The sound started as no sound at all, slowly growing louder and louder until it was a rumble that permeated the ground, the walls, the very bones of those sleeping. Kailisu slowly came awake while the sound was still in its infancy, lying on her cot trying to make sense of it all.
Then Noyance and Justin were on either side of her, chattering and pulling at her hair, images of ovoid objects foremost in their minds. As Justin grabbed her blanket to pull it off of her, her fuzzy mind finally interpreted their message.
"HATCHING!" she called out to the still-dark barracks. "The eggs are hatching!"
There were several sleepy calls for Kailisu to please be quiet, but these calls were short-lived as fire lizards looking to the candidates began swooping into the room, trying to wake their own pets.
Smiling at the little winged alarm clocks, Kailisu quickly slipped on her white robe, then slipped a darker one on over top. She would have slipped her shoes on too, but realized that there was too much slipping going on, so instead she sat on her cot, pulling her shoes on like a normal person. Once she was ready for the outside world, she hurried out the door to the Weyrbowl to see what time it was.
What I'd give for a good windup clock right now, she thought as she left the warmth of the barracks and entered the cool pre-dawn air. It reminded her of her one failed camping trip in times gone by, when she'd had to use the restrooms in the middle of the night. Back then her way had been lighted by street lamps, and the glow of the perpetual lights on in the restrooms. Now, all that lit the Bowl were the two moons and the now-familiar star-studded sky. Are these babies going to hatch in the dark? she asked herself as she saw a shape coming towards her.
You know as well as we do, a baby is a baby and will come into the world whenever they wish, Breylith told her with some amusement.
"Kailisu! Are your Candidates ready? The dragons are humming!" R'mez called as he hurried over to where she was standing.
"I hear. It caught me by surprise is all," Kailisu said as she went back into the barracks, R'mez not far behind her.
"I wish we had electric lights here," she admitted to the Candidate master as she began opening glow baskets. Protests at the light were coming from various cots, but she continued until the barracks were as filled with light as they were going to be. R'mez had smiled at her comment, but gone through the adjoining door to wake up the male candidates.
Now came the fun part. "Up, sleepyheads. The dragons are humming! Do you want the eggs to Hatch without you?" This got the attention of most candidates, and those whose attention she didn't get were soon woken by their cabin mates. Soon the girls' barracks were bustling with activity, and from the sounds through the door, the boys' side was just as busy.
"Kailisu! How will our families get here?"
"Kailisu! Are they Hatching now?"
"Kailisu! I can't find my robe!"
Kailisu was getting pretty tired of her name and thinking about changing it for the day. She assured her girls that dragons were already being sent to bring their families, that the dragons started humming at least two hours before the first egg would crack, and that the robe you're looking for is at the end of the cot, right where you left it. Several of the other veteran candidates helped Kailisu with the novices, yet it seemed that everyone looked to her. Not for the first time she wondered what they would do without her, if she Impressed.
Maybe that's why you haven't Impressed in the past Turn, Adexith said. You feel wanted here.
Maybe. Kailisu wasn't blind to her own wants and needs any longer. And these candidates had needed her - would continue to need her.
Just remember, candidates have been getting along without you for hundreds of Turns. They can do so again. Kailisu had to laugh. Adexith was so adroit at putting things into perspective!
I'll remember, she said.
"What are you laughing at?" one particularly clumsy candidate asked her crossly from a position on the floor, where she had fallen trying to untangle herself from her robe.
Kailisu laughed again. "Because it's Hatching day, and there are twenty-three of us who will Impress the eggs out on the Sands," she said happily. "Plus, Orovith should be clutching soon, so that means we'll have another try. And another. It's good to be at the Weyr!"
The candidate just looked at her oddly, then got up. Obviously, Kailisu was a morning person.
* * * * *
Someone had brought out the glow baskets and lined a path to the Hatching grounds with them. The Sands themselves were awash with glows, and while it was a far cry from daytime at least they could see the eggs, even if they couldn't see the visitors in the Stands. It may still be the wee hours of the morning, but no one was going to miss a Hatching, it seemed, even if they needed to arrive in their night-clothes. Kailisu wondered what all these people would think of each other once the sun rose. Probably nothing. After all, it was a Hatching. The focus would be upon the candidates and the eggs at first, then upon the new Weyrling pairs. This was one time that decorum didn't matter, though she did get a glimpse of some guests who were already dressed to the hilt. Either they had still been up, or were from other time zones.
Or the dragons bringing them in were timing it, Adexith said disapprovingly.
Or the dragons bringing them in were timing it. Kailisu hadn't seen too much of that phenomenon happening at the Weyr, but not being a rider, she probably wouldn't. Ah well, she supposed she'd better get these kids in order here, instead of gawking at visitors she wouldn't even know. As it did every Hatching she attended, a wave of sadness washed over her that her parents and brother wouldn't be there to see this. Not that they'd understand, but to just have them there would be something.
As if on cue, Justin and Noyance both came zipping from whatever they had been doing to settle on her shoulders - one on each. Noyance rubbed her head on Kailisu's cheek, and Justin laid his little head on the top of her head. She smiled at the love the two 'lizards showed her, skritching them and promising them goodies after the Hatching. Then she got down to business, making sure the candidates were all in line, ready to go.
R'mez was at the head of the line, leading them in and Kailisu was at the end. In unspoken agreement, she and R'mez began to patrol the line-up of sixty-some odd candidates, taking a cursory headcount and ensuring they were all there. Not that anyone would look for them if they weren't - after all, since there weren't enough dragons to go around, why should anyone waste their time looking for a tardy Candidate? But they wanted to make sure they were all accounted for on the way back out. After Brouson had his arm bitten off at the first Hatching Kailisu had been at, they wanted to make sure no one else lost any limbs or worse! It hadn't happened yet, but there was always a first time.
Time to go, Adexith warned Kailisu.
"We're going," Kailisu whispered to Haneset, her partner in Candidacy after all these Hatchings. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to this!"
"You certainly keep yourself busy," Haneset replied, "I certainly have no patience with all these people. I'd rather just make bread in the kitchen."
"And in private," Kailisu giggled. One thing that hadn't changed between Pern and Earth was calling a baby "a bun in the oven". "Maybe the next one will be R'lan's instead of W'kel's."
Haneset blushed. "Well, it won't be for lack of trying," she said, "though it'll be hard on both of us if I do Impress today. No sex for ten months."
"Don't you worry. There's a gold egg here today. You'll get it this time." The two girls in front of them turned and glared, but Kailisu just looked at them innocently. After all, they had been Standing longer than these two.
"I don't care if I Impress gold or green," Haneset admitted. "Just as long as I Impress."
"Good attitude!" They had reached the entrance to the Sands. Haneset reached for Kailisu's hand, and for the seventh time in three Turns, they walked towards the eggs together.