Starfall Weyr - Hatching Caverns

[stardragon]

ALL Clutching and Hatching RP take place in this thread.

[stardragon]

((OOC: For this first Hatching since I have to move the thread into this shiney new board I'll be compressing the storyline into several large posts. When I am Quoting what another player has written I will color that text in the color of thier dragonet. All colored type is the owner of the charries words, not mine.))

(3/6/dawn)

Rukabat was just rising over the horizon, casting a rosy glow on the cliffs of StarFall Weyr, when a low humming resounded thoughout the cliffs and weyr bowl.

Junior Weyrwoman Lianna raced to the hatching sands as the humming began. "Time already?" she asked looking at Esanith. {Yes mine!} replied the gold.

The 15 eggs that had been hardening on the sands for 5 sevendays now were beginning to hatch.

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The Egg- This egg defies description simply because... there is really nothing to describe. Unlike the other eggs, it is white in color without any shapes or markings. It is warm to the touch because of the sand and feels exactly like you'd expect an egg to. It is of average size.

Windswept Clouds- This egg, which is varying shades of gray, is the color of the sky on a cloudy day. The occasional glint of silver brings to mind the proverbial silver lining that every cloud has. If one was to stare at the "clouds" long enough, you might discern a shape or two. But one can never be sure...

Eye of the Storm- This egg is utterly chaotic. Inside the swirling mass of gray and blue, shapes appear to be flying through the air. Only one spot is devoid of the violence that characterizes the rest of it. At the very top of the egg is the eye of the storm, a spot of green calmness...

View from the Top- Green, brown, and sea blue can dimly be seen through a thin layer of white, as if you are looking down from dragonback or a high mountain on the ground below. It is peaceful and serene, making one long for some of that for themselves.

Silver Rain- Rather ominous streaks of silver can be seen on the egg, like Thread falling. They catch the light and hold it; they seem to glow in the darkness. Save for the strips of silver, the rest of the egg is sky blue.

Red Skies at Morning- Various shades of red and the occasional pink swirl across the surface. It is beautiful, but it does stir up feelings of fear because of things that are associated with the color red...

Red Skies at Night- This egg doesn't evoke fear like the other red egg of the clutch. Indeed, there is something tranquil about it. Probably because there are shades of orange, pink, and purple mixed in with it.

Sunrise, Sunset- It is very hard to distinguish from the Red Skies at Night egg. The same vibrant red, brilliant oranges, soft pinks, and deep purples that cover the shell of the aforementioned egg cover this one. Only they are more intense here. There is an air of watchful expectancy surrounding this egg...

Colors of the Rainbow- This egg is dizzying in its intensity. Every shade of every color that can be seen in a rainbow can be found here in no particular pattern. You can't look at it for very long. It seems to glow almost and the dragonet inside is certain to create a stir on its entrance...

Star Light, Star Bight- This egg is by far the most beautiful. Though its surface is a uniform shade of deep blue, the color of the sky at night, it is covered with silver specks that seem to glow of their own accord.

Wish Upon a Star- This egg is simply a bright, glowing silver grey. It is unusually hot to the touch and the air around it is comfortably warm. The egg seems to vibrating and fills the air around it with a faint hum. If you listen closely, you can hear it...

Down Below- This egg reminds people of the mines deep below the earth. A faint glow of what looks like fire can be seen, but that is the only bright spot on the egg. The rest of it is dark and shadowed.

Shadows' Fall- This egg is quite eerie. Despite the firm belief that eggs don't change, this one seems to constantly. All in dark greys and browns it never sems to look the same twice in a row.

Nature's First Green- You'll want to either dance for joy or destroy this egg on sight. The vibrant green of new growth with the occasional darker green in a shape reminiscent of a leaf. It conjures up the image of spring and new growth, but it also evokes the fear of silvery strands falling to devour that growth...

All That Glitters- This egg couldn't be anything but gold! The egg's surface is the color of polished gold and shines like it too. It is beautiful simply because it is a pure gold through and through.

[stardragon]

Candidate Master Verdaine was awoken by her green Voraith within seconds of the golds beginning to hum. Rolling out of bed she pulled on her, already laid out and prepared, Hatching dress. Running her finger through her hair to tame it she headed for the Candidate barracks and the sleeping Candidates inside.

