31.May.21, 02:22 AM
Palms sweating, Taydarell wiped them on his trousers, hoping the other candidates wouldn’t notice. The eggs were fully almost as big as he was! Clapping his mouth shut, he realized he’d been gaping at them as he shifted across the uncomfortably hot sands. And what a time to come onto Pern, too, with all of the crazy stuff going on. He shot a look back at the entrance, wondering if Zarrie or T’pel would be there. But no, probably not. Today was just for candidates. Candidates! He was a candidate! All official, now! Emerald sat on a ledge above the stands, and he did wave to his little green. She seemed unconcerned, if a bit miffed that her person’s attention was being diverted from her. He stuck out his tongue in her direction, snickering when she tossed her head and flipped her wings to her back. Mood lightened somewhat, Taydarell straightened as the candidate master went over the rules of the touching, paying careful attention again even though he’d gone over the rules a dozen times already.
Freed to move among the eggs, Taydarell’s eyes widened at the sheer size and number of them. There weren’t as many as other golds, but they were just as big and just as special. Maybe, just maybe, his dragon was among them! He tried to remember what he’d practiced about being calm, and happy, and inviting, so as not to scare away the delicate, shy minds that hid inside the shells. His palms started to sweat again. And again, he wiped them on his trousers as he made his way among the eggs. He wondered if T’pel had been this nervous when he Stood for the first time. Did T’pel touch Kyrionth’s egg before Impression? He wasn’t sure, but he hoped that maybe, just maybe, he might be meeting his lifemate today…
Setting himself to one egg, with no particular rhyme or reason to its placement or draw, Taydarell moved toward it. Not wanting to insult the creature with wet clammy palms on his or her shell, he dried them one last time on his clothes before he placed them onto the warm shell, the slight textured surface pleasant beneath his hands.
“Hello…” he whispered, for only himself and the egg to hear.
Egg 26
Freed to move among the eggs, Taydarell’s eyes widened at the sheer size and number of them. There weren’t as many as other golds, but they were just as big and just as special. Maybe, just maybe, his dragon was among them! He tried to remember what he’d practiced about being calm, and happy, and inviting, so as not to scare away the delicate, shy minds that hid inside the shells. His palms started to sweat again. And again, he wiped them on his trousers as he made his way among the eggs. He wondered if T’pel had been this nervous when he Stood for the first time. Did T’pel touch Kyrionth’s egg before Impression? He wasn’t sure, but he hoped that maybe, just maybe, he might be meeting his lifemate today…
Setting himself to one egg, with no particular rhyme or reason to its placement or draw, Taydarell moved toward it. Not wanting to insult the creature with wet clammy palms on his or her shell, he dried them one last time on his clothes before he placed them onto the warm shell, the slight textured surface pleasant beneath his hands.
“Hello…” he whispered, for only himself and the egg to hear.
Egg 26