In which Caitlyn attends the Hatching of Teonath's eggs at High Reaches along with a bevvy of others...

Below, Xielar appears rather grumpy, unable to sleep apparently. Though, that being said, he looks remarkably ready for the day, jacket on, dock worker's boots on. The boy just doesn't look happy to be awake.

Below, Fayre may look tired, but she's far from grumpy. Her sarong has been replaced by awkward, uncomfortable looking brown trousers and a white blouse, with a bland brown sweater tossed over one shoulder to be put on once colder climates are reached. Her eyes are rimmed with a bright, unpleasant red, but the assistant headwoman is still somehow wearing a smile. Despite the early morning hour, she's still bustling about and bounces from foot to foot with excitement. "Oooh, I just love these things."

A camouflauge blue dragon backwings to land, obviously in a hurry - his throat already letting out a soft hum. Strapped on his neck, Caitlyn looks little harried, sleepy - but she does have a lovely gown on beneath her jacket, and she's gesturing people up towards Kintryth's extended foreleg. "Okay, anyone who wants to go to 'Reaches hatching'd better climb up now." The blue crouches down a little farther to try and hurry folk along.

Below, "There's a hatching?" Xielar asks Caitlyn, blinking at the bluerider for a moment. "At this time of the... morning? night?" He looks to Fayre and grumpily asks, "Why're you in such a good mood?" He sighs and looks to Kintryth before glancing upward toward his rider, saying, "I suppose I could go. I should get some better boots in their store rooms anyways." And with that, he hops onto the blue's proffered foreleg.

Fayre doesn't need much further goading after Caitlyn extends the invitation and she rather clumsily climbs onto Kintryth's neck. "Sorry about that, mate. Not too used to clambering on you folk, 'specially at this hour." She mumbles quietly to the blue, before flashing Xielar a grin. "Aye, a hatching this early. I figure that means this batch o' dragons will be real troublemakers, yeah?"

"Yeah. Teonath's eggs chose a helluva time to want out," Cait grumps a little, also eyeing the overly-happy Fayre for a moment, then turning about to make certain both Xielar and the woman are strapped in well behind her. "Feel free to hold onto me, if you want - and brace for takeoff and *between* once we're up enough." Kintryth respons to Fayre with a quick, impatient shuffling of his feet, and a look over his shoulder that translates into an extension of wings - along with a deep crouch. "Trouble enough already," Cait grumps again, then urging Kint up.

******travel deleted*******

Hatching Galleries, High Reaches Weyr
Tiers of stone carved benches rise uniformly above the hatching sands, set against both the southern and western walls of the enormous hatching grounds. The warmth radiating from the sands make the cool stone benches a welcome change, especially for sand baked feet. One section of the galleries has been roped off for special spectators, and the seats within have cushions done in the dark blue and black of the Weyr. To the east, the cavern narrows and short flights of steps lead down to the cavern entrance or to the sands themselves. From the galleries, the many dragon ledges are visible, scattered all along the hatching cavern walls.

The galleries are filled to bursting with spectators: many who are family and friends of the candidates who have come to watch and cheer the excitement. Up above, dragons can be seen on the ledges, humming as they gaze down at the rocking eggs on the sands.

Down front, having sped over fast as all get-out to get a good seat, a young boy has abruptly drifted back to sleep. Five in the morning is just too early for some people. He doesn't even perk up when the din of drowsy conversation fills the gallery to a loud chatter.

Caitlyn hurries in with two folk in tow - Xielar and Fayre - the Istan bluerider still rubbing her eyes as she plows past some to obtain the best seats possible. SOmeone's a little grumpy at the early 'hum' call, it seems.

Rupa arrives looking haggard, definitely tired, as she trudges her way up the steps. She had led two blonde-haired kids up, though one of them had already disappeared. Fyra gives a good long breath before bounding her way down towards a seat next to her friend, making sure she's got a better view of the hatching. The greenrider merely flops into the first seat, running fingers through her hair as she blearily looks at the crowd around her, too.

On the sands, The star-studded darkness of the Second Star to the Right Egg is suddenly overwhelmed by an explosion from within, velvety shards shooting out to clatter against the shell of the ominous warning of red in the morning. Curled in the remnants of what was once her home is a delicately boned green, the yellowy-spring hue of her hide sparkling with a brilliance reminiscent of the pin-pricks of light that once graced her shell.

Spring's Sprightly Green

Sass sweeps over this dainty dragon in star-dusted hues of spring's shimmering yellow-green, from the curious turn of a delicate head to the whiplash petulance of a slim tail. No wall flower, despite the subtle vine patterning that winds raggedly along her sides, bright hues dominate her small, slanted eyes, the sharp intelligence therein complementing her inquisitiveness, while a slim muzzle and non-existent eyeridges fill out the rest of her features. The gentle contours of her blonde-tipped neckridges, rounded rather than sleekly curved, play down a slender neck until they peter out where exquisitely lady-like wings meet her diminutive body. Stretched thin across her wingspars, chartreuse sheaths hang almost transparent, light and airy and meant more for agile flight than stability. That nimble demeanor is futher accentuated by her foam-pale paws, like tropical flowers blossomed on a vine, drawing attention to the graceful way in which she moves on the very tips of her ivory talons.

On the sands, Viviana steps onto the sands, nervously licking her lips, her eyes wide and all morning sleepiness long gone. Taking a few more steps, she pauses, then bows before Teonath and Wyaeth -- wait, no Wyaeth... Confused, she bows twice to the gold and nods respectfully to the weyrleadership presented.

Xielar grumpily walks up to the galleries, shaking his head. "I'm just lucky I've got my day off today," Xie tells Fayre. He shakes his head again and continues walking up until he sees Rupa and Fyra. And then the Green is Hatched. "Shards," Xie manages to say, unable to sit down as he sees the green hatch. "Shells and shards," the Istan dock worker offers breathlessly. "-That- is one beautiful green."

