The Darkest Hour (Loraketh's 2nd Hatching)

[Rawla]

Not long after breaking the rules by whispering over to Daria about the opal's gawkiness, did Sari see a strong-looking green dragonet come closer, very close. Holding her breath she watched as it past her by and set herself in front of Daria. When it became obvious that another impression had been made, Sari couldn't help but smile. She was truly happy for Daria. It looked to be a good match.

Looking back at the dragonets that had not yet chosen, and the eggs not yet hatched, Sari began to wonder if maybe her dragon would find her today. Or perhaps she would have to stand again and endure who knows what next time. It was not a pleasant thought.

Several times since she had walked with the others upon the sands this day, she began to wonder if she actually would stand again. The tragedy with the triumph, both combined kept swaying her mind back and forth until she finally became frustrated with herself. Putting what the future might hold out of her mind, she concentrated on the here and now. What would come later could be dealt with later. Now was the time to pay attention. And she did.

[Lark]

The Warrior Obsidian watched her latest hatched sibling impress with a look somewhere between envy and approval. Nodding after a moment, the Sub-Queen sighed and got up to her feet again from her sitting position. She was so easily forgotten it seemed, but she didn't mind. It was her duty to protect her family and love them, but she could not do all that from a spotlight on the sands. No, she had to be up there in the sky with Hers, fighting their enemies. Giving a longing look to the bit of the sky revealed from the hatching sands, the Obsidian crooned.

She would not be shown as a weakling by keening or flopping down on the sand and being upset. No, she had more dignity than that. Raising her head just high enough to show she was confidant yet not enough to automatically make others assume arrogance, she walked past the boys left and to the girls. She knew she needed another warrior, but she needed a female one. Together she and Hers would show everyone in this Weyr what they were made of, they would show all of Pern what they could do. They would die for their brethren if they must, and they would usher in new wings on the sands, guarding them as her brother and mother had so carefully guarded her.

Remembering the Gold, the Obsidian turned on her heel and looked over her shoulder. Her almost black hide caught the moonlight, shimmering a dark silver instead, her green markings showing in the dim lighting. Obsidians were hard to keep your attention on, yet in that one moment she looked to be what she had always been born to be...a princess, whether she liked it, or not. Snorting, she lashed her tail behind her and crooned to her mother. In return, the Gold crooned back. There they sat, staring at each other, only one egg left beside Loraketh and it was twitching faintly. It didn't matter though, the dragoness and her daughter were having a heart-to-heart conversation.

Nodding, the Obsidian looked back at the candidates. It was time. Walking over to them, she flared her wings slightly to keep her balance, hiding the wobbliness of her legs as best she could. One girl tried to step in front of her, but the Obsidian hissed and nudged her aside. It was not her. A boy who had strayed over even tried to step in her way, and she snapped at him too. Hers was here somewhere...somewhere. Finally, the Obsidian stopped and she looked up into eyes that seemed to know so much more than one so young should. Shaking her head, the dragonet crooned and nuzzled her head against the girl's mid-section briefly before pulling back.

She looked at the girl, thinking once more, her eyes not yet swirling rainbows. She had to be certain about this one...she had to. Finally nodding and closing her eyes completely, she bowed her head down against her chest and folded in her wings. Listen...listen to the sound of her heart, of her mind. That's all she had to do...You see My Love, I am not just a warrior. I am a Sub-Queen, a princess. These dragons are mine to protect and care for. You are Mine to protect and care for. I will never let you down, I will never betray you like your mother....Your Mizukaith doesn't even resent you for what you did to that boy. We are warriors you and I, but we fight for what we love. I had to be sure of that, and now I am.

The Obsidian, Mizukaith, opened her eyes and revealed rainbows as she looked up at Tielar. Yes, she had chosen right.

Obsidian Mizukaith

Impressed To: Tieler (Zane)
Pronunciation: Me-zoo-K-th
Rank: Obsidian
Size: 43.2 Feet
Color Codes:
Base: 303030
Marking: 22b14c

Appearance:
Like most Obsidian, Mizukaith is lithe and stream-lined. She is medium-sized for her color at 43.2 feet during full-growth. She is however as dark as one of her kind can get, with dark green markings. However, even these markings are few and thicker than most seen on Obsidians, which tend to be intricate and fragile in appearance.

Personality:
Though Mizukaith is an embodiment of love, it is not the frivolous kind. She can be sweet and a bit of a dreamer, but Mizukaith is a fighter really. She will defend those she loves till the very end, and is a light in the darkness when all seems to be lost. The Obsidian will never be considered to be a vain sort, she rather leave that for her sisters, and besides there are more important things to do anyway. However, she will be the first to step up at a lesson for flaming for instance. She often will challenge the boys as well, trying to prove she's just as good as them, and the only time she'll show that motherly love is when she clutches or finds something to call her "child."

