Prepare to be Analyzed

[M'kel]

The golden sand had been heaped and scooped to serve Aviciath's purposes, forming mounds to encircle her precious Clutch. Unlike most, Aviciath had arranged her Clutch to place the gold egg in the center, adding the protection of an obstacle course to reach it. For a first time Clutchmother, the queen was fiercer than normally expected, for her rider's illness had set her further on edge. Her eyes whirled red, fixed upon the sole entrance to the Hatching Ground.

M'kel stood anxiously at the edge of the sands, just close enough that he could feel the heat through the leather boots on his feet, and he loosened his tunic accordingly. His anxiety did not simply stem from the stifling heat, but also from the task ahead. It was one of the first official chores set to him by Sitareh, now that he was Weyrleader, and already the bronzerider was beginning to chafe at her strict expectations. Were she not ill, he assured himself, he would question her demands more, but he did not want to weaken the Weyrwoman further with such added stress.

As it was, Sitareh was resting close to Aviciath. She was close enough to view and hear the candidates and M'kel, but far enough that her pale and drawn visage could not easily be seen. After all, weakness was a flaw she dared not expose.

The instructions for M'kel were simple: she would relay to him, through Aviciath, her responses and queries for the candidates. No candidate would stand before her great Aviciath's Clutch unless deemed worthy. The females, she would pay extra attention to, for the last thing the Weyrwoman desired was a strong-minded goldrider to question her rule.

Thus, the pair waited for the arrival of the candidates, M'kel hoping he wouldn't need to be too harsh, and Sitareh quickly calculating the qualities she would require of worthy participants. Bronze Tirenth perched on a ledge overhead, viewing the scene with a mixture of curiousity and hesitation, for he sensed his rider's uneasiness, and he worried at Aviciath's reaction to intruders in her Grounds.

[Journye]

Journye had been shoved out of her nearly complete hospice room by an agitated rider, mumbling something about her needing to go to the hatching grounds. She frowned and shook her head as the rider pointed in the direction of the hatching grounds and gave her slight shove. Her bronze flit trilled angrily till Journye gently stroked his side. She had heard that the queen had laid her clutch and that the Weyrwoman wanted to interview all of the candidates, but she didn't think it would be so soon or with such harshness from the riders. She supposed they were all worried about Sitareh, Journye had heard a rider comment that she was feeling unwell. Perhaps she could offere assistance if she was allowed, she was supposed to be the resident healer after all.

Journye sighed and shook her head and made her way to the hatching ground, Reryu leaping up and disappearing between at her gentle command because she was unsure how Aviciath would like to have a fire lizard around her clutch. Journye paused outside the entrance of the hatching grounds and straightened her simple green tunic, suddenly very self conscious of her eyes and her oddly colored hair, but she couldn't run and hide now for surely her presence had been noticed, she was vaguely aware of the fact that she smelled slightly like mint, an extra ingredient she added to some of he medicines to keep it from tasting too bitter. She straightened her shoulders and walked inside. She bowed deeply to the Queen and the Weyrleader "My duties to you Queen Aviciath and Weyrleader M'kel," she said gently, keeping her head bowed, but couldn't help but glance in wonder at the clutch gaurded by the lovely queen.

~~

Hunter had been told to go to the hatching ground, so thats where he was headed after stopping by the barracks to wash off a bit and change into some more presentable clothes. He had been busy helping with the herd beasts and didn't want to go before the Weyrleader and Queen Aviciath smelling like a herd beast himself, it wouldn't do to tempt the queen to make a snack of him if he did something to displease her. He ran his fingers through his hair to make it go into some semblance of order before running to the hatching cavern.

He barely even paused to catch his breath before walking into the cavern. He smiled brightly and bowed to the Weyrleader and the Queen "My duties," he says cheerfully, waiting to see what would happen next.


~~

Salem got lost a couple of times on his way to the Hatching grounds, he hadn't really had time since arriving to completely learn his way around the weyr. He was usually too busy keeping tabs on his sister's where abouts and exactly who she was with. As it turned out he couldn't find his sister to take her with him to the hatching grounds. He hoped that she was already there, having gotten one of the male riders that she had made "friends" with to show her there. He noticed two other people head into the grounds ahead of him and he followed them inside.

