A Spot of Warmth [HATCHING FEAST]

[saidaltam]

T'rel had slipped out of the hatching a little early to help the kitchens workers finish setting up for the feast, but he had quickly discovered that his presence was quite entirely superfluous, and so, with a smile, he moved out of the way, being shuffled by one worker and the next until he found himself standing in a small alcove beside the hearth, enjoying a spot of warmth against the autumn chill as he watched feast preparations roll.

He was always astonished to see how effectively the lower caverns staff managed to keep things running. It was almost like watching wing exercises, the way that they dodged around eachother while carrying massive platters of food that should have toppled to the floor, but never seemed to even so much as teeter that way.

Within less than an hour, the whole area was alive with food, drink, seating, and even some scattered decoration. It was more than a little awe inspiring. T'rel chuckled, snatched a meatroll off a passing tray, and smiled dryly, waiting for the guests of honor to start filtering in.

[stolenhart]

After the last egg had cracked shell, Ilayria had fled the Hatching Sands to change into something nicer for the Hatching Feast. After a quick bath to clean off the sand, she dressed in a loose and flowing blue gown that did not do much to hide her baby bump. Oh well hiding a bump that big was nearly impossible. Astoth hadn't wanted to leave the Sands for the cold of her Weyr, so at the moment the gold was down in the Sands still, warming herself.

Dressed and in comfortable shoes she descended the stairs into her Weyr's immense kitchen and dining cavern. "T'rel", she saw one of the wingleaders, the one who had been dispatched to take care of the Feast. "It looks wonderful and the food, it smells just as good as it looks", she exclaimed, snagging her own meatroll. With no more morning sickness Ilayria had taken to eating everything in sight.

[saidaltam]

"I know, doesn't it?" T'rel replied with a bright smile, making room for the Weyrwoman to join him beside the hearth. "I contributed significantly. I was shuffled, placed in a corner, and told to stay put, and my ability to heed the orders of those wiser and more experienced than myself shone true, once more proving my capabilities as an organizer." He gestured with his meatroll toward one particular drudge who had actually scolded him at one point during the preparations for attempting to help. "He, especially, saw just how terribly useful I can be. Just ask him," he added with an impish grin.

Popping the rest of the meatroll into his mouth, he smiled a small, self-depreciating smile at her, then swiftly changed the subject. "Tell me, Weyrwoman! How are you feeling? How is Astoth, now that another clutch has left the sands? How's your first faring for you?" All of this spilled forth in a bright, cheerful tenor, with a very genuine smile.

[stolenhart]

"Oh?", she gave him her own pixie-like smile, "We shall have to volunteer someone else for the next Hatching then", she teased him gently. Which would probably be Astoth's next clutch anyway you slice it. The young gold would only be two turns old by then, a turn away from being ready to fly. "I'll believe you, it would save me the trip", she replied, taking the seat next to him. She had long since been warm but sitting beside the hearth felt wonderful.

"How am I feeling? Bloated and fat if you must know. Parts of me are getting in the way", she smiled, a hand going to cover her stomach. "The joys of being a mother. Truthfully I am ready to be done with it", she confessed to him, taking a cup of smoldering hot klah in her hand. "And Astoth is still curled up on the Sands, refusing to go out into the rain but she feels alot better now that the eggs are Hatched", she added, taking a sip of her klah and sighing happily.

[saidaltam]

"Good to hear," T'rel said with a smile. "Astoth, that is. Not so much about the 'you' part. It can't be much longer, though, can it? Just another couple of months, if I remember right." He pursed his lips, looking up and counting it off on his fingers. "Yeah, that seems right," he said after a long moment.

He chuckled softly, then nodded toward the small assembly that was slowly starting to filter in. "Looks like it's gonna be a big to-do. It was quite a clutch. Some very beautiful hatchlings in there. Astoth must be very proud. Shards, I'm proud, and they're not even mine, no matter which way you slice it."

[stolenhart]

She lifted in eyebrow in question as to why he would know how long she had left in her pregnancy, not even B'oone knew she figured. For a moment she frowned at the thought of B'oone, something was off there but she couldn't put her finger on it. Talking to T'rel was just so much easier. She'd always liked T'rel for that, heck she just flat out liked the guy. It was a pity that Vijaith hadn't caught Astoth. There was always next time, she mused. "Just under three months I am very much ready to be done with this", she added.