"Alright boys and girls!" She shouted from in the hall that separated the boy and girls barracks. "Everybody Up and Out! In your robes ladies and gents! Today's the day!!" She hollered and then stuck her head in each barrack separately and repeated her announcement.

Children of all ages, from the youngest at 12 to the oldest at 19, tumbled out of their beds and began pulling on their thinnest old clothes and then their white Candidate robe over that. The smart ones pulled on thick boots as well, knowing that the hatching sands, as always, would be very hot on the feet especially if the Hatching took very long. Later they could change for the Hatching Feast, but for now comfort and the hope for bloodstains from feeding newborn Hatchlings were the primary drives in the clothing choices.

Verdaine went down the hall that led outside to the weyr bowl to await her charges there.

Spotting T'der in the weyr bowl, coordinating the older weyrlings in readying meat for the new hatchlings, Verdaine gave him a wave and got one in return before her first charge skidded to a halt beside her.

Weyrwoman Mirinda startled out of bed. "Wha? Oh Fay is it time for Esa's clutch to Hatch?" She asked her gold who was beginning to hum.

{Yes rider Mine. It will be a short bit yet but the Candidates are already being roused.} Fayrenth replied.

"Oh good. I have a few minutes then." Miri replied and went to get ready. Soon enough she and the Weyrleader were on the Hatching grounds and settled in the third tier with a perfect view of the entire sands.

Marissa wiped her sleepy eyes as the Candidates were quickly woken.

Marissa quickly grabbed a towel and ran to the baths, scrubbing herself hard with the sweet sands and trying to make sure she washed it all out of her hair before pulling on her tunic and starting to comb her hair. In her hurried excitement, she caught a few tangles and pulled out some hair, but she didn't care.

Impression was close, and she had a feeling this time would be THE time--the time she finally got a dragon!

Too excited to be nothered with bathing, Banira brushed her fingers through her short hair hastily and pulled on her required clothing. She also pulled on a pair of tough boots, knowing of the sands. The last time she had attended a hatching she had been in such hurry she had gone barefoot. Not something she commended herself for. This time, she hoped desperately to impress. And she would do so with perfectly healthy feet. She took a deep breath and crossed her fingers.

"Step it up Candidates." Verdaine yelled back down the hallway when only a couple joined her immediately. "You've got no time for niceties!" She added before directing those that had arrived to form the front of the single-file line they would enter the Grounds in.

Marissa hurried into the line as she braided her wet hair, knowing it would dry out quickly on the hot sands. Her heart was racing with excitement, just as had happened at every hatching she'd attended so far. She could hear and feel the dragons' humming, which only made her more excited.

[stardragon]

HATCHING!!! 1st-3rd eggs

Verdaine had finally gotten all the Candidates round up and in line. She then led them into the Hatching Grounds where they formed a semi-circle around the eggs. The girls old enough to be Gold Candidates formed a second much smaller semi-circle by the golden egg. That group included- Ferilla, Koria, Marissa, Samana, Devona and Banira a decent sized grouping for a gold to choose from.
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The Candidates had only been settled for a few moments when the first egg to break, the one dubbed Red Skies at Morning, shattered revealing a dark bronze, hide dripping with his birth sac fluid. With the usual lack of grace all newborns showed he got to his feet shaking off a bit of egg shell and headed for his lifemate, Xafrel. Glowing with joy the boy led the bronze off the sands to food.
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Weyrwoman Mirinda cheered with everyone else, it was always a good omen when a bronze hatched first.
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All of the eggs were rocking steadily at this point but it was the one dubbed Windswept Clouds that broke open next to reveal an average sized dark blue dragonet. Shaking his overly long wings out the blue creeled piteously and moved to find his lifemate.

{Mine?} Called the rather imperious blue. {Get over here Mine. Your Taronth is Hungry!} Exclaimed the dragonet to his boy, now called F'con.
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For a few moments nothing happened beyond the rocking all the eggs had been doing, when suddenly the egg called View from the Top shattered into dozens of pieces spilling out a lovely large green dragonet. This green had some semblance of dignity apparently as she managed a sedate but still rapid walk to her chosen Candidate, Boreld.

Then came another lull in the eggs as they all rocked at varying degrees of intensity.

