Pauli> Katarra grins a bit. "It does at that," she agrees. "Doesn't stop most people anyhow." Adding a wink, she says, "Don't be so sure you'll go back. You might have to bring the Harpering to you."

Pauli> Katarra notes Aril and stands up suddenly. "Looks like a visit to the sands! Wanna join?" she asks Zasel.

Pauli> Zaselpha only giggles at that, the high and gentle giggle of a child still. "What, you're suggesting I'll Impress? Me? Uh huh. More like S'era was right and Vuiyth wanted the bench after all." Now that's a slightly obscure reference, though Zasy apparantly is oblivious to that. "Egg touching? Oh shards yes!" Away from the rail and off to the stairs.

Arilynne hovers on the very edges of the Sands, the heat barely touching her at the moment. "Hellooooo!" she calls, not exactly how one really asks for the privilage to slip further onto the Sands.

Katarra walks carefully onto the hot sands, making sure not to disturb the queen or her eggs.

Zaselpha walks carefully onto the hot sands, making sure not to disturb the queen or her eggs.

Naralen peers onto the sands from a crack at the edges.

Katarra steps out carefully, mindful of the watchful queen. Lifting the corner of her skirt she executes a slight bow before scooting past and stopping just before the first egg.

Wullan smiles as the Candidates enter the Sands. "Welcome," she says, from her seat on Isabeth's foreleg. The queen rumbles warily as they enter, but is soon soothed by Wullan. "Don't be shy - you can't hurt the eggs, and I won't let Isabeth hurt you."

Josen walks carefully onto the hot sands, making sure not to disturb the queen or her eggs.

Naralen smiles, hiding a bit of speculation, and steps out onto the Sands after a bow to the queen.

Wullan grins impishly as Janah arrives, although Isabeth appears to be somewhat soothed as she spies blue Kadarth, and Wullan leaps to the sands below. "Sure, Janah, that's fine. Isabeth's a bit grouchy, but she's in good spirits today, so it's as good a time as any."

Arilynne inches closer at Wullan's words, pausing to sketch an awkward curtsey to queen and rider, the usually bold candidate somewhat nervous suddenly. One of these eggs could hold her future. Or not. Inch. Inch. Peek. Oooh! Finding herself close to the silvery egg dotted with enchanted runes, Aril splays one hand across its smooth surface in careful exploration.

Zaselpha follows Katarra's example, bowing slightly and twitching crossly at her forever untidy skirts. Then she joins the rest of the growing group, wide eyed and trying to look at everything. Not easy when you're tiny and in the middle of a group.

Katarra stays outside the rough circle of eggs, bypassing the first few as she marvels at their designs from such a closer vantage.

Naralen takes his time after paying his respects, going to each egg in turn. He places a palm on the nearest, then pauses a moment in thought. After a few moment's contemplation, he moves on.

Josen wipes at his brow almost immediately upon stepping onto the Sands. It's a lot hotter than it looks from the Galleries. Still, he follows along with the rest of the Candidates, bowing to the queen and her rider at the appropriate time. Um, what now? Watching a few others, he gets the idea and after a moment's hesistant consideration, moves towards a particular favorite.

Buroughs walks carefully onto the hot sands, making sure not to disturb the queen or her eggs.

Buroughs enters quietly, slipping in behind his fellow candidateds.

Naralen traces the shining silver arcs on the egg's surface before taking another step.

Zaselpha leaves her consideration of the word aroudn her finally, finding herself face to face with one of the many eggs littering the sands. Well, not littering. Graceing the sands? Tentative, she does what the others have done, touching one curved shell with her fingertips. Pale lavendar mists are watched, almost avidly. It's the Spellsinger's Duar Egg of course, that Zasy is quite enthralled with right now.

Katarra slowly trails a hand along an especially pretty lavender egg as she passes. Nearing Wullan, she can't help but slip over quietly, one eye on the golden Isabeth, and wink. "How do you stand it staying out here so long!" With a giggle she emphasizes her point by dabbing one hand at her temple.

Naralen is not only silent in voice, but moves with quiet as well, his beets making almost no sound in the sand. He stares into the depths of a purplish egg, as if trying to see inside it. With the barest of sighs, he moves on.

