A Touch Can Lead to a Lifemate

Writers: Ames, DL, Emma, Anaria, KC Free, Len, Paula, Suzee
Date Posted: 4th May 2011

Characters: Janani, T'nom, T'aesh, Pierka, X'ian, Rondera, S'ryad, Daishii, Talisian
Description: The Candidates have a chance to visit and touch the eggs as they
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 27 of Turn 6
Notes: Note: Mentor approved for KC and DL

T'nom

Pierka

Janani stood outside the sands with the weyrlingstaff beside her. They
had agreed that it was time the candidates came and saw the eggs. She
hoped that by allowing them in there would be fewer injuries from
shell-shocked candidates on the day of the hatching itself.

She waited for the weyrlingstaff to finish their talk before she
stepped forward. "You know what is expected of you, thanks to our
terrific werylingstaff. I just want to remind you once again, that
even though Angdelouth and I have agreed to this, she is still rather
protective of her eggs. Walk carefully, only touch as you have been
instructed to do. There are to be no shenanigans or I will see to it
that you are not permitted on the sands when the actual hatching
begins. Is that understood?"

Tanom, who stood off to the side, nodded his head in agreement. Even
with all the hatchings he'd been allowed to stand at, he had not
always been afforded the chance to see, to touch the eggs beforehand.
He already found he liked the Weyrwoman, and it wasn't just because he
knew she had made Meledei happy. He looked around at the other faces,
many so eager. For some of them it would be their first time. Their
eyes seemed eager as they seemed to shift impatiently on the sands.
For him, that full-fledged spark had slowly diminished over the turns.
How many more chances did he have? Not nearly as many as the others.
Perhaps the blue-rider had been right, perhaps he didn't deserve to
stand any longer if he didn't feel he would succeed. Tanom _wanted_ to
Impress, but he dared not allow himself to believe it would happen.
He'd been crushed time and time again when the last egg hatched and he
was left without a lifemate. No, now he hoped if he guarded his heart
more closely his disappointment would not be so harsh. He glanced up
as the Weyrwoman finished her speech, unable to mask the hint of
excitement that _did_ leap into his eyes when he knew they would soon
see the forty-six eggs that rested on the sands.

Taeshin looked nervously at Angdelouth and Janani before stepping
towards the eggs. With everything that had happened over the past few
sevendays, Taeshin wanted to take no chances at risking his
opportunity to stand again. He looked at the very large clutch of
eggs anxiously. Taeshin imagined that from one of those eggs his
dragon partner would finally come to him. He ignored the other
candidates, his total focus on Angdelouth's clutch and the future that
would be hatched from them.

At 15 she seemed to be in the middle of the age and height range for
the candidates that stood in the group around the Weyrwoman. She
smoothed her uniform and listened carefully to what they were told
first by the Weyrling staff and then by the Weyrwoman herself. She
nodded her agreement with their rules though a pair of boys behind her
were laughing and not paying much attention. The group was so large
there were easily half again as many of them than there were rumored
eggs. She found herself becoming just a little excited.

Talisian stood off to one side, feeling a bit awkward with so many
younglings about. He listened quietly to the Weyrwoman's words and
thought about what might be happening in a month's time, or not, to
him. Would he Impress? How hard was it, exactly?

Xorian didn't even bother to hid his excitement. He was rocking on the balls
of his feet while he listened carefully the Weyrwoman's words. He was not
going to blew his change of Impressing.

Rondera was deperately trying no to let this bother her. She was going to
Impress this time and she would find the egg for her out there. Not that
she'd dream of disobeying what the Weyrwoman had said. She'd simply observe
today, and if any one of them called to her, then a gentle stroke might be
in order.

"Alright," Janani tried to call their attention again as the excited
murmurings that were rippling through the anxious candidates. "The
Weyrlingstaff will call in a few candidates at a time. We don't want
_everyone_ on the sands at once. Please remember the rules we laid
out. You _will_ be removed if you are doing anything we deem harmful
to the eggs." Janani nodded to the weyrling assistant.

"Taeshin, Rondera, Xorian," the assistant called out along with a few
other names. He motioned that they should follow the other staff
member. "Tanom, Talisian, Pierka, Surryad," he called out after the
others had begun to move. He motioned this group over to the second
assistant who once again reviewed the directions before leading them
quietly towards the sands and the waiting eggs.

As the weyrlingstaff continued to coordinate the calling of
candidates, Janani turned and slipped onto the sands.

}:I do not like them all here at once,:{ Angdelouth grumbled, letting
out an aggravated snort. }:What if they are not careful?:{ She turned
a glaring eye on one candidate who had been jostling another and had
nearly knocked into one of the eggs.

**It's alright, love. I promise. Besides, it's better to get this all
over with at once rather than have to go through this multiple times,
isn't it?** Angdelouth snorted at Janani's reasoning which only made
the goldrider smile. She moved around the sands, watching as the
candidates began approaching the eggs. She would bide her time
watching from Angdelouth's side and intervene if necessary.

Pierka followed the others onto the sands thankful for the sturdy
footwear they'd given her. Even though they were a bit large they
still protected her feet from the heat she could feel rising. She
crept around the edge of the group and looked the eggs over. She
clasped her hands behind her back and bowed to the queen before
approaching one of them more closely. Her fingers brushed the top of
it but another one caught her eye. It was small and hiding a bit
behind the others. She approached it carefully trying not to brush any
of the others. "Hello" she said to it. She ran her hands over the
little egg then crouched in the sand next to it and began to talk to
it softly. For the first time in many months Pierka smiled.

