Healing Den Hatching 1, Gold Hyantoth and Brown Exnoreth

It was nearly what people would call the 'wee hours' of the night. Past midnight, nowhere near dawn. The black haired Healer paced through the weyr's corridors with a strange humming in her head. No doubt it was being supplied by Dulath and the other dragons below, in the hatching sands. She scurried alone, then her blue fire lizard Striker popped into the air with a chirp.

"Go find the other flits, I know at least half the children here for this clutch have them... Go on, go! The eggs are hatching! Hyantoth has been beside herself for half a candlemark!" The fire lizard clung to the rocky outcrop above Baeris for a moment, and the Healer stared at him with an image of the other flits, the strangers who had arrived within the last sevenday. That's right, she thought... Just go find those strangers and I will take care of the rest.

The blue jumped into the air and disappeared, rounding up first the smaller, more sedate green Infy, waking Tylar. The fire lizards carried on a noisome conversation while the strawberry-blond haired girl woke up slowly. Infy conveyed an urgent desire to leave the room, and Tylar began to hear the humming below. "The eggs?" She asked Infy, who chirruped gleefully. They ran from their temporary weyr, into the halls.

While Striker lit into the next nearest weyr, the one containing two rather different fire lizards, Baeris continued to locate the other candidates. She woke Frellance with a clap at his wher-hide doorflap, calling to him, "Frellance, the eggs! Your egg is hatching soon! You must be there for it, they won't come all this way to their human companions!" Once she heard him stirring in his weyr, getting his clothing on, she moved on. The dark haired boy was such a strong silent thing, she hoped that his egg did hatch the way he wished it to.

Striker meanwhile was having a difficult time moving past the aggressive and large gold Trinket, in Akinya's weyr room. Finally, with all the noise, Akinya woke and grumbled to them both about the noise they were making. Then, as if she had known all along, her golden Trinket loudly screeched and aimed the image of an egg shattering into Akinya's mind. At that, the girl sat straight up and began tossing her hair into a pony-tail. It would be time for the hatching! Her heart raced!

Striker was pleased with the results, even though Trinket seemed a bit overbearingly smug. He flapped through the weyr and spotted another of his flitly friends. The dark brown, almost black Scye belonging to Dynell woke at the appearance of the large blue. They chittered quietly until Striker remembered why he had been sent and was so eager -- the eggs! He conveyed yet again the thought of the dragons below humming. Dynell awoke on her own, so warm. Barely with anything but the white candidate robe to cover her (and she thought it was awfully warm itself), she made her way to the sands below, waiting only briefly for Scye to land on her shoulder.

Baeris on the other hand had found the young healer Faunan. She had a soft spot for the boy, healers always have much in common. "Faunan, it's time to prove yourself to a hatchling," she said, and the pale skinned young man blearily came to the doorway. "You'll be able to continue your work, either way," Baeris encouraged him, "It worked for me, didn't it?"

Several doors down, Baeris saw her firelizard continuing to do his job, and seeking out the golden Dawnlight in Nirana's weyr. The drudge girl had cleaned up admirably. She carried herself strongly, even at this inhuman time of the night. She watched Nirana and the proud and defensive Dawnlight find their way to the hatching sands without assistance. Something about that girl stirred Baeris' sense of honor and pride. What was it about her? She shook her head and continued, hoping to find the last candidates and get on with it.

Striker flew from one gold to the next. He was begining to get the hang of this announcing thing! Dawnlight was snippy but she had been nice enough to croon a kind of fire-lizardish thanks to the blue as he flew off. Finally he located Kasarth who had nested among the things that Necalaya had brought with her from her home. It was always fun in this crowded and colorful weyr! Striker flew about at first, looking at the tapestries and other stuff, until Necalaya woke and swept her hand through her blond hair. "Is it time? Now?" She asked, and both flits seemed to answer with a chirp of 'yes! now!'

