Maria the Green's Clutch

Lesla
Lesla had just finished oiling Houkath. And now, her green was content and would be sleeping for the night. Taking this time to take a break and have some much needed dinner, Lesla headed for the Dining Hall. Her flits, Brown Seichou and Bronze Zeus, having gotten an inkling of what she was about to do, flew ahead of her, acting as her escorts. She smiled at them happily. She loved them just as much as she loved Houkath.

As they passed the Hatching Grounds, the two flits suddenly veered into that direction while humming excitedly. Lesla had no choice but to follow. She knew that there was Greem Maria's clutch of eggs still in the sands. And since her two flits had gone off towards the Hatching Grounds, Lesla knew that the eggs must be hatching.

Sure enough, her two flits had situated themselves above a ledge overlooking the spot where the clutch of eggs were located. As she approached, Lesla saw someone was already there. She didn't personally know the person, but she knew that she was Lakeen, a wherhandler. When she was near the clutch, Lesla just briefly smiled at the other lass. She did take a look around and noticed that there weren't any bowls of meat for the hungry flits once they hatched. Voicing that worry, she asked, "Have you asked someone to bring in bowls of meat for the hungry flitters?" Once in a while, Lesla will show a sense of boldness and initiative in her efforts to not be such a shy person, which is what just happened when she initiated a conversation with Lakeen.

It was all that girl's fault, the reason he was here. Tad, sneaking in to observe a green firelizard's eggs crack open. Mentari had suggested he come. Had suggested he try and Impress one of them.

But surely there were people who had been here longer who would be more likely to be given an egg. True, several of the other Candidates had them...the dark skinned girl had her green, the Weyrwoman's sister a blue...but they had all been here longer than he had.

On the other hand, the hatchlings had to be rather cute. Such things always were. One of the eggs was starting to move and shake. The firelizards were producing a high pitched humming sound that might be wearying if it went on too long...and one of the dragons had joined in in deeper tones.

Well, if they did that for every Hatching, it would be hard to miss one, Tad mused, thoughtfully. And that was the cutest white firelizard, he noticed, the one flitting around and annoying the dragon. Well, he was here now, he might as well stay and watch, if nothing else.

And maybe this Lakeen woman would take pity on him and hand him an egg.

Though Kivral was more than a handful, Hy’ka couldn’t resist the urge to visit a firelizard hatching. If he recalled correctly, Green Maria’s clutch was there, and near hatching. Why not take a visit? A foot sticking in the air, Hy'ka turned around on his heels, and made a u-turn. The hatching grounds was in the other direction. Brynath, I'm going to the hatching. I'll let you know when I'm coming back... Don't do anything crazy without me, okay?

Why would I? That would be no fun, came the blue's reply with a slight chuckle across the mind-link. Kivral's coming with you, by the way. He woke up and I've told him where you are. Brynath crooned to the brown firelizard that was now opening his mouth in a large yawn. Giving Kivral a quick nudge, Brynath said, Hy'ka's at the hatching grounds. Don't keep him waiting.

Wonderful. Great. Hy'ka was now walking along the hallways, dead set on getting to the sands. He turned a corner, walking into the sands. He was greeted by the sweltering heat, only made worse by the warm weather outside. "Ick, it's stuffy in here..." the bluerider commented, uncomfortably pulling at the collar of his shirt. In the air above, a dark brown creature winked in from between, and Hy'ka recognized the flitter as his own Kivral. "Kivral!" he called, "Down here--come here you little pest..."

With a chirp, the brown firelizard circled down to land on Hy'ka's head, scrabbling at his scalp and crooning in a pleased manner. "Thank you very much for scratching my head." The rider frowned, and reached up to carry Kivral down to his shoulder. "You can stay there, but not on my head." He rolled his eyes at the tiny dragon, and approached Lakeen, who was by the clutch. He knew the wherhandler by sight and name, but never had the pleasure of meeting her in person. "Hi Lakeen. I heard Maria's clutch is hatching? Mind if Kivral and I stick around to watch?"

Lyrah and Kyrinth

((Tag: Tad!))

Lyrah grinned as she caught sight of a teenage male Candidate slip in behind her, a frown on his face. It looked like he didn't really want to be here. "Cheer up! You might just Impress a firelizard today!" she told him with a slap across his sholder. With a grin to him and Lakeen, shee bent down and scooped up her egg, the one that was painted with a large number 2.

Taking her bowl of meat from Lesla, she grinned once more at Tad and then sat with a plop onto the sand. She fingered her egg, gazing at it with intensity. Snowfire finally landed beside her, edging toward the meat slowly.

Sennia and Seeth

There wasn't much Sennia and Seeth did nowadays. It was so much more boring here than at Fort. At Fort, there were things she could actually do, unlike here, where most only pursued their own desires except for when there was a Flight.