He glanced around quickly to see if he could spot his sister and frowned slightly when he noted that she wasn't there. He sighed and shook his head then quickly remembered where he was. He bowed deeply before the queen "My duties my dear queen and honorable Weyrleader," he said, hoping he had gotten that right. Most folk had forgotten how to honor the dragon riders since their long absence. He stood up straight and awaited the proceedings, silently threating to wring his sister's neck when he found her, this was important, especially if she wanted to impress.

~~

(Simply posting this for the analysis, kinda curious to know what Aviciath and Sitareh will think of her *grin* I think it might be interesting if there is time to do it with all the others that need to be evaluated. )

Caylsta arrived not long after her brother and quickly smoothed her skirts and shirt back into a semblance of order before walking over to where the others stood. Her hair had been finger combed back into place and her cheeks still a bit flushed from more then just hurrying to get to the cavern. She ignored the angry look her brother gave her and curtsied deeply before the queen and the weyrleader.

[Felina]

Felina winced as she stepped onto the hot sands, the heat burning through the thin soles of her shoes. They had been one of the last things she'd made before being Searched, a moccasin-like shoe that, while well-suited to the more moderate floors of Hold and Weyr, were little short of horrendous for this sort of blazing heat. But, then, she would have to endure her own oversight as she doubted it would reflect well for her to return to the Barracks for a heavier pair of boots. So she minced carefully to the circle of eggs, lifting her feet almost as quickly as she put them down. "Greetings Aviciath, Weyrleader," she mumbled as she shifted her weight from side to side lest she manage to burn the soles of her feet.

She had been shoved out, practically, of the Barracks by that Candidatemaster. She didn't particularly like him; he was rather short-tempered and he seemed lazier than the most slothful apprentice Tanner, and she'd seen some lazy ones before. Felina hadn't had much time to think, and as a result the clean shirt she had hurriedly pulled on was barely adequate and she had to be certain not to move her arms too much lest the sleeves pull up. She frowned slightly. How old was the sharding shirt, and why had she brought it with her to the weyr, anyway? It was the same story with her skirt, which was not the better-fitting one she had been searching for but the one that was slightly shorter than intended and therefore hit her mid-calf rather than being nearly floor-length.

Cursing her ill-preparedness, for she should have known that once Aviciath clutched this would be coming, and her long legs that made the tailors sigh in exasperation, she settled in to be examined or whatever it was that was supposed to be happening. If shifting constantly from foot to foot could be considered 'settled'. But, then, she had been more agitated a number of times before.

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"What's the worst that they can do, send you to wait outside? 'Ren, I'm sure they can't do you anything worse, and you do need to be able to find the place in case the Hatching comes and there's no-one around to tell you which way to go," Altair said vehemently, dragging her along the corridor before she had a chance to protest. In truth, he didn't want to be left alone for something as momentous as this. She had Shilai that she could turn to, though the unreliable Green was currently nowhere in sight. He, however, had only her.

Muttering slightly about controlling men, Corenne however allowed herself to be pulled along to the Sands. After all, she didn't want to miss a bit of the few weeks they had left together; not that she had any intention of telling Altair that. Knowing him, he'd remove himself from Candidacy to stay with her, and she could never allow that of a future bronzerider. She frowned slightly at that thought. Another may have thought her overconfident in his abilities, but he was one of the few things in life that she had to believe in.

"You just wait right here, all right? I'll be done soon," Altair said, extricating his hand from her grip. When had that happened? To start with, he'd been pulling her by the wrist. He shrugged. It was of no matter. She'd be fine, and he'd had her stay on the very edge of the Sands, near enough to hear but not so near as to accidentally incur the Clutchmother's wrath. He was going to miss everything, from the way she relied on him when she was going someplace new, to the way she looked now, nervous as though something terrible were going to happen. What he wouldn't give, at times like these, to know her thoughts.