Now settled in a seat, Basquirin flinches a little at he shifts his left leg into what he thinks would be a more comfortable position for him. Stifling a yawn, his gaze notices what he thinks to be a familiar figure that he's seen before - though his sleepy eyes could be mistaken. "A'son, is that you?" However, it seems that his inquiry is interrupted when suddenly, with a crack, the hatching begins, and a green makes herself known on the Sands. "Wow."

Fayre's attitude has markedly gone down since her and her Istan companions left their native Weyr. "I thought this place was supposed to be cold." She mutters grumpily, poking at the useless sweater she brought along with her. With a sigh, she ties it around her waist and hurriedly follows Caitlyn to a seat. "Ack, they're already starting. How come they're not all sluggish like us?" She grumbles, plopping down into one of the seats. "Poke me if I fall asleep, y'hear? Either of you two."

On the sands, Satiet is leaning casually against Teonath's back haunches, an appraising look sent the candidates' way as they emerge.

On the sands, Niena is more sleepwalking than anything, swaying somewhat with her head lolling forward. The heat of the sands doesn't seem to be helping any, but finally something snaps her awake -- the shell shattering. There is a comical look of not exactly knowing where she is for a split second before she rubs her eyes and picks out the newly-hatched green.

Dendra hurries up the stairs, managing to dress up even at this early hour. She runs her eyes over the crowd and spies Danika. Calling a greeting, she makes her way in that direction.

On the sands, Laylia trudges out, lifting a hand to rub at her eyes and try and get some semblance of wakefulness about her. The hot sands aren't helping, though she moves along with the line to follow suit with the other candidates and bows before Teonath. The lack of the sire being there might cause a little confusion, but she doesn't show it as a green bursts out of her shell.

On the sands, Out come blue headknobs, a smeared blue muzzle soon to follow. The Red Sky at Morning Egg crumples abruptly, folded to the sand while the dragonet gets his bearings. He's got pretty good balance for a spindly hatchling, though his wingtips drag twin trails in the sand while he scrabbles toward the line of candidates. Out of the group, he hones in on Wujaren with a croon of satisfaction. The boy, chubby and talkative and sweating buckets, blinks saucer-wide eyes while he tells his startled friends, "Marckilth! That's his name!" Only one of them has the presence of mind to congratulate the new weyrling, W'jar.

On the sands, Emilly continues to linger amongst the others helping out the Weyrlingmaster off to the sides, the riders-in-waiting standing at attention now as Candidates arrive and eggs rock in earnest and oh lookit that, an egg's hatched. Game on folks. Game on.

On the sands, N'thei's not far from Satiet, smothering yawns in his fist even when the candidates arrive, the first dragons hatch. Wyaeth's watches from on high.

On the sands, Fraya walks onto the sands, bowing towards Teonath blinking as she looks for Wyaeth, not finding the bronze she shrugs and continues in her dazed walk. A pause and she looks for Laylia and Jaeni. " Yawning, she continues her movements and settles beside Laylia, leaving room for Jaeni.

Fee is guided into the galleries by a taller man in his early to mid thirties, probably a relation given he shares her dark hair and sharp chin. "We're late!" she remarks to him, trying to pull away to get a better look of the first hatchlings of the day. "Come on, don't be so slow." They make their way towards a gap between a few other people, and sit, Fee shifting in her seat constantly to get a better look.

On the sands, Lujayn moves onto the sands with long stride, keeping an eye out for her friends. She barely has time to make a bow to Teonath before the first egg shatters, and her attention splits dizzyingly between finding a group and keeping an eye on the little green. Spotting Viviana, Lu makes for the other girl quickly. "I'm awake now," She breathes.

On the sands, Jaeni follows along in the stream of candidates, still trying to unwrinkle her robe. She's tugging Aleudre along, keeping the older boy in line while he slows her by walking just behind. She bows to the queen as the entertain and then her eyes go completely wide as the green hatches out of the egg. Fraya is spotted and she edges that way, all the while keeping the tailor in tow.

Danika turns around in her seat and waves to Dendra. "Hi. I came to help cheer on the Tillekians on the sand, there's a few. I'll point them out if I see them." There's room next to her, still, even though the galleries are starting to fill up.

On the sands, The delicate white of the Make It-! Egg's submerged base gives the barest hint of a twitch. It's just enough for the rose and sky-blue hues to appear to swish in a flutter of skirts that turns quickly into a pirouette that blurs rose and blue into rapid purple. Just a hop-skip away, the Spiraling Purity Egg's trembles, barely noticeable except when a glint of light seems to twinkle along the purely shaded surface.

On the sands, Carisandra walks onto the sands, her eyes scanning the galleries and ledges. Even with her hair pulled back, it still looks fuzzy and uncombed. Turning to face the eggs, she pauses to bow to Teonath and step forward to join the other candidates, standing near Niena.

"Who's gonna poke me if *I* fall asleep?" Caitlyn mumbles to Fayre, then made a quick perch by a golden firelizard who arrives and claims her human. Infelice hums fit to burst, unwilling to miss the eggs, too. "Reaches is having a hotter than normal summer," she remembers to inform both her passengers absently, then suddenly clapping loudly as a blue is the first (in her eyes) to emerge!

On the sands, Leova suddenly takes a deeper breath as adrenaline kicks in. She nearly steps on the heels of the person ahead of her and then slows again, glancing back for Louvaen before getting much further, and missing the bowing entirely. She settles for a jerky nod as she gets into the circle. Heat. Eggs. Hatchlings, now.

"Eww, quit drooling on me!" This exclaimed while a petite girl in the upper rows shoves at a heavyset friend that's half-asleep on her shoulder. The girl snorts, wakes up, wipes the corner of her mouth, and then surprises herself with a sight of dragonets already.

On the sands, Spring's Sprightly Green streeeeetches herself free from the shattered remains of her once-sparkling egg. Lazy little extensions spread her baby wings as wide as she can, while her fore and back limbs shake themselves in turn, incredibly cute and somehow comical at the same time.