Wullan grins impishly at the Weyrsecond. "Of course they can, Janah, Isabeth and I'll just wait over there." She points to a less occupied area, away from both eggs and candidates. Isabeth, for her part, croons towards Kadarth, obviously an invitation, and takes her dignified way a little ways off behind the queen's egg mound.

Buroughs's eyes light on the End of the World egg and he slips over to it queitly. Not moving much, but staring at it before reaching out and laying a hand on its hardening surface.

Kadarth walks carefully onto the hot sands, making sure not to disturb the queen or her eggs.

Janah walks carefully onto the hot sands, making sure not to disturb the queen or her eggs.

Josen gently brushes the surface of his chosen egg, as if afraid he might distrub the being inside. Gaining a bit of confidence though, as soon as it doesn't shatter, he lets a finger trace along the lines of steel and touch one spark of orange-gold.

With each egg he examines and passes, Naralen withdraws deeper into himself.

Katarra resumes her examination, slipping between two brightly lit eggs as she delves into the circle. Long strands of gold slip over her shoulders as her gaze turns from side to side. But wait.. what's this? An especially fiery design catches her eye and she stops to investigate. Orange-gold sparks and sunburnt flash burst upon the shell before her. Tentively she reaches out a finger, almost expecting to feel the scorching heat burn at her touch.

Kadarth picks his way out on the Sands, a gleeful rumble of sound as he joins in the Candidates, exploring the contours of the eggs. Seems he's going to Impress next. Janah, for her part, simply grumbles, taking up a seat at the side lines and sipping her wine.

Naralen merely glances at two dusted with gold, before drawing close to a nearly black egg, examining the flame-jeweled patterns closely.

Arilynne starts at the rounded apex of the Singing Sword of Need Egg, tempered steel caressed in admiration before palm flattens to gain full tactile experience, aligning with bursts of trailing flames. Aril's other hand rises from its lax position to trace unknown words written in cryptic runes, coming out of her egg-trance long enough to smile at Josen over it's shining curvature.

Buroughs reluchtantly moves away from one egg and on to the next. Bitting his lowerlip, and frowning. But as if in thought, not dissapointment or anger. He traces no patterns just lays one hand on the egg and leaves it there for a few moments before moving on.

Katarra jumps as something big and blue trundles by. It's a Kadarth Candie. She blinks, startled out of fiery facination and steals a glance Isabeth-ward, smiling as the queen doesn't seem to mind.

Kadarth picks his way across the Sands, examining the same egg as Katarra curiously, leaning down to snuffle at the surface before cocking his muzzle at the girl, a curious rumble.

Josen breaks away from his reverie, egg-induced of course, to smile back at Arilynne before nodding at Katarra and stepping away so that she can touch the egg without his interference. He looks around the Sands, searching for an untouched egg.

Naralen stays a long time, staring into an indigo-hued shell, before finally looking back at the field. The last. He's touched them all now, and this is the last. His expression is an unreadable mask, though his hands tremble slightly.

Katarra blinks as hair is blasted back by a Kadarth-size snuffle. Well, at least not a speck of sand mars the shell's surface now. Lips quirk with amusement at his stance and she cocks her head in exact duplication.

Buroughs's tread is soft, but not silent as he moves to th Goblin King egg. And stops for a moment. Before reaching out to touch it. Before permiting his hand to reside on its surface.

Josen spots an egg, well more than one to be precise. But a certain cyan ribbon upon one shell catches his eye and he wanders over to it. Hands examine the texture of the shell as eyes take in the twin curves of color.

Kadarth sniffs dubiously at Katarra, almost distaste at her duplication seen rather than felt, before he picks his way on, meadering his way over to Arilynne to examine what she's doing. Isabeth, en route, gets a thankful rumble. He gets to look at the eggs.

Naralen walks slowly back toward the entrance, not really seeing anyting in front of him.

Naralen bows belatedly to Isabeth, then slips out, without speaking to any of the humans on the Sands.

Naralen slips into a crack under the galleries and vanishes.