Last in the line of candidate's rooms was Beledin, who stirred in a dream which he didn't seem to be enjoying. Baeris didn't want to pry, but he hadn't woken at her first handclap. It was deep in the night, and she knew that he'd been up late the night before -- a Starcrafter was like that, she thought. Always up watching the skies. He'd hopefully have a chance to do more, Baeris thought.

She shook the young crafter's shoulder gently, and whispered, "the eggs, Beledin, they're hatching now... wake, I think you'll like the sands this time of night..." To which he finally came around. He blushed darkly, though in the dim light of the hallway's glow basket, Baeris probably didn't see it. She stood and tossed him the candidate's robe which was slung on a peg beside the doorway. "You'll need this," she said, and turned down the hall.

***

As the others in the weyr were woken by the noise, they sensed that this should remain a rather private hatching. Only the closest to the hatching sands, some of the lower caverns workers and drudges, and the riders of the parents of the clutch came immediately. The drudges grumbled but they cut up enough meat from a freshly killed bovine to go around to the hatchlings. If more was needed, they would make more. Some of them even drifted back to sleep, leaning against the hatching-sands wall. As the candidates made it into the small, dark and closely warm sands, some other observers entered. They were recognized as some of the candidates for the other eggs, those small Stunt eggs which this part of the weyr was known to support. They were excited for the young men and women chosen for this clutch.

The sands were normally rather dim. These sands were kept warm by a fissure below the ground, forcing hot air through the room and out the three large openings in the ceiling. Rather than being warmed by the sunlight, as most sands were, the sands then had to have a large amount of glows scattered into baskets so everyone could see the hatching properly. Beledin winced with the light, so used to the dark of the night sky. And poor Dynell was almost swooning with the heat!

One rider walked with care around the sands, and then grinned at Baeris. "Well, about time, eh?" She said, her short hair kept away from her face by clips and braids.

"Sure is," Baeris said. "It's a good thing you've finally arrived. Exnoreth has been pacing up there on his ledge all night."

Loretta looked up at the big brown, and smiled. "He is just like an expectant daddy..." The woman looked down, halfway with a gleam in her pale yellow eyes, but with a slightly sad expression on her face. "If Cypress liked me more, do you think the clutch would be bigger?"

Baeris looked at the female brown rider, and at the small clutch on the sands. Hyantoth seemed just as proud as any gold for her eggs, and Baeris bit her lip. "It could be, but I think the clutch will speak for itself, Loretta." They found their spots of honor among the seats closest to the sands. The rider of the golden dragon had not yet arrived, and her seat was waiting beside Loretta's.

Hyantoth slid about her part of the sands, keeping her eggs away from those which had been laid since she had been there. The Healer arrived with her blue firelizard perched on her shoulder, and Hyantoth growled a greeting. Broadly, the gold spoke to the candidates!

My children call for you, she thought directly into the candidate's minds. Exnoreth and I have only made a small clutch, but my children are strong. I like you all. But you must be careful! Stay away from them until they come to you!

"Hyan, stop it!" Called out a red-haired woman gliding along in a white and silver robe. "You wherry hen! They're going to impress whether you like it or not!" She glared at the small golden dragon and aimed something else mentally at her, until the dragon queen growled and leaned away from the eggs.

"And some of them have already fondled the eggs," Baeris muttered, and Frellance nearby couldn't resist a chuckle. Hyantoth had gotten very broody over the last sevenday! Surely, because the eggs were going to hatch!

And hatch they were about to! The eggs began to stir. All the candidates sprang to attention. A smallish egg began to roll about, striking one of the other eggs, and causing a good split to spread across both of them. Then, the first egg burst open in a huge cloud of shell shards! When the dust cleared, a bold, daring green appeared. She was spreading her glossy wings already and stamped her feet on the shards of the shell, seemingly just to make sure they were off her and out of the way.

While the first green was doing that, the egg which she'd bumped into also broke open. Another green came from that egg, this one actually larger than the first! She looked at the candidates gathered around, whereas the first one seemed intent on stomping the life out of that poor shell! But the moment that this second dragonet began making her way toward the girls, the first seemed ready to cease her trampling and headed directly toward Akinya!

