Watch Where You Step (Firelizard Hatching)

[LyricalBlue]

((I know Star, HG and Redden all have firelizards due. E, or anyone else who likes can also claim one from this clutch if they have enough cookies.))

The tall, lanky form of E'dian stalked the second cavern with a vengeance. He needed somewhere quiet, to think. Weyrleader he was no longer, that title had passed him with his daughter's ascension to Weyrwoman. Well even if he no longer had to stand in front of crowds, that in itself was a blessing, he found it hard to let go. At least when he was in charge he knew exactly what was going on at every moment. It was hard to release control and watch his daughter's dragon rise into the sky for the first time. Yet another wet behind the ears' girl was all the rock the Weyr had to stand on. E'dian stopped and and ran a hand through his hair in his typical mannerism.

As he paused he noticed a scratching sound echoing through the abandoned chamber. E'dian glanced around and caught sight of movement in the far corner. As he made his way over slowly, he pulled out a meatroll that he had stashed in his pocket and took a bite. No sooner than the roll was hanging out of his mouth did he stop once more, than a flurry or wet wings beat against his face. E'dian stepped back with a shout and reached out, catching the creature that had stolen the meatroll right out of his mouth.

With a chirp the bronze firelizard stuck his head in the pocket of E'dian's pants and drew out the remaining meatrolls, devouring them in a few quick bites. The former Weyrleader stared in awe at the hatchling in his arms and reached out for his dragon immediately.
Xialanth! There are firelizards hatching in the Old Grounds! Spread the word! And tell them to bring meat!

With a rumble that was clearly disapproving, the bronze broadcast the message to anyone that was in the area who could hear. Firelizards, what nonsense. E'dian supported the wet lump in his arms and looked back up to where the rest of the clutch was beginning to make their way out of the shells. Faranth, they better hurry or this was the only one the Weyr was getting.

[starshine]

Kesstriel was too distraught to think straight. Emotions whirled in her mind, and the thought of the flight ending the way her gut was telling her didn't help. Why would E'vos even think of joinging the flight? The thought boggled her mind and left her dazed and confused. She needed solitude, and she needed it quickly. She had slipped easily out of the now Weyrwoman Iaslia's weyr, most of the bronze riders were too entangled in her cousin to notice she was even there. Once outside the door she stood against the cool rock wall for a moment, breathing heavily. Her eyes roamed, as if looking for somewhere to go, her mind wheeled. With a start her feet were moving, carrying her down the stone steps, short legs taking strides that would seem almost too large. She made a pass into the Weyrhall to grab a few meatrolls and a red fruit before continuing on to her destination. She rapped her would be supper in a cloth napkin and made her way down a second flight of stairs and into the tunnels.

She broke through the entrance to the tunnel and landed on her knees in the soft warm sands of the hatching grounds second chamber. Typical Kesstriel, attempting to get somewhere too fast, and ending up tripped over herself. She glanced up, in a hopeful attempt at seeing is anyone had seen her "accident". Embarrassment flooded her, her cheeks flushed. The former Weyrleader stood before her, if he had noticed, she couldn't tell, though from the look on his face she seemed to be in the clear. In his arms was a bronze firelizard. An exact replica of his larger than life bronze dragon. Xialanth would like me to inform you that E'dian had located a clutch of firelizards which are...[/color] You have the best timing, you know that? All she received in response was a pleasant almost chuckle. She rose to her feet and walked calmly over to the tall lanky man. Another step and she was greeted with a rather high pitched lively chirp and the flash of blue wings in her eyes. What... what... She blinked a few times before settling the tiny blue creature onto her arm. It had been hastily prodding at the tightly wrapped napkin she held in her hand. "Alright, alright..." She unwrapped the meatrolls and made an attempt to hand one to the tiny creature. She glanced up, at E'dian, silently amazed.

