[Hatching] I'll Make a Handler Out of You

[Jabberwoky]

Tranquil as a forest
But on fire within
Once you find your center
You are sure to win
You're a spineless, pale, pathetic lot
And you haven't got a clue
Somehow I'll make a man out of you

The night was quiet, and the night was peaceful.

Five wher eggs all in a little row, tended to carefully by a patient mother.

There was something different this night. Something felt hopeful, something felt alive. It was like the electricity in the air the night before a Gather. Like the break in the clouds just before the rain stopped. Something good was coming.

Riask turned the eggs over again, keeping them even.

That was when the Apex Predator started to shake.

The call went out to wher candidates to gather. The time was now!

[nineofswords]

With wher eggs incubating, Garrett was pulling more night shifts, which had its perks, such as not having to muck anything out since it'd disrupt the animals' sleep. It was nice not to have spend hours doing hard labor and coming away smelling like runner dung. The downside to that, of course, was that he also didn't get to interact with the animals very much. He mostly just hung around, mending equipment, waiting for any emergencies or messages. But it'd be worth it if it meant getting a wher out of it. Something to make his life useful again, worthwhile.

So when the call came out that night for the candidates, he was ready. He got to his feet and went to the handler's quarters. He didn't bother to change or freshen up. He couldn't see what he looked like, after all, so there was little point, since he'd probably miss something anyway. And wher bonding was bloody business - literally - so wearing his nice clothes might result in them getting ruined, so why bother with those? And he'd decided that smelling of the stables might increase his odds of attracting the attention of the mother or a wherlet; after all, that's where food lived, and what wher didn't like food?

He knocked on the door and entered cautiously, a little tentative in case this was the wrong room. "Hello," he said, clearing his throat slightly, unused to having to talk to people. Or ask for anything. "I'm Garrett. I'm here for the wher hatching. If I'm in the wrong place, please tell me and let me know where I should be." Faranth, he hoped he was in the right place and not in the room of some random bastard who'd decide to mess with him and make him miss the hatching. "If this is the right place....uh....good evening." Was that fine? Probably. He knew people bowed to the golden dragons. Did they do that for the wher moms too? Kind of a moot point since he'd probably end up bowing to some random patch of wall or another spectator as likely as the wher mom herself.

He planted himself and then set his walking stick near his foot so he'd know if someone tried to steal it. He wanted it accessible to him in case he needed it, but he didn't want to whack a wher with it accidentally or block an egg that was getting rolled his way. No way was he going to mess up his one chance to be the next best thing to a dragonrider that a blind boy could hope to be.

[Lucifo]

Candidate Lapithstis, following Garrett

Lapithstis knew the call for hatching would be any day now and he did his best to keep busy. Repairs, lessons, reading, exercise - all of it went towards a singular goal of preparing for this very day. Briolette would be waiting in the hatching chamber along with her trusted Briosk. The brown was familiar to him, as was his handler and he hoped to impress (and Impress!) the both of them with his hard work and diligence.

While he wasn't the first to arrive when the call went out, he was ready. A small knife for blooding hung on his belt. Clothing he didn't mind getting bloody and dirty clung to his body. Lapi was as ready as he could be.

Following behind Garrett, the room was still mostly devoid of potential handlers besides himself and the other man. He hoped that would changed.

"Hello, I'm Lapisthis. You can call me Lapi if you like. I'm here for the wher hatching too. I hope everything goes well." He bowed to all in attendance out of habit and took up a seat near Garrett, but at a respectable distance.

He leaned towards the man, trying to hide the giddiness he was feeling. "Best of luck to you, sir. I'm hoping we both walk away with a new partner tonight."

[Dragon]

Briolette of Brown Briosk

Briosk was practically vibrating with excitement.

Pacing behind Riask as much as the space would allow, the brown watched the eggs he had sired, only vaguely aware of Briolette watching him with keen amusement. They were good eggs, fine eggs, from the smallest to the largest. He was eager to see what hatched from them.