Arilynne retreats from the egg as well, giving Josen a wry smile. She doesn't mind sharing. Kadarth is finally noticed, yes, Aril missed the looming presence of a blue on the Sands, and she can't help but giggle softly at the tableau that Kadarth and Katarra create. Eggs and candidates are watched with equal regard as she threads her way through the mishmashed arrangement of Isabeth's clutch before somehow finding herself nearer to Nyssath's brood. Flames, flames compel the girl forward, Tessan's glimmer seen amongst the destruction. Once again, lost in the thrall of the egg before her, Kadarth's presence is all but forgotten.

Kadarth sniffs once more. Forgotten. Perhaps, then, he'll investigate what others are doing. He flutters wings, kicking up a dark sandstorm for an instant before joining Josen at his chosen egg, examining it with the tip of his nose to figure out what, exactly, is special about it.

Katarra shakes her head after the departing blue, cringing at his nearness to the eggs. And yet another flaming vision enters her line of sight. She steps closer to examine this banded shell, the molten tendrils of destruction caressing its surface in a facinating arrangement. It does indeed seem to precious to fall to such a fate.

Janah translates for the snuffling blue. "He's curious about why you pick certain eggs to touch... Why some eggs get touched more than others?"

Buroughs journeys on. Next to the Six Signs Egg, where he stops, it's dark surface weaving an entrancement on his mind. His hand goes reverently to its surface. He gives it a very long look, as if not quite wanting to move on.

Josen looks up at the blue, smiling slightly even as he shields his eyes from the sand. "I don't suppose you know something I don't?" he asks the dragon before reaching out to feel the heat of the egg again. "Maybe help your rider out in the betting about what comes from what egg, huh?" he suggests, the thought suddenly coming to him.

Kadarth snorts in derision. He has better things to do than gamble... He has to pick the shiny eggs to make his rider get him egg-shards after the hatching. Priorities, priorities.

Janah points out, after a moment, "And I don't gamble on hatchings, Josen... It's much more fun to simply watch without worrying about the marks involved."

Katarra giggles, overhearing the comments of others. "Any Bitran would cringe to hear you say that, Janah," she smiles, one hand resting lightly atop the banded egg of her current inspection.

Arilynne peeks up from her introverted study of the egg before her, fingers resting lightly on crackling lines. "Why certain eggs," she repeats softly, stalling to collect her thoughts. "I suppose it's design, colors, what I see or think I see upon each mottled shell," she directs Janah-wards, turning her head after her speech to glance at Kadarth and Josen. "Or just a gut intuition," she adds softly, barely above a whisper as fingers resume their exploring pattern.

Josen blushes almost instantly, nodding quietly as Janah responds. It is truly better to think before one talks, isn't it? Crouching down, as if hoping to escape the gaze of dragon and rider, he tests to see if the egg is any hotter on the bottom than at the top.

Kadarth reaches out to nuzzle Josen comfortingly before joining Arilynne, intently studying her egg, head cocked from side to side like a puppy who's heard a high-pitched sound. "Perhaps, perhaps... Though, I'll note that I didn't have any particular fondness for Kadarth's shell. It isn't the shell, after all, it's the dragon inside that counts."

Buroughs listens to all the conversations carefully. And nods, especially at this last one. Remaining behind the Six Signs egg. Just waiting, content to be touching it. An egg.

Katarra's wandering begins anew, taking her close enough to overhear and add her own comment. "This is such an /interesting/ clutch. There's so much to look at I couldn't pick a favorite, I think." Variety in design and hue - its all here.

Josen smiles at the departing blue dragon, but waits until he's gone before standing upright and searching out another egg to touch. "I know what you mean, Katarra," he notes.

Arilynne can't miss the shadow that Kadarth casts over her and she leans bak a bit to spy... well the underside of the blue's jaw. Blink. Blink. "You know Kadarth," she remarks somewhat absently, perhaps tactlessly, "This is the most approachable I've ever seen you." Eyes crinkle lightly as she grins and turns her attention back to the rider and her comment, "Yes, you're right, but certian eggs seem to build daydreams of what's inside more than others." Brushing aside a limp tendril of hair, it making it's dislike for the uncompromising heat of the Sands clear, she asks the rider, "Didn't you have eggs that appealed to you more than others, Janah?"

