made good time to the wehrhandler's apartments, crossing the river with little difficulty as the adrenalin now rushing through her made paddling much easier. Winding her way to the back room where the clutch was, she aligned herself with the rest of the hopefuls. Suddenly she noticed that some of them had knives. Oh shards. Would they provide her with one? She was never a girl to feel then need to carry around a belt knife, but now she was regretting that decision.

Taking her first glance at the clutch, and their hovering mother, Venus was entranced. She had never gotten a good glimpse of a wher before, but this Gold was simply marvelous. Relatively small, but heavily muscled, this beast was not one to be trifled with. Venus bowed low to the expecting mother, and tentatively sent her best wishes and some lavish praise to the queen's thoughts. Hopefully she would not entice the wher's wrath, neither the Gold nor her children.

A sudden movement drew the Candidate's eye, as she settled to look at the Libra Egg. It was shaking and already cracked. Brown eyes glued to the moving oval capsule, Venus stood perfectly still, waiting for the Hatching to begin in ernest.

[Avu]

A pale, ghostly blue form wound its way through the entrance of the Hatching Sands -- the form of another wher. Meisk's eyes gleaming softly as he hummed, the wher's soft, nervous tones rising and falling like the wind. As he caught sight of the wild queen, the blue crooned quietly in greeting, bowing his head in a signal of respect, and one of congratulations, his eyes flushing nervously lest the queen take offense and chase him off. Wings flaring slightly, Meisk edged his way towards the sides of the Hatching Sands. The Stands there weren't nearly large enough to support many, since most people didn't want to see a wher Hatching, but it didn't matter: It was only Meisk and His, anyway. The bluehandler that followed her wher had a bag, dangling from one shoulder; the bag exuded a faintly medicinal scent. And that was exactly what it contained: Numbweed, redwort, and bandages. She might have brought more, but she didn't see why she'd need it: Redwort to cleanse a wound, numbweed to take away the pain, and a bandages to put pressure on a wound and stop the bleeding. It was applicable to both whers and to humans. So -- good. She had everything, then.

The Healer hadn't really meant to come -- attending the Hatching meant skipping her shift at the Infirmary -- but she'd worked it out with the shift leader and had been cleared to go. Wher Hatchings weren't typically as bloody as dragon Hatchings were, since whers were infinitely less picky (Meisk had Bonded to her because she'd been cuddling him and trying to get a dragonhealer to check a broken wing). Nevertheless, the memory of Meisk's extremely traumatic Hatching had made her nervous, and she'd decided to come to spare the possibility of a new wherling having to run all the way to the Infirmary as she'd had to, toting a broken-winged wher. "Meisk. Lovely? Can you tell her, please?" she murmured, leaning down to touch the blue's head to get his attention. The wide eyes turned towards her appraisingly, and he crooned nervously, one wing twitching before he reached out to touch the queen's mind, starting with a sense of apology for disturbing her, and then offering her images: His was a Healer, and she knew some dragonhealing, too. They wanted to make sure her babies would be all right. He finished with a question: Could they stay?

The blue shied backwards nervously in case she decided to launch out at him (for whatever reason), tucking his head nervously against Meira's lap. His tongue flicked out to touch her arm; he'd told the wild queen, he had. "Thanks," came the Healer's response, and she glanced away from the assorted Candidates, the twitching eggs, to lean down, kissing the blue's head and earning a pleased croon. Tucking one arm loosely around the wher's neck, Meira glanced up over the Candidates' heads, appraising the wild queen intently. She was a beautiful creature (biased towards whers, she admitted she was, though). Distinctly smaller than Neisk, Neirin's gold, wasn't she? Perhaps that was just her being wild. Wild whers couldn't possibly get the pampering that a watch-wher, Bonded to someone, did. Meisk fidgeted slightly, and then pressed against her mind nervously with an image of Zesa.

"She can't come," Meira protested quietly. "I know you miss her, hmm? But she can't." A more insistent image, and then a question; where was she? "At the Infirmary, I suppose. Asleep. She doesn't mind not coming, dear. Not all whers like flitters, you know. I don't want her to be eaten." The statement was accompanied by a wry smile. Very, very fond of Zesa was Meisk; the blue wher positively doted on the queen, and she returned his affections happily. It had surprised her, initially, the rapid bond that had formed between wher and flitter, but it seemed each thought the other could do no wrong: Zesa often showed a motherly streak towards the shy wher, and he adored her. It was thus that Meisk all but insisted that Zesa be allowed everywhere that he was; he simply couldn't grasp the concept that some people, dragons, and whers wouldn't appreciate the flitter's precense. Why should they? She was ever-so-polite, and so sweet. Fortunately, Zesa listened to Meira more than to Meisk, and the queen was willing to stay in the Infirmary.

