Disclaimer: the Dragonriders of Pern is copyright to Anne McCaffrey. Anyone you don't recognize, they are probably mine.
Humming at the tune she had heard the Weyrharper practice on the previous evening, Malin set the pile of platters she had carried from the kitchen onto the table. Then she quickly distributed them, nineteen at both sides and two at the ends. Today she had to be more accurate with how she put everything, it had been said that the clutch currently at the Sands would hatch this day. And the Headwoman, being a perfectionist, would no doubt rip the ears off anyone doing a sloppy job.
Making sure that each of the platters had been placed properly, and pulling a hand through her short, light brown hair, she grinned at the kitchen worker who had just arrived, carrying a number of wine glasses.
"Don't drop anything then, Kalla" she teased, returning the other woman's smile. Although Kalla at forty-seven was almost twice her age, she had been a good friend ever since Malin had come to the Weyr.
"As long as you don't get lost in those daydreams of yours, I won't. Not on your head at least," Kalla replied, "but get back the kitchen now, there's much to be done before the Hatching. And I know you well enough to know that you would hate to miss it".
Kalla was right of-course, Malin thought with a smile, the Hatchings were one of the events in the Weyr that she took care never to miss. And this was a special one too, the senior Queen, Ramoth, had clutched another gold egg, and just as the other Weyrfolk, she was eager to see who that would Impress. She wasn't so sure if she approved of the Weyrwoman's decision to give Brekke a chance to Impress again. To be made to go back on the Sands to face another gold after loosing ones dragon...
Malin sighed, but such matters were hardly anything she should worry about, what mattered now was to get the Dining Hall ready for the Hatching Feast. So after getting another pile of platters from the kitchen, she quickly returned to the Hall, eager to get the work done in time for the Hatching.
By experience she knew that the exact time was impossible to predict, the eggs could start hatching in a few minutes, or it could happen in the evening.
"Stop thinking about that, stupid..." she muttered to herself.
But as she walked back to the kitchen, she couldn't quite stop herself from listening for the distinctive sound the dragons made when a clutch of eggs was about to hatch.
A deep hum echoed through the Weyr, the force of the sound startling Malin enough to almost make her drop the vases she was carrying over to one of the tables. During the last few hours, the kitchen workers and several of the Weyrfolk had worked to get the Dining Hall ready for the Feast, now she hardly recognized the large cavern. However, those thoughts were quick to leave Malin's mind when she registered the sound, and she realized what it meant.
Immediately it sounded like that every single person in the hall started talking at once, their voices adding to the noise coming from the dragons that were by now gathering in the Hatching Cavern. A tiny smile appeared on Malin's lips as she thought about the candidates, how excited they had to be now. Being a kitchen worker, she had talked with some of them often enough and she looked forwards to seeing which of them who would Impress this time.
"C'mon Malin, it's time to head for the Hatching Ground, the Headwoman has given us leave to go" Kalla said as she reached Malin's side, taking hold on the younger woman's arm.
"Are you certain?" Malin asked, letting her gaze sweep around the Hall, no matter how much she wanted to watch the Hatching, her work had to come first. Nevertheless, she felt relieved when seeing that everything was mostly finished, some of the weyrfolk was finishing the last small tasks.
Kalla laughed, "what do you think? Come now, I want to see the guests as they arrive".
"Oh, I know you Kalla, its the Warder of Ruatha you want to see, isn't it?".
Malin grinned at her friends snort. Kalla's relationship with the former dragonrider several turns ago was well known in the Lower Caverns, but strangely, Kalla never seemed to mind being teased about it.
Although the older woman rarely talked about it herself.
As they approached the Hatching Ground, the hum of the dragons seemed to increase in volume until Malin wondered if she should cover her ears. However, as it just remained at a bearable level, even after they entered the huge cave, she decided not to. None of the spectators, except some of the children did so after all, the sound was far too loud to bother with trying to speak with anyone though. And she didn't really want to have to shout either. So instead, Malin and Kalla settled down furthest up at the Stands to watch.
The candidates hadn't been brought out at the Sands yet, thought that might only mean that some were a bit late, and the Weyrlingmaster had chosen to wait for them. Some of the eggs were moving quite vigorously though, so the first hatching might happen fairly soon.
Suddenly, everything became quiet for a few moments as the candidates arrived on the Sands, accompanied by a stern-looking dragonrider.
This time, the silence seemed to last longer than usual, that wasn't surprising considering the arrival of the white-robed, frail-looking woman who had to be Brekke. Seeing the look at the young woman's made Malin shake her head sadly. She wasn't a dragonrider herself, but she had lived in the Weyr for long enough to feel that making any person re-Impress…, it wasn't right.
Suddenly, sooner than she had expected, the first egg hatched. And the first hatchling to emerge, a brown, was greeted by a cheer from the Stands.
Each hatching and Impression seemed to happen so fast, and it wasn't before she heard the startled shriek from the newly hatched gold, that Malin realized that the Hatching was almost over. Seeing the firelizard who hovered in front of the hatchling, who then turned to the young woman who Malin recognized as Talina, was not something anyone had expected though. And there was only a low cheer from the spectators, barely audible over the noise of the unexpected event being discussed on the Stands.
"Well, that's what I would call a eventful Hatching. I feel sorry for Brekke, but it just wouldnt have been right for her to Impress again. Talina will make a good queenrider though" Kalla said quietly, giving Malin a quick smile as they headed for one of the staircases leading down from the Stands.
Stepping down at the Sands, Malin began walking towards the nearest exit when she suddenly heard a shout. And turning around, she saw a young boy jump from the Stands. Then she frowned as she saw him start kicking the one small egg that had failed tohatch. This was not the first time she had seen that boy at the Weyr, and she recognized him as Jaxom from Ruatha. However, such behavior was not something she would accept from anyone.
Those thoughts rushed through her mind as shestarted runningtowards the boy, intending to stop him, as were several others. She was the first to get there though, but before she could do anything, the shell of the egg cracked and a moment later, a dragonet emerged through the inner membrane of the egg that had just been cut open by the boy.
And then the word white, surged through Malin's mind, along with astonishment.
She skidded to a full stop, her eyes widening as she got a good look at the newly hatched dragonet. The boy, Jaxom, helped it up on its feet. At first she was certain of that the strange, and incredibly small dragonet had Impressed Jaxom, as it chirped and sniffed at the boy. But then the dragonet raised its head, eyes whirling as it regarded the small group of people who had gathered around it and the boy who had saved it.
For several heartstopping moments, the little dragonet appeared confused, as if it couldn't find who it looked for. But as several of the people standing around it began calling for the candidates who had not Impressed to be brought back onto the Sands, the dragonet shifted on unsteady legs.
And it found its match.
:Malin, I am Ruth: