The Snow Queen's Dragonets

Writers: Paula, Heather
Date Posted: 30th October 2014

Characters: Saibra, G'nir
Description: Chioneth's first clutch Hatches at Dragonsfall Weyr.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 28 of Turn 7

Saibra

G'nir

The air was frigid and harsh as it blasted through the Weyrbowl,
grasping at the hem of the pearly white garments that the Candidates
wore as they trudged through the snow that had begun early that
morning and was still falling in blanketing waves. The shoulders of
the Candidates were hunched forward as they worked against the cold
and wind toward their final destination- the Hatching Cavern. As the
cavern doors opened the Candidates were blasted with the warm, balmy
air that kept the eggs protected throughout the harshness of winter.

The snowy drifts piling up outside struck a wild constrast to the
warm, hot sands on the inside of the cavern. Across the Sands the
magnificent Queen who had laid the clutch was clearly visible, her
body a warm beacon of light as her hide reflected the light from
within the cavern. To the side of the Queen on a platform stood the
Queen's rider, the Weyrwoman of Dragonsfall. Her long, inky black hair
shimmered down her back, swept away from her face and pinned with hair
combs that matched the color of her lifemate.

Saibra always enjoyed Chioneth's hatchings, they were her favorite
part of being a dragonrider, and specifically, a gold's rider. Tonight
she did not care that G'nir lacked enthusiasm for their clutch, she
did not care that she hated the snow and cold, tonight all that
mattered was the beautiful eggs that Chioneth and Nirreth had created.

"Hoping for a bronze first?" Saibra asked, looking up at G'nir
standing beside her.

"Always," G'nir replied and smiled. Hatchings always filled him with
excitement, joy and marvel. He looked extremely handsome in his
gather finery and knew it. "Whatever the colour is, I have a bottle of
Benden White waiting for us," he whispered. He had gotten over his
initial disappointment over the number of eggs. He had hoped for more.
Rumor said that Genith's clutch had been nearly fourty, and those were
Nirreth's. It stung.

Saibra flashed a smile up at her Weyrleader, "That sounds wonderful."
She had to admit that G'nir was looking especially sharp in his
finery, and it made her doubly glad that they had not only a working
relationship, but an extracurriculur one as well between the furs.

The nervous jumble of white-robed individuals were herded out onto the
Sands, creating a loose semi-circle around the plethora of glittering
eggs, all of which Chioneth had pain-stakingly cacooned into the sand
so that they kept nice and warm, especially during the days when they
had been without power. And then the telltale hush fell across the
crowd in attendance as the dragons' humming increased. Chioneth's
golden head swayed gently from side to side as she crooned to her
eggs.

The sound of the first egg shattering open drew an 'aahhh' from the
crowd as a bronze dragonet step forward, his head held proudly up,
a near perfect miniature of his sire Nirreth. Cheers and applause
erupted at the sight of the favorable omen. Saibra released a pent-up
breath, feeling as though she could really breathe for the first time
since the eggs were laid upon the sands.

G'nir was caught in the moment and cheered with the rest of them when
the little bronze emerged. "A Bronze! Such a good sign!" he snatched
her into a hug and gave Saibra a very public kiss.

Walara stood in the sands, one among the many white robed candidates.
She was biting her nails in her nervousness, constantly shifting from
one foot to the another. She knew she shouldn't bite her nails, it
made them ugly, but she couldn't help it.

Saibra returned the Weyrleader's kiss enthusiastically, a happy laugh
bubbling from her lips when they broke apart to look back at the
Hatching. The bronze was walking off with a tall boy that Saibra had
seen around the Weyr before, and Chioneth was warbling her approval of
the pairing.

During the ruckous over the bronze a blue and green had split eggs,
side by side, and now roamed the sands. The green dragonet seemed
momentarily disoriented as she looked for her lifemate, and she bowled
Demasa over, sending the girl sprawling face first onto the hot sands.

It was a Candidate named Ilyssia who stooped to help Demasa up as one of
the Weyrling staff, D'kere, trotted out onto the Sands to make sure
that the girl had sustained no serious injuries. Saibra's eyes flicked
briefly to the blue who had found his partner with no incidents and
was heading toward the gates.

When Saibra looked back to see how the fallen Candidate was doing her
eyebrows flicked upward, because as Ilyssia had been helping the other
girl up the green dragonet had circled behind her and was waiting to
be noticed. A chuckle swept across the crowd as the dragonet used her
snout to poke Ilyssia in the back of the legs. And then when Ilyssia
turned the expression on her face was enough to let everyone know that
Impression had taken place.

}:Gwynnyth.:{ Chionth supplied.

**A demure name.** Saibra agreed.

G'nir's attention had been in the new bronzerider. It was drawn back
to the eggs, when several eggs started to split and reveal their
hatchlings, all at once. The Sands suddenly turned crowded and
chaotic. One green let out a scream of pain when her clutchmate
stepped on her wing. That sound sent a jolt thru Walara's spine.
Before she realized what she was doing, she rushed to help the stepped
on Hatchling. Their eyes met and minds connected. "Oh, Betsarath, are
you alright?"

G'nir had noticed that incident. "Shards, I hope that little green
wasn't injured," he murmured.

Saibra watched as D'kere once again dashed out onto the sands, this
time to help escort Betsarath and Walara off, and presumably, to give
the little green a once-over to make sure that no serious damage had
been done. When her eyes left the retreating figures of Betsarath and
Walara, they flicked over to two boys, identical in appearance except
for the darkening of one's hair. She had seen the twin boys in the
Candidate group before although she had never directly spoken to
them.

Even as she watched, a gleaming ash brown dragonet made his way up to
the twin with the darker hair. A cocky, confident smile broke across
the young man's face.

**Which one is that Chioneth?**

}:Chenreth says his rider's name is E'zar.:{ The gold reported back to
her rider.

E'zar clapped his twin brother on the shoulder and then turned and led
Chenreth off the sands to where the other new Weyrlings were being
helped with the feeding of their lifemate.

A pang of sympathy fled through Saibra's body as she looked at the
slighlty crestfallen look on the twin brother's face that was left
behind. She hoped that one of the dragonets on the sands was for him.

"Are those boys twins?" G'nir asked. He wasn't as familiar with
candidates as Saibra was. She dealt with them directly, while he just
received list of names to his desk.

"Yes, I think the one that is left is named Zethen." Saibra said as
she watched a boy sling his arms around a sapphire blue dragonet's
neck.

Even though it felt as if the Hatching had just started the Weyrwoman
realized that there were only a few dragonets left and still a gaggle
of white-robed figures remaining. At least the dragonets had plenty of
variety to choose from, judging by the Candidates that remained.

It was hard to keep track of who was impressing which color as newly
paired riders and dragonets began leaving the sands. Another bronze
dragonet, a couple of greens, a sky blue dragonet, and a jade green
dragonet were some of the last to Impress.

The last Impression, however, made her smile as a dark, auburn-brown
dragonet made his way over to the forgotten twin. The relief and
surprise on Zethen's face was obvious, and Saibra found herself
sighing a bit as she joined in with applauding the last Impression. As
Z'then walked Juvath off of the sands the crowds began thronging
towards the doors.

"Over already." She said with a smile up at G'nir. "Come, my handsome
Weyrleader, we have guests to entertain."

"Lead the way, my beauty. We have plenty of reasons to celebrate. It
was a very good Hatching," G'nir said.

Last updated on the March 5th 2024

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The Snow Queen's Dragonets