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Veyes smiled just a little as he heard Raith's words enter his mind A wherryhen! If he could have laughed he would have right then and there but it would have only made the coughing far worse and really his throat was just too damn dry to do that again. "Tell him...I'm sick. I don't know what I have but I feel like crap." At least, thinking back to Raith was easier than talking. "Don't let him worry too much. Raith? We'll meet him out there afterwards...I'm sure this is going to be over soon." Even as he thought it, he knew L'thor would worry anyway. There was no stopping the man once his mind was set on a course of action. Beyond that, he had a sad feeling that neither he nor Nehren would be among the lucky ones tonight.

Maybe that was just in the cards, ah well, no more latrine duty...he thought as the green impressed to a girl he hadn't met. Well, at least each dragon so far had found the right person. As miserable as he was feeling it was difficult to be encouraged that he'd find his life mate in this hatching. But, as he took a deep breath and discovered Nehren shoulder was reasonably comfortable....there would be other hatchings.

The yelp caught Veyes attention for but a moment then he realized that Raith must have spoken to him. "Raith?" he said softly to Ren. "L'thor's waiting outside. I told her...we'd come afterward." He didn't mention any about the impression part. Like Ren, he didn't want to drown spirits. Although after this was all over, he'd probably be happier in his cot than any other time. Sleep would be most welcome.

Notos had been about to leave, the chaos around them being one of the reasons. He had his back to the hatching, which might thave accounted for why he didn't notice the brown that hatched. Or the green that seemed to be rampaging about, injuring several of the females.

The voice entering his head, 'NotosMine, please do not leave without Yours' had him jarred back to the hatching. He was hesitant to turn, lest it turned out that he was mistaken. Or he was hearing things.. feeling something tug at his legs. He finally turned to see a small brown sitting on its haunches, staring back at him. The hopes that had been dimming inside of him, rose up again. He had seen most of his friends impress, resigned himself to the fact that he would not impress this time around. But he had. And that fact alone was enough to put the male into a state of amazement.

It was unmistakable. The connection had been made. And it would never be severed, Notos realized as he knelt down to the brown. His hands lightly skimmed over the forehead of the small dragon, as if to make sure that this wasn't an illusion. I won't leave. Notos hastened to reassure the little brown, his arms wrapping around its neck.

The mixed feelings that Notos felt, the calmness radiating into his thoughts, and his own thoughts that was previously disturbed. There was no way to describe this, his golden orbs filled with expression.

Your clutchmates are ill... may we help? If there is anything your Asceth can do, it will be done. Notos smiled, a gentle smile at that. "No.. We've helped as much as we can. It's the healer's job to do what they can now." Asceth accepted this with a nod, although his expression was slightly inquisitive.

"You must be hungry.." Notos murmured softly, leading the dragon away to where he should be. There was some concern for the spreading sickness, and the girls that had been injured by the dragonet. But another glance showed that they were recovering, and his concern for Asceth eclipsed everything else. "Let's go."

U'ru's normally slouched posture straightened considerably at the arrival of the mellow brown and short after the vicious little green, his brows slowly arching toward his hairline. Was it three candidates that hadn't escaped the hatchlings claws? He pondered who would the wild little green Impress to. It was obvious she was full of spit and vinegar, but who out there on the Sands would the dragonet feel drawn to.

"Goodness," He mused aloud. "This hatching is definitely out of the ordinary. People straight falling out on the sands as well as in the stands, and bloodshed."

Atosith looked across the sands, his tail uncoiling from U'ru's ankle, thumping on the ground. Mine, I'd like to go some place away. Too much going on. Why can't we go to bed? You don't need to watch that.

U'ru gave the little blue a look, but shook his head with a grin. "Not yet," He muttered. "I'm tired too, but now isn't quite the time to go to bed." Atosith groused and settled back against his Mine's leg.

By the time the pair returned their attention to the sands the spitfire of a green had selected Hers. U'ru smiled while Atosith was regularly looking towards the exit, frequently sending His a reminder that he wanted to leave, which was usually answered with a comforting pat or scratch or a 'Shh', which didn't really make sense since for all his complaining the only one who could hear it was the one it was directed it, His.

Mine? Atosith began as he shifted himself to be looking up at U'ru. Sitting on his haunches, reddish orange eyes whirled with a huff. Your Atosith would really like to leave soon.

U'ru's brows furrowed and he smiled, taking the dragonet's wedge shaped head in his hands before drawing him in for a hug. "Don't worry, Atosith. We'll be heading off somewhere soon. Then we can rest." He reached over and selected another piece of meat for his lifemate, offering it to the blue who gave it a once over before promptly chowing down.

And then there were two. The rest of the eggs had hatched, leaving behind the remnants of their shells and a few places of disrupted sand. The chaos had begun to die down slowly, very slowly, as healers ans S'kagi took care of the situation. Things were beginning to settle back down to how the hatching had been in the beginning, a more calm environment, with the Candidates waiting with bated breaths. The queen egg was one of the ones left there on the sands -- the sight that all the girls had come to see, and hoped to Impress. The carpet python was the other egg, both seeming unusually still. Perhaps it was just that everyone had been so caught up with the violence that had ensued before, that this calm merely felt unusual.

