Reach Out and Touch Fate (3/3)

Writers: Avery, Devin, Duskdog, Francesca, Halyonix, Heather, Hunter, Iluva, KC, Sia, Steel
Date Posted: 19th July 2025

Characters: R'lor, Tindral, Th'reyos, T'ian, Rhysalen, Z'vallan, Nidre, L'tos, Lindora, N'jen, Trystoller, Vikirin, Shulamit
Description: The Candidates get all kinds of face time with the eggs (and then some)
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 5 of Turn 12

R'lor

Th'reyos

Z'vallan

Nidre

Tindral, who had followed Nijen this far, was _not_ a fan of the brown dragon that had knocked over one of the Candidates and had retreated a _very_ safe distance away with an ‘eep!’ of fear. She was within leaping distance of R’lor again, cowering near an egg, watching Zarkarth.

But Zarkarth was busy elsewhere. For the moment, his attention was fixed on Zavallan, a contented green flooding his glittering eyes. Oh, this one. Smart. Enough to be obedient. Thank Faranth. Maybe there was hope for their children after all. He crooned softly, gave a brief, approving nod and backed off, pleased with these newest developments.

But his earlier enthusiasm had left its mark. There were other waves to be dealt with. Unintentionally, he’d scattered a few of the smaller ones about. They still lingered at the edges of the cavern like a river had torn through the center of the clutch, marooning them on the shore.

So he moved slowly. Almost crawling. All but slithering to where Viantico had fled, his rumble was more vibration than sound, a sensation that curled around the eggs and rattled faintly up their legs, clung to the air. Didn’t want to scare them anymore than necessary - not _really_. Zarkarth’s giant wing extended again, but paused over Viantico, hovering with the uncertainty of how to guide him without having to speak to this one, too.

That finally roused Th’reyos from where he was lounging, ambling through clustered eggs and Candidates, enough to wave Viantico in closer with a smile. “His rumble’s worse than his bite.” He said easily, patting his brown’s foreleg affectionately and trying not to look too amused. “Come on back, you’re doing fine.”

}:_I’m_ doing fine. I don’t need your help.:{

**No, of course not. You’re perfect.** Th’reyos said placatingly, like his dragon was entirely above reproach for the chaos here. **But we all want the same thing here, hot shot. They just don’t speak dragon yet.**

Rhysalen watched the dragons casually from where he squatted next to one egg- not his 'favorite', but one with a pleasant speckling pattern across its shell like freckles. He was used to Panitath's barely contained overprotectiveness, not the calm curiosity from Jossenth and the overexcited encouragement from the brown. "You'll be nice and friendly too, won't you?" He asked it quietly.

Viantico looked at Th’reyos and gave a tentative smile, trying to regain his confidence. Then he turned to Zarkarth. “Thank you for letting me know, mister dragonrider sir. And mister dragon, I know you’re trying to be careful of your eggs in case we hurt him. But we’re here because we want to be good partners. At least…I want to be good. And I hear that happens by talking to and touching them. So thank you for letting me do that.”

He stepped away and moved into the eggs further, away from protective papa, and touched a few more eggs, murmuring nice things. He wondered if he’d get his own protective bronze or brown like that, a dragon who could sire and protect eggs.

“There you go, you got this.” Th'reyos said encouragingly. **You're gonna owe these kids an apology, bud.**

Zarkarth bumped his rider away, craning his neck around to find her. }:Jossenth, what do you think of them?:{

}:So easily frightened,:{ Jossenth replied with a mournful shake of her head. }:But it’s quite alright. I’m certain they’ll be more brave if they’re chosen. Honestly, it’s a wonder the ones without dragons aren’t _more_ afraid, when you think about it. Look how they go through life! Never flying and with no one to protect them. Very sad.:{

Nijen, unphased by Zarkarth’s posturing, couldn’t help but fret about his scattered fellows even so. Should he go back to coax Tindral out again? Was Hayazi okay? He waved to the more hesitant Candidates lingering around the edges, beckoning for them to come on back in.

But he didn’t want to miss his own chance at touching the eggs, though, so he slowly circled a few that he liked, taking a moment with each. Maybe one was his?

Usually R’lor had to manage overeager _Candidates_. “Zarkarth, perhaps you could give them a little space? Some of them are newly arrived and aren’t yet used to dragons.”

The Weyrlingmaster put a hand on Tindral’s shoulder. “Come on, I’ll go with you. Which egg do you like the best?” Pale, she swallowed nervously and pointed to one just a few feet ahead.

Zarkarth growled at the Weyrlingmaster, until Th'reyos promptly yanked his attention back through their link, eyes whirling innumerable shades of displeasure. }:Well, they must quickly get used to them. They need to be perfect for our children.:{ He told his rider. }:Who does Kularth’s think he is? Just coming in here and telling me what we should and shouldn't do? What I shouldn't do? He's not a sire, and not _their_ sire.:{

**He's on your side. He's on all our sides. Just cool it a bit. Let them do their thing.** Th'reyos shook his head, watching his brown reluctantly move back against the cavern wall. But still, he watched, as intent and salty as ever. }:It is sad.:{ Zarkarth finally added in agreement.

Zavallan watched the brown sire growling at the _Weyrlingmaster_ with wide, interested eyes. He was making all the mental notes he could about this entire experience so he could write it down later. From his readings, he had expected a touchy gold dragon to be protective over her eggs, but the _sire_? This he had not expected, but was pleasantly surprised. It would have also been humorous to watch the Weyrlingmaster get a warning bite from Zarkarth.

Jelantos glanced around again, but no one seemed to be directly paying attention to him, at least, and so he moved for another egg to touch.

