|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 9:34 am
Well, the Gather actually had lightened Veyes mood considerably with his tummy stuffed with a bubbly pie so by the time he returned to the Weyr he had almost forgotten how miserable some days had been. Ah well, he muttered and shook his head as he walked along. The day had been great and people actually had ignored his previous failings for a short time. Things actually felt...somewhat...Normal? Maybe that was a good sign. Maybe L'thor was right - eventually things would blow over.
Heading down the halls expecting to head to the dorms, he caught a bit of movement out of the corner of his eyes so he turned and noticed other candidates leaving the crack in the wall that peeked into the sands. Wait...there wasn't any eggs...Could it be? Suddenly, he burst down the hallway determined to take a look. If there were eggs, then soon he'd be off latrine duty and hopefully would be able to put this all behind him once and for all.
Glancing around to make sure he was alone, he then leaned forward and peeked into the crack. At first he saw nothing, but then as he leaned just a little to the right a glimmer of gold caught his eye. One of the Queens was in there!!! As she moved, he caught a glimpse of the eggs - his saviors! A sigh of relief shot through him as he looked at all the eggs whose shells had a greater array of earthy tones this time. Those hatchlings in the eggs might never know it but they had just made Veyes one of the happiest boys in the Weyr even if he didn't impress a single one.
Pressing his face against the crack to get a better view, he realized that a few of the eggs were huge in comparison to the previous hatching. Or maybe it was just the angle he got to look at them but still they seemed large. Ooh...one of them was a Gold. That meant some lucky girl would be looking forward to a challenging future. At times, although he wasn't a woman, wished for something as challenging and demanding as a gold. Often he found that satisfaction in his dream world but would it be so bad to wish for that in real life?
Maybe Great Expectations were a bit bold for the real world but still he'd seek out his dreams even if no dragon accepted him. Adjusting his face that now had gained impression from the crack itself from the long look, he started counting the eggs and taking a few guess as to what were inside. This batch was sure to have a few husky ones and he suspected at least a bronze and brown out of the big ones beyond the queen....or maybe one heck of a grand sized blue?
After the last hatching, he kind of got the idea that greens came in small packages, and the really large ones generally were possibly bronze or brown. It was always the mid-sized eggs that were harder to guess and in his own personal dream world he made a small sport of the guessing and really thought it would be cool if something of a surprised popped out for a change; like a giant green in a large egg and a tiny bronze or brown in a smaller egg. If anything it would fill his time while he waited for the hatching!
However, he sort of wondered if there was any one of them that would be willing to be his companion. There were so many candidates to choose from...But this time he wasn't going to let depression afterward cause him to make another foolish mistake. No, this time, he'd go to his alcove or play a game of Migsy or better yet he'd find a place to study L'thor's lessons because he still was sure the Hatching feast was where he wanted to be after a hatching.
It was still rather hard to think of others impressing and wonder why he didn't. The feast would just rub it in but as he thought about it - if one of his few friends did impress....Mal, Firyal, Hanya...Mmm...maybe even Nehren; he'd show. Yeah, that would be ok. Then, he grinned and thought of Hanya and Firyal. Oh, he wondered what the Weyr would think if someone like Firyal got a gold! After the Lake incident, he could imagine the groans from around the bowl.
And then there was Hanya, Mmm...she'd probably be out of my league at that point, he thought with just a hair of dissappointment. "Have to have a really fast brown..." he sighed and pushed himself away from the crack. As he started to get to know his own desires and fantasy, he had recently realized that a bronze probably would not claim him if everything they said in the candidate lessons were true. "Ah well, I still have my dreams."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 2:29 pm
Ren wondered from his the candidate brackets still rubbing his belly with a most contented lazy smile, he felt so fully that his must be working bow legged with the weight of his full stomach. There had been far to many treats at the gather to pass up and he had even forgotten that it was so crowded. Whats more his half empty chest was now much fuller with treats and a couple of stone carvings of dragons, one which he would keep and one to be sent back to his father as a small token of thanks for the support that his whole family had offered him and the marks that had allowed him to have such fun at the gather, he even had a few left safely tucked away in the trunk.
With the gather still going on as well most of the candidates had been let off from doing chores today, even if it would be back to latrines tomorrow for a while he had been able to enjoy being part of the collective and just accepted as part of the weyr even if that brought some hostility and less than pleasant looks from holders it only made the weyr folk band closer together and it seemed their marks were as good as anyone elses when it came down to it so an uneasy peace was reached during the whole affair.
