(2.12) Hatching Feast

[goldenauthanth]

Although this hatching had been slightly less traditional than hatchings of the past, the residents of the Weyr had still tried to keep to the habits of the past, and had prepared the hatching celebrationary feast. It was on a much smaller size scale than it had been in the past at Igen or Tristar Weyrs, this time there were no outsiders here to celebrate alongside the weyr residents and thus, they hadn't needed to provide quite as much food, but the residents of the Weyr had still decided that they should hold a low level celebration - afterall, new dragons were always something good, and these were the Weyr's first clutch to hatch at the Izuko site.

Taenia had not hung around for the hatching feast, she'd managed to last out the whole hatching itself, but had felt that the feast was too much for her. She was tired and thus had decided to go back to her and Macs weyr, and eat from there. She'd told Mac he could go to the hatching if he wanted, afterall, he was the Weyrleader still.

V'yel had been there to help the newest pairs of riders and dragons get to grips with the sudden change their status and understand the basics of how to look after their dragons. Enough to get them through the first night, that was, ready for their first lesson tomorrow morning. He'd waited around until every dragonet was settled and wondered over last to the feast to join his young charges, and hopefully find Tish. Although he was watching over his young charges, to make sure they didn't get into trouble, he would still try to enjoy the feast as best he could. He expected that Tish was already there by the time he got there.. and looked around for her. He didn't know why he had such a urge to find her, but there was something about this girl that amused him.. interested him, and he found he quite enjoyed her company. It was different to the constant company of young riders and dragons, or his teaching staff.

[fireflash]

Tish was indeed already at the feast. She had initally accopanyied Shayna, K'lar and the others she was seated with at the hatching. But she was now seated at the end of a table on her own, the others having moved off to mingle with the others. People smiled and exchanged greetings with her now and then but for the most part she was left alone. The atmosphere was warm and full of excitement. Harpers playing an array of instraments mixed with the rukas laughter and chatter of all the revlers. Food, wine and ale aplenty. Looking through the throng of people she spotted V'yel. She smiled inwardly taking him in, her subconcious doing a small summersult in her head. For the first time she really looked at him, tracing every detail with her eyes. She had never really noticed the scarring on his face but she noticed it now and absentmindly wondered how he had recieved it. Her musing was abruptly stopped when V'yel made eye contact with Tesh spotting her from across the cavern, her breath caught in the back of her throat. He smiled warmly at her. She couldn't help but smile back, it was infectious. She waved him over.

[sorra]

Sai had stayed long enough to see the Hatching before slipping out and back to his room. The Hatching had been hard on him and he needed to be away from things for a while. He would find Siarie and Evie as soon as he had himself under control. He knew the girls would understand and he didn't want to take a chance of breaking down in front of them. That would just be awful. So, back to his room he went and wasn't even sure if he was going to try to get food or not.

Shayna had stayed in her weyr as long as she could and rested. Although it hadn't done much good. By the time the Feast came around she still looked extremely tired and disheveled. She had tried to cover over the shadows under her eyes the best she could. This was a happy day, but at the moment she wasn't feeling happy or real well. What she wanted to do was curl up and sleep more, but she was acting Weyrwoman at the moment and she couldn't do that, so she settled for just sitting at one of the tables and sipping on a mug of juice. What she really wanted was wine, but she wasn't about to take that chance. She watched everyone, knowing sooner or later she was going to have to go meet and congratulate the newly Impressed riders.

[Mik]

M’cleod had made certain that Taenia would be okay, promising to leave the festivities early to be by her side should she warrant it. Arriving at the Lower Caverns, the brown riding Weyrleader put on a smile for anyone that paid him any heed. Behind his dark sky blue eyes lie a world of turmoil, of what was to be done and what could be changed and what would benefit, all with the coming on of the cold winter season, and he without Taenia‘s strong will at his side. The biggest thing that worried him most was with the new bronzes contending in the upcoming Weyrwoman Flight. He was facing little chance of his Duncanth ever siring another clutch and himself unable to help run the Weyr. Besides, who would want a brown rider for a Weyrsecond? Thoughts aside, the Weyrleader mingled with the Weyrfolk on his way to his lonely place at the head table, his Weyrwoman a Dragonless soul who he sought to keep in good spirits due to his deep love for her. Upon seeing Shayna escorted by R’bao, he sent her a smile of comfort for her tired looking state.

