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All the Weyrs of Pern Captain
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 Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:29 pm
The now-rattling egg on the sands was oblivious to the poor girl who'd suddenly blacked out. All it wanted was out, out, out! A ferocious struggle was taking place inside, and a explosive crack soon filled the sands. The pale green dragonet within spilled onto the sands, snorting with confusion even as she struggled to her feet. The crowd would simultaneously draw breath and let it out in quiet adoration as the tiny creature lifted her head and meeped, wide eyes entirely bewildered as they swept across her surroundings. So many people! So many faces! Why were they all here? Were they there to see her? The fallen girl would catch her gaze for a moment, eyes whirling curiously before her tiny, clumsy legs allowed her to stumble close. She had no issue with leaning on the boy that were trying to help the fallen Elae, whuffling under her breath and nosing at her hand, almost seeming to wilt with unhappiness when she didn't stir. Mine... Mine, why won't she say hello to Ailurath? The plaintive question would ring through, and the puppy-like dragon gave an unhappy snuffle before she searched the grounds for Hers. There she was, and awkwardly, the small green began to awkwardly make her way close. Jessmetmine... Has she not yet hatched? Ailurath queried with a quiet chirp, leaning against the girl's legs with exhaustion. It had been very hard, breaking out of that egg! But she was here now, and now she could rest.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:30 pm
The commotion caused by one of the Candidates falling to the ground caused Zara's head to whip around towards the fuss. Fainting, at a Hatching? Not uncommon, quite, but usually it happened thanks to some sort of dragonet-induced close call. Not...not just out of the clear blue sky. Brow furrowing as her face twisted into a frown, she bit at her lip.
Rousing from his Firelizard Watch, Fuxith crooned softly in concern. What's wrong? You seem very worried about her.
I don't know... Without knowing any symptoms that might have contributed to the girl fainting, all Zara could do was watch.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:33 pm
Notos grasped for balance, straightening himself with one arm. When he was sufficiently composed, he got to his feet slowly with the girl lying in his arms. Beneath his fingers were the damp cloth, an indication of heavy sweat. And she looked so pale, Notos felt for a heart beat under his fingers. It was still there.
But he wasn't a healer. He didn't have the medical experience that they normally had. The best he could do was to take her to one, or give her amateur care that involved a bed and cloth.
In his surprise, he hadn't noticed the dragon until the dragonet nudged his shoulder. he stared down at it, a weary smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. In all of his worry, the dragon was still important. It looked saddened, before it moved away. Was Elae not Hers? Maybe not, Notos surmised as the dragon moved to another girl.
"Do you know where I can take her?" he asked one of the bystander, any bystander that could help him.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:34 pm
Occupied with Uktenath, O'asis (oh Shards it was good, it was so good, a new name, a new identity) hadn't been paying much attention to the Sands. He was vaguely aware of the sound of cheering and joy when some new person Impressed. He thought he saw Jiriar with a green, and was that Jessmet now...? Something told him he should be paying better attention to the Sands - but how could he? He was blissful, unaware. His world centered entirely around only one now, and that one, who was eating dutifully from his bonded's stretched palms to fill his stomach, was the only thing he had eyes for.
Mine? Pausing in a bite, Uktenath raised his head and turned his face toward the Sands. The bronze's eyes didn't whirl so much as flashed, white a moment. What's happened?
"Happened?" O'asis echoed, turning his neck. There was some sort of disturbance, something he couldn't see. He rose from his crouch, wiping his hands on the front of his robes without care for the sticky streaks they left. Someone had fainted...?
Mine. Uktenath was calm, leaning his head up to touch, gently, O'asis's hand, draw his attention. What should we do?
The newly fledged bronzerider furrowed his brown, watching. "... Nothing," he answered at last. There wasn't anything he could think of to do, really - he certainly wasn't going to lead Uktenath out on the Sands again without reason!
The dragon, sitting, was watching him, as though expecting something more. O'asis glanced at him again, and smiled confidently. "I'll keep an eye on it, Uktenath, just leave that to me!"
The bronze didn't move. Of course, Uktenath agreed. Satisfied, O'asis got another piece of meat for him - he grabbed for the biggest ones he saw, without much care for the amount of fat that was or was not on it - and Uktenath, already so much like a little soldier, took whatever was offered him. But as he ate, he kept an eye on the sands along with his blond companion - just in case.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:40 pm
Shards! His stomach was churning again. Jessan looked over to see why Notos had suddenly taken off. There! A girl he vaguely recognized had fainted on the Sands. Was it the heat? Even though the night itself was cool, the heat rising from the Hatching Grounds was intense. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck; his robes clung to his back and chest.
It simply must be all the excitement and emotion going on. That and he hadn't slept yet. Tired, but determined to stay upright, Jessan just managed to catch another green Impressing to a young girl. And what a pretty shade of green she was too! A pale green, almost like a shell.
``````````````````
Kallista had all but fallen asleep where she sat despite the excitement of hatching. Many around them did not look to good or too awake for that matter. With the double hatching of the bronzes and then the greens, the clutch of eggs grew smaller and smaller.
