The Last One

Writers: Avery
Date Posted: 9th December 2017

Characters: V'rel, L'pin
Description: Vatirel stands at Panitath's Hatching
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 17 of Turn 9

Vatirel felt it before he heard it, a trembling of the ground under his
feet that soon resolved into the thrumming of the dragons. He knew that
sound well from living in a Weyr all his life, knew that that sound
meant that the Hatching was happening. His chance at Impressing a dragon
had come again.

He had been in the middle of the weaver's workroom at the time, setting
a project up on the loom, and had to take a few minutes to put aside his
project so it was safely stored where none of it could be in the way of
anyone else. If he didn't Impress, he didn't know if he'd have time to
get back to it that day, and if he did he wasn't going to have any time.

The time it took to set it aside while he heard the humming grow louder
made his heart speed up. He knew in his head it took some time before
the eggs cracked, but in his heart he was worried he was going to miss
it all. So the second his stuff was put aside, he dashed to the barracks
to get changed.

He looked up at the skies as he trotted to the barracks. There were a
number of dragons there of all the colors but gold, as riders were
leaving the Weyr to go pick up the families of Candidates and as they
were coming in with more passengers. He knew that those were families,
or dignitaries, or curious spectators. He couldn't spot the one he was
looking sure. He knew what Volaith looked like normally but because
there were so many dragons, he couldn't see the bronze.

**I hope my father comes to see. I hope he's not still angry that I was
mad at him,** Vatirel thought. The bitterness he'd been harboring over
his father not coming to Dolphin Cove for him suddenly didn't seem as
important as it had, not if it meant that his dad was maybe still hurt
by what he'd said and might not come see him Stand.

Those thoughts weighed on him as he arrived at the barracks. The
Weyrlingmaster's Third was outside of them, lining up the Candidates and
checking to make sure they were all there. Most were outside in their
white robes already. He was one of the last people there. He ducked into
the men's section, yanked off what he was currently wearing and pulled
the traditional Candidate robe over his head, then headed out of the
barracks to join the crowd.

Once they were all in line, Vatirel followed as L'pin led them into the
Hatching Sands. He saw the other Weyrlingmasters there, setting up the
tables and buckets of meat to feed the hatchings. A couple Healers were
there too, in case anything happened. Vatirel had seen a few knock-overs
and scrapes happen before so he appreciated that they were there.

As he stepped onto the hot Sands, he kept his eyes fixed on the bulk of
gold Panitath. The gold was closely protecting the golden-hued shell of
her daughter, but she looked watchful of all of the eggs in front of
her. They were beginning to rock now and he knew Hatching was imminent.

The Candidates began to approach the eggs, slowly splitting into groups
as they moved. It was always something he found fascinating, how some
people tended to clump together with their friends or people they knew,
as if they were seeking comfort from the waiting while being with
someone else. While others seemed to want to stand off on their own, to
give a hatchling a better path to them or because they didn't like
feeling crowded.

Of course, the gold egg threw off the usual patterns. The girl
Candidates mostly clustered near each other and were moving towards
Panitath and the gold egg. He caught a glimpse of Dessa moving that way.
He really hoped she Impressed and didn't go home to the Harper Hall. It
would be great if she got the little gold. Then he could say he knew a
goldrider before she Impressed. He also spotted Ashelia close by to her
and his eyes darted away. Neria was off on her own, not near the other
girls, he noted.

The boys followed the more traditional patterns. Some were with friends.
Others stood alone. Vatirel preferred to hang back, rather than up close
to the eggs. It gave him a better chance to see what hatched from the
eggs and to track other people's Impressing.

Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation ripple down his back. }:Vatirel.
We are here to watch,:{ he heard in his head.

He jerked to a halt. It took him a moment to process where the foreign
words had come from. It was a voice that sounded like his fathers if it
was far away and more muted, and he suddenly had a blurry impression of
his father and others up in the stands.