The girl's heart raced, but then the second green let off a terrific challenging howl! She barreled toward the first green with deep angry red eyes, and they began snarling at one another, right in front of Akinya! At last, the first green pushed her nose into the air, and folded her almost-dry wings over her graceful back. She strutted away from Akinya, and stood before Necalaya.

I did not really want her. You see, here I am! I am Fulerth, do you think that silly sister of mine could ever be what I will be to you? The dragonet bespoke into Necalaya's mind. The girl stammered out a "Fulerth! I can't believe it! You little drama queen!" Her golden flit Kasarth fluttered cheerfully into the air, adding to the antics of the green.

While the new dragon-pair left the sands, Akinya watched as her two fire lizards swooped at the first green and came back to rest upon the second's shoulders. They were practically overbearing on the hatchling, but she took them with pride. I am your Manath. She was not right for you! I couldn't let her take you! She glanced at the receding pair, and gave off a draconic snarl to her sister. Akinya laughed and called Minka to her side. The more sedate of the two fire lizards she had impressed came to her and cooed into her ear, while the golden Trinket seemed to be conferring with their new found dragon friend about how best to keep their human investment safe!

The watchers in the sands seemed to appreciate the drama unfolding below. Hyantoth gave a look to them as if to say, 'I told you they were worth it,' and went back to watching.

I am so hot!

Next, the darkly mottled egg which Frellance had been drawn to on his visits to the sands began to shake with such ferocity they all backed away from it. But rather than an explosive entrance to the world like their first hatchling had done, this egg broke off in parts and fell to the sands in great pieces. The dark exterior of the egg fell away and revealed a dragon nearly as dark brown! He was a handsome and strongly confident dragon, and strode directly to Frellance.

F'lan, the dragon thought, I have felt you for so long... I have never known anything but you. The dragonet looked into the stands and his eyes glimmered. While Frellance -- now F'lan -- hugged his dragon, the brown announced to him, I am Herixith. Do you see that girl in the seats there? Behind the woman who tended our eggs? She is going to be a good rider!

"Herixith, you can already sense good Candidates?" F'lan asked, startling some in the audience. Some Harpers began making notes furiously in their wherhide journals at that!

As the new and very young Search dragon and his rider left the sands to find the cool air outside, two more of the eggs began to shudder. One of them nearly lept into the air, and a medium colored but large sized blue broke free from his shell. The other turned out to be a very small but elegant gold! The golden dragon stretched her wings and her neck, while the blue walked around the eggs as if he were looking for something.

Oh, this is terrible heat...

The gold however then began to walk around the girls. She examined the three who were left: Tylar, Dynell and Nirana. At first she seemed disinterested at all in Impressing! She swayed her head at one, then the other, then around at the third. Then she turned and began to scratch at her shoulder. After a minute, she looked back at the girls as if to say 'are you still here?'

"Come on, Lurineth, you must choose between us!" Cried out an exasperated Nirana. Even she did not seem to realize what she'd said.

Dynell grinned and laughed, while she continued to sweat in the heat of the sands. "She's yours," the girl admitted. "You even know her name!"

When she had said that, Nirana's eyes grew wide. She knelt next to the sweetly innocent-looking gold. "It's true?"

It is true that you are my rider, and that I sensed your strength from the egg. You got my name right the first time. I am Lurineth. Now, feed me!

Laughing, she led the gold away from the sands. The blue was still walking among the unbroken eggs, when one of them fell to its side and nearly rolled over him! The blue dragon watched with curious yellow eyes as the egg broke open to reveal a green.

She called out loudly, and the blue nuzzled her as if to comfort her! But the green would not be satisfied with just this. Infy the green fire lizard lept from Tylar's shoulder and onto the sands, before Tylar could stop her. Oddly, though, it was Faunan who came to the rescue.

