Touching of the Precious Stones Clutch

[Administrator]

Aslath surveyed her clutch one last time. They were hard today, so the Hatching would be soon. It was time for the Touching. Nuzzling the Amethyst Egg one last time, she reached out to Shmee. Hers would not be able to come, which she found disappointing. It would have been nice for Shmee to have overseen the Touching of her first clutch. But no, Shmee was still very weak, both physically and emotionally, from the drug and miscarriage. Nevertheless, the queen reached out to her rider, who returned it lovingly. At least Shmee would be here in spirit, if not in body. Anxiously, Aslath's whirling eyes looked down to her clutch. The time for protection was going to come to an end, and she wasn't sure how much she liked it. No candidate, in her mind, was even worthy.

Salenth, can you please tell S'rei to come and watch the candidates? I do not want to talk to any of their sticky minds, she told him disgustedly. Grunting, she raised herself up to blast out a trumpet. Sending a universal message, she announced, All candidates report to the Hatching Sands for the Touching![/color] She paused. Had they learned how to respect a queen yet? She was still angry with Aezanth's, and she would make sure no candidate with that sort of blatant cruelty would make it onto her sands this time. They would have to bow to her, and ask to touch her eggs. If they had so much as one hair out of line, she would chase them away from her precious younglings.

Glowering, the golden queen slithered around her clutch, reddening eyes focused on the entrance to the Hatching Ground. Where was Salenth? She wanted him here to support her as these little urchins would make her eggs all grime-coated with their dirty fingers. Growling slightly, she flicked her tail.

I do not want these little brats touching my children,[/color] she told Shmee with a low snarl. She was a possessive queen. I will destroy any that show you, me, Salenth, or S'rei any disrespect,[/color] she promised Shmee.

It's all right, love, came the tired reply. Don't waste too much energy on kids. Some are just... overeager.

If they dare run around and horseplay near my eggs, I will destroy them,[/color] she reponded firmly. Her eyes never leaving the entrance, those intimidating red orbs watched, and the first candidate in would no doubt be unlucky, judged in every way.

[kaedryn]

Kaedryn was one of the first to respond to the call. She had just returned to the candidate's barracks and cleaned herself and was finishing up her preparations for the day by brushing out Belus when she heard the announcement. All candidates report to the Hatching Sands for the Touching! Was the call that rang in her mind with power, racing up her spine to give her chills. The feminine, proud voice could only have belonged to the queen... She must hurry!

Thanking all the gods she knew that she had already taken a shower and cleaned herself up, Kaedryn hurridly threw on some of her nicest clothing of white tunic belted with a turquiose leather band over khaki pants. She smiled at Belus and landed a quick kiss on his forehead just before leaving. "Sorry little brother. I don't think Queen mother Aslath would appreciate you near her clutch. Now stay here and be nice." She said, just before rushing out.

Running, dipping and dodging everyone and thing in her way, Kaedryn finally made it to the entrance of the hatching sands. She could feel the warmth even from outside. Taking a moment to compose herself, she took a deep breath in and let go of all her tension and fear, releasing it into the air before she could let it effect her. With head held high yet eyes lowered respectfully, she entered the hatching sands. Before her lay the gleaming eggs, so beautiful and shining, yet she knew before she could greet them, she must pay homage to their mother the queen.

Detouring slightly, she went over to stand a few respectful paces from the great gold queen. Though her entire life she had been told how evil dragons were, and how they were useless, she could think of nothing but beauty and light when faced with this creature. Nothing in her former life had prepared her for this moment as she stood before the gleaming queen she knew was judging her, so she went with her instincts.

Bowing low, hair falling before her to trail in the sand, she opened her mind fully to the queen. "Queen Aslath, I Kaedryn come before you on this day to beg permission to touch your eggs. I swear to harm nor foul a single one by deed or thought and will eagerly allow you to strike me down if I do so." She said aloud, finally raising her eyes to meet the queen's. Surely Aslath would not want someone who was too cowardly to even meet her eyes to greet her hatchlings. She waited for the queen's response.

---------
((I'll do Tokal after I get a response to Kaedryn!)) ((Oh, and about the yellow being the queen's call, I couldn't find the right color to fit her...Sorry!))

[glamourie]

Ow, ow, ow. He hurt so bad. Walking around a lot was a mistake, and Rawign knew that, but he'd made up his mind somewhere along the way: if he was going to attend the hatching, he needed to become more comfortable with the queen. He'd been terrified of Millieth when he met her and Aslath was the senior queen. While Shmee was anything but frightening (she was actually very nice, and Rawign liked her), her dragon was another story. He'd gotten over his fear of dragons in a general sense, but there was still a lurking hesitancy that would take more than just felines clawing him up to completely remedy. He was trying very hard to get better about being around them, but it would take time... time that he was not sure he necessarily had. Shards.

Fortunately for the injured candidate, he had help as he hobbled onto the Sands. Keliris had one arm looped around Rawign, holding him mostly by his good side, and he didn't even shoot off any sarcastic remarks. No doubt, for the redheaded boy, that was unusual. But Rawign was hurt, and while it wasn't as obvious as with Z'hin, or even with Paryal, there could be no denying that he wasn't in the best of shape. He still had bandages around his chest and sides from feline swipes and he was still under Healer orders to take it easy. He was trying, too, but there was no way he planned to miss the touching or the hatching. He'd just have to be an invalid and hope that his stumbling around and complete lack of grace did not offend the queen. No part of Rawign wanted to risk that.

