Hatching of the Chinese Zodiac Clutch

[kat]

Maya never precisely had a chance to answer Anz right away, seeing as how the moment the cold numbweed touched him, he leaped away from her, and in the next moment, was bumped into her arms by a passing blue dragonet. He seemed quite flustered and she had to smile when his face colored and he apologized for the small mishap. "It's quite all right--but try to stay still while I apply the numbweed, okay? You don't want to make that injury worse." She was vaguely aware of dragonets in the background, and vaguely noted the green head for the stands. She didn't have time to divert her attention to much of what was going on, however. So, she put that to the back of her mind, and then began applying numbweed again as she replied to his queries from moments ago, before he'd jumped backwards.

"I'm not from Selenitas, either. I only just arrived the other day, from Healer Hall," she affirmed, and then, "I'm originally from Fort Hold, however. I was posted at Selenitas for my first Journeyman post--I'm a Journeywoman Dragonhealer, you see," she explained, and then, "how about you, Anz? You don't mind if I call you Anz, do you? Easier to say, after all," she admitted with a small smile. Just then, another girl came up next to her, offering help. She wasn't really sure that she needed it, though. Once the numbweed was applied, all that was left was the stitching...her expertise was wings and stitching. She'd stitched up plenty of human wounds on duty at Healer hall, and she did just as well with that as with dragon wounds. Still, not wanting to simply turn the girl away and seem rude, she quickly tried to think of what she might do to help. So, she turned to Anz once more, and inquired, "are you injured anywhere else?" To the girl, she explained, "to be honest there's not much left to do with this one. I'm Maya, you are...?"

She never gave her title before her name, not unless she needed to, or queries were asked about her. When Anz had asked where she was from, saying 'Healer Hall' was an immediate way for someone to guess you were a Healer of some sort. So, she'd offered her status as well, if only to make more conversation, and let him know what she'd been doing before she came here, and why she'd come here to begin with. It was true, she'd only just arrived but when she found out she could stand, and that there was a clutch on the sands...? It had been too much for her to turn it down. She would stand again, too, and knew she wouldn't stop trying until she was too old to try any more. She loved dragons and their kin more than anything on Pern, after all.

However, she ought to have been paying more attention. While healing Anz and the bronze had gone and Impressed, she'd been utterly ignoring the other dragonets. Feeling that it was safe enough to keep her attention on Anz and healing him, she had no idea that the gold was headed her way, none whatsoever. So what happened next took her completely by surprise. She felt a sharp pain on her left hip, and then was thrown aside much like a rag doll, onto the sands. Irony of ironies. She'd been busy healing Anz, and had just finished applying the numbweed, too. Now it appeared that her white robe was slowly being covered in blood. What on Pern was wrong with that gold? She stared after it in disbelief. It hadn't even been on a rampage like the bronze had been, searching for its bonded. No, instead it had tossed her aside with a cold sort of purpose, and now it was heading for the stands! She winced, staring after it as she attempted to sit up. The wounds were deeper than she'd anticipated, and she gave a sort of cry as the pain jolted her into the realization that she'd now be the one who needed a healer. She knew that the four, parallel claws would leave a scar. So sharp were the claws, it would look like some large feline had left that mark. She felt rather helpless, and looked at the other girl, wincing as she said rather weakly, "looks like you might get your chance to help out after all..." Still, not wanting to feel a victim, she tore away the section of the robe, exposing the damaged hip. The cuts were surprisingly straight edged and clean, like someone had taken a knife to her instead of those claws. Still, for some reason, seeing them on herself instead of someone else made her stomach turn and her head swoon. She took the piece of torn off robe and pressed it to the wound, biting her tongue against the pain. She couldn't stitch these up herself, at best she could still the bleeding and apply the numbweed. So, she hoped there were more healers at the ready. She was going to need one, and Anz needed to be sewn up. She had four cuts to his one, and there was no way this girl could do it all at once.