However, it was not to be, for a person could not read another's thoughts except through Impression. And in hopes of doing just that, Altair bowed to the Weyrleader and the Clutchmother, saying "It's nice to meet you, Weyrleader M'kel. And even better to finally see the famed Aviciath!" He could only hope that it was the proper etiquette. He knew what was supposed to apply to Lord and Lady Holders, and he could only hope that the same courtesies transferred.

[kati]

Rytia and Anah came into the room with Aldric following close behind. Anah gasped as she looked around the room, and then noticed the weyrleader and bowed to him, as was common courtesy. Rytia noticed this and went over a bowed as well, not wanting to be shown up by that stupid little girl. "Hello weyrleader." Rytia said as she got back up Anah soon following.

Aldric just rolled his eyes at the two girls.

[M'kel]

((I will cover multiple candidates per post to speed things up. Everyone can reply as if he had just asked the question of them, and wasn't rushing on to the next person until your candidate was finished. Also remember, if it is in your character's nature to lie, lie away!))



Gradually, the anxious candidates began to trickle in, forming an uncertain line in front of M'kel. He nodded to each as they spoke their greetings, watching their faces speculatively for their first reaction upon viewing a Clutch and Clutchmother. There were traces of excitement and curiousity here and there, although it seemed that nervousness dominated most of the pale faces. A few appeared downright terrified, and M'kel wondered once again at the appointment of Araelen's first Candidatemaster.

Sitareh had made the choice, as she made all decisions pertaining to the Weyr, large or small. However, the bronzerider had to admit that the number of applications had been few, so the Weyrwoman hadn't been given much choice. The population of the Weyr was abnormal, as it was, with a greater percent of bronzeriders and brownriders than usual. This left few options for positions typically filled by greenriders and blueriders. The few brownriders who had been approached regarding the position had complained about the number of duties they were already faced with.

Thus, S'cam and his blue Ravith had been chosen. He was turning out to be one who thoroughly enjoyed terrorizing the younger candidates from time to time. When M'kel had mentioned this to Sitareh, expecting a forceful reaction, she had merely smiled maliciously. 'Someone ought to teach them respect if they are to be future dragonriders.' M'kel wasn't too sure if fear encouraged respect, but he was beginning to find that he shouldn't risk questioning such things. Sitareh's wrath was frightening to experience.

The bronzerider let loose a hint of a sigh, shifting from foot to foot and growing more impatient by the minute. It would take forever for all of the candidates to finally be rounded up and herded in, especially if S'cam was in charge of that, so he decided that he may as well begin with those already present. There simply wouldn't be an opportunity to thoroughly interrogate every candidate, so the questions he asked and statements he made needed to trigger responses as revealing as possible.

M'kel's eyes slipped out of focus as Aviciath relayed the first of Sitareh's demands. She had agreed that the Analysis should begin immediately, and her first statements and questions trickled into this mind. "Candidates," he called, drawing any attention that may have wavered at the sight of the Clutch. "You have been brought to the Weyr, because you have the potential to become dragonriders. This does not mean that you will become dragonriders, or that you will even be allowed the chance to become dragonriders. You will only stand if we find you suitable for Araelen Weyr."

Stepping forward to Journye, attemping to appear as impressive as possible, the bronzerider studied her face intently, trying not to allow the strange colouration of her eyes and hair to distract him from analyzing her expressions. She was a girl, after all, and required extra attention. "What would you bring to this Weyr that makes you unique, that makes you worthy?" A simple enough question, but the answer could reveal a lot.

After hearing her response, he turned abruptly to face Raixeh. "What are you willing to sacrifice, if asked to do so by your Weyrwoman, dragon, or the customs of the Weyr? What will you never part with?" Now that would require some thought, and M'kel wondered if he could even answer that question now.

Striding down the line, he randomly stopped once again, facing Rytia with an appraising gaze. "How do you value loyalty? To whom are you loyal? To what lengths would you go for the sake of loyalty?" The words echoed in his mind as he spoke them, escaping from his mouth as if placed there by another tongue. M'kel could not shake the feeling that he had been adorned with tiny strings, pulling him subtly around.

