From: jagreath@eos.ncsu.edu (JOSEPH ALAN GREATHOUSE)
Subject: Story: The hatching 
Originator: jagreath@c00100-100lez.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: jagreath@eos.ncsu.edu (JOSEPH ALAN GREATHOUSE)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 05:52:27 GMT


This is a story about my character's impression on PernMUSH.  Any suggestions
or comments are more than welcome! Enjoy!
(All names are used without permission.  If there is a problem, please let me
know about it and I'll do something about it.  Thanx!)


























   Rohan awoke to another day at Benden Weyr.  It was time to go about the usual
chores, helping out the staff in the lower caverns, filling glowbaskets and
running errands for the headwoman.  Everything seemed normal.
   The Weyrleaders had summoned the Candidates to an informal meeting: the
clutch was getting close to hatching hardness and the Senior Queen was quite
edgy - just like a protective mother.  The Candidates took in what seemed to
be another class in how the hatchlings would behave and what to do and not to
do.  It seemed routine.
   Rohan went about his duties, chatting with the other apprentices from the
Harper Hall who had been searched.  All anybody could talk about was what
color dragon would pop from each shell.  The excitement of the impending
hatching entered every facet of Weyr life.  
   All of a sudden, the very rock of the ancient volcano which housed the Weyr
seemed to be vibrating.  The Candidates looked at one another, confused.  A
rider hurried into the lower caverns and shouted, "Candidates, it is time!"
   Rohan raced up the back stairs to the barracks.  His heart was pounding as
he quickly washed up and pulled the white robe over his head.  He looked
around at the other faces: Tavella, Talean, Venar, Fizik, Tyrin, Cinnebar; they
all looked just as nervous.  A Bronzerider stepped in from the passageway and
motioned to the group.  Three other riders followed.
   "The eggs are ready to hatch! Is everybody ready?" he asked, smiling at
each member of the nervous group in front of him.
   Several candidates smiled nervously, but none was *ready* for the hatching.
Many asked questions such as, "What do I think?" , "How do I look at the
dragonets?" , and "How will I know if I impress?"
   The riders looked about, several of them supressed grins.  The Bronzerider
spoke up, "You will know that you have impressed when the hatchling tells you
his or her name."
   The riders divided the candidates into groups who were to ride with them
into the hatching cavern.  Rohan was paired with a brownrider, the
Weyrlingmaster.  
   "Here's a little something for the hatching, Rohan.  It's the teddydragon I
had at Tagenth's hatching.  I hope it brings you the same kind of luck." she
whispered as she pressed a small child's toy into Rohan's hands.  
   Tagenth looked over his rider and passenger.  A low rumble began in the
back of his throat and became louder as each second passed.  The
Weyrlingmaster looked into her beast's glowing, whirling eyes and remarked "It
won't be long at all now!  Mount up."
   Rohan clambered up onto Tagenth's foreleg and settled himself in.  His
thoughts raced.  "What if I don't impress? What if I do?  Will this be it?"
   Rohan's stomach lurched as Tagenth sprang into the air.  Tagenth's powerful
wings drove the dragon higher into the Benden Weyr bowl.  He angled toward a
large opening in the side of the bowl which seemed to be the destination of
every other dragon on Pern!  
   Rohan held his breath.  Suddenly, Tagenth was in the opening, following a
bronze dragon in, nose to tail, with another dragon close behind.  Suddenly,
the opening widened, and the dragons flew to different parts of the hatching
ground, some to drop off guests and others to take the candidates to the
sands.
   The candidates looked around in awe at the sight before them.  Thirteen
mottled eggs, and two of the biggest dragons on Pern were before them.
Most of the candidates fidgeted as the intense heat of the sands took its toll
on bare feet.  The thrumming of the dragons became more intense and several of
the eggs began to rock!  Gasps arose from the galleries as the last of the 
guests invited to watch the hatching scurried for seats.  
   One of the eggs with a greenish pattern suddenly popped and cracks slowly
spread down the sides of the egg.  Others quickly followed suit.  Suddenly
a bronze beak popped out of the green egg as the little dragonet struggled
free of his egg.  The little dragonet righted himself and diligently looked at
the various candidates.  He seemed to see one he liked and wobbled over to 
Talean.  Talean's face was rapt as he gazed into the little dragonet's eyes.
   "His name is Duzorth!"
   T'lean's impression seemed to be a cue for other eggs to hatch.  First a
green, then a brown and another bronze.  Rohan couldn't keep up with the
young dragons and the confusion as the brown looked him over, but passed him
by.  Tavella was lovingly scratching a little green Dragonet, while the brown
waddled its way over to Fizik.  It was all happening too fast!
   Then a throbbing hum, deeper than before came from the ledges where the
bronzes were perched.  The Queen egg, with Jeniath hovering protectively over
it, began to rock.  Everybody's attention was riveted on the group of women
who hadn't impressed yet.  The gold cracked and rocked as its occupant decided
that NOW was the time to make her entrance.  As the shards fell away and the
crowd quieted, a hatchling with a deeply burnished gold hide emerged, and the
bronzes approved humming louder.  She took a couple of tenative steps toward
the circle of women and tripped, sprawling headfirst into the hot sand. 
   Jeniath crooned encouragingly to her daughter, looking at the girls as if
she were daring them to come nearer.  The hatchling righted herself and
stumbled toward the circle of women.  She looked at one, then another,
seemingly not satisfied with either.  
   Cinnebar stood just opposite the little gold hatchling in the circle.  She
watched intently as the gold went from girl to girl, looking for the right
match.  Suddenly, the gold stopped and looked over toward Cinnebar. 
Cinnebar's heart jumped as Altianath crooned up at her, paired as rider and
dragon.
   Twelve eggs had hatched and twelve candidates had paired with their new
weyrmates.  Rohan was exhausted with the heat and barely could see the last
egg, a dull brown egg with no special markings.  The egg began rocking and 
the last hatchling struggled free.
   Rohan fell over in a dead faint.  One of the other candidates tried to wake
him as the little bronze dragonet tumbled out of his egg.
   The little dragonet looked around and saw the boy lying on the sands.  He
tottered over, wondering what was wrong.  The humans seemed concerned.  He was
concerned.  He looked at the boy, his mind reaching out.  
   Rohan felt a subtle touch.  Somebody was tugging at him, but it was
*inside* his head.  He opened his eyes, and not a meter away was an anxiously
crooning little bronze dragon.  That was where the tugging in his mind came
from.  Rohan reached out. "Don't worry at all, I'm ok."
   Vargath gently nudged Rohan.  How did he know the dragon's name?  A huge
grin spread across R'han's face as he announced the bronze's name. "He says his
name's Vargath and he's hungry!"
   Impression day was over.  R'han now had new duties and responsibilities to
the weyr, and more importantly to Vargath.

-- 
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*  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GO WOLFPACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *
*                         jagreath@eos.ncsu.edu                          *
*                                                                        *
*  Joseph A. Greathouse            *  Smile and watch Tiny Toons!        *
*  R'han@PernMUSH                  *  Hey, I like it                     *
*  Rider of Vargath                *  The best damn dragon on Pern ;)    *
*  North Carolina State University *  Glad to finally be here. :)        *
*                                                                        *
*  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GO WOLFPACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  *
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