Now his mind wondered to a possible swim as the day was hot and humid, perfect for cooling off in the cold lake, but he was distracted from his goal when he caught a snippet of conversation from two riders as they passed by. The conversation cleaer and more full as they got closer.
“Laid while…”
“none realised til….”
“how many?”
“nine or there abouts and there is a queen as well.”
Eggs? On the hatching sands? Ren felt his heart jump into his throat and his head reel with the implications, another hatching so soon and if that was right then in a few seven days he wouldn’t have to do latrine duty again! This was possibly the best day ever.
Without further though and forgetting his full tummy he began to run towards the entrance to the well known peep hole, ignoring the cramp that was soon to develop in favour of enjoying the feeling of relief and hope that washed newly over him. And L’thor said even after being punished his chances of impressing would not be effected, no matter if the numbers of candidates was high he still held a secret confidence inside himself about the hatching even if his chance was small it was the same for everyone else right.
And he wouldn’t care if it was green, blue, brown or Multi coloured. He would be content if he was to meet the right dragon from him, watching the other candidates walk away at the last hatching with their partners had only made his heart sink and feel the prickling emotion of envy. Then things had onlygone from bad to worse of course, this time he would be smart and if he wanted to avoid the feast, and no one he knew impressed he would retreat to his own cot and entertain himself.
He slowed his run panting and clutching the cramp at his side as he shuffled forward excitedly into the gap only to see someone already blocking the way, his head turned but that long hair unmistakable Vesyes, he smiled and reached forward to touch the other boys shoulder lightly trying not to startle him, for he seemed so absorbed In the sight beyond the crack only making him more sure there were eggs on the sands. And the good day had given a boast to his confidence and his shyness did not make him back down and way today
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 2:55 pm
He could have stood there for...days watching those eggs - his saviors. Yeah. that was what he had dubbed this bunch because they would probably distract many of the candidates that had been less than friendly. Maybe he'd finally sleep well tonight - or at least maybe tonight Mal and he wouldn't have to take shifts and both of them would get a decent night's rest. It wasn't like things happened every night but better safe than sorry.
Sighing just a little he started dreaming again, creating visions of the future dragons in all different colors flying high above Pern. In that dream, he was much more the visionary and creator of his own destiny. His dreams took him over the far reaches of Southern to the secret parts of the world maybe in this dream he'd not go alone. Mmm...that was a new thought. Most of the time when he dreamt of doing great things, he was with just a dragon but today in his dreams he added a few other dragons from the eggs on the sand and now the team of riders were on a mission....Mmm...but what kind of mission? Where were they going? Oh something new to think about!
It was then he realized there was someone close by, and a soft hand was upon his shoulder. He might have jumped but he was still upon his imaginary dragon's back so he just turned to smile brightly at the person beside him....Nehren. "Oh Nehren! Um...Hi...I didn't see you there. Mmm...Sorry, I must have been here awhile." he said as he blinked himself out of his daydreams and back on solid ground then moved away from the crack so the other could get a good look.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 4:24 pm
He smiled back, a small nervous smile, despite what he thought in his own mind about his natural social difficulties being diminished they were still present enough to show themselves in his expression, but Vesyes was kind, te boy always seemed to have a smile for him and never a harsh word. He quickly shook his head at the words. “no, no I just got here.” He promised. But then Vesyes was moving back and he felt slightly guilty for interrupting him, after all he had looked so deeply focused.
“no,no.no.” he said quickly shaking his head and looking at his feet. “I didn’t want to disturb you, take as long as you need.” But then he remember exactly where they were and imagined the grumpy over hormonal queen hearing them and quickly shut his trap. He didn’t want to endanger both of them and get them into trouble again. “I mean…” he started in more hushed tones. “you were here first so its only fair…” he paused as Vesyes still stayed free of the space and that face was always warm. So he shuffled forward a little into the open gap. “but if its okay I’ll just take a quick look.”
And he made it the rest of the way so careful not as to so much brush Vesyes not being overly comfortable with physical contact. And peered through…oh the riders had been right of course, there they were, so prettily patterned bit more earth bound colours this time which actually pleased him, the bright almost obnoxious colours in the last hatching had never really been for him. “and there’s the queen egg.” He muttered under his breath not realising he had said it outloud at all and his mind was on very much the same path as Vesyes at that moment, they weren’t even hatched yet and already they were his heroes now he could begin counting down the days.
