Meeting the Eggs

Writers: Aaron, Avery, Devin, Estelle, Heather, Len, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 10th December 2017

Characters: L'pin, Sh'del, Cyradis, Dessa, K'don, V'rel, T'lin, R'fal, Neria, Waylle, Ashelia
Description: The Candidates get to touch Panitath's eggs.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 8 of Turn 9

Cyradis

K'don

T'lin

Today was going to be a very special class for the Candidates. L'pin
knew they'd all been looking forward to seeing the eggs. He'd caught
two Candidates out after dark talking about sneaking into the Hatching
Grounds and had informed them if they actually managed to sneak in and
upset Panitath, they'd get into trouble up to and including
potentially not Standing. That had happened early on, when the eggs
were still soft.

But now they were hard and closer to Hatching, and Cyradis had said
they could drop by to interact with the eggs. So L'pin had gathered
them all and led them from the barracks to outside the Hatching
Grounds, where they awaited the Weyrwoman giving them any last-minute
instructions and permission to enter.

The candidates were gathering outside the Hatching Cavern's Entrance.
Divided to smaller groups, they were allowed to visit the Eggs today.
Dessa was feeling quite excited and nervous, although she didn't show
it. Only sign was her twitching, tapping fingers. She was looking
around, hoping to see a familiar face. There were so many candidates
now and she didn't know half of them.

"Dessa," Waylle smiled gratefully to see at least one Candidate that
she knew by name. Some of the faces were so knew she hadn't learned
them yet. She'd been thinking non-stop about that golden egg, what it
would feel like, and look like, what it would be like to touch
something so coveted.

Cyradis emerged from the cavern entrance. As she came even with Loseth
she reached up to stroke his fragrant hide. "Thank you for your
watchfulness," she murmured. As always he had been Panitath's
unfailing guardian. She knew N'vanik was nearby but not quite where he
was.

She turned to the crop of young faces with a smile and stepped up a
couple of steps toward her weyr. This way, with her short stature, she
could be seen by all the throng. "Candidates," she smiled on them and
held out her hands for silence. "For those of you who do not know, I
am Cyradis of gold Panitath and Senior Weyrwoman of Dolphin Cove.
Today you have the very rare opportunity to see a gold egg on the
Sands. Please keep in mind that you are here at her sufferance and
should anyone act inappropriately the Weyrlingmaster's will remove you
immediately. Make your bow and thank her before you approach any of
her eggs. Only female candidates will be allowed to approach the gold
egg which she has separated from the rest. You may only approach that
egg one at a time." She smiled and looked toward across the group her
eye caught Kedon. "In another sevenday or so, thirty-seven of you will
become dragonriders." She nodded toward K'sedel, Sh'del, and L'pin.
"Small groups," she said and turned to make her way back into the
cavern.

Kedon smiled at Cyradis as his eye caught hers. He felt rather special
with just that bit of acknowledgement, and be would never dare expect
more. No semblance of partiality! At the same time, he found himself a
bit sad that he would not be welcome to touch the gold egg. He had no
delusions, of course, that she could ever want him – golds simply did
not choose men or boys – but that did not mean that he did not want to
pay her the same respect he would pay to each of the other eggs. He
wanted very much to explicitly ask Panitath for permission to say
hello to the little gold, but even if he thought she would relent, he
would be taking advantage of his relationship with Cyradis, and that
would have defeated every effort he had made to avoid doing so.

When his turn came to bow, he did so, and he said, "Miss Panitath, I
hope you'll tell your special golden girl that I'm so excited to see
her hatch. Well done to you and to Loseth on such a lovely clutch."

Kedon wanted to be sure to spend equal time with each egg. He would
hate for any of them to feel he had not paid them every bit of the
attention they deserved.

"Hi, Waylle," Dessa replied to her greeting and then paid her
attention to Cyradis.

When her turn came to enter the Cavern, she curtsied with her best
manner. "My duty to you, Panitath. Thank you of this amazing
opportunity to greet your eggs before they Hatch. I'm honoured and I
only wish I'm worthy of one." Bit lenghty and eloguent, but she was a
harper after all.

She approached the Gold and her gold egg slowly, keeping an eye on
her. Panitath was truly awe inspiring sigh. She gave another curtsy
when she got to the gold egg. She hesitated moment, just looking and
admiring. "So beautiful," she sighed and started to silently humm an
old ballad about dragons. She reached to place her hand against the
egg's warm surface.

