High Reaches Weyr's 10th PC Clutching

Vaeli's gold Nissionath x B'ane's bronze Aboleoth and Pyrene's gold Cadgwith x Sii'kyn's brown Sidramuntalath
29th June 2003
Logged by Vaeli


<All> Nissionath senses that she rolls her voice like boiling hot silk, caressing every mind with a painful, yet also engaging touch. Feelings of contentment followed by a shallow pain explodes from the gold's thoughts as she projects for all. « Mm. It's time, I do believe. They shall arrive sooner then anticipated. » Heat from wild bonfires can only imply one thing - The Sands.

Sand's Edge
Hot - hotter - hottest! Heat rises from the Sands just beyond the upraised stone, rippling and undulating outwards to flow out through this vaulted entrance. The air is hot and heavy, a thick mantle that clings to those who skirt the edges of the Sands and slip into the tiered galleries along the inner wall. The whoosh and promise of cooler air is but a few steps away in the bowl.
Gold Nissionath is here.

<All> Nissionath senses that Cadgwith sends cooling sleepy waves over wild bonfires. « No, it is too soon… » she drowses, quite sure of this fact. She's not ready after all. She's napping.

From the galleries, Pyrene comes up the stairs.
From the galleries, Zarelyn walks in.
From the galleries, Livesta walks in.
From the ledges above, Phirath scrambles in, careful of wings and tail.
From the ledges above, Sapha alights from atop Phirath with minimal assitance from the pale green.
From the galleries, Tye comes up the stairs.
From the ledges above, Sapha edges further along the ledge and into the galleries.
From the galleries, Magen walks in.
From the galleries, Reuben walks in.

From the galleries, Pyrene paces along the front tier, ignoring the people whose toes she's stepping on. "It's got to be false labour. She can't possibly be ready yet. Cadge flew first y'know…" And Cadge, ever tardy, is overdue. But that's not the point. The most Sr weyrwoman (if only by knot) glares down at the most Jr Weyrwoman (if only by age) as if it's her own personal fault.

From the galleries, Sii'kyn comes up the stairs.
From the galleries, Kenaz walks in.
From the ledges above, Bydelth scrambles in, careful of wings and tail.

Nissionath shuffles a bit on the warm sands, not really paying attention to the growing crowds in the galleries above her. Instead, she just concentrates on here and now, as all dragons do. The golden queen prefers to stay closer to the entrance, most likely to keep her rider from making a quick getaway. The sooty gold makes a few small holes with her forepaw, before moving on and around, making random indentions in the hot grains until she finds a specific spot to her liking. Lifting her great, golden head, she sends a loving croon over to Vaeli, making it known that she is really enjoying the few moments of relaxation.

From the galleries, Maynard walks in.

From the galleries, Dropping off supplies at the infirmary she heard the exciting news and quickly made her way to the galleries. Looking around Magen takes an out-of-the-way seat.

From the galleries, Kenaz wanders in, surprised he's actully on time. Another Baker, Master by knot, follows behind him, pointing to two empty seats with a good view. Kenaz and his mentor scramble down, and while the Master finds an old friend nearby to talk to, the apprentice keeps his eyes on the dragon queen below.

From the galleries, Zarelyn, dragged rather reluctantly up the stairs by the much more enthusiastic Louhi, makes for the back of the gathering and finds a seat close to the rear wall and flops down, muttering the entire time to her friend. "But it'll be like watching a birthing. Lots of grunting and then trouble afterwards." Louhi merely shakes her head and sits beside Zarelyn, watching intently.

From the galleries, As the thud of another dragon landing to watch the glorious event was heard, footsteps are heard coming running from that direction. The source is young Maynard, who recently has been around the Weyr a lot, helping with random jobs. He runs up, and asks breathlessly, "It hasn't started yet, has it?"

<All> Nissionath senses that Cadgwith wakes up enough to realise that Nissionath is being serious, and white-tipped waves of confusion scud the surface of her once calm thoughts. « Now? But… I'm supposed to clutch first. » So Pyrene says. Unfortunately, Pyrene did not provide Cadge with a date and thus the older queen is now uncertain as of whether she missed it or not.

From the galleries, Tye almost trips as makes a running dash into the galleries. "Okay," She gasps, obviously out of beath. "Valedath said the oddest thing. Demanded that I wake up and get my tail here. Something about Nissionath clutching already.. or something?" The bluerider looks a bit scraggly, having just woken up and throwing on any clothes close enough. "Didn't think it'd be for a'least another sevenday or so. Woke me up outta a really nice dream, he did." A jerky yawn is given as Tye wanders over to peer down at the sands, before backing up to get one of the better seats in the house.

From the galleries, Sapha clutches her jacket closer about her, thats the thing about living in a tropical climate you get used to it. Deciding to forego staying close to the source of her internal commentary the Ista rider slips on booted feet towards a rather prime seat centre stage. Avoiding pacing Weyrwomen and another assorted products of chaos she slides her leather-clad body into the seat just moments before some Smith succeeded in his attempt to steal it from her. She saw it first, its hers fair and square.

From the galleries, Reuben edges in, his eyes flickering around the cavern and then down at the Sands and sees the queens. And stops dead in the middle of the stairs, just staring at them down there. Okay, so he'd seen dragons in the Bowl, dragons flying over the Bowl, but never like this. Rucksack on his shoulder is nearly dropped as he's pushed to move along by another weyrperson and he nods absentmindedly. "Okay.. I'll sit.." he mumbles and moves slowly to slip onto a bench, still staring at the golden dragons down on the sands. "Amazing.."

From the galleries, Sii'kyn actually isn't scrambling in discombobulatedly - he's just wandering in, hands in his pockets, leaning back - whistling. "Ahh, clutchings." Hey, he doesn't have to sweat it yet. That's the fire-gold out there; not Cadge. He doesn't hafta - sweat. Yet. Though in this heat, he might end up, anyhow.. Ike wanders along, lifting a brow before sliding into his designated spot. He leans back and yawns, before his eyes start to unfocus in that randomly familiar way. Rut roh.

From the galleries, Pyrene stops pacing as the galleries get too full to make it practical, and instead takes a seat next to Ike and folds her arms as she watches, shooting sidelong glares at the rider of her dragon's current mate. Ram obviously has slow genes.

From the ledges above, N'ano slides from Bydelth's neck and lands gently on the ground.
From the ledges above, N'ano edges further along the ledge and into the galleries.

From the galleries, Maynard gives a sigh of relief, realizing that he, thankfully, isn't late. He squeezes his way through, trying to get a good view, meanwhilst profusely excusing himself and apologizing as he squeezes through the people. Boy, it sure was crowded! Nothing he's ever been in, that's for sure..

From the galleries, Trajan comes up the stairs.
From the galleries, Geira walks in.

Nissionath rises from her relaxation to begin furrowing once more. The atmosphere certainly changes quickly as she moves herself just a step to the left, a wet ovoid in the spot of one of the holes. There, sits the Nuclear Boom Egg. Apparently the chubby queen loves to start things off with a bang. Another step brings her farther away from the clutched egg, and as the gold begins to burrow another dent into the sand, the Foom! Pyromaniac Egg becomes visible right next to its sibling egg. Nissionath is all business now, after seeing her two new eggs. Cause, baby, this bombshell of a dragon is on fire.

Nuclear Boom Egg
Ka-boooom! Shock waves ripple across this egg, its plain brown surface disrupted in explosive, concentric circles. The origin of the disruption? A large splash of red and orange and yellow, an epicenter of color amidst so much plain gray-brown. The jagged mushroom cloud virtually screams "duck and cover," a warning to any who might be too deceived by its otherwise boring appearance.

Foom! Pyromaniac Egg
A single flame bursts into a cacophony of frenzied laughter, a dance of primal joy that manifests in volcanic shades of red and orange spilling down the surface of the egg. A fizz of pale gray dusts over the shades, acting as a smoke-like curtain, obscuring the vibrant colors. A mocking giggle, a touch of flame, and oval-shaped splotches of yellow blaze across the base of the egg. A flick of a match, and brilliant yellow and orange splatters the top of the egg, sizzling into a few black-scorch specks of oblivion.

From the galleries, Ooh. Aah. Other sound effects that humans make that are similar to ooh and aah. Maynard lets out these small noises, watching as the first two eggs drop out of Nissionath's body.

From the galleries, A loud 'squeee' comes from the back of the galleries, followed by an excited, "Look, look." Zarelyn soon follows up her friend's comment with a chuckle and a perhaps slightly rude observation of, "It's only an egg Louhi. There'll be more yet."

<All> Nissionath senses that Cadgwith thinks « I'm not ready… » Cadge still laments, quite possibly in response to her rider. And then a ripple, a bubble seems to go through her thoughts. « Oh! I /am/. »

From the galleries, Kenaz leans over towards Reuben, the closest stranger to him. The Baker Master was involved in some convortsation, so Nazy was free to talk. "I'll bet that orange egg is a bronze. Nice and big that one is too. Care to place any bets?"

From the galleries, Pyrene jumps at the sight of the eggs - and then right to her feet, tugging hastily at Ike. "That's got Cadge going! C'mon!" And she picks up her skirts and dashes for the stairs.

Cadgwith moves into the heat, shimmered and blurred by the ripples that rise off the Sands.
Pyrene moves into the heat, shimmered and blurred by the ripples that rise off the Sands.

From the galleries, Magen smiles and takes a deep breath. The air was electric with excitement, and warm from the heat off the sands. Leaning forward she watches as the first eggs are laid. And still more to come.

From the galleries, Jafia comes up the stairs.

From the galleries, Sii'kyn ignores Pyrene oh-so-cheerfully, other than nodding in her direction from greeting. At a note from Ram, his head cranes, and the man blinks rapidly. "Oh - I'm - goin'!" He helplessly waves over at Traj, and bolts for the sands. It's a race. He'll get there before Ram, oh yes. .. Really.

From the galleries, Sapha perches on the edge of her seat, jiggling her legs and huddling her arms together. Her dark eyes are focused almost entirely upon the sands. a broad smile settles on her face as the eggs start coming thick and fast. "Oh how lovely." Comes the inadvertant exclaimation. "They look very warm." She nibbles on her lips, logic telling her that at this distance they are unlikely to offer her any warmth. "Oh no. They are greens, Definately Green." She mummbles helf-heartedly towards someone only half-heard.

Sii'kyn moves into the heat, shimmered and blurred by the ripples that rise off the Sands.
Sidramuntalath moves into the heat, shimmered and blurred by the ripples that rise off the Sands.

From the galleries, Maynard gives a shrug at Sapha's guess, and says, "Well, if they are greens, they'll be very, very large greens.

From the galleries, Trajan climbs up the steps carefully..in time to blink as Sii'kyn dashes right back down. ..Blink? Oh yes, the little baker will definately pout, a slight huff coming from him as his weyrmate heads for the sands. He simply sighs afterward though, head shaking before he hops along through the throng of people, finding his way to an unocupied seat.

From the galleries, Reuben hasn't even noticed the heat. Yet. Eyes just locked on that spectacle on the sands, he wouldn't much care if he did anyway and as one queen lays two eggs just after each other he points, beaming a smile toward the dragon, "that was fast!" Glancing at Kenaz, he nods a little, but says, "I dunno. I don't think I'd dare hazard guesses what colors are inside the eggs. From reading the Records such guesses are usually wrong.."