[hrsegrl]

There were many things that were not told to the dragon healer. One of them was what was happening with the Gold flight and another being that there were firelizards hatching. If anything the man just had excellent timing. He had been in the Bowl earlier, on his way to lunch with his weyrmate who finally had time to have lunch with him this sevenday. Sometimes he suspected she was busier than he was. Lunch was now going to have to be cut short. He had to prepare... there was a lot to do before the next clutching.

Luthiel knew when she saw him that he would be breaking off lunch. He told her the news and though she seemed excited she nodded that he must go. Of course she held him back long enough to pack a couple meatrolls for him and a redfruit. While he had at first planned to stop by his office he quickly decided it was too out of the way for what he was going to do. Besides anything major he could keep track of mentally.

The best thing about being in the right place at the right time was that one never expected it to begin with. So his suprise, though masked when he arrived at the Hatching Caverns was pleasant enough. Kesstriel stood watching the Weyrleader or ex-Weyrleader at any moment... holding a … Firelizard? There were firelizards here? He was not even paying attention to the fact that the redfruit he had been eating was now out in the open for all to see and smell. All meaning the firelizards.

“I've been meaning to ask about firelizard behavior versus that of dragons...” He said out loud. “You don't suppose that they could be trained do you?” Phaedon was in desperate need of a good messenger. Without a dragon he could not communicate quickly with anyone. Now and again he could get an exceptionally quick footed boy to run errands but they grew older or impressed or joined a craft. It was not easy to keep one around that was for sure. His hand felt a slight tug as if the redfruit were resisting being held. Phaedon realized too late that he should not have left his arm down like that.

When he looked down at the redfruit he gasped...there was something shiny at the other end. “Oh my.” The little things were not partial to fruit although she seemed to be well contented to lick the juice up from the redfruit. No doubt the sugary smell had attracted her in the first place.

[Redden]

Firelizards? Oh such a thing has not reached this old mans ears in quite some time. Zace could not help himself but to go down to the hatching grounds the second he heard. After all, a little companion would be great for getting the children involved and with the Candidates. And if the lizards did not like him, he at least could tell stories and take record of them.

Excited the Harper shuffles his way over to the grounds, jingling with each step from his beads, even bringing a sack of meat rolls with in case no one else did. This is the fastest the older man had moved in quiet a few turns, by the time he got to the edge of the sands he was huffing and puffing. "Oye, my old heart was made for merry, not marathons!" He coughs looking around to see whom had beat him.

Thankfully a few had, it seems Phaedon had beaten him along with the lovely little bluerider Kesstriel and E'dian each seem to have already made a new friend. "Kessriel my lovely girl please be a dear!" Zace has a seat in the sands, "I need a rest but please take this for the little ones!" Out of breath the portly Harper half holds up the sack of meat wheezing slightly.

As he does Zace feels a tug on the bag, to his surprise one of them had scurried their way across the sands already and hopped in to the sack, only a green tail to be seen waving happily. He pulls the little green out of the bag and takes a good look at her chewing on a meat roll. "I caught little thief! Save some for the rest of your siblings! Phaedon! Look! Finally a couple of gals that like us!" The Harper chuckles and coughs loudly still short of breath.

[E]

A little head popped up between E’dian and Phaedon, his light brown hair and baby blue eyes left him as easy to recognize as a common face underfoot as his short stature. Somadin the Tiny wasted no time tugging on Phaedon’s pant leg even as he looked to the bronze rider.

“May I please try? I know I wasn’t good enough for a real dragon on the sands, but they are little ones… little like me, maybe one would like me?” he spoke quickly, knowing that there wasn’t much time, but he also knew that the word had been sent out for adults to come, not kids. Even so, he couldn’t pass up the chance the ask and try…

“Please?” he asked, tugging on Phaedon’s pants again and turning his pleading blue eyes up to the dragon healer this time.

[hrsegrl]

((Sorry I'm going out of turn...))

