[PRP]So Many Eggs (Zamistia and Shar)

[Dea and #Teddy#]

Zamistia had just gone to the sands, to see what it looked like, so she could be prepared for when it came time to stand. Unfortunately seeing two amazing gold dragons and so many eggs had certainly overwhelmed the red headed young woman. She had walked a bit away from the entrance to the sands and sunk to the ground, before wrapping her arms around her knees as she brought them to her chest. When she had gone to look, she had known that there had been two queens who had clutched, but she had not expected to see so many eggs.

"M..maybe..I..I can't do this. All of those...eggs...they..they have to belong to others,"she stammered to herself. She rested her face against her knees, trying to hard not to cry in that moment. What if she upset one, like their teachers had spoken about during their lessons? Or what would happen when they hatched and became baby dragons..didn't more mean that the chances of injuries might be more? Not to mention, even if there were a lot of eggs, she felt certain that none of them were meant for her. Sure, she hoped one held her own dragon, but..what if she was left on the sands?  

[SilverLutz]

The air was electric and it had been since the two queens had taken to the Sands to lay their clutches. Shar had gone to peek and congratulate the riders at a distance, leaving the dragons to their children for the time being. She knew it would be some time still before the shells were hard enough to hatch but from now until the call went out to change into her robes and sandals she'd be on pins and needles waiting. She had gotten Rizdax excited as well and the two had been talking non-stop about how many eggs there were, what colors might be inside, and all sorts of other fun speculations.

Although Shar had already seen the eggs she made a point to walk by the doorway to the Sands once a day to check on them and the dragons and today was no different. She headed for the Sands after lunch, eager to see if the queens had changed the position of the eggs at all, when she spotted a small form curled in on itself against a wall near the doorway. She hadn't seen the redhead before and it gave her pause, her feet halting her forward movement. She could hear a quiet voice but couldn't quite make out what was being said, so she moved closer to the young girl to see what was up.

"Hey," she said, squatting a few feet away from the girl, brows furrowed with concern. While Shar wasn't the most emotionally inclined she could tell when something wasn't right. Her 'comfort' was generally a bit abrasive but she could usually help at least a bit in making someone feel better, even if it was with cold, hard facts rather than cushy words.

"You all right?"

Dea and #Teddy#

 

[Dea and #Teddy#]

"I should have.... asked Riz.... to come with me, I am.... sure he would... have,"Zamistia sighed softly to herself. The young woman hadn't even realized that someone had noticed her distraught form or that they were coming closer. Normally, her observant ways would have caught the noise of footfalls approaching, but her mind was currently drowning in thoughts of the babies. She was picturing the day they would be on the sands, all of the baby dragons coming out. A shudder went through her thinking of the potential violence. Then she thought of everyone impressing, including Rizdax, while she was standing on the sands all alone. So when a voice spoke up, the young woman jumped to attention, looking around for the source of the voice.

"Oh..I...I am sorry..I..I didn't...see you...coming over. I was..just...surprised by...all the...eggs. I...didn't...expect to see...so...many of...them. I..I should be...alright,"she tried to assure through her stammering. She looked at the other, trying to remember if she might have seen her around. Yes, she believed she was one of her fellow candidates, though she didn't know everyone's names yet.  

[SilverLutz]

Shar watched as the young girl jumped at her voice, clearly unaware that she'd been crouching in front of her. Sitting up just a little but remaining perched on the balls of her feet, she tilted her head as she observed the stammering girl. Come to see the eggs and overwhelmed by how many there were, it seemed. She could understand that, especially coming from someone who Shar had never seen outside of the dining hall. It was hard to miss redheads in the sea of browns and blacks and blondes.

"Nah, you're fine. There are a lot," she added to let the girl know she wasn't overwhelmed for no reason. "It's not often two queens clutch at the same time. You're witnessing history," she added as she pushed herself up to a standing position, holding out a hand to offer the girl assistance in standing as well.

"No reason to get all upset about it, though. I haven't seen you around before so you must be new. First time seeing dragon eggs?" she added, trying to get a feel for where this girl might be in her training. Shar had been here for years and had grown up in the Weyr itself so she was used to the hubbub that surrounded Hatchings. For someone brand new it could be overwhelming but exciting and some handled it better than others.

"I'm Shar, by the way. Candidate. I think I've seen you around, you're new, yeah?"

Dea and #Teddy#

 

[Dea and #Teddy#]

Zamistia was watching the other as she seemed comfortable on the balls of her feet. The red head thought she must look like a fool sitting here outside the hatching sands, freaking out about something so amazing. Of course, she was excited about the dragons inside those eggs too, it was hard not to be. After all, Brieteth and Cozelleth were amazing dragons and no one could tell her differently. However, her anxiety about what was to come was overtaking her excitement, even if she wished it wasn't. As the woman spoke about it being okay, she allowed a small breath of relief to slide out. She supposed that was true, it probably wasn't everyday two golds clutched back to back like that.