Keliris glanced at his companion as they reached the edge of the Sands. His arms were wound around Rawign as best they could be without hurting him, and he actually looked concerned. No matter how much he tried to pretend he didn't care, the truth was that he did, a lot. Keliris wasn't known for his friendly disposition, but it was him who helped Rawign hobble to the stands. And without being asked. He'd just up and offered when he noticed Rawign seemed to have trouble on his own. Well, offered being in the general terms; he'd actually just walked over and held Rawign up, rather than force the other boy to admit he needed help. It wasn't that he had problems walking, but trying to get as far as the hatching sands wasn't easy. The furthest Rawign usually went was from the Infirmary to the Candidate Barracks to the Bathing Rooms and that was usually with help. If he'd asked, Lir would have tried to carry him. That would have been an interesting sight, though, given that Keliris was actually considerably shorter than Rawign. Amusing? Oh, definitely.

"Are you okay to stand on your own?" the redhead asked as they stood at the edges of the Sands. "You can lean on me the entire time if you want, but --"
"No, I'm okay. Thanks, Lir."

Nodding to the Healer, Keliris turned back to Aslath and then bowed low at the waist. He did not step onto the Sands, though. His eyes were on Rawign, more concerned for the black-haired boy than he was willing to let on. He wasn't sure whether or not the Queen wanted them to come onto the Sands without permission or not, bowing regardless, and where was the Weyrwoman? She would probably have been able to help, although he'd heard whispers of her being unwell. The exact details never reached Lir, though.

Like Keliris, Rawign moved to bow, though his was a lot more careful and he actually had to reach out to hold onto Keliris's shoulder as he did so. His other side was grasped by Kaliran, the younger of the brothers, who helped to hold him up lest he fall. Kaliran's appearance was noted with a smile, though Rawign shook his head. He felt pitiful, though the only reason bowing was hard was simply because the scratches that were the worst were on his sides and back, and that kind of bending simply hurt. Once he was able to stand back up fully, he looked up at Aslath, and then glanced around before speaking quietly, words shaky, as if he was worried he'd be offensive in some way, "I don't mean to be informal.... Aslath...?" Was he supposed to call her Queen or not? "And I hope you won't be offended... it isn't meant that way... My side is scratched up a bit." He didn't dare presume that Aslath would recall who all was involved in the feline incident at the river, or even if something so small reached her. She had better things to worry about than him; he just did not want to risk angering her by what could be perceived as a show of disrespect.

Kaliran glanced over at Keliris, his brother earning a curt nod, before he too gave a flourishing bow. Likewise, he didn't move, though he did look at Rawign, turning to make sure that his friend was going to be okay. The touching wasn't all that important to Kaliran - he'd come solely because he wanted to get a closer look at the eggs. But seeing Rawign there, hurt like that, made him nervous. The younger boy started to help him before his hands were batted away, and he huffed, then wandered over to Keliris. "Do you suppose we're allowed to go up to look at them yet?"

"I don't think we should go onto the Sands until we're sure that we have permission," Keliris replied. "I heard that the Weyrwoman is sick, and Aslath doesn't look very happy. I'd rather not risk offending her. Once we're sure we have permission, then we can go forward." Nevertheless, he did turn back to the queen, and actually asked her, though his words were more polite than they would have been for most people, "Are we allowed to move onto the Sands, Aslath?" He half-expected her to roar in his face (He didn't think he was worthy), but better he get the brunt of the queen's temper than his brother or Rawign. He didn't think that the Healer could take something like that. But his words, softly spoken as they were, were likely to be ignored Keliris was sure, as another girl came onto the Sands near them and announced herself as Kaedryn. He couldn't bring himself to sound so subservient in asking, but he did ask. He was more concerned with knowing if they could even come onto the sands rather than touch, though. He'd ask about that once he was sure he wasn't going to anger her... though how she'd reply, he didn't know.

[ Novel. D:!! ]

[Requiem]

Salenth dropped in from above, conspicuously riderless, landing a good distance from the eggs and Aslath, which necessarily put him almost within touching distance of the scraping candidates. In fact, they doubtless felt the wind from his wings as the bronze settled them along his back, a wariness in his gaze. He did not utter a sound. He didn't need to. A full-grown bronze, eyeing anyone that closely, was frightening enough in his own right. After a long moment he turned from the four, long tail sweeping dangerously close, and moved toward the opposite side of the clutch as his mate. No one was going to be doing anything foolish around these eggs. If Aslath was ornery because Shmee was still weak, Salenth was downright vindictive.

The reason was pretty apparent the moment the ridiculously tall Weyrleader gained the sands, his long strides bringing him past the candidates with a certain dismissiveness that was generally uncharacteristic of the man. Generally. If ever there was not a good time to annoy S'rei, it was now. Spending as much time as he could spare with his weyrmate served to increase the anger any man experienced when his family was attacked, and, despite S'rei's general good humor, he was a man of passions. The Weyrleader had been stalking through the Weyr with his emotions boiling inside for all too long now. It wouldn't take much to set him off, and disastrously. Besides which, anything that took him away from the training of the wings and the search for the person who had dared to poison Shmee - who may well still intend to strike against her - was not pleasing to him. These candidates were already on his bad side through no fault of their own.

Most, however, would have no idea why the disposition of the Weyrleader had suddenly turned. Moreover, a good number probably hadn't even come in contact with him enough to know this was unusual. But, for better or worse, S'rei had come at Aslath's request, standing a short distance off from the eager kids. His face was set in a stony mask as he regarded them. It wasn't as if this Touching ever truly effected anything. Dragons felt out the minds of the hopefuls at the Hatching. This was pointless.