Banira clenched her hands into fists and held her arms straight at her sides, trembling with nervousness. So far three had impressed. With fingers crossed she hoped desperately that she would impress, and soon. Her eyes darted from one shaking egg to the other in anticipation and she had to restrain herself from shifting from one foot to the other. She unclenched one hand and crossed her fingers.

Marissa couldn't take her eyes off of the gold egg. It shook, then would pause for a moment... Then it began shaking again. As she began to feel lightheaded, she realized she was holding her breath and quickly let it out, focusing on breathing and calmness--something that was difficult as the beautiful gold egg sat in front of her, rocking and shaking...

Marissa was vaguely aware of the cheering in the background, but she didn't look around to see who had impressed. To her, during a hatching, only two things existed--herself and the eggs. Even before she'd become a candidate, that was the way it had been. Through each hatching she'd stood for, it had been even more that way.

She hoped this time she would Impress... She was getting older, now, and wouldn't be able to stand for many more hatchings... And she so wanted a dragon! Ever since she was little, she'd dreamed of flying on a dragon through the skies and fighting Thread like the stories talked about.

All of these thoughts went through her head in a moment that seemed like an eternity as she stared at the eggs, waiting for one to hatch and mentally urging them.

Torallen was standing in roughly the middle of the chamber and was glancing around casually to watch the others there. He really hoped he'd Impress. The only thing that dampened this experience was that his parents were not here to see it. They'd died several turns ago in a freak storm. It made him kind of sad that on this most important day he had no family in the stands to cheer him on.

The sound of an egg hatching caught his attention instantly and he turned to watch as the bronze that emerged found his partner. He was rather relieved that it wasn't him as he most certainly did not want the responcibility that went with being a bronzerider. He'd be perfectly content with a nice brown or a blue.

Torallen turned to watch as a blue and then a green found their partners, silently cheering for those who'd just Impressed. He then turned his full attention back to the remaining eggs and waited hopefully to see if he'd Impress.

Teren stood on the hot sand, her large eyes studying the wobbling eggs. Normally, she would have felt self-concious and out of place here. Normally, she, a farm girl, would have felt lost as a gem in a haystack, here on the hatching sands. Normally. But nothing was normal lately. She had been chosen as a candidate. Her ma and pa were proud of her. Her brothers told her to visit 'when she rode a dragon.'

Her breath caught in her throat. This was where she wanted to belong now. She felt the heat and welcomed it, the freckles standing out on her face. She wasn't content to stand and just watch- her heart and mind called out to the dragons. Come on, little dragons, she mentally encouraged, come out and hatch, and scratch the sand and meet your riders. Be strong and hatch!

She pushed a sweaty strand of hair out of her face, and watched the eggs intensely. She, like most others, had watched the eggs earlier, had slipped out here when they thought no one was watching, had looked at and listened to and touched all the eggs, and had their favorites. She was no different. There were two that she was fond of- these she positioned herself near to watch. One was a dark night sky's color, with bits of silver- like the night stars, she thought. The other was a bright, silvered-gray, and if she listened, she could a hum coming from within the shell.

She only half noticed when the others Impressed, each marked by cheering. Her focus was not on the onlookers, or on the other candidates (she would congratulate them for sure later), or anything else but the eggs she watched. Nothing could have moved her from her position... nothing, but the voice of a dragonet, or an empty hatching ground... So Teren watched and waited.

[stardragon]

(3/6/1 candlemark after dawn)

HATCHING! 4th to 8th egg

As the Candidates watched anxiously the eggs continued to wobble and rock. Finally when everyone was beginning to get on edge the next egg, the one dubbed Star Light Star Bright, cracked in one long split falling in two halves away from the brown dragonet inside. Shaking out his wings the brown moved then to his boys side. Perdas was Impressed.
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As if that was a signal the Silver Rain egg hatched next splitting into a dozen or more shards to release it's green occupant. The rather large green quickly made for the group of girls around the golden egg. With a cry of defiance she knocked Samana over and stood almost on top of the girl scolding fiercely, Impression was made. Samana soothed the green and then led her from the Sands once the calmer dragonet would let her up.
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The egg dubbed Nature's First Green hatched next, leaving a beautiful dainty blue standing there looking confused. Looking about for his lifemate the blue began to creel piteously, where was His?
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In definace of his little brother's trouble a bronze hatched from The Egg, scattering shell peices in his wake as he ran for his own lifemate Darein.
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And while the blue still creeled for his lifemate a fourth egg, The Eye of the Storm, broke, releasing a lovely green dragonet. She too however was confused and looking for her lifemate as well.