Kadarth snorts at the girl, a gust of dragon-breath showing exactly what he thinks of that. He's approachable! He just doesn't like anyone. Entirely different things. But eggs, eggs he likes. Janah cocks her head remarkably like her dragon, thinking a moment. "There was a sort of irridescent one... I think it hatched a brown. And Nyssath's shell looked like a gourd."

Buroughs chuckles at that. An ugly shell for a queen. He, foronce, traces the outline of one of the faint lines on the egg, its intracasies fascinating him. Yet he says nothing. Listening and learning.

Zaselpha has been fairly unnoticable, amongst the ever moing group of white-knotted ones. Still, Zasy does sidle out of the group to the edge of the clutch for a breath, considering the ovoids nearest her with curiosity. "Eeny meeny miney mo." she murmurs, glancing from one to the next with indicision. Still, she finally does move back towards the Six Signs the Circle Egg, muttering something about the heat.

Arilynne is gusted, bits of sand flying up around her as well. Blinking and rubbing grain particles from her eyes, she mutters, "Okay, okay, I get the picture Kadarth." Grimacing, she turns to look at Janah, "And did you know that he," finger is lifted to point to the windtunnel that is Kadarth, "Was meant for you when he hatched?" Aril'd heard stories, she'd even been there to see the results but still wonders about first-hand experiences.

Katarra draws in a heavy breath, lungs fighting against the rolling heat. Glancing at an egg she is passing, brows suddenly furrow. "This one makes me feel.... lonely," she frowns, stepping away from the Goblin King Egg.

Buroughs hasn't moved from the Six Signs egg since he got there, and doesn't Notice Zaselpha headed his way. His flingers play across its surface almost absently now. As if getting used to the touch and feel of the egg.

Firey inspirations call Josen over, as his grey eyes alight on another steely silver egg. "Nice," is he comment as he begins to touch the ovoid figure.

Zaselpha stops next to Buroughs, not saying anything before she lets her waifish fingers brush the dark and bronzed shell cautiously. But she does smile, friendly and somewhat distracted still. "S'nice. This one I mean. Different." Breathy words, still clear as she explores a section of the egg before her.

Katarra sticks nearby, curious about the answer to Aril's question as well. Giving the eggs closest an extra look she is drawn to one.. falling as into a multi-dimentional void... Whoa! Catching herself, she looks around suddenly. *ahem* She turns to another before that dizzying array draws her in again. first.

Buroughs nods. "It is indeed." He says, his tone strangly neutral. He glances at Zasalpha, and "What's your favorite.....or do you have one?" He asks softly, as if to speak to loudly would be to violate the sanctity of the eggs themselves.

Zaselpha shakes her head lightly, braids flipping over her shoulders. "No. I don't have a favourite. I'm trying to touch them all.. They're all different I guess though some seem more different than others." For a few long seconds she rest her palm on the firey wrought gold that is there on the shell. "Is this your favourite then?"

Buroughs frowns more deeply thinking about it. "I think Maybe. I don't know. There's just something.......intreguing about it. Wheather I impress or not, I want to see what is in this egg."

Arilynne awaits Janah's answer, but the heat of the Sands keeps her moving. On to the next egg, the next touch, the next daydream. Nyssath's golden egg is hovered around briefly, Aril's fingers inching close, close, close but not really touching the patterned shell. Strange slashes that look like the could be words are studied blankly, Aril not being familiar with ancient chinese. One ear cocked towards the bluerider, she drops down to her knees in supplication before the mysterious egg, her favorite by far if only for design and not for color. Aril daren't even dream.

Katarra pauses near a crimson egg, something sad drawing her to touch one fallen petal design. This one stirs up thoughts and pale brows dip in concentration as she tries to sort them out. Could it be a Beast, longing for his Beauty to come and save the day? She is intrigued.