Try not to eat them alive, Mine Salenth commented wearily. He'd been struggling to try to keep S'rei in check ever since Shmee's miscarriage, and was on the verge of just letting His implode, feeling as if he was being stretched unbearably thin. If you do not wish to speak to them, beloved, tell me or S'rei who you will allow to approach.

***

It was a small boy that approached the sands. Dark-skinned. Dark-eyed. His aspect, too, was dark, despite the child-like size – an impression founded in his gaze, this darkness. Most avoided the child. How could they not, when he radiated a certain menace, a quiet detachment that was altogether cold and just this side of murderous? Blood tainted his hands. They knew it. More, he knew it, and it didn’t haunt him. No. Not for him, regret at the scream of a knife, at the dull thud of a blade striking home. Oh, but he had his hauntings, his regrets – many more than the fools who thought to judge him. What did they know? How many of them could claim a failure as profound as his?

How many of them had led all who looked up to them to death?

Only one knew his story, or enough of it to perhaps understand, but she was broken, too. The ring glinted on his finger. That single ring was worth more than anything he’d ever owned or stolen. It was sobering.

Something, some perverse hope, or perhaps despair, had driven Mutasim to come at Aslath’s call. To look upon the eggs that contained companions for others, though not him. Never for him. What dragon would want a broken child? What dragon would be drawn by such a dark soul as the one that peered out through the boy’s eyes? None. This only struck him harder as he looked upon all the glorious eggs – perfect and gleaming in the soft light. At that moment he very nearly turned on a heel and disappeared from the hatching grounds forever.

Strangely, though…Mutasim never allowed himself to hope, or to think that anything good could come of any situation. Nevertheless, a small part of himself must have rebelled, or else it was a very nasty little part, seeking only to rub in reality once again. The candidate’s fortune had ever been horrid. The boy would not have thought to ask Aslath's permission. She had called them. She wanted them there. It was part of his natural arrogance, an arrogance that was odd indeed, for it acknowledged both his mental superiority over others and the many weaknesses held inside him. Fifteen turns of ill fortune that somehow left a boy alive managed to create that general attitude.

Neither was he oblivious, however, and with so many pausing on the edge of the sands, he understood it must be normal to ask permission, even though she'd essentially given it by summoning them in the first place. Formalities. Needless, ludicrous formalities. The boy managed something of a stiff bow - he'd never had need for such movements in the life he'd led, and it was distinctly awkward - holding that position for a few long moments. He'd held far more debasing postures. No need to go down that particular run of memories, though. Mutasim straightened silently. Never much of one to speak, he certainly felt no need to do so now. Most would have thought him too awestruck to address the gold. That was fine with him.

[saberlin]

Rilliana had heard the call. It was time for a touching. She had been hoping that with all the time that had passed from the clutching itself that she would be able to see the eggs before their hatching day. Not that it had helped any the time before, but one could never be certain about eggs. Her mother used to tell her in a sing song voice, "Don't count your eggs until they hatch." Which in Rilliana's mind really should have been, "Don't guess the color of your egg until it hatches." implying the dragons hide color compaired to the egg. Last but not least Rilliana just hoped that these eggs would be healthier looking than the misformed last batch. If not she would bow to the queen and see herself out. There was no reason for her to deal with misshapen eggs. Call her a snob but she wanted her dragon to be healthy and actually be able to fly in the sky and fight against their ever common enemy of thread!

it was with brisk steps that she took herself to the hatching sands. She was wearing her simple skirt and shirt. There was no need to SHOW OFF to the Queen, and in Rilliana's opinion this outfit made her look more presentable to more people, not just those higher up on the food chain. When she arrived she could see the hurken bulk of both the Golden Aslath and her made who's name escaped her at the moment. She walked onto the sands gently, but did not allow herself more than a few feet before she went into a very old and classic low bow. The bow that one would do if they were a lady trying to address another Lord Holder from a different area. Her legs were crossed in the proper manner and her back was perfectly flat. Her arms held out to her sides along with the skirt so that it did not drag and made beautiful lines around her.

Then and only then did she speak, "Great Golden Aslath, I heard your call and I come asking Permission to come onto your sands and have the honor of touching your beautiful and strong eggs."

Though she had only gotten a quick glance of them before her bow, she could see that not a one of them was improperly pitted or mishapen as the other clutch was. No, these ones would be strong, she could feel it in her bones. She stayed in her low bow, awaiting the Queens or another response. Rilliana knew full well that it could be as quiet and simple as a "yes" or she very well might be eaten. This was the second time that the Queen had seen her, but the first time looking at this Queens OWN clutch. Would the Queen allow the girl who had not Impressed the last time? Had walked off of the sands as the final eggs were hatched? Rilliana could only hope and nothing past that. She stayed strong in her waiting.

[Administrator]

Aslath growled as the first candidate came. New meat. Her eyes whirling with more intensity, she noted that this one was a female. Lowering herself to look down upon her, she made it clear that she was boss. She took a moment to look Kaedryn over, trying to detect any signs of weakness, while also making sure that she didn't try touching any of her eggs. This over-possessiveness could actually look quite frightening, especially to a candidate. But Aslath was taking no chances, especially after Shmee miscarried. There was no way that she, the great queen of Selenitas Weyr, was going to lose her precious clutch! Letting out a low snarl in warning, she lowered her head even more at the girl's words.