Seeing the confused blue, Banira's heart jumped. Perhaps this was her dragon? Her eyes left the gold egg and followed the blue, her hands clenching even tighter. The poor thing looked so lost, she felt sorry for it...

Teren lost track of herself as she watched the blue floundering and looking lost. Its sounds were heart wrenching- and breathtaking, all at once. She knelt in the hot sand, and then held still, tremulously. Blue, her favorite color, the color of the sky that she always admired while she lay on her back in a haystack back home at the hold- but that was just a part of her. Integral to herself was the yearning to bond with a dragon, to speak with it, to be its rider. Even young and newly-hatched, like the others, its beauty was a thing of power, and its power a thing of beauty. She sighed, with a yearning that echoed the hope in each candidate's heart.

Marissa heard the sad cry of a dragonet and looked over at the blue. She knew, somehow instinctively, that it was not for her. As she turned back towards the gold egg, she caught the eyes of the sad green dragon. They locked eyes for a moment, then the green broke the contact. No... They must not be hers. At least half of the eggs had hatched by now, and she didn't feel as if any of them were "hers." She looked at the golden egg once again. It was rocking slowly. It would shake for a moment... then pause again. The dragon must be working on getting out, but it hadn't made it yet.

Time seemed to have slowed. Everything was taking so long! She kept reminding herself to breathe--it just wouldn't do to pass out in the middle of the sands during a hatching!

Torallen watched as the fourth egg hatched to reveal a brown and for a brief minute was hopeful that this would be his. But it was not to be as he saw the little dragonnet find his lifemate. Sighing he looked away to see if any others had hatched yet. He laughed softly as he saw the little green knock her lifemate over and start scolding.

Then the next egg hatched to reveal a blue and he watched it searching and crying. He started to move towards it but then hesitated, not sure if this one was his or not.

He was then briefly distracted as another bronze hatched and Impressed. He cheered silently and grinned over at the boy who'd Impressed that one. Glancing around he saw the next green emerge but she seemed to be having the same problem as the little blue. Reminded of the still crying blue he looked back over to see where he was.

[stardragon]

HATCHING! 9th to 12th eggs

The little green found her mate first, Adara had been blocked from her view by a larger Candidate. But with a cry of joy she spotted her and crooned happily. {There you are Mine! Why was that other hiding you from Lamorth? I am hungry! Are you hungry? Let's get something to eat!} She told the girl trying to get her to move off the sands with soft nudges.
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The little blue finally gave up on crying and with a determined snort he began toddling his way across the sands. {Where are you mine? There you are! What are you doing over there, she's not for you! You're Mine not Hers.} Scolded the blue as he approached Teren anxiously. {You do want Your Zirbeth, don't you?} He asked finally, faltering a bit in his rush to get to the girl he had Impressed to.
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There was another small lull in the eggs breaking, only a moment or so this time, barely long enough for the green and blue to be led off the sands, when the egg dubbed Colors of the Rainbow gave a violent shake sending the dizzying egg spinning to knock into another egg causing both shells to shatter.

The second egg, Sunrise Sunset, fell over, the top half breaking off to reveal a larger than average blue dragonet's head and chest.

{Come help your Dracoth Mine.} Demanded the blue of his lifemate. As if drawn by strings Xaria moved to the eggs side and helped the blue rid himself of the bottom half of it. Impression was made.
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The average sized green that had precipitated the spin was lying on her back looking a bit confused. {Everything is upside down Mine. Where are you? Why can't Your Wyshriath see you Mine?} The green queried of Banira. Even from across the sands Impression was made.
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Another short lull in the eggs, and the egg called Shadow's Fall hatched with little fanfare, simply splitting into two perfect halves to reveal a large brown dragonet. Within second the brown was headed for and Impressed to Arstan.
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In the aftermath of his large brown brother hatching a blue, on the small side of average, hatched from the egg dubbed, Down Below. He too was quick to find his lifemate in the form of Koria.