"I..I guess I hadn't..thought of that..before. What..if my dragon isn't..in one of those..eggs?"she asked softly. She took the hand offered after a few seconds, before getting to her own feet with the assistance. At the other's question, she nodded her head in reply. She had been busy with her studies at Keroon, so hadn't gotten to see Cozelleth hatch. Of course she had been told stories about it, but this was her very first time getting to see eggs. And to think, when they were hard enough, she would be getting an even closer look at them. She felt that worry start to bubble up inside her again, thankfully distraction came just in the nick of time. Just as she had thought, the other was indeed one of the other candidates and now she had a name to put with the face.

"My name is..Zamistia. It..is nice to meet..you, Shar. Yes..I have only been..here for..a few months. I..sit at the..back of the class,"she explained softly.  

[SilverLutz]

Shar clicked her tongue at the question and tried very hard not to outright snort. Wasn't that what every Candidate wondered? This girl seemed to be pretty green, though, so she held back some of her normal bluntness, but only barely. She had a lot to learn about being a Candidate but Shar wasn't about to scare her off of it. Hopefully.

"Zamistia. Well, you shouldn't be getting too worked up about it this early. Honestly, you'd probably be better off if your dragon isn't in either clutch. I've seen Candidates Impress after being here for a few weeks and they have to deal with learning how to be a rider while trying to take care of a very demanding dragon." There, that hadn't been as forward as she would have said to someone else worrying about the same thing.

"There's always more Clutches, though, so if there's no dragon out there for you this time it just means Yours hasn't been born yet," she added with a little shrug. "I've been here for a few years now and Stood at least a dozen Hatchings. Give it time." She moved away from Zamistia slightly to peek around the corner of the hallway, peering into the doorway beyond that was open to allow passers by to get a glimpse of the sands. The eggs were still there, warm and toasty in the sands, still and quiet as ever.

Dea and #Teddy#

 

[Dea and #Teddy#]

Zamistia winced a little at the tongue clicking, figuring the other probably thought her question a silly one. After all, hadn't she been told before that there were people who had to wait several turns to find their dragon? Sure, some could get lucky and get their's the first time they stood, but some had to wait for the right clutch. As Shar spoke, she felt her heart sink just a little as the other mentioned it might be better if her's wasn't in either clutch. She was scared of their being so many, but she really wanted what Belia had with her dragon. Plus, hadn't she heard mention before that there was such a thing as stands impressions? Surely those people would be even more unprepared, she at least had lessons on what to do. Granted, she was behind many of her peers with being so new, but she had a chance..didn't she?

"Th..that is a lot..of h..hatchings to stand for? You..you must know a lot..about what happens during them. And..I kn..know it is silly...to worry..I just..would like..a dragon. I have..seen the bond..be..between my..si..sister and her..dragon. And..I..I don't want to be left..without..my few..friends,"she admitted to the other. She was quiet as the other looked in on the eggs, not wanting to disturb her as she had a look. Her mind was thinking on what they had learned about when it came time to touch the eggs, hoping she would remember all of it.  

[SilverLutz]

After looking her fill, Shar turned to face Zamistia again, a brow raised as the girl continued to speak very quietly and haltingly. Shar knew she could come off as intimidating to those who were more shy and it wasn't something she was terribly proud of, but she had little patience for those who had no confidence in themselves.

"Well, Zamistia, you're not going to get a dragon with an attitude like that," she said as she approached the other Candidate. "I'm sure you've been paying attention and know that negative emotions of any kind can sour an unhatched dragon's mood in the blink of an eye. You need to be confident, at least a bit, before going out on those sands, or you'll get all the wrong kind of attention."

She did feel for the girl, even if it was only a little bit. It was clear she hadn't grown up here and was still learning the ropes, so to be tossed into a completely new environment and being faced with over forty eggs to deal with in her first Touching and Hatching wasn't an easy task. It was okay to be nervous - even Shar got a few tingles of anxiety every time she stepped out onto the Sands - but Zamistia would only be putting herself and those around her in danger if she tried to touch any eggs in the state she was in.

"I've no doubt you'll get a dragon," Shar added, realizing it might sound as if she was telling the new recruit that she'd never have that bond that so many here did. "Perhaps not this time around, and maybe not the next, nor the next, nor the next, but eventually, yes. Yours will come and find you. You just need to be patient. And if Yours isn't in this clutch it's all right to be disappointed," she added, knowing the first few times she'd Stood she'd felt the waves of sadness rolling over her (although she'd taken it out by smashing some vases and had gotten into massive trouble for it).