The Apex Predator started shaking, and Briosk watched as he paced, eager for his babies to enter the world.

Wysril of Green Wysrisk

It was time, and Wysril was nervous. It had been ten turns since he'd done this, ten turns with Wysrisk, and he was desperately uncertain. This would be a big change, for him and for Wysrisk, if he did indeed Impress again.

Be late, rude, Wysrisk pointed out, her tone entirely rude. Go to babies.

Wysril gave his bondmate an affectionate scratch on the forehead and headed toward the hatching and the future.

There were two candidates there already, both actual candidates rather than handlers seeking a second wher, and Wysril did his best to slip in quietly and respectfully. Now that he was here, he could feel excitement building along with his nervousness, and he looked at the eggs with interest. They were all very lovely ...

"Thank you for having us," he greeted the clutchmother politely, giving her a little bow as he took his place among those waiting for the eggs to be given out.

[nineofswords]

Garrett - tag Lapi

Garrett felt some of his anxiety unclench when someone else showed up for the hatching. So he was in the right place. Unless someone was seriously messing with him. But no, he could hear other people coming in, and wherhandlers weren't the most sociable people. It was part of what drew him to that life. Wherleader Ronnie was clearly a weird outlier there.

He jumped a little in surprise when someone spoke to him. "Uh...yeah, good luck to you too, I guess," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. If they did both bond, he'd have to spend a lot of time with this person. Probably best not to bite their head off just this second. "How, uh...how many eggs are there again?" He couldn't remember, and he couldn't see them, but he wanted to know when it was time to recognize defeat, because he didn't want to be left standing like a fool at the end after all of the eggs had hatched.

[Agenothree]

Rhaadys of Garnet Dysk

As soon as he registered that he was being called to attend Briosk and Riask's eggs, Rhaadys moved accordingly. Smoothing a hand down his tunic as he exited his quarters, he slowly made his way toward Moriarty's dwelling, where Riask's eggs awaited. For a moment, he began to question his choice to volunteer for this clutch. Perhaps he should've waited for a queen to clutch, or a bronze to father it. Not that doing so had helped him before, seeing as he'd been saddled with Dysk by her gold mother. What had he been thinking, to entertain, to encourage, a garnet's whims to clutch and to allow her to choose him for one of her inferior offspring?

Dysk, from where she rested her den to wait, had her own opinion to share. Rhaadys know wherlets innocent, she said, her voice stern and admonishing. Rhaadys being heartless. No reason. Is Rhaadys so insecure he need to blame sweet little wherlets for mother's sin being garnet? Rhaadys frowned, but said nothing; he saw no need to vindicate her, or encourage her little tirade. But most of all, he didn't want to clue her in that she was actually right, and that he was well aware of everything she said in himself.

Here, Dysk's voice went sly. Rhaadys can admit it. No shame being nervous. Rhaadys' response was immediate and curt. I'm not nervous, he retorted, picking up his pace to a brisk march. Dysk's chuckle echoed through his mind, causing his frown to morph into a scowl. In spite of her prodding, he could sense hope emanating from her, and anticipation; she was ready and looking forward to welcoming a wherlet to this unit. But he could sense doubt too, and she elaborated. Dysk hopes Rhaadys ready, she said, her voice grave and serious.

Rhaadys sighed to himself. Though he didn't say it, agreed; he hoped he was ready, and worthy, too.

It was time. Finding himself at Moriarty and Riask's quarters, he carefully stepped inside, nodding once to greet both presiding wherhandlers and clutchparents. Seeing little reason to initiate socialization with what Candidates and hopeful wherhandler were present, he took a respectful position among them and said nothing, his posture almost as stiff and militaristic as though he was running drills rather than attending a wher clutch. Dysk spoke once more, this time giving encouragement; a peace offering. Good luck. Rhaadys was quiet for a long moment, but eventually accepted. Thank you.