Only three eggs left... Marissa was beginning to think that this time would be like the others--no Impression. She still hoped, however--after all, the Gold was still rocking gently on the sands. Maybe she was the one meant to impress the little Queen? She licked her lips and shifted from foot to foot, the heat from the sands burning her feet through the thick soles of her boots. As she watched the egg rock and shake, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, out of her eyes.

Teren's mind spun as she heard the little dragon's voice, laying claim to her. Rising from her knees, she stumbled towards him, her own voice crooning reassurances. "Of course I'm yours," she told him, "Of course I want you! So much!" She choked over her words with giddiness. "Zirbeth," she whispered. Teren reached out a hand, touching the blue dragon. "You are so beautiful, Zirbeth..."

The little dragon butted the girl's hand gently. {Hungry! I'm so hungry,} he told her, and her heart melted again. "I'll feed you, come on," and she started to lead the unsteady but pushy dragonet off the sands. In a daze, she murmered to those she passed, "His name is Zirbeth..." She almost fell leaving the hot sands, Zirbeth unsteadily following after her, with soft but persistent cries of hunger.

Outside the ring of hot sand, the WeyrlingMaster handed Teren a large amount of raw meat, cut into swallow-size pieces for the young dragon. Smelling it, Zirbeth began an odd, endearing chirp sound that was half a growl. With a smile of delight, Teren began feeding her young dragon's voracious appetite. When the Zirbeth had eaten his fill, his belly bulging with the amount of meat, he lightly bit Teren's hands, holding it carefully so she wasn't injured. {My Teren?} he said to her, with a bit of pride and a hint of a question. Teren trembled, but not from fear. "Yes, all yours, Zirbeth," she whispered. "My greedy, beautiful, wonderful dragon." Zirbeth settled then, and stretched his wings with a little yawn that Teren thought adorable. She stared at his eyes, pooling with color. And Zirbeth gave a little sigh of happiness.

Banira's eyes widened to the size of saucers. She was completely frozen with surprise before realizing that she had impressed. Looking around, her eyes landed on the little upside down green and she hurried over to her, hands shaking as she helped the dragon to right herself. /I'm here now, Wyshriath,/ she soothed, regaining her courage.

Weyrwoman Mirinda watched the Impressed pairs as they left the sands, cheering along with everyone else at each one. Still she wondered about the gold, it was slightly unusual to the gold to be the last to break shell, as it now appeared possible to happen, but it was not unheard of so she tried to keep any worries strictly to herself.

{Dizzy now, mine,} Wyshriath complained as Banira helped her to stand. {Hungry to. Hungry, hungry!}
"Oh, I know, it's okay," Banira soothed as they exited the hatching grounds. She was more then grateful when given her own supply of meat and quickly set to feeding Wyshriath. The young dragon devoured it eagerly.
{Good, good, Mine, more, more,} the dragon chirped. Banira chuckled and gave Wyshriath more.

Torallen watched intently as egg after egg hatched and found his or her lifemate. Finally there were only three eggs left and he'd still not Impressed. The usually calm lad was beginning to get worried that he wouldn't Impress after all. With only the three eggs left and all the remaining Candidates his odds were not looking very good right now.

He made sure to smile at those who'd Impressed as they were led off the sands. Torallen was very pleased to see that both the blue and the green had managed to find their lifemates and hoped that one of the remaining eggs would contain his.

[stardragon]

(3/6/2 candlemarks after dawn)

HATCHING! 13th to 15th egg


The semi-circle around the golden egg was smaller now only Ferilla, Marissa and Devona remained. The other girls had already been claimed by dragonets. Seeing this Verdaine motioned one of the slightly younger, and probably not quite ready, female Candidates to move to the gold egg semi-circle. One must give a gold all the choices possible after all, and so Cerika joined the older two girls.
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The egg called Red Skies at Night was next to hatch after a longer pause that had allowed the Candidates to shuffle into a tighter semi-circle around the two eggs not golden.

The egg was shaking violently and with a sudden bursting heave the egg shattered into five or six large pieces revealing a small brown dragonet standing nearly on top of an even smaller little green dragonet. Twin dragons! A very rare occurrence that drew everyone's attention from the still rocking gold and Wish Upon a Star eggs.