Conneray was tired, nearly dragging his feet to the Hatching Feast after his Eterith had gone to sleep. He had not thought that caring for a dragon took up so much time. So be it, though. He loved his brown unconditionally. He had a sensation that what he had been searching for all his life had finally found him. What his parents would not give to see him now had they still been alive and walking Pern‘s roads. Sitting down, he smelled the spicy scent of klah with extra cinnamon in it at the place where he sat down and gratefully took a sip of it, finding that it helped to wake him more. He smiled and looked around for his sister, having not had the chance to see her since his Impression to Eterith.

K’lar and L’ret had accompanied Tesheara to the Lower Caverns, then left her to herself as plenty of folk seemed to want to greet her. The two Riders met up with their older brother, Tia’ar, and found seats together for the Feast. This sort of occasion allowed mixing and mingling between different wings and the brothers found any excuse that they could to spend some family time together since their dragons took up much of their time.

Having finally gotten her sister back in the present and smiling somewhat again, Macira was able to track down the Dragonless man that she had left alone in the Stands to pull Lira from her past memories. Having an inkling of where she could find him, she headed for Sai’s quarters and rapped softly on his door. “Sai? Ya’ in there?” she asked loud enough to be heard through the thrush door.

R’bao had finished his duties before returning to collect Shayna from their weyr. He escorted his Lover to the Feast with as much of a poker face as he could muster over the worry about his unborn child to Shayna. He just hoped that things would settle down now that Authanth’s clutch had Hatched and all had successfully Impressed.

[kitllwynog]

Celyn didn't really want to go to the Feast. He felt drained, unhappy and exhausted. The only good thing he could truly say was that no dragonets or people had been injured. But he was hungry. So he slipped into the bathing pool to wash away the sand and tears, and dressed in a nice tunic and trews, barely paying attention to what he was doing. He wandered into the Dining Cavern with a glum expression and looked around for Quidel. Maybe he hadn't really wanted to come to the feast either. Still, the food smelled delicious.

Sade felt much the same, but as she hadn't Impressed, she was certainly expected to play, so she cleaned herself up and grabbed her fiddle and pipes before heading to the dining hall. She grabbed a little bite of something to tide her over before setting up with the other harpers. Maybe if she was lucky she'd find a cute young man to dance with. That might take a little of the sting from the disappointment of the Hatching.

Aquila, meanwhile, had not been terribly interested in the Hatching itself, but the feast was another matter entirely. She dressed her best, in a full sleeved fushcia blouse with a tightly laced black bodice, a long and full black skirt, high laced black boots and some fushcia and black striped socks she'd knitted herself. Her raven hair was in pigtails with pink ribbons. She thought she looked good enough to eat and Duhath crooned his appreciation. Sprocket and Gear trailed in her wake as she entered the Dining Cavern, hoping to make an impression.

[Katlyn]

Lorina was at the feast to keep a close eye on the candidates who hadn't impressed. All the girls, she knew, would more than likely have another oppurtunity very soon, with that gold egg still sitting on the stands. The boys would only have to wait a few months before they would have another chance. She saw some of the candidates mingling around, and they seemed to be holding up, so she moved to find her favorite guard, stopping along the way to congratulate her former students that she was able to find.

Ardalae had gotten dressed up for this hatching feast. It was the first one there, at their new home, and she felt that it was more than a good event to get a bit more dressed up. So when she finally showed up at the feast, it was in a warm winter dress that was about the same color as her Fraith's hide. She looked around and as Shayna was the first person Copper caught glimpse of for her, headed towards the acting Weyrwoman, a smile on her face.

Aly hadn't quite wanted to leave Narfrith, but he had insisted that he would be fine a bit on his own before falling into a deep sleep that she wasn't certain she could fight off herself. But when Lyam had shown up, asking her if she was coming, she said yes. She'd already teased him about how she had indeed gotten a brown, despite a previous conversation they'd had that girls didn't impress browns. He'd taken it in good stride, Valianth's good natured temperment seemingly rubbing off on her normally serious brother.