She really was over-poetic. Shmee never liked it when people were too dramatic. Ready to chase her from the sands, more of a growl began bubbling from her throat when Kaedryn managed to look in head into the queen's eyes. Though her eyes did not cease to whirl in wariness, this was a reassuring trait. Perhaps this little fledgingling had promise after all. It took a lot of guts for a candidate to look a broody queen in the eye. Did she feel fear? More out of cruel curiosity, Aslath puffed hot air into the girl's face, testing her. Grunting in satisfaction, she turned her head away from the girl, flicking her tail in dismissal. The first candidate had been admitted to the sands!

And then, three boys entered. Seeing one form that moved more awkwardly than the others, she hissed. Was this a weakling? She had forgotten about the feline attack- her memory wasn't that acute unless it affected Shmee directly. Her gaze flickering across each of their faces, she had no qualms with two. But the third...

What was this? An excuse? Infuriated, her growl intensified. Flickering her tail violently at Kaliran and Keliris to allow them at the eggs, she turned her red, baleful stare to Rawign. This weakling! He dare try and consider himself worthy for her perfect clutch?! Slowly, her growl turned into a fierce snarl. Snorting down at his body, she tried to gesture out what bothered her. Salenth, tell S'rei to tell this boy that cripples are not allowed near my clutch,[/color] she told him fiercely, hearing his words in her mind as she examined the injured, unfortunate boy.

With one last growl for good measure, she whirled around so fast that her tail flew at Rawign, perhaps hitting him hard enough to knock him off his feet, or it may have missed entirely. She wasn’t sure, nor did she care. She was insulted, and now she wanted a cuddle with Salenth.

Striding towards him, she nuzzled him. He, a mere cripple, thinks himself good enough for our children,[/color] she told him seethingly. Stressed and unhappy, Aslath was obviously unapproachable. Woe to any more candidates who wanted to come in!

Yet, they did. Barreling over to Mutasim, she glowered down at him. Was he not going to ask her? Sure, he bowed, but she was a queen, and deserved respect! Hissing at him, she blocked his path, waiting for him to ask before she could allow him further. And if he didn’t ask…

Another candidate?! Too preoccupied with Mutasim, she merely hissed, dismissing the girl to the clutch. She bowed, she asked, and this boy was far more troublesome than her.[/size]

[ravenmane]

Skyler stepped onto the very hot Sands. The need to get off was forceful, but the boy pressed on. He wanted to Impress one of Aslath's mighty young, and to do so meant facing her wrath and these very hot sands. Silently cursing himself for not wearing thicker boots, Sky watched steadily towards the Golden Queen. The way she stood towering over another boy frightened, yet instilled awe into Skyler's heart. Skyler approached her, his eyes gazing at her hide. He would not make a mistake this time. The last Touching had been strange with Fath's mishapened clutch on the sands.

Skyler paused as he realized he had reached the golden Queen. The boy bowed, hopeful that Aslath would accept him onto the the Sands. "Queen Aslath, I ask for permission to approach your beautiful clutch. I do not wish to harm the." Sky's voice was steady and sure. He held no fear in his heart for Skyler had come to love the dragon race. When the Senior Queen acted tough, the boy could only stare in wonder. How did these great creatures come to be?

=========================================

A figure stood near the entrance of the Hatching Sands, her eyes staring at the broody Gold and her friend. Beside the girl sat a growing Green that watched curiously as her adoptive mother towered over a candidate. Aslath is very protective of her clutch, Mine. "I know, Toryth. She is frightened that harm will come to them. Aslath is doing her duty anyways." Ciara watched, hoping Skyler would be accepted. "This will be a very interesting Touching, Tory." It's Toryth!

[Requiem]

Salenth, who had actually been there at the feline attack, did not recognize Rawign either, but S'rei did. The Weyrleader also recognized him from the pie stall, and later the dance at the Gather awhile back. He wasn't a bad sort. And these injuries had been acquired attempting to defend a junior weyrwoman and her queen. Nevertheless, he knew Aslath's - issues - with Paryal and Aezanth at the moment, and doubted it would be much to Rawign's benefit for him to mention that to her. She's just as likely to bite him in half as allow him to touch the eggs, Salenth agreed quietly. He only had a chance to give Aslath the briefest of nuzzles, however, before she flew back toward the small boy who'd just entered as well.

The Weyrleader, foul mood though he was in, was not a cruel man. Quietly, he moved to intercept Rawign, hoping the anxious queen hadn't hurt him too badly. "Move along, boys. Aslath will take offense if you don't approach her clutch now that she's allowed it," he told the brothers sternly. In his opinion, he was here just as much to see that the gold didn't kill one of these kids as to make sure the clutch was safe.

"Aslath is stressed at the moment," he told the healer quietly, guiding the boy away from the clutch and offering an arm as support as he did so. "We all are. So don't take it personally, but she does not wish for you to touch her eggs." Pausing at the single opening to the hatching grounds, he came to face Rawign, a wry smile turning up one side of his mouth. "By the time the Hatching comes around she'll have calmed and you should be moving better. If I don't see you here - " His eyes narrowed, and though the smile remained, his tone was quite serious. " - you'd best leave the Weyr, because I'll be sure to hunt you down."

Well, he'd done fairly well up to that point. It should still achieve the desired result. If not - eh, he really didn't care at this point. His mind was elsewhere. S'rei returned to the sands, wondering if he was going to have to intervene between Aslath and this small boy - was the child even old enough to stand? He looked no more than ten turns...Oh, and here came another. He sighed and rubbed at his temples. This was going to be a long day.