The little brown, and he was smaller even than the largest of his blue siblings, took a moment to move away from his twin. Sighing as if put upon the brown made his way from one end of the semi-circle to the other. {There you are Mine!} He exclaimed to Torallen. {I'm Nuareth and I'm very hungry.} He added nudging His towards the entrance to the Grounds.

The green meanwhile lay for a moment and only moved when prompted to by her mother. With an effort the tiny green stood and made her way to Cerika Impressing to the girl.
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As if not wanting to draw the attention the twin egg had, the Wish Upon a Star egg hatched very undramatically, it's occupant quietly chipping his way out. As a consequence the little brown's Hatching went unnoticed by almost everyone but the boy he found to be His. Jendar was Impressed.
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In the lull that followed everyone's eyes turned to the golden egg, the only one unhatched at this point. While it had been rocking steadily the efforts of the dragonet inside were growing weaker. It had been a long hatching and the boys remaining unImpressed were given the chance to leave the hot sands. The two remaining girls not by the gold egg already where motioned to stay close but were not motioned up to the egg, they were after all only 13 turns old.

As the gold eggs motioned grew to be less and less everyone worried terribly. Suddenly the egg ceased rocking. One could hear the noise of the weyr bowl and hungry dragonets clearly now as all murmuring and motion in the tiers ceased. The dragon's prolonged humming got louder, more insistent as if encouraging the golden hatchling.

Apparently it worked because with one more mighty internal heave the golden egg broke into four even pieces spilling a small gold dragonet onto the sands.

Wobbling to her feet the gold shook off bits of egg shell. {That was very tiring Mine. And I'm so very hungry. Can we eat?} She asked her head unfailingly swerving so that her eyes met Marissa's. Impression was made.

{Oh and I'm Malenth, and you're Marissa. We will be good together. Food now? And something for this itchiness?} The gold creeled as she toddled up to her lifemate.

Torallen had been watching the two non-golden eggs with quiet intensity. And when one began to shake violently had focused his attention on that one. He was surprised when it hatched to reveal twins.

His eyes widened with delight as the very small brown spoke to him. Grinning dazedly, "Well then let's get some food into you Naureth."

Still nudging his lifemate, {Good. Now please.}

T'llen laughed and grinned around at everyone else. Then walking slowly so Naureth could keep up he left the Grounds to get some food for the tiny brown.

Marissa stared in shock, then knelt down and put her arms around her little dragon. "Yes... Food now..." she choked out happily, standing up. She didn't even notice the heat of the sands now as she led her tiny dragon off them.

She was given some meat--by who, she didn't notice--and started feeding her little dragon, still somewhat in shock. The gold was beautiful (at least in her opinion)--the most beautiful dragon she'd ever seen. Even in her ravenous eating, as she gulped down her food greedily, she didn't seem to lose any of her elegance and beauty. {More!} she demanded, as Marissa ran out of food, and she looked around frantically for more meat before somebody rushed more over to her. Giving the man a grateful glance, she continued feeding her little dragon until she was satiated, then she wiped off her hands and got the oil.

"Where do you itch?" she asked, standing ready with the oil. {EVERYWHERE!} was Malenth's emphatic answer. {Make it STOP!} She arched her back in annoyance, and Marissa quickly got to oiling her as one of the helpers stood nearby, ready to give her pointers if she needed them. The dragon's eyes stopped swirling with annoyance and changed to a peaceful blue shade as her itching was soothed. {Much better,} she said, yawning and curling up into a ball. Marissa yawned as well, then sat on the floor.

Now that her dragon's hunger was satisfied, she was noticing some hunger of her own. It had been an early morning, with no breakfast, and with all of the excitement, she was a bit hungry... The better to enjoy the hatching feast, she supposed.

She looked around at the others with their dragons. Most of the dragons were resting now, worn out from the ordeal of hatching. The new riders all were admiring their dragons and lovingly touching them.

She smiled and looked at her own dragon. Malenth was sleeping soundly, both sets of eyelids shut and tail curled up to her nose. The oil made her gold hide shine even brighter.

Somewhere in her mind, Marissa realized that she would have many more responsibilities now--even more than the average dragonrider, due simply to the color of her dragon--but she didn't think about them now. There would be time enough for that later.


(OOC: See the Lake and Weyr Bowl thread for the continuation of this story.)