Hatching Feast

[hseru]

If there was a better way to end a day, then K'roi didn't know it. The hatching had gone surprisingly well, considering the circumstances. Not a single mauling, not even a stubbed toe had resulted, and they now had thirteen new weyrlings, with a decent spreading of the colors to boot. Two Bronzes, three browns, four blues and four greens. Gareth was just about as proud as he could be. The bronze's usually placid manner was brushed aside by his good cheer for the moment.

It was a perfect hatching, mine. They were all strong, and healthy. He gave a mental flute to accompany his verbal bugle, and K'roi laughed lightly, strolling across the open space to give the bronze a last hearty slap on the shoulder. I know, I was there too. Now go on and I'll meet you at our weyr after the feast is done. I'll even try and bring you something tasty for all your hard work.[/b] Gareth snorted his amusement, and sent the bronzerider an image of him carrying a whole herdbeast back with him. K'roi snorted right back, and slapped the shoulder again goodnaturedly. "Get out of here you great sharding lug. You're taking up the whole platform you know." Waiting only until K'roi had stepped back a few paces, Gareth launched upwards from the ledge, effortlessly catching enough air to get him over the Great Hall and sweep down the river towards the personal weyrs.

Adjusting his good vest, the thick white one with several lines of bronze stitching around each seam, he settled it lightly over the darker gray shirt, smoothing the rumpled edges in a well practiced way. His shirt tucked neatly into dark wherhide trousers which ended in heavy dark boots. He cut a contrasting figure striding purposefully down the halls. The drudges were in a flurry of activity when he reached the Feasting Hall, carrying trays laden with all manner of things. He gave a cursory glance over the proceedings, noting that the staff had heeded his orders about continuing to keep wine off the list. There was no telling if any of the poisoned supply were still around, so better safe than sorry in either case. What he wouldn't give for a nice glass of something heady though. The afternoon had proven eventful, but the eve would likely be a bit more stressed, at least for him. Between normal duties and the speaking that would take place... well, he'd leave that for when it came.

Glad to see that he'd arrived promptly as he'd intended -before everyone else- K'roi took a long look around the room, and then sauntered up to the head table, dodging drudges with trays, platters, jugs and serving ware. He barely made it past the rush without incident, arriving at the head table no worse for wear. There, he withdrew the several new sets of knots from a small pack he'd carried in, and went about laying them neatly on the table for everyone to see. It was right that there was to be a celebration still. After so much heartache and suffering for the Weyr, this hatching was just the thing to perk up spirits. More drudges began layering the head table with platters as soon as he approached, so by the time he'd taken up much of the front center with knots, the rest of the table had been covered with food stuffs. Taking a sweet roll from a platter, K'roi rounded the table and finally sat so that he could see everything, munching lightly on the roll to ease his empty stomach until the official feast began.

Gareth pressed against his mind in question. No, Kaegan isn't here yet. If she does come, she probably won't be staying long. Millieth is likely to be a bit testy about the whole thing.[/b] Millieth's should be resting, so it's understandable. A new thought blossomed forth from the bronze, and K'roi scowled. Ready for a nice speech? As if everyone won't be looking at me already. He grumped. And here I thought you enjoyed being the center of attention. Gareth's teasing tone had K'roi snorting in reaction, and he refused the deign it with a reply, though the bronze surely felt his annoyed response as he finished his roll with a few more than forceful bites.

[Tashe]

It had been hard getting a dress on without completely screwing herself over with pain, but she had been able to do it with the help of a friendly Drudge who usually brought her dinner. The elderly woman had even helped plate her hair back, an action which drew praise from Kaegan. She had decided to wear her black dress, the long-sleeved one she had been wearing when R'wign had impressed Ellie, with the exception of the golden sash she (in reality the kindly Drudge) had tied around her waist. And of course, her Bronze Flitter occupied the area of and around her right shoulder while her Salamandyr took up careful residence on her left. Ever since the attack, there was always one of the two males clinging to her. They were afraid that if she left their sight for even a moment, that she could be snatched away like she had been when the Bendenites came.