[Lucifo]

Lapi - tag Garrett, waving to all others

How many eggs were there? Lapi looked at the man curiously. Oh, he must not be able to see very well? A wher would be a perfect partner for that, he thought.

"There's five eggs, sir," he replied, then paused to wave to the newcomers. He hoped Briolette, Briosk and Riask were pleased with the turnout. "Seems like they're all healthy and everybody's pretty excited about it, especially Briosk. One of the eggs... I think it's moving already. I can't quite tell, but... the hatching must be coming very, very soon."

The smith thought he would be a good fit for a wher based on his work ethic and penchant for preferring night over day. But this man, if his vision wasn't keen, would be an even greater match in Lapi's eyes.

[nineofswords]

Garrett - tag Lapi

Five eggs. Not bad for a wher clutch. "Please stop calling me sir," he said through half clenched teeth. People whose job it was to muck stalls and brush down runnerbeasts didn't get called sir. That should be reserved for guards and riders and people who'd actually done something to earn it.

Garrett couldn't quite stifle a sigh of annoyance. "I would think that the fact that we were summoned here would be more of a tip-off that the eggs are close to hatching," he said, trying (and failing) to reign in his annoyance. "But that's just me." He knew Lapi probably meant it in more of a 'they're hatching in the next few minutes as opposed to in an hour or so' way, and not a 'the hatching may be any day now!' way, but Garrett was not in a charitable mood. He rarely was, frankly. But with Ayden off doing Faranth knew what and leaving him to his own devices without any eyes he could look through, he was feeling more annoyed than usual.

He shook his head. "So why a wher?" he asked, a little abruptly. After all, he would've gone for a dragon if he could've, but nobody wanted someone blind fighting thread, no matter what anyone might say to the contrary. He couldn't imagine why someone would go for a wher as their first choice, and this guy didn't sound old enough to have aged out of candidacy yet.

[Lucifo]

Lapi - tag Garrett

The boy clamped his mouth shut after Garrett snapped at him. To be fair, not everyone was a night person and not everyone was as excited as he was. Not everyone was having a good evening. Evidently, this man was not having a very good evening at all. He cleared his throat and simply listened for a while, kicking himself inwardly for being too annoying to people he didn't even know yet.

He should've saved being annoying for people he did know!

The fact that Garrett then asked him a question after uncomfortable silence earned him a strange look from Lapithstis.

"Ah, well," he started, trying to tie his thoughts together into something coherent. "Quite frankly, I admire them. A lot. They're really hard workers. They value blood and grit. I really appreciate that about them."

He considered, then reconsidered, then reconsidered again asking Garrett and decided just to go for it. The worst Garrett could do was snap but Lapi also didn't want to cause a fight and get kicked from the hatching. "...what about you?"

[Arcane]

Hunter of Bronze Yndesk - Moriarty, Open

Whers were not dragons. They didn't need to be dragons.

Weyrs should not be not trying to make them dragons, with little hatching ceremonies and "matched" pairings. Whers didn't need someone "special". They needed food and care and a safe place to hide out during the day and they were happy enough.

Gehrman had traded a couple of marks for Yndesk's egg- a good, strong, healthy one, with a hard shell and a warrior's bloodline, with an extra half mark added to secure the second largest egg of the clutch.

They did just fine.

They weren't like rider and dragon- Hunter spent enough time with Playne and Iosefkath to know- but neither had any complaints.

That said- wherlets were cute. Playne liked cute things.

And when wherlets grew up- whers were useful.

Hunter didn't like free things. He didn't trust them. There was always a price- and he preferred to know what that price was.

But he didn't make many journeys to holds these days. And these were whers of good threadfighting lines, bred from whers who'd survived this far into the pass and whose parents had survived a few falls and so on so forth. Hold whers hadn't. Gehrman had always taught him you didn't buy a race runner to do a draftrunner's job. Playne was staying at the weyr. Which meant Hunter was staying at the weyr and needed a wher who could handle the work.

