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Doing as little as possible a dragon could do to draw attention to them, Darcth accompanied M’hal to the feast. There had been an extra delay in addition to getting changed and such, of introducing the dragonet to his rider’s birthmother Cenla. They’d spent some minutes with her before she had had to go sort out things in the kitchens. The woman had been as kindly as her son and the brown had relaxed a little in her presence, only to now be anxious again. That detour to see Cenla had made them a bit late…and Darcth felt conspicuous enough without that, scared of what people saw when they looked their way. Why did the feast have to be packed full of people and dragons and firelizards?!

He contacted the gold quickly, only his worry over coming his painful shyness, hoping not to be judged contemptuously for being late at what he perceived as Sharath’s feast. A devotee of the little gold, he assumed that while all of them were guests of honour, Amelia and Sharath held the highest place.

My compliments to you, golden Sharath, and to Yours. Mine will come greet Yours soon, as he should.There was a pause during which he forgot what he’d planned to say; and so when it was added it would have had the air of an after thought if it wasn’t for his earnestness. If you should ever need us, naturally me and Mine are at your service.

And with that he shut up and withdrew back into his shell. If Darcth got his way they would have then gone Away to Be Quiet and possibly Allow The Earth To Swallow Them Up but no, M’hal gently but firmly kept willed him stay with him.

M’hal was steady and calm by his side, smiling and hesitantly raising his hand to greet people he spotted that he knew if he caught any eyes. If Darcth came off as withdrawn or sad or even haunty, his rider was the opposite - a bit quiet perhaps but active, welcoming and warm. He planned to go over and say hello to people then find a place to sit. However he didn’t want to barge around anyone to get there nor ignore people on the way, and it was rather a busy place. Still, they had plenty of time and he did want to meet the others too. He did notice also that having a dragonet at his side was making it easier to get where he wanted. The people parted more readily to let you by. Maybe it wouldn’t take too long after all.

Maybe we should go find a corner somewhere, or at least I should. Shards knew he wasn’t impressive as the others and M’hal deserved better. I am sorry your Darcth is –

Don’t. I love you just as you are, Darcth, and I regret /nothing/. We’ll just say hello to everyone, pay our respects as it were, and then I’ll find us a place to sit with the other weyrlings, okay? We’ll be settled nice and cosy soon enough.

The blue took the queen's compliment with pride, but was now far too distracted to reply further...which was probably fine, since she was the queen and that meant she was busy. He was not, however, too distracted not to notice Deprith. No! Did she have to be everywhere he wanted to be? Mine! You must ignore Deprith and Hers, he demanded, but was himself ignored.

B'ram greeted J'lin with a nod and a smile. "I'm B'ram, and this is Nachith."

While His disobeyed, Nachith turned his attention back to Lofrewth. I did not see you until just now, he answered, But now that I have found you, I and Mine and you and Yours may all play! They will like each other, because they should.

B'ram~! he announced proudly to His, This is Lofrewth. Is she not lovely? Much much better than that Deprith over there - no, do not look at her! She will know that I am talking about her and I do not want to encourage her. Paranoid? Just a little! But with Deprith, it was justified! Now be nice to Lofrewth's so that we will both look good.

"Nothing to apologize for," B'ram assured Kyllae, smiling and shaking the offered hand. Nachith didn't need to tell him to be nice to girls! "I'm B'ram, and this is Nachith. Pleased to meet you!" She might shorten her name? Interesting! "What would you shorten it to?" he asked curiously.

We are wonderful, especially now! I am sorry that I did not see you hatch, though. I am sure you did it very well. Better than anyone else! Except maybe Sharath, but that was a given.

Sharath watched as the green said her piece and while it was long winded, it was sufficient to placate the young queen. Nodding, the frown shifted into a smile and she stepped back when she felt pressure on her head from Amelia’s hand. We have found Ours. Do not leave, Awunryth, this feast is for all – you are an honoured guest. The comment was said in a pleasant enough manner though it was debatable whether or not the last was a mention, again, of rank or a royal declaration to have fun. Needless to say, she had the air of a host about her, intent on managing the party and greeting guests while remaining in control and on top – something her rider found rather amusing. So young and already so determined to lead.

