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Niyx had watched the entire hatching mystified by the experience as dragons found theirs and were lost between leaving her heart aching. Now though the time had become critical as she watched the mass of eggs that still remained her heart leaping into her chest to erupt in a small strangled sound as the gold's tail crashed against the Erupting egg leaving it shattered with nothing but goo. Was it truly just a dud?

Then her eyes landed on the other eggs. Would the Queen let them die? Surely someone had to do something!? Taking a deep breath Niyx tried to calm herself the odd lanky candidate moving forward in a slow unassuming pace from where she had hung near the back of the group throughout the proceedings.

Stepping to the forefront she stared up at the Queen and then with a flourish that would make a harper proud she bowed. Keeping her head low and her form still perhaps this show of respect might ease the fearful and nervous Queen to some extent. "Please oh radiant golden Brakiath. Please~" Came the soft silken whisper from the woman's lips like the rustling of parchment pages against one another in a diplomatic cry to help. To be allowed to aid. "Surely one as great as you as little to fear from us measly candidates? Please may we lend our aid?" She continued never raising from her bow as she put her skills to the test. After all dragon's lives were on the line.

While Niyx held her distance and her bow~ After all she was plenty aware of how sharp a Queen's claws might be and all the more aware that manners mattered, another figure slipped in amongst the crowd.

Hekate half stood in one of the doorways leading into the stands peering through it and gasping out of breath at what remained of the hatching below. Had she missed it? It certainly looked like something wasn't quite right though a half turn confirmed a number of young dragons already eating away at the feeding tables. No. . .there were still eggs on the sand though and so was the gold? What exactly was going on? Curious and confused the young woman moved through the crowd peering through the press of bodies at the situation below.

Yes. It is a pity. We shall honor the lost one by making sure the rest find Theirs. She replied to Pipith. The gold did know they really couldn't 'help' the hatchlings find their chosen humans. But they could at least give them a little nudge of encouragement! Which Cepheith did, crooning towards the wandering green.

Narisa let out a breath she hadn't been fully aware she was holding when the last hatchling Impressed. It really would have unsettled her had a second one gone between. She still felt a sense of sorrow at the loss, but did her best to focus on the excitement of those that had Impressed! New riders were needed. There was no denying that one.

Her gaze fell back to Brakiath. And the rest of the eggs. Had any of them started to crack? Or move at all? She rubbed her arm nervously, unsure if now was the time to approach the eggs, or wait a little longer.

Or jump as an irritated Queen thumped her tail heavily against the ground. Narisa blinked in surprise, and then sucked in a breath as she watched the Erupting Egg break. Her mind froze, unable to decide if she should be horrified, upset, or angered. Thankfully, where she was momentarily stunned, her lifemate was not.

Brakiath! Cepheith snapped, lifting her head and hissing at the senior Queen. You should take more care with your eggs!

"There...wasn't anything in the egg, right?" Narisa breathed to Cepheith. "It really was just a dud." She sighed heavily, taking a deep breath before patting Cepheith on the shoulder. "It's time, love. I think."

Cepheith rumbled, specks of orange flickering into her light blue gaze. She knew her rider had an important task to do. But she also did not want her rider getting hurt. Her wings flared to mantle around them slightly, eyes fixed on the other gold.

"Cepheith..." Narisa sighed again, moving to pick up an object that had remained partially hidden beside the bulk of Cepheith. "Behave." Patting the rumbling gold once more, Narisa grasped at the courage lurking somewhere within to move forward along the Sands and towards Brakiath.

Mine must assist the little ones not strong enough. Will you allow her to do so? Cepheith directed towards Brakiath.

Her strong exterior cracked a little as she walked as calmly as she could along the Sands towards Brakiath. A Candidate had approached the gold! Shards and shells, why?! What was the girl thinking? Had she not listened to what the Candidatemaster had instructed them to do while on the Sands? Somehow, seeing the danger a Candidate was putting themselves in, Narisa found quite a bit of courage to walk towards them.

"Your courage is admirable," she said quietly to the girl, though there was clear disapproval in her tone. "But do not go about making a fool of yourself. We've already lost one hatchling today. Let us not loose a Candidate as well. Please step back." Narisa let the end of the shovel rest lightly in the sand, proof that someone was there to assist, and waited for the girl to return back to the other female Candidates.