***

A large hissing golden mountain barreled toward him. Ironically, though it scared Mutasim enough to actually provoke a slight widening of his eyes, the only change of expression that usually had a chance of coming over his face, her antagonism naturally awoke a measure of stubborness in him.

The small boy stood his ground, staring at the queen directly, though he still had no earthly idea what it was that had bothered her. Mutasim had never been an outspoken person and rarely talked to anyone, even those who knew him somewhat well. It would never have occured to him to speak to a dragon. Much less a gold. That would have been impudent. So the candidate naturally assumed it had something to do with his bow, which was obviously ill-practiced. Or maybe it was just he himself was unfitting for any dragon, and she knew this. At any rate, he simply stood there dumbly, waiting for her to do whatever she intended to do to him.

Jabari, on the other hand, was not nearly so docile. The brown, who had been curled around Mutasim's neck, beneath his collar, almost constantly since he'd hatched, snaked up to the boy's shoulder and hissed, his wings flaring. Yes, this big thing could kill him in an instant, but Jabari wouldn't let her touch his humanthingy. "Jabari. You should leave." The brown ignored his. Mutasim took the flitter firmly by his small body, and launched the creature into the air. "Get out of my sight!"

Hurt at the way he was treated, the little brown flitter let out a plaintive fluting before disappearing Between to go sulk. Muta's heartbeat settled back toward normal. He wouldn't allow anything to hurt Jabari, not his only true companion at the weyr, and Aslath didn't seem in a forgiving mood. His gaze remained steadily on the queen of the weyr. Mutasim still didn't know what she wanted him to do, but turning his back on her or, worse, asking her what she wanted of him seemed like the height of foolishness.

[glamourie]

Rawign tilted his head slightly, and then took a step back - perhaps just in time, too, in order to avoid being knocked onto his face. His movements pulled him away from Keliris and Kaliran, both of whom turned to look at him, though the latter bit his tongue. Lir, on the other hand, twisted his face into an unpleasant scowl and actually stepped back as well, though more out of worry for the Healer than anything else. But rather than react badly (as one might have thought he would), Rawign bowed his head slightly, and murmured a quiet apology. He hadn't meant to offend her, but it was obvious he did, and he wasn't stupid enough to wait around. Others might have tried to argue. He didn't. He hadn't expected, really, to be welcome, so the Queen's reaction came as no surprise. Trying to stay might make her even more distressed, and he wouldn't do that. Keliris reached out to touch him from him before Rawign shook his head.

"I don't want to offend her worse than I've already done. You stay. I can find my way back on my own," he whispered, the words meant only for Keliris. Without waiting for a response from the redhead, Rawign actually spun on his toe and started off, leaving no room for any kind of argument from the younger boy. Nothing about his posture gave any indication to how he felt, except that his side hurt. But since it'd been hurting rather regularly, it wasn't that unusual for him. He'd probably just go back to the candidate barracks and sleep for awhile. Maybe until after the hatching? Sounded like a plan to him...

* * *

Keliris stared after Rawign, almost in disbelief, for a few moments. His expression was actually every bit as puzzled as he felt, as if he didn't understand why he'd just.. give up. Were their roles reversed, Lir would have said something snotty back.. and probably got himself hurt. He was good at that, but he couldn't think of any thing that would stop him from going to a touching if he really wanted to. And he knew that Rawign wanted to be there. It must have taken a lot of courage to get him there at all, considering how he felt about dragons in the first place. He glanced from Kaliran to the direction Rawign went in. Was he going to be okay? He frowned, biting his tongue to avoid saying something none too pleasant. Was it really necessary to actually risk hurting him worse? Normally, Lir was more than willing to make allowances for a dragon's behavior, but considering that it was obvious Rawign was hurt, he didn't think that was very fair. Not that he thought anyone would care what he thought. He was just... him.

The Weyrleader's words actually caught Keliris's attention, and he nodded before shuffling off, though he was more tempted to follow Rawign and make sure he was okay than anything else. Keliris didn't expect to Impress, and frankly had only come to make sure that Rawign had someone to lean on -- literally. However, since he was obviously occupied, Keliris nodded to Aslath and followed Kaliran onto the Sands, though he had no intentions of touching any of the eggs. He'd just lurk and make sure no one bothered his younger brother.

Kaliran, on the other hand, ambled over to the side of the clutch before leaning in for a closer look. Unlike Keliris, who felt bad for Rawign, Kaliran really.. didn't care. In his opinion, it was Aslath's right to kick anyone off her sands at any time, and Kaliran had no sympathy for anyone who was unfortunate enough to be said person. True was it that Rawign was his friend, but he tended to see things like that as unchangeable and therefore not worth dwelling on. While he would no doubt be careful how much mentioning of the clutch he did to Rawign out of general courtesy, he wasn't going to sit around feeling sorry for him. Unlike his brother. Keliris would probably actually be nice for a few hours. Fancy that.

The pair (or rather, Kaliran) approached the Hematite Egg, though Kaliran's eyes were one some of the more bright ones. The darker coloration was bound to attract Keliris's attention, or so Kaliran thought, although his brother made no move to examine the eggs aside from casual looks. Actually, Keliris kept glancing off...

"What are you doing?" Kaliran hissed quietly, giving Keliris an odd look.
"Watching."
"Watching what?"
"Mutasim."