Stop the bus! Hold the train! Cadgwith is coming through! She's made it… she's on time… she's coming at a prudently sedate pace considering her big, shimmying girth. Tail held high at the tip, but tucked low at the base (to prevent accidents) she picks her way awkwardly past the two explosive eggs and claims her own western portion of the sands with some relief.

From the galleries, "Watch where you're goin'!" Tye snaps out at a resident that accidentally stepped on her foot. Not good to temper with the wrath of this bluerider before she got any klah in her system. "Surprised Cadgwith didn't get down there first. Could have sworn she rose first.." Shoulders are shrugged as the 'rider just leans back and watches between people walking in front of her and scurrying to get to a seat and small glimpses of the sands. "Oh? Did I see an egg get laid?" Tye asks, instantly raising to her feet and scowling at those in front of her. "Sit down, will ya? Shells, bloody people. Pretty eggs." She comments, offhand.

From the galleries, Geira, Tillek Messenger Extraordinaire, has arrived. Perhaps a little slower than others, but it takes her longer to swagger sometimes than for others to walk. That, and she /is/ here on official business, so why would she have come, if not for that? She nods to a High Reaches Messenger who had entered only a few moments ago, and takes a seat. For a moment, she oogles as /another/ queen moves on the sands, jabbing the other messenger in the ribs. "Well, lookit that!" Not that he can't see it, it's that she's… excited. What a wonder.

Pyrene chases after her own dragon, only to almost immediately have to duck Sidramuntalath as the father-to-be makes his own way onto the Sands. She backs off a safe distance, gesturing at Ike to join her, while giving Vae helpful condescension. "For future reference, it's only courteous to clutch further from the entrance, so that another queen may have room for another clutch without having to step over yours."

From the galleries, Kenaz shrugs. "Well, we may always be wrong, but it's always fun to guess. What's this now? Another queen?" As usual, Nazy has been left in the dark about these things, so he's quite surprised that it's a double clutching. He turns around towards Sapha and Maynard. "I'll bet that other, brownish egg is a green. Or maybe a blue." He twinkles a smile, happy to finally be talking to people after being locked away in the kitchens for the past couple days.

From the galleries, Keladry walks in.

Nissionath stands protectively around the first two of her babies, seeing how she's positioned rather close to the entrance. After several caring words on Vaeli's part, Nissionath simply retreats to watching the elderly queen and the brown clutchfather scoot around her. Crooning suspicious greetings to Cadgwith, the younger gold is apparently chiding her about being late. "It's not my fault she chose that spot. What am I to do? Tell her to roll her clutch elsewhere so Cadgwith's large behind can squeeze through? Be my guest, Pyrene." Vaeli promptly crosses her arms and controls the smirk emerging on her face.

From the galleries, Seeing as Sapha is a rider, and a green rider no less she'd be in a better position to guess eggs. "Nothing wrong with nice big healthy greens. Integral part of any weyr." She nods her head solemnly, her frentic jiggling slowing as the slow dissapation of warmth starts to have an effect on her. "Blue? Blues are good too, but not as good as greens." Of course there is every possiblity that she may be biased just a little.

Sii'kyn beat his brown-boy to the Sands. Really, he did. Though he had to duck and spin and do a sidestep that looks suspciously like a linedancing step; he gives a whoop, and trots over towards Py. "Vae, respect your elders," he states. "Don't make me break out the pie. Even if you don't like common courtesy, it's generally a Good Thing." Now, who said -what- about Ram having slow genes? He merely chuckles, and shifts to settle closer to the edge of the sands, sweeping the area with his gaze, before settling on Cadge.

From the galleries, Reuben nods to Kenaz, digging in his rucksack for a scrap of hide and ink so that he can make notes on this clutch, "aye, there were two flights," says the young man, not even a native to the Weyr himself, but making himself sound as if he was. "So there'll be lots of weyrlings this time."

Cadgwith would prefer to think of herself as 'mature' rather than 'elderly', but she doesn't waste time now she's here, turning to face the galleries as she squats, eyes whirling an embarrassed orange. But clutching has broken! Possibly not like the first clutching, but either way, she steps aside to leave Morning Dewdrop Egg to mark the boundary of /her/ clutch. And then she starts digging a furrow with all speed - but too late. Before she can turn herself around, Puddle on the Floor egg just seems to slip out. She croons self-consciously at it. No comments on incontinence, if you please!

Morning Dewdrop Egg
Undersized and seeming plain from a distance, the surface of the egg is doused in ghostly white. Almost glittery, faint touches of silver slide down the surface. A faint, almost unnoticeable glimmer of green is present at the base of the egg, lines striating upwards like grass. Spring's sunrise shimmers in almost invisible hints of pink and orange, just touching the silver to create a subtle rainbow sparkle. Drip, and day has begun.

Puddle on the Floor Egg
Shades of gray and black pebble this egg, random patterns giving it a stony appearance rather like that of the living cavern floor. One end, however, seems to have encountered an accident of some kind. A liquidy area distorts the lines, blurring them and tinting the color slightly. This anomaly spreads out from one end, encompassing a good portion of the egg in a suspicious puddle.

Pyrene is rendered temporarily speechless by Vae's retort, although she's immensely mollified by Ike standing up for her. "You've got a lot to learn, and I suggest you try to benefit from the experience of others when they're kind enough to share it," she replies simply - if with lofty coolness. "Oh, well done Cadge! They're beautiful!"

From the galleries, Lauria walks in.

From the galleries, Kenaz nods at the Weyrfolk. "That doesn't usually happen? I mean, a double flight? I wouldn't really know, as I havn't seen many flights in my time." He glances out to the sands as the next two eggs are laid. "That white egg I would say is a green. Yes, for sure a green." He grins up at Sapha. "And the other is..hmm..probably a brown. By the looks of it."

From the galleries, Arcan chirps suddenly, looking at the eggs all excited-like.

From the galleries, Tye's head twitches as she turns her eyes towards Sapha and the others surrounding her. "Greens have there uses, aye, but give me a strapping, swift blue any day of the week." Though just like the greenrider, Tye is a bit biased herself. "Vaeli seems to be handling herself quite well down there, seeing it's her first and Nissi's first time on the sands like this. Don't think Pyrene looks all to happy though. Shame, for such a happy occasion." Oh yes, the bluerider finds much humor out of what has happened. "Hard to guess colors from just the eggs, y'know? Could be a bronze in there for all we know." Trust Tye to smack down any fun others are having.

From the galleries, Maynard looks over to blue and green riders, and says, "And nobody has guessed gold!" His tone, thankfully, made the comment an obvious joke.

From the galleries, Sapha jiggles slightly as the other Queen starts laying too. "Oooh that's almost like Phirath's Egg, except completely the opposite in color, that's definately a green." And with the numbers of greens clutched she's more than likely right, green is always a safe guess. Snorting slightly her expression takes on a sly cast. "Phirath agrees with your assessment, a strapping swift blue would be welcome at anytime." Wink, Oh dear.

From the galleries, Reuben shrugs, knowing only what he knows from the Records. "It's happened before. At least I've read about it," he says, then glances at Kenaz as the baker continues guessing the color of the dragonet inside the eggs. "You'd be better off guessing the /size/ of the clutch…" Looking back at the sands, he stops to think a little, then continues, "Since two dragons are clutching I'd say.. Forty-eight."

From the galleries, Lauria looks a bit bedraggled as she climbs into the galleries, a cup of klah in her hand - though probably regretted. The girl mutters random curses as she near-spills it, avoiding people. "Never, didn't realize, sharding -ooooh-, shaffit…" Tipping the cup this way and that, she avoids the coming and going people as she attempts to find an empty seat. "… don't want to miss…"

Sii'kyn quietly beams. "Ram! Look at that. A really good non-descript one and an accident! You're definitely boasting the Dru-part of your genes." He just beamks. "Yeah, yeah, what Py said," he absentmindedly nods at Vae, shifting to promptly sit on Ram's forepaw. Ram's content to be a slacker and just croon his definite approval and encouragement.

From the galleries, Kenaz grins over at Tye. "They all could be bronzes for all we know!" He also flashes a smile at Maynard. "Never actually seen a gold egg, but from what I hear, you can definatly tell when theres a gold. Heard they're really big and colorful. That's just what I hear."(OOCly there is no gold in this clutch I think?) He turns to Reuben. "Forty-eight? Naw, these girls are quite big. I'd say a bit more…Like fifty-three. Or maybe four."

From the galleries, Kibai walks in.

From the galleries, Trajan smiles fondly from his seat, watching with avid interest as the other begins laying eggs as well. Hey! Those are /Ram/-babies in there. Eyes lighting up a little, the baker leans forward just a bit, though refrains from actually cheering out loud. Wouldn't do for him to start that. Might as well get him some pompoms and start a cheer up. o.o

From the galleries, Maynard says, "I'd say it might be closer to 60.."

Vaeli makes her voice as sweet as possible, though acidic tones can't help but to leak out. "Experience? Aye, you have that on me. But it seems as though Cadgwith can't control her own egg layings. Anything to do with age?" Vaeli's voice ultimately sounds genuine curiousity, but who knows? A curt nod of her head is given, if only just to make the weyrleader happy. No need to bring up bad pie memories.

Pyrene tips a silent glance to Sii'kyn. He could try and refer to the eggs in a more flattering way. Pillar of support as he is supposed to be and all that. Still, betting reaches her ears and flatters her ego, and she flashes a beam at the unknown who cited 60. Cadge at least seems to be throwing herself into it, fervently digging and shaping her furrow for the next egg - which will hopefully give more warning than the last.

From the galleries, Zarelyn could well be asleep for all the excitement she shows in the eggs, though Louhi by her side does nothing but bounce up and down continually. Eventually the seamstress stretches and then gets to her feet. "I think I'm going to go, it seems wrong to watch while they… you know. Lay. I'll meet you in the caverns later Louhi."
From the galleries, Zarelyn releases Elof, who launches into the air.
From the galleries, Zarelyn goes out.

Keeping clear from the 'mature' queen's now claimed spot on the sands, Nissionath continues to create more indentations in her nesting area. Now that the event is clearly underway, what kind of gathering would it be without refreshments? The ashen queen's belly rumbles with the assumption of hunger, and Flaming Cheese Egg is birthed as a result. Nissionath pays little attention to this egg, kicking a bit of sand onto the surface, as she prepares for the intoxicating arrival of her next creation. Where would cheese be without its wine? Although it's a far cry from the tastiest of Benden Reds, Nissionath shoves out the Flaming Lamborghini Egg nearby the cheese.

Flaming Cheese Egg
Melted butter slides gold across the creamy cheese-hued surface of this large egg, pooling grease and flavor into every softly porous cleft and crack. A pale yellow fromage claims the shell itself, almost devoid of color until it explodes in a conflagration of crimson and azure fire, virulent, vibrant oranges, eclectic, electric blues and the delicious flashing of burnt bronze and umber that smoke down the darkside of the egg. A true delight, this delicacy, bold and bright and beautiful.

Flaming Lamborghini Egg
The smoothness of cream, the jolt of coffee, the raw-gold of whiskey; all these blend in a soft swirl of delicate brown across the base of this egg. But bursting up its sides is a furious mix of white-hot aniseed and flaming blue-orange, to test the bravest of souls.

From the galleries, Wyn walks in.

From the galleries, Reuben shakes his head at Kenaz, bending down to scripple at his hide about the latest arrivals, "It's the first time the young gold is clutching, though," he mumbles, keeping his voice low as not to offend anyone. "She's not likely to clutch as many as the older." He's only being logical. Don't kill him, please.