Some of the eggs were also much bigger than the last hatching, he guessed because they had been laid by a bigger more vigorous queen this time that had no doubt been caught after a longer mating flight. See he was learning things in his lessons. He liked the little stripped one infront of the larger ones, it almost looked like it was trying to lead them which made him smile. Oh yes, this was defiantly a good day.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 5:51 pm
Veyes face was filled with mirth left over from the gathering and extended by the eggs on the sands. "It's alright. I don't even know how long I was standing there." His fingers wandered along the side of his face feeling the indentations from leaning against the crack for too long. "Take as long as you want. I know I did."
He tilted his head back against the wall and looked up to the ceiling, "I wonder how long it will take for them to hatch." He wished for sooner rather than later but unfortunately later always seemed to be the case when he wanted something to come quickly. But the smile came back to his lips as he heard the happy sounds from Nehren. "Yeah...that's a queen's egg. Too bad neither of us will even take her notice." he chuckled as his mind drifted towards his imaginary world again and placed Nerhen on a gold's back. Nah...he thought as he couldn't see Nerhen leading the Weyr. Mmm...but what then? Soon the Nehren visualized in Veyes mind was sitting on green through bronze. Until he finally had to turn and take a good look at the boy as he peered into the crack. He couldn't figure it out probably because he didn't know Nehren as nearly as well as others.
"So which egg do you like the best?" he asked of Nehren as he continued to day dream just a little. "Seeing those eggs has been the best thing I've seen in awhile next to the Gather." His fingers slipped to the bag of marbles looking forward to the next time he'd have a chance to buy one from a merchant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 2:17 pm
Ren was focused on the eggs his mind shifting back so easily to fresh hope that his own one and bonded would be in the next clutch. Just to have to no longer report to the hateful candidate master would be worth a dragons weight in marks. And he could imagine his family, worried for him but proud. And bathing and feeding his own small dragon hatchling and flying! They all filled his mind with images of what it would be like to find happiness in the weyr, he wasn’t such a grand dreamer as his companion, it would be the small and homely things and sense of belonging which would make him content.
Fighting thread was also a exciting prospect for him of course, that element of risk and danger set his heart racing and fuelled imagination but it was a quick rush and no lasting satisfaction would be found with fire and seared thread. Only the satisfaction that he had protected those he held dear and the other comforts he desired.
He looked over the eggs but some were hidden and he could not see them clearly. “Well I like the little stripped one in front of the big ones, it seems so bold.” He said, a small giggle being added as he imagine a strutting prideful dragon being born from its shell. “but a few seem, to be hiding I can’t see them very well so I don’t know yet.” He admitted, but then who could pick a favourite among them anyway, they would all end up with similar results come the cracking of each individual shell.
He turned almost reluctantly to Vesyes again as he saw the queen shift, tail coming round the block view of pretty much the whole clutch apart from the queen egg. “I can’t seem any of them now though, the queen blocked them, I don’t think she likes us peeking.” He admitted guiltily looking down and pressing his fingers together. “But whats your favourite Vesyes?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 3:56 pm
There were a couple eggs that had strips on it but Veyes thought he could figure out which one Nehren was talking about. The small giggle broadened his own playful smile, however, when it came to the one that he liked, he had to think on it for a moment. "Well the big one that has that zig zag all over it really neat. It seems so brash and wild. I wonder if the dragonet might be like the shell. But I guess that one has a bronze in it and I'm not sure if I'd be the right match for one. But...well I suppose it could be a brown..." he said pursing his lips. "But if I had to choose another, I thought that one with the triangles on it was really amazing too. This batch is a lot different from the last one to me anyway. Not so many bright colors but many more earthy tones."
Stretching out against the wall and running his finger over the stone, Veyes sighed, "I wish the hatching was tomorrow. But it will probably be awhile before those ones are ready" As he twisted around to face Nehren his back popped in several places. "Ah, that's better! I bet you're right. She probably knows we're here. Can't blame her. I'd rather not have so many people watching me if I were laying eggs." He grinned at Nerhen still feeling quite spectacular after the Gather.
"So did you have a good time at the Gather? I thought I saw you go into the poker game tent but then I never saw you later. I lost at the runners track but L'thor won a flit egg! The man's going to be living with a swarm of them soon enough. It's pretty amazing." Those words brought a merry chuckle to his own lips because he still imagined L'thor with a green flit that was as demanding as Raith....Mini Raith! Although he wasn't sure what was in the egg, however, if it were female, he'd one day have an egg of his own. At least, that is what L'thor promised. Ah, but even so, he wouldn't worry about it too much with all the flits roaming about; he still had a lot to learn about dragons yet and his dreams of impressing still grasped his soul more days than not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