~~~~~~

Life was really full of surprises. Though Tahlor was no stranger to that fact, as Ramen Impressed to a large, handsome looking bronze, he was predicting there had to be a brown, or maybe, if he was lucky, another bronze in there. If not, he would just have to stand for one next time, and that was that! He wasn't exactly ignoring the blues the way he was the greens. However, a guy like him? Had his hopes and expectations! Greens were a huge no-no. Bronzes were the way to go, and browns were pretty sharding good, too. So, he couldn't have predicted what happened next. One minute, he was staring rather excitably and hopefully at the eggs remaining. A green and blue hatched, and he registered that with a bit of interest at the blue, but the last two eggs were where his real attention was. "C'mon, there's gotta' be another brown or somethin' in there..." he murmured, obviously to himself as by this point, Ramen and the others around him? Had all Impressed.

That's when it happened, the unexpected thing that he ought to have been keen enough to expect, but didn't.

Minth needs Shith and His' help, T'lor. She is Shith's sister, and Shith helps his favorite, favorite clutchsister, he does. Come, let's help! Helphelphelp!

There was this voice in his head, and for a moment he looked kind of dumbfounded--as rare an expression on him as a blush would have been. The other two eggs, they hadn't hatched yet...? Then he felt a tug at his robe, and looked down to see a blue dragonet. In that instant, he felt something indescribable, like magic. Better than anything he'd ever felt before, as if the whole world suddenly was in sync and he'd found something he hadn't realized he'd lost and was completely psyched about it. All of a sudden he'd met his best friend, something better than any lover, something incomparably better than anything had ever been. Then it hit. He'd Impressed a blue.

"Whoa, wait a moment...Shith? You ain't no brown or bronze..." But even in his denial, he couldn't bring himself to care. What was that feeling? He loved this blue. Who sharding cared about the fact that he hadn't gotten a bronze or brown? Obviously this blue was far better than either, what on Pern was he thinking? Bronzes were just a bunch of potential you ended up stuck as Weyrleader...how had he forgotten that fact? He almost felt sorry for Ramen in that instant--or was it R'men now? Wait--he was T'lor now...that's what his new best friend forever had called him, so that was his new name? Had to be.

No I'm not, mine. I'm blue, see? Shith proceeded to turn around and wag his rather overlong, blue tail in T'lor's direction. There was a spot on his backside that was rather cute...cute? Well, that and the patch on his back and over one eye, giving him an adorably roguish look? Yeah, he was cute, shardit if he wasn't. "Yeah, ah kin' see that, Shith. An' looks like yer' green friend over there has got herself all righted. Also seems to me yer' hungry, if ah'm not missing something?" Shith's stomach gave an audible rumble, his maw gaping open in the most comical way, tongue sort of lolling to the side. T'lor actually chuckled at the expression, and then scratched Shith's eyeridge. The dragonet's back leg started thumping in an odd manner. It never occurred to T'lor there was something decidedly odd about the dragonet's behavior. Nope, Shith was perfect, right as rain, and he was convinced of that as surely as he knew his own name...even if it had changed a bit.

Shith glanced over at Minth, then, causing T'lor to look on over, too. He wasn't quite sure why Shith had this overwhelming sort of fondness for the green, but he wasn't about to be bothered trying to rationalize it, either. Shith wanted to go see that green, fine by him. Shith's tail began to wag back and forth, and T'lor raised an eyebrow. He'd seen some creature behave like Shith before, but why couldn't he quite place a finger on it...? Well, since Shith was now racing across the sands towards the green, skidding to a halt right in front of her? No time to think more on it. He followed with an easy stride, until he reached the girl and the Monkey green dragonet. There was another green there, one he didn't recognize...wait, it was Mina's! He heard the girl calling for the green and chuckled. To Anusha, while waiting for Mina to reach them, he said, "Name's T'lor, this here's Shith. Seems he has a certain fondness for your Minth?" He grinned then, running a hand through his hair and then glancing over at Mina's dragonet. Seemed like Mina had met her match!