Mind-Voice:
We are warriors you and I, but we fight for what we love.
Clear and with the slightest musical lilt, Mizukaith's voice actually isn't that loud. It's confident sure, but it's softer, almost like the Obsidian knows she doesn't have to raise it to make her point.

Why:
Tielar, you need not just someone to love you and show you that you can trust someone, but someone who will be there beside you in a fight. You're so much like me, and yet we are different. You are the one that I believe in though.[/blockquote][/center][/size]

[Rawla]

{Tag Therru}

Moonlight danced upon pale golden wings as they blinked from between over the weyr. A strong roar of power and pride came out of the gold's throat announcing their arrival. A grand entrance is what her rider wanted. A grand entrance it would be. Circling slowly down to the ground so all would have time to gather and admire, the pale queen finally back-winged down in the bowl. Muscles rippled with strength and grace as she settled. Keeping her head high and her body stance regal, she kept her position and waited for her rider and their passenger to dismount.

Ssawla held herself like a queen as they flew in for their grand entrance. This weyr was going to be her new home. And her new kingdom. Oh yes! Ssawla would have power here. High Reaches still had too many older golds for her to get anywhere. But here... There was opportunity.

When her Gold Kizzuth landed regally, Ssawla posed for but a moment more and then turned her eyes to look at all the people that had come to admire her and her gold. Steel gray eyes widened with indignation. Where were all the people??? Did they not hear their arrival? Shaking her head, she quickly masked her disgust and turned her head to her passenger.

"Dear Therru. Dismount please. We are here. Go find someone to meet us properly will you? You should be shown more courtesy than this. You are an honored one, worthy even to ride a Gold. And find out what that insistent humming is..."

Ssawla's voice was sickeningly sweet, but faltered at her last statement. Humming?

Oh!

"Quick to the hatching grounds. Make yourself seen Therru. Hurry child! Get off my gold!"

[Lark]

It had been a long ride, even though it had only been the amount of three coughs. Why Sswala was insisting they go to Trelis in the middle of the night, Therru could only guess at. However, the goldrider liked to make an impression, that was for sure. Sighing, the hunter nodded to the older woman as she asked to find others. She was about to slide off the Gold's neck and to her leg when she heard the humming too. Yes, how could she have missed that?

A smirk played over her features for a moment before it faded, and then she jumped to the ground. The girl's gray cloak fell around her as she hit the ground, and Therru pulled down the hood to reveal white hair. "I'd suggest you fly in to the above entrance, make yourself known that way." The hunter walked off then, a purpose in her stride as she headed for the lower entrances. As she arrived, Therru stuck to the shadows, knowing that she had not been invited here with the goldrider. No, she was just an add on.

There seemed to be no eggs left, but Therru didn't mind. There would be other clu....but wait. Tilting her head she moved closer, appearing at the outskirts of the sands. Loraketh had nudges something on the other side of her body. A slight cracking sound echoed throughout the hatching sands, and then the Queen moved away and lifted her wing to reveal a trembling crystal blue lump. The blue keened. It had been left alone! It had been left with no one!

Shivering, the blue took a step forward and shied away. It's body was terribly thin, its proportions distinctly feminine....it was tiny too. Therru watched the blue with an avid curiosity. What was this? New colors were one thing...but a gender change of a color already well known? The blue keened again, shaking like the last leaf of autumn as it looked around with wide, frightened eyes.

[Rawla]

One chance left. Sari looked upon that chance and felt that she still had hope. Her heart was stubborn and refused to quit even when the odds were stacked against her. Lifting her chin with pride, Sari waited patiently for her bonded to find her. Would it be this last remaining one? She knew inside that she had worth. She had honor. She deserved this ...this chance. Yes, Sari had been given a chance but never once promised a favorable outcome.

Taking a firm stance and a steadying breathe, Sari held onto her wounds, her hope and her dignity. No. She would not cry. She was made of stronger stuff.

[Aarin]

If that dragon did not think that Z’on loved her, she would probably remain a problem and a threat until the day she died. Hopefully that would not be a thing that happened. “Good,” Aarin replied. “And yes, Zekieth is a dragon of remarkable control. I am very lucky to have been chosen by such a dragon.”

I chose you because you can help me. You were the only one that can.