After taking a few seconds to compose herself again, Narisa turned towards Brakiath, still cautious, shovel held tightly in her grasp. She bowed deeply to the senior gold. "Brakiath. May I assist your hatchlings in breaking out of their shells?"

~ See? All is well. Cepheith's will take care of my siblings. ~ The young green's sensitive hearing had caught Niyx's whispered words. Disaster seemingly averted for the time being, Courath turned her attention back to the food bowls. They had taken a break as things got exciting on the sands but her little green stomach had yet to be fully filled. ~ Mine, I hunger still. ~ She opened her mouth wide pointedly.

"Oh! Sorry Courath." Dizzian quickly fed her lifemate a few more pieces of meat, trying to keep an eye on the Hatching at the same time. Though they weren't moving at quite the pace Courath would like, she was being fed and she well understood why Hers was so concerned. It was part of why she'd chosen her partner.

Brakiath's gaze settled on the Candidate that stepped forward and the growl grew in volume, lips pulled back into a snarl of bared teeth. When the human didn't move, her wings partially opened and she shifted in her spot, weight rearranging so she could surge forward.

And strike she did. Faster then expected, she roared and had both hands digging into the sand as she drew up high before the girl, intimidating, speaking loudly, Get AWAY. Her tail lashed and thumped against the wall behind her, denting the metal and wood of the stone structure.

Her head jerked as Cepeith spoke to her and she lifted her gaze to regard the gold with whirling red eyes. Little ones? It had seemed in her rage over the Candidate's approach she'd forgotten her eggs! There were some left, yes... some not dead, not duds...

Spotting Narisa, she growled and snapped at Niyx, lashing her tail again. The sight of the egg-shovel stirred something in her memory, a vague sensation she knew the instrument and its purpose and at last gave a great bow of her head.



When Niyx finally returned to her spot, the Candidatemaster himself strode out onto the sands while Brakiath was distracted with the motions of Narisa and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Off the Sands, now." Not giving her a choice, he gripped her upper arm and pulled her back to the sides with him, "Three weeks of Latrine duty, everychore block. You've been told not to approach the Queen." His gaze turned back to the Hatching, "Get going, you start now."

The crunch of an egg being broken was swiftly followed by a growl from Brakiath but she remained still as a black dragon rocked the egg and finally popped out via the damaged side. It blinked up at Narisa and mewled, lifting one wing then another and sneezed so hard it knocked itself into sitting. Shaking its head, the black finally noticed the people and began walking towards the girls without even looking at the boys.

"She is," S'koi agreed, watching as the sweet green went around comforting a few more Candidates before finally going to Hers. After that came the expectant wait for more hatchings, except... after a few minutes it became rather clear that there ween't going to be any more hatching. At least, not on their own. And one apparently not at all, as Brakiath's tail unveiled one of the eggs to actually be a dud. Such a shame. Were there other duds amongst those left?

Of course, very quickly the amount of duds out on the Sands was the last of S'koi's concerns as he watched one of the Candidates with a seeming death-wish approach Brakiath. Sure enough the gold was quick to show her displeasure, and the greenrider winced at the roar and following smack of her tail against the wall. Ooooh definitely not good. Thankfully, it seemed on of the junior golds was able to talk enough sense into Brakiath to keep her from out-right attacking any of the Candidates and let them proceed on with the Hatching. There was definitely no remorse over the foolish girl being pulled off of the Sands. The only remorse would be if one of the remaining eggs had been intending to choose her and Theirs; it would be a life needlessly lost.

Narisa was going to break the Atypical eggs! Set'al wasn't quite surprised, necessarily, since it made sense for the Junior Weyrwoman to do so, but he admired the guts it must take to approach another gold's eggs and hit them with a shovel. The bronzerider leaned forward, watching more intently than ever.

Pipith, having rumbled ominously when one of the Candidates had stepped out of line, was finally focused on the Hatching for the first time today. Now that Cepheith and Hers were involved, it was much more interesting.

Dizzian jumped as Brakiath roared. She was sure the young woman was done for. Through Couraths eyes she watched the scene play out breathing again as Brakiath was persuaded to leave the young woman alive. Looking up herself she watched as the Candidate master escorted her from the Sands. Dizzian lifted a hand in sympathy and support as Courath crooned. Yes the girl broke the rules and her punishment was light compared to what could gave happened. They could still admire her heart if not her methods.

(Posting from phone. Will get ail in later)