With a sigh, Meisk seemed to accept Zesa's fate, leaving it at that as, new excitement rushing through him as his eyes snagged upon movement in the clutch, he reared back his head to hum in earnest again, his tailtip twitching in eagerness as he curled around Meira possessively, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

[neeuqtar]

"Don't light it on fire!" Varrana yelled as she flew out of bed, dressed in only her breastband and a loincloth. Her cropped red hair stuck up at weird angles, and her eyes were wide and dilated with the surge of adrenaline from both her dream and the psychic call. It took her a few moments to fully wake up, realizing that she was in a fighter's stance, panting and sweating outside of her room attached to the glassforge only as the shock of cool night air hit her warm, mostly-naked form. She screeched, leaping back inside while her mind processed what must have happened: the queen wher had called.

Varrana grabbed the first articles of clothing she could find, tossing the blousey shirt on and holding her bodice-corset in her teeth as she yanked tired legs muzzily into breeches of some sort. Shoes were unnecessary, not in the wher barracks, and not with her callouses, so she jogged along the canyon to where other, similarly-tired people were headed, running her fingers through her hair haphazardly before hooking her bodice loosely around her stomach, just to keep the blouse from billowing every which way than to accentuate the feminine figure she hardly had.

And it was also a bonus that two of the stays were actually narrow, sheathed daggers. If a wher picked her, she would have to slice her hand for it to blood, and a sharp knife was always preferable for such a thing.

One of the eggs was already moving when she arrived, breathing a little hard from her jog but not panting. She was in good shape, after all. Remembering her manners, Varrana bowed to the wher, hiding a yawn as she rose and trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes. Shards, but did they have to Hatch at such terrible hours? The Glasscrafter rolled her shoulders and moved to the side, keeping clear of those who had already shown up, mainly so she'd block no wherlet's path or be behind anyone. She wanted to see the whole Hatching, after all... even in the middle of the night!

[nightingale]

The queen placed herself in a firmly protective stance overtop of the clutch as humans began filing into the hatching cavern. Even having summoned them, she was not pleased to find so many had chosen to attend. She did not care for the reeking stench humans seemed to give off when they gathered in large numbers, nor how crowded the small hatching cavern was becoming. She eyed the candidates with a bloody shade of red in her eyes, her attention drifting slowly back and forth across the crowd.

The only one who's thoughts she answered was Meisk, as he explained why he and his handler were present. Her answer was an impatiant yes, that carried with it the feeling that further conversation should not be pressed. A sudden, sharp bark leapt from her jaws as she spotted a particularly bold candidate trying to slink in closer to the clutch than she was comfortable with. She swatted him away without hesitation, sending him flying into another young man who was knocked to the ground by the impact. Thankfully, sand made a good cushion against broken bones, and neither of them was badly hurt.

Idiotic, sniveling humanthings! Here she addressed the entire room with a low snarl that demanded both silence and attention. This was her clutch, and she would be the one to choose who was worthy of approaching it! Her eyes flickered with contemplative blue as she pressed forcefully against the mind of any candidate that caught her attention, giving them no chance to hide themselves from her scrutiny before she had moved on to the next.

Beneath her, the Libra Egg gave another loud crack. The Aries Egg answered it shortly thereafter, a large fracture rending the center of it’s scarlet shell like a bolt of dark lightning. The Pegasus Egg too, had started to rock gently back and forth. The wild queen snorted with displeasure at having her judgement rushed by her own offspring, and telepathically informed Venus, Cadil, Roivao, Meiron and several of the other candidates that they were worthy of approaching. She also made it clear that they should do so quickly and silently.

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Cygnus Egg ~ Still.

Sirius Egg ~ Still.

Draco Egg ~ Still.

Libra Egg ~ Cracked and moving

Pegasus Egg ~ Moving

Aries Egg ~ Cracked and moving

Andromeda Egg ~ Still.

[Rowana]

Roivao's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror as the queen's mind touched his briefly. Approach? Him?! No, no, she had it all wrong. He was only here to watch. Impression and Bonding were a thing for the young, not someone as old and weary as he was. She wouldn't want one of her children to go with him. He was afraid of what might happen. What if it was killed? It would be his fault. It would be Iloth all over again.