“Of course. And I am sure that you can in some way help me as well.” Well, uh. That was a good conversation. He looked back over at Z’on. “Be sure you celebrate, too. After all, today was the day you found your lifepartner.” Since it was nighttime, he wondered when the Hatching Feast would be. They would all have to be introduced to the Weyr in that all-too-embarrassing fashion soon enough. Maybe they would wait for breakfast. The excitement and adrenaline had not yet worn off, but Aarin was aware that it would be soon, and he could feel the exhaustion of hatching beneath the hunger and tightly packed emotions of his charge. The two of them would probably pass out the moment that Aarin was done oiling his Garnet. Which was something he probably should get on right away. He walked over and grabbed some two things of oil and two paddles. He placed one set on the table next to Z’on, and set to slathering his dragon liberally in the stuff that would prevent his hide from cracking and flaking. He had paid attention to his Candidate lessons well.

[Akira]

Pandora sighed as she fed the brown that had decided that she would become his deputy. She couldn’t say she had never wanted a dragon, but she could say that she had never wanted one quite like this. Guarximuth snorted at His’ thoughts, and knew that it would take a lot of training to whip her into shape. She would one day become an excellent deputy, but first he had to get her past the fact that she had impressed, and she needed to stop complaining about it one way or another, though, he had a feeling that this would be easier said than done.

Thee should be upset, for one day we will be the greatest writer of wrongs, and fixers of all injustices! Guarximuth snorted at his rider, and finished his second bucket of meat. His stomach was now full, and he was now searching for where they were needed. Don’t tell me not to be upset! I just impressed a dragon that thinks he’s a “sheriff” …whatever that is. Her voice was practically a hiss, but near the end, held a hint of confusion, for the young woman didn’t know much about those that upheld the law, which mean this brown really did have his work cut out for him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

T’ris smiled warmly as he slowly fed his opal dragon. The little male seemed to think that even the smallest thing could cause some drastic change that would kill him. It really was quite entertaining to hear all the different things that could go wrong, and of course, the new weyrling would always show the little male that there was nothing wrong with him. Trust me Widelmath, you are perfectly fine. He gently scratched the opal’s eye ridges as he spoke, and chuckled when it elicited an appreciative croon.

A-A-A-are you s-s-sure? I do not w-w-want to get the others s-s-sick Mine. Widelmath nervously looked around him, and cautiously sighed when he noticed that none of his siblings were close enough to him for him to get them sick. T’ris on the other hand wasn’t so happy. He wasn’t sure how he was going to convince his little male to make any friends if he was always afraid something was going to go wrong, or for that matter, that nothing was wrong with him. From what he could see, the little male was perfectly healthy.

[Lark]

The Wayward Friend Blue keened softly to itself as it looked around. Such a big world, such a big, lonely world. Did it have to be lonely though? Who would want it...surely all of these White Things wouldn't want it. Shifting uncomforatbly on its slender legs, the tiny dragonet looked up at its mother. Why did she not help? Oh! Look at them dearheart, just look. Nudging the blue toward the candidates, Loraketh crooned gratefully when it wobbled down the line.

No, no, this wasn't right though! Keening again, the little blue plopped down onto the sands and whined before stopping in a fit of sniffles and covering itself up with its large wings. No one wanted it, no one wanted it! Shaking its head back and forth, the little dragonet was just so close to giving up. Maybe if it just went away, its rider would be there on the other side? Shaking still, it wobbled a bit and its mother eyes its progress warily.

Therru bit her lip, sticking to the outskirts of the sands, not quite sure what to do. She had seen that look before in a dragonet. She had seen it in dragonless riders too. It was so confused, so hurt. The girl, entirely used to just staying in the shadows and being below the radar, made the strangest move then. She ran, her cloak billowing behind her, and she didn't stop until her arms were thrown around the blue hatchling. "Don't go, I promise it's worth it little one...just don't go."

I...are you sure you want me My Heart? Therru nodded her head, tears starting to appear in the corner of her eyes. Loraketh watched carefully, her stance tensed and ready to spring at a moment's notice. Who was this girl to appear on her sands unannounced?!? It was then that she felt another Queen's presence, one older and definitely not from her Weyr. They have arrived My Lady. She spoke to Inali, nodding back as the black haired Weyrwoman got up silently to meet the Queenrider.

On the sands, the blue nuzzled Therru gently, almost afraid to break the girl as if she were just an image. Your Nystiarth is hungry My Heart...won't you feed me? Nodding silently, Therru got up, placing a hand on the dragonet. It dropped just as suddenly, the dragonet turning around and making a surprised warble. "You're...your voice." What about it My Heart? "You're a girl!" Yes, and what about it? Is there something wrong? "You're a blue though...or are you?" No...I'm a blue. I don't see what the issue is though. Shrugging, she ducked her head. For all that Nystiarth was pretending to be alright, something was nagging at her. Maybe she really just didn't belong.