Or maybe it was just the calm before the storm.

It was the queen egg who began to quiver first, her large egg drastically overshadowing the small carpet pythons, and within a few moments the Cobra egg had hatched, revealing the gold dragonet. She was everything that could be expected from a queen -- poised, even after just hatching, raising her head up to an even level and spreading her wings, flicking a piece of shell off it.

Within the few moments that the Cobra looked around, the carpet python began to shake, tumbling onto the sands with considerably less grace, her tail raised as if to try to balance herself, although she were already in the sand. Letting out a surprise squeak, the green pushed herself up with a little effort, stumbling a little and running almost face-first into the Cobra, who stood perfectly still, despite how the python almost barreled right into her. Instead, she merely toppled into the sands before her, as if a sacrifice before some goddess.

The entire Hatching Grounds echoed with the collective gasp.

The carpet python let out another squeal, this time more of fright and instability than confusion, scrambling up hastily before the large queen and hissing with an unsure anger and fear at her, her position defensive. The Cobra continued to watch, blue eyes calm, although she lifted her wings higher, as if to make herself look bigger.

The sands were completely quiet. Moments passed without anyone daring to breathe. The Cobra moved slowly, the first of the two to do so, and all eyes watched her.

She bowed.

In that instant the carpet python both relaxed and tensed at the same time, the honor bestowed on her sending the poor dragonet reeling, both mentally and physically. Stumbling away from the confrontation that had just happened, she moved towards the Candidates almost desperately.



MeryaMine? She called, looking around at the girls before her eyes fell on the girl.The carpet python approached, her legs much more stable than they had been before, her confidence boosted by the bow from the Cobra. You touched my egg, didn't you? I felt it. the green paused again, straightening more and approaching Merya more certainly, more sure of herself with every step she took. Still, there was an unsteadiness there, one that could certainly require the girl to catch the dragonet if she fell, and not just in the physical sense.

Mine, Anidanth needed you. Before the Cobra could find Hers, your Anidanth needed you. Please take Yours... she will not know what to do if you do not want her.

Jessmet was oblivious to the drama on the sands: candidates fainting, candidates being mauled, candidates meeting their mates. She did, however, look away from her beautiful dragon when the queen egg finally broke open. The pair peered across the Sands, watching intently.

What is happening? Is this important? More important than me?

The queen is hatching, love. Important to the Weyr, but don't worry. Even she could not replace you in my heart.

Something is very wrong.

Shards, would he ever get used to that soft, sweet voice? It felt so right to hear it in his mind, but Jiriar--no, J'riar couldn't still quite believe his good fortune. But he could feel the outright indignation and shock from his little green that he'd even consider he was not good enough for her, and had to make a fond sound at her. She was so gentle with him, opening her tooth-lined maw politely for him to poke in small bits of already cut meat.

That was before he watched the green hatchling viciously maul some of the candidates, recoiling with shock. Ianquith snapped her head up, eyes beginning to whirl with mirrored distress. Oh, oh, oh... She fretted, leaning into the comfort of her weyrmate as he unconsciously reached out to drape an arm around her neck.

Easy, sweetheart, easy...

And that was when the gold broke free, the gasp of the crowd seeming to suck the motion out of everyone on the sands. Even more shocking was when the patterned green spilled forth, hissed at the queen as though both defensive and afraid. What would the gold creature do? She was brilliant, the way she furled her wings open like that... but Jiriar realized with a start, she was as bright as a dying glow when compared with his Ianquith. The dragonet in question was tense and afraid, though unexpectedly sighed--just as the queen dipped her head to the gold and allowed her to choose first.

From the reactions of everyone, clearly this was not a normal event. The herder blinked and brushed his bangs from his face as the little green quickly made her choice, settling back with a low sound. Shards... Was that S'kagi, over there? That girl near him (leaning on him, in fact) looked pretty terribly injured.

She is a good, kind queen. Was all Ianquith would offer, and Jiriar couldn't possibly disagree.

S'kagi caught his breath as the two eggs hatched, his grip briefly tightening, though not enough to hurt the already injured girl. Truthfully he'd be surprised if she noticed over her obvious shock and confusion.
If he hadn't been standing there, he'd never have believed it. He still wasn't sure he believed it, and felt an ridiculous, childish lump in his throat at the powerful gesture from the stately gold, but never the less gave Raena's shoulder a firm tug, moving to scoop her up gently.
"If she's yours she'll chase us. But you're leaving the sands." He insisted. "So are the others."

It was an argument he'd heard before and didn't doubt he'd hear again. There were so many people who had the potential to become riders, but there were far far fewer dragons, even with the larger number of clutches they'd seen recently. Outside he Weyr, and perhaps inside as well, it was easy to forget just how many candidates never impressed, outshone by the raw, breathtaking joy of those who did, and of shining moments like the bowing gold.
Faranth...let her bring that much good to the Weyrs some day. he added in silent prayer for the gold, wondering who it was she was seeking on the sands.