After giving his bow to the Gold, Xorian walked around the eggs,
admiring them, observing them. "They are amazing," he whispered in
awe. So many different colours and shades. Hesitatingly he reached to
touch one azure blue egg with swirls of cobalt in it. It felt warm and
hard and smooth under his fingers. He pulled his hand away and touched
another egg with equal care. This one brownish-brass coloured with
touch of cream. "They are so different, so beautiful." He had a
feeling that the eggs were just waiting and one of them was waiting
for _him_. His practical healer's mind dismissed the thought. The
foetus inside weren't waiting for anybody yet, they weren't sapient
yet. Or were they?

Surryad stood in the back, wondering how to approach. He watched the
other Candidates as they moved about the eggs, after first greeting
the giant gold dragon hovering maternally nearby. The gray-eyed
Candidate took a breath before following suit. His bow was polite,
formal, and he whispered, just in case Angdelouth _could_ actually
hear him, "Thank you. For this opportunity."

When she didn't move, Surryad moved to the first egg. He rubbed his
sweaty palms on his pants before placing both hands gently on the egg.
"So um...I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say, or if you can even
hear me, but um...I hope you, or one of your siblings, will pick me.
Because I really, really want to be a dragonrider," he said softly.

Taeshin followed the person he was directed too. He looked at the
other group of candidates called with him, nodding slightly in
greeting. He then bowed, very low, to Angdelouth trying his best to
smile and project thoughts of respect for her and her massive clutch.
He looked to Janani one more time, before he began slowly circling the
eggs closest to him. He didn't speak, nor did he touch, he simply
walked around them, imagining in his mind the dragonets growing inside
the hardening shells. Each time Teashin imagined a dragonet breaking
free, making a beeline for him, forever bonding together in
Impression. Thoughts of love and longing were are the forefront of
his mind when he finally placed his palm lightly on one of the eggs.

Angdelouth watched from her perch, her eyes whirling with each
unsteady movement she witnessed. **It's okay, my love,** Janani
reassured her lifemate. **They are doing a magnificent job. Not even
one problem!**

Tanom, having done this many times before, moved silently onto the
hatching sands, made his bow to the beautiful golden dragon and then
walked slowly and carefully among the eggs. He didn't reach out and
touch any, just simply admired them all for their own beauty. He
stilled before one egg, it was decent in size. He wasn't sure what
about it had drawn his attention so, but something had. Perhaps it was
the interesting array of mottled marks on the shell itself. He didn't
know, but he knew in that moment that he just _had_ to feel this egg.
Reaching his hand out gently, he felt the warmth seep directly into
his hand. Perhaps Meledei was right, maybe this time, he really would
find his lifemate.

Daishii hummed to herself as she wandered around the Hatching Sands,
touching an egg when the urge struck her. She was overwhelmed at the
thought that she would be able to Stand at the upcoming Hatching.
Sure, every girl on Pern wanted a dragon of their own, but Daishii's
own ambitions were in Printing. The sand was unbearably warm against
her feet, and she shuffled from foot to foot uncomfortably. She
crouched down next to the egg nearest her. "You poor thing," she said
softly. "You must be so warm in there. Don't worry, I hear that you
should be out of here soon," she said.

Pierka finally stood. The voices around her murmured to the eggs and
she gave 'her' egg one more loving stroke. She took a deep breath
feeling somehow a little happier than when she'd come into the
grounds. The sands heat was finally seeping through the boots and she
had to shift her feet. "I'll try to come back again." she said. She
made her way carefully back through the eggs to the stands and the
weyrling staff with a happy sigh.

"Thank you of this opportunity, Angdelouth," Xorian gave the enourmous
gold a final bow and retreated, letting other candidates have their
time with the eggs. He went to join Pierka with the weyrling staff.

Janani and Angdelouth watched the candidates for some time until the
Weyrlingstaff began to call them back together. Angdelouth was getting
antsy and wanted the sands for herself once more so she could preen
over her eggs and check that none had suffered from the tromping feet
of candidates.

"My thanks to you and your rider," Rondera said with a bow to the Weyrwoman
and her gold. Then she turned to follow the others. Maybe, just maybe this
time.

Taeshin gave one final look of longing to the clutch of eggs before
making his way back to the group of other candidates. He grinned at
the Weyrwoman and then to Angdelouth. "Thank you both so much..." he
said, and then added in a whisper "For everything."

Tanom, having finished his time with the eggs, turned and bowed
towards the gold and her rider. Then, moving silently, he joined the
other candidates that were being called back together. Glancing back
one last time, he wondered if this time would finally be _his_ time.
He almost didn't want to hope, but he felt that flicker in his heart
and knew that this was what he wanted more than anything in the world.

As Janani watched the candidates being recalled, she reached a hand to
caress her golden dragon. **I told you it would go well.** Angdelouth
snorted.

}:I want them to leave now. I want to check my eggs for myself just to
make sure!:{

**Aye, love, of course you do. They will love them just as I love
you.** That got a response from Angdelouth who sent back a wave of her
own love for her rider. Soon, soon there would be many new riders. As
she watched them make their way out, she wondered which ones would
Impress and which, if any, would be left on the sands. Only time would
tell.

Last updated on the May 4th 2011

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A Touch Can Lead to a Lifemate