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The Hatching had hit a whirlwind of hatchings and Impressions. It was a disappointment to watch both Greens and a Blue Impress to others, but Jordan was still hopeful. Still many eggs left on the sands. He tried to ignore the thoughts that kept threatening to send him off on a tangent that would distract him from the dragons and, perhaps, make his own dragon miss him in the line-up. (Stupid as that sounded, because Jordan knew that wasn't how it worked.)

And then, the real surprise came. A lump of sand shifted and the peeping that had been quiet before, suddenly became audible. Jordan's eyes widened as a dragonet burst from under the sand, like a buried treasure suddenly brought to light. He grinned, he couldn't help it, and although the sudden shattering sound of another egg distracted him into watching the Bronze back and wriggle out of his shell, Jordan couldn't help but be drawn to the Green. Another Bronze was great for the Weyr, but that Green might be for him. The exchange between the siblings started out as amusing-- other than how Sharing loud the Bronze was, dear Faranth-- but quickly became a disappointment as this Green also made a beeline for the girls. And then she pissed off her mother. Or, rather, the Candidate being silly enough to not move out of the way likely did that.

Jordan slapped his hands over his ears to try to deafen the sound and keep his ears from bleeding.

"Shards and Shells," Jordan breathed in horror as the Queen swooped in to eat the hapless Candidate. His hands fell away from his ears. It was only the roar of what Jordan assumed was the Weyrleader's Bronze that stopped the impending disaster. Jordan only winced at the volume and hunched his shoulders up in some vague attempt at protection.

Yirath retreated at whatever demand the Bronze made of her, but now she was protecting her eggs from the Candidates, wrapping around them as if to keep them from their partners when they hatched.

No, she's protecting herself from having to die. Hurting from the loss of her rider but still not wanting to leave.

He couldn't find it in him to feel compassion for an unhinged dragon that had nearly killed a girl for a standard Hatching accident, but the sight of the grieving, panicked, almost pleading mother was a pitiful, horrendously sad image. Jordan looked at the Bronze hatchling approaching the boys and realized that it had tried to stop Yirath, as ineffective as its attempt had been. Brave soul. He watched to see who he would Impress, as much out of curiosity as to ignore the Green who was likely Impressing some girl across the Clutch from him.

She wasn't exactly sure what had just happened. First the green had come their way and another candidate had apparently...what? Been in the hatchlings way? Dezima wasn't sure. The green had lashed her tail, whacking a few shins, and snapped. The girl had fallen forward, towards the dragonet...and Yirath all but exploded. Dezima stared up at the queen, taking steps back as she came their way, eyes and teeth bared on the girl. Shardit, get out of the way...something!

Another roar pierced through the sands and the weyrbrat jumped (she probably wasn't the only one). It was the bronze who had fathered the clutch. He seemed to call Yirath into check, thank Faranth. If they'd needed more of a reason to believe or understand how dangerous the riderless queen was, they'd definitely just been witness to it. Please don't let anything happen during this hatching.

B'nas looked on in horror... he felt sick to his stomach as the candidate tripped over the Green, he'd registered the Bronze hatching but this unfolding in front of him was a lot to bear, Yirath, his wonderful Queen, somehow managing not to crush her remaining eggs in her rage.... oh shards Yirath was going to eat the girl, B'nas half stood in his seat when the roar from his Weyrleader's Bronze seemed to make Yirath pause, he suspected some conversation occured between the two but only W'lin would know just what, and probably only the Bronze's side too. He flopped back down in his seat heavily and let out a woosh of releived breath as Yirath backed away, but the little Green, now there was attitude right there.

Winderick's heart was still pounding as the bronze made his way through the group of boys. He managed to step out of the way as it passed him by, but his mind was a total blank. When Yirath nearly attacked he had been ready to run. Even though she went for the girls first he had no reason to think she would not turn on the boys as well. He never expected her mate to intervene but was relieved and grateful for the rescue, whatever the bronze did to achieve it. Winderick was beginning to wonder if all hatchings were so full of drama when another egg began to hatch.

"Back, back back," Cormeric had instructed when Yirath came stomping forward. Arms out to their fullest extent, he'd put them across the chests of those nearest and pushed them backward, trying to be careful not to knock anyone over, but also wanting to get everyone--himself included--out of the way of the oncoming and very angry Queen. No one needed to get bitten. Or stomped. Or both. Not on this side of the Candidates, at least. He couldn't do much for the girls except wish that his arms were longer.

And then the great bronze appeared and Yirath retreated. Better, Cormeric thought. Not entirely a relief, because she could very well come at them again, but better. He stammered an apology to the boys nearest, heart fit to beat right through his chest, and very slowly drifted forward again.

Maybe it was that move that had mixed things up enough that made the bronze have to take a second pass through the understandably nervous boys. Maybe it was the fact that his arms weren't longer that made it easier for the green to find Hers after all.

Whatever the case, Cormeric was certainly ten times more awake -- not that he'd been dozing -- now than he was before!

Things looked to be getting a bit back on track - though Yirath was still curled about her eggs and now keening in a quiet way which made his heart ache just a little for her, of course that ache was quickly filled with a flre of anger. Who had dared do this to her? Some monster had come along and killed not only a women but in the end a dragon as well...it was being a murderer twice over and even crueler because Yirath was stuck here suffering in such a manner. While Roscoe didn't have all the details of his Weyrwomens end - most of the younger epople had rumors more then anything else to go on - he found himself hoping that things had been quick..that at the very least she hadn't suffered. It still wasn't fair that she had been taken from them. no matter..they would find the killer and then they would set things straight of that Roscoe was certain.

In the mean time..his attention turned back to the hatchlings, there was a bronze still poking round though by what Roscoe had felt from that egg he didn't hold out much hope that it would be his and it seemed the troublesome green had impressed at long last. Good..last thing they needed was her tripping more candidates and causing more problems.

She touched him. She touched him! Should he touch her, too? She seemed upset and it might even help, but he was afraid of what she might think of him. He looked to the Sands, embarrassed at his own inadequacy, and only looked up at her to nod meekly in sentiment. Yes, he agreed with every word (though he was not one to judge) and wished he could trust his voice to hold steady. Of course he would stay with her. What else could a gentleman do?

When Yirath roared T’go gasped sharply. He leaned forward in his seat and unconsciously touched her knee, unable to do anything let alone remove his eyes from the Queen. Fortunately Yirath’s mate intervened. Perhaps there was some sort of bond between them after all. T’go looked at Canoake with wide eyes. Once he was certain that she was alright he looked away and tried to wipe the tears from his eyes with the back of his sleeve. This was all so heartbreaking, but even though he was doing a poor job of containing himself he didn’t want to let her see him cry.

((He may or may not have removed his hand from Canoake’s knee. If my post seems incomplete it’s because a lot of this depends on her reaction.))

Lukah nodded in understanding. Saying that they should save the rest for later, when all the wherhandlers were together, he went back to watching the hatching. After Yirath’s attack was over and Yirath seemed to have settled down Lukah sighed. “I can’t imagine what that’s like,” he murmured, watching the dying Queen curl desperately around her eggs. “I’m glad Lukask won’t suffer when I die. He probably won’t even miss me after a while. Let’s hope the rest of the Impressions go smoothly.”