From the galleries, Caeri walks in.

From the galleries, Kenaz watches the expressions of the two queen riders on the sands. He couldn't exactly hear what they were saying, but by the pictures on their faces, he knew what they were feeling. Deciding to keep his mouth shut, Nazy turns towards Caeri, motioning for her to come down to where he was sitting. He grins and points at the newest egg "That one's a brown, I can feel it. And I suppose your right." That parts said to Reuben, "but do remeber that she /is/ younger, which could also mean more eggs."

From the galleries, Tye lets out a snort, "Doubt that would happen. And that, my boy, is a lie. In Val's clutch, we were pretty sure there was a gold egg, but hadn't a clue which one it was. I think Nissionath ended up coming out of a purple-ish egg. Though I may be wrong." But she doubts it. "Clutch size? Mmm.. I think around fifty-one would be about right. Seeing as how Cadgwith is in her prime and Nissionath is young and strong."

Sidramuntalath rumbles contentedly, stopping only to swing his head around and give Vaeli a dirty look. Hey, don't make /him/ break out the pies… 'Cause he could get the bakers to make him a reeeal big one. Speaking of which, Ike briefly scans the galleries - noting a few people that he knows. Like - Traj gets a wave and a huge beam. And so does Wyn, but it's a wave that has a brief hint of desperation in it, before he turns back to study the newest NissiEggies - hey, he's here with two /goldriders/. And one's Py. And the other's Vae. Doesn't that explain it all?

From the galleries, Caeri smiles tiredly at Kenaz and makes her way over, sitting down beside him before she quietly mutters, "hey. How does it go?"

From the galleries, Lauria mutters again, finally finding a good sitting spot, and while she can't seem to keep her eyes off the klah, she does seem to feel around to make sure she's drop dead center on the seat's cushion before she plops down. The problem is, she's on the outside of an aisle, and with those hustling and bustling in and out, she's still forced to teeter back and forth to avoid spilling. The chance of this is, of course, lessened, as she downs her drink. "That one looks a bit like my klah," she mutters absently, "except it'd be more likely it's my klah on fire or something, what with that red and white…"

Pyrene blinks thoughtfully across at the flaming cheese egg. "Why am I reminded of R'sli?" she murmurs aloud. Then she shakes her head and turns her attention to Cadge who rumbles proudly (if uncomfortably) as she positions herself above the furrow to lay Into the Toilet Bowl Egg, which slides neatly and hygienically into its designated place. Yet alas! The best laid plans of mice and Cadge… for another Sewage Tank Overflow Egg follows almost immediately, only to find no room. It rolls aside from its brother (or sister) to rest beside the furrow marring the overall look.

Into the Toilet Bowl Egg
Pale blue washes across the smooth eggshell, streaks of delicate white swirling in a clockwise direction around its surface. Little hints of golden yellow - slightly similar to the dam's hide - pool at the base of the egg, offerings to the porcelain gods. The whirr and twirr of serene latrine waters remains as slightly darker blue whisks across the top of the egg.

Sewage Tank Overflow Egg
Green and brown splash wildly across the surface of this egg - not pretty, forest shades of green and brown, mind you, but nasty, sticky, oozy shades that fade sometimes to black. The colors glisten wetly, giving them a liquid sheen reminiscent of the deepest, most disgusting regions of the latrines, the association so strong that it's almost surprising when there isn't a smell to accompany the sight. Something this incredibly putrid-looking can induce the gag reflex just as effectively without smell, though.

From the galleries, Better late than never, no? We're not entirely sure just what Wyn was up to to leave the normally frightfully-punctual Weyrsecond arriving a little more than fashionably late. But Wyn is here. And so the little bluerider finds a random knot of people she knows, settles in on the fringes, and gives a regal hand-sweep back at the Ike sweating it on the sands. Hah.

From the galleries, Cyclone blinks in from ::between::!

From the galleries, Reuben doesn't notice Caeri seating herself at the other side of Kenaz, he's too busy making notes on these eggs, but he says to the baker, "I think I'll stick with my bet on forty-eigth, though." If only because he won't change his mind once he's made a statement to fact. "Some of those eggs are… Rather oddly colored, aren't they?"

From the galleries, Kibai quietly makes his way up into the galleries as fashionable late as always, or something along those lines. The teenager draws down the aisle until finding a convenient bit of benching that is actually free of someone's rear. He slips down into the seat, finally turning his gaze to the sands… and watch is rapt fascination as… well, eggs appear. Okay, so maybe a little bit horrified as well. "And they actually let people watch this?" he mutters under his breath.

From the galleries, Kenaz scootches over for Caeri to sit beside him. He does cringe a little under Tye's repremanding. That was the second time this week he had to endure the blue riders silver tounge. He shrugs and nods towards the next two eggs. "What would you say those two are bluerider? I'm guessing a green and a blue." Nazy bites his lip a little, bracing himself for the worst. A nod is given to Reuben, "Yeah, they kind of remind me of..well..never mind." *groan*

Pyrene winces at the latest egg, muttering "Blue!" darkly under her breath, before looking sugar-coated daggers at Vae. "She's matching Nissi egg for egg so far though, despite being flown by a brown. An abundance of fertility isn't something to be mocked in a dragon!" That's one way of looking at it.

From the galleries, "Kinda.. ugly." Tye mutters out, lifting her head up a bit to get a better view. "But, maybe some really good looking dragonets will come out of it?" She throws out, flicking her hand and looking back towards Kenaz. "Colors? Shells, didn't I tell you it's nearly impossible to tell the color?" Poor Kenaz. Tye lets out a sigh, but decides to play the guessing game for lack of anything else to do as they wiat for the next batch of eggs. "Sorry lad, don't mean to be so snippy. Just woke up a bit ago. Though.. not blues. That's for shardin' sure. My bet is a brown, possibly a green?"

From the galleries, Shinji blinks in from ::between::!

From the galleries, Lauria was sipping at her klah. Of course, she then saw that Sewege egg, and promptly lost the appetite. "That's just - " But wait, did she just hear something behind her? Augh, the agony of having to twist around, avoid spilling her klah and dodge all the people leaving and coming. Spotting Wyn, she attempts a wave, though narrowly misses waving her mug on her lap. "… I didn't think I'd actually see her - and yes, they actually let people watch this - " she notes to that unknown person muttering behind her, only to narrow eyes as she turns around. "Familiar…"

Sii'kyn slightly smirks. "It just goes to show that browns just give better nookie than bronzes." He - yes, he just said that, in true High Reaches tradition. "Right, Ram?" Ram just - mentally smirks. And conferrs a comment to Ike which leaves everyone's non-favorite brownrider(except for Trajan up there, whoo!) choking for air. .. Wheeze.

Pyrene throws a concerned look at Ike, slapping him on the back. "You OK?" She sends an anxious look to the galleries. "Anybody up there got a waterskin?" Even if Ike's fine, she forgot to bring one, so she may as well use him as an excuse to steal somebody's.

"But the clutching isn't even half over yet, is it? Cadgwith was a bit slow on the go, she may slow down with the eggs before too much longer." Vaeli's just stating a fact followed by an opinion. "If you call those..creations," Her arm goes to imply the latest, rather ugly, Cadge eggs. "An abundance of fertility, then I'll agree with you." The weyrwoman promptly shoots a look of death Ike-ways. Maybe he'll get dehydrated.

Nissionath's eyes whirl with bright blues and greens, satisfied with her creations as of yet. Now, Cadgwith's, on the other hand..well. She won't comment. Instead, she eases herself to the backside of her current little eggies, and with a bit more irritation that she anticipated, Glory of the Sun Egg reluctantly falls from its previous habitat. The gold turns to scoop sand around the egg with a forepaw, and before she can even fell the pains of another egg approaching, Will-O-Wisp Egg zips down to the ground, and promptly rolls around a bit before finding the furrow that becomes its home.

From the galleries, Geira does indeed take the time to slightly gag on the ugliest egg she's ever seen. The messenger beside her points a finger, laughing, while trying to avoid her playful punch sent his way. "That's an absolutely terrible egg. I pity the dragonet who comes from /that/ one." Quickly, she adds, "And the rider, too." Her face sours as she continues to stare at the Sewage Egg just as most people can't help but stare at a freak of nature.

From the galleries, Reuben grins at Tye, nodding in agreement, "I already tried to tell him that. According to the Records, nearly everyone trying to guess the color by looking at the eggs have guessed wrong," he says, giving a smile at Kenaz. Maybe he hadn't been paying attention, but he glances at the bluerider again, "did you make a guess on the clutch size, ma'am?"

Glory of the Sun Egg
Overshadowing its kin with pulsing heat, this egg may look as if it belongs up in the sky with Rukbat. Flamenco reds, neon orange and bursts of pale yellow radiate from the crown, to the bulging equator and down to the bottom. Solar flares, explosions resulting from the intense mixtures of colors, ignite in a shape like the tails of runners or your traditional tongues of flame. Consuming itself, it will burn with unrivalled intensity but will eventually be its own demise in the end.

Will-O-Wisp Egg
Elven greens carpet this bantam egg, laying down a forest of moss and rowan from one rounded end to t'other. A path of pebbles in silver and grey meander about the sweeping suggestion of branch and leaf, while the rippling greeny depths of the swamp melt away to either side. But hold. What's this? Flashes of fairy-fire and will-o-wisp in arcane emeralds tempt the traveler from the path and into the murky depths of the unknown.

From the galleries, Kodisan comes up the stairs.

From the galleries, The answer comes, but not as horrible as Kenaz was expecting. He could get cranky in the mornings, just like everyone else. He nods, "A green? Well maybe, but not a brown." He smiles carefully at the rider and moves his dark eyes back down to the sands. Seems the riders down there were really taking it out on each other. He sighs and shakes his head. Guess it was a goldrider thing. He watches the next two eggs, silently guessing both browns, but not even daring to open his mouth.

From the galleries, Kibai continues to watch the clutching with just the faintest of hints of… well, awe. Not some sort of glorified awe. Oh no, just of the more horrified sort. Although, when one is being squinted at, you tend to take notice. His gaze drops from those… well, slimy things out there and on to the one in front of him. "Good morning, Lauria. You are looking pleasantly dry today." Smirk.

Cadgwith is beginning to feel the pressure - and not just the internal one. Staring up at the galleries, she sees only a sea of eyes looking back at her. Gazing down to the Sands, she sees riders arguing over the outcome of her efforts. Instead, she seeks solace in her eggs, laying a couple more for comfort. Sadly, Goldfish Bowl Egg seems to mock her predicament while Watery Watcher Egg is no help whatsoever.

Goldfish Bowl Egg
Speckled swirls of rainbow and refracted light play along the vitreous surface of this large egg in a dance of colors; frosted white, weaver's lavender, a flash of blue, a hint of teal, a flush of pale pale rose. The glassine shell holds no castles or kelp, but only the occasional flash of dancing devious carp-orange gold. Then it is gone.

Watery Watcher Egg
This little egg is split in two, a perfect pairing of black on one side and a pale blue on the other. From a distance it would appear that there're no other colours at all on it's surface, but closer inspections show hints of green around the joining edge; little leafy patches of colour that offer cover to whatever mystery lurks inside the dark half and casts only a faint shadow of grey along the base of the egg.

From the galleries, Lumiere blinks in from ::between::!