On the sands, Viviana steps close to Niena. "Oh my, is it always like this? So fast?" Taking a step to the side, she makes room for Lu as well. "What did they say, what did they say, don't faint, don't run away, don't shriek ... you do look lovely, Lu and you as well Niena. Oh and isn't she the prettiest little green you ever did see?" Viviana is nervous, when Viviana is nervous, she unfortunately babbles. "Lovely indeed."

On the sands, The candidates' arrival and subsequent bobble-headed bowing garner Teonath's attention briefly, though her place on the sands remains at the fringes. Perhaps she lacks that over-protective gene, or recognizes the futility of such posturing. Whichever the case, the ice-tempered queen is remarkably serene in her celebratory humming.

On the sands, Still rocking slightly from its dizzying twirl, Make It-! Egg finally comes to rest balanced delicately on its flared bottom. With sounds of ripping and rending, the messy divide tears in two. Both halves of the shell - one pink and one blue - falls away. Revealed is a dark, glowering brown hatchling, looking for all intents and purposes to have been caught in some nefarious act.

Brash Brigadoon Brown

Seasoned mahogany crafts the diminutive length of this brash and bold brown's hide, its rugged coloring as inconsistent as paint peeling and flaking off a wall. Patches of sun-faded brown only serve to highlight his smaller physique, the shadows along untried muscles brought into sharper relief by the uneven, weathered coloring. A stubby snout leads up to cragged eyeridges, a bridge above small, suspicion-filled eyes. From there, neckridges dot his thick neck like barnacles, cascading across his back and on to disappear along a rudder of a tail, too short for its body. While the sails of his wide wings billow over him, net-like in their lighter veining, his stocky frame still keeps close to the ground, anchored by stumpy hind legs that give him a swaggering gait.

Fayre whistles quietly as a blue makes its impression. "Dang, at this pace our trip here will hardly have been worth the tro-" Her statement is interrupted by a loud yawn before she continues, "-trouble." She shrugs nonchalantly at Caitlyn, smothering another yawn. "C-couldn't Kintryth poke you? Mentally? I bet he's happy the first impression was a blue." She rubs her bleary eyes before squinting down at the sands. "I can barely tell which ones are shakin'. This ain't right. Darn blearly, early mornin' eyesight."

On the sands, Laylia trots over to meet up with Fraya, wiggling in place nearby her and Jaeni, and Aleudre since he's being tugged along. The little dragons are watched with a wary eye, in case they come spiralling too close for comfort. Still trying to wake up, she doesn't say much more than, "So early in the morning..." She mutters.

Amaris is teetering on her feet trying to peer over the heads of a throng of tall boys. "I think the first one already impressed." She says to Fyra, tossing her hair back in order to get a better look. "Think there will be a mauling?" She asks quickly, a bit /too/ much excitement in her young eyes.

On the sands, Niena notices the others bowing and only then does so, then begins shifting nervously as she watches the green and now the brown on the sands. She does manage a "yes" in between Vivi's babbling when the girl asks if they're always this fast.

On the sands, Fraya suddenly perks up, noticing the dragons /now/. "Oh.. Oh shards..." She straightens, rubbing at her eyes and beginning to fidget. A glance towards Teonath and she relaxes. "I told you..." She starts, trailing off and shaking her head. Laylia and Jaeni get a look and she tilts her head. "Yes it is, and you better wake up Whatshername Laylia." Her tone is teasing and scolding towards her friend and she watches both the green and brown dragon curiously.

Cait's eyes sweep the eggs again, and she suddenly focuses on the green hatchling moving about. "Oh shards, that green was the first to hatch! Boo. But yeah, the blue was the first to Impress! Poke me? Why?" she asks of Fayre.

On the sands, Moll is right on cue. That first Impression sets her in motion, has her leaving her place near Emilly to approach the new weyrling and lead the way off the sands with congratulations still ringing for the first new dragonrider.

Xielar finally sits down and pulls his jacket around him more tightly. He finally sits down next to Fayre and nods once to the gambling addict, telling her, "I can't either. This is just..." He blinks as the dark, glowering brown appears from the next egg. "Wow, I had no idea Reaches had such beautiful dragons," Xie replies, shaking his head in amazement.

On the sands, Spiraling Purity Egg tumbles itself over on its side, just barely avoiding a collision with a large black-and-white egg. Poised like a graceful dancer just about to start its set, the fragile egg twitches ever so slightly on its sand cushion, though its frequency grows as time goes on. As if hurried on by its sibling's own progress, the jagged stripes of the Beyond Belief Egg shift as the egg teeters back-and-forth and back-and-forth, like it's strung from the narrow apex. Whatever is stuck inside that egg wants out, the sooner the better to catch up with everyone else!

On the sands, Lujayn nods after every one of those, twisting around to see Leova and Louvaen somewhere behind. "And stay focused," She adds as much as a reminder to herself, forcing her eyes away from the other candidates and onto the eggs. "Oh, yikes, another one. Did that boy Impress?" She watches Moll, mouth open a touch mindlessly.

On the sands, Carisandra can't hear much except those closest to her with all the noise, in spite of it being so early. She hears Viviana's voice as she speaks to Niena, but not hte words. She stretches a little, trying to get rid of the last wisps of fog in her head.

On the sands, Louvaen takes a deep breath at the threshold of the sands. Here we go. A sandaled foot steps out. And then hes there, moving along amongst the friends hes made. His bows to Teonath and Satiet with crisp perfection. Features schooled to neutrality, he moves out quickly in step behind Leova. As he settles into place in the circle the humming, the sight of the eggs and already hatchlings so close by, cracks his expression. Another deep breath has a nervous grin rising on his lips. He turns to first one side and then the next to share an excited lift of his eyebrows with his nearest companions.

