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"Oh, a red one. Crimson." Vee smoothed a hand over her head and reached up to unfasten her jerkin a bit, figuring that the danger was pretty well over by now. Crimsons were the ones that got to chose, that got - by her understanding - the most freedom of choice of any dragons in the Weyrs that accepted them. Course here they were just another colour which was fine she guessed? They did have the ability to breed though which like the Councillor had said was kind of vital. Still, who knew what a babe fresh out of its shell might choose? Whatever she wanted, more power to her.

Don't be jealous, don't be jealous, Laenara chanted to herself. Anyone who managed to Impress what she thought was the best color would be lucky. Red was a color that could mean death or life. A breeder or a fighter. Blood ran red in her veins and she saw much of it during the revolution. But with her flit, Reds, Laenara had learned to love the color.

No matter what, Laenara would go to the feast if only to meet this Dragon.

Leszyth was making a happy beeline towards Imbeleth and Druith, Ceirrys loping after him towards Jaric and dwelling on whether or not he could recall the girl's. He recognized her from candidate lessons, but both she been rather quiet, seemingly shy beyond measure.

Leszyth circled, and eyeing the two dragonets to see their focus on eating and their bonded's on the hatching of his atypical siblings, he crouched into a low belly crawl (it took all of Ceirrys' willpower not to let out an amused chortle at the image, but slowed his pace and played along, doing his best to not draw the attention of the bonded pairs) and did his best to sneak up on them. Pouncing at the last possible moment, Leszyth swatted at Imbeleth's tail and but Druith with his snout, letting out a gleeful croon as he did so, turning to look up at Ceirrys with swirling blue-green eye tinged with the red of hunger.This is my Ceirrys!, he reported happily to his siblings, Ceirrys meanwhile gave a sheepish grin and moved forward to begin slicing meat for Leszyth, looking to Jaric and shards-why-could-he-not-remember-her-name quickly apologizing, "Sorry about that, congratulations too!" (Sure the bronze had happily ambushed his siblings too, but he wasn't sure how sensitive Jaric would be to His getting ambushed.)




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Carwyn watched in bemusement as Ceirry's new blue wiggled through the sand towards two of his brothers, then laughed as he pounced on them. She turned to her parents to remark, 'Ceirry's will have his hands full with that one." Her mother replied with a smile, "He will get a taste of what it was like to rear him!" Ceirry's father added, "Hopefully the two don't cause too much mischief."

Lucayr was not normally the kind of fellow to freeze in any situation, physically or mentally. The fact that he did so now was intensely embarrasing. He felt so stupid that he wanted to flee the cavern and hide from everyone. Even just covering his face would help. No, wait... Why would he need to hide the charming visage that he took such pride in? That wasn't his own emotion.

It was Tikth's! The realization manifested as a full-body, shake-it-off motion. Back to himself once more, Lucayr took purposeful strides to the dragon, fumbling with the buttons on his blue tunic as he went. With an unconscious flourish, he stripped it off and draped it over Tikth's head and shoulders.

A few moments passed, then, with an audible sigh, Tikth leaned his cloaked face against the harper's leg. This is better. But to a temperate room let us retire, lest these algid airs make me expire!

The rhythmic language gave Lucayr pause for a moment, then he grinned wickedly. What a match -- a rhyming dragon and a songwriting harper. "It's warmest here, Tikth," he said. "Come with me to eat now. You'll be stronger with a full stomach." With that, he led the tottering hatchling toward the feeding area, careful to hold the tunic in place as they went.

Jaric and Imbeleth

Imbeleth liked Duruith's idea. Maybe I should! He agreed. He looked around and realized that everyone was hatched and bonded, then added, Oh, but the hatching is over. I don't have time to do anything here. He mused on that for a bit, then declared, It gives me more time to think up something better for later!

When Druith introduced his rider, Imbeleth responded And Mine is Jaric! Jaric, Druith's is Avalinia, he relayed the introduction.

Jaric had been hearing his dragon's side of the conversation, and at that a realization came to him. No, I need to shorten my name now, he thought to himself. But before he could consider what to, Avalinia was speaking to him. "Oh, uh, thanks," he answered awkwardly. "So is Druith."

He didn't know any more about crimsons, really, just that they were atypical, female, and could chose to breed or chew firestone and fight. So he just kind of shrugged, since he had nothing more to add on that subject.

Vosin and Gold Killakeeth

Vos focused on the wandering hatchlings. There was quite a few walking around at the moment. She grinned at the playful bronze as he worked his way along the girls and boys before impressing. It seemed the dragons had heard a call as they pealed off left and right to find their riders. One brown did cause a commotion with another brown and the bronze, but it was quickly sorted out without any more blood falling to the sands.