"I tell myself with every clutch that passes, it brings me one more closer to Mine. It's gotten to the point now where if I Stand and the dragons leave me for others, I'm happy for their partnership and get ready for the next one." She hesitated for a moment, thinking of her promise to Rizdax to be beside him on the Sands for the Touching. He too was a bit overwhelmed at the thought of seeing the dragon eggs and being about to interact with them and she had told him she'd be there to ensure he didn't do anything too silly. Perhaps she could bring this red head with her as well.

"How about this? I'm helping another new Candidate once the time comes for the Touching. It's his first time, too, and the last thing we need is for you newbies to piss off one of the queens. I'll be there to ensure you're acting as you should, following the rules, and if you get too overwhelmed or upset I can remind you to step back from the eggs," she offered. "And if you have questions you can ask me." The last thing Shar wanted was for her first Touching to go horribly wrong. They needed every last Candidate out there to find their dragon to fight the Thread that had returned and she was intent on ensuring those that were new learned the proper way to do things. They didn't need to turn into Western.  

[Dea and #Teddy#]

It didn't escape Zamistia's notice as Shar's eyebrow lifted, she tried to think of what the other might be thinking. She didn't have long to find out as the other got right to speaking what was on her mind. Her eyes widened at the harsh words that spilled out of Shar's mouth, her heart breaking at the thought that she might not find her dragon at all. She had paid very close attention in class and knowing negative thoughts were not good had made her even more nervous. However, the thought they could keep her from bonding with a dragon, it made the young woman want to cry. No, she didn't want that at all, how in the world could she keep that from happening?! Her hands began to fidget, thinking maybe she had been wrong to want to be a candidate after all.

"I..I would never want..to have my dragon..not come to me. I..can..try to be a little..braver. I..I hope I my dragon is out there..somewhere..whether on the..sands now..or at some..point. How..do you keep negative..thoughts away, Shar?"she asked the other. She had some hope in her eyes as she looked to the other, hanging on to the thought that she would get a dragon at some point. Though, she did wonder how Shar kept her cool about it, after standing so many times. A small smile came to her lips when she heard the other was happy when the dragons found their perfect match. Maybe that was what would help her, focusing on how the matching would help others. Her mind snapped back to Shar when she heard the other offer to help her, like she was another person.

"If it wouldn't..be too much trouble, Shar. I mean, I wouldn't..want to put the other..candidate out,"she spoke up. However, she would be lying if she said the idea didn't appeal to her. Shar seemed to be someone so knowledgeable and brave. Surely she could learn a lot from the other girl, so maybe she would be able to get a dragon of her own.  

[SilverLutz]

Shar's eye twitched very slightly as she tried to keep from snapping at Zamistia to stand up straighter, to speak clearly and without hesitation, to live up to her worth as a Candidate and as a person. She wasn't here on accident, after all. If she hadn't grown up in a Weyr that meant she had been Searched, so some dragon somewhere saw potential in her.

"My situation is different from yours," she said instead, pushing aside the desire to start trying to 'fix' what she saw wrong with the girl. She had to build her up first before trying to help her. "I was born and raised here and it was my right to Stand once I turned of age. You were Searched and that alone should give you confidence. A dragon has already selected you in a way. He or she saw something in you that another dragon will want, and if anyone knows anything about dragons...it's a dragon. I'd say you'll find a partner sooner than some of those out there who are simply here because their parents are riders, like me."

As she accepted her offer, Shar waved her hand in dismissal. She knew Rizdax was the kind of person who wouldn't feel as if he were getting the short end of the stick when he found out Shar was taking another newbie under her wing. He'd probably be delighted to help out as well even if it was his first time at a Touching. At least he'd Stood once before. The fact that he was better at the whole...touchy-feely part of comforting people was probably a good thing, too. This girl looked like she needed a hug and that wasn't something Shar did.

"Trust me, Rizdax is the kind of guy who would be just as happy seeing a complete stranger Impress as he would if he did. He won't mind if you're there with us. He's been on the Sands once already but he's never been to a Touching so maybe he can give you a few 'freshly searched' pointers. That's something I've never been through."  

[Dea and #Teddy#]

Zamistia was used to noticing things, so she managed to see the small eye twitch of Shar. Her mind began to race, trying to think of what she might have done to upset the other. At least, she was pretty sure it was because of her, she didn't see anything else that might make someone mad. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Shar speaking again, it seemed she was Weyr born. The young woman wondered what it would be like to grow up here, being able to just become a candidate because it was your right. Her eyes widened when she heard what Shar said next, about how she probably had a better chance than some of the Weyr born. She hadn't thought of that, it was true, Brieteth had chosen her, hadn't he? So if he had, then it would stand to reason that he knew what he was doing. If he picked her, then surely there was a dragon out there that would find her special too. She unconsciously stood up a little more at that thought. Then Shar mentioned who the other candidate was and she felt like she could laugh in relief.