Calliosae stares at the dragons quietly, turning a shade of pink and her cheeks puff up slightly before she lets out a breath of air to relax. Her hands grip tightly onto her skirt, turning a shade of white while her eyes scan the sands.

On the sands, Jaeni's eyes get even more impossibly wide as the next couple of dragons hatch. She inches ever closer to Fraya, as if she'll hide behind the other candidate if anything gets too close. When the green does her little move, she bats behind to Aleudre making an excited comment to him.

On the sands, Leova yawns hugely, blearily, distant chartreuse wings blurring into something like a fever-dream. She blinks for a better look. No eyeridges. And there's that brown. Big eyeridges. "Focused," she repeats after Lujayn as though learning the word for the very first time, and manages to meet Louvaen's glance before she yaws again.

"That blue did, the green hasn't yet," Fyra replies with a snort as she sits back and crosses her arms. Rupa in the back has already started falling asleep, having seen one too many hatchings in her time. "I bet ya there's gonna be a mauling. Better be," she mumbles, her blue eyes glued to those roaming dragonets.

Fayre blinks a few times at Caitlyn. "In case you get tired, 'cause I asked you to poke me if I fall asleep, but you said who would poke you if you fell asleep...ah, never mind. I'm confusing myself. All I know is, this is fast and it is early." She smirks sleepily at Xielar and reaches out to nudge the dockworker with her elbow. "I thought you said these things were boring. Ista's dragons are beautiful too, y'know." Still, she nods in agreement as she gazes at the brown. "He does look pretty sturdy, though. Think he'll be a good fighter."

On the sands, Fraya fidgets more, glancing towards her feet for a brief moment. "Shells, it is hot. I forgot 'bout that... If that doesn't wake you up, Lay.." She trails off, glancing slightly behind her towards Jaeni with a shake of her head. "Don't hide behind me.. I'll get mauled."

On the sands, Brash Brigadoon Brown, upon hatching, eyes the remains of his egg with a baleful, almost hateful stare; he's so intent upon delivering that look that he ignores the candidates entirely, until he's decided that the egg shards have learned their lesson. Hmph. As regally and arrogantly as a just-hatched dragon can manage, he sits, wings half-flared for effect, and surveys what he is obviously considering to be his domain.

On the sands, Viviana mutters. "How could they be so relaxed?" She shoots an accusing look Leova's way and Laylia's as well. Jangle of nerves is she as she bounces on her toes to release excess energy /and/ get a better look at the same time. "Isn't that brown a handsome beast? Look at his markings.."

Dendra says to Danika, "I came to meet with a rider about a commission, and was helping with breakfast when the dragons started humming. It's been a while since I've seen a Hatching, and I'm glad I didn't miss it." She looks down at the Hatchlings on the sands and chuckles slightly at their movements.

On the sands, "No you won't, Fray. You'll fight 'em off. You're tough. You're the bodyguard unit of the FrayandJae team." Jaeni hisses, peaking over her shoulder to look at the brown hatchling. "He's really kind of scary. Look at him, he looks like he wants to eat those eggshells alive for breakfast with whatever meat they're going to feed him!"

On the sands, Spring's Sprightly Green sticks close to the shells she just broke free from, but move she must, for a shimmy that runs along her haunches indicates a withheld excitement that also needs release. Slender and sprightly, she uses the momentum of pent up energy to propel herself forward, bounding towards the white-robed people. She knows what to do!

Caitlyn is boggling at the pace of the emerging hatchlings...shrugging helplessly at Fayre and Xielar, then muttering at Infelice on her shoulder. The little queen's eyes whirl quickly even as she hums, and soon she is nudging her human to look in the direction she is. Picking out a woman with red hair down on the Sands, Caitlyn barks out a loud, "Gooo Laylia!" Ahem.

On the sands, Laylia gapes a little as the first weyrling gets ushered off the sands, and suddenly there's two little ones wandering about. Slowly she's getting more awake, noting Viviana's accusing look but returning the look with a quick smile. "I'm awake, I'm awake. Honestly." She mutters a little and watches the green as she starts getting momentum.

On the sands, Lujayn wipes sleep from her eyes, peering out towards the wandering dragonets. "Maybe they're too tired to know any better." She suggests, blinking in surprise at the green's energy. "At least she's up and at 'em."

Danika nods at Dendra. "This gives me the chance to spend the whole day. This can't go that long can it? Then I can visit my family while I'm here."

Fee points with a slender hand and arm, waving it to attract the attention of the man next to her. "Look, Ar. I think that one knows where it's going. Wish there were more blues, though." She bubbles in excitement, grinning from ear to ear.

On the sands, Leova twitches at that look Viviana gives her as though it scrapes across hot, sleep-sweaty skin. She fumbles from foot to foot. One dragon posing, and yes, she marks his wings, those wide netted wings. And the other in motion. Fast. Fast claws? She mutters to herself, something that has the sound of a chant.

On the sands, Fraya glances at the brown, shaking her head. "No I'm not, I'm the thinker. The.. The what's the word? Experiment maker? Shells, make Aleudre the guard.. He's the man." She giggles softly, watching the brown. "Don't you worry Jae, maybe he'll pick you and not seem so scary?" Grinning she glances at Lay, "Better be.. Don't want to drag you out of the way.." The hatchlings become the focus of her attention once more.

On the sands, Satiet studies the eggs, a little perturbed it would seem, then glances at the sleep-filled galleries. She murmurs a comment audible to those candidates closest by. "At least -they- all seem to be morning people. Dragons, whatever."

On the sands, Carisandra looks around as the full heat of the sands finally hits her. Watching the hatchlings as they hatch and impress with eyes growing wider, she leans towards Niena "If I wasn't awake before, I am now." She can't stop the smile as she watches the energetic green.

