The Dragons' Choice

Writers: Avery, Emma, Paula
Date Posted: 10th April 2014

Characters: Lenala, K'reyel, Riveenata
Description: Vilarth's eggs Hatch and not without drama and tight spots.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 6, day 22 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Mai

Lenala

K'reyel

"K'reyel, it's the time, the eggs are hatching!" Lenala called and rapped
the Wingsecond's door. Like she needed to tell that...you could hear dragon
humming reverberating through whole Weyr.

Lenala was dressed up to her best, wearing tight fitting boots for the hot
Sands. She would switch them to her dancing shoes before the feast. Her hair
was gather up to a complicated hairdo.

"I'm almost ready," came the response, as he bent to pick up a toy belonging
to Mayel before opening the door. "You look nice," he said.

"Thank you," Lenala said with fake modesty and swirled around. "You don't
look bad youself."

The toy was put on a sideboard, and hair hastily smoothed into place. "Shall
we?" he asked after a moment, offering his arm.

Lenala nodded. "How's Mai and the children?" she asked politely when they
walked towads the Hatching Sands. She wasn't really interested in answer and
greeted arriving visitors the met on the way.

"Mai is fine, she'll join us later no doubt. Kerrana is growing like a weed,
and Reyela will be out there today. Maybe she'll impress a daughter of
Vilarth's and Erdenth's today."

"How lovely. Which one of them she is?" Lenala replied and asked when the
settled on their place. The line of white robed candidates was just marching
in after them. Some looked somber and serious, some bit frightened, some
excited and eager.

The eggs rocked and Vilarth watched people coming with agitation. She
rustled her wings and growled.

**Shhh, everything is fine. Be calm, your vigil is over and the little ones
will choose their riders today,** she reached out to calm her.

Vilarth reached her neck towards her mate for reassurance, while the
spectators took their seats and candidates formed a half circle around the
eggs.

"There she is," K'reyel pointed to a youngster who had inherited his
father's darker coloring. "She looks nervous."

"Well, I wish her good luck," Lenala said and then one of the eggs made a
loud crack-sound. ""Look!I It begins," Lenala breathed and hold tightly to
K'reyel's hand. The egg split to half and revealed wet, ruddish brown
dragonet. Creeling hungrily he crawled around until he found his mate.
Lenala cheered when the teary eyed boy cried: "His name is Jamuth!"

Another egg had split, the crack masked by the cheers that greeted the first
impression. A delicate blue head peeked out, and a slight, brown haired lad
made his way towards him, even as the rest of his body emerged. "Patarith!"
he shouted.

Two more eggs shattered, a blue and bronze crawled out at the same time and
collided, getting tangled up.

"Oh" Lenala said, "Help them!" Two boys rushed to sort out limbs and wings
and Impressions were made. With everyone's attention on them, an egg on the
edge of the clutch Hatched. A green came out and stumbled around until she
got her bearings. She went and headbutted a white clad, blond girl from
behind. "That's Eirlira," Lenala said, "I hope Impressing a green will
improve her attitude."

}: Sasinth will do good for her.:{ Vilarth supplied her comment.

"I hope so," K'reyel said, having heard tales that may or may not be true
about the girl. "There's another green," he said, as the hatchling made her
way to a boy stood near Reyela.

"Yes," Lenala said, "and here's second bronze," she pointed when another egg
split open. Then eggs were hatching fast, several at the same time and it
was hard to keep track of them all.

A blue wandered around until Deajul realized he was looking for _him_.
"Kongth!"

Two greens looked like the were going to enter a fight for a young girl
until the second green spotted dark haired boy who knelt to hug her.
"Allisath!"

One girl barely escaped the claws of determined brown who looked intent to
go _thru_ her to get his chosen rider.

Third bronze burst out and made a demanding creel. One of the older
candidate boys rushed to reassure him.

"Three bronzes! Such a good Clutch!" Lenala applauded.

K'reyel clapped as a slightly larger than average green made her clunky way
to a well built boy. The smile on his face as his arm went around her to
slowly guide her to the food made him suddenly handsome. "Dolerath!" he
called out.

Then majority of eggs were already hatched. One green caught Lenala's
attention. She was making her gangly, wobbly way across the sands, making
demanding, desperate cries.

"Oh, what's she's doing?" Lenala clasped K'reyel's arm.

The green Hatchling ignored all candidates who tried to catch her attention.
She craned her neck, spread her still wet wings and seemed to scan the
spectators. Her cries grew more desperate.

**Vilarth? What's wrong with her? ** Lenala asked.

}: Savith can sense her rider but can't find her, :{ the gold replied. She
rose to her hindlegs and roared, sending the remaining candidates scrambling
away from her. If the green didn't find her lifemate soon, she would
perish. Lenala was chewing her lips in worry. "Oh, help her!"

Savith collapsed, too weak to crawl. Lenala had tears in her eyes.

K'reyel offered her a handkerchief, hoping desperately that the green would
find her lifemate. The thought of what he may have to do otherwise was not
palatable, still it would fall to him as the rider of the dragon that sired
the clutch to take the youngling /between/, if he had to.

The little green's cries had attracted a great deal of attention from the
benches. A few people had stood up for a better look. Riveenata was also on
her feet trying to see through them, and once she saw the crying dragonet,
she started elbowing her way through the crowd, yelling. It was a
singleminded progress down the steps, through the people, until she hit the
Sands.

Then she was running to the dragonet. Heedless of her dress, she sank into
the Sands and cradled the little green's head. A few words were exchanged,
and some reassuring strokes of the green's head, before she stood back up.
She looked over to Lenala and K'reyel before yelling, "Her name is Savith!"

Lenala recognized Riveenata of course.

"But, but...but...she's too old, isn't she," the stupefied goldrider
stuttered. Obviously, the dragonet thought otherwise, even Lenala could see
that.

"She might be on the edge of being to old, but whatever, Savith has chosen
her." K'reyel watched the pair on the sands.

"The dragon's choice," Lenala sighed. Nothing they could do about it. Once
the Impression has happened, you can't undone it. It was obvious that
Savith and Riveenata had already bonded. Weyrlingstaff's members brought
bowl of meat to Riveenata, since Savith was now too weak to reach the
entrance.

And then it was over, all eggs Hatched and paired up safely. Riveenata's
Impression from Stands had stolen everyone's attention from the last
Impressions. The disappointed candidates were led away from the Sands while
the new weyrlings were busy feeding the hungry dragonets.

*****

Impression list:

Eirlira, green Sasinth
Rivenaata, green Savith
Deajul/D'jul, blue Kongth

Last updated on the April 20th 2014

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The Dragons' Choice