At least Sharath took no issue with dragons of other colour… even if she consistently made her rank known. Closing her eyes for a moment she smiled to her self, both fond and frustrated – these next few weeks were likely going to be hectic.

Tension eased and the gold placated, she turned to move on – nodding in the direction of Bashir and Sakneth as the bronze announced their arrival. See? That was appropriate, even if lackluster, and Sharath’s attention shifted away once more. Come let us take our seats now, Amelia. Those attending the feast are mostly here and I will not be caught without a place.

Amelia turned and watched as the dragonet walked away, obviously considering her goal met here and frowned slightly. She was not done talking and said as much, I am not finished yet, Sharath, I do not know these people and want to at least say hello. You said I could do that before we went to the head table.

You have made yourself known already, Mine. If there is one you fancy we can speak to them after the feast – I am hungry and you cannot keep the riders from their meal the whole time.

For a moment she debated arguing with her dragon but… she was right. This was a formal gathering and for all Amelia knew lingering like this was bad form. With only her dragon as a guide through the formalities of the dinner when nobody had given her advice, the excavator could only trust young Sharath. Turning to the people she’d been speaking with she gave a half bow to Ra’ffer and Kalth and the others, “Excuse me, please. Sharath is hungry. I will talk to you later, after the feast? I think I need some tutoring on dragon care… I don’t even know what Candidates are supposed to know.” Sheepish, she ran a hand through her hair with a self-concious laugh before giving a small wave and heading after Sharath.

It was then that brown Darcth greeted the gold and actually paused to look at the shy brown with a smile, inclining her head a little further then she had to the other dragonets, Thank you Darcth, I will know this in the future. Approval coloured her mindspeech and she looked to Amelia, Mine, Darcth has said we might call upon him and His at any time. He is a good one.

Amelia also paused as she came up beside her dragon, glancing at the brown and his rider. The dragonet looked about ready to evaporate into the shadows and she shook her head, features softening as she made sure to give a friendly wave to dragon and rider both, “Thanks for that, eh! Good know I we have someone to fall back on. Appreciate it.”

Her movement towards the pair was stopped as Kyllae and Lofrewth tumbled together in a clash of cries and laughter. Concern immediately flashed across her face and she took a step towards the others, “Are you alright?” Hands already reaching out, Amelia paused again when the two got up embarrassed but fine and continued on their way without saying anything to her. Shaking her head, the excavator simply smiled and set her hand on her hip, “Guess so.” With a shrug, she turned to continue towards the head table but Sharath blocked her path, gaze staring up at Hers.

The little queen seemed confused. The tilt of her head was curious but the slight tinge of orange hinted at irritation. Hers was a goldrider, why was she not upset she had not been noticed? They did not acknowledge your offer of help, Mine. That is wrong but you are not upset?

Amelia blinked and dropped to her knees so that she might wrap arms about the gold in a gentle hug, “What? No. Why would I be? I thought they were hurt and they’re not. They’re just as excited as I am to be here, I think, and that’s why they didn’t notice me. See? It’s okay like that – they weren’t snubbing me.”

Shrath still frowned, however, and whuffled in Amelia’s ear, If you are not upset, I will not be either. Not this time… but if they do it again, they must answer to their Queen. Yes? Concern and determination coloured the gold’s thoughts and it made Amelia grin despite the hefty fallout if it were to happen again.

(Lithle: Naw, Sharath's not angry still. ^^ )

The events at the hatching had deeply sorrowed Ayishia's feelings on what was supposed to be such a joyous event, but Ptoth was determined to cheer her up as he trotted alongside as they entered the gathering space. Her tattered robe was gone now and the blood from Patana's body washed clean away, but the events were not easily scrubbed from her brain. Her face clearly showed the difficulty she was having after watching the maulings and deaths on the sands.

Do not be sad, mine, for it's time to eat and so much news to be shared! Look at all those who are here. Can we meet them? He inquired with a note of curiousity, his eye sweeping those assembled, briefly falling on the new queen, but not lingering long to prevent thoughts of being rude. The female riders caught his gaze next. I think they could be fun. Let us go see!