Zaselpha nods cheerfully, wipping sweat from her forehead with a quicksilver movement before slipping away. "Me too." she notes behind her to Buroughs, cheerful and almost laughing. Silent as one can be in the soft sands, her next target is Arilynne. Well, the egg Ari's watching but Arilynne mostly. "Heya... It's lovely, isn't it?" A slight gesture with her hands as Zasy appears beside the other candidate indicates the glittering, gilt bound egg.

Arilynne looks up from her kneeling position and nods at Zaselpha, "It certainly is." A slight grin curves Aril's parched lips, the dark rosy color fading to a light peach, "I think Syrth was saving the best for last when he was hiding this egg." Buried, deep, deep, deep under sand it was.

Buroughs moves with great reluctance from the six signs egg. Drifting, for one moment past the One Ring egg, but, with a regretfull sigh he moves on The Tessen fanned Flames egg, his next target.

Katarra seems to have come full circle and inspected each in turn till reaching this one, the late arrival, set a bit off from the others. She smiles at Aril and Zasel who also seem to be admiring it. "Strange, those marks, eh?" She leans a bit closer, eyes narrowing and hands tucked neatly behind her back. "Could almost be writing - although no writing I've ever seen."

Zaselpha does seem to find the writing interesting, edging closer inch by inch to examine it. "No, doesn't look like writing I've seen either. Even the older records aren't like that... But it does look like writing I guess. Think it means something?" Prattling, that's the word. Zasy prattles quietly. "Do you think we dare touch it?"

"How did I know he was mine?" Janah wonders curiously, snapped out of her reverie. "I didn't... He actually bonked Vae in the chest with his head. But then, he left her for Nyssath and came over to me... You won't know, not for certain, until you hear their name."

Arilynne studies the slashed markings a second time, this time plucking up the courage to trace one light figure, it's meaning unknown. "It does look like something," Aril hedges, the artistic forms lining up but she's not sure if she can claim writing. "Mean something?" She shrugs and giggles, "It's just random markings on an egg, really, isn't it?" Although Aril is wont to daydream that it's more, a doorway into something new, some different world, perhaps. Janah becomes the focus of her attention again as Aril blinks, "So until they say their name..." Pondering that, the candidate sits back on her haunches. "And not until? Do they, do they ever look like they're going to choose someone and then... change their minds?"

Katarra smiles at Zasel. "Of course!" Noting fragile appearance, she says despite that, "It almost draws you invitingly, don't you think?" Stepping around the other side, she winks at Zasel over phoenix-fire top and places one palm over a emblazenoned gold leaf.

"Oh yes, fairly often... They aren't always completely sure who they want either... Or, perhaps, not sure where the person they want is. No one knows." Janah settles, another gulp of wine as Kadarth finishes his inspection of the eggs and comes to rest his muzzle against Janah's body.

Zaselpha uhs softly almost an involuntary sound and then decides to put out a carefully hand to brush the calligraphic marks. "Well..." she half answer to Katarra, glancing up at the two golds lurking about the Sands. "I wasn't sure if Nyssath would mind or not." And explanation as she reaches back to find Arilynne so all three can touch the gilt creation at once. "Feels weird." she mutters uncertainly, cockign her head as Janah's words penetrate at last.

Buroughs once again chews on his lower lip, contemplating all the eggs about him. In confusion. A dragonette from each, How coudl they /possibly/ know who they wanted so young?

Arilynne rises from the story-telling egg, brushing sand off of her light trous as she regains her composure at Janah's words. "It's all fate isn't it, finding one's dragon on the Sands." Or not. Retreating from the eggs, perhaps to shield her heart a bit, she watches Katarra and Zaselpha and then turns her attention to Buroughs, watching her fellows happily. "The dragons are going to have a hard choice before them."

Katarra sighs happily, hugging arms around her waist as she pivots one more time to slowly gaze over all the eggs. Damp strands clinging to her neck and cheek, she bids farewell to the other candidates for now, heading off to seek a cooler arena. Visions of the eggs fill her mind though, even when they arn't in sight anymore. "Later!" she smiles, leaving the others to their contemplation.

Janah glances to the golds with a hint of a smile, noting to the rest, "I think it's probably time the rest of us go too... Seems they're getting broody again." Even Kadarth picks his way off the Sands neatly as Janah gathers up the last.