Pyrene beams sunnily as some gullible resident is taken in by her plea and drops a waterskin from the lower tier. She catches it neatly and passes it to Ike. "When you've finished choking in front of half of Pern, let me have some, won't you?"

From the galleries, Tye turns and gives a nod to Reuben, "Some people just don't listen. But, aye, I said 'round fifty-two, though I think I'll take that down a few. Maybe forty-none? Yeah. That sounds good." She gives another rough nod before sending Kenaz a look. Oh, she'll answer him back in a moment, but first, the bluerider raises to her feet and peers down at the sands. "Sure is taking a while." Cupping both hands around her mouth, she yells down to those below. "Hey Nissionath! Why don't you show all of us up here your ability as a clutch mama and give us another egg?"

From the galleries, Kodisan quietly heads up into the galleries from below, edging along the outside of the gathered spectators until he finds a seat about halfway up, nodding to a couple of women as he takes a spot on a bench.

Sii'kyn revives eventually, thanks to the water. Yeah. Y'know. "I'm.. fine.." he manages. He smirks Vaeli-wards, as if he knows some sort of private joke she's not in on. (Poor Vae.) Hey. Will-O-Wisp - that sounds familiar. Like.. runner familiar. Hm. Meanwhile? Ram glowers at /everyone/, and moves away from his rider, slowly moving forwards to settler closer to Cadge. He's no pressure. He knows she can do it. After all, even if some might consider her 'elderly', he's not! And they're half his, anyhow. Right? "Now, aren't they cute?" Ike is definitely happy by the last two eggies, meanwhilst. "Aren't they? Adorable." He then beams up at Tye - and passes the skin back to Py.

From the galleries, Lauria snorts, twisting -back- around, and blinks at the person behind her. "Kibai! Aren't the eggs just - erh - interesting, today? Mmm. And, I won't be dry much longer," she smirks back, tilting her head to point out her half-a-cup of klah, "Not with all these people around, nearly making me spill this sharding thing. I shouldn't've brought it up here, but, there you are, it's there. And - " she eyes his disgust. " - You really don't seem to enjoy this whatsoever."

Another egg? That's easy! Feel free to follow with Nissionath's easy step by step instruction. First, get proddy. Then, have a flight. After that, wait to get egg-heavy. Now, dig a furrow. Make a little pattern here..no wait. That's pitiful. Let her try again. Dig another furrow. Much better. Now, with all four legs, position yourself over the furrow. A few more contractions, Nissionath plops another egg directly into the newer furrow, leaving the other completely ignored. Now, a name. The egg needs a name. She shall call it..Trogdor the Burninator Egg! Just look at all its awesome burnination and majesty!

Trogdor the Burninator Egg
It is an egg. It is a dragon egg. 'Neath a strange, scaly-type pattern of V's - consummate V's! - and even a few physical ridges bumping along the surface, this egg is a flat shade of green, except for a streak of fire-orange that screams all the way around it, a narrow band of flame burninating its way through the plain surroundings. Burninating through the couple of thin, arrow-like splatters of brown near the apex, and burninating through a few silvery freckles like the tinted, dented armor of some pathetic cavalry at the base. Yet, all told, this is a pretty plain, lame-looking egg that seems to be resting perpetually askew, always off-kilter in the Sands.

From the galleries, Reuben can hardly keep up anymore, making notes on the eggs, their coloring and which egg came from which queen. Oh boy, why did he decide to do this anyway? And anyone trying to read what he's scribbling might not be able to, his writing suffering from writing too fast. Making a note in the margin as Tye answers he nods and grins, "fifty-two, aye, ma'am. And the baker said fifty-three?" Did he even ever get Kenaz' name. Didn't rememeber now.

Cadgwith looks relieved to see Ram, stretching out her neck and nipping happily on the air near his mouth. She seemsto regain her confidence now that her mate is near and she looks dismissively at Nissionath's latest effort. She can improve on that technique. She'll just employ the use of chiaroscuro shading and…. Voila! Morning Waterfall Egg or Celtic Pool Egg. Take your pick. Either look more like an egg than the Trogdor one.

Mountain Waterfall Egg
A cascade of pale blue and white crashes upon a shade of green that holds the bright hue of leaves after rainfall. The silence of high peaks finds itself in winding, slow spirals of white across the top of the egg, which fall into the dark tones of the earth - brown and stone gray. A hint of green mingles with the blue at a dense pool of color at the base of the egg, fresh flecks of coral and yellow to reflect water's shade.

From the galleries, Caeri watches the eggs with nearly silent interest. She's never seen dragon eggs before, not that she's telling anyone that. The dragons on their own are awesome enough.

Celtic Pool Egg
Otherworldly darkness blesses this egg for a time, yet out of the heavy umbrae steps a figure weighted with the knowledge of water. Mountains of gold coins and the weapons of men fall at her feet, and a waterfall cascades behind the figure like the cape of a goddess. A spring, frothing with the secrets of life, nourishes a grove of brilliant green and all who quest for a drink - and truth. Sacred is this image and egg, perhaps you'd do well to make an offering.

From the galleries, Kenaz turns his head towards the fellow Baker. "Yeah, fifty-three. I'm Kenaz by the way. Don't belive we've met." Just top annoy the two beside him, the apprentice mumbles "Nissionath's last one was a brown." Just to bug them. You know the drill. :)

From the galleries, Mikailyn walks in.

From the galleries, Caeri doesn't feel ready to state what colour she thinks the eggs are, but looks at Kenaz and the others who do with considerable interest.

From the galleries, Kibai simply smiles down at Lauria. He drops down so that forearm rest upon his knees, "Interesting? I suppose." No, he doesn't sound all that convincing. "No, not really. But, apparently it is some sort of spectacle worth watching, for some reason for another that is beyond me. Nothing like having a crowd of people watch as you dislodge your spawn onto a field of sand."

"Why, thank-you Ike," Pyrene murmurs to her Weyrleader, taking the skin and drinking heartily from it. Raised eyebrows suggest that she doesn't think much of Nissionath's latest effort but, aloud, she contents herself with observing: "That's one more egg to Cadge than Nissi now, Vae."

From the galleries, Wow. Tye was actually listened to. There is a first for everything. "Thank you Nissi! Very nice." And the bluerider is appeased. She makes her way back to her seat, with a bit of a smile twitching on her lips. Kenaz is now looked at, the 'rider shaking her head. "No. Not a brown." She says, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat and not giving her reasoning behind her thought. "Take out that fifty-two though, lad. I think forty-nine is a better number." Tye says to Reuben, straightening her back to get a look at his notes.

From the galleries, Frihor walks in.

Vaeli widens her eyes. "Well, Pyrene, it looks like Cadge can produce pretty eggs after all." She glowers right back at Ike, belatedly as it may be, and just turns to concentrate on her mount's own babies. Or eggies, rather. "We shall see who has the most eggs in the end, dear Weyrwoman."

From the galleries, "Reuben," the weyrperson says, sounding almost breathless from taking notes on the clutching. "From Balen, just resently of High Reaches Weyr." Nodding at Tye's command he scratches over the fifty-two and puts in forty-nine. "I've been saying forty-eigth all the time," he mumbles, giving a slight shrug, eyes darting around to look at the bluerider for a moment, then shoots her a smile. Heh.

Nissionath spies the newly laid eggs near Cadgwith, and instantly becomes jealous. How dare she create eggs as pretty as hers?! She shakes her lower half in a hurried attempt to retaliate this feeble insult, and her hindpaws burrow furiously into the sands. With a rather irritated snort, the Desire the Fire Egg emerges into the world. Apparently satisfied with this creation, Nissionath rolls the egg deeper into the sands, however she is still quite annoyed with the beauty of the senior queen's eggs. The younger gold nonchalantly digs another furrow, sending sand flying suspiciously in the direction of Cadgwith. Nissionath hot foots it to scoot her hind quarters over the newly built hole, and with a shimmy and a shake, Walking on Hot Coals Egg plops onto the Sands. Feeling that this is not enough alone to complete her rebuttal, the third ace is pulled from her sleeve, so to speak, and Shot Up Pink Flamingos And Burning Trailers Egg is laid.

From the galleries, Mikailyn slinks in quite belatedly, latched firmly on to the ever-present K'dan. "Why can't I just go back to the Hold?" K'dan just pushes her in a decent empty seat, settling down with a lofty, "It's only polite." Miki's response is a very irritated grumble.

Desire the Fire Egg
Smoke rises in thick plumes, hot and heavy, fluidly snaking through every possible free space. Coils, like that of a viper, slither onto the surface and out again in clandestine pursuit. But wait, the veil parts only for an instant to flaunt a lead-grey base played down with throbbing pulses of maroon red and enticing tangerine flames. Coals, sharing the heat of the sun, really make up the heart of the ovoid's exterior pattern, but masking its creator, the wisps of smoke soon invade once more. Better move fast if you want to remain unscathed.

Walking on Hot Coals Egg
Crimson sizzles along the base of the egg, popping shades of orange and yellow creeping along to create a strange, heated mess of color. Dark shades of brown and coal-black are mixed into the bright shades. Smoke rises, sharp swirls and thin, pointed shapes that pattern across the near white of the rest of the shell. Dangerous patterns dance together, a rite of passage that gives way into the flames.

Shot Up Pink Flamingos And Burning Trailers Egg
Blaring pink and rusty metal provide the not-so-perfect backdrop for enraged licks of orange-red flames and blank dark spots, the latter clearly outlined by crisps of cream and darkened circlets of pitch. Indeed, the eyeblindingly bright, obnoxious glimmers of pink are terribly outstanding, badly hidden behind the feverish lump of rust, corroded metal and the ever-present, brightly beaming flames, rising from the base to top the egg off with all the subtle nature of a solar flare.

From the galleries, Lauria seems a bit busy at the moment, downing her klah as she is, and finally, triumphantly - tucks an empty klah mug beneath her chair. "Ah, done, no more threats to spill -klah- all over me. Not that juice and water and whatever else will be spilt all over me when I go back to work, later." She lets out a bit of a laugh at Kibai's statement, and shakes her head briefly. "Tradition? I suppose? Not that - uh - it's a particularly good tradition, but even Wyn came, so I suppose it's mandatory to attend. I came because I got break." She snickers.//

Sii'kyn smirks and leans back. Whoop. "See, Vae, pretty eggs. Much more pretty than that.. green.. thing.." He merely lifts a brow at the Trogdar eggie. He definitely doesn't understand that one. Ram, meanwhile, is gleefully whuffling at Cadge. See, they've got nice ones. Nice ones, not like - Ike takes a step back. "What the shell is /that/?" He stares at Shot Up Pink Flamingos And Burning Trailers Egg. "Dude, that's an ugly egg." So ugly. Stare. … Even if Nissi just did /three/ eggs to even out the score.

From the galleries, Jafia comes up the stairs.

From the galleries, "I heard that," the Wyn in question calls to Lauria, tone dryly amused even if, as per usual, there's not a trace of it to touch her features bar a twinkle in gray eyes. Hands resting neatly in her lap, the bluerider allows that "I haven't missed a Clutching since my own… after all, one -must- place bets." A pocket of her riding jacket is patted, and a little notebook drawn briefly from within.

