Tragedy and New Life

Writers: Heather, Emma
Date Posted: 1st March 2019

Characters: K'reyel, Saibra
Description: Tragedy and new life combine for an emotional Dragonsfall Hatching
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 8 of Turn 9
Notes: Zathris, Benani, Karhal, Loella, Lanniya, D'kere, W'ser, Mai

K'reyel

Saibra

The stone floor beneath her feet was vibrating, but she barely noticed it as
she laced her riding boots. Her eyes were on the mirror, looking at the
extra curves that her last pregnancy had given her that had still yet to be
shed. Perhaps it was the difference in age, but she hadn't recalled having
such trouble losing the weight before. She also didn't recall struggling as much to rein in her emotions after her first two pregnancies.

Pulling her hair over her shoulder, Saibra braided it with quick fingers and
then stood and smoothed her hands over the long dress she wore. **That'll
just have to do,** she told herself, tearing her eyes away from the mirror
as she shrugged into a light, decorative jacket. No one would be looking at
her anyway, not with all of Erdenth and Chioneth's beautiful eggs hatching.

}:Are you coming?:{ Chioneth asked, annoyance in her voice.

**Of course, love,** Saibra trotted from the temporary goldrider's weyr that
was near to the hatching cavern.

Dragons were filing into the ledges that had been dug out high into the
sides of the inner cavern, and down below people were gathering in the
stands.

"Saibra," K'reyel was in his gather best as he approached. "May I escort you
to your seat?"

Saibra smiled at her Weyrleader and laced her arm through his. "Thank you,
K'reyel. You are looking sharp this evening," she said looking over his
attire.

"Thanks to Mai," he said. "She had a hand in it."

Their seats were nearest to the Sands, so much so that they had to walk
across the heated ground to get to them. Chioneth was posed protectively
behind her eggs, head flicking back and forth as she watched dragons come in
and out to deliver people. Saibra looked around to see who had arrived- Lord
Zathris and Lady Benani were visible, and she saw Karhal and Loella sitting
with Lanniya.

K'reyel reached to seat his Weyrwoman. "After you," he murmured. "It looks
like we'll have a good attendance today."

Although there were still some people streaming in, the dragons had taken
their places on the ledges and were humming so loud that Saibra thought she
would be able to hear it in her ears long after the Hatching were over.

The first egg split with an audible "pop" which left a brown dragonet
sprawling across the Sands. The incredibly pudgy brown dragonet gave himself
a wiggle to dislodge any remaining pieces of shell and then turned his snout
toward the loose semi-circle of Candidates. The female Candidates
automatically took a step backward, knowing this dragon would not be theirs
and not wanting to get in his way, since his over-sized feet and talons left
him more than a bit unsteady.

There was one Candidate who didn't move out of his way, but stood firm, eyes
widened and never leaving the brown's.

}:Mine,:{ Osgrath said dreamily as he butted Temmin, now T'min, gently in
the gut. }:I am hungry. _Very_ hungry.:{

Saibra laughed as Chioneth relayed the dragonet's words while T'min and
Osgrath were helped from the Sands by Weyrling Staff.

"He'll have to work hard with that one's appetite," K'reyel said. He'd seen
enough hungry dragonets in his time.

Another egg had split at that point, revealing a delicately formed blue who
unerringly headed to a young man who looked almost too old to be on the
sands. A smile lit up his homely face as he realised that the impossible had
actually become possible for him. "Redonath!" he called.

Saibra laughingly agreed with K'reyel's assessment as she applauded the new
pair. The next three eggs that hatched seemed to do so all at once, with
flashes of bronze, blue, and green weaving about on the Sands as they
searched for their lifemate. It always amused Saibra to hear the increased
cheers from the section where the newly Impressed rider's family was
sitting.

The next young man Saibra recognized easily, because not only had he been at
the Weyr for a while, but his sister was in her Wing. Talerin, Talwynn's
brother. This one would be interesting, she thought, as she wasn't sure what
color he would be Impressing, if he Impressed. It was always fun to try and
guess.

}:Out of the way. Move.:{ Girath was nearly snarling as he swept his tail
behind him, bowling over Candidates and leaving a path of white robed
figures lying on the ground as he did.

**Whoa, calm down.** Talerin thought as he saw the brown heading his way.
Like an obedient canine, Girath plopped his butt down onto the Sands
immediately in front of Talerin.

"Girath!" T'leri announced to the crowd after a long pause had passed.