Shulamit stood awkwardly on the scorched sands, lingering at the back of the group, shoulders hunched with uncertainty. Only when the others had begun to drift among the eggs did he finally shuffle forward, hesitant and slow. For a boy who had never stepped beyond his family’s holding, it was nearly too much. The vastness of the cavern, the weight of the heat curling up through his soles, and the sheer presence of the two massive dragons watching nearby. Even the small green who’d come to Search had seemed immense, but these were _mountains_.

Rules? What were they again? Momentary panic snagged his breath. Not a single word came to mind. His heart slammed wildly as he stumbled, nearly pitching forward in the sand, a surge of dread rising before he caught himself, cheeks burning. He glanced up only to find another boy watching him and motioning him on.

_She_ believed I belonged here, he reminded himself as he recalled the moment the green dragon had bumped his chest with her nose, clenching that thought like a lifeline as he reached out to the nearest egg. His fingertips brushed its mottled shell, and in that quiet touch, something inside him steadied. What had he been so afraid of? He was meant to be here. He was worthy.

Vikirin arched an eyebrow at Shulamit’s near-stumbling approach, at the wave of wonder washing across his face. Shards, these holder children were a trip. He brushed his fingers reflexively, possessively, across the shell under his palm, trying to make this one his, or make it at least know his presence here. Briefly considering saying something in his mind for once, he felt the Sands shift behind him. He turned slightly to see the brown approaching someone - not _him_, Thank Faranth, but someone very, very near him.

Zarkarth inspected Rhysalen with what could be politely called curiosity. Kularth’s rider was busy with a newborn kitten-sized child, and _he_ still had important vetting to do. Sniffing the top of his head, gusts of concentrated dragonbreath blew through the candidate’s hair and down his back. }:This one smells… weird.:{ He informed both Th’reyos and Jossenth without looking up. But… what to do about it.

Rhysalen knew the brown was coming, much like a handler with their back turned to a giant feline. He only knew Zarkarth by name as the clutch's sire and didn't really know how the brown would handle candidates in the hatching grounds, but this curiosity was much better than Loseth and Panitath's glares. He turned slowly, grinning up at the big blocky head and reaching to scritch under his chin. "What do you think, buddy?" He asked, unaware of the commentary and with a decided lack of fear of massive animals typical in weyrbred kids, "Is this the egg for me?"

Weyrlingmaster in tow, Tindral shyly approached one of the smaller eggs, a perfectly sized one for her, and, with a furtive glance towards Zarkarth, reached out to place one hand against the shell. “It’s warm,” she could be heard saying quietly, wondrously.

“Yes,” R’lor said. “And that might be your dragon waiting for you in there.”

Tindral wasn’t sure if she liked that idea or not. She didn’t say anything.

R’lor gave her a moment and then said, “Would you like to touch another one?”

}:Weird how?:{ Jossenth asked, her curiosity piqued. She shuffled over and gave Rhysalen a sniff, herself. }:Smells like human boy. They all smell funny.:{

Zarkarth hovered in indecision. Both about what to do with this candidate touching him, and how to accurately describe what he meant, when even he wasn’t sure what was percolating in his awareness. He snuffed intently over Rhysalen’s head one last time, and then, subtly angling his chin into the scratch, tried to think. }:Well… look at him.:{ He remarked eventually. Rhysalen wasn’t scared, or intimidated. He wasn’t wary. He wasn’t glowering like a few of them still were. Not indifferent to what was obviously the most amazing day of his life. He…

Th’reyos snorted from his place in the Stands, trying not to laugh too loudly.

}:Why are you laughing?!:{

**He smells weird ‘cause he’s not shaking in his boots.** Th’reyos finally answered. **He’s just having a good time.** And of all the kids in the cavern, he didn’t seem to need any guidance.

}:He smells, because he’s not afraid.:{ Zarkarth told Jossenth with plenty of lingering confusion, giving the one candidate not coursing with cortisol an affectionate nudge first, then the little egg. }:I don’t know how to explain it.:{

Rhysalen was, of course, completely unaware of the discussion but thrilled that both the gold and brown were giving him any attention at all. "Well, hopefully it bodes well that _both_ of you like me, huh?" He asked. He reached his other hand out to gently pat Jossenth's nose too. "Nudge your dragonets in my direction too, please."

“Suck-up,” Trystoller scoffed, loud enough for Rhysalen to hear.

Lindora had continued touching eggs, because that was what they were supposed to be doing, but most of her attention continued to remain on the strange brown. Having only participated in two egg touchings, she didn’t know what was considered normal, but she couldn’t help but wonder if brown sires weren’t as well-behaved as bronzes.

}:Oh, the pats!:{ Jossenth exclaimed happily. She breathed a warm puff of air over Rhysalen. }:I like this one. Oh. I like them all, I think. Look at them -- so small and full of so many feelings! They get boring when they get older.:{

She pulled back from Rhysalen and gave a good-natured rumble to the entire group of them.

Had.

Had Rhysalen just _patted_ Jossenth and scritched Zarkarth? Did he know them, or something?

Jelantos' next egg touch took him across the Sands, closer to Rhysalen. He bowed to the gold again as he neared her briefly.

“I hope your eggs all hatch as fine as you are.” He told her.

Jossenth dipped her head, acknowledging the gesture. It was so fun when their faces lit up when they got a dragon’s attention. Well. Except for the ones who were afraid. She didn’t understand why they would fear her, but perhaps it was because of how frail they were. Maybe they were wise, in a way.

Last updated on the July 29th 2025

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Reach Out and Touch Fate (3/3)