The response was simple enough that Kaliran turned back toward the eggs, clearly thinking his brother was out of his mind. But Keliris was fascinated at the exchange between the queen and the other candidate, as if he found something terribly interesting. He was mildly worried when the little brown firelizard actually made itself known, though. He didn't know much about the queen, but he was aware that most dragons didn't like flitters. He bit his tongue and actually glanced down at Kaliran before kneeling next to him, though he made no move to react otherwise. Not his problem.

* * *

Hobbling as he was, Rawign didn't make it more than a couple steps before the Weyrleader caught up to him. He bit the insides of his cheeks, if only to keep his facial expression in check, though he tilted his head up just slightly. His instant first reaction was a hint of defensiveness, though tired as he was, it didn't last more than approximately two seconds before fading. Though he listened and actually met the Weyrleader's gaze (surprisingly calm, considering how he felt), Rawign made no effort to reply. He didn't know what he was supposed to say anyway. Aslath had made her point perfectly clear without being told, and words didn't really help anything. He could have said he wasn't upset, and it would have been a futile lie. He could have said that he was, and it would have sounded like he was whining. No response was better than either of those, since neither option sounded appealing to him.

Well, he'd have to say something. Just staring could be perceived as rude, and really, it wasn't meant to be. He just didn't know what he was supposed to say. So he settled for what felt like a nicely default, lame and harmless answer. "Thank you, sir." Was it possible to misinterpret those words? Probably, but he didn't know how. Bowing his head, he waited until the Weyrleader was out of sight again before heading back to the candidate barracks, just as he'd planned. Unfortunately, Rawign did take it personally, although he'd just as soon have cut out his tongue than admit it. Maybe after he slept he wouldn't be quite as upset anymore, though.

[missa]

All candidates report to the Hatching Sands for the Touching!

Mind instantly flinched away from the powerful tone, one that seemed so... Well, she she seemed more than grumpy when Beka decided to think about it. Aslath sounded like the last thing she wanted was Candidates near her Clutch. Well, good for her, hopefully none would be mauled, unlike others, she didn't hurry to get up, instead settling with Anai on her lap. She didn't plan to go to the Hatching, despite what Keliris said, and thus, no point going to the Touching.

Anai didn't seem to agree with her though, turning her head with a demanding cheep at her, Hers had to go, why wouldn't she? She couldn't stay here! Why was she shaking her head! A slight hiss escaped the green as she nudged at the hand resting next to her, Hers would go, now!

Beka yelped as the green scratched her, glaring at her as the images of the eggs, Aslath and Beka filled her mind. Along with demanding feelings and a commanding chirp.
"Sharding bully you are Anai. Right, if I get kicked off, it's your fault." She snapped, glaring at the Green for a moment before placing her on the bed and getting up. Anai merely chirped proudly, settling down to sleep with a self-satisfied trill. Sharding arrogant green. Another glare before she turned and left.

Well, the scratch hurt, not as much as she would have thought, it wasn't deep or anything... And once she'd cleaned it, it didn't even appear to be bleeding that badly. Once at the Sands, she said nothing, merely stopped before approaching the Queen, bowing deeply.
"Good day Queen Aslath..." A pause, in which Beka had no idea what to say then, asking permission was alot harder than people made out. You didn't want to be too formal, and yet, you didn't want to be casual.
"May I approach your clutch Queen Aslath?" That would have to do.

~

Rielana had bounced up the minute those powering tones filled her head, cheeks going pink with excitement. Well, someone was grumpy wasn't she? Well, that matched Fiel at the moment, sour since he'd lost the Flight for the Gold, Rielana merely laughing at him as he chirped at her.
"Your own silly fault dear one. Shouldn't have tried to catch her early should you?" She murmured affectionately, pressing a kiss to the small Blue's head before turning and practically skipping out of the Barracks.

Of course she was excited! Who wouldn't be? Finally, they would see Aslath's clutch, one that was probably bigger and far more beautiful than poor Fath's had been. Even better, they got to Touch the eggs! Oh of course Rielana was excited, never mind Aslath was in a bad mood! Rielana was practically breathless as she reached the Sands, bowing deeply to the Queen before smiling up at the Gold. Eyes swept over the eggs, taking in their far more healthy colouring and beauty.
"Good Day Gold Aslath! How are you and Yours? And Your Mate and His of course. You're eggs are beautiful, gorgeous, so pretty! Can I approach them please Aslath?"

Bright and bubbly as usual, Rielana honestly didn't see anything wrong with the way she'd asked to approach, she'd been polite hadn't she? Hopefully polite enough, but then again, one never knew. If Aslath was being protective, her happiness and excitement to see the eggs at last might annoy her. Then what would happen? What if she didn't get to see the eggs until the Hatching? That would not be fair, but as always she'd have to accept it... Still... Fingers crossed.

~

Religna had looked up, her features confused for long moments before clearing. Of course, the Touching, but why was Aslath sounding so... Bitter about it? It didn't make sense, not really. Weren't Golds supposed to be happy when the candidates came to Touch the eggs? Simply because they got to show off what wonderful work they'd done? Maybe Aslath was just protective, yes, that sounded alright. Then she wasn't really grumpy, just concerned that the Candidates would hurt her children. Something that should never cross the mind of anyone thought good enough to Stand. There was always a few though, always a few...

