[G] [C] 731.06.04 | Wish Upon A Star [HATCHING]

Allendris had thought he was feeling overwhelmed before... but that slight sense of unease he'd experienced when he first stepped onto the burning-hot sands hardly compared to the overwhelming desire he felt now to simply turn around and join the spectators in the stands, ideally far away from dangerous, rampaging dragonets. The attack on Indivara, which had occurred at such a frightfully close proximity thanks to Valerian's having pulled him over to join the two other Candidates who soon formed their group of four, had left him shaken. Even now, his face still carried a rare, sick pallor that seemed to blanch anew every time he mistakenly looked down enough to catch another glimpse at the pool of blood left where the young weyrbrat girl had been standing. Of course, given his previous profession he was no stranger to blood. The scar that marred the palm of his hand - the same one Valerian now squeezed in a strange, subtle gesture of reassurance - was reminder of that. The difference was that most greusome accidents in glass-smithery could usually be prevented with a bit of caution. But this... how could one know how and when a hatchling would be provoked into attacking?

Of course, it wasn't as if the Candidates hadn't been warned that maulings can and likely would happen on the sands... but no warning in the world could have prepared the quiet young man for the horrible sight of razor-sharp claws tearing through a young girl's face. He was definitely having second thoughts regarding the soundness of his decision to come to the Hatching Circuit that day. He could only watch, silent, and with little reaction other than a brief flash of surprise showing on his face when Valerian was pounced by a new hatchling. In fact, there may have even been a brief flash of panic in those brown eyes, until the journeyman recognized the little dragonet's harmless intentions, and he exhaled his relief when he saw that his roommate would be safe from the little one's piercing claws. Soon the hatchling had left with Valerian's other smart-mouthed Harper friend in tow, which left Allendris more puzzled than before. Had that one been entirely certain of who it had wanted to Impress? Did dragonets ever doubt their decisions?

Next to Impress was Valerian himself, much to the glass-smith's surprise, though he recognized what was happening as soon as the little hatchling had approached them and began butting its head against the Harper's legs. The darkness obscured the color of the creature's hide, but he could still see the smile of joy that spread across the other man's face as he knelt to pat the little beast atop the head. So rarely did Allendris ever see Valerian express any sort of recognizable emotion that the sight of the clearly very happy pair nearly stunned him into silence. Well, it was that and yet another reassuring grasp of his hand from the newly-Impressed dragonrider.

Valerian... a dragonrider! When just two seasons ago they had been sitting and glaring at each other on Candidate Isle. What a strange thought.

Allendris answered the other man with a small smile - one that did nothing to hide his discomfort at having to remain standing on the sands while his closest friend (could he call him that?) left him behind to begin a new and entirely foreign life. "Easy for you to say, dragonrider," he only said, as if testing out the title. It was indeed strange, but the glass-smith figured he would have to get used to it sooner rather than later. With a brief look at the only Candidate left remaining beside him - a young weyrbred boy whom he did not know very well, but who also still looked a little shaken up by the proceedings - Allendris turned his attention back to the eggs. There were only a few left remaining, and none looked in any immediate hurry to crack. He recognized the largest one as the one he had Touched. He was curious to see what sort of creature would emerge from its massive shell, and it was that curiousity alone that kept him rooted to the spot.