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Kiriwar watched the growing crowd for a few moments, sighing quietly, before looking up at the doors to the Hatching Grounds. This was it. He smiled crookedly, then made his way inside, stopping to bow very politely to the Queens, taking the time to be sure he would be accepted. He wanted to thank her for this chance somehow, but knew better than to speak. So he stepped back from her slowly and made his way onto the Sands, looking around slowly at the variety of eggs. There were so many, and they all looked so different. Could one of this end up being his? Or a dear friends?

After all felt comfortable and safe enough for him to venture near the eggs, he made his way over to the egg that was grey with charcoal spots winding around it, blinking slowly as he approached. Then, carefully and gently, he moved to place his hands on the shell, surprised by the warmth of it, biting his bottom lip just a touch as he marveled at the feel. How fascinating... Slowly, he stepped back, giving others a chance and waiting for the next egg to catch his eye.

Dynara had been on her way to the stores in the lower cavern to work on inventory when one of the weyrlings had been sent to find her. She liked getting an early start. The sooner she started her tasks, the earlier her afternoon off started.

After receiving the message that the Candidatemaster had announced the Touching this morning, she dropped her stuff on a table in the Lower Cavern and sprinted out to catch up with the group of candidates straggling towards the Hatching Cavern. Spotting the Candidatemaster, obviously not in a good mood this morning, waiting the by the entrance, she hurried to make sure she wouldn’t be the last one in the group.

Kytara watched the crowd grow and took a deep breath. Summoning the courage she needed she stepped forward into the Hatching Grounds. Remembering her manners she first bowed to the Queens, hoping that they could feel her absolute gratitude towards them for the opportunity. The formalities finished she glanced around for an egg that was fairly solitary. As she did her eyes fell on a grey-toned egg, partially hidden behind all the others. She approached it, a small smile playing on her lips. It too preferred to be hidden. She placed her hand gently on the egg, not wanting to break it. She had been told over and over that there was no fear of the eggs breaking, but she wasn't so sure of her luck. Whoever you choose little dragon, I hope its someone who'll treat you with care.... With that she removed her hand and moved slowly away, not really wanting to join the majority of the group. She didn't want to be a burden.

As he looked around seeking the next opening, his imagination consoled his inner uncertainties with a fanciful vision of traded places - What would it be like to be a dragon in the shell with all these people touching it? Was it a hopeful feeling? Was it something completely different? He almost bumped into someone as he envisioned the inner shell moving while towards the next egg. If it weren't for the strict need for silence, he would have apologized as his world riveted back into focus.

Once he realized that there were a couple ahead of him before he could touch the egg, he glanced around again and spied Conomor touching his first egg; the moment imprinted into his memory because the smile on Conomor's face answered every question he would like to ask. Conomor's bad luck hadn't kept him from this Touching and Veyes was certain that it wouldn't keep him from the Hatching either. Although if something did come up, Veyes imagined that he might have to make an effort to lend his newest friend a hand.

When it was his turn he finally got a good look at the little egg that awaited him. It was a shocking electric blue dipped on one end in a pure orange. The future Sunset over an ocean of Pern came to mind; a place he had seen just once in his life and longed to return. As he knelt before this egg, he leaned his cheek again the smooth surface closing his eyes wanting to share that serene setting with the youngster within. It was an expression of his heart-felt desire to explore the world. His fingertips gently played across the speckles of yellow as he opened his heart again and expressed his inner most secrets...wishes...dreams...fears. No door was left barred if the youngster was willing to look.

Opening his eyes, he knew he had to leave the vision behind although he would have just wished to stay in that moment for a little while longer. I could have been a lovely sunset for the two of them. As he gently rose from the second egg, he felt quite a bit calmer than before. Each step no matter how small was moving him forward towards his goal rather than grinding in the stagnant world on the farm.

Glancing back once at the egg he had left, he knew that one day he'd return to the ocean - hopefully on the back of a new found friend. But if not, he'd go anyway...but he imagined it wouldn't be quite the same.

Nathail shrugs his shoulders to himself before stepping towards the Queen to bow like the last Touching, and looks across at the eggs. A small clutch, but definitely not any less impressive than that latch batch, for certain. He keeps his distance for the most part, just looking at the eggs was enough for the moment.


After having to be rudely awakened, again, and trip on a loose sheet, again Ali hurried himself to dress and join the ranks of Candidates headed for the Hatching Grounds. So many of them this time! He nearly had to hold himself back from giving a slightly girlish laugh from all the excitement. He bows low before the Queen with a light grin and watches the other Candidates once he arrives near the tail end of the group. But no mostly pink eggs this time, that was a shame. The pink egg last time was such a pretty color, and so bright. But these, so many patterns across their shells, he had to wonder if anyone would get dizzy staring at a few of them too long and moving just the wrong way.

Putting such random thoughts aside, Ali strides over to a group standing around the little blue egg to wait his turn and lightly stroke the warm smooth shell. Always a thrill to be able to touch an egg! Smiling a bit to himself at that little treasure he backs away to let others have a turn, and looks around. Oh, the green one with pink was a lovely pattern too. Perhaps he'd join the group over there to touch that egg's shell next.