The bronzerider stepped sideways once, now facing Salem. "Do you have a strong sense of justice? Do you know what is right and wrong? Do you believe that it is for those who are in power, who are older and wiser than you, to decide justice? Even if you disagreed, would you hold your tongue?"

[kelshii]

((Okay, so, I deleted the other post and decided to do this one after M'kel's. >< I hope that's okay.))

Raixeh winced, lifting his feet quickly as he made his way across the Sands, wishing, as many before him, that they weren't so sharding hot! He glanced back, noting that Vinxi, who was walking slowly, if that was believable, didn't even seem to notice. She was attempting to convince her Flitters to go away while they were at the Hatching Sands, with little luck.

Raixeh hadn't bothered with that, simply telling Dirkku and Arquas to behave and stay on his shoulders, where they were currently, tails curled loosely around his neck. He bowed to the great Golden Queen as he approached, murmuring a few words of respect, his Flitts adding a chirp or two, before stepping back into line.

Vinxi followed, having convinced Tyrre and Sjori to go and wait with other Candidates' Fire-Lizards, and smiled brightly at Aciviath, her eye sparkling as she bowed, and waved cheerily to the Weyrleader, not seeming to notice the rather nervous tension in the air. Raixeh smirked slightly at his sister, lips twitching, as she came to stand beside him.

They both watched as other Candidates arrived, looking for people that they knew. Soon enough, though, M'kel started on his speech, and both listened quietly, attentively.

When M'kel fired off his questions to Raixeh, and he thought for a moment, before answering, already having lost a great deal in his life. "I would sacrifice the clothes off my back, my last drink of water, or my life, if need be, but I would not let go of my family." The way he said it, clearly and fiercely, and looked directly into the Weyrleader's eyes, his own hard and sure, the memory of his father in his mind, left little room for doubting that he told the truth.

Vinxi looked up at her brother's face, her own more solemn now. She knew exactly what he was thinking about, and she knew she would have answered the same. Their father's death had taught them that family can never have a high enough value put on it.

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[Flamewolf]

Kerji had easily found the hatching grounds, for to be unoticed, you needn't ask for directions. To be almost invisible you must know your way around where you live. So, the candidate had made sure he knew where everything was. He stepped into the hatching sands, quickly scanning the area before walking up to where the others where. Nodding a polite greeting to Aviciath and the weyrleader, he stopped besides someone, and waited, cursing his tall figure.

His gaze followed the weyrleader every now and then. He was more than uncomfortable; too many people were near him for his liking, especially those with rank. Not his idea of a good crowd.

*~*

It had taken Minelli quite a bit of persauding to get her green flit to stay away. She was unsure of how the queen would react to her being around the clutch, since she was already wary with the candidates, so Mini was now in her room still, probably humming quietly to herself. Minelli quickly entered the sands in boots, ignoring the heat as best as she could before she stopped.

"Weyrleader, Aviciath," she greeted politely before stopping. She had a candidate on either side of her. She was totally at ease, though she was terribly nervous at the same time. Minelli was good at hiding unwanted emotions, except for happiness and laughter...well, some laughter, anyways. The candidate was unsure of what would happen, and was, she believed, more curious than anything.

*~*

Keldara walked onto the sands with a smile smile, her eyes bright and her steps light (maybe because of the heat?). She seemed to be totally calm and in control and she smiled to M'kel before nodding, doing the same to the queen. Keeping a respectable distance from the eggs and herself, she stepped beside Kerji, who flashed her a nervous look. Kel gave him a reassuring smile before turning back to the Weyrleader.

The former dolphineer apprentice was hiding the trumultous alarm inside of her. This was basically giving herself up to the weyr, ignoring all that she'd been through before here, as if she'd had no other life. And if she was rejected...where would she go? But her form remained calm, no flint of nervousness or uncertainty in her gaze or posture. Keldara, though unsure of her future, was positive of her past, and she knew she could handle the situation.

...hopefully.