On the sands, Prancing daintily, the Spring's Sparkling Green dances across the sands, her expressive tail swishing this way and that. Choosy, her slim muzzle pauses at one girl, then tilts to another before a baby bugle of triumph precedes her quickened steps towards an awkwardly slender girl with vivid dark brown eyes. Young limbs, despite the prior grace shown, can't quite keep up with her desires, and she falls in a tiny heap in front of her chosen.

On the sands, Viviana grins at Laylia but in her nervousness, it's a deathly grimace. Rubbing her hands on her robe, she takes another deep breath. "So many running around, so many impressed, so much heat... relax, Niena, be like me.. cool as a cumcumber." Says she who has sweat trickling down her back. "A nice feminine green for Aleudre, give him a better perspective of things, that's what he needs."

On the sands, "No way, he'd scare me so much that I'd like, pass out or something. And Fraya, Aleudre is the porcine-man, not the man-man. You're the one with the guts here." Jaeni continues from time to time to peak out past Fraya. Then eventually after a few minutes go by, she'll step away to get a better view on her own.

Xielar looks at the candidates and shakes his head, "That never changes though, does it? I mean, it's the same usual group of people worrying about getting blisters on their toes and getting mauled by some stray hatchling. It never changes." This is said grumpily to Caitlyn and Fayre before offering a wave to Rupa, Amaris and Fyra before looking back to the candidates and the hatching below. "Not that is bad or anything, it just... it's weird is all. And every time, -every- time people come in droves to watch." Grumpy and tired is an unattractive combination on the teenaged Istan.

There are two little kids running down to the front of the gallery to get a better view, to press against the rails and try to count the dragonets as they hatch so busily. Boundless energy at this ridiculous hour, but their mother groggily drags down the tiers to haul them back toward their seats.

On the sands, Fraya laughs as she hears Viviana's comment. "Oh, Vivi! So mean of you!" She continues to laugh though Aleudre is near her. "Maybe you'd pass out anyway.. It's that hot." Grinning she doesn't glance back. "Did the green Impress?" A pause and she laughs more. "I feel like I've left my 'guts' under my cot.. So right now.. I want to turn and run but Shanlee said the dragons would follow you if they want you.. So I'm staying here.."

On the sands, After Spiraling Purity Egg goes through its twitches, the sharp crack can be heard and the egg splits down its milky center to reveal a flash of green. It opens up like a stage, giving way to the thrusting claws of a green dragonet as she bats one half of the egg away from her.

Sparkling Waters Green

Fragility, spanning from the gentle curve of her claws to the pert taper of her snout, washes over this green's slender frame in a gush of foamy sea. Small in form, but proportionate in each delicately cut limb, a sturdy strength ripples in the shadows of her muscles, bubbling up despite the initial perception of her overall frailty. Expressive rainbow eyes are set further apart on a diamond face, slim eyeridges trailing back into the soft curves of her neck, easily one of her most attractive features. Waves of aquamarine scatter across her liquid hide, cresting in and out along her neckridges until met by her wings. Strong and sinewy, incongruously solid wingspars rise; her true prowess found in the sprightly flutter of translucent sails.

On the sands, Louvaen is distracted a bit by the words of his fellow candidates, but ultimately it is the young dragons that his gaze fixes on. The sprightly green is watched with enchanted bemusement lighting his smile. Viviana and Jaeni's comments about the brown turns his attention towards that hatchiling. "Handsome," he agrees with Viviana. "Like a little Lord..." But then the baby bugle draws his attention back. "Oh!" Eyes flash wide and a big smile is turned towards Carisandra as the hatchling heaps in front of the girl.

"Whatever..." Caitlyn mumbles groggily to Xielar, then eyeballing who the little green attatches herself to, not recognizing the girl. She applauds, no matter - Impression is ALWAYS special! - then watching the brown dodder around. "Oh, another green!" she helpfully points out to her companions.

Fayre winces as the pretty green takes a tumble. "Ouch. Maybe they're not such morning folk as we thought...though I guess they are just young hatchlings. Clumsy little things sometimes." She shrugs in response to Xielar, though her gaze remains firmly fixed on the sands. "Eh, this one is different, neh? 'cause it's in the morning. Good thing eggs don't hatch this early at Ista. Can you imagine groggy candidates trying to dodge our famous maulings while half asleep? Oy. Wouldn't be pretty."

On the sands, Carisandra is still slightly leaning towards Niena when she freezes, the smile frozen on her face. Eyes widen as she straightens up with a twitch. "Oh!" And she blinks a few times as she helps the little green back onto all four feet. She can't seem to stop patting and stroking the soft hide. "You- Your right. Of course, Iesuth." and she looks around with a growing urgency. She's really *really* hungry.

Amaris is focused on the hatching below but seeing that there's no /real/ action, you know, the clawing kind, she turns back to Fyra. "Wanna place a bet? How many greens? If there'll be a gold?" She asks lazily, her eyes catching Xielar's wave which she returns.

Jolak manages to make it .. albeit later than most of the others in the gallery, having to squeeze some where in the back to see. Nodding his head about, he squeezes his shoulders in between two fellows before answering, "Yeah. I'm here to support that girl down there--" he points to her head, which is pretty hard to see from over other people's heads, "--Fraya." He explains and then goes quiet.

On the sands, Sparkling Waters Green doesn't waste any time getting the goo off her hide with a quick shake of her entire, small body. There may be bits of shell left stuck to her wings and back here and there but there are more interesting things to investigate first. She doesn't give the remains of her shell another glance as she starts to move quickly away from it - that was her old world and this is her new one. There's a bounce to her step as she moves not towards the candidates, but instead approaches the place where her mother presides over the scene. So intent is she that she narrowly escapes colliding with a newly hatched blue crossing her path. The result is hardly a pause as she looks up at her and warbles a greeting in a voice as clear as a bell.

On the sands, Leova glances back over her shoulder at Satiet, blinking at her in a way that turns into a yawn, as through trying to figure out how that could be a consolation and being thoroughly, utterly baffled. Right when Jaeni starts talking about porcine-man her head swings back around. Not that that seems to help matters either. But that oh! gets her looking at Carisandra too, at least when there's nothing with sharp claws is too near her, and suddenly she grins too. So that's what it looks like.