"Riz is a really...nice guy, he will be..glad to have me..around I am..sure. Knowing...how he is...he will want us to impress...first,"she managed a small giggle.  

[SilverLutz]

Shar's expression relaxed a bit as Zamistia spoke. It seemed she knew Riz already which was a lifesaver on her part. Having to oversee two other Candidates who didn't know one another and possibly didn't get along would have been a massive headache, but it seemed they'd already bumped into one another. It made sense in a way since Rizdax was fairly new as well and there were remedial lessons for those who hadn't had years of study to try to catch up on their age group's classes.

"You got that right," she said with a little snort, recalling how he had said at least twice before that he hoped Shar would Impress before him since she'd been here longer. That wasn't how it worked, though. It didn't matter when you Impressed, it mattered that your dragon found you when the time was right.

"All you Searched Candidates seem to be all in a tizzy over not getting your dragon because you've just arrived. Ever heard of Impressing in the Stands? There isn't rhyme or reason to when your dragon is born, when it happens, it happens. No sense in getting worried or upset if it'll be this time or in ten years from now. All that matters is that you find Yours eventually. Now, why don't you take a peek at those eggs again so you're not so overwhelmed?" she suggested, motioning to the door once more.  

[Dea and #Teddy#]

Zamistia allowed a bigger smile to grace her lips, she was glad Shar thought so too about Rizdax. He just seemed like the type who put others above himself, which she felt would draw just the right dragon. It would be awesome if he got as noble a dragon, she would love to meet him or her when he managed to find his dragon. It also made her wonder what he own dragon would be like, she supposed she would just have to wait and see. No matter what, she would love them, she felt sure of it. As Shar spoke up again, she rubbed the back of her head, she did sound silly for worrying so much about when she impressed. Shar was right, some were stand impressions, who would be blindsided by being picked. However, their teachers had told them more than once, the dragons chose who they were best suited to.


"You..are right, Shar. I..guess I should have..thought of that...before. Okay, I think..I can handle looking...again,"she answered the other. She took a deep breath, before walking to the door again. She looked inside, seeing all the eggs that lay there. This time, she remembered that it didn't matter there was so many, it just meant they were lives that belonged with their soulmates. It meant more candidates would find the one they were meant to be with, she wanted that happiness for them.

"Shar, what is it..like to touch an egg?"she asked, looking over her shoulder to the other.  

[SilverLutz]

Zamistia seemed to be coming around, smiling and standing up straighter rather than trembling and hunched over on the floor. Shar knew she wasn't the most gentle person in the Weyr but she had her own brand of comfort: cold, hard facts. Sometimes people thought facts were the opposite of what might make someone feel better, but Shar knew that the opposite was true. Zamistia here was proof of that.

"Sometimes you can't see the forest for the trees," she replied with a little shrug. Often times a dire situation or a worry could easily be solved with a fresh set of eyes. Stepping aside, Shar let Zamistia head for the doorway again to peer into the Sands where the eggs lay, piles and piles of them!

The question made her pause as she tried to find the best words. "Overwhelming," she admitted. "At first. It's very strange to have a small dragon's mind touch your own especially with all of their different personalities. This is the only time you'll experience so many different dragons at once and it's why it's so important to keep positive emotions in you. It's overwhelming for the little lives within as well and to have steady emotions helps them. Being exposed to negative emotions at such an early age is traumatizing for them to say the least."  

[Dea and #Teddy#]

Zamistia looked a little nervous when Shar mentioned the touching could be overwhelming. What if she couldn't handle it and made a baby dragon upset, she certainly did not want to do that at all. Though, the more the other spoke, the more she made some very valid points. How often did you get a chance to connect to so many minds at once? It would definitely be a lot to take in, but wouldn't that be exciting too? After all, they would be getting their first interactions with these baby dragons. Perhaps even giving the babies ideas of who they were too, to make it easier for them to choose when it came time for the hatching. Other than their parents, this would be the first the eggs would get a taste of the outside world, she didn't want to give them a wrong impression.

"I will try my...best not to upset...any of the baby...dragons. It is like the baby..animals I have taken care...of. They need to know..everything will be..alright. Plus, I know I...won't be alone,"she smiled. No, she would have Shar and Riz with her every step of the way for the touching and hatching. She was still so very nervous, but she knew she had to believe everything was going to be alright...she hoped.