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The egg-viewing niches had come into play once more with another round of candidates and a new clutch on the sands. Ever since that disaster with the idiot who touched the eggs prematurely, everyone had been on pins and needles, especially the other hopefuls. If the clutch was a dud, at least they'd know who to blame.

Few people wandered near to the eggs on foot any more. No one peeked around the walls of the Hatching sands for a quick glance. It was as if even that moderate distance had become taboo. The niches, on the other hand, were high up in the wall overlooking the eggs. It seemed every time Velrun had happened down the corridor with the door to the room (which miraculously had remained unlocked) he heard whisperings from inside. On the one instance it was quiet he himself had ducked in to gaze a moment in silence at the dragon and her brood below.

Despite the panic, some traditions had remained the same as ever. Tacked to the wall beside the niches was a list of the eggs, poorly done drawings of each to show which was being referred to, and a place to mark a color, and one's name. A betting sheet. At a glance there were more eggs marked to be duds this time around, no doubt in response to the queen's fury over the premature contact. Many of the bets were sound though. The larger eggs were being favored to be brown this time though, with only one or two marks for bronze on the whole sheet.

After a moment of thought he lifted the implement that had been left nearby for the obviously purpose and jotted down a few guesses. That done, he returned to watching the eggs in silence.

The sound of a firelizard was a familiar one to Velrun, and he quickly looked back over his shoulder for the source of the sound. The area around the niches in the wall was better lit from the light streaming through, and he was plainly visible to the approaching pair even if he was hard pressed to see them. He raised a hand in silent greeting and stepped slightly aside to share the peep holes.

He wasn't any one important who would turn her in for sneaking around, and he was guilty of the safe in the end, but tat didn't mean he was going to give up his spot for this newcomer. He'd share, given she didn't make a scene though. The fact that she had a firelizard went a long way to soothing his mild irritation at being interrupted. He didn't have any of them himself, but he was quite fond of them.

Down below he saw the dragon stir. Perhaps she sensed them looking down? No alarm was raised though, and soon enough the gold was still again. "If you care to bet, there's a sheet here. Someone put it up here on purpose, obviously." He mentioned out of the blue, motioning to the chart on the wall. Perhaps this girl was that person, come to see what bets had been made. "And be sure your pet stays quiet. I'm not quite sure the gold doesn't know we're here."

Velrun noted the names he was given, and returned, "Velrun." His eyes stayed on the eggs, roving over each almost hungrily. The touching--the real one this time--would be soon if it came at all. He'd seen enough clutches to be able to figure out almost to the day when they would be touched, when they would hatch...He liked to think he had a firm grip on what eggs had what in them, but sometimes one never knew.

Talk of another candidate with a firelizard clutch did catch his interest enough to get him to look away from the eggs. "Is that so? Hmm." Quitely he took up the smudging stick again and blotted out his name and guesses on the sheet. Better to bet on something as fine as eggs, he'd decided. "I will have to look into that."

Ah. So this was her first clutch. No wonder the girl seemed so excited. The way she had her face pressed to the wall spoke volumes of her newness to the eggs. "I am." He responded shortly, returning to his own peep hole. He had been for several years now, and he would for several more if needed. He was content to wait, and there were plenty of clutches to come.

Velrun glanced towards the girl. "Can't imagine it? Well I plan to stand. Even if none hatch, I'd rather be there, and ready. What if they do hatch, and you aren't there to claim yours, hmm?" He slowly gazed back at the eggs, turning them over in his mind. "A candidate has one job. To be ready for their dragon at any time." The thought of candidates, one or many, abandoning the clutch due to the actions of one girl...that was potentially more damaging than anything one child could do.

As to firelizards, Velrun indeed did know a great deal. He'd never trained one of his own, but he'd seen it done, and talked about it. "What do you need to know? Your green is little more than an infant, yes?" He didn't bother too look away from his view, too fascinated by the queen and her seething.