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Deldowth looked at his clutch mate, Necreoth, and sighed. How could any one rider or dragon understand the weight of Pern? Sure, he was out of his shell but others hadn't been so lucky and now, now everyone was sad that there wasn't another gold among them. He almost had dragon tears. You be happy enough for both of us. Iskosian knows that he can be happy for me as well. I shall probably not feel good after all of this is over and done.

Iskosian shrugged at Cai. He hadn't talked to the other candidate but he wasn't going to be rude now that they were all riders together. In this strange predicament of having the weight of the remaining Weyrs on their shoulders. "Congratulations. Don't mind Deldowth. It seems he is the pessimist type."

Realistic. I understand what people expected and none of us have met those expectations... Oh look, the bronze is doing something. I think he found his rider. Deldowth looked back at the Sands as someone stepped forward towards the bronze. Good for them I suppose.

Nacreoth's demeanor towards Deldowth cooled, oh he understood the weight of Pern well. He understood it's nuances and weaknesses even better.
Nacreoth narrowed his eyes slightly. Your considerable energies and strength would be better spent bent towards something you can change, rather than moping over the inevitable.

The blue's expression was mirrored in Cai's face as he listened to half the conversation. While he couldn't hear what Deldowth was saying, he could fairly glean the gist of it from their body language and Nacreoth's replies. He looked up as Iskosian shrugged. "Considering that this is likely the last clutch the north will see? Pessimism isn't all that surprising." Though Cai was with Nacreoth on this one... the pity party the brown seemed to be throwing was excessive and frankly... annoying.

Nacreoth turned his attention back towards the sands as the bronze finally made his choice. His interest in the newly formed pair was short lived as a candidate rushed towards the last egg. The whirling of Nacreoth's eyes accelerated and the blue sat up straighter, eyes locked to the girl's back.

Cai rubbed the back of his neck as the prickling there grew intense under Nacreoths focus. What the... "Shaffing dimglow." Cai muttered. Even if Malsalth was dying, she was still mother of the clutch and the same instinct that kept her here well past her time made her a threat to anyone who messed with her eggs. No hatchlings may be on the sand, the egg may be a dud but as long as she still lived, the girl was an idiot.

Her gaze had been on her bronze child when Malsalth was alerted to a disturbance. The gold looked up and caught sight of the girl running for her eggs. Voices all around called out in protest. Humans surged to their feet, disgusted by someone's disrespect for dragonkind. Dragons roared from their ledges, wings spread and tails lashing at the perceived threat to the youngest of their number. Malsalth's head tracked the candidate as she ran forward, the humming stilling in the dragon's throat for a second time. The cavern near shook with outrage at the girl's actions. It was tradition. There were rules. Rules to protect the unhatched. It was sacrilege. Heresy! The dragons on the ledges may not be gold, but they felt it deep in their bones. The need to protect their youngest brothers and sisters, the future of their home. Vee skidded to her knees in front of the egg, reached out to Lightning, and the cavern was practically in a frenzy.

A deep, deafening roar thundered through the cavern. Malsalth's neck was outstretched, a spark of red in her jewelled gaze. Yet it was not Vee that the dragon had raised her voice against. The gold roared up at her kin, bidding them all be silent. Dragons barked and squawked in alarm at the outburst from the dying mother. Turning her head away from the other dragons, Malsalth looked squarely at Vee, the red of her gaze fading away to be replaced with soothing greens. The gold dipped her head to the candidate, her throat once more taking up the welcoming song of the hatching.

The voices of the dragons thundered through the cavern and set her blood surging through her veins as hot and quick as it had in any fight for her life she'd had over the turns. Her hands jerked back before touching the shell and she looked up at the sea of swirling orange and red eyes in the glowlight of the cavern with her teeth bared, the tendons on her neck standing out like bowstrings under strain as she snarled back her terrified defiance. Everyone knew dragons couldn't hurt people but their riders could sure as shaff tear her apart and right now it looked like a mob up there but she'd had to do something!

Then, suddenly, with one more almighty roar it was over.

Vee's head snapped around and she looked up into Masalth's eyes, not red now but a gentle green. "It's got to hatch," she said to the gold, her voice still tense from the confrontation with half the shadding cavern of dragons, and with the fear of rejection. "Why hasn't it moved? Does it need help?"

"It...they might," J'in said quietly, cowed slightly by giant angry gold but Malsalth wan't angry at him or Flueth. More at everyone else. Not even angry at Vee it seemed. "Umm... try tapping it, see if it responds back?" And it might be better off for them to get off the sands yes.


He pushed back against the bronze lightly. Come on you, lets get up. J'in gave a slight hmm noise as the bronze finally snorted and lumbered up. "food and then nap."


Flueth replied but got up deciding that their sibling was well in hand and well food. Food sounded good.

Wanjouth squeaked and covered her head with her wings. The green's eyes were tinged with anxiety and worry. She peered at the Sands from beneath her wing membranes and gave a little chirp. Look at her go! So brave and fearless, standing up to the others. I think I like her, E'dal.

E'dal, watching Vee's actions and those of the others around her, merely shrugged. His ears were still ringing from Malsalth's roar. And with the gold's approval, what more could everyone do but watch and wait. Deep down, he hoped that Vee managed to crack the egg and a gold came tumbling out... He would be the first to get her a skin of wine after they made it through weyrlinghood. "Well, she has guts, that's for sure."

There was no answer for Vee from Malsalth. The gold simply stared back at the candidate, her eyes whirling a gentle green, humming gently in her throat. Above them dragons shifted nervously, taking up their hum yet a third time. Malsalth was a gold. Surely she would know when they needed to give up on the egg, and if she still hummed then they must also. The dragon's gaze shifted away from Vee's face, resting for a moment on the last of her eggs, before drifting back. She began to hum louder and stronger, leading the other dragons with her.

In front of Vee the egg jerked for the first time, rocking forward and ever so lightly brushing against the candidate's fingertips. Lightning began to vibrate suddenly, springing to life all at once. Cracks splintered across the shell's surface as it shuddered. With little warning the egg exploded, shards flying in all directions as young wings were stretched out. Rainbows whirled in blinking eyes, blinded by the sudden surge of light. Green feet barely touched the sand before the hatchling launched herself into Vee's arms with an exalted cry. Her wings and limbs desperately scrambling to wrap around the newest weyrling.



Malsalth abruptly stopped humming as the last of her children found their chosen. The dragon muffled a cough and a visible tremor ran through her, but she did her best to shrug it off. She turned her head to the dragons above her and reached out to them. The feeling she sent carried an air of apology, but also unquestionable confidence. Now come, join her in welcoming her children to the Weyr! Once again the gold stretched out her neck, this time to trumpet her joy. Even as Layered lay silent among her feet. She could not cheer for them all, but the eight she had seen safely into their bonded's arms, she would cheer for them.