Shith looked at Minth a moment, and then cocked his head to the side, first one, then the other. However, in the next instant, he gave the Monkey green a huge, affectionate lick, right on the face. Clutchsister Minth! Shith was waiting to meet you! Is this yours? She is a pretty yoursnotmine. This is mine. He is called T'lormine. What is yours called, clutchsister Minth?

[Avu]

Meira watched (rather blankly) as K’lir led Baoth down from the Stands again, unable to make out whether the whispers among those in the Stands were negative or positive, or – or if they were wondering if they’d want to reImpress if they lost their mindmates. She didn’t want to, anyway; to deliberately turn away from Meisk and Zesa, deceased through they were, would be…would be like forgetting them on purpose. The pain was bearable, though, and that was, perhaps, where it differed from that of a dragon’s loss. Swallowing another yawn, she watched the new greenpair absently, content for the moment just to kind of zone-out. M’ta was comfortable enough to lean on – he wasn’t Checkoth, and he wasn’t a bed, but for the moment, she’d settle for leaning against him since he’d…stuffed himself in between R’wign and herself. But it didn’t really matter; it wouldn’t be for much longer, since there was only a few hatchlings left to Impress. Once they Impressed, she could go back to sleep…

He moved. Her eyes flew open, her hand dropping from her abdomen to the bench automatically, and her other hand moved to push her hair out of her eyes as Meira turned towards M’ta, confusion flickering across her face – confusion that was instantly replaced by shock as the Cat Gold crawled onto R’wign’s lap, sprawled there, and then reached out to touch her belly. She froze, the prominent emotion in her mind still confusion; what was she doing – and was R’wign oka –

You were quite intelligent to bring such fine humanmales with you, MeiraLove. I do love you, you know.

The voice – the queen’s voice…her queen? Her dragon’s? The concern, the confusion, was replaced instantly with an emotion she didn’t entirely know the name of. Almost like panic, was the initial flare – Meisk and Zesa, she couldn’t replace them, couldn’t possibly – and yet, there was no rejecting Impression, no way she could possibly ever turn aside the hatchling, because – because Jingth loved her.

I am sorry it took this long, but I wanted to make sure they all saw me. I am their queen, after all. /The/ queen. Please thank this human for being such a good couch for me, though he is rather small for the job. I shall need a bigger one, especially since we will have a clutch, you and your Jingth. Oh, and tell the short human male-servant that I need food. He will get it, will he not? You should not have to get up. You are Mine, after all. Our clutch will be very fine, even better than that of Hepaticath's, no?

The nudging to her abdomen was what reminded her, following by the now-familiar sensation of the baby moving. Pregnant. Pregnant. Shard it all, she was pregnant and she couldn’t Impress a dragon while she was pregnant…Candidates weren’t allowed to be pregnant. Almost six months, she was; Jingth wouldn’t be mature enough…there’d be too much for her to do, too; she’d be so…so busy. She could handle busy, but – still, pregnancy was a problem. The confusion flickered across her face, but still, she nodded silently before M’ta spoke, whereupon Jingth gave a slight huff, squirming slightly on top of R’wign. That wasn’t very nice; she wasn’t a visitor, silly servant…Behruth’s words, however, made the gold’s attention shift from His to the brown, and she crooned (not that Behruth could hear her, but that was okay). What would she have Behruth do, though? It was the brown’s help he’d offered, not M’ta’s, and she didn’t think that Behruth could well carry a bowl of meat up to her. Hmm, hmm –

Poke. What was he poking her for?! Confusion slipped into the rainbows of her eyes, and Jingth turned her head (rather awkwardly) around to look at R’wign, crooning at him uncertainly. MeiraLove, Checkoth’s does not make a very nice couch. He pokes me, the hatchling informed her, and Meira blinked at R’wign, concern flickering across her expression again as she gingerly touched Jingth’s head, the queen turning to look at Checkoth at the same time. Thank you very much for taking care of her. I promise to take care of Mine from now on, though, she informed Checkoth pleasantly, and then crooned at R’wign again. I’ll get off, but then I don’t have a couch. Can you and Behruth be my couches? They’d make much better couches than Checkoth’s was, she was sure. But nonetheless, the gold scrambled awkwardly, with the typical hatchling clumsiness, over R’wign entirely – and sat down again on the bench in M’ta’s vacated spot, her tail still trailing over R’wign’s lap as she draped one foreleg over Meira’s lap, her head still on the Healer’s abdomen.