"Of course, my dear," she replied fondly, though she wasn't sure. She recognized some from the Weyr before the hatching, but she had no true friends among them. "Let's find a seat and maybe we can make a friend or two."

The two carefully approached the empty seats, but as they went, Ptoth seemed to purposefully herd her away from the previously fighting Teharth and Seknath and their new riders. Instead, they headed more in Kyllae and Lofrewth's direction.

B'shir had already been seated when Weyrwoman Luci's voice carried over the crowd, but he turned his head to look in her direction, sending a firm thought to Sakneth to behave while the Weyrwoman was speaking.

Why? What makes her important? She's just a female, Sakneth asked rebelliously.

She's bonded to your mother the same way you're bonded to me. Dorath is the premier queen in the Weyr, and her rider is as important as she is. You will behave when Luci speaks, or we will be in trouble.

After B'shir's miniature lecture, Sakneth, too, turned to look at Luci. This time he was keenly interested. He'd seen one gold Impress today, and was curious to see his mother's bondmate. Perhaps she would be a remarkable woman.

She doesn't look very special, the young bronze remarked.

Just behave.

"Alright. Very good." Considering it was in their blood to listen to the senior Queen above all, Luci didn't have to wait long for the dragons to settle, and they would lead the riders by example she was sure. This was one of those rare times she wished she had it in her to plan things in advance, but then, could one really plan for a hatching like that? This wasn't the first time she'd seen fights, death, blood on the sands, but Janga fist fighting her blue? That was a first. And a stands Impression for the gold? Wow.

"First, congratulations to our new riders," the Weyrwoman began. She considered adding an extra bit about Sharath, but decided against it. It had embarrassed her when Kindlely singled her out all those turns ago. Besides, she didn't even know that girl's name yet; she couldn't remember even seeing her before. "My first announcement will be for all of you. Since I know some of you might not know about the rules in detail for new Weyrlings--" Luci tried not to let her eyes linger on Amelia for more than a second. "--I'm going to go over those now. Respect your new partner and their boundary issues, or lack there of I should say. Some will be independent enough you can leave for a short amount of time, but some won't. No drinking until further notice. No sex until further notice. None. Trust me, your dragon will get confused and they will go between. If you don't believe me, ask about Y'don sometime. He was a rider from Dorath's clutch that didn't listen, and his blue went between, then he jumped off--"

"Luci," D'astel cut in. He was sitting slumped forward with his elbows propped on the table and his hands folded in front of his mouth. Thus, no one would have known he had said anything had she not given him away by glancing over at him.

"Right, well..." The Weyrwoman cleared her throat. "They come first. If you need any assistance, you now have access to the authority to ask for and be granted help by candidates or our workers. But if you abuse it, there will be consequences. So keep that in mind." She bit her lip and tried to keep the distressed feelings off her face. This next one always filled her with pity. "To those whom did not Impress and are too many turns to stand next time, you are welcomed to remain in the Weyr, return to your homes or move elsewhere. You will be assigned a job if you choose to remain here. We will also allow people to leave for Crafthalls and return to assist the Weyr when their training is done."

She wished she had papers to shuffle around or something to toss back and forth in her hands. Not that she was shy, but it felt so unnatural every time she did this. So formal. Ick. "In regards to Talis--" A foot nudged her leg under the table, and she quickly remembered that, to the Weyr, Talis was nothing out of the ordinary; not enough for everyone to remember her, anyway. "--Brownrider Talis," Luci corrected, then continued, "There will be no punishment issued. She potentially avoided more fatalities, and her timing was purely coincidental. She was sent on a good will mission to the Watchwher handler and just happened to come back during all the commotion. I'm sure many of us can sympathize with having a loud mouth dragon."

There were laughs to be had from the crowd, but not everyone was so content to chuckle and move on. K'ban, seated on Luci's other side, was not pleased. He muttered something no observers her response. This was followed by a retort from D'astel, and finally, K'ban got up, slammed his seat into the table and stormed out of the mess hall.

