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The blue glanced at the girls sharply when someone hollered, but his eyes never stopped swirling blue. It was the only look the Quarter Horse spared the females, however. He lifted himself slowly, taking his sweet time to stretch out in the sand. That wasn't enough. He stretched forward, extending his front limbs as much as possible as he dipped down and yawned, much like a feline would. Pausing again, the brindled blue took a moment to straighten, shake and then, only then, did he start to bumble towards the candidates.

Once he got going, he really didn't stop. He glanced up now and then until he finally found one boy in particularly. Hmm. He lifted himself up to inspect the boy and, deeming him The Boy, the blue finally began to speak.

Jiskenmine! That was fun, wasn't it? Now, your Bayarth is actually really very hungry. I wanted to stay, but I think it's time to eat now. Don't you agree?

Firyal bit back another yawn as she applauded wearily for Jisken. She remembered he'd made an afternoon of dishes enjoyable for her, though they hadn't seen much of each other since then. She was happy for him, though. She wasn't sure if she recalled correctly, but he might have been the person she spoke to who had been at another Weyr before coming to Ista. Or maybe it had been that he intended to try his luck at another Weyr? At any rate, his luck had finally turned it seemed, and she was genuinely glad for him.

"Good for you," she said softly. She made no attempt to catch the former Tanner's gaze because she knew that his dragon would be all-consuming, but she felt she had to say something, even if she and her immediate neighbors were the only ones to hear it. So much for the No Talking on the Sands rule. It did seem to support the theory that being mauled made you more attractive to dragons, though. Maybe there was some hope for her.

But now there were only a few eggs left, and her chances of Impressing were dwindling rapidly. Her gaze settled automatically on the black egg that seemed to collect shadows, but she knew it was idiotic to get attached to any one egg and forced herself to look at the others, too. Between deliberately aggravating her injuries and finding different things to look at she could probably make it to the end of the Hatching and remain conscious the entire time. It would certainly be pathetic if she survived a mauling but then succumbed to something as mundane as weariness.

It was odd to watching a Hatching from the Stands, O'asis decided. Like seeing a piece of his life he'd moved on from, but still recognized as his own. He wondered if he'd looked so foolhardy and nervous, standing in those white robes and sweating under the heat. He remembered how he'd felt, anyway - the memory was already getting hazy, especially when compared with the burst of joy that came with remembering that moment where Uktenath came to him, but he felt a solemn sympathy with the Candidates still on the Sands, watching the last couple eggs, wondering if they were to be left waiting again for Theirs.

His eyes wandered from the Sands then, and he saw (at last!) the person he'd been most tentative, but sure, about seeing. His lips pressed together, and he considered what to do. She hadn't seen him - better to sit with his eyes on the eggs, and pretend he hadn't noticed? It would avoid something awkward, for sure, but he hadn't ever taken himself to be such a coward. She was his friend - a dimglow, maybe, but....

"I'll catch up with you at Feast," he murmured quickly to S'van, rising from where he sat. It was well past time he'd gotten a chance to speak with Kyllae again, after all.

He made his approach careful, but confident. Not calling any needless attention with a loud greeting, but firm in his belonging as he picked out a spot near the once-Dolphineer - not so hard to get, since the crowds were mysteriously less packed around her, despite the overpopulation of the Weyr. "Thank Faranth - looks like a fairly smooth Hatching, doesn't it?" he asked mildly.

Another lull descended upon the sands, it seemed. Jaid shifted from foot to foot restlessly. The sands were so warm and the hours were drawing on and on...ah, with breaks in the activity, it wasn't hard to nearly nod off standing up! But the worry he'd miss anything if he dozed off (or would get trampled by an active dragonet) kept Jaid alert.

But then more eggs started shaking! First, another blue emerged from its egg, taking its time as it explored the sands. Two more followed shortly after- a pair of browns. One brown Impressed quite quickly. Next, the blue Impressed...to Jisken, no less! The poor boy had been mauled, but it seemed that this more than made up for it! Jai would have to catch up with Jisken after the Hatching and both ask if he was alright and congratulate him on Impressing. He turned his attention back to the remaining roving brown. He doubted it would look to him- he didn't think he was quite the right material for a brown- but he was still curious as to whom it would select as its Bonded.

The blue finally made a move, and Jisken watched curiously, somewhat amused by his relaxed way of moving about. The dragon took his time, was most certainly in no rush whatsoever, and only after a painstakingly long-lived stretch did the dragon approach the boys, taking quick one-overs of each of them. Jisken surely thought that there would be some sort of hesitation, some mental bond with one of the boys preceding him, but once the dragon was moving, it was nothing more than a quick look, and then to the next.

And then there was a pause, and the dragon raised himself up, surely to inspect the boy just behind Jisken. Jisken looked back to see who the lucky candidate was, but found that, nearing the end, everyone seemed to have spaced out. Then just who was the blue looking at--

Jiskenmine! That was fun, wasn't it? Now, your Bayarth is actually really very hungry. I wanted to stay, but I think it's time to eat now. Don't you agree?

Jisken's head turned slowly to face the whirling eyes of the blue, and for a moment he simply blinked, unable to register the bond that had just been formed. Was that...was that really a dragon's voice in his head? Had he, of all people, been chosen?

Yes, mine, you were. Can we eat now? Please? Bayarth tilted his head curiously, then nudged his partner gently. Only then did Jisken (now J'ken, he supposed) somewhat snap out of it, his eyes widening as he reached out a hand, lightly petting the blue on his eye-ridges.

"Y-yes, Bayarth, we can eat now," the boy said, leading the blue towards the feeding area, his spirits lifted. Before he'd left the Sands entirely, though, he glimpsed back to the other Candidates, to Firyal and Jaidev. He could only hope that they, too, would join him soon.

"Getting big fast," O'asis agreed, seeming exceptionally relaxed and merry despite all that hung around them. It was probably just as well that he hadn't noticed S'van glaring - ignorance was generally bliss, when two friends stood at odds. He went on blithely: "And Argent, too - the firelizard egg you gave me, you know, hatched a few sevenday ago! Prettiest blue you've ever seen. I'll see if I can coax him out at Feast."

But now was the time where bits of guilt began slipping out. Always in little things - darting glances, anxious smiles, fingers rubbing against cloth. "I wish I could've shown him to you before now, actually. Been a bit busy, but that's not any real excuse. Are you doing okay?" He'd really meant to ask, how are you - but true meanings tended to spill out in the details. O'asis didn't bother covering it up, either, but just stumbled into an elaboration - "I mean, I know you probably want to be down there, not up here...."