The teen gave a whoop as she saw the spotted brown head up to Zen. Kylerr and Zen had both gotten dragons! The bronze and a blue also appeared to find their respective riders. Suddenly the sands were clear of free wandering babies. Was it that time already? Vos looked toward the eggs to see if any more would be hatching themselves. She took a deep breath and glanced at her brother. All she could do was hope.

A quiet settled over the sands. It was obvious when the goldrider came striding over to the remaining eggs it was time for the atypicals. Vos nudged Esre forward. "You need to be closer to the eggs for this part little brother. Ves and I will wait right here for you." She grinned with her eyes crinkling. Even she didn't think Anali would let them stand near the hatching eggs with dragons. "Good luck!"

When the promised petting was not forthcoming, she decided to take matters into her own paws. She butted her head against Esre's his to remind him that she was still here. On the eyeridges if you please, Killakeeth made the request sound like the demand it was. She heaved a sigh when she realized the boy would need to leave. Good luck, she told him. The young gold turned so she could watch the proceedings from where she was sitting.

Vos laughed at the belated blue who cracked his shell just before the shovel struck his shell. Good timing for him! He wasted no time is claiming his rider. Just two eggs left. Vos grabbed Ves' hand. It was a bit nerve wracking to be hitting a dragon shell with a shovel. She had to admit Anali handled it well, cracking the egg in only two hits. A handsome black emerged and quickly found his rider. Not Esre.

Practice made it easier, she noted as the goldrider nailed the last egg with one blow. Vos sighed softly at the beautiful crimson. If only. She held her breath and leaned forward to see who the female would impress to. It was over quickly. A girl approached the crimson. The hatching was over. When Esre came back over to them she gave him a fierce hug. "Maybe next time? It is your first hatching." She smiled at his congrats. "Thank you."

It is time to eat. My siblings are being fed. I want my share before they eat all the good parts! Killakeeth gave a hiss of impatience now. She rose to her feet and sauntered her way over to the feeding tables. Leaving her rider to follow. She strolled up and began to eye the buckets of meat. Too little in that one. Inferior parts in that one. She turned to the drudge cutting the meat, I demand fresh meat be cut and only the best cuts placed in my bucket. And don't stint me.

Killakeeth sat herself down among the middle of all the dragons and riders at the feeding tables and looked around as she waited for her request to be filled. Greetings siblings, the young gold broadcast to the group.

"Coming?" Vos asked of Ves and Esre as she made to follow her dragon. It couldn't be put off any longer, and she had promised the best. Coming up behind the dragon, she put in a politer request to the drudge. "Please fill her bucket with the best you have."

Shalev and Blue Balkath

"Balkath.. You are perfect.."

Shalev could feel her heart pounding, could hardly breath, certainly couldn't look away from the whirling anxious eyes of her blue.

She'd been watching the proceedings up until that point with keen interest and wonder but also a serious longing for the robust stick she always kept with her back at the beasthold or whenever she was working stock. Perhaps it was an insult to grand dragonriding traditions or whatever, but a good few of these hatchlings could have used a smack on the nose as far as she was concerned. She was fairly certain one of the male candidates was dead. The two little greens had been scrappy, and that was allowable if not exactly a good thing but that brown...

And then Balkath had found her and all of it was forgotten. They tried to explain it to you, and usually gave up and said there were no words that were good enough. They were right.

Shalev knelt, wrapping her arms around him and touching her nose to his muzzle. Balkath leaned into her, his anxiety slowly quieting in his Chosens embrace.

~Be still little brother, all will be well and we will do good.~

She did not fully understand yet why that was important to Balkath, but it was. No wonder he was agitated then. Even assuming the candidates had all been taken from outside like her, the stands were full of might makes right thinking. His clutch mates were already spilling blood. Even if he had not been hers, even if he had not suddenly and instantly become the most important thing in her life, Balkath was newly hatched. Only a hatchling. A baby, and he was upset. Scared by something whether it was internal or external. Shalev would never let anything hurt or threaten him. She would fight and die for him, she would kill for him if it were absolutely necessary though the thought was distasteful.

~We will~

He echoed back to her calming further, drawing strength from his Chosens calm, love and absolute determination and certainty.

~Perhaps now it might be good to fill your stomach?~

She queried with a slightly raised eyebrow amused by the hunger that was replacing his worry.

Balkath inclined his head and padded along beside her, close enough that he was always touching her. She was good, his Chosen. She was good and she would help him. He knew she would. She had to.