Luci regained her composure and went on as if nothing had happened, "Weyrlingmaster R'o will be taking a temporary leave of absence for personal reasons. Until his return, Weyrleader D'astel has volunteered to act in his place. Therefore, until he says otherwise, the new Weyrlings are to look to him as their teacher."

This next part was going to be the hardest of all. Being a rerun of prior events didn't dull the pain of loss. "A moment of silence for the two lives lost on the sands, and well wishes to the candidates of the present and future."

Everyone at the table bowed their head, and kept them that way until the Weyrwoman lifted hers. Along with her face, she raised her voice, an uplifting tone she knew they needed. "Now, everyone enjoy yourselves! If you have any further questions please come see me."

When the Weyrwoman stood and began her announcements, Amelia blinked and immediately frowned in embarrassment – she was too far from either the Weyrling table or the head table to take and seat and so she simply crouched with an apologetic glance to the person who headed the Weyr. It was only polite, after all, not to act as a door between her and the rest of the new riders.

Sharath, however, harrumphed loudly at the command to sit and instead nudged Amelia forward, Mine, we must sit there not here. Move and then sit.

Nearly bowled over from the force of the gold’s ‘gentle’ nudge, Amelia’s arms wheeled in the air and she was forced to stand lest she fall. Ahead of her, Sharath was making her way to the head table during the silence between Luci’s first comments and the following ones. Sharath! Wait! With a groan, she crouched as if she were at a play and scooted forward to catch her dragon, and shuffle the now-annoyed dragonet over to a (thankfully) close chair to wait for the announcements to end.

Sharath strained against her rider’s arms and insistent touch for a moment before Dorath’s command echoed in the minds of all the young the dragons, forcing her to subside for now at least. Orange whirled in her eyes, however, as she stared at the Weyrwoman. How dare her gold think to make them sit like outcasts!

“Hey.” Amelia rumbled, cupping the young queen’s muzzle and forcing her to turn her head so her eyes were on the excavator, “Calm down. We sit there after, got it? It’s rude to interrupt the Weyrwoman, right? So behave.” Still unused to the mental speech, Amelia’s whispering was hushed and as polite as she could make it.

When she felt the Weyrwoman’s eyes settled on her, she looked up without fear and grimaced, mouthing ‘sorry!’ in the hopes they weren’t being too distracting. And then she fell silent, continuing to hold onto Sharath as the dragonet fairly glared at Luci. No drinks? Fine, she didn’t drink anyway, not often. No sex? Again, that was fine – few men really ever seemed interested in her anyway, covered in dirt and grit as she almost always was. At the mention of another’s dragon going between because of foolish mistakes, she shivered and leaned over Sharath in an instinctively protective motion that caused the dragon to look away from Luci and coo to Amelia.

I will never leave you, Amelia. Ever. The tone of her voice was utterly final, leaving no room for any variation in interpretation.

Thank-you… She replied, smiling softly. They’d be bonded mere hours and already Amelia felt more whole then she had before… better and far from alone. To lose a dragon…. She could guess now, why riders committed suicide.

At the mention of the new Weyrlingmaster, her gaze shifted away from her dragon to the Weyrwoman and then to men around the table. Which one was D’astel? She bit her lower lip… she didn’t really recognize any of the people at that table – was she expected to? She rather hoped not.

When the call for silence rang out, even Sharath bowed her head in respect for the fallen and Amelia felt guilty. She’d been so caught up in Sharath that she hadn’t really noticed how truly lethal some of the attacks had been. I’m sorry… The mental farewell was a genuine one.

As soon as the Weyrwoman encouraged fun, Sharath squirmed from Amelia’s arms and moved boldly towards the table without looking back – surely Amelia would come along now. And she did, though her gaze remained fixed to her dragon in a half-fond, half-frustrated expression of someone who wasn’t quite sure if she should admonish another or leave something be.

In any case, when she got to the table, Amelia bowed to Luci, “Ah… hello! Sharath says I’m supposed to sit here? Sorry I’m late, I don’t know any of the others so I thought to say hello to them first.” The little dragon was standing before Luci and staring at her intently, as if daring the woman to order her away. This was her rightful place too, after all.

“I have a few questions too… if you’ve a moment?”