Religna had taken her time, seeing no point in rushing to the Sands, which would mean she'd arrive at the same time as many others. Possibly swamping Aslath with Candidates, and there fore making certain that she didn't allow them any closer. So, Religna took her time, hoping that she would be allowed closer. After all, this was her first Clutch to Stand at, she'd never approached any other one before. And might not have the chance again. Two other girls waiting permission, at least two, there were probably others waiting, but Religna couldn't tell. Instead, she stepped closer, bowing to the Gold before raising her eyes to look at Aslath.
"Good Day Aslath, the clutch is beautiful. How are you and Yours? I hope, well. May I approach your clutch please, Aslath."
~

[saberlin]

Well, she hadn't been eaten. Bowing again she moved along not wanting to offend the queen by NOT moving. She moved the the first egg that was closest to her. The Sapphire Egg. Its plain metallic blue color beckoned to her. After all, it was the color of the Harpers. Why should a Harper not fancy this particular egg? She put a tenative hand out to it, testing how the air felt around it. Feeling that it was good she moved her hand a bit closer, and a bit closer, until her soft but strong flute playing hands reached its surface. It was so warm! But felt.....young. Even for a dragon egg the dragon inside it seemed to push a mischeivious feeling out towards her. No then, this would not be her egg.
Moving along she came to the Silver Egg. It was over by the more medium ones and there was a certain way that its shell pulled on the light that attracted Rilliana to it. After all, like it she was a star in her own mind, though she often swallowed so much of the light around her that she could not be seen. Touching the egg, this time with a little bit more enthusiasm and self assuredness she found that she liked the feel of this one more than the Sapphire Egg. While pretty it had been far to child like for her. This one was even warmer than the Sapphire and had a distinct feeling of comfort. Rilliana liked that. She would keep this egg in mind and make sure to come back and visit it. She also wanted to see the Golden Queen Egg but did not at the time want to hazard the wrath of the Queen. She would wait a little while before going over to ask permission.

[kaedryn]

Kaedryn, breathing in a sigh of relief but not letting it exhale, nodded to the queen, keeping her eyes on her the entire time. It had seemed that the pretty words she had spoken were not the right tactic, instead her own pride and strength in meeting the queen's eyes had impressed her more... Good. That just meant she didn't have to play at something she was not. Pretty words were good, but did nothing in the real world.

Standing up tall and proud, Kaedryn tossed her black hair over her shoulder before thanking the queen one more time even as she hurried off to judge other candidates arriving to the sands. She walked over the sands to the gleaming, brightly colored eggs, a low humm starting in her throat, soothing and calming. It was a song her mother had once sung, and it came unbidden from somewhere deep in her chest. Finally reaching the eggs, she began running her hands, not on the eggs, but just hovering over them, humming and sending soothing waves to them.

Once she had made her round with her hands grazing the air just over the eggs, she started over again, completly enraptured in their warmth. An intense happiness, greater than anything she had ever known before, filled her heart, replacing all her hurt feelings left behind by her father. The great gaping holes left from his new revulsion to her were slowly healed just by being able to touch these precious eggs... She sighed once and continued humming.

-----------------------
Tokala had heard the call to come touch the eggs on the sands, a bright grin splitting his mouth as he ran to his room in the candidate's barracks, instantly stripping off and putting on a few nice but plain clothes. He washed his hands, forearms, and face quickly but effectivly before dashing out of the barracks. On his way there, he nodded and smiled to the various people who ran bye, some who called good luck to him and others who just smiled back.

Once at the entrance to the hatching sands, he wiped the smile from his face to put on a more serious look, but could not completly erase the excitement from his heart nor the gentle, quiet happiness in his eyes. He strode into the room, ready for anything. The first thing he noticed was that only a few candidates were already here and even fewer allowed to approach the eggs. One boy had already been turned away, a pained smile on his face as he limped from the room, and Queen Aslath snarling in the face of a dark haired and skinned candidate. Obviously she was a very protective mother, a good trait in a queen but something he must be careful about not to rouse her fighting instincts. He came closer, but far enough away from the boy and the gold dragon not to feel threatened in any way and waited his turn to greet the Queen dragon.

[Tashe]

It was finally the girl's turn to drag her so-called-friend through the hallway, and it didn't help that she had to drag the girl out of bed either. It wasn't often that Saraina felt as hopeful as she did at this moment, but this was to be her second touching since she didn't have any luck with Fath's last clutch. Not only that but there had been rumors that the eggs of Aslath's first clutch sparkled and shone like rare jewels on the sweltering sands, and this ex-thief truly did love the look of flashy jewels. Although all of her doubts about the falsity of the rumors were dispelled as soon as the woman dragged her friend onto the hatching sands.
Twenty-six eggs, and each of them glittered in the light that was softly cast into the grounds. Between the giant golden female and the jewels on the sands, one could just picture the idea of a stunning necklace.

Leaving her friend standing in the door way, Saraina quietly slid her way through the small area allotted by the Queen, quelling the thief's voice inside of her as she made her way toward Aslath. Sliding up to a respectful distance, just as she had done in the first touching, the young woman bowed courteously to the Queen before speaking. "Greetings Queen Aslath, may I be allowed to pass to touch the eggs that you guard so vivaciously over?" Drawing herself up from the bow, but angling her head down respectively, Sara let her eyes quietly dart over to the boy that Aslath was unhappy with. Didn't he know he was supposed to ask permission? Then as an after thought, the young woman added on to her previous statement. "I also have your painting. I have finally finished it..."