"Tikkith, why didn't you tell me she was stuck?" Faunan approached the green on the sands, who hissed at him and howled again. But the blue beyond her nosed the green dragonet and she quieted down while he freed her wing from the nearby egg blocking her way. Then, Faunan remained staring into the generously blue-green eyes of his Tikkith.

I thought you could see it. Perhaps it was just from here. But see, she is on her way. Will you feed me? Please? We cannot work without food, F'nan!

The healer and his dragon left the sands as the green trundled quickly over to her choice!

Will this heat never end?

The green nearly bowled Tylar over, and as the girl laughed she noticed that the green hide of her dragon had darker green freckles on it, rather like her own freckled skin! She laughed even harder, and her dragon nudged her shoulder. Why do you laugh at me? Am I funny?

"Oh, Isemoth, you're just perfect!" Tylar cried, laughing with tears in her eyes.

The largest of the shells began to shake, and tumbled onto its rounder end. Then, it cracked open to reveal a shining bronze wing! The dragon inside the shell pecked and kicked his way free, a piece at a time. The bronze was small but looked quite healthy. He shook his head and sprayed broken shell around, then flapped his wings to dry them. In other words, he acted quite like a typical bronze! The sand flew about, when he flapped harder, and he seemed to truly enjoy doing it!

Then, abruptly, he stopped. He looked directly at Beledin, the only boy on the sands left. B'din, you must forget those horrid dreams and live for me now. The stars cannot wait, and I cannot wait for the stars! I am Svatith! You are mine!

"Where is the other egg?" Cried Dynell. The urgency in her voice was mirrored by the intense fear on her face. She was sweating something awful, in the heat. "Where is it! It's here somewhere! Oh, it's so hot in here I could die!" She dove toward the sands, and Baeris stood with her eyes wide. The girl might be sharding mad, the Healer thought. Her dark brown-black fire lizard swooped through the air over the golden Queen's head and shrieked. Half-mad with heat and anguish, the girl on the mound of shells and shards began sweeping her hands through the burning sand!

Muttering went through the stands, but Baeris stopped anyone from going to her side. "Not yet," she hissed, glancing over her shoulder at the girl. Dynell was pushing volumes of sand away from an area near the middle of where the clutch had been laid. Finally, she shrieked and dug even harder.

There you are... it is so hot... you must help me...

"Morath! Morath! I hear you! Please come to me... Oh please be all right!" Dynell was single mindedly digging at the buried egg. At long last, and with the exhausted dragonet inside it able to finally breathe the warm air of the hatching sands, she pulled the pale ice-blue dragonet out of his steaming prison!

There, they lay on the sands, Morath lay atop the sobbing Dynell as they panted and regained some semblance of sanity.

Baeris called for a drudge to locate a water-sling, and it was assembled outside with the meat and the oils. The Healer went onto the sands and assisted Dynell and her brave blue dragon off to the cold-water filled sling. Fit for a fever victim, the oil-cured leather served as a portable bath, and for this pair, it served to calm them, soothe them, and at last bring them back to reality.

When the sun began to creep over the mountain ridges, Baeris and the pair of riders whose dragons had created this beautiful clutch watched it. They said nothing, these three women, but finally Dulath rose into the air followed by a very relieved Hyantoth and a proud Exnoreth.

Go BACK to the Healing Den

Thank you all for participating in the very first hatching at Baeris Kshau's Healing Den sands! Please email me with your comments, and please feel free to link to this page. It will remain on the site. By the way, Svatith is derived from Svati, Hindic for the star Arcturus, and also meaning the Milky Way... I'm so very sorry but I can't seem to get Dreamweaver to link to any sites without putting www.geo.com/apogee_elf/ in front of it. If you click on these links above in the table, you should then delete off of the link in your navigation frame all that other stuff... until you get to the second set of www. or angelfire or whatever. I'll probably have this fixed soon, but it doesn't look like I will be able to figure it out tonight... I promise, all those pages ARE there, and they do look good!!