The Master Dragon Healer was quite smitten with his new little Gold and had trouble realizing he was being addressed at first. His brown eyes scanned the sands over to where Zace was. Ahh, it was the Master Harper. There was no doubt in his mind the man was entirely too happy all the time. Today the merriment seemed warranted though. The little firelizards were only the icing on the cake today. They had a mature Gold once again and that meant dragonets which meant fighting dragons. That was what had concerned him the most. Until he became entangled in this mess...now he was not going to be able what he had planned this afternoon.

Phaedon had never had any trouble with women. If he was not true to his weyrmate he could easily have other women. Many had made that known to him quite openly. Sure most of them wanted him because of his status but that was part of the benefit of being him. “Now Zace I've never had trouble with the ladies...” It was true enough and apparently true of firelizards too seeing as how he had managed to interest a little Gold.

The tugging at his sleeve made him turn and look down at a small boy who he was sure he had seen before. Probably a Candidate. The youth was very small indeed and Phaedon wondered briefly if he was getting the proper nutrition...maybe he needed to bring the boy over for dinner. Luthiel would make him eat more. She hated to see the youth of the weyr looking thin of course that was the mother in her. “Oh, well here you are.” He reached into the pack he had brought and gave the boy a meat roll. “Its best if you let them come to you. Not the other way around... much like dragons.” If the boy was a Candidate then he knew what Phaedon was talking about.

Golds were not patient, even as firelizards. She nearly nipped Phaedon's hand for not giving her the meatroll first. “You are next little darling. Be a lady and behave yourself.” He looked at her sternly as she sat on her back legs watching the meatroll with whirling blue eyes. “Gently now.” He gave her a little piece of meatroll and then another. “Luthiel will not have bad manners in her place. You best remember that.” The little Gold was too busy greedily eating whatever he gave her to pay much mind to what he was saying. It was more the tone of voice she heard anyway. Even that right now was being ignored though she was making little noises as she ate. It was clear that she was very happy.

As the slime of the egg dried on her body, she was no longer dark, nor was she light. Her hide gleamed like polished gold coins. “I have to admit your a pretty thing to look on.” And didn't she know it...

[E]

Somadin accepted the meatroll, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet as he quickly turned and ran a good distance around the quickly hatching clutch. Falling down to his knees, he tried his best to slow his rapid breathing as he much more slowly lowered himself down to his stomach and held out the meatroll before him.

He wasn’t sure which was more important, watching the meatroll or watching the clutch. Colorful little bodies broke free of the eggs, but unlike the dragons he had watched clutch before, these little beauties had no problem flying right out of the shell. In fact he soon found his head turning this way and that as he watched them take off and slowly, but surely disappear out of the hatching grounds.

Oh no I was too slow…. he thought with a frown as he watched a little bronze firelizard disappear to where-ever it was they were going. Turning back to his meatroll he found it still empty. Feeling that familiar pang of not being good enough, he looked around at those standing on the sands, each with a little firelizard in their hands. None of them had taken very long… But then again all of them were adults… and none were small.

He forced his eyes to the dwindling clutch again, then to his empty meatroll as he felt his stomach tighten again and his eyes start to burn. It wasn’t the heat of the sands that bothered him either. His arm holding the meatroll slowly began to droop as yet more and more of the little things left the area. Finally he let it fall completely, burning his head in his other arm to hide his tears from the adults around. Apparently he wasn’t good enough for even a miniature dragon.

That’s when he felt it – the little claw grasp his thumb. His hold body going ridged as he tried his best to look still, Somadin almost shook with the effort of not looking up too quickly. He said to be still… I must be still… He felt another little claw take hold of the meaty part of his hand, then felt the smooth, wet hide slide across his skin. It was too much, Somadin had to look up.

Lifting his eyes, he found a little firelizard holding onto his hand for support as he tugged and pulled at a piece of meat from the meatroll. Getting it free, he would nearly swallow it whole before tugging at a new piece. The little thing was a wet baby blue in color and Somadin found fresh tears rolling down his cheek.

“I can impress…” he said softly, as if it was a secret confirmation between just him and the little firelizard that used him for support.