Hatching of Clutch 6
Selara looked calm and collected where she sat near her green, Sardith, at the edge of the sands. Today was the day Sardith's first clutch would hatch and change the lives of 11 of the 13 hopeful candidates. Unlike previous queen, green, and white riders awaiting the hatching of their dragons' eggs, (including Weyrwoman Carah) Selara sat waiting as if she hadn't a care in the world. While other weyrfolk, dragons, and spectators began to fill the stands, brown Suscoth, the sire of the clutch landed with his rider, U'tan. Striding over to Selara, U'tan called her bluff, "Selara, I know that poker face anywhere! You Bitrans are all alike. I bet deep inside your so excited you can hardly stand it, but there you sit hiding your emotions." Selara just smiled at him as Sardith privately told U'tan, "Your right, she is excited." As U'tan sat down next to her, still teasing as he took her hand in his, the candidates were led in by the Weyrleader. All thirteen of them were nervous, excited, eager, hesitant, competitive, and hopeful all wrapped up together. The eggs had begun rocking only minutes before, and now, two of them were very close to hatching. Quickly the candidates formed a loose semi-circle around the eggs and waited. It wasn't long before one gleaming, wet head broke through the shell followed by a larger, darker head. For once, a green hatched first, followed by a brown. Eager to make her choice, the green wriggled out of the rest of her shell and teetered over to the five eager women waiting. She walked strait to the second closest girl passing by Maylora to choose a girl with long black hair. "Why, I never expected to be first to impress, Tesrith," Mikahly told the delicate green. The brown was a little slower making his choice. From his place in the center of broken shell pieces, he considered who his rider should be. A few of boys stepped closer in hopes they might catch his attention. It worked, and soon the first brown staggered into the arms of the closest boy. "I knew you would pick me, Indesth, I just knew it!" Wolmin shouted with pride. The largest egg on the sands began trembling and soon, just as everyone had hoped, a new golden queen made her entrance into the world. As she too, looked for her rider, she saw four pairs of legs. Unfortunately, three of them stood between her and the rider she wanted. Gently, but firmly, she pushed her way through the girls till she was right in front of the girl of her choice. Tipping her head way, back, she finally locked eye's with a very tall girl. "Me, Flanith? you want me?" an overwhelmed Khelta asked in disbelief. More movement on the sands grabbes the audience's attention. This time, a bronze and two blues command the boys' focus. The bronze moves the fastest out of his shell, but seemes to want one of the boys in the back. While he is making his way between eager boys, one of the blue hatchlings sneaks up on Hirock. Turning around to face the royal blue beauty, he says, grinning from ear to ear, "Vemoth! You startled me." The bronze finally makes his choice, but trips only a few feet from his goal. His chosen rider moves quickly to help him up. When the bronze is on his feet again, his rider bursts into laughter. "Sesendath," Torel teases, "the only way to get all that sand off you is to take a bath!" The last blue, getting a glimpse of the boy he wants, totters forward when his path is blocked by another boy. Pushing Dendekian out of the way, the blue finds Setac still waiting for him. "His name is Grensith!," he announces. Somewhere in the stands, the Masterharper is heard to say, "well, there go three more of my harpers, a journeyman and two apprentices." Two more smaller eggs hatch next revealing two more greens. Slowly they make their way towards the girls. First, they both seem to be headed towards Maylora. Then, they both turn to Cordata. Looking at each other, the green hatchlings seem to converse before they each choose one of the girls. "This one is Chaidith," Maylora announces, followed by Cordata's announcement, "Her name is Morentith." The last three eggs rock gently on the sands as the last five candidate wait hopefully. A large brown head breaks through next, while a bronze foot bursts through another egg. Soon there is a brown, a bronze, and a blue hatchling free to choose a partner. The large brown almost knocks over a very young candidate in his eagerness to get to him. "Slow down, Narath," Dendekian tells him, "I'm not going anywhere. The bronze is picky. There are three male candidates left but the blue isn't moving. The bronze carefully looks at all three, pacing back and forth between them before stopping in front of the one in the center. "I hope you're not this picky about your food as well, Ornuth," Kutan told him as he leads him out. Once the bronze makes his choice, the last blue runs to his new rider. Kneeling down to look the blue in the eyes, Taren says, "Of course, Sarmeth, I'm glad the bronze picked Kutan too."
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