K'rin let the conversations of the other people in the cavern just wash over her. She struggled to find interest in conversation these days and the pleasantries were wearing on her already. Even though it had only been a few moments, it already felt like hours. Still they were talking amongst themselves now. Hopefully that meant she could just not be involved and they would let her just tend to Malsalth.
As K'rin turned back to Malsalth, a figure strode into the cavern. "Moluli, straighten up," she spoke crisply as she passed the candidate. There wouldn't be a single Fortian who wouldn't notice the woman walking briskly across the sand, cane in hand, moving surprisingly well with it. The woman's official title was Weyrlingmaster, but for now she was also the temporary candidatemaster, acting Weyrleader, Weyrwoman, Weyrsecond and Junior goldriders. It was a wonder she had even found the time to visit the sands so shortly after the announcement. Her brown had arrived before, lounging up on a high shelf, but she didn't glance his way, instead making a beeline for the gold and goldrider and the cluster of people around them.
A candidate, not one of the original bunch she noted, paid his respects to the gold, earning a pleasant rumble in return. Sh'shi's sharp gaze tracked the candidate as he went to the stands. Well, at least he had manners. One of her tasks would be to get this patchwork group of candidates up to Fort standard in time for Malsalth's clutch. This was a pivotal clutch, there wouldn't be a single youth on the sands that didn't know how to pay their proper respects. Not if this old rider had her way. The brownrider stopped a polite distance from K'rin, back straight, cane in from of her and both her hands lay on the top. "My Lady," she nodded to K'rin. "My Queen." A second nod to Malsalth. Sh'shi had deliberately not looked at the clutch so far, although she was exceptionally curious. The youngster was struggling, Sh'shi had trained the fragile thing, she would be worried others were judging and the old rider didn't trust herself enough for her disappointment not to show in her eyes if there wasn't a glimmer of gold in those shells.