Cadgwith blinks in surprise as she feels the rattle of Sand across her hide. It takes Pyrene's shocked and outraged squawk for her to realise what's happened. Eyes flash red and, though she may be obliged to squat down on her hindquarters, she seems to stand taller in her forequarters as she lays, expressing the storm of her mood through the medium of egg. Acid Rain and Toxic Spills Egg makes its presence known in the world, closely followed by Fish Abuse Egg. And so the score stands even at ten eggs each…. but at what cost?

Acid Rain And Toxic Spills Egg
A deluge of acidic nature pours over this unfortunate ovoid; sweeping gusts of queasy puce and electric green mar a delightful liquid-blue background; piddling and pooling, the noxious liquids melt their way through the icy coloration. Mutated tadpoles of neon purple and a really odd brick-red color swim through the muddied waters, a nice counterpoint to the gold-toned salmon-looking creatures. Bile pours from above in polluted condensation, attacking the apex of this egg with fervor, the tinged-yellowgreen glassiness fusing with puce and green puddles to spiderweb over a serene background, toxins and filth being sole mire of pristine, crystalline waters.

Fish Abuse Egg
Stagnant and stale greens mixed with murky patches of mud brown sway over the height of the egg's grainy hull, underneath which choked, phosphorescent light strays down to more smudges of seaweed. Dabbed upon the surface are a few points of tropical color: neon blues and reds near the pink of silvery cherries, all belly up and tucked into slim vines of lime-hues. Near the sand-line, milky-brown specks like gravel unevenly coat the base of the egg, a putrid sludge coating the upper crust like a mishmash of fall's dead leaves.

From the ledges above, Zizth scrambles in, careful of wings and tail.
From the ledges above, Slippa dismounts from Zizth.
From the ledges above, Slippa edges further along the ledge and into the galleries.

From the galleries, Kibai looks over Lauria's shoulder and on to the sand for a moment, only to quirk a brow at the sight of the next eggs. Okay then… His gaze slips back down to Lauria though, chuckling faintly, "And here holders are sometimes told they are too hide bound… I suppose that is as good enough a reason as any." No explanations as to why he is here. Nah. But he does flicker a glance up to Wyn though as she adds comment, grin going wry, and then he is shooting a look to the sands.

Vaeli tries extremely hard to muffle a laugh after she sees the action between the two clutching golds. Hey, who is she to tell her dragon to be nice? Well, yeah, her rider, but still. "That egg isn't ugly, Ike. Just..unique! Now /those/ are the pure definition of ugly." A hand goes to gesture the latest Cadge creations.

From the galleries, Tye turns her attention away from the Reuben as more noise seems to raise around her due to a few more eggs being spilled onto the sands. "Oh… ew. Those aren't very.. nice looking." To say the 'least. "Reminds me of those other two from earlier, but perhaps not /as/ gross." She makes a slight face and continues to watch the back and forth egg-laying. "Anyone been counting how many eggs are down there as of yet? Might benefit for me to actually pay more attention to how many, instead of what bleedin' colors they might end up being."

From the galleries, Caeri notices Frihor, dragging her eyes away from the Sands for just a second. She waves at him, eyes wide, and mouths, "hey!" before turning back to watch the action.

From the galleries, Lauria winces, slightly, though turns toward Wyn to grin, innocently. "And I don't place bets, I don't really have the money to risk it. Although I could just guess. Of course, I have no idea what to guess anyway. And I've only seen High Reaches' last clutching, actually, though I suppose in that span of time I've gotten used to it. And - you really don't have to watch /that/ closely. Kibai." Though she does turn about to eye the most recent egg with a lifted eyebrow.

From the galleries, Kenaz turns to Tye, finally speaking up. "I think there's nineteen. Hold on." he quickly counts them over again. "Yeah, I think they've done 19. Who do you think'll lay more? I'm not sure whose go the most right now…" Ooo. Is Nazy crossing the line with Tye again?

Sii'kyn shifts and scratches at an ear. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I know," he darkly mutters to the warning mutter-mumbles from the closeby aide V'der. "Not the pure definition of ugly," he states, rationally. "Vae, Py, it's not a competition." Okay, it might be, but - "We don't want to set a bad example of High Reaches for the rest of the Pern, do we?" He sidles over towards V'der more. If they come after him with castrating knives, he's running for it. Meanwhile, he mutters something at his fellow browner, who nods and darts off.

From the galleries, Reuben sweats, but doesn't even notice it as he's very busy with his notetaking. Hasn't he already missed most of the clutching just sitting here, staring down at the hide, scribbling rather than actually looking at what is going on? Scratching his hair, Rube makes a count of the little descriptions he's made. "Twenty… I think," he says, sounding unsure about the count though. If Kenaz is saying nineteen, he must have described one egg twice.

From the galleries, Frihor, Startled, that someone noticed him, Nods towards Caeri, and begins shuffleing for a seat, scrutinizing the clutces…Upon finding a seat, he streches out and get comfotable..

Pyrene manages to look somewhat contrite. "Cadge, it's alright love. She's no threat to you. You're working together for the good of the Weyr and not in competition," she trots off glibly. She's said enough inane platitudes before now that it's no problem to coin one. "Are you alright, Vae?" she calls over, pointedly nodding towards Nissi.

Nissionath snorts, feeling her attack is complete. Now she can go back to creating purty eggies. Not that she has any control over what they look like, but she can hope. The gold croons quietly towards her rider, and Vaeli moves to caress the clutching queen's muzzle. Nissionath crouches now, a hind paw moving to create room for the oncoming egg. With rider and dragon in cozy embrace, Campfire in the Woods Egg makes its appearance, and lands with a sweet plop into the sand. The heat from the ground seems to radiate through Nissionath's hide, and Melting Marshmellows Egg is birthed with unbelievable easy.

Campfire in the Woods Egg
Darkness enshrouds this egg - not the paltry, shrinking darkness of an unlit moon, but the absolutle black that can only be found in the depth of the wilderness on a moonless night. The uniform inkiness is alleviated only in one spot, near the middle, where color flares abruptly. Red and orange and yellow blossom, flames licking across the shell in a battle with the night. Vague shapes can be seen immediately around them, reminiscent of weary faces huddled around the fire's warmth.

Melting Marshmallow Egg
Red and orange intermingle across this shell, turning its fragile surface into an explosion of colour so intense that it should burn any who dared to touch it. A large blob of creamy white marrs the tip, its edges blackened where it oozes down and meets the bright flames of color and a battle of will begin.

From the galleries, Caeri looks back at Frihor with a cheeky grin on her face. "Are you going to sleep again, Frihor?" She asks with a chuckle, wondering if Nazy'll remember a flaming egg…

From the galleries, "You could bet a plate of cookies?" the avaricious Wyn allows with a nicely-calculated bit of diffidence. Showing up late to this Clutching has meant she's behind on her standard organizing of betting pools. She settles a little more comfortably on the thin cushion of the seat, and then turns her attention to Kibai, leaning forward to inquire "How about you, if my sister remains too ethical to bet?"

Vaeli lets go of Nissionath's muzzle just quick enough to hear voices. No, not those voices. Just Pyrene's and Ike's. "Aye, I am fine. Nissionath isn't competing, so she's fine, as well." The said gold snorts, and even Vaeli makes a face to imply she isn't sure if that was an agreeable snort or a 'Yeah right' snort.

From the galleries, Frihor Glowers at Caeri, "Not if i can help it" he mutters, though, the thought does sound good..and he is tired..soon you hear a deep graiting sound…

From the galleries, Kibai is apparently going to take Lauria's advice to heart as his gaze slips away from the mess on the sands. Yes, a mess. Whoever said there was something magnificent or spectacular about watching a pair of golds give 'birth' too eggs was clearly drunk at the time -or a healer. "My first clutching, and this is more than enough for me." Maybe it takes more experience with this sort of thing to appreciate it -or something. Blue-irised gaze slips over to Wyn, consideration in his eyes, "What would the wager be, rider?"

Cadgwith stretches her head out to her rider taking and holding the words close. She casts a guilty look at the Fish Abuse Egg and shakes herself all over. That is /not/ her style. No, hers is one of lazy, salty, freedom. Her wings fan wide, embracing the heat of the Sands, but her hide is gilded brine and therefore, the Sands are a beach. The next egg to make an appearance is the Day on the Beach Egg, revealed as her craggy frame curls in on itself for a long moment. When she finally straightens and moves on, she leaves behind the hidden treasure of Rockpool Egg.

Day on the Beach Egg
Sea-tossed surf covers the inky indigo surface, flecks of foam showing the exterior and glittering like water caught in the rays of the sun. Generally receding on another side, the ocean spray discloses intriguing shapes like those of scalloped and conch shells which serve as the ocean's gift to you. Not any mere flotsam or debris, but treasure for those beach-combers who take the time to look for it.

Rockpool Egg
Bright, sunny, reflective sky-blue lies restful over the serene shell of this average-sized egg. But seaweed green lays a slippery trap across its base, crab-orange scuttling in and out of the algae-patterns; shrimp-pink and fish-silver dart and flicker along the egg's sides, toying with the undercurrents of wavering anemone-red.

From the galleries, "Was nineteen, one way or another. Doesn't matter, so long as the numbers round to a nice 'four' and a nice 'nine'." Tye replies smugly, rubbing her hands together. "My bet is on Nissionath having more eggs, lad." Her reasoning for that being her own. "Oh! Now Cadgwith is laying some really nice looking eggs. Would'ja look at the colors of those? Like 'em a lot."

From the galleries, Lauria's eyes brighten, slightly, as she grins at Wyn. "Cookies? I do have plenty of cookies, that's for sure. Cookies and cookies of cookies, what, to bribe all the kidlets with. Er - not that I have to do that often." She avoids Wyn's gaze for a moment, before turning back around to Kibai. "Well, it is magnificent and spectacular that it still happens, isn't it? That dragon eggs are - laid. And hatch. And." She squints at the latest egg. "I think it's the idea more than the actual thing."

From the galleries, Ashli sneaks in, looking around her cautiously, as if to make sure no nannies have followed her, and that none are about that could call her on her absence from the brat cave. Apparently, Ashli has given the nannies the slip and escaped to the galleries to watch the queens. She sneaks carefully along the edge of the benching, before hearing the word cookies, and noticing Wyn, she bounces over happily, waving brightly, "Wyyyn! Hii!" The sands are then, finally glanced at, and Ashli beams dreamily at the queens and eggs already laid.

V'der is a good lad, all things said and done - once you get past the whining blonde's superficial surface. He shows this by carting three chairs (and a couple of waterskins) downwards towards the sands. Cart-cart-cart. He's huffing and puffing by the time he makes it down there, depositing it on the sands and heading back to the galleries. "Well, I'm sittin' down," Ike happily states, snagging a chair - and a skin - and hauling both over towards Ram, plopping down. "Pretty cool little eggies." Ram? Still doing the sympathetic happiness thing.

From the galleries, Wyn purses her lips thoughtfully, and then remembers that this is a good time to smile. And so she does, nodding once to Kibai. "Whatever you wish it to be, Assistant Steward," she replies in kind. "And Wyn is my name… do you fancy a gold egg in this clutch, or no?"

From the galleries, Reuben sways a little now, in the heat. Surely he's Northern bred and not used to being in heat like this, and certainly not with his jacket on and sweat running down his back. Adding a note to Tye's bet of forty-nine eggs in the margin of his hide, he writes 'Nissionath most' and gives the rider a smile as he show it to her. Good? Of course, he's still holding his bet of most eggs on Cadgwith and forty-eigth in all. "Does anyone have anything to drink? It's really hot in here?" he ask, wiping a hand over his forehead.