Suddenly, one of the candidates was done. Fainted. By the Egg, where were the healers. What was going on? Someone behind them coughed and Kallista jumped. Turning to T'ka, she had a worried look on her face. "I think something is very wrong."
Just then, a boy behind them slumped over in his seat. She could tell by his cord that he was a brown rider. Kallista didn't recognize him but maybe T'ka did? "Look behind you!"
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:45 pm
K'riwar immediately had his attention drawn to the commotion, one hand gently resting on Kidiath's head as he looked to see what was going on. What was happening? Had someone... fainted? On the Sands? Surely the heat had gotten to someone. Mine, what's happening? asked the dragonet, leaning against his legs and peering around curiously as she licked her muzzle. Why are they falling?"I'm not sure," replied K'riwar with a frown, standing up as well to get a better look. "I think they might be sick... But I don't know." He sighed heavily, before looking over at the others with him, trying to see if anyone else looked as sick and pale as those falling. This didn't seem like it was supposed to happen.
Kidiath leaned against him harder, making a soft chirping sound. Mine, we should find out why. There has to be a reason, yes? she insisted, before K'riwar put a hand on her muzzle. "There's nothing we can do, Kidiath."
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:46 pm
Ariaen blinked in confusion. What was going on? She watched as a group crowed around a fainted girl. And what was with all that coughing? And a green just impressed?
What the shards?!
She moved to the group and fishing in her robes. She had to have put her healer's stuff in here... AH HA! Ari grabbed the small pouch and took out a rather pungent herb used for these things. She crushed it up in her palm and moved over to the fallen girl.
"This should wake her up," she said, placing her hand under the girl's nose. At least she hoped so.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:50 pm
Ok...Ok...one more green. It happened so sharding fast that Veyes couldn't keep up this time. He didn't even remember that egg cracking. When the hell did that happen?? When did it crawl out? Shells!! It seemed like the green was suddenly up against her life mate. Another lucky one...2 more to go. Yes, only two. He could do this...Fight that feeling to the bitter end. He wasn't going to let whatever he had gotten take him out of this hatching.
Even so, his eyes drifted and he caught sight of someone on the ground. Did the green walk over her? No...it couldn't be that. What had happened? He swayed once more then caught himself. That was twice. Yes, twice. Shards he didn't want Z'nal to see him sick like this.
It was then his imagination sought to comfort him - Con gave you his bad luck. Of course! That tiny idea swelled life back into him if only for a short time. Well someone had to get it, but from what he saw...he might not be the only one cursed this night. Gritting his teeth, he stared forward at the last two eggs - Don't give up.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:50 pm
C’ym watched the Hatching politely and related the events back to Hanumanth. It was almost relaxing, after all of the rigors of weyrling training. Shards, but he wished he could see the Candidates faces as they Impressed! He was certain that he himself made the funniest face ever… but, sadly, most of them had their backs turned to the entrance, probably to keep themselves from being tempted to run away at the sight of an angry dragon. Good move. Also, there was something quite amusing going on in the Stands, something that apparently required one man to practically haul another one away. … Well… that was interesting… Hatchings were always so full of things happening.
When he saw the head disappear from his line of sight, he assumed it was just a mauling.
Ha. ‘Just a mauling’…
But then the word ‘fainted’ reached his ears, along with a lot more worrying ones. Something bad was happening out there. Must be the heat, he said to a worried and rumbling Hanumanth. But Anne destroyed that delusion by naming the sick girl: Elae. One of C’ym’s friends.
“Elae? Are you sure? Well, come on. Let’s get her out of there. We can’t have fainted Candidates on the Sands!” As a Bronzerider, he was fairly certain he was allowed to do this.
~.~
Thankfully, Notos didn’t have to play hero for very long. Although it probably felt like much longer to the frightened Candidates, Elae’s faint only lasted for a few seconds. As the boy started to get up, Elae began to stir, trying to regain consciousness.
Her first words on seeing him, his hair all ruffled, his shirt in slight disarray, and him looking oh-so-heroic was, “…You’re… not a dragon…” the words sounded oddly thick, as if she hadn’t spoken for a long time. And, anyone who knew Elae knew she could hardly ever shut up. Her head was pounding and she felt slick with sweat. It had to be the heat. Right. The Sands were always overheated and…
Oh, Faranth everyone was looking at her! Elae had been the center of attention before, but not like this! She knew she had… had fallen, but not anything else. She wiped her hand across her face, trying to get rid of some of the fuzzy feeling in her mind.
She finally focused on someone waving something around under her nose. It was tough to focus on anything, but this was easy because it was right there. “…Why’re you waving parsley at me?” she asked groggily, finally recognizing the plant for what it was.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:51 pm
Everything seemed to be happening at once. More commotion in the stands, from the same harper as before, another egg cracking, and someone fainting, caught just before she hit the sands. Jessmet bit her lip, hoping someone would have the sense to call a healer before long. She'd hardly had the time to wonder who it was who had fallen when the most beautiful green she'd ever laid eyes on was nudging her.