[sorra]

Evie had decided not to go to the Hatching. Instead she had just gone back to her room. She wasn't hungry and she wanted some time to herself. She knew she would have another chance and wasn't as disappointed as others considering she shouldn't have even been standing at such a young age. But she was tired and wasn't up to mingling.

Quidel hadn't been real thrilled about going, but he knew he had to eat and maybe he could find his friend. The boy had cleaned up the best he could and headed for the Cavern, the smell of fresh food hitting his nose and making his stomach rumbled. He managed a slight smile at the thought of food and slipped inside, soon catching sight of Celyn. "Hey," he said, walking over to his friend.

Rytan had been tired, but Peronisth wouldn't let him stay. The bronze had said in his quiet ways that the feast was important and hence the boy needed to be there. He didn't argue with his bronze and headed down for some food. He just wouldn't stay long. He caught sight of Lyam and Aly and headed that way, wondering if Conneray would be there soon too. "Hey," he said, sitting down with them.

Shayna looked up from her spot at the table and managed a tired smile for her friend. "Hello Arda," she said, sitting up better. "You look lovely this evening. No K'ryn to escort you this time?" She knew the two had been spending a lot of time together and she was happy for the younger gold rider. Everyone deserved to be happy.

Ekaterina had decided to join the Feast. She had to eat and there was no sense in staying in her weyr. Especially since R'en had disappeared. She had decided on a long, dark green dress with brown woven into the waist and at the sleeves. She had pulled her hair back partway, but left most of it hanging, grinning a bit. She didn't usually dress up, but it was fun from time to time. And she was curious what a certain green rider would think if he came to the Feast too.

Sai looked up from his couch and sighed softly. "I'm here," he said softly, getting up to open the door. He had been a bit surprised that Macira had found him. He held the door open for her, so she didn't have to stand in the hallway. He just hadn't been able to handle staying at the Hatching any longer. And the Feast would only make things worse. It was better in his room. Or so he had hoped.

[kendrall]

{{R'en}}

R'en was storing his gear in the Infirmary, having finished his rounds earlier. It was part of his duties at the Weyr, something he looked forward to. He knew that he'd have to get ready for the feast as quickly as possible, but only because he wanted to ensure a seat next to Aquila and Ekaterina. The field medic hustled back to the weyr he was sharing with the two Searchriders, but neither one was present at the moment. A pity, really, but it was nothing he would be concerned with. There would be plenty of time to hold a private celebration with his two lovers later. Grabbing a towel, a fresh change of clothes, and some sweetsand, R'en managed to find a bathing chamber that thankfully wasn't in use at the moment. He quickly shucked his boots and clothing, slid into the warm water, and took what was probably one of the fastest baths in his personal history. Stepping out of the water, R'en dried himself off, then proceeded to dress for the occasion. Leather riding boots, dyed black, coming up to mid-calf but the tops were folded over. Black trews, tucked into the boots. A fancy green linen shirt, with long, narrow sleeves; the green was nearly the shade of some of the forests near his old home of High Reaches. R'en made sure to leave the leather ties at the top undone, to expose his neck and the top of his torso, but made sure to tie the leather ties at the end of each sleeve. On top of the shirt, a light brown jerkin, complete with a thin black leather belt. He ran a hand through his hair, combing it back, giving him a wet, sleek look.

He made sure to stop by the weyr to drop off his dirty clothes and towel, and Arieth caught sight of her bonded. She crooned at R'en, who slowly turned around so the Green could get a good look at him, grinning the whole time. The Healer playfully rubbed the underside of Arieth's muzzle, then headed off to the Hatching feast. It didn't take him long until he made his way into the Dining Cavern, and immediately spotted Ekaterina and Aquila. He slid up to Ekaterina first, kissing her on the cheek and whispered in her ear. "You look lovely, Ekaterina." R'en then stepped over to Aquila, greeting her with a kiss on her cheek. "You look lovely yourself, Aquila," he whispered into the Bluerider's ear. He then cleared his throat, and offered an arm to each lady. "Shall we, then?"

