Hatchings

Teah groaned as she was awakened by the insistant urgings of her brooding queen dragon. She sighed, looking up to realize that the Weyrleader, A'ra, was gone. "Eoth, what in Faranth's name are you doing? What time is it?" She muttered as she sat up.
It's about four in the morning. A'ra and Mazdath are already at the Hatching Sands. Hurry up! Her queen dragon stated in her mind.
Teah's eyes widened. "Four in the morning!? Shardit, Eoth, what in Faranth's name are you doing, waking me up at this hour!?" She shouted.
Hurry up and get to the Hatching Sands, or you'll miss the birth of my children. With that, Teah heard a loud, ringing bugle from the Hatching Sands as Eoth anounced the impending hatching to the rest of the sleeping Weyr.
Teah groaned as she got out of bed. Eoth!? Why, pray tell, does your clutch have to hatch in the middle of the night!?
Eoth didn't answer, waiting for her rider as she raced down to the Hatching Sands, quickly explaining what was happening to the people yawning as they stepped out, glancing questioningly about.
The rest of the Weyr slowly trickled into the Weyrbowl as Teah walked up to where the Weyrleader was sitting, taking the seat beside him. A'ra yawned as he muttered a greeting to her, which she returned sleepily, mentally cursing her queen dragon and her clutch's timing.
Eoth was curled around her rocking eggs, the golden queen egg clutched between her front claws. She exchanged glares between the candidates stepping onto the scalding sands sleepily, and her bronze mate Mazdath, who was nervously glancing at her from the edge of the sands.
She hissed at the bronze, eyes glowing red. You weren't even here when I clutched! She stated indignantly.
The bronze dragon crooned an apology to his mate, who steadfastedly ignored him as the first egg cracked. A dark head sprouted from the egg, and in the dim light it looked black. Teah stared at the hatchling struggling out of its egg. "Is it a black?"
No. Eoth stated. There are no black dragons in this clutch.
"No." At the same time, A'ra answered her. "I think it's a blue. A very dark blue."
Sure enough, the hatchling was a very dark colored blue. He spread his wings as he raced to his chosen, stopping at Remarkes' feet. Your mother can't keep you away from me now, can she? Remarkes smiled as he scratched the dark blue's eyeridges. "'Course she can't, Baalth."
Another egg split open as Remarkes and Baalth left the Sands, and a blue dragon as pale as the first dragon was dark came out. The pale blue hatchling creeled before racing towards the male candidates. He slipped halfway there, crying out as he tumbled down. One of the candidates stepped towards him, his golden eyes watching the dragon worriedly.
Arius knelt down beside the blue dragon. "Are you alright, Marduth?"
The pale blue looked up at his chosen. Yes, I am now, Arius. I'm hungry, though.
Arius grinned as he led the blue dragon off of the sands.
Two more eggs cracked open at once, revealing two greens. The larger of the two stopped at Flow's feet, looking up at her rider. Will you turn into a shipfish for me, Flow?
The girl laughed. "They're called dolphins where I come from, Anahitath.
The other green had yet to bond to someone, and was now sitting off to one side. She jumped as the egg closest to her suddenly shattered, revealing a brown. The two dragons stared at each other for a moment, before abruptly turning and walking in opposite directions.
The brown dragon headed toward the male candidates, eventually stopping in front of Jorak. The young man smiled as he lead Mithrath off the sands.
The green had reached the girls by this time, and stopped in front of her chosen. Are you upset that I'm not a gold? She asked, eyes whirling yellow.
Frodi looked down at the green. "Of course not, Avalonath. You're better than any gold!"
Good. Now, can we go eat? Avalonath asked, racing ahead of her bond.
The next egg shattered, revealing a bronze dragonet, the mirror image of his father. Mazdath bugled happily as the bronze walked straight to Cisaytor. Have you ever been a dragon before, C'saytor?
"No, Ithtyruith, I haven't. I was a donkey once, though." He said as he left with the bronze dragon.
One of the largest eggs of the clutch, barely smaller than the queen egg, began rocking furiously. Eoth glanced at it as the egg beside it sprouted a blue tail. The egg split down the middle, leaving a slightly dazed-looking blue dragon.
The large blue shook its head before standing up and trotting toward the remaining male candidates. He stopped in front of Ardi, and looked up at his bond. I'm hungryy, A'nevi. He paused, cocking his head to the side. Well, no, actually I'm Kleath, but I think you get the idea.
A'nevi grinned as he lead the blue hatchling off the sands. "Of course you are." He laughed.
The large egg was still rocking furiously, and finally it toppled over, knocking over the queen egg as it did. Eoth winced, flicking her tail out to stop the eggs' descent. Both eggs shattered, revealing not two, but three dragonets inside.
Teah smiled. "Twins!" She cried happily.
Sure enough, two small-sized green dragons and a large gold sat up shakily. The greens were almost identical, both fairly dark. One had bright green wings, while the other's were much paler.
The gold hatchling hissed at her siblings, eyes glowing red. She creeled angrily, scolding her two siblings for knocking her over. The two remaining female candidates rushed over to the gold hatchling, both trying to calm her.
"Alequveyth! It's okay, it was just an accident." The gold hatchling glanced up at her bond, nuzzling Silviera. The girl smiled as she lead the gold Hatchling to the feeding grounds.
The elf, Brittlebough, was beside one of the greens. Ashtoreth spread her pale green wings as she followed the elf away from her volitile gold sister.
The other green watched her twin leave with the last of the female candidates, before turning to the other candidate, Caelestis. He blinked as the green came towards him, but the dragon rushed past him, calling up to someone in the stands.
Several young people stood up, attempting to grab the green's attention, but the green ignored them all, until an older woman stood up uncertainly. The green waited patiantly as her bond walked to the Sands. I'll bet you never thought of me when you created your world, Anne.
The woman shook her head slowly, staring bewilderedly at the green dragon with the bright green wings. "No, I didn't, Asherath."
Wait, the best is yet to come.
"What?" But the green dragon refused to say anything else after that.
Eoth nudged the last, small egg, which had stopped rocking. Her eyes whirled yellow worriedly, before the egg gave a final shudder, and shattered, revealing a creeling dragonet to the world.
One thing was for sure, this one was no dark blue.
"Eoth? I thought you said there weren't going to be any blacks?" Teah glanced questioningly at her dragon.
What? Everyone can make mistakes... Teah shook her head, grinning, as she watched the black dragon.
He headed straight to Caelestis, looking up at his chosen. Hello Caelestis. My name is Ahrimanth, and I'm also hungry. So let us leave these sands and eat, yes?
Caelestis blinked in surprise at the black dragon, then nodded. "Of course, Ahrimanth."
Teah stood up, stretched, then smiled at A'ra. "It was a good hatching, wasn't it, A'ra?"
"Except for the fact that it's now almost dawn, yes." The Weyrleader said dryly.
People were streaming out of the sands, either going back to their beds, or going down to the kitchens to get an early start on the Hatching Feast.
Mazdath was now standing beside Eoth, who had finally decided to forgive him, and they were looking outside, where the sky was just beginning to lighten. Teah and A'ra joined their dragons as they watched the night gradually turn to dawn.