Follow the Golden Star

Writers: Chelle, Emma
Date Posted: 22nd December 2014

Characters: Rhosyn, D'lorn, K'sedel
Description: Hatchlings are born at River Bluff.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 15 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Lanniya, Aldryn, Ciara, Solieira

K'sedel

It was warm, but not dripping hot. Rhosyn was grateful for that. There were
clouds everywhere, which helped to cover the sun. The Sands from the
Hatching Grounds were always hot and they tended to make the weyr abutting
them warm as well. Drinking more water, she pulled herself into the bath,
sighing with relief.

That sigh was short-lived however, when a very loud humming noise
interrupted her thoughts. It didn't take long to figure out where it was
coming from and who was making it. Scrambling out of the bath after dousing
herself, she spluttered before searching for her dress. Before too long, the
rest of the Weyr would know-they were going to have a Hatching today.

K'sedel fortunately was engrossed with hidework as the humming began, then
as it gently increased in intensity he knew it was time to-if nothing
else-change into the gather finery that he had selected with the help of his
weyrmate, knowing that the whole Weyr would need to look its best for the
upcoming event.

On the Sands themselves, Orlaith stood sentinel to her eggs. They had just
started to rock slightly, nothing very serious. The gold crooned to them,
happy that they were finally going to open. To the side, the gold egg was
still and large. It was on a mound slightly higher than the others.

D'lorn and the others rushed to get the candidates robed and ready. They had
practiced and everyone knew it could be any day so hopefully there would be
no real confusion. The greenrider called the roll when they were assembled
and began to lead them to the Sands. No time to waste.

Dignitaries began to arrive after the word was sent out. Some of them had
already been staying at the Weyr. Others came adragonback as riders whipped
in and out above the Star Stones. This was a special Hatching and nothing
had been spared. The Headwoman's staff had run themselves ragged preparing
food and drink for the feast. The Sands themselves had been cleaned and the
Stands sported a new coat of paint.

People nervously began to file in, taking their seats. The humming was
louder now, joined in by all the dragons in the Weyr. The very large senior
queen's tone was easy to pick out, however. Time passed. The Weyrleaders
took their seats. The dragonhealers readied themselves. The candidates stood
in the tunnel, waiting for the right time. One egg rocked, then two, then
three. The candidates went out onto the Sands. People milled and found their
seats as they waited to see what the first egg would be. Eyes
surreptitiously flashed over to the big egg, even though it remained still.
Several of the girls went to stand in a circle around it, ignoring the other
eggs.

"A new belt buckle says the first one that hatches is blue," K'sedel
whispered to Rhosyn as the eggs rocked gently.

Among them was Lanniya, the young girl who could hear the dragons. Whispers
came from the audience as fingers pointed her out. Would she be the next
goldrider of River Bluff Weyr? It would be a feather in the Weyrwoman's cap,
after all. Or would it be one of the other girls hoping desperately that
their future would be changed. The boys, on the other hand, were surrounding
the other eggs, urging them to open their shells. Aldryn, the former hold
boy was there. Magea, the child of the Weyr itself hadn't gone near the gold
egg. People wondered if that was wise.

Then, the first crack came. One of the eggs near the side of the Sands
opened and a head came out. Eyes strained to see it. "There!" someone
shouted, "A brown!" And it was true. The brown dragonet made his way onto
the Sands and surveyed the area, almost as if he had meant to check things
out for his siblings. Then, like dominoes, the eggs began to open. There was
a green, a blue, and another brown. Many more appeared before another egg
yielded a sturdy bronze.

The crowd shouted encouragement, especially as some of the candidates began
to wander to the side with their dragonets where the Weyrlingmasters awaited
them. Impressions were made and lives were changed. Riders watching
remembered their own Hatching moments, never to forget. River Bluff would
have a new weyrling class in the Barracks, ready to move in since the older
class had moved out.

One of them would be A'dryn, a new greenrider. Rhosyn's eyes flicked past
the pairs at the feeding tables. His green, Nalarith, was trying her best to
get to the food. Smiling, the goldrider hoped he could handle her. She
touched K'sedel's arm as another new rider came off the Sands. Magea, now a
green weyrling, was almost pushing her dragonet. It seemed the little one
was being difficult. Hopefully the Weyrlingmasters would handle the
situation. "If Magea doesn't calm Baraith down, we may have to intervene."

"She will," K'sedel said, even as that brief battle seemed to be fought and
won. "Look," he said as one of the Weyrlingmaster's assistants moved closer,
ready to advise if needed. "I think we can stay here, that seems to be
under control, at least for the moment."

And that was all she could think about as one-by-one most of the eggs opened
their shells to admit shining new life into the Cavern. Dragonets were
everywhere on the Sands, creeling and pushing candidates to find the right
one. And then the moment everyone was waiting for happened-the gold egg that
Orlaith had horded preciously for so long rocked purposefully.

The girls crowded around it, jostling for their chance. One of them fell but
got right back up again. Everyone was leaning slightly forward in their
seats, craning their necks to see. Even with the lights on, there were parts
of the Cavern that were shadowed. Orlaith's big neck cast a shadow of its
own as she hovered nearby, watching and waiting herself.

Suddenly, the dragons' humming reached a loud pitch and the thrumming almost
seemed to make the Sands vibrate some. And then the egg toppled over and
rolled a bit. Some of the girls gasped and ran toward it, seemingly to help.
One of them got too far into the way though and it hit her, knocking her
hard onto the sand before it stopped rolling. A large fissure could be seen
in the side of the egg. Rhosyn wondered what the little Queen would be
like-would she take after her mother or her father?

And then, there was no more wondering. The crack burst open and a dragonet
walked out, seeking and searching. When some of the candidates rushed
forward, a hiss could be heard. They backed up quickly, forming a circle
around the gold miniature even as her eyes whirled a hungry red. The
stand-off lasted for some time, until a shout could be heard above the cries
of disappointment and groans of failure. That shout came from the young
mouth of a female candidate that everyone had been wondering about. Now
Rhosyn had to wonder-what was she going to do with a fifteen turn old
goldrider who could hear all the dragons, wasn't Weyrbred, was almost
certainly a virgin, and had just turned into her new problem?
}:You were a turn younger when I found you:{ Orlaith reminded her softly.
**Right but I was very different from what she seems to be**

"Lanniya?" K'sedel said, even as Nikornath confirmed it for him with a
bellow of welcome.

}:The little one who can talk to me and the other dragons as well,:{ he
said. }:She and Anaeryth will do well together:{

Last updated on the December 26th 2014

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