On the sands, N'thei can only fold his arms, look around, nod approvingly so many times before he's just about done with it. He looks again toward the Weyrwoman, patience-wearing-thin smile, and just misses the chance to see Carisandra's Impression in the process. Fidgety much?

On the sands, Emilly spots another impression and calmly starts to move that way. She carefully dodges bits of shell and a group of Candidates to get around to Carisandra. "Carisa, dear, why don't you and your lovely green come this way with me? We'll get her fed and oiled and all settled," murmurs the elder greenrider softly as she guides the pair off the Sands.

On the sands, Laylia shifts her weight from one foot to the other, even though she's wearing sandals it's still quite warm and she's very uncomfortable. She points towards where the little green went off towards, and nudges at Fraya. "Look! Carisandra Impressed." She insists, even if Fray is already looking - yes, she's still not quite awake yet. "Congrats!" She calls out if she can be heard.

On the sands, Lujayn catches a breath in her throat, hands clasped at her waist. "Where's she going?" This said about the green, who Lu's lost sight of amongst the candidates, but recognizes the voice that speaks out. "Carisa?" She looks around, beaming. "That was Carisandra, I know it!" It's her turn to stretch up on tiptoes, bursting with excitement.

On the sands, Niena ohs softly -- so very close. She beams at her friend. "Congratulations -- she's beautiful." She turns bavk to watch the still-brooding brown and the newest green, whose bugle evokes a smile from the former nanny.

Fee leans back against her companion, still bursting with enthusiasm, but tired, too. "I like the look on their faces," she remarks, in a soft voice. "When they Impress. Most of the time you miss it, but... it's nice. They look happy."

"Hey Joe," Basquirin greets the man as he takes his seat, glad to see a familiar face amongst the crowd of plenty of visitors and plenty of people that he didn't quite know, despite living in the same place as they did. "It would've been nice if they chose a more convenient time to hatch, eh?" The stablehand comments to Jolak, before looking back down at the Hatching, and smiling. "Ah, Caris Impressed," he said, and claps for the newly-Impressed green rider.

On the sands, Fraya glances at the newest green, giggling. A head-turn to better look where that green went. "OH! Caris! Caris! I wonder what her name is?" She flashes a grin towards Laylia and she claps her hands. "Carisandra and that pretty green. How wonderful!" Giggling, she searches for that brown once more to watch him carefully.

On the sands, The single black talon that cracked through the Beyond Belief Egg manages to get a better cut on the shell. It gashes downward and gives the dragonet inside just enough room to breathe, to taste freedom! All at once, the egg breaks out from the bottom-- the whole base of it simply gives away-- and a gaunt-looking blue hatchling rolls out amid the remnants. He tumbles head-over-heels, does a remarkably agile little somersault on the sands, and winds up teetering on his feet with a rough-edged trumpet to announce his arrival!

Witchlight Velvet Blue

Dark cobalt folds into uneven pleats across this blue dragonet's hide, azure shadowed into midnight, barely lightened by will-o'-the-wisp streaks of powder-blue that trail back from his headknobs toward his shoulders. It would be hard to call this piecemeal patterning handsome, but there's a velvety look to his overall shade, a regal mantle to his carriage even with the awkwardness of youth. His shape is jagged and bony, the kind of skinniness that will probably stay with him even as an adult-- claw-like paws with jet-black talons, bones protruding unprettily at hip and shoulder, boxy muzle with oversized nostrils. The witchlight indigo that shadows along his underbelly also eclipses the spread of his wingsails with spell-binding darkness, a sleek cloak thrown across a gaunt form.

Dendra shrugs one shoulder. "Usually they don't last all day Danika, but some of them have run fairly long. But clutches are smaller now, so you should be free to visit your Tillek friends by lunch. And you'll be able to drink a full gallon of juice to make up for the heat in here." Sure enough, a thin line of sweat is beading on the Baker's face, testimony to the weather.

On the sands, With more enthusiasm than grace, Iesuth attempts to pounces on Emilly's feet, almost tumbling back to the sands. She bugles again - what fun! - and climbs back to her feet to stagger alongside her Carisandra, tail and wings dragging.

Fyra returns to the wave to Xielar, glancing around the crowd momentarily away from the hatching. "Bets?" She snickers at the other blonde girl. "Fine. Two freshly baked bubblies from the kitchens saying that there're... five greens. An' one more saying that there's a gold, too. It looks like a big 'nough clutch." She shrugs a shoulder and drops back into silence, unusally intense as she watches the eggs hatch.

On the sands, Viviana leans over to look as all eyes seem centered Carisandra's way. "Oh really? A green? And such a pretty one. What's her name? Not Carisandra, I mean,the dragon's name. I know her name well enough, Caris, I mean, not the dragon." Pleading skyward, she mutters. "A gag, that's all I ask for, is a gag." Another hatchling is on the sands, though, gags will have to wait. "Oh, I bet that little blue will be a dancer in the skies."

On the sands, Carisandra nods and murmurs. "Yes Ma'am. Thank you." She watches Iesuth as she starts to follow Emily, much more interested in her dragon than where she herself is walking. She chuckles as she has to hurry to catch up with the lovely green.

Xielar looks down at the sand as Carisandra Impressed, blinking. "Wow..." Xie comments softly. "That green really did know where she was going through, didn't she?" He glances to Fayre before looking back to the sand. And then double-takes as the blue hatches from his egg. "Whoa...." Xielar replies, unable to say anything much more than that. "I... That's a handsome blue right there.."

On the sands, Carisandra meanders into the dark passageway.

"Oh, another blue!" Caitlyn crows out as the velvetine hatchling, then eyeing him closely. "Jays, he's a knobbly one."