"I certainly hope so, after the skirmish this will be a great relief. It's the perfect day to stay inside and drink as well, what with the freezing rain and everything", she admitted with a wistful laugh. Not a heavy drinker, Ilayria had still been known to drink a bit herself but now she couldn't. "I'm glad you are proud. Everyone should take pride in the clutch".

[saidaltam]

T'rel nodded sagely when she said that. It was, after all, the absolute truth. "It's only right that every rider should be proud of the accomplishments of the weyr, and there were several fine hatchlings in that clutch," he observed, then smiled dryly and took a sip of klah snatched from yet another passing tray.. Alcohol had never sat well with T'rel, and he'd had an uncle who'd gotten himself addicted to the stuff, so he'd always been almost frightfully careful of it, so he'd opted to stick to klah for the night.

"Three months, hrm? I was pretty close." He grinned impishly at her, then took another drink and pulled his knee up to his chest. He'd caught the look of surprise on her face when he'd called how long she'd been pregnant, so he supposed he ought to explain. "It's your first, right? Most women don't start showing much until it starts getting pretty late, with their first. My dad taught me that. He still does some midwifing, in a pinch, if there's nobody else. I'm no healer, but I did pick a little up."

[stolenhart]

"Talking about my pregnancy is a weird topic for a Hatching feast", she laughed, climbing to her feet. "Come on, you be my escort until B'oone shows up. We have to circulate with the various Lords and Ladies. Ph'in has brought that rascal from Lidal Hold with him", she nodded towards the handsome young lordling beside her brother. "I haven't met him yet but Ph'in tells me he's very much into runners", she explained, grabbing T'rel's arms and pulling him towards Ph'in and the black-haired stranger next to him.

"I would have thought you would be with the new Weyrlings", Ilayria teased her brother. "Hmmm oh didn't see you there", Ph'in turned to give his sister a hug. "They've been fed and bedded down already", the Weyrlingmaster explained as Yshan turned to look them over. "Yshan this is the Weyrwoman Ilayria and Wingsecond T'rel. This is Yshan formerly of the South but now he's Ruatha's head runner man", Ph'in explained. "Lovely to meet you", Ilayria smiled at him.

[saidaltam]

T'rel chuckled as Ilayria pulled him to his feet, but made no move to stop her, offering her an arm as they walked. He flashed a friendly smile toward Ph'in when they got over to the pair of men. He'd always admired the man's tenacity, if nothing else, and he did have a way of turning out excellent Weyrlings. Though he barely knew him at all on a personal level, he'd always had at least some fondness for him on the professional, so he could hardly see where anything less than friendliness was called for.

By extension, that meant that the same applied to Yshan, being as he'd been introduced as effectively a friend of Ph'in's, which made him effectively a friend of the Weyr, at least on some level, and so he smiled politely to the man, nodding his head agreeably toward him. "A pleasure to meet you," he told the man.

[stolenhart]

"The pleasure is all mine for you my lady", Yshan said to Ilayria, then with an impish smile he turned to T'rel, "Not so much all mine for you sir. No offense but you aren't as pretty as the Weyrwoman", the lordling replied as he snagged a passing wine glass. "The Hatching was lovely, a lot less chaotic then what happened in Southern", Yshan complimented Ilayria. "Of course, we've been doing it longer", Ilayria replied with a smirk. "If you don't mind me saying such a negative thing".

"Dear", Yshan drawled out, "You can say what you will about the silly Southerners, I'm only one by blood not by choice", he smiled. "Well I shall try not to be too rude but there are some things that we do better", Ilayria replied with a sly wink. "And I see the result of such", Yshan teased back as he eyed Ilayria's stomach. "Still Astoth is lovely, it's been so long since I've seen a gold dragon much less a Hatchling", Yshan added. "Of course, the south doesn't have any natural born golds do they". Their gold being Astoth's blood sister and the last gold of Northern's deceased gold.

[saidaltam]

T'rel could only chuckle at that, though he kept his comments behind his teeth. It was more than true that the Weyrwoman was much prettier than he was, but somehow, saying that about his wingleader's weyrmate, no matter how true it was (and it was very true), especially not with her being as pregnant as she was. It just wasn't appropriate. Instead, he held his peace, letting the others chat.