"Thank you," she said, and still humming, let the next girl have her
turn. She went to join see the rest of the eggs. She was not going to
get her hopes up and presume she would Impress a gold. A green would
be just fine for her. She just wanted to Impress.

Sh'del caught Cyradis' eye and nodded. Things seemed to be going well so
far.

With over forty Candidates available, and with Cyradis' caution to
send in small groups only, L'pin had been partitioning the waiting
ones into groups of three. He remained outside the Hatching Grounds,
keeping an eye on how many were coming out so he knew when to waved
the next three in. Because he was just outside of it he couldn't see
the gold, and was relying on Chaneth and Cyradis to tell him if
Panitath began to object to the crowd.

After some of the first Candidates had trickled back out, he waved in
a group containing Vatirel, Neria, and Ashelia. Neria immediately
joined the queue for the golden egg. Ashelia hesitated on the sands
for a long moment, looking at the other eggs, before slowly drifting
over to stand behind Neria.

Neria confidently bowed to Panitath when it was her turn. "Greetings,
Queen Panitath. Thank you for this honor," she said. She stepped
forward and laid her hand against the surface. It was hard and warm.
**Please consider me,** she said to the gold dragonet inside. **I
would be good with you. I swear.** Then her turn was over and she
backed away to go see the other eggs.

Vatirel knew he wasn't eligible for the gold, of course, so he walked
off to the other eggs. They were all beautiful to look at, if not as
shiny as the gold. But they mottled with color spots or patterns which
made each one distinct. As he walked he tried to project both warmth
out at the eggs. He didn't know if the hatchlings could hear their
feelings or not. But he wanted to be projecting his curiosity,
excitement, and hope onto them, in case they could.

He regarded many of the eggs, but stopped in front of two that were
very close together that he was particularly taken by. One had a shell
like the pale cold blue of the midwinter sky at Rising Moons. He
pressed his palms against that one, thinking it was beautiful. The one
next to it was a deeper brown color, and he ran his fingers over it as
well. **I would be a loyal rider and care so much for you,** he told
both eggs in his head.

Then he saw the weyrlingstaff waving, and he joined a few other
Candidates in exiting. He'd seen a few. It would have to be enough.

Waylle was in one of the next groups forward, and when she bowed in
front of Panitath she found herself light headed. The dragon was so
enormous, was there another dragon larger than this one on all of
Pern? She wasn't sure if it was the enormity of the Queen or the heat
of the Sands, but she almost felt sick. She licked her lips and once
waved on, went to trail her fingers along a few of the eggs. These
were less intimidating than the Queen, but she found herself dubious
about what would come out of them. Would they be as scary as Panitath?
A shudder ran along her spine as she finished up her time and then
left the eggs so others could touch.

Having been among the first in, Dessa was also among the first to
leave the Sands. She was still humming, feeling that happy after
seeing the eggs. Music was how she expressed herself.

Tyselin had done this many times before, but it was still a wonderful
experience. He bowed deeply to the Queen and thanked her for the
opportunity. As he walked among the eggs he gently brushed his fingers
against them and occasionally pressed a palm to one of their shells,
projecting happy, loving thoughts.

**I'm sure one of us is a perfect fit.** Every Clutch was another
chance to find his lifemate.

Although he was so excited to see the eggs that he'd hardly slept the
night before, Renfal had stayed towards the back of the group so that he
could watch the others, hoping to avoid making a mistake that showed him
up as an ignorant holder boy, or worse, annoyed the queen. When his turn
came to enter the Hatching Cavern, though, all such thoughts went out of
his head. Everything was so vast and awe-inspiring...he realised he was
staring, and managed to collect himself enough to make a slightly
awkward bow. "Thank you for letting me see your eggs, Panitath. I've
never seen anything so lovely before!"

For a while he just walked and looked, filling his memory with sights
and sensations. He'd not anticipated that each egg would look different
close up and he wanted to see as many as he could - but he also knew he
couldn't stay forever. Gathering his courage, he chose one and
approached. He brushed his fingers lightly over the warm shell, tracing
a swirl of warm yellow-brown, and wondered if the hatchling inside could
sense that someone was there.

Last updated on the December 23rd 2017

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Meeting the Eggs