But there was no denying the queen's summons. He had a feeling if he disobeyed, she would have not reservations about dragging him out of his corner and disemboweling him for insolence. He had contemplated death many times, but being ripped apart by a wild wher queen was not one of his favorite options. Nervous and very uncertain, Roi did as he was bidden. He stepped closer to the clutch and stood waiting. He wasn't as close as some of the other chosen candidates, but he was much closer than he had been. In the open, and so near the certain of attention, he felt terribly exposed. He tried not to think about where he was, and what might happen. But doing that only made him slip back into the past, and that wasn't a happy place either. He was trapped between past and future, and the present was forcing him to stay that way.

[ladybug]

Cadil winced as the Gold pushed a candidate away from the eggs, sending him flying into another boy. The bruise on his chest seemed to give an answering throb. He bent down to give the fallen boy a hand up, hoping he wasn't too badly injured. At least the sand was soft, even if it was hot.

Nervously, he glanced back at the Gold, seeing the angry red in her eyes. She seemed so volatile, different from the attentive mother he had seen before. Then again, she probably didn't want her babies taken away by the humans. The Libra Egg gave a loud crack, making him jump a little. Two more eggs followed suit, neither of them the eggs he had touched.

Then he "felt" the Gold's command to come forward. Obediently, he stepped up to the eggs, moving slowly because of the way she had reacted to the other candidate being close. He hoped she wouldn't decide to suddenly revoke her invitation.

[hseru]

Rozen tried to not make too many obvious or quick movements, the shade of red in the queen's eyes rather reminiscent of that earlier time, and the girl knew that the gold could be set off one way or another with the smallest of pushes. When the queen barked, she jumped just a bit, but when she next swatted away one of the male candidates without a second thought as if he were no more than a fly, she couldn't help the slight contemptuous smirk. Where they idiots? Didn't they know the queen wouldn't tolerate such childish moves? She hid a snort. Males. Always so pushy and overeager. She made her approval obvious.

When that powerful mind rolled over hers with enough force to make her wince, she tried to hold only her adoration and admiration foremost, but her eagerness was probably the most prevalent emotion. This is what she'd been waiting so long for! As such, when the queen singled out a few of the candidates and she was not among the list, Rozen almost, almost gave a disappointed heave. Instead, she forced herself to remain calm and quiet, her hands clenching slowly as she forced it back down. ...She wasn't worthy?

Eggs were cracking and rocking, capturing the attention of all as the chosen few stepped forward. Rozen was surprised and not a little jealous that she saw the older man from before stepping forward as well, though he hung in the back of the smaller lineup of personally selected candidates. She tried to keep her mind from the jealousy building up, but it was difficult. This was all she wanted in life, how could she not be worthy?

[topaz]

Venus' heart skipped a beat as the queen barked viciously at one of the other Candidates. Wide eyed, she watched as she tossed him effortlessly towards the back of the pit of sand, knocking him into yet another boy. Luckily for the two of them, they seemed to be alright, save some possible bumps and bruises later on in, the still very early, day. Fixating her eyes back on on the snarling wher queen, Venus dared not move, and only tried to keep her breathing even and calm.

A crack drew the Candidate's eyes away for a moment. And then another. Both the Libra Egg and the Aries Egg were beginning to split open. Venus tried to determine what color the creature inside might be, but there was too much goo in the way - as well as the protective Gold mother - to tell with any accuracy. She soon noticed the Pegasus Egg was now rocking gently as well.

Suddenly Venus felt an oppressive force on her mind, no doubt emanating from the Gold. It hinted at some emotion like approval at first, but then vehemently bade the girl forward with all haste and grace. Venus could do nothing but comply, although she was not all too thrilled about being that much closer to the irate wher queen. Scanning over the Gold one more time, making sure she had not made a mistake and was about to be mauled by an angry mother, Venus took her gaze finally from the golden wher and rested her dark eyes on the clutch. Every second felt like a century, but she knew from her last dragon Hatching, once things got going it would be over in an instant.

[Rei]

Malara was not surprised when the queen took a protective stance over the clutch. Perhaps it was to much for the poor thing to bear, having so many people pressed into such a small space. The queen was wild after all. The blonde took the queen’s gaze and forced herself to fight back the small tendril of fear that wound it’s way around her heart. When the wher sent a hopeful candidate flying Malara couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped. She stared at the boy coldly. Idiot the queen was not allowing anyone to approach what made him think he had the right? Ignorance.

Malara flinched as the Queens mind battered her own. It seemed she had singled out a few to approach her eggs. The girl was disappointed. She was not among the list, did that mean she was unworthy? The candidate looked on in disbelief as a few candidates made their way forward. What made the queen pick them. A quick look around assured the blonde that she was not the only one that wasn’t allowed to approach. This fact soothed her….slightly. But the older man? Surely he was not allowed to impress? Candidates were supposed to be young weren’t they?