His mind, however, was a thousand miles away, frittering through thoughts that, properly speaking, he ought not to have been worrying over. This was a night of celebration for the Weyr's newest young riders, but he was wrapped up in loosing himself. Vijaith had won a flight, and it hadn't been Astoth's. Some prideful little corner of his mind (perhaps the part that had won him Vijaith in the first place) wondered if perhaps that didn't have something to do with why so many hatchlings had betweened during the hatching, but he quashed the thought as soon as it passed. Brennanth was an excellent dragon, and after all, Vi had never managed to win a queen flight, so it's not like he had any basis for comparison, now, did he?

[stolenhart]

It was at that moment that the Harpers struck up a dancing tune. "Oh T'rel", Ilayria grabbed T'rel's hand, "Excuse me Yshan, brother I have to steal T'rel away for a dance", since B'oone wasn't there to dance with her, his wingsecond would have to do. "Come on or I'll set Astoth on Vijaith", she threatened T'rel leading him out onto the dance floor.

Yshan turned to Ph'in as Ilayria left them. "Shards, she makes me wish I had stood as a child", Yshan confessed to his friend who only shrugged. "You can stand here if you wish, you are only twenty-five after all", the brownrider replied. "Naw, I'm happy where I am at. I never wanted to be a rider ever". Yshan had had the rider's code beaten into him since he was a child, his father had tried to force him to stand as a candidate once Yshan had been Searched. The young man was having none of it and refused. "Ruatha?". Yshan smiled warmly, "Ruatha".

[kat]

As Lady Holder of Ruatha, Laylia was always invited to every hatching the North had, and she never missed one, either! Laylia loved hatchings. As a child she had fancied a dragon for herself for a while, but when it never came to fruition she wasn't really upset about it. She still enjoyed going to the hatching and then the hatching feast afterward. It was a good chance to have a look at their future protectors of the North. A good chance to see exactly what was going on in the Weyr she tithed to.

She was well enough known to those at the Weyr, and had no inhibitions about going over to Weyrwoman Ilayria and giving the woman a friendly smile. However, she was surprised to see someone she recognized all too well from Ruatha there. Still, not one to show when she'd been caught off guard, she continued her intent to greet the Northern Senior Weyrwoman. "Good hatching, Ilayria--you and Astoth must be quite proud with the turn out of this clutch. And a gold, too!" She knew golds and bronzes were a big deal to the Weyrs, as well as why. She then smiled and nodded to the others there. "Yshan, good to see you here. Did you enjoy the hatching?" Then, to the others, "Lady Holder of Ruatha, but you can just call me Laylia." She nodded politely and offered a charming smile to T'rel and then to Ph'in, "good to see you again, Ph'in. Taking care of your sister, I hope?" Of course everyone had heard by now about Ilayria's pregnancy, with the father to be as her current Weyrmate, B'oone. Like anyone, she was curious as to how far along Ilayria was, and how she was doing.

~~~~~~

Amaylia was curious as to who'd impressed what this hatching around, and though she'd been at the hatching she didn't really know any of the newest Weyrlings. The hatching feast was a perfect time to inspect who'd gotten what, what kind of people they were. She'd seen that the gold had successfully impressed--an odd coloration for a gold, at that. Still, gold was gold. She preferred her green Kynoath any sevenday of the turn. Kynoath had the personality of a gold and the agility and larger size of a fighting green.

She wandered amongst the tables, aware that the new Weyrlings would file in soon. The food smelled good and she was feeling rather hungry at the moment, so she took up a plate and began picking a little of everything from each dish. She could always go back for what she liked most, and liked to eat well rounded meals, and to try everything there. Stuffing yourself on just one or two things ensured you'd have no room for more of your favorites, besides. Once her plate was satisfactory, she leaned up against a wall and eyed the entryway to the dining hall, blue eyes sharp on the lookout for their new Weyrlings.

~~~~~~

The second Biroth had heard the words 'hatching' and 'feast' the brown wanted to come along. Still, hatching feasts were for humans, not dragons. Biroth had been persistent but T'yir had promised to bring him back food, and that had finally quieted the young brown's complaints. So it was that T'yir had Biroth settled in their weyr while he made his way to the dining caverns.

Once there, he sighed lightly before entering. Large groups of people were not his thing. They were social, boisterous, happy, festive...all the things he wasn't so great at. Even his own hatching feast had merely involved him smiling wryly at congratulations and muttered thanks, and trying to just enjoy the food while wishing he were with Biroth instead. Still, he had a brown dragon and since becoming a Weyrling social was what he'd been forced to become--at least moderately so. You simply couldn't keep to yourself when you were taking classes with them, working side by side with them, would be fighting with them...