Grasping the extended hand as the boat she had been in rocked slightly, Kaegan allowed herself to be helped out onto the dock, giving the Bluerider a smile. Saraina and Gina had ran into her quite accidentally, neither of them had surmised she would be attending so they had set out on their own. The Weyrwoman was greatly relieved to have run into them, now she wouldn't have to ask a stranger to help her out when she needed it. One less thing to worry about tonight she supposed. /Are you absolutely positive you're up to this?/ I'm fine... as long as the Aconitestuff doesn't wear off during the middle of the hatching I'll be okay... I think. /You think?/ I'm just nervous... You know how I am about speaking in front of people... and now that I'm Senior Weyrwoman I have to give a speech. /If you feel bad, you tell Gareth's or Hokth's and leave. Got it?/ Yes mother. Kaegan could almost picture her Gold snorting in an unamused manner.

Glancing over at the two other Riders, she took in their appearance, noticing their injuries really for the first time. Saraina walked with a slight limp, and her entire left hand was wrapped in gauss, while Gina only sported a long white bandage that wrapped around her left forearm. She had yet to get their full story, having been so tired and slightly drugged for the pain, she had little coherent time to talk with anyone. Save for the few times she had been able to walk around and speak with the patients in the make shift infirmary... otherwise she was confined to her bed.

Taking her leave of the two girls as they reached the Feasting Hall doors, she bid them 'a nice dinner' before making her way up to the Weyrleader's dais. Her progress was slowed by the frantic Drudges, more to the fact they had to dodge her rather than the other way around. Finally, she reached the table where K'roi had already settled himself down, rounding the corner and drawing up next to the seat that was traditionally reserved for the Senior Weyrwoman. The last woman who had sat there... had been a good woman. It seemed almost not right to sit there, having sat in a different seat for so long. Using her uninjured hand, Kaegan stroked the side of the chair before sitting down carefully, so as not to bump her slung up hand. Both Dash and Azaran quickly left her shoulders for the table, assuming a less dangerous position, but their decision wasn't a very long lasting one for they scurried gently into her lap a moment later. Turning to the Bronzerider she offered him a meek smile. "Hello. I-I'm sorry, I'm a little late. I intended t- to be here a littler earlier." She momentarily diverted her attention to a drudge as he passed by, hesitantly flagging him down to ask for some witchhazel-seed tea. After that was done she returned her attention back onto K'roi. "How... how do you feel about the wings?"

[Rowana]

G'tor was in a most cheerful mood. The depression that seemed to have infected the entire Weyr had been briefly lifted by the great success of Millieth's hatching. Two bronzes and eleven other find young dragons. It was more than many of them had hoped for and just the thing to raise their hopes. He was especially pleased by L'nos's impression, since he knew the boy somewhat. Hopefully he'd be able to find him and offer congratulations.

G'tor was dressed in his finest, which was to say, slightly better than what he normally wore. Dark brown paints, white shirt, and a leather vest etched with dolphins around the collar. He had combed back his hair and tide it in a short knot at the back of his neck. He had even took the trouble to wear boots. And he wasn't alone. G'tor had found E'rro lurking in the "new" infirmary when he had walked past. He had decide tonight was not a night for the healer to be antisocial and was now dragging him into the Main Hall by his right arm.

"Don't be such a hermit," he was saying brightly. "This is and important occasion! Food, wine, friends, new weyrlings. Everything the Healer ordered, eh?" He flashed a smile at E'rro and turned to give Kaegan and K'roi his respects with a small nod and smile of greeting. Then he was dragging the other brownrider to find seats. The food smelled wonderful and Star glared about from his shoulder, reminding him quite clearly that she was starving again. It was clear she was going to sulk until she was fed and it had better be the best food at the feast.

~

Merridan was thrilled to get out of the candidate robes at last! She didn't actually have anything nice to wear to the feast, but at least she would be out of that ridiculous garb. She hadn't come with any nice clothes and will all the fuss, there hadn't been time to get any. She didn't really care though. It wasn't like anyone was going to be paying her much attention. She was mostly going for the food and maybe the chance to sneak some wine later. Her father had never let her try any the few times he and her older brothers had had some. She was dying to taste it for herself.

