12.Feb.21, 11:46 AM
Sleep hadn’t come easily that night. Still on edge from the Touching, compounded by the thought itching at the back of her mind that maybe she shouldn’t have said anything that day after... Aederyn had been trying to offer some sort of feeling of connection to someone else outside of her rider, plus, Malvayth, usually so chipper and social, had worried about being seen as a monster, so she’d wanted to reassure her that she wasn’t... surely those weren’t bad things, right?
But every time she thought of it she worried that it hadn’t been the thing to do. Going to the grounds had seemed like the exact thing to do at the time, but with each passing day she’d felt more and more awkward about the whole exchange. Had she overstepped, however well intentioned it might have been? Had she ruined her chances of Impression if she’d inadvertently made Cazan or Malvayth uncomfortable? Had her effort to reach out been taken as obtuse?
The questions danced through her mind, taunting her during any idleness, so she’d thrown herself into work and chores for the past few days. But despite her efforts to distract and tire herself, it was in vain. After lights-out, she’d slept initially before waking at some fardling hour. Unable to get back to sleep, she decided to just get up and do something. Kneeling at her bedside and reaching underneath, she quietly pulled out Rudi’s message harness and made sure, again, that the letter was secured within. She was just pulling the sleeping fur back up under her chin when Rudi gave a small, sleepy chirp of curiosity and warning; someone was coming?
The next few minutes were a blur as glows were uncovered and the candidates were roused. She made quick work of robe, boots, and her hair, then rigged Rudi out in his harness, sending him out to Handsome and Alekse. She’d love for him to be there if she Impressed, and having his support if she didn’t would be nice, too. Skipping her warm outer robe as she’d have nowhere to put it once she got there, she dashed across the bowl to the hatching grounds, among the first of the candidates to arrive.
Thoughts of previous days seemed to melt away with the heat of the grounds, she smiled warmly at Malvayth and weaved her way around to a spot among the candidates roughly equidistant from the gold egg and the others. She’d be pleased with any dragon, and wanted to give herself any opportunity she could at Impressing. With watchful eyes going back and forth between the door, the eggs, and the queen, she waited.
But every time she thought of it she worried that it hadn’t been the thing to do. Going to the grounds had seemed like the exact thing to do at the time, but with each passing day she’d felt more and more awkward about the whole exchange. Had she overstepped, however well intentioned it might have been? Had she ruined her chances of Impression if she’d inadvertently made Cazan or Malvayth uncomfortable? Had her effort to reach out been taken as obtuse?
The questions danced through her mind, taunting her during any idleness, so she’d thrown herself into work and chores for the past few days. But despite her efforts to distract and tire herself, it was in vain. After lights-out, she’d slept initially before waking at some fardling hour. Unable to get back to sleep, she decided to just get up and do something. Kneeling at her bedside and reaching underneath, she quietly pulled out Rudi’s message harness and made sure, again, that the letter was secured within. She was just pulling the sleeping fur back up under her chin when Rudi gave a small, sleepy chirp of curiosity and warning; someone was coming?
The next few minutes were a blur as glows were uncovered and the candidates were roused. She made quick work of robe, boots, and her hair, then rigged Rudi out in his harness, sending him out to Handsome and Alekse. She’d love for him to be there if she Impressed, and having his support if she didn’t would be nice, too. Skipping her warm outer robe as she’d have nowhere to put it once she got there, she dashed across the bowl to the hatching grounds, among the first of the candidates to arrive.
Thoughts of previous days seemed to melt away with the heat of the grounds, she smiled warmly at Malvayth and weaved her way around to a spot among the candidates roughly equidistant from the gold egg and the others. She’d be pleased with any dragon, and wanted to give herself any opportunity she could at Impressing. With watchful eyes going back and forth between the door, the eggs, and the queen, she waited.