He spotted a few unknown faces, and then more familiar ones belonging to Ph'in, his Weyrlingmaster, an Ilayria, the senior Weyrwoman. Still, he was keeping an eye out for any Weyrlings--the seniors--whom he might be able to attempt a conversation with. He felt kind of silly on his own, and occupied himself with randomly putting food he liked on his plate before taking a seat and keeping his eyes open.

[Femisis]

Once Basteth had been led off the sands, fed until she was ready to burst and settled in to sleep, Crescentia went to finally take that warm bath she'd been waiting for since the hatching started. She was still damp from her excursion from Fort and the water felt nice as she slipped it. She'd have to keep it short as the Feast was going to start soon and her belly was now protesting, but the warmth seeping into her bones felt WONDERFUL. It even gave her a bit of time to think and let things sink in. She's IMPRESSED. For all her boasting and hoping, she'd honestly doubted that she'd ever Impress Basteth. After all, every dragon was different, but Basteth had wanted her... That was the most amazing feeling in the world, to know that a dragon wanted you and you alone...

Realising that she'd been soaking for a while and her skin had begun to wrinkle like a prune, she climbed out of the water and dried off before returning to her quaters to get dressed. She finally settled on a gown of deep purple that hugged her form gracefully. She made a quick job of drying her hair before setting off toward the lower caverns, but not without casting one more fond look at the sleeping Queen.

She reached the dining cavern without much trouble, but found herself alone once again. Where were the rest of the Weyrlings? Maybe they were still getting ready or something...? She felt silly just standing there, but there wasn't anyone inside she knew... Well, she'd just have to wait for them. Taking a deep breath, like she was taking a dive, she took a step into the cavern. Immediately (what seemed like) every head turned in her direction. They watched her for a moment before someone in the back began to clap and people began to move aside for her to enter the cavern.

"This is embarassing..." Crescentia muttered as she entered the cavern with her head up high and her cheeks stained pink. Eventually, the clapping died down and the gathered feasters let her be. It wasn't long to last, though, as she sighed and picked up a meatroll. She was chewing it thoughtfully when a familiar triumphant crowing ruined her train of through.

"Just as I thought!" Reren cried as she stormed up to her half sister with a smrik on her face. "Failed to Impress again, eh?" She cackled. Obviously she hadn't been told of her sister's Impression as of yet.

[saidaltam]

T'rel barely had a second to flash a polite smile toward the Lady Holder of Ruatha before being hauled onto the dance floor, a small chuckle trickling up his throat. He smiled dryly at Ilayria as he caught up to her and slid seamlessly into the dance, taking up his part as he was intended to. It was just like her to be brazen enough to pull something like this, and he believed she would sic Astoth on Vijaith, too, so he wasn't about to balk. Of course, he wouldn't have, anyhow, but that hardly mattered, now, did it? "When have I ever said no to you?" he asked her mildly, spinning her across the dancefloor. It was just a good thing that he actually knew this one, too, or he'd have been tumbling her across the dance floor, but 11 turns of hatching feasts had at least given him his share of practice, so he knew most dances, by now.

The problem with dancing, however, was that it left the dancers very, very close together, and standing very, very close to Ilayria, T'rel found his mind wandering back to what had almost been a very, very bad situation when he'd come by after the Southern hatching and the failed intrusion therein. When B'oone had come in, he had very nearly had heart failure, but that was not the part that had caught his mind, and coming at the end of no small amount of time in the woman's company, sharing a pleasant chat, something he rarely had the luxury to do, that particular memory was more than a little strong.

[stolenhart]

"Laylia", Ilayria gave her a short nod as she pulled T'rel off. She'd have to talk to the Lady Holder later, too bad she'd come up just as they were headed to the dance floor. As the pair of them settled into the dance, Ilayria nodded her head towards Cresce. "My new Jr. I think she'll do well", Ilayria said to T'rel, getting close to him so she wouldn't have to yell. Shards he smelled good. Being pregnant had made her senses sharper and it just wasn't fair. Admittedly B'oone smelled good as well, but T'rel, he smelled like a fresh bread roll with melted butter on it on a cold winter day. Damn the men to between.