Mer was surprised to see she had beat all the new weyrlings to the feast, but she supposed she shouldn't. She only had herself to worry about while they had themselves and new dragons. She had found her least worn clothes. A pair of black paints and a short sleeved cream shirt. If possible, she looked even more like a boy now that she wasn't wearing flowing, white robes. The shirt was baggy enough to hide her already flat chest.

Seeing no one she immediately knew, she waved at Kaegan and bowed slightly. "Great hatching!" she congratulated with a grin. "Thanks to you and Millieth for letting me stand." Still smiling, she found a seat and waited. She hoped the weyrlings would arrive soon. She was starving! One thing could be said for Mer, being left on the sands had not made her disappointed for long.

[tompoko]

T’yr walked up the steps to the top floor of the main hall. Beside him was his new companion, Astendith, keeping stride with him. /I don’t know if your allowed in here../ /Well we’ll find out won’t we?/ /I guess we will./ T’yr replied. He had been reluctant to part with his dragon. Astendith opted to just shadow him to the feast. /Your small, I don’t think they’ll mind./ Tyrone half projected. He could feel the resonance of fatigue and an incredible urge to sleep come through to him from his dragon. It made him feel bad to drag him all the way here, but Astendith had no complaint.

They had arrived on the top floor of the main hall. There was a double door entrance adjacent to where he and Astendith were standing. Between them were a small sea of drudges scurrying past with trays, chairs, setting places, carts and whatever else the hall needed for the feast. /I guess were early../ T’yr looked over to his dragon whom didn’t reply. Tyrone stared at his pale blue frame shiver a little bit and his eyes droop. “Poor guy.” Tyrone smiled, put a hand on his companion and guided him through the hall to the doors.

Entering got some curious glances towards his dragon. I guess that’s the answer he got for the rules regarding that issue. He blushed a bit and kept walking. He saw the head table with Kaegan and K’roi, the bronzerider sitting at the head table. A few of the other tables had various people scattered throughout as well. /Not as early as I thought I suppose./

Tyrone began walking toward one of the tables to sit. It was off to one side of the room and near a fireplace. Also it was a bit secluded from all the other tables. Even though it had 12 other place settings, Tyrone thought it would be a bit quieter over here. Astendith headed a few feet away to curl up on the floor near the hearth and Tyrone took his seat with his back facing the wall.

Glancing around again he noticed one of the other former candidates standing near the head table talking to Kaegan. /Merridan. I think her name is/ he thought. Tyrone leaned back on his chair, glanced over to Astendith, who by this time had already fallen asleep, and then waited patiently for the festivities. He figured he might get reprimanded for Astendith being there but doubted that they’d wake him up to make him leave. Or at least he hoped that was the case.

[dragon]

Crevenaire stepped into the hall, and looked around, somewhat nervously. Such a strange place to be, and she felt very out of place. Yes, it was daylight. But she had risen to witness the dragon hatching - something she'd never before seen in her life! It was a shame that Crevesk had had to miss it. It might have cheered the wounded green up. But, as it were, she still felt out of place everywhere she went. By no doubt, the Hold probably knew where she had gotten to, and her herd was being looked after. But Crevesk was still in no shape to be traveling.

So at the Weyr they stayed.

And now ... there was a feast. A feast! For a hatching! Who would have thought? The smells of food were surely enticing, no doubt. But she didn't know anyone ... at all, really. So what to do? She eased farther into the room, stroking the sleeping presence in the back of her mind lightly, both to comfort and to draw comfort from.

Finding herself a vacant seat, Crevy sat down, and wove her fingers together before resting her hands on the table top before here, merely people-watching.