From the galleries, Kalaeya walks in.

Nissionath pauses just long enough to relax a moment, warily eyeing the Day on the Beach Egg just clutched. Just then, a creel escapes from the great queen's throat as she decides no day on the beach could merge into night without a fire. A Flicker in the Dark egg graces the Sands with its presence, just a tiny little spark to begin the flames before nightfall sets in. Nissionath growls in annoyance now, wanting nothing more then for the that fire to begin. As legs shift back and forth with impatience, the gold soon forces out the Beach Bonfire Egg, setting the sands aglow with its existence.

A Flicker in the Dark Egg
An egg warmed by fire and made beautiful with but a few flashing flames is shadowed by a velvety looking shell of dusky dark gray, deep greens, and a fine-grained rocky brown. Deep red flames flicker and climb the rounded sides from the bottom of the egg, as if its bed of coals were continually sending sparks towards the top of the shell: mesmerizing, hypnotizing, enthralling, engaging.

Beach Bonfire Egg
Sizzling and crackling, flecks of amber and orange dance across a vast, swirling blob of midnight blue and light tan. Sky, ocean, and sand mingle together, pale white spots scattered across the surface. A blaze of scarlet and amber bursts from the base of the egg, a celebratory dance of color and shading that finds contrast with the darkness. Eternal night's glory is reflected in the oversized egg, not hint of dawn's rosy pink to destroy the revelry.

From the galleries, Apsilana comes up the stairs.

From the galleries, Ashli waves brightly at V'der as he returns to the Galleries, and, while she's at the waving, she waves to those out on the Sands as well, bouncing up and down on the tips of her toes gaily. The two new eggs are ooh-ed at appropriately, and Wyn is blinked at as Ashli beams and answers the question herself. "I think there'll be one! Aries doesn't, though. I laid a mark on the fact that there'll be at least one gold egg in this clutch." At least? Is the impressionable brat under the impression that there might be more than one gold egg in the clutch? Such an optimist, our dear Ashli. And where did Ashli get that mark to be betting with? Perhaps the world would be better not knowing…

From the galleries, Betting on cookies? Suppose it would have to depend on the cookies. Kibi has always rather enjoyed the kind that come in shapes with the icing upon them. Good stuff. His attention drifts back to Lauria, but the corners of his lips hitching upwards. He reaches over as if to give her nudge to her shoulder, and drawls slowly, "If you say so." He looks back to Wyn though, his features somewhat hinting at amusement, "I… Well, I really do not know, Wyn. I suppose the chances would be even if there was one?" Holder-boy talking.

Cadgwith rumbles contentedly at Ram and also at Ike as he has arranged comfort for her rider. Pyrene's snug in her chair and being hydrated. Nissionath seems quite happy making eggs that complement Cadgwith's. The time has come, the sea-cow thinks, to get creative. A wriggle of her hindquarters and Cool Watery-Effect Wormhole opens into the world. A shimmy to the right and Bob (egg) is freed from her loins. And a final happy squat down in the middle of her progeny, and she leaves Dog's Water Bowl Egg in a puddle of her own bodily fluids.

Cool Watery-Effect Wormhole Egg
Blunted silvery metal, etched and whorled with undecipherable runes, arches around this egg in a broad swatch of color. From bottom to top and back again, the snug-fitting band frames two proportional pools of rippling liquid blue. Indeed, the very image of light dancing across the top of slowly moving water is reflected within the two circles; mesmerizing and deliberately balanced, the shell appears both mystical and enigmatic. Combined with the strange symbols and the glinting silver of the banded meridian, the egg balances beguiling invitation with the brooding foreboding of an intriguing taboo.

Bob**
The rough shell of this short and misshapen ovoid is smothered in an exuberant yellow, so cheerful it almost burns the eyes of onlookers. This caustic backdrop is splattered with blotches of olive, which, although two-dimensional, seem to penetrate into the depths of the egg. These pores emit an unnerving air of innocent folly and reckless bliss, like bone-chilling laughter that seeks to entrap all who are willing to join in it.

Dog's Water Bowl Egg
It's vaguely round, in the eggish ovoid sense - and metallic looking. A dull chrome plates this rather boring egg from head to toe, figuratively speaking: the monotonous color is broken only by scribbles of blocky mock-writing at the very top, oddly akin to some sort of engravement. Shinyshinyshiny breaks out over half the egg - slippery-looking and very watery, the slosh of extra veneer doesn't come without contrast: a few brown smidges that look oddly like bloated canine kibble are littered here and there, along with a milky schmear down at the edge. Hey, wait - is that slobber?

From the galleries, Tye uses her hand as a small fan, letting out a sigh. "Shells, don't know if I can take this much longer with what I have on." And the bluerider would rather not start stripping down with so many in attendence. "Figuring those two are going as fast as they can, just wish the heat wasn't so bleedin' stifling." Reuben's notes are looked at, yet again, the girl giving him a nod, very much pleased with her number choice as well as the gold with the most eggs. "Lots of eggs down there. Can't be to much longer before we can all go to the caverns to cool down with a drink."

From the galleries, Reuben lifts his shoulders in a shrug, putting away the hide and stylus for just a moment, long enough to get his jacket off. "I've read that some golds can clutch over days, though," he says, giving the bluerider a dismayed look as he picks up the hide and stylus again, grinning as his 'favorite' lays three eggs in a row. "See there. Cadgwith just layed three. She'll lay the most, I'm sure."

From the galleries, Rowress walks in.

As unexpectedly as ever, the Reign of Fire Egg falls, as gently as possible, into a groove in the sands. The sizzling flame that is Nissionath has began yet again, still not ready to smother the flames just as of yet. Her latest egg is, however, is sheltered with sand, perhaps the gold trying to ebb of some of the heat that seems to radiate from it. Oddly enough, as the grains are shoveled away, another hole comes into view and with that, comes another egg. Glowing Embers Egg has appeared, proving that not even a raging fire lasts forever and sooner or later must be smoldered. Even with the flames seeming to be dying off, Nissionath still is not quite happy with the two eggs. Something is missing, and that last link comes not a moment to soon, the Out of the Ashes egg plopping onto the sands. Now, the sparks are completely gone, leaving only the powdery remains. But from the dark ashes, a small light can be seen, showing that the fire can be rekindled and start ablaze once more.

Reign of Fire Egg
Fire reigns down the shell of this large egg in an inferno of color: crimson and black, flame-gold, sear-blue, explosions of green and ashen grey. A blaze. A conflagration. A burning pyre of civilization destroyed in a dragon-born blaze of incandescence. Every curve and crack in the leathery shell is kindled with fires, banked in ash, and smoked to a crisp, Crom-coal black at the very edge.

Glowing Embers Egg
Gritty shades of dark gray, ebony, and faint ash dust the base of the egg, with the touches of black scattering upwards. Hints of deep crimson accent the darkness, peeking out here and there, while further flecks of brilliant orange dance across the surface, ensnared in pale smoke. A flash of midnight hints at the top of the egg, sky through the shadows, into which the gray and vivid orange swirl carelessly.

Out of the Ashes Egg
A panoply of color rises from the ashen bottom of this small egg like a phoenix; scarlet and saffron edge every dusky hue as the feathered tones ripple and swerve from the darkish base to the flame-seared upper reaches. Gold and green, magic's blue, wand's brown, copper's bronze: all the colors of Dragon are here in a phlogiston of brilliant tones and spirited spirals.

From the galleries, Tye wrinkles her nose, "Arg.. I never though about that." She taps her fingers against her arms, facing scrunching into a thoughtful look. "Let's hope to Faranth it won't come to that." is muttered, though she instantly cheers up as Nissionath soon produces three eggs of her own. "Oh-ho-ho, seems you may be wrong in that assumption. They seem to almost be matching each other egg to egg."

Cadgwith glances over at Nissionath's latest eggs. A demonstration of immortality through order of the phoenix? Ahh, but what is youth reborn compared to youth eternal? She produces Fountain of Youth Egg in response, rolling it to an ostentatious position opposite Out of the Ashes Egg. Following fast comes Ocean Crest, a whitecapped herald that further competition between the two queens may be brewing.

From the galleries, Lauria snickers, briefly, watching the two exchange ideas on bets. "I'd go for one," she notes to Kibai. "There's two golds out there on the sands, it makes the chances higher that there might be, doesn't it? Or - did a brown win one of those flights? I'm so behind on politics…" She doesn't have much to really add, so crossing her arms and watching the betting is her best… bet. "Unless you -do- take cookies, Wyn… and then I'll bet myself."

Fountain of Youth Egg
Ancient but forever young, eternity has become captured in the soft blues and foamy off-white that whirls and swirls around the shell of the egg in a soft crescendo. Darker tones twist across the top of the egg, a silent temptation. Undiscovered, it awaits nothing, only offers itself. Stripes of white travel down towards the base, where gray takes on stone-like texture. On the small side for an egg, the subtle shifts between shades of blue and the creeping white add to the secret of its hidden depths.

Ocean Crest Egg
The crest of the egg radiates a soft ocean green on one side, a tiny trail of white colored foam dances across the upper surface of the egg, leaving a shimmering trail of creamed colored innocence in its wake. Upon the other, fierce wisps of creamy wind patterns send a torrent of rushing white froth and foam to crest on the top of this silvery white egg. Circling around the bottom of the shell, with sinister intent, a blackened gray radiates tendrils of anger around the middle, before tingeing the purity of the surface with the darkness of the approaching storm, wave after wave rising from its very depths.

Aboleoth spirals down from above, battered by thermals.
B'ane slides from Aboleoth's neck and lands neatly on the balls of their feet.

From the galleries, Caeri enters again after dissapearing, presumably to get a meatroll, because she's just popping the last corner of one into her mouth. She skims her eyes over the assembled folk, noticing who came since she left, and waves to the appropriate people who she knows. Rowress and Kalaeya are especially noted, each with a wave and a bright grin. She comes to sit in the middle of them, as close to both as she can be.

Sii'kyn kicks back, swigging. "That's a pretty one," he absently comments - "That one, too." Glowing Embers and Watery-Effect are noted for the honor of 'pretty'. He's behind in the times just slightly, but he chuckles at the latest pair of CadgeEggies. "Definitely pretty." He's content to sit, Ram's content to be papa-happy. He seems particularly taken with Fountain of Youth; there's a half-trill that shifts into a rumble of greeting at the belatedly arrival of Aboleoth and B'ane. Ike offers a wave.

Cadgwith foghorns a warning as Aboleoth approaches, until Pyrene silently reminds her that he sired Nissi's clutch. Abashed, she presses her head against Ram, and pretends she's meditating for the arrival of the next egg.

From the galleries, Kibai's eyebrows jack upward at Lauria's bet of herself, and his gaze is flickering over to her, only to bestow a knowing grin upon the young woman. "Nice bet… I could happen to get in on that one, could I?" Alas, Wyn has been distracted or gone silent, so he doesn't hear back about the bet immediately. "I suppose there could be a gold egg though, but I would imagine the chances of that would be very slim."

From the galleries, Reuben tilts his head as the younger queen does indeed lay three eggs as well, bringing the corners of his mouth down a little. "Uh, yes.. I guess so," he replies to Tye, scribbling a few notes on the appearances of the eggs. Those notes on each egg getting shorter and shorter if anyone was to look over his shoulder. "It really /is/ hot in here," he complains again, running a hand through hair, which is now damp from sweat.

