A Beautiful Impression

Writers: AL, Cali
Date Posted: 18th January 2009

Characters: Sorsha, Ri'len, Meledei, Lenlee
Description: Sorsha, Railen, and Meledei all impress at the hatching.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 23 of Turn 4

The candidates all filed out onto the sands. Meledei was an old hand at the routine. She wore her robe, her feet were covered with thick boots. At her side walked Sorsha. Around here she could hear the murmur of voices mingling with the humming and crooning of the dragons. The eggs loomed before them, some silent and still, others rocking in place.

"I love you." Sorsha whispered to Railen as she gave his hand one last squeeze before letting go of him.

"I love you too." Railen gave her a kiss upon her forehead before moving to stand over with the rest of the boys. Even as he stood there, waiting, he cast a glance at Sorsha from time to time, always accompanied with a smile.

"Here we are." Meledei whispered to Sorsha as they took their place close to the gold egg. Meledei couldn't help but gaze at it. She doubted that such a creature would pick her, but there were plenty of greens. Maybe...just maybe one would pick her. "Not long now."

"Remember what they say, loving happy thoughts." Sorsha said, not only to Meledei but also to Lenlee who had come up on her other side and herself.

"Oh my thoughts are definitely happy and definitely loving." Even if she didn't impress, Meledei couldn't help but be cheerful and excited. Dragons! New dragons! It was a wondrous event, watching all the new lives and bonds formed together, even if it wasn't with her. "Oh look...that one's hatching!" She pointed to one of the larger eggs and clapped when the bronze spilled out onto the sands. "Do you think that one's for Railen?"

Sorsha gasped as she saw the bronze head towards her husband, "Surely, not the first one, not a..."

The bronze fell and cried out. Railen took a step forward but quickly moved back. The little dragon struggled to his feet then moved forward on wobbly legs. He came to a stop right in front of Railen, whirling eyes gazing into the young man's. Railen gasp as the connection was made, impression done. Hunger, love, curiousity all rolled through him at one time. :}I am Monilath.{:

"His name is Monilath!" Railen's voice trembled with jubilation and his gaze darted over to Sorsha. His eyes were lit with a fire, bright and burning. He wasn't able to linger, however, for his dragon was insisting upon sustenance.

"Wow." Meledei fairly breathed into Sorsha's ear. That had been quite unexpected.

"He impressed!" Lenlee's voice cracked and she grabbed Sorsha's arm, fairly jumping up and down. "Railen impressed! He impressed a _bronze_!"

Sorsha was shook out of her shock by Lenlee's exhuberance. "He did!" it was a whisper compared to the roar coming from the Stands. She looked up briefly and saw her father, as well as Serend, Karai, and Raise all cheering as Railen left the sands. She was glad to see that they had finally come to understand their decisions of the past sevenday.

Meledei gently nudged Sorsha as another egg began to crack "Hey, another one!"

And so it went, another and another and another. They were cracking and moving so fast it was hard to focus on them all. Twice when greens approached the girls Sorsha thought they were heading for Lenlee, but they moved past her for others to claim. She was wondering if all three of them would be left standing when she heard a voice that sounded oddly like hers. }: Not fast enough! Not fast enough!:{

Sorsha saw the little green crying in annoyance as she struggled to cross the sands. Sorsha felt the flush of love overcome her and she fought back tears as she bent down to the dragonet. "I'm here, it's okay."

}:I love you. I came but I was slow.:{ the dragonet was butting her head against Sorsha's chest. }:I'm hungry, will you feed me?:{

"Yes love," Sorsha stood up and saw that Lenlee and Meledei were watching her, "What's your name?"

}:Roseth.:{ the green dragonet replied happily.

"Her name is Roseth!" Sorsha shouted, loud enough that hopefully her family in the stands could hear. She gave an encouraging smile to the girls and started heading off the sands with her little beauty.

Lenlee and Meledei stood there, watching Sorsha leave the stands with her new lifemate. The two looked at each other and smiled a little. There were still eggs left, still a chance one or both of them could impress. It was then that whispers among the girls made them turn their attentions to the gold egg. It was rocking violently, the dragonet inside more than eager to be released from its imprisonment. Most of the girls moved forward, as if hoping that by drawing closer to the egg, they would have a better chance.

Meledei hung back even as Lenlee followed the others. The gold...she would love the gold, but it was not for her. She stayed at the edge of the line, slightly behind the girls and looked to the other eggs, some of which were starting to move as well. When the egg finally broke to reveal the gold, however, Meledei couldn't help but have her attention drawn back, nor could she help the sharp intake of breath.

The gold was small for one of her colour, but her form was perfect. Her head tapered delicately at the muzzle, her eyes were large and whirled gently as she looked all about her. Her hide was marvelous, a pale gold hue that when it from the light took a silvery glimmer too it, like golden sunshine turning the surface of the sea into silver. A trick of the light, but a glorious one.

When the gold finally moved from her eggshell through, her steps were delicate, placed as if she thought about where to put each claw. She drew close to the gaggle of girls some stepping forward as she studied them, only to have their hearts broken when she passed them by. One by one she studied the girls until she came to the last one, the one who held behind the rest.

}:There you are!:{ The little gold butted her head against Meledei's thigh. }:I've been looking for you.:{

Then sensation that possessed her fairly took Meledei's breath away. A brief almost endless moment she felt a sudden chasm within her, an emptiness that she had never realised before. Then, before she could weep, to mourn for the half of her that was missing, it was filled and she was made whole. Hunger assaulted her, but with it came exultation and adoration, feelings given and returned wholeheartedly. }:I am Elleth. I am yours.:{

Hers? Hers! Meledei shouted out her name without fully realising that she was doing so. Enamoured with her new lifemate, the girl guided her off to where the others clustered, each being fed. Her fingers played lightly upon the golden neck, as if she were afraid that by breaking the physical contact, she would break the emotional and mental one as well. She didn't even look back to the other girls left behind watching them. She didn't hear the applause or the roar of voices in the cavern. For the moment, there was nothing else on Pern except her and her lifemate.

Last updated on the January 21st 2009

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A Beautiful Impression