Jolak catches his name offered from his left side, having to bow forward to look passed a rather large fellow's chest, "Hey Basq." A hand lifted in a wave before he tries to weasel his way closer, having to excuse himself several times over. He manages to bribe someone to make space for him near Basq. Gathering himself into a seat he smirks, making another note to rub the sleep out of his eyes; "I almost didn't want to get out of bed to watch. But I promised a few of them candidates I would. So, here I am." He considers the sands, "Fill me in on what I missed Basq."

On the sands, Brash Brigadoon Brown still hasn't moved from that spot where he oh-so-arrogantly planted himself, atop the disgraced shards of his egg. He seems rather determined to stay there, too, though the ongoing chaos that surrounds him earns glares in several different directions. So far, only his dam and sire have been spared, but each of the candidates has earned at least one of those looks. He folds his wings sharply, but the more annoyed he gets, the faster his tail moves--almost as if he's fencing with an imaginary opponent at his back.

Amaris whips her head back to face Fyra as she places her bet. "Alright, I say there's gonna be a bronze, a gold and four greens. And I'll raise you three bubblies." She adds for good measure, catching the new blue hatchling.

On the sands, Jaeni waves briefly to Carisandra as she disappears with her new lifemate. "Look at that! She impressed probably like the prettiest green in the whole clutch!" Aleudre is elbowed again and she practically backs into him when that brown starts giving people the evil eye again. "You're right Fraya, I think I would pass out anyway." She frowns a little and breaks her gaze from the dragon, focusing instead on look at the skinny blue that just hatched.

"You've only missed a couple of Impressions, a blue and a green, if my eyes haven't completely failed me," Basquirin replies with a smile. "Yes, I myself had trouble getting out of bed. However, I've been socializing with a lot of the Candidates, especially when they got assigned to help out in the stables," he shrugs. "I s'pose I just really want to see how they do. So how are you?"

On the sands, Still teetering, still working busily back and forth, the Beyond Belief Egg has practically tipped over in its rush to shatter. A gash has broken the surface, a puncture-wound as a single black talon cracks through the shell and claws at the free air.

On the sands, Niena gasps as she sees the newly-hatched blue. "He's gorgeous..." she manages to say softly. Then she turns to look back at the little green, following her progress.

On the sands, Leova holds her head in both hands. Bugling. Trumpeting. Warbling. Talking. At least that brown's not so loud. She mutters, "Wagging his tail."

Fayre eyes the new blue carefully, her nose wrinkling up while a smile forms on her face at the same time. "He certainly is an interesting one though, eh? I like him." She declares loudly, as if her opinion mattered on such a topic. Her ears twitch as she hears betting all around her, but she shakes her head firmly. "No. Can't gamble this early in the morning. Gonna lose all my marks." She mumbles quietly to herself, her smile turning into a disappointed frown.

On the sands, Rather than spending his time traipsing about the sands from candidate to candidate, Brash Brigadoon Brown has remained where he was. Glowering from the center of his shell torn asunder, eyes whirling red picking over what is available to him, he launches himself forward without warning. The first few steps a pantomime of a gather dance until he realizes hes being watched. Oops! Embarrassing! Snarl! What ya scurvey dogs looking at?! Crabby, hungry and impatient to claim his rider he stalks in his swaggering manner over to a slim, bird-like man with dark brown hair and aristocratic nose, then reaches to shove his stubby snout hard into his stomach.

Danika nods at Danika. "That's true, and anybody who wants to come back to Tillek can came with us. But I also have friends and family here, at High Reaches to visit."

On the sands, Lujayn is staring out towards the immobile brown, curiousity brewing behind gray eyes. "He's funny, isn't he?" She mutters, noting contrast between active sister and more sedate brother. Then there are yet more eggs shattering and Lu is hard-pressed to keep her eyes on everything. "Yeah," She agrees with Leova. "Funny."

On the sands, Viviana chews her lower lip, having being met with one of the brigadoon brown's glances. One step closer to her deflector shield friend. "Niena, wouldn't it be wonderful if you impressed a nice sturdy brown? He's so sure of himself, don't you think.." She takes one step behind Niena for safekeeping. "Regal, if all be said and told. And where is that delkightful little green. And that blue..."

On the sands, Laylia looks at the brown sitting on his fragments of shell, then snickers a little at the evil eye he's giving just about everyone. She shakes her head, and rubs her hands together, just watching the brown as he finally starts moving and picks.

"/One/ bronze? There better be at least two!" Fyra chuckles again, glancing briefly at the other blonde girl. "An' I'll take that bet." She cross her arms and frowns as another chromatic hatches, instead.

On the sands, Fraya glances at the brown, giggling loudly and she turns her head slightly to eye Jaeni. "Well, try not to. That'd be scary, you know.." She murmurs, squeaking as the brown comes near the group and she moves to push Laylia out of the way as she moves herself. "Oh! Look at that blue.. He's.. Lanky, I think." A glance towards Vivi and she flashes a quick smile before peeking around for the green hatchling.

On the sands, Witchlight Velvet Blue rights himself after his acrobatic escape from his egg, warbles busily to himself while he gets all his limbs in good working order, stretches out his wings and his claw-like paws after such long confinement. Everything's all straightened out and working great, so the gaunt blue starts the hasty process of measuring up these candidates, of snorting now-and-then when he glances across one that's not up to snuff. He nears the line of white robes with bold strides, unafraid.

"Rarely *ever* gamble," Caitlyn mumbles Fayre-wards, then oggling the Sands and their contents again.

On the sands, Aleudre blinks, the sleep not quite out of his eyes by the time Wroth is in front of him swaggering and snarling. "/You/?" He's incredulous at first before unmanly tears wet the corners of his eyes, rubbed away fiercely just as quick as they appear. "I /am/ looking lively and no I'm not crying." E'dre, through his shock, beams a smile at the brown and then at Jaeni by him before looking to be led off.