“I – I’m sorry – are you – you’re not hurt?” The words were directed towards R’wign, the stammering making it clear that she was still stunned, even as both arms wrapped around Jingth’s neck, her cheek lowering to press it against the hatchling’s slightly damp, sandy hide, swallowing thickly. No longer was she sleepy, but there were, now, a few very distinct emotions. The first was love – pure, unadulterated love. For Jingth, and from her. But there was also an undeniable feeling of guilt. Meisk – he’d been terrified of dragons; would he have approved…? Zesa would have. But Meisk…she absolutely horribly cruel to love Jingth so much. But she…couldn’t help it. Her gaze never left the hatchling, though, and after a moment, once the shock of Impression had passed, she was aware of the hunger. Gnawing hunger. How had she forgotten how hungry hatchlings were…? Okay, food. “I – Jingth, I need to get up…you – aren’t you hungry…?”

MeiraLove. You shouldn’t have to move, the gold replied firmly, nuzzling her hand, soft breath warm against the skin of her palm. You are tired, you are eggheavy, and you are Mine. Ask one of the servants to bring food, if you must. Not Checkoth’s or Behruth’s, because Checkoth’s is being my tail-pillow and Behruth’s was sick and we mustn’t wear him out. But someone else would be glad to, I’m sure. Why wouldn’t they, after all? They only had to ask very politely.

“No – no, we have to go…” Meira blinked again, gently lifting Jingth’s leg off of her so that she could stand awkwardly, glancing nervously from R’wign to M’ta again. “I…um.” Her gaze flicked towards R’wign; she’d have to stay in the Weyrling Barracks now, wouldn’t she? “I guess…I’ll see you tomorrow…or later today.” Depending on the time. Hmm.

[Sheari]

Minth proved to be ravenous in appetite. It wasn't exactly something Anusha was familiar with, but not necessarily something she was unfamiliar with. Akos had been hungry but he was a fraction of her Minth's size. The difference was greater than the difference between 1/32nd and 1 mark.

As Anusha tried her best to keep the green dragonet from eating too quickly (and reprimanding that she was going to choke) she suddenly stopped and looked up, a cube of meat hung precariously from her mouth. Faster than Her's could grab it she swung her head up and snapped it. The girl looked up to watch where Minth was looking and saw a blue practically bounding to them and a man looking calm and sheepish at the same time.

The blue licked his green sister.

Clutchbrother Shith! She licked him back. This is AnuMine, and yes, she is pretty, clutchbrother Shith. T'loryours is pretty too.[/i]

Her croon was a little muffled by the meat she had yet to swallow and when she realized her mouth was still full she did swallow.

"She seems likewise for your Shith. I'm Anusha," she said. She'd noticed him earlier, as the man the one she thought was Ramen -- R'men, she had to correct herself -- had been calling to.

Who's R'men?[/i]

[Lotty]

OH MY SHARDING GOODNESS GRACIOUS WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THESE DRAGONS?

Now that was the closest thing to profanity to pop into Raebeli's head in a long, long, time, but let us rewind a little bit first. She was staying rather calm at the time, ready to offer her name to Maya and the bleeding, wounded boy, but it seemed that soon she would have her hands full with matters of much greater importance than names. With her jaw quivering open she was about to explain to the other healer that she too was a recent import from the healer hall. It wasn't too much of a surprise that they had never met, at least to Raebeli, specialties tended to draw imaginary lines between the Journeymen, and a few turns in age difference probably lended a hand too, regardless she began to speak, but only cracked out the word, "I'm" before catching a glance of bright gold speeding towards them. The mindhealer wasn't the most athletic woman on Pern, but she had enough sense and good enough reflexes to be out of the way by the time the dragonet threw Maya out of the way.