"Wake up! It's time to touch the eggs. Nice and orderly now." The call reverberated through the girl's sleeping quarter's and Davril found herself almost autonomously jumping out of bed and struggling into her clothes. The touching had finally come and she was excited even as she was half asleep. After she was dressed she took half a second to check herself in the mirror, smoothing her long hair down. She didn't bother braiding it back, it would take much too long and with an excited grin she turned and headed quickly out of her sleeping alcove, her spirit not dampening when she saw she was one of the last to leave. It's not like the eggs were going anywhere after all.

The same call rang out through the boys sleeping quarter's and Davian, being a heavy sleeper, was less quick to jump out of bed. He laid there for several moments until it clicked in his head. The Touching! Rolling out of bed he dug through his chest until he found a clean pair of clothes and he pulled them on. Rushing to the mirror he turned his head from side to side sighing in relief when he saw that the purple marks that had previously discoloured his skin had faded away. "Thank the egg." Dragging his fingers through his hair he pulled it back into a low ponytail and then turned rushing out, he didn't want to be late after all.

Like they had a knack for the twins ran into each other, almost literally on the way to the Touching and Davril laughed grabbing her brother's arm to keep him from falling. "Shells, Davian, Thread isn't falling." Davian rolled his eyes waving her hand away, but there was a grin on his face. "Yes, but I don't want to not have a chance to touch the eggs." Davril laughed and started heading towards the Hatching grounds again. "Well then let's hurry along!" Davian smirked shaking his head at his twin, not mentioning that she had just told him to slow down.

They were two of the last to enter the Cavern and they both had to pause gazing around in awe. While Davian had peered through the crack in the wall at the eggs, it was nothing like being on the sands with them and Davril herself had never even spied on the eggs. Their revere was broken when a Candidate behind them pushed past them and they looked at each other and grinned. It was really happening, they were getting closer to maybe Impressing a dragon.

As they looked at each other they seemed to silently communicate, knowing each other so well they didn't even need to talk. After only a moment they had decided, they'd touch eggs together instead of splitting apart. Davian was only slightly disappointed that he couldn't go and find Kiriwar but he pushed that aside easily. He hadn't seen enough of his sister lately, and he missed the time spent with her. "C'mon, let's go and greet the Queen." He smiled and Davril nodded, moving towards the Queen on the sands. Dutifully they both bowed low to her, waiting until they were recognized with a nod from the Queen to straighten up. They both gazed at the Queen in wonder for a moment before they turned away.

The twins headed out, weaving between Candidates heading for the green and purple egg in unspoken agreement. For once Davril was glad she was six feet tall, it gave her a good vantage point to scope out the different eggs. It didn't take them long to reach the egg and they crouched next to it, Davian first laying a hand on the warm shell. Davril waited her turn smiling as she gazed at the egg. "My, you are a beauty, aren't you?" Davril's voice was an awed whisper, unable to keep silent, and as Davian's hand fell away her own replaced it stroking the egg lightly. A blue, She thought to herself, of course there was no way to know what the egg hold but she liked to make guesses, and she guessed that this pretty egg would be a Blue.

Slowly the twins stood up and moved away from the egg giving others a chance to touch it as well. The pair stood on the sands gazing at the eggs, Davian was still marveling over the experience of touching a dragon egg that he didn't even realize when his eyes had passed over Kiriwar. Davril tugged on Davian's little finger to get his attention pointing towards a very blue egg, as if asking if they should touch that one next. Davian nodded and Davril grinned, caught up in the excitement of the touching and she took the lead towards the blue egg, Davian following after her.

He made sure he was on time this time around.

The first Hatching, Jaid had been in the kitchens when the eggs started to wriggle on the sands. Once he got word, it was a wild flurry of bounding across the Weyr to the sands to get there in time. He had raced to the Sands, vaulting over a few small children and knocking over some Weyrfolk in the process. He had even managed to fall flat on his face in his rush. In the end, he'd reached the Sands on time, but wound up walking away with no dragon to his name. In fact, due to the claws of a seeking Brown, he hadn't even walked away. He'd fainted from a combination of pain and blood loss and had to be toted off the sands. He took it as an omen that he shouldn't be late again.

The last hatching, he had managed to wake up on time and get to the sands, but he had no more luck the second time around than he had the first. That time, he wagered his anxiety must have been off-putting; he was so nervous about being mauled again that he'd hung back, stayed out of the way. Not this time, though.

The boy rolled himself out of bed when the call was sounded, jolting up and nearly throwing himself out of the bed. He hit the floor ungainfully with a dull thud, muttering oaths of shards and shells under his breath. He popped upright, wildly kicking and flailing as he tried to disentangle himself from his furs. In the end, he wound up toppling over, landing forcefully on his backside and taking the dividing curtain down with him. A few more curses and a hasty manual untangling job later, he managed to liberate himself from furs and curtain. After that, tossing his clothing on and jogging down the hall to the Sands was child's play.

At least he wasn't one of the last ones there. The morning was looking up already.

Jaidev stood at the mouth of the Sands, looking the eggs over with awe. This may have been his third attempt, but he still wasn't able to shake the feeling of astonishment he got every time he saw a clutch waiting and ready. His heart hammered at the back of his throat- half from excitement and half from the exertion of getting from bed to Sands- and he could feel his palms getting sweaty as he watched some of the others walk up to give the eggs a gentle caress.

He wouldn't make the same mistake of hanging back this time. He could do this! Jaidev took a deep breath and let it out slowly, breaking from the cluster of people and approaching the sands, lessons on Hatching etiquette rolling about his brain. Keeping his mouth shut wouldn't be a problem- he was a quiet boy by nature unless someone spoke to him directly. He looked up at the massive Queen and promptly dropped into a respectful bow, just like his mother had taught him back at the Hold.

Jaid straightened up and nervously approached the eggs, looking for one not being attended to at the moment. He found he was partial to the deep blue egg and the grayer, spotted egg. Part of it was the fact that the muted designs made his head and eyes ache less, and another part was that the mild designs seemed...less intimidating. As another Candidate moved from the spotted egg, Jaid filled the gap left and pressed his hands carefully to the shell. Was it shy or maybe more reserved? Both were aspects he could respect and understand. He smiled ran his hands over it gently, arms trembling ever-so-slightly. He was scared of being a Rider- no doubt. The thoughts of threadscore, of losing his dragon and dying or going mad... shards, even the notion of flightlust was intimidating to the boy. But he wanted so badly to be of use, to help his planet and people! And he wanted, more than anything, to find that special bond and that happiness that dragonriders had. It was so...remarkable to be so close, so in synch with another living thing! He, like probably every other Candidate here, longed for it terribly.

He removed his hands and shuffled over to the deep blue egg next, pressing his palms to the surface. it looked so plain, so blue...but when the sunlight gleamed off it just right...oh, it was so beautiful! It told of things hidden beneath the surface, of promise hidden by plainness. Or maybe that was just what Jaid thought; he was probably reading too far into it anyways. After a few moments, he withdrew his hands from the blue egg, giving other a chance to touch as he shuffled off towards the other eggs- may as well give them all a touch; you never knew what egg your bonded was hiding in (if indeed they were there), after all.

Sleep.

Sweet, beautiful, luxurious sleep.

He felt like he could simply doze for dozens of Turns, slipping through hazy nonsense dreams that he'd never remember upon waking. Splashes of color surrounded by the ghosts of familiar faces, garbled words he didn't understand... and then the unexpected bellow of a dragon. The lanky man gasped and bolted upright, limbs lashing out to defend himself from the unexpected assault. He twisted ferociously, a curse spilling from his lips as the solid bed disappeared from beneath him, and Jiriar went floundering over the side. With his feet stuck up at an odd angle, the young man merely stayed where he was for a moment, feeling his face throb against the hard stone as though cheerfully informing him he was now, indeed, awake. The bustling of Candidates made him grunt slightly, blearily listening to the bellowing still going on outside. Something about eggs, and time and... Shards, the eggs!

Jiriar scrabbled hastily to his feet, long finger raking through his disheveled hair before flicking down to impatiently search for something clean to wear. They'd close on the elusive leathers eventually, and he shamelessly tugged them on. His cheek was still hot where he'd smacked it, but he was oblivious to the fact that it'd grown red and puffy as he hurried into the Cavern after a few other stragglers.

Rubbing at the side of his face with a wince, hazel eyes roamed across the sands--and stopped dead as they landed on the enormous Queen, instinct alone allowing his spine to curve so he could sink into a awed sort of bow. Shards and Shells, he'd heard of how large the Queens were, but to approach any brooding mother was enough to make even the bravest man think twice. Still, he'd approach slowly and respectfully like he might with a spooked herdbeast, muttering soothing babble under his tongue in unconscious attempt to assure that he meant no harm.

Not that a dragon was anything like a herdbeast, but he was trying. He hadn't expected to see this many people, a little bewildered by how comfortable they all seemed before he gave a long sigh and straightened up. Why was he so tense about all this anyway? He, the easy-going fool? Chuckling a little at himself, Jiriar approached the eggs, immediately drawn to the largest one with its curious shades of brilliant pink. There were no pink dragons, were there?

His rough, calloused fingers were surprisingly gentle as they ghosted across the the shell, noting how firm it was. "'Ello there, wee beastie." The man muttered under his breath, letting his palm press against the center of the thing. After a moment, he stood with a wince and swiped the scorching sand from his pants before he moved, trying not to accidentally step on anyone.

He'd almost have missed the grey, spotted egg had a boy not just stood from it, having to marvel at how easily overlooked it was among all the bright colors. "What, are you hiding?" Jiriar had to smile a little as he knelt, tracing the strange, shadowy ovals with a finger. He moved to the brilliant blue egg next, marveling over the varying shades while his palms scraped slowly across its sleek surface.

To think those bellowing beasts could start out so small and innocent... The man shook his head with what might have been admiration even as he stood. Best to let the others have a look, though there were still a few eggs that had caught his eye.