Once Upon A Time [TOUCHING]

[Deleted]

What did she want from life? The question caught her off guard as she paused, sitting there with her hand on the egg. She didn't really know. There were many things she wanted from life. Friends, people she could actually trust, to work in the archives, To show her family she wasn't useless and could Be someone. There were many answers to that question floating through her head, but she didn't exactly know which one to pick. "To not be scared anymore....." The answer came from her lips unbidden as she continued to stroke the egg slowly. Lihios wasn't afraid of things like tunnel snakes, or spiders or things like that, she was...afraid of people, so to say. She didn't know who she could trust, or if a kind face could turn around and stab her in the back. Thats what she feared.

What did she aspire to? Also a tough Question. Lihios had never really given it a though. She supposed like most females she aspired to be Weyrwoman or Something of that nature, but really she just Aspired to be a good rider, or someone people could look up to without fear or doubt. Lihios was one to live in the here and now, worrying about the future when it came and not worrying about the past. The girl hadn't really though of these questions before and her confusion on the answers showed as she mulled them over. "I aspire...to be someone people can look up to, to protect people." She finally spoke as she tilted her head to look down at the powdered egg.

"What about you?" Maybe it was stupid to ask the egg those questions, but she was curious about the answer herself. "I've never really...given those questions much thought, I've never had to."

[Deleted]

Kylixia eyed the egg as the presence of the hatchling within made itself known. It was eager and curious and more than a little excited. She could almost feel its presence wrapping around her mind and snatched her hand away. Still, the questing persisted and a wrinkle appearing in her brow, she narrowed amber eyes and after several long moments of hesitation she reached out once more and barely touched her fingertips to the eggshell. "I don't much care for others sneaking about inside my head, little one." Her voice was soft and did not carry as she strode as far around the egg as she could manage, fingertips trailing on the warm shell until she was hindered by the Beast Egg. "Still, I can't fault you for being curious; I tend to be a bit curious myself. The more you know the better you can protect yourself; remember that if you can little one."

Finally she pulled her fingertips away and shifted to the marred egg beside the small and beautiful one. She would visit each egg this day. Though she had little intention of actually Impressing any of them unless there was some unexpected prize, she was curious. She'd been too late to attend the previous hatching at which there had been not one but two queens hatched and so hadn't gotten to experience this strange and admittedly wondrous if entirely intrusive connect with the eggs. Still, of all the creatures and beings in the weyr, these eleven eggs posed the smallest threat to her hidden nature. She laid her palm flat on the Beast egg, directly over the garish gash of gray.

Before long she moved away from the pair of eggs and worked her way around, pausing here and there to place her hand against one egg or brush another. Finally she stopped before a pale grey egg and stood, hands at her sides to scrutinize it. Amber eyes took in the unappealing appearance of the STONE EGG and then she stepped forward; more than anyone, Kylixia knew that appearances could be deceiving. Reaching out she spread her fingers wide over the surface of the egg and frowned slightly; it seemed cold. A dead egg perhaps?

[Deleted]

Maylin sighed, and shook her head vigorously. Then she stared at the sands. She had been standing at the entrance for awhile now, but this was the clutch her father's dragon had sired. She knew A'dion would love her no matter what, and so would Zev, but this was Maylin. Of course she did not want to disappoint them. So for a while she just stood there, watching others touch the eggs before gathering the courage herself and stepping forward. She bowed to the queen and murmured her thanks before moving to what she had observed as one of the more lonelier eggs in the clutch.

So she carefully rested on her knees in front of the Mad Egg. Then she reached her hand out to it, carefully resting her palm upon the shell.

[Deleted]

Maylin flinched, her body pulling away a little. "Do you mean the other candidates? We are not far. They are just going around the clutch. They leave to go and greet the other eggs. We want to touch as many eggs, in the hopes one of you is our lifemate."

Then she gasped softly, pulling her hand away as she shivered. Then she was frowning a little before she started to stroke the egg gently. She felt bad for the baby within. And she indeed did not want to leave. Someone had to calm down this hatchling.

"Shhh. It's okay, I won't go. Not yet. But eventually your mom will tell me to go, then I must. Until then I shall stay here, petting your shell. Is that okay?" And indeed, each time her hand left the shell, she just moved it up before stroking down the shell again.