[Kisha-Ra]

R’aro drifted into the room, near silent on his feet as a result of his turns as a hunter and trapper. Moving quietly wasn’t a habit you lost easily. Normally big celebrations weren’t his thing, he hadn’t attended a feast since the hatching feast of Idith’s clutch, during which a friend of his had lost her finger and one of her firelizards. But now he wanted to be near other people, happier people. Also Idith had threatened to step on him if R’aro didn’t stop moping about.

Determinedly R’aro straightened his shoulders and pushed thoughts of the friends and firelizards he’d lost in the recent attack to the back of his mind. If he couldn’t enjoy himself he could at least not ruin the feast for everyone else. He grabbed a drink, fruit juice because drinking ale gave him a foul temper and wine was still barred, and looked around for someone he even vaguely recognised.

[Lotty]

He didn't want to be that guy.

There was always that one fresh weyrling who would bring along his toddling dragon and get a few odd looks, and K'sel refused to be that person, but he so nearly was. It wasn't even funny, well not to him anyway.

Half covered in the blood and bodily juices of freshly slaughtered herdbeast, K'sel ran a hand over Pettahth's sandy eye ridge, and attempted to bid the dragon to sleep. Pettahth wasn't so keen on this idea, which was confusing for the boy, as he was weary and hungry and in dire need of a bath...his little brown bonded was a messy eater. K'sel couldn't fathom how the dragon still had a spark of energy when he was so drained. Fortunately, after a little bit of arguing...

Where are you going?

"Eating?"

There is perfectly good herdbeast here.

"I like my food cooked?"

This is nonsense.

He eventually got to do the washing up he deserved, and popped into the feast while his lifemate slept away on his little weyrling couch. Stepping in he immediately grabbed a drink, of course now there was nothing fun and alcoholic in it and stood with that ever famous lost look on his face. He didn't think he'd be feeling seperation anxiety so quickly...or ever for that matter. What ever happened to the Kasella he once knew so well? He shook off the memories like he chucked off the extra "a" from his name and stalked around the room, attempting this mingling thing.

[Tashe]

The only reason he was here was because G'tor had him by the injured arm. He hadn't been taking care of it as well as he should have, instead, he had been more concerned with the injuries of his Dragon patients. Lack of sleep combined with constantly being covered in Ichor and getting dirty having to get on the ground to treat whers, lead to his gash getting infected. The pain that radiated out from it when touched was very uncomfortable, but an effective way for people to get what they wanted out of him, even if they were ignorant to the fact he had even been injured. As the older Brownrider had put it, he was antisocial. Only the Healer who was treating his wound, knew it was infected, everyone else either thought it was just an injury or they had no clue at all. Such was the case of G'tor, he didn't know. He was forced to keep up with the older rider, other wise the pressure against his wound would increase.

The whole idea of going to a Feast in the first place made him grumpy, but having to go when he had so much work still yet to do made him even more sour. He didn't like social gatherings, maybe it was due to growing up with the fact social gatherings at Benden meant possibly getting hounded by older and drunken riders, or maybe it was do to the fact he disliked people in general. What ever it was, he normally tried to avoid gathers, feasts and dinners all together. In fact, this particular Feast was the first one at Selenitas he was apparently attending. He glanced up at G'tor as he spoke, frowning slightly. "I doubt theres wine... " He could really use some right now. "... I didn't even watch the Hatching. Leave the celebrating to those who did." Pitifully trying to pull away from G'tor, E'rro was thwarted by the pain in his arm. He had to go along with the other Brownrider for now, following unhappily behind him, only breaking his seething to nod at the Weyrleaders. He wasn't happy.

[ladybug]

Burena watched as Hypirioth curled up and fell asleep. It was the first time he was still since stepping out of the egg. Even in his sleep, the blue's tail twitched. Burena sighed contentedly, a big, stupid smile across her face. She had never been happier. The dragonriders were right, Impression truly was the best moment imaginable. Already she didn't know how she had ever gotten along without her Hypirioth.

She couldn't spend the whole night sitting there and staring at her dragon, so eventually she got up and cleaned herself off, washing the blood and guts from feeding Hypirioth away. Then she changed into her favorite party dress and hurried to the feast. Her stomach started rumbling, reminding her how hungry she was. She probably wouldn't linger long, but she wanted to attend her own party for at least a little bit.

