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It seemed the Weyrleader wasn't getting himself involved this morning, the very morning, the dragons had started humming; that was all to the good. The candidate master strode purposefully to the barracks. "Candidates!" he roared.

Dragons were humming.

Humming!

He decided to wake the males first. "Get your sorry selves up and to the Sands," He growled. "If you want to Impress. Get those robes on!" He stood there, tapping his foot while he waited a brief moment.

F'kir made his way to the female candidates' barracks, and narrowed his eyes. "Robes, on!" He glanced at Quindrife and shook his head. "Not you. You're in the stands." He looked almost apologetic. He didn't like to think of any of his candidates as troublemakers, but the Weyrleader had given him instructions.

Once dressed, F'kir led the candidates to the Hatching Sands. He turned to face them. "Right. Some of you will already know how this works," he said, nodding at a few of the older candidates. "You circle around the eggs, keep spread apart. Be careful not to get to close to the eggs, or offend the gold. Do not interfere with the hatchlings. They might seem small, and relatively harmless--maulings happen. Be careful, or there won't be enough of you left to send home."

He led them onto the sands. "Be sure to bow," he said, lowering his voice. "Hatching day's never a good day for any gold. ...However," and here he smirked, "your focus should be on these," he gestured to include the entirety of the hatching sands. Eggs were strewn almost carelessly around, some close to the gold, others remarkably close to the enterance.

Kelstar's blue eyes flashed open but he stayed still, there was a pleasant humming deep in his bones and he enjoyed the feeling, that is until the candidate master kept up his tirade. Kelstar sat up and ran a hand through his sleep tousled blonde hair. Really could chores be so important as to completely disturb them all? Who had slept in this time? Kelstar noticed a few people up and out of bed, he absentmindedly noticed that his white robe rested at his bedside where he had left it. Hmm. Humming. Screaming. Robe... HATCHING! He sprang up and scrambled into his robe. Which arm went where again?

Kelstar joined the group of others heading for the hatching grounds and listened to the speel about not insulting the queen. Who would want to insult a queen? That would be just asking for it. Kelstar looked around from his considerable height and noticed that some of the eggs were quite near. He peeked around the heads of shorter candidates for a better look. No cracks
yet. He glanced at the egg that had seemed to react to him, and he wondered, would this be the day he bonded with a dragon for life? Or would this simply be a new day of experience for him?

A snout had been pressed into her ear and the softest hum roused her from sleep, greenish blue eyes twirled brightly at her as her brown puffed himself up.

Humming?

Humming?! Bolting upright the muscular figured candidate girl snapped awake, was it Hatching day? Was it really? Scooping her flit into her arms the longhaired brunette nuzzled her chin across the top of his head, nudging into her touch the still nameless brown chirped adoringly at his. Rubbing her pale gray eyes with the back of her free hand Quindrife sat up on her cot and allowed herself to yawn loudly and stretch until the small of her back popped audibly.

Jumping up with vigor and excitement the lanky figured tomboy stood up and instinctively grabbed at her white robe however when F’kir, the candidatemaster entered and barked orders that Quindrife found herself with her mouth hanging agape and her eyes starting to burn with unshed tears.

‘Not you. You’re in the stands.’ He stated firmly, his eyes however were softer, more kind. It would be yet another turn--- another turn that she would not Stand. The white robe suddenly felt like it was burning, searing her skin, letting out a snarl the awkwardly built brunette tore the ceremonial clothing from her body and stormed out of the barracks scowling bitterly. Tears threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes but Quindrife refused to allow that to happen. She refused to look weak. Marching out, wearing a pair of ragged trousers and a tunic that barely fastened around her chest the girl made her way to where the boys where lining up. One by one she passed them by until she shouldered a lad with neatly kempt black hair, grabbing him by the upper arm the towering brunette pulled on Iaman until he came face to face with her.