{{M'riel}}

M'riel wasn't interested in attending the Hatching Feast. In fact, he hadn't even bothered to show for the Hatching itself. He'd heard that all of the eggs hatched, each dragonet successfully Impressed to a new weyrling with no losses. To him, it was just another fancy function where politics would inevitably become involved, where people would eventually imbibe themselves with too much wine, engorge themselves on far too much food. Oreath wasn't happy that his Rider wasn't going, but at least the Bronze understood why. M'riel was busy working on his latest project, a rocking chair for Shayna, and he was nearly finished with the final sanding before applying an even coat of paint to bring out the natural beauty of the ash wood he'd chosen.

The sound of sandpaper rubbing against wood echoed softly in the brightly-lit lower chamber.

[kitllwynog]

Aquila smirked as she took R'en's arm and looked at Ekaterina. "I think this dandy outdressed either of us," she said teasingly, grinning at R'en. "You do know boys aren't supposed to care about clothes, don't you R'en?" But of course, he looked handsome as usual, and she was sure both of them would be the envy of the woman (and some of the men) just as much as he'd be the envy of the men. "Well, the food certainly smells good." In fact, she thought she'd never been hungrier.

Celyn grinned feebly at Quidel. "Guess we can share our disappointment over some food. It all looks good. You don't suppose they'd let us drink, do you?" he asked wistfully. Spark cheeped a greeting, oblivious to the solemnity of the mood of his pet.

Meanwhile, Sade joined in the quiet and soothing music the harpers generally played during meals. The wilder stuff would be for later, when everyone had drank a bit and was ready to dance.

[sorra]

Ekaterina smiled as R'en came up and kissed her cheek. She chuckled at Aquila's words as she slipped her arm through R'en's other arm. "I do believe you're right. Somehow he always manages to do that," she grinned, kissing the green rider's cheek. It was such fun to tease R'en. And it was even better when Aquila was there to help her tease him. Although she had a feeling it was going to be a good night.

Quidel nodded. "Yeah. At least it does smell good." He shrugged a bit. "I'm kinda hoping they do," he admitted. A bit of wine sounded very tempting at the moment. Maybe it would help to numb their disappointment. He managed a weak smile for his friend and Spark as well.

[goldenauthanth]

V'yel smiled as she waved for him to come and join her, and join her he certainly planned to do. It took him a while longer to get to her than he planned, other riders kept stopping him half way through raising their glass in salute to his newest crop of young riders. Never one to be difficult or unplesent to his fellow riders he couldn't help but stop and exchange a few notes, always throwing a quick glaze towards Tish to appologise. He'd say good bye and move on as quickly as possible until he finally came to stand infront of her table. "How did you enjoy to hatching?" He asked.

[fireflash]

<V'yel>

"I enjoyed it very much, it was slightly overwhelming to be honest, but I'm thankful that it was the dragons that I could hear and I wasn't going crazy!" she smiled shyly up at him through her lashes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the voices in my head sooner, I knew you thought I was holding something back, but it was all so confusing...." she sighed as if a weight had been lifted. "So..." she continued "This is the hatching feast...." she trailed off not really knowing what to say next.

[goldenauthanth]

"ah!" he exclaimed when she explained she had been able to hear all dragons. "I knew there was something else about you!" he grinned at her. "Yes, this is a small scale hatching feast... In the past we have always been open to everyone on pern attending, lord holders.. Harpers.. Masters the lot. Today its just us. There will be dancing.. Music and food to celebrate the arrival of the new dragons."

There was also normally speaches from the weyrwoman.. But he wasnt sure who would be doing that with Taenia out of action... Would it be Mac as weyrleader or Shayna as acting Weyrwoman??

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[fireflash]

<v`yel>
Tish smiled shyly "your very good at reading people aren't you, guess that comes in handy as weyrling master. So your in charge of the young riders and their dragonettes so who is higher up the rank here, i mean who is in charge of the weyr?" Looking away from v'yel for a moment she glances around the cavern, there are lots of people she hasn't met yet. Well this was a good time to make a start.

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[goldenauthanth]

"above me is the weyrleaders, their seconds and adult gold riders.." he explained. "M'cleod is weyrleader..." he explained scanning the crowds for sight of the man.. "and our current acting Weyrwoman is Shayna" he explained. "it may be worth seeing if you can join a couple of lessons on who is who with the candidates... Lorina is the person you need to talk to..."

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