A green leg appeared from a crack. The crack widened further to reveal a
dainty beauty who shook out wings to shake of fragments of shell. She
stared at the candidates still on the sands. }:One of you is going to love
me :{ Iebrath called out as she headed out there. Then, she changed
direction. }:You, you will love me,:{ she announced as she lifted her head
to gaze into the eyes of Anndil. }:You will won't you A'nir?:{

Saibra's eyes looked for G'nir, knowing how proud of his nephew he was sure
to be as A'nir looped his arm around Iebrath's neck and left the sands with
her. She knew his life before coming to the Weyr had not been an easy one,
which had been one of the reasons he'd chosen to elide his name in honor of
his uncle.

As it always was with Hatchings, the flurry of activity seemed to die off
suddenly, until there was only a handful of Candidates left with a couple of
eggs.

"Oohh," the crowd rippled with appreciation as one of the remaining eggs
split, emitting a large, coppery bronze dragonet.

Saibra's eyes scanned the remaining Candidates and stopped on Delryn . She
wondered if D'kere's brother would be destined for a bronze as well? For a
moment it seemed as if the bronze might be heading in Delryn's direction,
but he changed courses suddenly and chose a much older Candidate instead.

"Only one egg left," Saibra smiled at K'reyel, wondering what the last egg
would reveal.

The crowd seemed to be eagerly leaning forward, breath bated, until the egg
shattered revealing the last dragonet, a large green dragonet, larger even
than some of her blue brothers had been.

}:Where are you?:{ the green dragonet cried as she fumbled onto the Sands,
shaking her head roughly as if to clear her vision.

}:I don't... Where...?:{ the voice grew more panicked as she stumbled away
from the remaining Candidates. For a moment the green paused and stared into
the crowd. Saibra couldn't tell but she almost thought the dragonet was
staring in Lanniya and Loella's direction. Maybe they were talking to her?

And then the trance broke and the dragonet howled, eyes whirling an alarming
yellow.

Saibra's hand went to her Weyrleader's arm, "K'reyel!"

}:Her lifemate isn't here.:{ Chioneth said, voice grim, golden head bowed.

**But there are still Candidates on the Sands!**

The green screeched, hissing and snapping at the Candidates on the Stands,
even as Weyrlingstaff began beckoning them to leave.

As Tyrael turned to leave the dragonet pounced, landing on the Candidate's
back, talons gripping and grinding as he was pushed into the scorching
Sands. Even across the Sands Saibra could see red staining his white robes.

"Chioneth!" Saibra shouted, on her feet.

As if she'd been prodded with a hot iron the green dragonet snapped to
attention, her head whipping around to behold the senior queen, who had
taken an imposing step forward. Her talons dug into Tyrael a final time
before she took two staggering steps forward, and then the light faded from
her multi-faceted eyes and she collapsed limply onto the Sands.

The crowd was silent, there didn't seem to be a single sound stirring among
those gathered. Chioneth's high keen made Saibra jump, and then other
dragons joined in.

"K'reyel?" she turned teary eyes onto her Weyrleader, even as her brain
dimly registered the forms of W'ser and D'kere rushing out to help Tyrael.

K'reyel was just as affected. He opened his arms to take his weywoman in
them and give her what comfort he could, even as he felt Erdenth reach out
to his mate. "We'll take care of her," he said softly. "Erdenth and I, we'll
do it."

Saibra buried her face in K'reyel's shoulder just for a moment, seeking his
solid comfort. She knew that they would both have to put on strong faces.
There were still others there who had just met their new lifemates and
wanted to celebrate with their families, yet celebrating was the last thing
she felt like doing. Through her link with Chioneth Saibra could _feel_ the queen's anguish at the death of her hatchling.

**Chioneth, the other Weyrlings?** she thought of the other younglings and
how affected they must be by the mourning emotions of the adult dragons and
losing a clutchmate.

}:The Weyrlingmasters are taking care of them, and I will be with them.:{
the queen confirmed, even as she stretched out her golden neck and touched
her snout gently to the body of the lifeless dragonet. A final tribute
before her mate would take the dragonet /between/.

"I'll meet you in the Dining Cavern when you get back," she told K'reyel as
she pulled back and brushed tears off of her cheeks. She didn't know what
else to do but to forge onward.

"I'll be there as soon as I can," K'reyel said gently.

As the sands began to clear, Erdenth made his way in slowly, gently lifting
the dragonet up, and easing outside where K'reyel waited with riding straps.
"Sweet dreams little one," he said as he began the chore that all clutch
sires dreaded, and never really prepared for.

As she watched Erdenth and K'reyel handle the dragonet so tenderly her
throat seemed to constrict until she wasn't sure if she could even breath.
**Fresh air, I need fresh air,** she thought. Turning, Saibra fled from the
Hatching Sands so that she wouldn't have to watch any more.

Last updated on the March 3rd 2019

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Tragedy and New Life