Jolak shrugs, "Then I haven't missed all the excitement--" he notes with a good natured smirk, having to straighten a little further in his seat to see the sands above another's head. "Yeah. Some of them are really interesting folks--" a pause, a frown before he throws up a shoulder again at Basq's last; "Besides the lack of sleep so far, I'm good. You? I heard something about a black runner?"

Xielar glances down as E'dre Impresses Wroth, grinning, saying to Fayre, "I would have bet on him Impressing Brown and won, I think. That seems like a neat pair." As Xielar gets more awake as the hatching progresses, his personality appears to be lightening a touch as well.

On the sands, That brown comes right over and impresses to the person she was backing into. "Aleudre?" She blinks, surprised and shocked, backing away in the other direction from him. While he's being led off she calls, "Of course you impressed a scary one! Takes one to know one!" She grins then at least, casting a glance to Fraya. "I bet you could get burns if you fell down and laid on the sands here." She digs her toe into the ground, lips pursing as she watches things hatch and break out of eggs, etc..

Amaris gets a bit up in her seat as she catches sight of E'dre's impression to the dragon. "Is he /crying/?" She asks with a wry smile, looking back at Fyra. "Kinda a wuss. And ya, I say only one bronze." And she settles back into her seat, waiting to see who's next to impress.

On the sands, Leova says after Lu, "At least he finally..." She drops her hands and takes a step out to look, one step forward followed by two steps back, only now she's laughing. "Aleudre, didja see? Aleudre. Perfect. Poor Aleudre." More laughing, enough that she's not minding the warbling and snorting and such too much, eyes slitted with pleasure.

On the sands, Laylia gets pushed, and gives Fraya a glower as she gets herself back to a proper standing position not terribly far from the brown who's looking up at his Impressee. She takes a few measured steps back at the rather mean looking brown, and back to the comfort area close to Fraya. "Congratulations, Aleudre." She offers quickly.

Fee tastes names on her tongue, contentedly. "Iesuth," she murmurs. "That's kind of pretty. And oh - did you see that new blue? Prettiest of them all." To a murmured comment from the man with her, she rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "Of course I'm allowed to like all colours. But I do like blues. And that one is really pretty. He's /gorgeous/."

On the sands, Finally, escape! The Pick a Card Egg crumbles in the face of an increasingly furious onslaught from the dragon caged inside it, first silver claws stabbing through the end, and then sharp neckridges as the occupant flexes against the walls that bind him. It takes only seconds then for the egg to shatter completely, shards tumbling to the sand at the dark feet of a proud, amber-touched brown.

Gilded Machiavelli Brown

Average in length, this dark brown's rangy build, long legs and proud neck, raise his lordly face above many others. Though shadowed by the deliberate arch of his eyeridges, cool and calculating eyes still gleam with intensity of spirit, undaunted by a certain knowledge of how the world works. A slender, patrician muzzle is matched by burnished headknobs, elegantly curved over the gold-flecked neckridges stalking down his spine. Echoing those hints of brighter hue, the wings that mantle him are sunlit brown, as translucent as amber. Yet those stairstepped ridges descend further, past the furl of cape-like 'sails, and there his color deepens again: rich walnut rolling along compact shoulders and muscled flanks until its shading culminates in the black-brown of paws like scorched earth, even darker-seeming for the brilliant silver of his talons.

"You bet on the brown?" Caitlyn inquires of Xielar, then looking to Fayre. And then another egg pops open, grabbing all of her attention.

On the sands, N'thei gives up the good-little-Weyrleader pretense. Shortly after Aleudre Impresses, he moves away from where he'd been so sentinel thus far. He comes up not far from the new weyrling with his pleasantest smile, all set to be useful. "I don't even want to guess how you shorten Aleudre, so why don't you just come with me?"

"Indeed. The talk of the stables," Basquirin stated simply. He smiles, and chuckles as he sees the brown's Impression. "My, it truly must be a wonderful thing to Impress." He says, before continuing with his original conversation with Joe. "I'm fine, though I am also very tired. It will be a feast of sleeping," the stablehand jokes as he turns back to the hatching.

On the sands, "E'dre," says the young man, seeming half-afraid despite his joy, of actually /touching/ his new dragon. But the beaming smile remains steadfast throughout as he follows after the Weyrleader. Wait, the Weyrleader?

On the sands, Aleudre wanders into the dark passageway.

On the sands, Viviana huffs as E'dre is chosen by a brown. "Well, I guess the dragon's do know best... but still.." Reluctantly and with a mininium of enthuisasm she can muster, she calls out a polite congratulations to the new pairing. "Now then, let's get a dragon for you, Niena shall we, you as well Lu...." Her eyes widen at the newest hatching. "He's ....oh my, something else. You'd want to watch your p's and q's around that one."

On the sands, An experimental shudder convulses the shell of the Pick a Card Egg, its occupant within sensing freedom close by. Perhaps the sudden tremble of the perfect pale platinum of the Stargazing Egg, much like a childish giggle, drives that need for a much quicker escape, for one thin crack traces over its right side, a chip flaking off there though as yet, it reveals nothing of its contents.

On the sands, Niena gasps as she sees Aleudre impress. "Congratulations!" she calls out, no longer quite as quiet as usual. But soon she's looking back wistfully toward the blue, then more closely toward the green, with a glance at the newest brown.

On the sands, Fraya laughs loudly, shrugging. "Care to try?" She offers with a playful wink. "I'd rather not test that out, you know. I'd rather avoid burning myself." Laughing more there's a glance towards the newest brown and she lets out a soft oh. "How lovely he is! Don't you think, Laylia?" Forget about the pushing, Fray has. She turns her attention to the hatchlings and fidgets more.

On the sands, Lujayn laughs, the noise coming unnaturally amongst nerves and excitement. "Haha - Aleudre, with that scary brown. What do we call him now?" She takes a deep breath, hands fidgeting at her sides. "Get a dragon? What about you?"