"Are you sure I can't just buy one? I'd pay you twice market rate for that one," Hunter tried, pointing to a red and gold egg that was one of the smallest in the clutch. An egg that size was likely to be a green. Playne would like another green around, he thought.

He knew weyr wherhandlers didn't usually sell their eggs to other weyr wherhandlers. But everyone had a price. And twice market rate was a very good price indeed- one that'd get him his egg, with no amorphous debt between him and the garnethandler.

[Fel]

Mera of Bronze Merask Tag: Hunter

Duty. It was what had driven Mera to her first life, the wife of a fisherman. No, she thought to herself after a few moments, It was love too. But communities along the continent's coast had needed women like her, and she'd always known it. Someone to stay home and keep things going while the men went out fishing. Someone to keep things going even when the ship never came back. She'd found she hadn't been much good at that last part.

Duty had driven her to her first wher hatching too. She may have followed Keltin to the Weyr to escape the crushing weight of grief, but she hadn't followed her sibling in their choice to become a wherhandler because of any familial bonds. It had been because the Weyr didn't need the woman she had been. The Weyr had people who could cook, and they had been better at it than she; the Weyr had people to make and mend clothes, and they were better at it than she; the Weyr had nobody to mend nets, because there was no need of such things. The Weyr didn't need a burden. But the Weyr always needed people who didn't fear going out after a Fall to be wherhandlers. After Ifigo's death, Mera had found there wasn't much she had feared any more.

Merask was duty. The bronze lived and breathed it, and Mera was more than happy with that. The pair of them did their jobs, and they did them well. And if Merask occasionally showed up with something that was neither his nor hers, well... she could quietly make sure that it was put back where its owner could find it. Their duty was done. But they could be more effective with another to watch their backs. Another wher, to make themselves a trio rather than a pair. Both Mera and Merask agreed that it was the right course of action.

And a part of Mera thought that even if she'd never had children... another wher wasn't a bad substitute.

So Merask waited back in their weyr, and Mera answered Riask's call for Candidates. It was her duty, after all. Her life to live now.

She had dressed simply, as usual. Her curly hair was never precisely neat, but it had been swept back with a few bent pins into some semblance of order out of her face. She was clean and presentable, as befitted her station. No more could she get away with fish scales trapped beneath her fingernails, or pitch stains on her forearms. She represented something now, today more than ever.

Other handlers didn't seem to understand that they were supposed to be held to higher standards. Not just of appearance, but of manner. Decorum. And Hunter appeared to have none of that. To approach someone who clearly wasn't selling eggs, and worse to do so publicly?

Some never learn have duty, Merask rumbled disapprovingly in the back of her head.

Obviously, Mera replied tightly. She hated confrontation. She hated openly acknowledging that she was anyone's equal, because even when she knew she was, a little voice in the back of her mind said that women were meant to stay out of men's business. Some things, however, couldn't simply be ignored.

"They're obviously not for sale, and tryin' to pressure her by asking so publicly is not only rude, it's immoral," she said to Hunter, her voice quiet but steely. She tried to keep the soft, almost clipped accent of her home out of her voice, but her speech still betrayed her a little.

[nineofswords]

Garrett - tag Lapi, Hunter

Garrett scowled a little at Lapi's answer, but more in confusion than annoyance this time. "Admire them?" he repeated, not quite certain he understood. Sure, whers worked hard, but so did runnerbeasts and canines. People didn't 'admire' them because they did their job. Admiring was reserved for mastercraftsmen or dragonriders, people who'd mastered something or put their lives on the line. Anyone could work hard. "That's, uh...a good reason, I guess?" At least this kid didn't feel like they were settling for something. He'd be good to whatever he got. That was mostly what Garrett cared about. Not that he actually cared. Because he didn't. At all. Nope. Caring was what got you hurt.

Even if this kid seemed like a decent sort, it wouldn't last. It never did.

