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Natelin had planned on struting proudly out across the Sands, but one look at the rather large, protective gold and he was hiding behind Alira. And hoping that she didn't realize it.

Neola, who had joined the group at the last moment, peered around those ahead of her. What was so scary? She caught sight of Wrath. Oh. Her.

Balint entered along with the other candidates and inwardly laughed. The boy who had been so boastful over his knowledge of the Weyr happening to be a Weyrbrat as he was seemed to be cowering behind a girl. Balint looked up at Wrath unafraid. Of all the dragons of Pern the golds were the ones Balint had the most respect for with Bronzes being second on that list. Those two colors had a lot riding on their shoulders and they knew how to do their job and do it well. He envied them.

Blazren muttered a rather defeated sounding, "Thank you," about the crack of her not teasing them for hiding behind her. He continued to hide behind Alira as he looked over the queen. There was another muttered, "Standing back here suits me just fine..." as he looked on.

Akai scampered in a couple of moments after everyone else had, since she'd gotten a bit delayed helping kopi shift from being inside the blanket to around her shoulders hidden in her hair like he perfered. The blanket was stil drapped over her shoudler so he could rest on it for extra comfort.

Akai stared in awe at the hatching sands, alredy feeling the heat in her very thin sandels. She'd never realized the ground woudl be so very warm. That and she didn't own anything thicker than the sandels she had on. Half the time she went barefoot. She'd jsut happen to put them on today to work, but they were not doing much good to keep out the heat.

Kopi chirped and shifted settling folding a wing a bit so that a threadscore wasn't pulled so tightly.

"It's.. beautiful.." akai whispered to Kopi. She turned taking in the wiggling eggs and then the great golden queen lounging watching them all. Akai's breath caught in her throat, the queen was so very big. So much bigger than the blue that had been on the first search, and the one that had taken her here.

How could anything be so big and remain so amazingly beautiful. Akai's fingers itched to rub the queen's eyeridges. She heard Alira telling that the queens name was Wrath. It was a pretty name. Akai smiled a bit to herself as Kopi chirped a couple of times. AKaii stiffled a giggle.

"Yes kopi.. this is very much like how you andi met.. only .. much bigger eggs, and a much bigger hearth. " she whispered back to hi moving to the side so she could get a clear view of the eggs and the queen dragon.

She wanted to go up and touch one of the eggs, but everyone seemed to be hanging back and keeping there distance. There must have been lessons and rules and instrustions that Akai haden't gotten so, regretfully she remained back with the others simply drinking in the once in a lifetime chance.

This was beyond her wildest dreams.

Kopi was very please his was happy. But did give her a reminder that he could use a little bit more numbweed. Akai nodded, then tore her gaze from the queen and the eggs, and looked at the others. Pehraps one of them knew where she could get a little bit of numbweet to dull the pain on Kopi.

AKai walked to the one everyone seemed to be well.. hiding behind

"excuse me.. do you know.. where i could possibly get.. Kopi a little bit of numbweed before.. the full h.. hatching starts?" she asked tenativly when Alira paused in speaking.

Walking barefoot onto the hot Sands, Vena became instantly aware of the clutch of eggs, several of which were already wobbling, the queen and her rider, and those Candidates that had already arrived... most of whom seemed to be hiding behind one of the others. Shaking her head at the sight, she strode past them, trying to ignore the scorching sands underfoot. What were they so afraid of? Slowing as she approached the clutch, she stopped near one of the eggs and gave a respectful bow to Wrath, whom she'd heard someone once refer to as the Green Queen.

"Oh, and I'm Alira. This is Lireal," she said shrugging her shoulder some where she was still helping take some of the pressure off of Lireal's feet. She could feel the heat through the soles of her boots, and it probably wasn't doing the other girl any good. "And Freya, Natlin, Neola, Blazren, Balint...." She points to each as she introduces the group to each other.

Freya had stopped dead when they'd entered the Hatching Sands, oblivious to her friends around her. All around them rose great tiers, which were rapidly filling with spectators. The dragons were also taking their places all around the vast cavern, and more were swooping in conveying visitors. Wrath herself lay at the far wall. The eggs were all rocking, some violently, and Freya couldn't help but wonder at what dragonets lay harbored within them; what colors, what names...and which belonged to her friends.

She roused herself as Alira said something. There were new people...a girl with a very small blue flit who looked like a drudge, and a boy that she vaguely remembered arriving with a runner at the lesson. She smiled upon introduction but then turned her attention to the girl's flit, who at closer inspection seemed to be injured. "Hey Alira, can you take Lireal for a sec?"

To Akai she said, "Let me see...I think I have some numbweed here," (she was a healer afterall), taking out a small jar. She gestured at the flit. "Do you...mind? What's his name, if I may ask?"

---

When Freya let go of Lireal's other arm, Narin instinctively stepped up to fill her place, crouching down a little to be at the right height. He gave a half-grin to Lireal and Alira. "I'm Narin, by the way. More mountain to hide behind I guess."

Akai listened to the talking and then nodded slightly. She didn't intend on leaving the sands, but she wanted kopi to get some numbweed, Especially since it seemed like she would be shifting around a lot

Not even into what was prolly the hottest partof the sand where the eggs were and her feet were alredy starting to hurt a bit from the intense heat that seemd to make ther thin sandels not exist

She blinked and turned around when somone said they had numbweed.

"Yes please.. His name is Kopi " she says shifting the flit around a bit to detangel him from her hair

"he got Threadscored really baddly.. and i tried to mend his wounds as best i could." she trailled off as she watched the woman start to remove the bandages Akai had put on Kopi to keep out infection and the numbweed in place.

Her eyes traveld to the rocking and wiggling eggs again then back to Kopi.

"He woke up from the fellis i gave him to help him sleep and rest with out pain.. but he won't stay asleep for this.. " she said her fingers twisting the edge of the slighlty to long robe. she'd belted it up as best she could but it still covered her hands.

"ANd i'm glad.. i'm a bit nervous.. i didn't know.. i.. i coudl be.. i mean i had been.. " she stuttered her face flushing " um.. i mean.. untill the dragonrider told me when i went to ask for help for kopi.. i didn't know i was a canadate."

She finally got out. She nibbled her bottom lip as the woman worked, absently wonderingif she should put some of the numbweed on her feet now.. no.. then she'd stand still and they would prolly burn worse. she needed to feel the heat. At least kopi woudlnt' be in pain thanks to this woman.

"I'm Akai.." she offered