((Let's say they all arrived before M'kel began. XD))

[kati]

There was a loud gleeful sound as S'cam came running up to M'kel. "M'kel, or more of Weyrleader M'kel now I guess! How are you, how are you doing?" he said and laughed happily. "I brought the new candidates, or the ones who haven't came yet!" he said, not really realizing that he was interrupting something. "And let me tell you, they're quite a rude lot, staring and all." he said waving his wand in front of the weyrleaders face.
------------
Rytia blinked as she thought about it. "How do you value loyalty? To whom are you loyal? To what lengths would you go for the sake of loyalty?" It echoed in her mind. Loyalty is what keeps foundations from crumbling, and to whom, well, it depended on who had the most power, that was obvious, unless tides turned, so then, was loyalty nothing more than who was winning, and as to what lengths, it depended all on what there was to gain. She blinked as she spoke, ignoring the Candidate Master. "It all depends on what I'm needed for." she said, an answer to all those questions.

Anah, on the other hand didn't like this Weyrleader, not at all. What was he trying to do? She didn't speak, but had half a mind to ask what was with the interrogating. She too ignored the Candidate Master, as like her sister, she just didn't like him.

Aldric, now in line watched S'cam, frowning. This man was crazy, absolutely crazy. He raised an eye brow and waited for the Weyrleader to ask him a question.

[Journye]

Journye straightened her back and squared her shoulders when the Weyrleader approached her, inwardly shocked that he had chosen to speak to her first. She took a steadying breath and looked him in the eye. She knew that the question was a test, possibly the first of many, but she understood the need, especially with the future of these dragonmen and the dragons relied on this ground of candidates. She made a slight face as the candidate master came in, she didn't know a single candidate that liked him, but it was not her place to complain. She took another breath and then answered the question as best she could and with all honesty "All that I have to bring to the Weyr is myself and my skills as a Journeyman healer. I know that I am 'unique' enough to look at, but looks do not matter in cases such as the one you are asking me this question for. All I can give is myself and my abilities. I give my loyalty and life to the weyr with whatever station is required of me. All persons are unique in their own way so I bring the uniqueness that is me." she paused for a moment, her shyness waning during her answer "So in short all I can bring is myself and my skills as a healer and the uniqueness that is mine alone," she nodded slightly when she finished speaking, still looking the Weyrleader in the eye.

~~

Salem turned his complete attention back to the Weyrleader as soon as he began to speak, silently threatening to have a good talking to to his sister later. He arched an eyebrow slightly when the weyrleader approached him with his question. He frowned slightly in thought, such a loaded question. He absently tapped his fingertips against his hip as he was known to do when he was deep in thought. After a long moment he finally spoke "I do know what is right and what is wrong and I believe greatly in justice. It is the place of those of rank, age and wisdom to handle the metting out of justice. I can hold my tongue, but only as long as the justice is being handled fairly and with cool heads. If the decision is being made too quickly when the one giving the judgment does not have a cool head with which to think things through then I will most certainly not hold my tongue. I do not dispute their right to make the judgment but will only ask that they delay it until they can think clearly," he said, looking M'kel in the eye.

[draien]

Draien was out of the door the instant a fellow candidate rushed passed him, hardly believing that he might have missed it. This was it, he realized, his one opportunity to be analyzed, tested for his capabilities of becoming a rider. His heart skipped a beat at the thought, and, in his distraction, managed to stumble over his own foot, colliding with the ground, and Kelra bounced out from the back of his shirt, trilling with annoyance, "You shush." he mumbled, wondering vaguely if his fire lizard was even supposed to be there with him. However, Draien wasn't so sure he could manage by himself, having already grown so used to his constant companion.

Wobbling back onto his feet, Kelra scurried around his neck, nestling into his hair, obviously in a forgiving mood. He ran the rest of the way, reaching the other candidates before he knew it, stuffing Kelra into his shirt, "You stay there." he whispered under his breath, coming to a stop next to the others, bowing his head, "Weyrleader, Aviciath," Draien's head raised, eyes following as the other candidates were questioned, awaiting his own turn.