“Hey, I just want to wish you luck. I won’t be standing with you like I had hoped. So--- if you Impress today, I don’t want you to ever forget me, because you will be different after you Impress.” The way that Quindrife spoke made it seem as if the candidate boy was abandoning her to go join an army, pulling him close she forced a sweet smile just for the meek lad then in one swift motion she bent forward and caught his lips in a deep, heated kiss. For several moments she held it, made it linger for as long as she could before she pulled away blushing a dark shade of red. “I will be waiting for you, and if you don’t Impress, I will gladly be yours, if you’ll have me.” With that Quindrife brushed her messy brown hair out of her pale face then headed off towards the bowl where the stands were located, if anyone dared look at her the wrong way she would sock them in the gut.

Even as candidates were still filtering onto the hatching sands, eggs were moving. The dragonets were showing their discomfort about having been in such a small place for so very long. A medium sized egg started to crack. At first, no color could be discerned; the sun had not yet come up.

A tail burst out of the egg; it was hard to tell, whether it was a brown or blue, it seemed to blend in with the night's darkness as well as the sands. It was a large, gangly dragonet, its eyes were the only thing truly visible. They shifted from the boys, and then to the girls. Its eyes turned a whirling, glowing orange red. As the dragonet stepped closer to the candidates, it was clear the tiny creature was not a bronze. A bad omen.

The too-dark-too-tell dragonet was headed right at the group of girls. It charged, swiping at Lorend as it passed, and pouncing on Tasryn. He struck her with one sharp claw, and seeming to only desire to frighten her, bugled. It left her, charging towards the boys.

It swiped a claw at Morbad, then Kelstar. It seemed in no hurry to Impress. It withdrew from the candidates and sat, watching them.

Lorend was surprised at how fast the first dragonet came out of the egg. It wasn't all that big either. Certainly not a bronze. Too bad it wasn't bright enough to see what color it was. They could have at least brought in more glows. The eyes of the dragonet eerily glowed a orange red. That was a bad color right?

Faster than she expected the young creature rushed the group of girls. It had passed before she could react. A moment later her leg stung from the small scratch it left. Lorend exclaimed at the mark and small line of blood. Really the nerve of some dragons! She glared at it as it sat on the sands watching them.

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Morbad thought the newly hatched dragonet had found his rider among the girls with the way it moved. Until he heard one exclaim in pain. Maybe she'd gotten in the way? If anyone asked later though, he claimed being too short was the reason he didn't see it coming for him. It had scratched his arm and moved off before he could blink.

Covering the small wound to help stop the blood, not that it was in any way deep, he stared back. What was wrong with this dragon? He glanced at the parents to see if they were going to do anything about its erratic behavior.

Everything seemed to happen in a mad rush. The first thing either twin was aware of was a voice ricocheting off the walls of the boys' barracks, the echo making it difficult to understand. Iaman was the first to respond, for as his eyes slowly opened, he caught sight of the other candidates dressing themselves in white.

He launched himself out of his small cot, ripping his robe from the wall and screaming at his twin. "'Rodan, get up! Now, for Faranth's sake!" He launched himself into his brother's small alcove and began shaking him by the shoulder - despite the fact that he was indeed already awake.

"Get off, Iaman!" He rolled sharply, knocking his twin back a couple of steps. "I'm up. Shards...!" Iarodan looked around, and upon seeing Iaman dressed in white, flailed his legs and launched himself out of bed in remarkable imitation of his brother.

It didn't take long after that for them to hustle their way outside and join the line. They were caught up in the excitement, in very different ways: Iarodan couldn't seem to stop moving, and Iaman couldn't have moved a muscle to save his own life. Shifting from foot to foot, Iarodan's eyes darted all over the place, from the candidates in front of him, to his twin behind him, to the entrance to the Hatching Ground that seemed to loom before them in a way that was almost ominous. Would he Impress? Would he be left standing? Would Iaman Impress? What if one of them did, and one of them didn't? His mind was going a mile a minute, and it showed in the fingers tapping against his leg; in the shuffling of his feet; in the rapid, nervous blinking of his eyes.

Iaman behind him was stock-still as they waited to be let in. Muscles stiff, tension radiated off of him in waves. His dark eyes were trained intently on the passage that led to the Hatching Ground, all his will focused in that direction.

The hand landing on his arm shocked him. Literally; he felt a spark at the contact, and jumped a little. He turned with the weight and pressure, and offered Quindrife a sympathetic smile. As best he could, anyway; it was a little bit difficult to focus on her face with her tunic stretched out that way. His eyes locked on hers and didn't move. Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down...