As was typical for the girl, she couldn't help but pause for a moment, wonder what it would be to drive a freshly hatched dragon to do such a thing. She had heard that hatchlings were determined to find their mind mates at all costs. It was quickly assumed that Mayari was merely collateral damage. However, the reasoning behind this hatchling to be the second of the clutch to pick out of the sands was a different matter altogether. In the coming days she would come to find that these were re-Impressions, and would pour herself over writings and records on the matter, she would even have half a mind to write back to the healer hall on the subject, and of course her interest would ultimately lead to her asking a million questions, if given the chance she would have both Meira and K'lir cornered with some ink and paper. She'd make them into case studies.

As for the gaping flesh wounds, this was a completely different matter. It would be a lie to say she wasn't trained in such affairs. She was just like anybody else, but she was so much more gifted in handling the emotional side of things, and as such had to grit her teeth and pick up where the other girl had left off. Or at least trying to. It was hard to justify continuing work on Anz when Mayari had something dire going on. The gold raked her side good, and Raebeli knew that the blood was going to continue to flow, and fast. She laid a gentle hand on the boy candidate, attention flicking back between her two patients. She needed help and needed it now, she could finish Anzalorin's triage, but could she get it done quickly enough? Maya wasn't just the walking wounded and needed to be sewn up as well.

"Could you lay down sweetie?" she said to the blonde, "I have to help your friend for a quick moment. I promise I'll be back."

She acted as if eveything was going to be right as rain, and it would be so long as they willed it. Nothing would be worse for this situation than panic. She kept low, creeping over to the girl and wincing slightly as the four crimson stripes, but making no mention of them choosing instead to pick up with where she had left off, "Well Maya, I'm Raebeli. Did I overhear you saying you were a dragonhealer? It's a wonder we never met," she began to help the girl slow the bleeding and fumbled around looking for where the numbweed might have gone off to, "although dragons certainly aren't my specialty..."

[lokath]

L'ka stepped forward, nearly tripping over a shard of egg from one of the more violent Hatchings. L'kaMine? Why is this girl lying on her back?[/i] L'ka sighed, reaching down to help the girl up. Because you knocked her down, you lunk. Lith looked reproachful. I... I am VERY sorry, L'kaMine.[/i] L'ka shook his head as the girl jumped to get feet on her own. It's okay, I'll apologize for you. Just be careful next time you charge. He had better do so quickly, before the girl got offended or something.

And he intended too, except as he looked at her to start apologizing... she was pretty. Not that this was a problem, but generally you don't expect the people your dragon runs into to be... well, you really don't expect your dragon to run into people. The vague formlessness the Candidate robes bestowed actually looke good on the girl... that was a first. "Er... My dragon... My Lith here, is very, VERY sorry he ran into you and knocked you down." He scratched his head as she spoke. "Er, I'm Loka... I'm L'ka now, I guess, and well, I'm real sorry too." He shrugged. "It's interesting, maybe not quite a good thing, but... at least I get to stay here. I mean... he has a habit of running into people... it seems. L'ka seemed to be pausing frequently in his speech, possibly to think of what he was going to say next.

"Oh, right! I was just here checking on you, you know, to make sure you weren't hurt or anything. Or you know, mentally scarred." Lith headbutted L'ka's leg, gently this time, mre of a nudge. "Oh. I'd better get Lith some food... he says he's sorry, but he's starving." With a quick wave, he looked back at Lith and headed for the food. Suddenly, something hit him (not literally), and he turned back around. "Er, if you want to get a drink or something after the Hatching..." He trailed off waiting for a response. Food!