Leaf, for some reason was more jumpy then usual, bolting at the smallest sounds, going between and disappearing for several minutes before reappearing. The scenes that Sennia saw from her didn't really seem to make sense. Sand. Eggs that were still. Some other flitters. And the sense of waiting. Waiting....for the eggs to hatch? For herself to have more eggs? That didn't make sense....

Finally, late in the afternoon, Leaf began to hum a split second before going between. Seeth, what's going on? she querried, a mental sigh shifting through their link. A moment late, his rough answer was heard: That firelizard clutch is hatching. The pest is flying around and troubling Maria.[/color]

She scowled. Leaf made to much rouble sometimes. She reached for her boots and before long she was hurrying out onto the Sands, calling to leaf to "Come here and calm down, you little pest!" Finally, once she managed to get her under control.

Thaddeus turned his frown...really a factor of uncertainty not not wanting to be there...upside down as she handed him the small egg.

It did seem awfully small...and very warm. Of course, given the adult size of the firelizards, their eggs were not exactly going to be the largest things ever laid. It seemed very slightly irregular in shape, too.

And it wriggled. He blinked, and was very careful not to drop it...it had to hatch on its own, after all, not be inadvertently broken by its new owner.

It was probably a little blue or green...the dam seemed to be a green...and he had been told the green females did not clutch the higher colors. That would have worried him about the dragon hatching had he cared for rank or status.

Samari
Samari was awoken much earlier than usual when her Bronze Orn jumped on her chest knocking the breath out of her. He was humming excitedly and projected images of eggs rocking and shaking into Samari's still sleepy mind. "What eggs? Samarsk's eggs have already hatched and Impressed." Samari complained to Orn and would have gone back to bed when Orn landed in her bed of hair and scrambled to get a good foothold. "Ouch! Orn! You pesky flit! I need more sleep!" Samari shouted loudly as she tried to get the flit out of her hair. But Orn would not stop pestering His until His got up out of bed and headed for the Hatching Grounds.

Giving up the fight, Samari got up out of her bed and changed her clothes. She might as well start her day early... well, night realy since Wherhandlers like her are up at nighttime and asleep at daytime. She didn't bother waking Samarsk up since the Gold Wher would only be in a cranky mood if awoken early from her sleep. And so, she grumbled as she made her way towards the Hatching Grounds, envious that Samarsk gets so sleep in more.

At the Hatching Grounds, she now saw that there were folks around one corner of the Sands. She knew most of them by name if not personally. She joined the group and said her greetings to the Weyrwoman and to Lakeen. "Evening Weyrwoman." Samari said as she gave a little bow of respect. Turning to Lakeen, she said, "Evening Lakeen." with a nod of greeting.

After a pause she added, "Maria's clutch is ready to hatch I see. Okay if I watch?" as she stood to one side noticing the egg shaking within Lyrah's hand. She also noticed Lesla with an egg and her two flits humming along encouraging the flit inside the egg to hatch. There was also a guy with an egg, but she didn't know who the guy was. Probably one of those folks that got rescued from that storm. Samari thought to herself as she focused her attention to the rocking flit egg in Lyrah's hand, wondering what color would hatch from the egg.

Orn finally able to get His to the Hatchling Sands, landed near Maria where an unclaimed egg was situated and added his voice to the humming being done by the flits currently in attendance.

Lesla
Lesla had thought that Lyrah's egg would hatch first, but she was wrong. In fact, the flit egg within her hands started rocking. Seichou and Zeus had increased their humming as the egg rocked faster and harder. And then, a crack appeared on the egg, spreading with the shell falling away and leaving a whole. And then the baby flit inside trilled and broke her prison apart.

Lesla gasped in surprise as she saw the color of the new flit. She was a wonderful glorious dark green color with a few lighter green markings. Lesla was instantly in love with her lovely green flit. And in that instant, Lesla decided to name the flit, Lovely. When Lovely cheeped for food, Lesla immediately offered a tidbit of meat as she softly said, "Lovely. That'll be your name because you are a very lovely flit, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Lovely seemed to have gotten an inkling of what Hers felt and crooned pleasurably for a few seconds before focusing on eating. Her swirling rainbow eyes slowing down to swirls of red, evidence of her hunger.

Zeus was just glad to have someone else to order around. After a brief chirp of hello, he flew up to perch on His' right shoulder. In the months since he had hatched, Zeus had gave way to the fact that he had to share the perching rights on His' shoulders, sharing them with Seichou rather reluctantly.

Seichou was glad that His had managed to Impress a green. He crooned softly to her, already trying to woe the little one who had just hatched. He had also flew up to perch on His' right shoulder. He nuzzled His with his little wedge-shaped head crooning his pleasure for the new green flit.

Lesla just sighed and ignored Zeus' behavior towards Lovely. She did however gave Seichou a brief caress on his little head before addressing the two, "Now you two better behave around Lovely, you hear me?" she told her two older flits. She was not having them ordering the young green around in the future when Lovely was a little more older.