As she walked to the feast, she wondered where Doc was. He had disappeared after her Impression. She could still feel his presence, so he must be sulking about having to share her with a dragon. Burena shrugged it off, hoping Hypirioth and Doc, two very different blues, would eventually learn to get along. At the feast, she grabbed a handful of munchies and then went to congratulate the other weyrlings.

Seeing Kasella, the boy who had been her uneasy company during the attack, Burena headed his way. "Congrats," she said, grinning at him. "I see you Impressed a handsome brown. What's your name now?"

[Lotty]

He was relieved. Mingling was so much easier when other people came up to him and did it for him, and although Burena and him had a shaky start - with the whole getting tackled and then yelling at her thing - he was in a much too euphoric state to think of him and the girl as anything but friends. He wondered when the new dragon effect would wear off, and a part of him worried that it never would. Smiling pleasantly as he knew how he returned the hello and dove into the conversation with all the enthusiasm that should be expected of a brand new weyrling.

"Ah yes, Pettahth is his name," he didn't want to admit it was hard yet for him to pronounce, but he tripped enough over the sounds to give it away, onto his own name, "It's K'sel now," he was officially another member of the "K" club. He had noticed in the days leading up to the hatching that rider names beginning with K seemed to be very popular, "a little more masculine, but I was getting awfully used to having a 'pretty' name." He suspected part of his mother's logic in naming him had to do with her attempts to push her boys into dragonriding, he was unaware of the little spat that actually blessed him with the birthname Kasella. He looked over at her some more, now able to notice things about her that he couldn't before when they were in the both stuck in the midst of a battle. She was no doubt a pretty girl, he saw that now, and wondered how she would manage in a Threadfall. He was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, on top of being pretty should looked like she could very well hold her own, why else would a blue choose her?

"You Impressed a blue didn't you? How is he?"

[nightingale]

“Burena!” Saeo came charging across the banquet hall, and all but threw herself at the other girl. Latching on, the elder weyrling squeezed her friend tightly and laughed in the weak but truly sincere way that a person did when receiving good news in the middle of a catastrophe. “Oh I just KNEW you would impress -and to such a charming little blue!” Is the little brother sleeping Mine? Ask if I can say hello. She pulled back just enough to wipe a few small tears from the corners of her eyes. “Cherilith want to know if he can introduce himself. Is the little darling asleep? What’s his name? Oh, sorry!”

K’sel had somehow managed to fly right under her radar, but now that she had spotted him the girl smiled in shy embarrassment. “You’re the one who impressed brown right at the end, right? Well congratulations! I can promise you that late hatchers are the very best sort of dragon -well, after blues of course!” Having been the last to impress at Cherilith’s hatching, Saeol was practically glowing with empathetic warmth and happiness for the young man. Carefully untangling her arms from Burena’s neck, she paused a moment to adjust her blouse and tuck a strand of tawny hair behind her ear before offering her hand. “I’m weyrling Saeo, of blue Cherilith.” She offered pleasantly, then changed her mind about the handshake and opted to hug him instead.

Jaymith, you’re not supposed to be in there. And why not? We are still weyrlings, and this is the weyrling barracks. Jaymith was having a hard time maneuvering through the corridors with his wings spread so as not to compromise his injuries, but he had managed to work his way through the main hall and into one of the narrow hallways containing the weyrling’s sleeping quarters.

Kei was watching the barracks from their weyrledge, shaking his head back and forth in a slow, tired gesture. Jaymith, those babies are trying to sleep. You can talk to them after class tomorrow. But it will not be their birthday tomorrow! I must say hello now, and ensure that they feel welcomed. Besides Ke’rin-mine, the young bonzes need someone to show them how a bronze should act before they start behaving improperly. Oh hatchlings, your prince is here to see you!

Jaymith neatly cut his rider out of the broadcast after that point, and Ke’rin groaned deeply, running his hands through his dark hair.
They were going to be in so much trouble.