B'ane spiders down his ride perhaps a little more quickly than what's considered prudent. Well, at least he didn't fall on his behind. In a flurry of sterling-dusted wings, the bronze dragon hastily folds his wings after trying a soft-throated growl in salutation and shifts his body to watch the golds do their thing. Albeit from a safe distance. "I'm late, I know, I'm sorry.." A quick glance-over at himself proves B'ane is presentable to be seen in public - more or less - and he nods sharply to the Weyrleader and the two goldriders.

Sidramuntalath rumbles, pressing back against Cadge, offering, um - something? Companionship. That works. One eye's focus rolls slowly towards Aboleoth, a vague warning implied - welcome on the Sands, yes. Being a distraction to Nissi, even better. Just don't approach the Cadge (and all the nice puddles of eggs this side of the Sands) and everything's good. Awwww. He's being protective. How.. sweet. In the odd sort of murderous way he has, y'know. B'ane, now, gets a relieved rumble of greeting. Someone to help referee, if it gets down to that.

From the galleries, Lauria frowns briefly, noting Wyn's distraction, and then snorts at Kibai. "I'm joking, you do realize this?" She laughs though, lightly. "Why would you think it'd be slim? But then I'm more hold-bred in some - erh - cases - than even you are, so I've probably got no base in saying I'd think there would be one. And - " she eyes the newest two eggs, uncrossing her arms. "I wonder how long this clutching will last…"

A strangled roar is let out as Nissionath eyes Cadgwith's rather neat looking eggs. Whether it's jealousy or the intolerable pain her next eggs are bringing is anyone's guess. Vaeli doesn't have a chair of her own, nor does she want one. The rider moves to comfort her mount, but the gold denies the gesture. Instead, upon spying the not-very-punctual papa, Nissionath croons for Aboleoth's support. She'll yell at him later. Nissionath lowers herself towards the sands once more, letting the Forged from Hate Egg gently fall into the slight impression created just before. The queen takes a moment to look at her egg, perhaps sizing it up, before she gives another pained sound. Hatred causes pain, and pain is inflicted by weapons. She quickly drops the Flame-Forged Steel Sword Egg only a few feet away from its sibling. Nissionath moves away from her latest, most annoying of her eggs, but she is far from done yet. Through the ashes of war and death, comes beauty. This time, without a sound from the golden dragon, the Spirit of Courage Egg is brought onto Pern, proving that good always overcomes the evil and the spirit of courage can always prevail.

Forged from Hate Egg
The surface of this egg gives one the illusion of a heat so intense that it's molten lava. Variants of deep crimson bleed languidly as they crash together with streaks of black, anger and hate coinciding in a demon's playground of anguish. Turmoils of unrelenting fire twist and wreak havoc among pulsating spots bursting, solidifying and melting again, the dark emotion bitterly sweeping towards an eternally moving destination.

Flame-Forged Steel Sword Egg
Flash! Spark! Zjjing! The roiling red waves of crackling fire immerse this egg in hellish hue, the efforts of the forge spiraling ever upwards, never ceasing demanding pace: crackles of vintage silver and a backdrop of glowing-orange fire-fresh steel offer little compensation to this eyeblinding terror of the sands; it's red, it's fire, and when it burns, it burns - can't you already feel the sizzle?

Spirit of Courage Egg
Incandescent in the heat of the sands, this blazing white orb is almost perfectly spherical in shape. Its surface bears no markings except those cast by shadow and light, a shifting interplay of glittering rays refracting off the sands and darker shadows that never quite succeed at subduing the courage within evident in its stance, if an egg could be said to have such.

From the galleries, Rowress bounces on in, a wave given back over in Caeri's direction. "Dreadfully pretty eggs," she murmurs to herself, 'and they're so big, not to mention many!" She makes her way into the crowd and grabs herself a nice spot where she can see the eggs all she wants.

Vaeli crosses her arms as she eyes B'ane. "Yes. Late. What kept you? Nissionath was threatening to flame Aboleoth alive, that is, if she could flame." She turns quickly to stare at her gold's newest eggs, wincing at the pain those must've caused. "Well, at least that last on is..prettier than some of Cadgwith's."

From the galleries, Kibai chuckles darkly at Lauria's words, his grin going knowing. "Sheer numbers, Lauria. The chances of a singular gold among all of those others… It is simply the numbers that make me say that." Must be all of that accounting background, and common sense. He finally deigns to look back to the sands, noting the appearance of more eggs since the last time he looked. Sheesh.

Cadgwith certainly isn't going to produce a gold egg, thanks to Sidramuntalath lacking the right sort of chromosomes (or something). However, though she looks tired now, a glance to Nissi's latest egg inspires - fires - her. She matches Spirit of Courage with two eggs marked with spirit of adventure. Prepared for adventure is Backpacker's Water Bottle Egg, and nestled against it, River Rafting Egg rides adventure. Yet all such opportunists need somebody to watch over them, a Sidramuntalath-esque protector. And so, on a raised mound of sand nearby, Guardian of the River Egg watches over its daring siblings.

Backpacker's Water Bottle Egg
Sturdy is perhaps the best word to describe the appearance of this egg. While it definitely is just as fragile as all other eggs, it has an air of durability about it, as though even the most rough and tumble efforts could not crack it. Taller and more slender than most, it is more cylindrical than ovoid. Its smooth shell is marred by numerous small scratch markings, and muddy brown prints that track like a band around the middle.

River Rafting Egg
Deft, twisting shades of pale blue, gray, and white mingle and mix in rapid succession. Splotches of tan form odd barriers to the pattern, winding upwards from the base, with white splashed around them. Chaos reigns at the base of the egg, stone-gray and lively blue clashing, before it comes to a strange serenity. Closer to the top of the egg, soft swirls of color exist without conflict, the river gone silent.

Guardian of the River Egg
The curves of this pearly egg take on a firmer, more confident line than its clutchmates. Highlights of a milky sea-green wash across it in sinuous patterns, curls upon curls in a tight embrace twined with slender ribbons of white. At some times they darken mysteriously, but at other times they dance, floating in an almost joyous manner over the blue-tinged backdrop.

From the galleries, Caeri smiles at Rowress' energy.

From the galleries, Ashli wiggles back into a seat, and swings her legs impetuously, beaming out at the Sands as more eggs appear. How exciting. Ashli almost boings in her seat as she admires the three new eggs that have appeared, on the rolling sands of the…well, the Sands. Ashli looks around for someone to chatter with, and she suddenly espies a nanny looking covertly around from the entrance to the galleries. Dun dun dun. The girl scrunches herself into a small ball, valiantly attempting to be unseen…

From the galleries, Reuben is rather startled as Nissionath roars, his dark eyes coming up from his scribing duties to look for the cause of the this sudden noise. "What's that..?" he says, blinking as three more eggs come from the younger queen. "Shells…" But then he perks up as Cadgwith matches her three eggs with another three. Good girl. And nevermind that the older queen looks a little tired, Rube was going to win his bet. A bet where nothing had actually been wagered..

From the galleries, Rowress takes her own share of oohing and ahhing at the eggs. "They're so pretty! And so many different colors too!" She watches eagerly as more eggs are laid upon the sands.

From the galleries, Jycarl walks in.

From the galleries, Lauria nods, in the silence - well, the silence between the two - and takes a deep breath, guessing at thoughts. "Yea, not to be lower the reverence, but they really do pop those things out, don't they? I'm so sharding glad that people don't routinely have more than one kid at a time. Not for their sakes, but for mine. I'd have millions of kidlets to care for…" She shudders. The thought.

From the galleries, Jycarl stumbles in. Someone obviously slept /far/ to late. He waves to a few people, with a grin at Ashli and Kalaeya.

Joining up with Nissionath, Aboleoth lends a shoulder and some old fashioned cheerleading pep-talk to help the gold dragon in her time of materal frustration. "Don't ask," he threatens fakely as if he's has to tell this story half a dozen times. "We were doing a new Weyr-wide formation, all of the wings, when these two riders decided to have a race. In short, their dragons nearly collided and we all had to listen to a lecture on the safety of flying." A heavy roll of his eyes are given as the bronzerider shakes his head ruefully. "But anyway, wow, are these the eggs so far?" Those same dark brown eyes grow wide at the spectacle before him.

From the galleries, Kalaeya smiles around her, she utterly taken aback by all these people and eggs. She wriggles exitedly in her shirt before registering Caeri. She turns to her with slight mistrust on her face but calls "Hi!" cheerily to her none the less.

From the galleries, Caeri moves closer to Laeya, smiling kindly. "Well met," she greets, some happy secret in her eyes. Maybe it's just the eggs. "They're incredible, aren't they?" She says of the clutches and their parents.

From the galleries, Kalaeya squints her eyes, /forget it/ she urges herself. "Yeah, amazing, do you watch hatchings alot?" She replies dreamily.

From the galleries, Caeri laughs out loud. "Faranth, no! I've only been in a Weyr - lived in one, anyway - for a couple of sevendays now. And this doesn't happen that many times a Turn." She smiles dreamily.

From the galleries, Kibai smirks faintly. Anything more than that and it might just look like one of those full-fledged scowls. "Pop being the important word there…" His gaze flickers to the others in the galleries, quirking a brow at the relative 'ooohs' and 'ahhhs' from the watchers. Sick and wrong. Sick and wrong. Ah well. His gaze drops back to Lauria, chuckling, "Breeding gone wrong.. yes."

Sidramuntalath rumbles deep appreciation for that last egg - Guardian of the River. It is very… Sidramuntalath-esqe, all things said and done. He'll be waiting for a good dark warrior to emerge from that one. Ike notes it, and settles an ankle over his knee, tilting his head. "Cadge's got remarkable endurance," he comments. "She doesn't look too tired, and she's been laying for - how long, now?" Shaggy head tilts further, and he closes his eyes, trying to figure out how long it's been.

From the galleries, Tye zaps out of her long silence, perhaps the bluerider had fallen asleep by accident? No one will ever know. "Ah-ha! Another large batch from Nissionath." Cadgewith had a few more also, but that doesn't interject in Tye's thoughts. "And I was wondering where B'ane was." She tsks softly, letting her arms free themselves from their crossed position."Now would be a good time to count the lot, if anyone can. Might be easier to tell what the final number will be."

Nissionath pays no attention to the other queen now, her job almost complete. The pains of her labor now easing, she takes the opportunity to creel scoldings to the bronze for being late. Her reprimands are cut short as she turns her back towards the galleries, allowing everyone to get the full view of her final eggs getting ready to praise the word with their entities. Furrows are already dug for however many eggs remain, and Nissionath positions herself on top of the sand cradles. Windthrown Fireweed Egg makes its way slowly out of its mother, and Mama has quite a time shaking the egg away from her behind. Finally plopping out, a hindpaw scoots sand over the top of the egg, and she barely has time to withdraw her limb before another involuntary push squeezes out the Hurricane Lamp Egg. Nissionath chooses this moment to place her next burden elsewhere, and upon her scurry around her clutch, she near about steps on an egg or two, the eggies only saved from Vaeli's scolding remarks. Nissionath can't hold the egg any longer, and Firefly Crashing Into Chinese Lantern Egg lands directly onto another of its siblings. The sooty queen now proceeds to carry about her chores of rolling and tending the eggs, apparently allowing Cadgwith to finish off the event.

Pyrene looks proud. "Ahh, Cadge is an old hand at this. I'll bet she'll be going for hours yet. that's… what? Twenty eggs now, and she doesn't show signs of stopping! I wonder if we'll get to thirty?"

Windthrown Fireweed Egg
Whorls of silver and white spin across the shell of this small egg like a summer storm: grey-gold sky, flashes of blue, the pale soft fluffiness of distant (and more friendly clouds). But it is the winds of ethereal hues that spin the field of fireweed into an endless cascade of green about the egg. The rich weedy green of leave and stem is tossed hither and tither beneath the crimson and purple cap of new bright blossoms.

Hurricane Lamp Egg
It is a petite, rather innocuous egg, yet there is a subtle glow that surrounds the leathery surface. Radiance emanates from a lustrous blemish, seemingly from the core of the glowing egg. The shell frolicks with a jade hue, picking up the light in fragments, like an artist composing a mosaic. A flicker of orange glitters here, and fades to a darkened shadow towards the base.

Firefly Crashing Into Chinese Lantern Egg
This ovoid is the distressing recipient of many, many different features: from scarily burning strips of kid-cut construction paper (multicolored, from pink to orange to black again) to the odd insect-looking figure sketched out between the near-burnt-up swath of white and the quickly-ashing purple and back again, it spells out Odd with a capital O. A merry strip of peach-orange ranges over the top, while the incessant lick of orange-red flames try gutsily to combat the white-hot light of the burning insect-scribble. Childish non-harmony of colors is disrupted, burnt to a crisp, and generally abused - but who can't feel for the plight of the poor firefly?

From the galleries, Kalaeya also laughs, just to be friendly "Suppose." She hazishly considers, most of the attention seems to be taken up on watching the eggs. /Don't ask her/, she's forgotten she reminds herself urgently.

From the galleries, Lauria laughs, suddenly, outright, at Kibai - obviously some joke that perhaps he didn't mean to tell? "That's true, that's very true, probably more than you know. Breeding gone wrong. I was talking to - Tye? I think - about this. There's already enough bad breeders out there, having children who can't sit still, or who have a tendency to do everything possible against the rules, just for attention - I can just sit here, imagining if, instead of one Tarrance, there were twenty. And twenty Joies. And - eeerrgh. I'm going to have nightmares now."

From the galleries, Rowress made her way to stand next to Kalaeya. Her eyes looks curiously over at Kalaeya before asking, "Have you seen these clutchings often?" Another pause before Ress giggles a tad bit loudly. "It's my first time!"

Cadgwith gives Pyrene a rather horrified look. Hours longer? Thirty eggs? Has she really managed twenty? That's not a bad number at all. She casts a look at Nissionath who seems to be done. Cadgwith isn't big on numbers but the younger queen's clutch doesn't look to be more than a few eggs bigger than hers. Perhaps one more to be on the safe side, but then she's putting this whole messy business to rest. She's finshed. Capisce?

Sleeping with the Fishes Egg
Dastardly and dark shades of ebony sit at the base of the egg, a murky swamp with lighter gray hues meshed within. Dark blue and a paler counterpart of sea green shift and sway as the pulse of the ocean. Decaying bits of brown and fleshy pink are scattered across the egg. Occasionally, a bright flash of color appears - violet, jade, orange. All swirl around, darting in and out of the deep, unfriendly shades.

Vaeli shrugs her shoulders. "All's well, I suppose, B'ane. At least you're here now. Although I'd warn your mount that Nissionath will have far more scoldings than the ones he's already receiving. And look! Cadgwith looks like she's done. As does Nissionath. How many is that, Pyrene? All together? I lost count."

From the galleries, Reuben counts the notes on his pages. One little scribble for each egg. "Forty-two.. Or -one. I'm not sure, I was wrong before and I can see all the eggs on the sands now," he says, apologetically, making final scribbles on the latest eggs to arrive. "And that forty-three, or -two with the one from Cadgwith.." he adds.

From the galleries, Caeri chuckles again to herself as she watches Cadge manage another egg. "I'm glad I'm not a gold dragon, having so many children!" She assures Kalaeya and Rowress. "One's just fine, thanks very much. Maybe two, I'll admit, but not… twenty or so." She shivers as if in horror at the idea.

From the galleries, Kibai blinks over to Lauria at her laugher, smile hitching up at the corner for no other reason than because the young woman is laughing, "That sounds… disturbing?" He isn't all that sure that is the correct response or such, but at least he did responds verbally in some way, right?

Pyrene quickly tots up eggs, running out of fingers several times over. "I think that's twenty-three for Nissi and twenty-six for Cadge. Or maybe that's twenty-one for Cadge. I forget which hand I started with." She looks at her hands worriedly and then back at the eggs. It's always possible Cadge laid less than Nissi after all.

From the galleries, Tye's face falls as she looks down at the gold dragons, "Oh no. It looks like Nissionath is finished. Oh my.. Cadgwith too." Reuben is glanced at quickly, the girl snapping her fingers. "Fourty-two then? Crackdust. I knew I should have gone smaller." She scowls, getting to her feet, ready to go back to her weyr to finish off the nap she was disturbed from.

From the galleries, Kalaeya agrees and laughs properly, children, ugh. She truns, noticing Rowress "Hello" She smiles vaguely. Her eyes still on the wonderous eggs.

From the galleries, Rowress giggles at Caeri's comment. "Ya, being a gold dragon must be hard. All those children… but there's the fun of it too. You can fly…" Ress trails off as her mind is lost in thought. "Flying would be nice… wonder how it feels?" She shrugs. "It's not like I can suddenly sprout wings or whatnot."

From the galleries, Caeri smiles wistfully at Rowress. "You have a good point there."

Sii'kyn shakes his head, chuckling at Cadge's horrified look. Ram senses the end's reached, and gives a triumphant half-bugle. Whoop! (Wait, he just did.) "That's a lovely number of eggs, considering Ram's color," he states, tone literally bursting with - well, Ram-inspired pride. His gaze settles over the entirety of the clutches, and he beams further. "So - " A pause, and he tilts his head to a side. "Either way, those are good numbers." It's not a competition to -him-, see. "Interesting eggs, and no shiny." He's relieved at that. The pressure's off his Searchriders when there's no shinyegg.

From the galleries, Jycarl shuffles a little closer to Laeya and grins at her softly. "Having fun?" He asks softly. "Looks like I missed all but the end."

From the galleries, Lauria smiles slightly, obviously not quite satisfied with Kibai's response, but forgets it all the same. "Look. They're done. Shards, there's almost fifty out there, isn't there? Fifty of those new, lovable, insanely ugly dragonets that'll hatch in - however many months it's supposed to take. Though it's a wonder it'd work out quite like this, both queens laying at the same time, I wonder if they both hatch at the same time. I've never seen two queens on the sand. And look, I was - wrong. No queen, he's saying?" She's leaning forward on her chair, trying to listen to what Sii'kyn says.

From the galleries, Reuben shrugs, looking at the bluerider with an apologetic look. "I could be wrong, ma'am. I was sitting here writing some of the time and, err.. Might have missed some." Okay, so he's not only trying to make /her/ feel better. He'd guessed forty-eight himself, right? So he was off himself, by a few. "Do you think they're really done now?"

Aboleoth chivalrously fans a wing slowly to help work a cooling breeze towards Nissi. He's late, but he'll make up for it somehow in the near future, just you wait. Having never seen an egg been laid personally by a dragon, the bronze appears to watch his shelled offspring come into the world with the contained enthusiasm of a weyrling. Smiling like a fool at Vaeli's elbow, B'ane looks like the corners of his mouth have been stitched permanently to his cheekbones. "Would j'you look at that.." The Istan starts in a drawn-out whisper as he turns the 100-watt grin to Vaeli. Abo sniffs the last one laid affectionately and then reclines back onto his haunches like a chiseled stone gargoyle taking up eternal sentry duty.

From the galleries, Kalaeya listens to the two girl's conversation intently, she hasn't got a reply or a greeting form Rowress yet and looks slightly ruffled.

Nissionath lays down now, facing the sea-queen as she finishes her job. She rests her muzzle on her forepaws, a comical twitch overcoming her tail. Her head darts to Aboleoth, and back to the other pair of parents. She croons mischievously, and rises to her feet once more. The gold slowly walks around the perimeter of her clutch, all the way to the closest side to Cadgwith's, and promptly plops out one last egg. The Liar Liar, Pants on Fire! Egg. Talk about adding insult to injury. -Now- Nissionath is finished.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire Egg
Fwoom! Up with the smoke, down with the trousers. On the large side, the egg is drenched in corduroy brown, with licking, lusty shades of red that dance up from the base. Taunting shades of yellow and amber dust the surface, a smirking line of gray that curves upwards, a fierce grin after the flames. Vengeful shades of deep crimson find their satisfaction as appear in small, sparking flecks across the top.

From the galleries, Sora walks in.

Pyrene recounts and sighs. "Make that 21 for Cadge after all…." Turning to the galleries she straightens her shoulders, bellowing: "Cadgwith has laid 21 eggs and Nissionath has laid 23. High Reaches will ride Search for 44 new dragons!" She pauses for dramatic effect, then casually adds: "Now go to the living caverns for refresh - huh?" She turns and stares at Nissionath's latest effort, unimpressed. "Make that 24 from Nissionath, 45 in all," she announces slowly, before demanding rather hotly of Vaeli. "Is she done /now/?" Cadgwith merely gazes at the new egg. Hers are cuter. Wetter too.

From the galleries, Rowress yawns and brings a hand through her slighly messy hair. "Oh my… I didn't know I was that lazy to forget brushing my hair in the morning." She gives a sheepish grin and counts down on all the eggs. "Whoa, that's a lot. Ain't it?" was asked of Kalaeya

Sii'kyn pauses, glances up, and stares at Nissi. His gaze swipes towards Vae, and there's a slight little smirk appearing on his face. Rut roh. That.. can't be good. "If you'd excuse me, I have to finish wingreports before my weyrseconds kill me. Ram… feel free to.. brood.. or do whatever." There's a pause. "Just don't kill anyone." A sweeping bow, and he chuckles. "Lovely clutches, ladies! Nissi, Cadge, beautiful jobs, all said and done." And then? He's running.

From the galleries, Tye waves her hand, shaking her head. "No matter, we'll find out the final number in a bit. I'm sure Pyrene and Vaeli will give us the exact numbers in no time. Maybe an egg or two were miscounted an - " Sentence is killed off as Tye turns her eyes back to the sands, just in time to see Nissionath lay a final egg. "Well now!" She states, laying her hands on her hips. "I do believe that Nissionath has laid more eggs then Cadgwith. Mmm. Who would have thought." Not her. And with that last thought, the bluerider leaves the Galleries to get some fresh, and cool, air.

From the galleries, Kibai is actually rather glad now that he didn't quite get the chance to make that bet with Wyn. "No?… Ah well." He doesn't seem all that broken up about it though. At mention of the queens being done, the young man shoots a speculative glance to the sands to examine the littering of eggs out there, the faintest hints of a smirk still present. "Good…. did she say forty-five?" Yes, indeed. "Is that a great many?"

Pyrene just shakes her head as Ike disappears. "Fine. See you later, Vaeli, B'ane… I'm going to collect some things and set up camp down here then. You did beautifully, Cadge!" She blows a kiss to her dragon before trundling off. Cadgwith blinks in lazy acceptance of the kiss before rolling over to one side, tail and neck curling about her clutch as she broods in blissful drowsiness.

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