To Share In Their Joy

Writers: Clancey, Dana
Date Posted: 1st July 2007

Characters: Traelyn, J'darin
Description: Nyith's clutch hatches. Congratulations to all of the new Weyrlings!
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 16 of Turn 4

J'darin

The Candidates from Dragonsfall had been there a sevenday already, even a little more than, and J'darin began to pace nervously in his weyr as he looked at the sun outside. The day was half over already and no humming had begun. It was time!

But had the eggs survived their trips /between/? Especially only 2 days Clutched?

He was back in his own weyr, dried and refurnished, but it didn't help calm him at all.

**Hasaarth! Why they won't be born!?**

Nervous, nervous, even his dragon's implacable calm had no effect on him.

}:They will Hatch when they Hatch. You should not worry. My children will Hatch.:( Grumbling and cursing, he slammed his closed fist into his hand over and over, trying to vent some frustration.

A candlemark passed. Then another.

So disturbed was he that he almost missed the start of it all. He had been listening hard to Hasaarth's mind, wondering if Nyith would tell him anything. She did, finally, and Hasaarth responded with a proud bugle when his mate told him the eggs were about to Hatch. Only then did the humming start.

They were Hatching! Crowing exultantly, Hasaarth quickly brought him to the Hatching Grounds. The Weyr had been entertaining visitors for two days already, in preparation for a Hatching that no one was really sure would start, and even now, green, blues, and browns were disappearing into /between/ to fetch other guests.

Traelyn was looking as happy - and as worried - as he felt. Shards! He hoped they were all alright!

38 eggs gleamed on the sands, none rocking yet, but he knew it wouldn't be long. The Candidates - from Dragonsfall and their own as well - were being rushed onto the Sands by Y'sani even now.

Any time now... any time. He stared at the eggs, willing them all to Hatch whole and healthy. Faranth! Would they _never_ Hatch?

"You look as impatient as I feel," Traelyn murmured to her Weyrleader, gaze riveted on her humming, swaying queen.

J'darin followed her gaze with a deep sigh and a nod. "I am very worried.
I hope they all Hatch alright, and that we have enough Candidates. It looks like too few..." He worried his lower lip in his teeth, beginning to pace.

One of the eggs chose that moment to start rocking.

Shouts of excitement rang throughout the Stands, and the dragons' hum intensified a tenfold. "Appearances, J'darin," she breathed, clutching his hand. "Look confident that they will all hatch. The Weyr isn't only watching the eggs today." Then her cheer was lost in the thunderous din of the cavern as the shell of that rocking egg split into two, and a bronze dragonet spilled forth into the hot sands, crying piteously.

He drew strength from her hand and nodded, pulling a smile on his face. Then he saw the bronze and added his shout to the rest. "A Bronze!! First!
Trae! A Bronze!"

He looked down to the dragonet and saw a young man walk toward him unerringly. "His name is Kedvencth!"

Smiling, eyes bright with the sight of the newly Impressed pair, she pointed down to the rest of the eggs, which were beginning to rock very fiercely indeed. Soon enough, a green snout poked through the top of one of the eggs nearest to the Stands, and little claws scrabbled at the tough shell as she strained to break free.

"Oh, look at her! What a darling...come on, little lady... There you go!"
The little green fell out and righted herself quickly enough for one so young. She swung her head around to look up at the humming adult dragons before turning her attention to the ring of longing, if rather anxious, Candidates in front of her. And suddenly one young girl took a few awkward steps forwards before falling to her knees, arms surrounding the creeling green. "Her name is Wosaith!"

J'darin watched avidly as Impression began to happen at an amazing pace. Almost all the eggs were rocking a little bit now, but about 8 of them were still solid still and his heart began to tense. **Oh No... please Hatch... please.. **

He tried to swallow his thoughts behind the happy smiles as another pair called out in that ecstatic moment of Impression. A brown, this time, and the young - very young - Orlan becam' O'ran with his brown. "His name is Molarth!" the twelve turn old boy called out, and J'darin's heart flipped over. He was _so_ young.

"Look, J'darin! That egg is finally rocking." Relief shone in Traelyn's eyes as she pointed out another, smaller egg. The ring of Candidates around that egg tightened considerably as the shell broke. A young man's face grew suddenly luminous as he knelt to help the hatchling to her feet. "Her name is Vaith!" Traelyn's eyes were then pulled in the opposite direction as she heard a girl shout, "Her name is Vorth!"

Glad to see more eggs rocking, though still there were 4 that hadn't moved at all, he watched as another brown head cracked his shell in two, much like Hasaarth had done. An ecstatic young man fair shining with happiness as he cried out, "Velth! His name his Velth!" Impression was made again.

The Weyrleader was pleasantly surprised at the mix of colors, and nodded as another pair, this time a blue, found each other.

But still there were four more eggs left to go. **Rock... please...**

"Come on," Traelyn murmured under her breath. "Come on." Shards, the Weyr needed these hatchlings--all of them!

J'darin was holding his breath, staring hard at those last 4 eggs.
**Hasaarth! Hasaarth, why won't they Hatch?**

He reached for Traelyn's hand, unwilling to believe the eggs hadn't survived. They _should_ have survived. Shouldn't they?

There were always a few eggs that did not hatch at each Hatching. It was the way of nature. But these should have hatched. Nyith had lost so many of her brood already...why did she have to lose these precious four as well?
A pang of sadness pierced Traelyn and her hand fell slack in J'darin's as the draconic ululations faded away. Four less lives, four less Impressions.
Four less dragon pairs belonging to a Weyr that needed every single one.

Nyith's golden voice was the last to die and she swung her huge head towards her rider. }:It is over.:{ There was no regret in her mental tone, or even grief. She was proud of the hatchlings that had been strong enough within their shells to survive and break free to find their lifemates.

**Yes, my love,** she replied, forcing her fingers to tighten around her Weyrleader's. **It is.** Then she stood, pulling him with her, her expression one of strength and pride for the new weyrlings. "We can't dwell on it tonight," she told him softly, watching as the guests began to file down the Stands to the Hatching feast. "Tonight is for them. For all of us."

He nodding, but had no words. He held her hand tightly, drawing strength from her strength. His mind was riddled with doubt and sadness, and his heart ached.

}: The ones that were Hatched will fly well. Do not worry. :{ Hasaarth offered; he too had no grief or regret. It was simply the way things were.

Finally he nodded and pulled the happy Weyrleader mask into place. "Yes, there are 34 very happy younglings. We should go and share in their joy."
And forget, for a while!

~*~

Congratulations to all of the new Weyrlings!

N'mor, weyrling to bronze Kedvencth
O'ran, weyrling to brown Molarth
D'gan, weyrling to brown Velth
Harila, weyrling to green Wosaith
Ch'bal, weyrling to green Vaith
Toncha, weyrling to green Vorth

Last updated on the July 1st 2007

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To Share In Their Joy