Blue Nystiarth

Impressed To: Therru
Pronunciation: Nist *like mist*-E-R-th
Rank: Blue (F)
Size: 17 Feet
Color Codes:
Base: 80FFFF
Marking: 005151

Appearance:
With a crystal blue hide and darker sapphire markings, this little lady will stand out in crowd from a mile away. She also is tiny for a blue at only 17ft. In fact, she's about the size of an Amethyst. Her wings however are the size of a normal blue's making her trip over them often.

Personality:
Nystiarth is an odity in herself. A female blue, mutated through gender alone. She is a shy, yet friendly dragoness. Unlike Hers, she is capable of eventually trusting someone. When she is able to be there, she is a perfect listener. The rest of the time she lies in wait, sometimes too shy to know how to act.

Mind-Voice:
Therru, My Heart! Why are you there when I am here? Don't you love me...don't you want me?
Like chime-bells and the whisper of wind, Therru is both quiet and easily heard. Her voice never raises and lady-like whisper though, and it often rings in your head softly afterward.

Why:
Therru, from the moment we met I knew you were who I needed. My Heart, you are the thing that I need to help, and you are the one that needs to help me. We will silently be there for each other, and yet we are independent...and you understand me Mine. No one else could know me so well.[/blockquote][/center][/size]

[Rawla]

After Therru had raced into the hatchinggrounds, Ssawla unfastened her riding straps and dropped down with a scowl on her face. Of all the times to make a grand enterance to her new home and it just had to be made during a hatching.

<Therru impressed.> Kizzuth commented as if disinterested.

A tiny tug at the corner of Ssawla's mouth tried to become a smile when she heard that bit of news. She was glad. It might just prove to be for her advantage. Now how to make it to the top here would need a lot of planning. Time to get to work.

Carefully searching every shadow around the area for secret admirers and not finding any, Ssawla sat down upon the ground, took dirt and proceeded to quickly soil her clothes with a quick, dab to her forehead. Holding her head with a soft moaning sound she lay back upon the ground and order her queen to scream with a scared sound.

<I don't get scared.>

<Just do it!> Ssawla demanded.

Scream she did. Like her rider, Kizzuth was good for theatrics. Bending down her head to sniff at her rider, Kizzuth mentally chuckled but upon futher the request of Ssawla acted as if she was worried for her.

[Zirin]

J’dol chuckled as Keegan made his way back to the stands, almost wanting to tease him once more, though he refrained for the time being. Cheering at each impression, he watched curiously as one of the greens decided to make her way through the stands and… it looked like she was headed in his direction. He wondered how close the impressee would be to him and wondered briefly how shocking it would be for that person, but never, in a thousand turns, had he expected the little green to stop in front of the dragonophobic Keegan! It was barely out of reflex that he reached for Keegan’s shirt to hold him still while the green did her thing, but the complete and udder shock did a better job of keeping Keegan in his seat than anything J’dol could have attempted.

He laughed outright as D‘rian added his two cents in. “Congrats Keegan, or rather, K’gan now aren’t you? Good luck running from dragons now!” He couldn’t stop himself from laughing, too amused by the entire thing to act properly around the new weyrling. Silly boy Kayath’s voice cut through both K’gan’s and J’dol’s mind, mildly reprimanding them both. Welcome, little one. You must be hungry. Do tell your K’gan to get his butt in gear and take you to the feeding station. You must be awfully hungry. Kayath, crooned at Orath softly from her ledge. My my Kayath, when did you become so motherly? The topaz snorted. She is a daughter of my own mother, nothing less than a sister of mine. Not to mention she needs someone to care for her… her human is quite useless afterall. Kayath didn’t bother to stop K’gan or Orath from hearing the exchange, slightly hoping it would help them get down to the meat. Faranth knew how hungry she had been after hatching.

Then in the blink of an eye more impressions were made, including the obsidian’s. J’dol didn’t know much of the candidate, but was quick to join in on the cheering nonetheless. Maybe if he was lucky, Kayath wouldn’t hate this obsidian too. I have no reason to, J’dolMine. She is not a marking-stealing twin like my ’beloved’ sister. With a sigh and a shrug, J’dol decided to avoid THAT particular conversation, instead turning to join the surprised sounds of the audience as a blue - a female blue- hatched and impressed to some newcomer he had never seen. Before they had much time to dwell on the oddity, a loud bugleing scream echoed through the ‘bowl.

“What the-? Kayath?” The topaz shrugged, but her eyes began to whirl with agitation as she tried to figure out where the sound had come from.