~*~Hatching and Clutches~*~

 

 

It takes three weeks for a Clutch to Hatch, once laid. The first sign of an imminent hatching is the humming of all the dragons and firelizards in a Weyr. This occurs for about half an hour before the first egg hatches, and it allows time for riders to travel between to retrieve the families of candidates and candidates time to change into the robes they will wear for the Hatching. The sound is so powerful that it can be felt in a person's bones.

 

When most of the guests and dragons are assembled in the seating area of the Hatching Grounds, the Candidates are led in. Moments before the first egg cracks, the dragons stop humming. The candidates are led onto the hot sands to stand in a semi-circle around the eggs, facing the queen. It is considered polite for Candidates to bow to the queen or to acknowledge her in some way before taking their places around the eggs.

 

At this point, the dragonets begin to hatch and look for the candidates who will become their riders. As dragonets are clumsy at hatching, it is the candidates' responsibility to stay out of the dragonets' way. This is the only time in a dragon's life when it could harm or kill a person, because of its awkwardness, and stories have spread about such rare occurrences among the holderfolk.  When a hatchling finds the person it wants as its partner, the hatchling makes eye contact with the candidate and initiates telepathic contact. This creates a powerful bond that will last for the life of the dragon and its rider, to be broken only by the death of one or the other.

 

During the first moments of contact, the new rider will usually shout out the dragon's name. Dragons hatch knowing their own names, and their names always end in the letters '-th.' Also, from this point on, a male rider will be known by the shortened version of his name that the dragon uses. This shortened name is called the rider's honorific. An example would be the name David becoming D'vid.  Male riders always use the honorific.

 

When the Hatching is over, the Weyrlingmaster takes the newly-Impressed riders and their dragonets out to feed the young dragons freshly-killed meat, after which the dragonets usually fall asleep in their wallows in the Weyrling Barracks. Some, though, will accompany their new riders to the Hatching Feast. The Hatching Feast is where the new riders can visit with families they might not have seen for several weeks and introduce their dragons to them. It is also the first important social occasion for a Goldrider Weyrling, where she and her dragon are introduced to the dignitaries in that Weyr's territory, such as the local Lord/Lady Holders and Craftmasters.