"Of course Laylia, I always watch out for my sister so much so I had to Impress out of one of her clutches", Ph'in sighed, his eyes roving over the floor looking for something. "Laylia why don't you dance with me?", Yshan offered his hand to the Lady Holder. "Just one then I won't step on your feet the rest of the night", he winked at her and waited for her answer.

[saidaltam]

Alright, now this was just patently unfair! As if dancing wasn't enough, now she was moving closer to him! T'rel could have kicked himself, if he'd thought it would do any good, but he knew better. All he kept thinking to himself was, 'This is a very, very, very bad idea. This is a terrible, awful idea. I shouldn't be doing this.'

Vijaith was not helping. :Why not, mine? Astoth's clutch is off the sands.:[/color]

'This is not Astoth,' T'rel explained, then interrupted his own explanation to say, "Aye, I've heard a bit about her. One of the more... capable candidates, wasn't she? I'm afraid I don't keep as good of tabs as I ought to."

That said, he resumed, 'This is Ilayria. This is B'oone's weyrmate. This is my Weyrwoman, who seems to be very, very happy with my Wingleader and Weyrleader, and who is pregnant with his child. Things for riders are not the same as they are for dragons, Vi. What's okay for you is not okay for us.'

Vijaith's only reply was an arrogant snort, but that was alright. His silence gave T'rel a chance to focus back on the conversation at hand. "What about the others? Know anything about any of them?" he asked mildly. "A bronze, two browns, and a passel of fighters--that's not too shabby." He flashed her a smile with that last bit, to show that it was meant as a compliment.

[stolenhart]

"Fairly capable I would say. She Impressed a Gold so she hasn't been capable then she has hidden qualities", Ilayria replied. Her own nervous state was rousing Astoth from her peacefully warm slumber. Stop whatever you are doing, the gold told her rider. I am only dancing love, the woman replied. You are thinking about him and not in a dancing kind of way, it was enough to make Ilayria blush.

To cover her blush she replied to T'rel's statement. "It could have, should have been better", she muttered then sighed. "I apologize. But a gold clutch of sixteen with only one bronze and three dragonets between is not a good clutch", she growled under her breathe. "Astoth is fresh off the grounds and already I am wondering if Brennenth should fly her again", she confided in him. It was the first time she had voiced said fears to another. B'oone was a decent enough sort so far, but the Weyr needed large healthy clutches. That last green had been deformed. "I'm so morose tonight. Cheer me up", she teased him lightly.

[saidaltam]

T'rel's throat cought, if only for a moment, before he shook it off with a faint smile. "How would you like me to do that, Weyrwoman?" he asked mildly, pausing mid-sentence to catch one of the more difficult steps in the dance without colliding with another pair of dancers. "Your wish is my command."

Despite his not-quite-calm demeanor, however, the turn of the conversation had more than marginally off-balanced him. She was right, of course, about the clutch, but to have her go so far as to actually say that she wasn't sure Brennanth should fly Astoth again? Of course, that was hardly tantamount to anything that would directly affect him. Vijaith had still never won a queen flight, after all, so even if she did see to it that Brennanth did not win the next flight, that hardly meant that Vijaith would, and even if he did, that hardly meant that there would be anything between him and Ilayria, or that anything between her and B'oone would have to end. The Weyr had long ago accepted that flight-lust had unanticipated results, and that dealing with such results was just part-and-parcel of daring to have a relationship, after all. All words aside, there was no point in getting his hopes up for nothing.

So why, then, was it so hard to breathe?

[stolenhart]

"My wish is your command", she laughed, rolling her eyes, "Isn't it more my wish is my command? This is my Weyr you know, I can have whatever I want", she replied pertly, nose in the air as they moved through the complicated steps. "A joke would be nice, and please not the current favorite of the wherry and the flitt", she replied stoically. "I need a break. Let's runaway to Ista, we can get lost in the sanddunes", she promised him as the music began to slow down signalling it's end soon.

She'd never leave she'd miss the Weyr too much and Astoth would never let Ilayria give up her position. It wasn't her way and truthfully it wasn't Ilayria's either. "You know what, let's cut the cake", she said, giving him a brilliant smile. Most of the people had already eaten the large meal while they waited for the candidates to show up and dinner was still hours away. The cooks had prepared a wonderfully large cake for the Feast and had already wheeled it out. "I have to give a speech and everything as well", she added.