Lovely chirped back at Zeus undaunted by his behavior towards her. She then trilled a greeting at Seichou liking him more than she liked Zeus. However, since she was still rather hunger, she creeled for more food at Hers.


Samari
No sooner had she arrived than an egg hatched to reveal a green flit. The flit had a striking green appearance and in some deep corner of her heart, Samari wistfully wished that she might have a chance at a flit that wasn't as pesky as Orn.

One of the eggs had already hatched...and that was an interesting looking green. "Huh. That firelizard is practically tabby," Tad said, rather cheerfully.

The one he had somehow ended up holding, though, had not yet broken open. It was sort of wriggling tensely, but the shell seemed to be defeating it for now.

Don't help it, he told himself firmly. Not unless it really seems to be in distress. Animals were best off finding their own way to birth.

Still, that was an interesting looking green. Maybe his would be all stripy and brindly too. Maybe. He decided he did not really care that much.

Samari
Samari's attention on the little green flit that Lesla held was diverted when she heard some ask, 'So, how's everyone doing?' Samari looked around trying to spot who spoke, and noticed Hy'ka nearby. Siddling closer to him, she replied with, "I am doing well considering I was forced to come here by Orn." as she shrugged her shoulders and glared at her Bronze flit who was humming really loudly as the egg near Maria and Thief acquired a crack right down the middle.

Pointing to the egg that was guarded by Maria and Thief, she asked, "Who do you think will Impress that one." Which she just realized was now showing a blue tail at the bottom of the egg. And in the same instant, she saw Orn was up to no good and being a pain in the rump.

Orn had noticed the tail and true to his nature, was just already leaning his head down towards the tail when he heard His shout an order at him.

With yell, Samari loudly said, "Orn! You pest, don't even think about it." as she sent an image to Orn of what she'd do should Orn not obey her. She had all but forgotten that she had been talking to Hy'ka just a few moments ago.

Orn, who had stopped humming as he had leaned down to snip at the tail, once more added his voice to the humming made by the other flits.

Lesla
Lesla looked up as she heard someone addressing her. She came face to face with Bluerider Hy'ka. She may not be close friends with him, but at least she knew his name and that of his dragon, Blue Brynath. She also noticed the brown flit, Kivral, that was on his shoulders. She smiled tentatively at him, but was startled when his flit, Kivral, had suddenly given him a scratch. True, the flit had been disturbed from his perch, but still, Lesla eyed the brown flit warily and hoped that her two older flits would not be copying that other brown's act any time soon.

She inwardly winced as she once more focused on Hy'ka and said, "Yes, Lovely is a wonderful name for her." as she gave the flit in her hand another morsel of meat. After a pause, she asked him, "Are you okay? Do you need that looked after?" as she pointed out the scratch that Hy'ka had gotten on his face.

Faizah had been watching the egg she had given to Tad, and was now convinced about the flitter inside. She cocked her head towards Tad while looking at Lakeen. Then she started over to the Candidate.

"It's a white. You have to break the shell for it." Faizah instructed as she handed over a small pocket knife.

Lyrah's egg gave another shudder, a few peices of shell falling away. Barely visiable, but still there, was a green hide through the broken away shell. But it thusly remained unhatched.

The egg with the blue tail sticking out began rocking again as the hatchling resumed its attempts. More shell fell away as a wing erupted from the egg. Then, without further delay, a leg popped through and the egg shattered completely. The little blue squawked angrily at the bronze Orn, as if he knew what the bronze had been thinking moments before. Then he looked around, almost as if confused about what was happening. He chirped at the redheaded woman near him, then flew clumsily to her shoulder. He crooned at hisSamari with red whirling eyes.

Lyrah had stopped paying attention to the others a while back, focussing mainly on the egg she held in her hands. Okay, maybe she wasn't completely ignoring everyone. She still knew when the others hatched, and what they hatched. She knew when Snowfire attempted to steal the meat in her bowl. For that, by the way, she had pushed him roughly aside. Oh that was a beautiful striped green that hatched for Lesla. And did she just hear the Weyrwoman say a new white flit had entered the Weyr? Yes! Finally! Someone else for Snowfire to mess around with!

Snowfire caught that particular word as well. His head snapped up from where he had been pushed away from the bowl. There was another white there? A little one, like him? Perfect! He would need someone to teach him all the good things in life, such as being dramatic, getting people's attention, that sort of thing. Stealing meat from the kitchens.

He flew up and outward, his wings pumping until he was zooming in circles above the egg that held that white firelizard.

Lyrah mean while, had started as cracks appeared in the shell of the egg in her hands. Pieces fell off of it, revealing a green hide. I'll Impress a green! she reported dutifully, excitedly, to the impatient Kyrinth. A green, love! In response, the humming dragon grunted mentally. She reached forward, and, gently, she wipped away a few more peices, revealing more of the wet hide hidden within.