[Deleted]

Nothing.

Kylixia frowned and pulled her hand away from the egg. For the span of three seconds, she stared at the egg, allowing herself to feel a bit of remorse before she realized that there really wasn't a whole lot that she could do about it. Besides, what did she care if one silly egg was a dud? It obviously wasn't her dragon. Rubbing her hand against her thigh, she moved away from the grey egg and towards another of the large eggs, yet another that was set away from the rest. It was THE ROGUE EGG. Nothing was spectacular or even special about its coloring and the only thing that really distinguished it from the others was its size and location in the clutch. Reaching out, once more Killy splayed her fingers against the shell and closed her eyes. Why was this one chosen to be cast aside? The cold grey egg was understandable but this one was warm and well formed.

[avon]

Rat frowned as he considered the egg's response. He did almost feel like it was talking to him, even though there weren't words. The egg seemed to be very happy resting here on the sands, and it politely asked how he was doing. "Me? I'm just fine. Excited about the clutch, I suppose." He chuckled and patted the egg again. Such a courteous little thing, he wasn't sure if they'd be a good match. "Nice to meet you though."

Leaving the Fair Egg, he wove around the clutch, touching a few more in passing before noticing one egg sitting by itself. Rat approached the Rogue Egg, wondering why it was all alone.

[Deleted]

The egg wanted to be valued Lihios thought to herself, gently stroking the eggs shell. At first, she had been afraid she had made the egg angry, when it withdrew its presence form her mind, but it soon returned, and she found herself ever more curious. "Your lifemate will treasure you above all, of that, I am sure." She smiled at the egg, it seemed pleased enough at her responses. "I'm sure you will be greatly honored, no matter the color of your hide. Even the smallest of greens have a great place among the weyrs. Every dragon counts." she mused aloud. Her hand stilled slightly on the eggs shell as she looked down at it. 

"Hold your values high, and live to your goals. And don't let your fears hold you back." She offered as her parting words. Giving the shell one last cress as she stood slowly, careful not to disrupt the egg with her movements. "I'm going to visit your siblings now. Grow strong, Majestic one." 

With that being said Lihios looked over the remaining eggs. The last egg she would touch, The Beast Egg. Moving towards the center of the clutch, Lihios kneeled before the two eggs. Her palm reaching out to rest flat over the pale grey mark on this dark egg. Her eyes closed faintly as her head bowed. "Good morning little one...."

[Deleted]

The emotions running through Ledar were at war with one another. For starters, today was the day of the Touching, the day, he understood, that the candidates were given the opportunity to commune one-on-one with the dragon eggs. This was to be his first Touching, an intimidating prospect for any first time candidate. He was terrified of offending the clutch-mother, or worse, breaking one of the eggs. He took a deep, calming breath and just tried to remember what Master S'bol had taught them. They're dragon eggs, Ledar. They are considerably sturdier than that of birds.

After his mental pep-talk, the young man's emotion state switched from anxiety to being thrilled. After all, the touching was a chance to get to connect physically with new life. The promise of little heartbeats and minds to be felt made him almost giddy. There was no time left to worry as the dragon that would be taking himself amongst others, had arrived at the Candidate Barracks.

The first thing Ledar noticed as he arrived at Mount Chariath was the heat of the Hatching Sands. He knew from lessons that the Sands needed to be hot in order for the eggs to live, but he hadn't quite anticipated the intensity of the heat wafting from the ground. It was quite pleasant in light of the winter's cold. He removed his warmer layer and listened to what Master S'bol had to say. After the Candidate Master's speech, Ledar stepped onto the sands proper.

First and foremost, the candidate approched the clutch-mother, Aerroth, slowly and respectfully. He bowed low before the gold and awaited her approval before venturing off to the eggs. He took a long moment to admire every single egg on the sands before moving to the pair that had caught his eye. He meandered toward the Wood and Moss eggs, looking around at the other eggs in the sands. Upon reaching them he whispered gently “Hello little ones. You look marvelous.”

He admired the colouration of the Wood Egg, the brown base colour and the darker stripes that resembled the grain of wood. He gently ran his fingertips along the egg's shell, talking to it. Silly right? And yet there he was.