----

By the time she realized what was going on, Gina had been dragged from her bed, forced to dress and was now stumbling her way down a hallway behind her friend Saraina. Looking down at her clothing to see what she had apparently put on, the young woman yawned slightly before picking at the light green tunic. Why had her friend dragged her from her cot and why was she in such a sharding hurry to get somewhere? But all of her questions were answered when Sara stopped in the doorway that lead to the hatching grounds, for Aslath had called all of the candidates to the touching while she was asleep. Immensely glad that her artisan roommate had woken her up, Gina yawned happily once again before wiping the dampness from her eyes.

Opening her eyes to the intense heat, the knitting empress's irises convulsed at the wonderful colors that the shinning eggs cast onto the walls. It took her a few moments to get over the stunning sight and realize that Saraina had left her to greet the Queen. Jumping slightly as she happily made her way over to Aslath, Gina was surprised to see the Golden female squaring off with her younger friend. Quietly stepping into place between Mutasim and Saraina, the pitch black head bobbed slightly before the girl uttered quick words to the boy. "I believe you forgot to ask her permission. Like so..." Bowing respectfully to the large golden Queen, Gina switched all of her attention to the dragon. "Good day Queen Aslath! May I pass so that I may be able to touch your gem like little ones?"

[boober]

As soon as she heard the call for the Touching, Cezine politely excused herself and shook the water from her hands before quickly leaving the kitchens. She tried to make herself as presentable as possible, wiping the sweat from her brow and unrolling her sleeves. But there was only so much she could do; her clothing was all pretty much the same. Just clothes to work in, worn and patched and mended time and time again, and when they finally fell apart beyond repair, she got some more hand-me-downs from the clothes cache… many of which then had to be adjusted to fit her.

So it should have been no surprise to anyone that anything Cezine wore would not exactly be fit for a Gather. It was somewhat ironic, if one thought about it. At home, she had many lovely things to wear, including several exquisite Gather gowns. Of course, since she was several Turns older now, there probably wasn’t much that would fit her. And almost nobody knew of her rank when she’d arrived at the Weyr. But honestly, clothes were of little importance. The Candidate paused only to pull on some sturdy shoes to protect her feet against the heat of the Sands. Then she continued on her way, letting her feet guide her to the entrance. There was already some Candidates present, which she’d expected, but… what was this?

Knowing something was going on, Cezine paused at the entrance and watched as Aslath… what /was/ she doing? It looked as if… she was inspecting the Candidates. For what purpose? Blinking, the young woman barely even glanced at the flitters who suddenly appeared next to her, uttering curious chirps. She brushed them away, murmuring a quiet ‘stay here’ before stepping onto the Sands. Walking smoothly, she made her way across them to approach Aslath, her eyes remaining on the golden queen without even flicking to the clutch or seeing who else was there. Pausing, she bowed deeply before straightening.

“I heard your summons, and request permission to join the Touching.” The words were spoken in her usual soft voice, and even though it was clear that something was amiss with the queen, Cezine was not afraid; merely perplexed. She didn’t dare take a step toward the clutch unless Aslath permitted it.

[Administrator]

Aslath, snarling, turned her head from Mutasim to face Skyler, even though she slammed her tail down in front of the smaller boy. It was hard, inspecting two people at once! Skyler, too, annoyed her for some reason. Why was he denying so much that he'd hurt her eggs? Did he really have some other agenda on his mind? Angry at so many people insulting her (even though they did not realize it), she reared her head and let out an angry bugle. Shmee, hearing it from her weyr, sat up slowly in her bed. Just what was going on? Aslath, trumpeted again. He is going to harm our children![/color] she snarled, the message pressing urgently into Shmee and Salenth's heads. Did you hear how he denied he would? He is going to hurt them![/color]

And then! The first insolent boy had a fire lizard! Letting out a screech of anger, she swung her tail at the boy now, resorting to physically attack him now. She would have no flitters or impolite boys on her sands! This was the last straw. Shmee rose from her bed, even though her body protested the walk to the hatching grounds. But she couldn't have Aslath scaring all of the candidates off the sands, and from the way it was sounding now, she probably already had.

As fast as her frail body could, Shmee managed to meander over to the Hatching Ground. Fortunately, it wasn't terribly far a walk, but Shmee probably wouldn't look as formal as she would like, in a light shirt and pants meant for sleeping, with her short black hair unkempt. Bare feet also probably weren't the best things for the sands, either. No matter- Aslath couldn't scare away these poor kids!

"Aslath," she murmured, her thoughts getting the angry queen's attention more than the quiet words that Aslath probably couldn't physically have heard. "Please stop it. Let them all through. They're not going to hurt your clutch."

Stumbling over to S'rei, she managed to get to him just in time to have her knees give way beneath her. Clutching him, she pulled herself up, ignoring the burn at her feet. "I can't let her do this to the candidates," she told S'rei quietly, using him as her support. Her body was unused to moving this much since the drug- it had sapped her energy, but she couldn't wait for it to all come back. Not to mention that she hadn't had the desire to move. The only times she had gotten up were to go to the chamber pot, so this probably hadn't helped. She hadn't dedicated any time to building her strength back up.

Aslath, torn between her worry for Shmee and her eggs, faced her bonded. But...[/color] the young queen protested worriedly. Shmee shook her head. Sulkily, Aslath returned to Salenth, restraining herself.

"You are all free to touch the eggs. Just bow to Aslath and move along," Shmee said, forcing her voice louder.

Aslath looked down at Saraina, addressed personally. Had this girl painted her picture. Oh, yes, now she remembered. This fixed her mood a little more, and she grumbled in satisfaction. When could she see it? Puffing at the girl lightly as her thanks, she nuzzled Salenth anxiously as she watched all the candidates disperse amongst the eggs.[/size]