A sick sense of jealousy rolled over Jessmet. How dramatic, pass out and Impress! Mine... Mine, why won't she say hello to Ailurath? Jessmet's head jerked up, spotting the little green coming right for her.
"What?" she replied rather stupidly. "I don't know." And there was Ailurath leaning against her, Jessmet. Jessmet, mine, has she not yet hatched?
Jessmet crouched down to be eye-level with Ailurath, her dragon, her best friend and other half. "She's fainted," she explained absently, not really having any idea what she was saying. No one else on the Sands mattered. Not poor sick Elae or the boy who'd caught her, or Inaari or Talar or any of the candidates she knew. Her mind was filled with the loving thoughts of Ailurath. She stood up straight, no longer bothered by the heat of the sands under her feet or the press of the crowd around her. With a hand on her dragon's shoulder Jessmet lead her new life's partner across the Bowl to the corner where the other hatchlings were being fed gobs of red meat.
Food is good, Ailurath stated, stomach rumbling. Now that she had found her rider she had nearly forgotten the drama of the fallen girl on the Sands. All was as it should be.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:51 pm
Alright, so Zara was bad at sitting by idly.
Leaping down the stands with little care to who she left disgruntled in her wake, she laid a hand on the shoulder of a Candidate who was shoving Faranth-knew-what under the fallen girl's nose. "Let's not try that unless you know if she's allergic to it..." she said, trying to keep an edge out of her voice. Apprentices weren't supposed to randomly medicate people, shard it! She should know...she sure as hell hadn't been allowed to. "Let's just get her to the infirmary." There was an unspoken "now" underlining the weyrling's tone.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:55 pm
Ariaen raised an eyebrow. "I'm trying to make sure you don't get heat stroke. Fainting on the sands is one thing. Dying from heat stroke is another." Her voice was hard, more scolding like than of annoyance. She shook her head, but didn't glare.
"Its far to hot on these blasted sands, no?"
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:55 pm
So someone had gone to Elae. That was good. Shaking her head and tutting to herself as she waited for the other Healers to move in, La eventually gave up and nudged her way gently through the crowd under Isonth's ever-watchful eye and concerned urgings. She reached Elae with little trouble; there was something about a woman who stood nearly a head taller than many of the Candidates, with hair cut short beyond what would be considered a reasonable cut for either gender, that parted them more easily than La would have expected.
Apparently...someone had gotten there first. A few someones. La gave Notos a slight smile and then looked at the other girl, who seemed to be waving something under Elae's nose. "Where did you get that?" she asked sharply, all business and no pleasure for the time-being. "Most people don't palm kitchen herbs before a Hatching, and you're not supposed to have things on the Sands," she added, though slightly less vicious as she had been initially. "And if it wasn't in your hand, Faranth protect me me, I don't want to know where it was."
Ignoring her beyond that, she looked down at Elae in Notos' arms and brushed a hand across her forehead. "Elae, love, you all right?" That was a stupid question. 'What happened?' was a stupider one. La went the easy way. "Do you think you can stand?" she added, a much more reasonable question. "We need to get you off the Sands."
She spared a positively glowing smile for Zara, though. Shard it, she liked people who knew what they were talking about.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:57 pm
"..Yes. I'm not a dragon." Those were her first words out of her mouth, after fainting at the groungs? If he had been a jerk, he would have dropped her. But he settled for a dry tone, seeing that she was all right. An eyebrow raised at the odd girl, wondering exactly where her logic was. Or if she was like that, normally.
He didn't know who she was, but now that she had caught his interest, he was going to find out.
In response to her question, Notos chuckled. She looked bewildered, and Notos didn't blame her. He looked at the plant -- foreign as it was to him -- and answered, "I think that she thought the parsley would have woken you up. But it seems that you've disappointed her."
Othe rpeople had already moved in, Notos inclining his head to catch a smile directed at him. He smiled in return to her, before repeating the same question to the fainted girl in his arms. In case that she couldn't hear, and for Noto's own assurance.
"Feel well enough to stand? Or is anyone in charge of you?" His golden eyes gleamed with laughter. He would take her to the healer's ward if she didn't go with the second option. After all, he was a gentleman enough not to let a sick lady wander about on her own.
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:59 pm
Tideal turned and looked in response to the commotion not far to his left, drawn out of his revere by the worried voices. He silently debated going to help a moment, even though he would be of no use. Tideal was no healer. Despite his normal crankiness and spiteful demeanor he genuinely worried about the girl that lay fainted in some guys arms.
An ear-splitting crack and the arrival of a pastel-hued green and its momentary pause before ambling over to the group, stopping, and leaving to greet hers, distracted him heavily. Looking scene the dragonet just departed from, Tideal tried to see over the now-crowd that surrounded the fallen Candidate who was finally being tended to by a healer and a rider who had entered the circle of worriers. Deciding he definitely wasn't needed now, Tideal turned his eyes to the sands and the last of the eggs.
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