[ace]

The green dragonet watched with excitement as the last to eggs burst open revealing a brown and a green. Welcome clutchsiblings. The green watched with interest as the brown scurried around the sands, ignoring the candidates. Aren't you going to find your mindmate, The green said in confusion.

The green dragonet's attention was brought back to the two other dragonets as she watched with amusement as Shith licked her clutchsister on the head. Both of your's are very nice, Kunth agreed. Continuing, the green said, Mine is rather silly. She doesn't seem to understand that I should get what I want. Mina Mine didnt' want me to come over here to talk to you both, see her shouting over there?

Mina defiantly was still calling her dragons name as she marched over toward her rouge dragonet. "Kunth, don't just run off like that!" Her dragon privately said to her chosen mindemate, You don't have to worry, I'm sorry for running off, but I wanted to converse with my clutchmates. giving up, Mina joined T'lor and Anusha. "Congratulations you two! I guess that means that we are all in the same weyrling class now."

~

Kevin watched the last to dragonet's hatch and impress. It suddenly hit him that he was not one of those who had impressed a dragonet to themselves. He was not worried however, he noticed that he was the only one who had not impressed.

But what to do now? Where were the remaining candidates supposed to do now? He supposed they were supposed to go join the celebrations. Kevin smiled in excitement, he had been so lucky to be able to stand, and the feast was sure to be fun!

[archenstone]

Vraelnîr watched as person after person impressed to these hatchlings. He was careful to stay out of their ways as some barrels past him. It had become apparent to him that as newborns they cared little about damaging people as they went their prospective paths. Even so, he found his earlier aggravation begin to dissipate. He saw many rainbow hued eyes and their human counterparts enraptured as they impressed. The looks on their faces made him wonder.

He was shocked though when not one but two hatchlings ambled right up the stairs and picked people from the crowds. Is that supposed to even happen? He thought while scratching a spot on his back. More eggs cracked as Vraelnîr watched and began to wonder if his own egg was there....among the last two.

When he saw a green and brown hatch together he watched with interest. The Brown....was it orange? Began scrambling around like an avian with its head cut off. He sighed....there was simply no way that was meant for him. The little brown was much too....scrambled. So when the orange brown hatchling began to amble off among the sands he ignored it, instead looking among the others who impressed and those that did not. A sudden weight upon his back sent him sprawling across the sands.

Got you! A voice in his head popped up. He would have tried to turn and push it off of him the little dragon didn't suddenly seem so heavy. Instead all he could do was grunt and try not to get sand in his mouth.

I have got you, V’raelMine. Your Taith is clever, no? I /got/ you! We should go eat now. Then can we play? And fly? I want to fly. Let’s fly. Come on. The voice in his mind was excited and far more energetic and happy than anything he was used to. Hurry up before mother pushes me again. She is so very /pushy/. Is your mother that way?[/i] By now the brown had gotten off of him so he was able to stand, only to be pushed away from the exit and waiting food.

"Wait a second!" He spun around before the insistent little thing could push him again. He looked down into rainbow eyes, wondering briefly why others didn't have looks of dread instead of the wonder they had showed. This thing was....was...so....everywhere! He could feel Taith's emotions and impulses churn like a tempestuous sea driven by cold winds and warm current. The different thoughts racing in and out but overlayed by hunger where difficult for the steady, serious V'rael to handle.

"Taith? Your food is that way." He pointed in the direction of meat. He wasn't sure he wanted to try mind speak yet...the thought of talking to this dragon mind to mind was daunting. He wasn't even sure how to handle the energetic little thing. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

Oh! /That/ way? Okay lets go! Lets go! And then we fly right? I want to fly! And you do what? Swim? Sail? Drink? I want to do that to! I want to do everything! We don't need sleep right? We can just stay up and party and play and pounce on my clutch-sister....cause she needs a good pounce! Can you believe she /snorted/ at me? As if she's a dainty little queen! I'll pounce her all right...just wait....I will find her! And I will pounce her! And she will squeal in surprise! HAHa and-

V'rael simply continued to shepherd the dragonet along, trying to focus on where he was going instead of the overwhelming voice talking in his head non-stop. "Drink?" He caught that word....he had already had thoughts of whether he could find a ship and sail away from it. As for a drink?