And then she kissed him. It seemed to take an age; his eyes opened in shock, and then closed as he lost himself. For a long moment, all he could feel was soft lips against his. His mind whirled with half-conscious thoughts: what's happening? Is she kissing me? Why is she kissing me? Why am I questioning why she's kissing me? Without his permission, his body arched, pressing flush against Quindrife's for just a moment before she pulled away. He barely heard the words she spoke then, for he stood there, eyes still closed, breathing hard - and then she was gone.

He opened his eyes, and stumbled backward a step, for there was Iarodan, right in his face. "Well, that was quite a show." The laughter in his voice almost seemed to mock his twin, and Iaman's face grew to a deep, cherry red. He looked down and away, and Iarodan turned around again, still chuckling to himself.

By the shell, what was that? Now Iaman's eyes wouldn't close at all; instead, they stayed wide, staring blankly at the ground in front of him. When pressure hit his back, he began to shuffle forward without realizing what was happening, all of his prior tension drained - and yet somehow amplified - by Quindrife's brief visit.

It wasn't until he felt an elbow in his side and looked up that he realized they were, in fact, on the Sands already.

Both twins exchanged a look. They would talk about this later, in private. For now, they had destiny to face - currently in the form of a small dark hatchling of indistinguishable colour.

The strange sort of calm that had fallen over both of them shattered, however, when the small creature charged at the girls, tearing one of them to shreds, or so it seemed. Iarodan stared, eyes wide, as blood spilled out onto the sand. The girl stood, however, and he sighed in relief. She would be scarred, but at least she lived, and was able to stand.

Iaman clenched his fists tightly as he watched the hatchling take a swipe at two more candidates, wincing as his nails raked them, if only lightly. He would have to be quick on his feet, he suspected.

The twins tensed in unison as the rather aggressive hatchling approached them. His anger seemed to be fading, but something about him was still off-putting. He swiped at Iarodan without warning, and he winced as he felt three nails sink deep into his leg. He dropped to his knee on the right side, the force of the hatchling pulling him down. He gritted his teeth against the pain, pressing his palm tightly against the wound. Blood began to well up over his hand - he would have to make sure that got seen to, after more important things had been dealt with.

Little b*****d.

Iaman was faster on his feet, however. Having seen this particular hatchling maul, or attempt to maul, no less than four others by this point, he had already prepared to spring away when he saw the rather displeased looking hatchling approaching himself and his twin. He hopped back and to the side as a claw swung out, and managed to get away with a scratch under his knee that would probably heal without a scar. He sighed in relief; sure that he wouldn't have been so lucky had the dragonet not gotten bored of terrorism and gone to find his.

Iaman watched the little blue - it was more obvious as he drew close - as Impression was made. He smiled, glad for Tasryn, but a little curious as to how their relationship would turn out. After all, it had started in blood...

He almost missed the next hatching, but his brother didn't. Iarodan was fixated on the bronze as he burst from his shell and strode confidently, almost arrogantly, toward them. He seemed to have a lot of composure for a hatchling. Iarodan almost laughed as the big bronze snorted his disdain for his blue brother - but bit his tongue, sensing that laughter would be largely inappropriate. I wonder who'll get him? He's a real beauty, he is...

He felt blood again, and forced more pressure onto his leg.

Kelstar sighed with relief as the vengeful blue finally impressed and stopped swiping at people. He was happy that the dragon had indeed found someone. Soon after a bronze emerged rather brilliantly from his shell. He paraded himself in front of the boys first and then in front of the girls. It reminded Kelstar of a victory lap in a way. Kelstar dipped his head to hide his smile as the bronze snorted at the blue. As if a blue could ever compare, especially with such an ill temper. This seemed to be a proud if not vain creature and it truly was magnificent although Kelstar may have behaved differently if he was in the dragons place.

Kelstar's brows furrowed, where there not supposed to be more greens in a hatching? So far they had two males pop out but no girls. Kelstar shifted and put more weight on his uninjured leg. Perhaps it would be fun to pick a candidate if one where a dragonet. Goodness knows they would all be in deep water if the candidates chose the dragons.