As silence reigned once more, Garrett thought that was it for the small talk, but then Lapi turned the question back on him. Garrett shrugged. "I work with the herds. Whers are good protectors, and a more reliable set of eyes than my firelizard. Seemed like a good idea. Plus, they're solitary, so they wouldn't try to force me to socialize when I didn't want to." Every holdbred kid knew that. You stayed away from whers, cause they could be dangerous, and that meant they didn't socialize. He was, of course, conveniently ignoring all the lessons he'd had that reiterated that whers often formed social groups. That was wild whers. That was different, obviously.

He raised an eyebrow as one of the handlers started trying to haggle for an egg. "What a dimglow," he muttered mostly to himself, but loud enough that Lapi could hear too. "You try to bribe the cooks, too, when you grab your meals?" Garrett called out to the handler. "Stop trying to hog the best egg and wait your turn, or else go out and find a trader to buy one from if you're really that desperate to get the exact one you want."

[Lucifo]

Lapi - tag Garret, mentions Hunter

...so they wouldn't try to force me to socialize when I didn't want to.

Now Lapithstis understood. Mostly. Garrett was a solitary sort and in that regard, the perfect theoretical candidate for a wher bond. Lapi knew whers were social creatures with packs but didn't want to earn more ire from the older man by even gently trying to correct him.

The mention of a more reliable set of eyes lent credence to the assumption that Garrett's eyesight was less than ideal.

"Well... no matter what, I hope you walk away with a new partner." he said simply, hoping this wouldn't piss Garrett off any further.

The man who came in after them, tossing around marks to buy an egg, made Lapi's haunches raise. "Excuse you, these are for Riask to decide the handlers of. If she doesn't think you're worthy of her children, you're not getting one."

[Arcane]

Hunter - Mera, Garrett, Lapi

"I'm not pressuring her. It's an offer, not a threat. Just because they're not for sale doesn't mean there's not a price," Hunter stated flatly to Mera, also keeping his voice low enough to avoid making a scene, "She has an egg. I want the egg. It's not immoral to offer honest marks for honest goods. Especially when there are four others."

Perhaps it was living too long with dragonriders- few of whom were Playne, soft and sweet and gentle and good- that made weyr handlers adopt such airs. If Hunter had approached a fellow guard or trader with such an offer, even if the clutch was intended for their caravan or cadets, an egg in exchange for their future labor and loyalty, they'd have taken it, gladly, and distributed the rest.

Four was enough, surely, for the Junior Wherleader to trade for whatever obligations weyr wherhandlers expected in return.

He raised an eyebrow at the man whose knots marked him as not even a handler yet. He did in fact bribe the cooks, on occasion, when Playne wasn't looking, to make it less likely they'd try to poison him or Playne- or cooperate with anyone who did. It was an entirely sensible thing to do, and explained calmly, to a candidate who clearly did not yet know better, "Trader eggs are bred for the demands of the road, not threadfall."

The other not-yet-a-handler already spoke with the self-righteous naivete of the young. Hunter shrugged, "I'm happy to pay Riask instead, if she'd rather. Yndesk understands trade well enough, even though he doesn't see much use for marks."

[Fel]

Mera of Bronze Merask Tag: Hunter

Merask seethed in the back of her mind. Not pressuring. As though this man didn't know full well it was harder to say no when surrounded by people to watch and judge. And besides, if the man wanted an egg so desperately, he should have stolen one before there would be so many witnesses. Or bought one before, as another had pointed out. But these weren't for sale.

Mera deliberately pushed back her wher's anger. This was not the time for that, and fury would help no one.

"A man asking a woman for something in front of others might not be a threat. But it is a form of pressure." Like the men who asked women above their station to marry them when everyone was watching. They knew that the woman would try to avoid making a scene or coming off as rude by rejecting them. "It's manipulative. You had time to ask in private before. You didn't."

Not that Mera thought such a slimy, greasy sort of man should be trusted with another where in any case. She was glad he hadn't asked. Perhaps in private, he would have used threats instead of social pressure after all.