"I could use a stiff one myself after this."

How can drinks be stiff? Taith asked in mid talk of a completely different topic. By now they where with the others who had buckets of food.

"You'll see soon enough. Let's get a bucket." In the time it took for V'rael to grab a bucket a loud bang made him jump around. He could feel the triumphant and gleeful emotions of Taith.

Haha! I got you too Huath! You should be happy! /Happy/. I'm going to make you my favorite playmate and we will romp and roll and play and have fun! Taith had hopped on to Huath while she had been busy with her mind mate. V'rael quickly came over.

"Come on Taith I got your food! You're hungry remember?" He tugged on the dragonet with his free hand. "I'm sorry 'bout this. He's nuts." V'rael said to the green's girl. "Taith!" Taith finally got off his clutch sister with a flick of his tail followed V'rael to eat.

[subtlemystery]

He is so unmannerly, is he not? I will teach him better manners later, KaliaMine.

Pardon? Blinking in surprise as she tore her gaze from the energetic brown pounce his rider, Kalia was distracted enough not to have noticed the green, right up until she sat patiently at her feet. Then her eyes widened as her gaze was met by a swirling rainbow. There was love, unconditional love, but there was a firmness, ambition. Everything Kalia had ever hoped to see in herself stared her back in the face, in the reflection of Huath's eyes. There was only a small pause though, before the green continued in that same, patient, but stern tone.

Then Jingth and Weith need to be taught a lesson. They are horrible with the fighting, and even /I/ know better than that. Come. Let us eat, and then we will show them how /true/ leaders act. Your Huath knows how to lead properly. Apparently Huath had never been told that green's didn't lead anything, that if she wanted to lead her hide lacked the golden sheen it needed. Either that, or she didn't care and Kalia had the sneaking suspicion it was the latter. They might not be traditional leaders, but surely, they could prove themselves. Alone, Kalia had never really had the ambitions to lead, she'd been told that yes she'd make a fine leader, but with Huath... There was absolutely nothing that could even marginally stand in her way.

"You're right. Come on, Huath; let's get you fed." Fed, warm and sleepy maybe, teaching and preaching could come later, they'd learn and if not, Huath would be happy to point out how they should act. If anything, Kalia was grateful, this was no airheaded, silly green. In her dragon, was everything Kalia aspired to be in a person, and Huath was young... She had a lot of growing to do.

"Kalia, of Huath." My, didn't that sound nice?
It should, it is who you are.

[zoie]

Nitsa looked at the boy and his dragon, watching him stutter. That was funny. She’d never made anyone do that particular trick before. She wondered if he could roll over. He started talking very quickly, and started trying to explain, but he seemed to be talking in circles. From what Nitsa could tell, he was newly L’ka of Lith, and he was sorry about his dragon’s habit of running people over. Well, that was fair enough. She smiled to show that she wasn’t hurt or mad at him.

“I’m not really hurt, just a little bruised,” she said. She didn’t tell him where, though. No self-respecting girl would with a guy she just met.

What was he saying now? His dragon was hungry. Well, dragons were born hungry, It seemed, so that was fair enough. Not just a pretense. And apparently not even His was exempt, as the dragon butted L’ka’s legg in a similar fashion, just not hard enough to make him fall. He asked her to have a drink with him at the hatching feast. It was the least she could do, if it made him feel better.

“Sure I will. I haven’t had good drinking company in a while.” Not that she drank that often. She glanced pointedly at Lith. “But get him fed and taken care of first, lest he bowl more people over,” she didn’t mean for it to sound sharp or stern. He surely knew more about dragons than herself anyways. Just, she didn’t want any dragon neglected. She smiled a little broader. “Thanks for checking!”

Nitsa turned and walked away in search of the Candidatemaster.