**Volaith!** he realized. His father's bronze had taken the time to
reach out to himm... The Candidate concentrated on the image he'd been
sent and then turned to face the stands. Though they were crowded with
people, he was able to spot his father, and Jadirah, and the kids, all
waving enthusiastically at him. He couldn't help but grin and wave back
at them.

Then he shifted his attention back to going where he needed to be.
Cracks were beginning to spread across their surface, and he didn't want
to be looking at the spectators and not out for dragonets who might be
heading his way.

The first dragon to hatch out was a beautiful blue. He walked across the
Sands and right up to Tyselin! Vatirel let out a big cheer for his
friend. He was the first of this clutch to Impress, and _that_ was a
lucky sign. **Yes!** he thought.

It was like that was the cue for the eggs to all crack. He saw dragonets
spill out of their shells, their colored hides standing vibrantly out
against the pale sands. He saw two greens nearly trip each other on the
way to the girls crowded by the gold egg, one having to headbutt her
chosen girl in the back to get her attention to turn away from the
shiniest egg.

Vatirel saw another green go across the sands and run into Neria, and he
cheered again, delighted for her. A series of gasps happened and he
turned his head to see a brown had bumped into Dessa, knocking her over.
Was she all right? Who did it go to? He craned his head but couldn't see.

And then the gold egg hatched and the beautiful dragonet within emerged.
He held his breath as he watched the youngest queen creep across the
sands, over to - Dessa, who seemed delighted to Impress. **Good for
her!** he thought. She'd do a great job with the new gold, he was sure
of it.

And then it seemed to be ending all too soon. There were only a few eggs
left to hatch. Many of the newly-Impressed had left the sands with their
new lifemates, and other Candidates were mvoing closer to their last few
chances. He even saw a few girls without dragonets leaving the Sands and
wondered if they were running away after missing out on the gold, even
if they might have a green lifemate out there for them. He thought that
was silly.

Though he didn't like to be in the middle of a crowd, he also drifted
closer to the remaining eggs, of which there were now only four. One of
those was the pale blue one he'd liked. The others already had dragonets
pushing out. The brown he knew wasn't for him, so he hoped that one of
the remaining ones would be his dragon.

Would he be left alone this time? His friends had all Impressed - Neria,
Dessa, Tyselin...what if they were all in this clutch and he wasn't?
Left behind, still a Candidate, failed in front of his father. He didn't
want to be separated from them! He took a deep breath started focusing
on sending out love and affection, like he was supposed to do, and less
on panicking.

The brown egg close to his favorite hatched and a small green spilled
forth. She moved right to a girl and chose. Then there was a brown and a
green, both passing him by. Now there was one egg left, the pale blue
one. It cracked open and spilled out a blue dragonet.

He was a beautiful one, a very dark blue it looked like, though since he
was covered in egg goo and pieces of shell it was hard to know for sure.
Again the group of Candidates moved towards it. Vatirel, though, was
frozen in place behind them, waiting. The blue seemed disgruntled by
being confronted by a number of robed Candidates in front of him. He
hissed and kept walking and Vatirel saw them all move aside, making room -

- for the blue to march right up to him and then headbutt him in the
stomach. The dark blue tilted his head, his eyes faceted and whirling in
many colors and Vatirel fell into them. He sunk to his knees and thrown
his arms around the blue's neck as the best sensation of love and warmth
and affection and knowing and completeness raced through him.

}:They were not right. You are right,:{ he declared. }:I am Rymeth.:{

A sound of loud whooping broke through his astonishment. He lifted his
head to look up at the Stands. There was his father, on his feet, hands
clenched, cheering loudly. For him. Because he'd Impressed.

}:Yes. We are one now,:{ Rymeth told him.

**My father's so proud of us,** Vatirel thought in wonder. It was a
doubley heady sensation.

Rymeth nudged him. }:I am hungry,:{ he said with a sad note in his
voice. }:Let us eat and then you can tell me why you are happy that he
is happy.:{

And on that note, Vatirel and Rymeth got to their feet and walked off
the Sands, the last pair of the clutch to find their lifemates.

Last updated on the December 10th 2017

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