Cassiath's 2nd Clutching


Cassiath steps in from the entryway.

Deimara steps in from the entryway.

Chandi comes up into the galleries.

Barton comes up into the galleries.
Emmaline has arrived at the very begining of the rush of interest as Nadiath personally saw Cassiath heading for the sands. As such, she has one of the best seats in the house and is taking full advantage, sprawling her tiny build all over the seats in front and behind to ensure enough space. She's just as interested in watching for arrivals as eggs and motions Chandi over when her 'mate arrives. "Here, love. Plenty of space!"

Chandi makes her way down to where Emma is, in a rush and bumping into knees and jostling with her elbows to get to the right spot. "There you are. I was worried I might not get a seat. Should have trusted you to take care of me."

Cassiath enters the Sands and sniffs about. Digs here with her right forepaw and there with her left. She mounds sand up here and there before pausing and assuming the pose of a laying dragon.

Cassiath enters the Sands and sniffs about. Digs here with her right forepaw and there with her left. She mounds sand up here and there before pausing to lay an egg.

Kerali comes up into the galleries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Protecting Childhood Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This slender egg is wrapped in a warm embrace of pale browns, curled all around it in a smothering type hug. Dark spots are located just above a pink smudge followed by a line of scattered stitching that looks half undone, but still curves upwards in a half circle. A paler belly spot is located, but half hidden by shell, that is then almost buried under the sands that around pressed close to this egg, protecting it in the warm covering of heat.

Emmaline is cuddled up with Chandi, dead center of the galleries. She's happily humming to herself as the first egg appears. "And there she goes!" she exclaims excitedly.

Cassiath tucks the sands around the egg enough to secure it yet it can still be seen by all. She moves off a little bit to one side and digs a second small hollow…..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< A Lovely Bunch Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An ochre brown base helps to blend this moderate sized egg in with the sands around it. It has a very rounded shape, with shortened fat stubby ends and is only just slightly longer then it is wide. Over the ochre base, hairy straws run hither and yon, painting the illusion of tough, stringy fibers weaving a merry mesh all around the egg. Beneath them, darker brown striations run the long length of the shell giving texture to the base. As a final accident, it seems as if someone with immensely large thumbs as pushed three indentations into one of the apices, forming a triangle of thumb prints.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< It's An Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A most plain and average egg, the only barely noteworthy aspect is its slightly, ever so slightly, elongated shape. Of hue it is a soft tan brown than from far away looks even and indiscinct. If one could get a little closer one would notice the barest of spackling in a cinnamon brown towards the wider end of the shell. A few tiny bumps, little knobs of extra calcium, dot exactly opposite the spackling. The representation of this egg stirs memories of the old aunties story of the mythical chicken beast whose eggs were ever so useful in all manner of cooking that the kitchens all across the land still lament their extinction.

Cassiath tucks in her second egg crooning as she does so. She caresses both eggs softly before moving to dig her third depression…..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Just a Pinch Does It Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A soft medium brown forms the base hue across this large shell. It is not a color which dominates however, for atop that in a lighter hue weather worn cracks ripple lengthwise across the surface. The edges and gaps are such that the weathering looks to be distinctly by wind rather than water. The cracks are dusted here and there with lighter patches of sand and tan hues that make the cracks appear deeper than they would really be. In consideration, it actually looks like the kitchen staff have played a very odd joke in the egg which rests nestled into the hot sandy grounds. For it resembles nothing less than a whole nutmeg seed, a GIANT whole nutmeg seed, but nutmeg at that. If it was in fact nutmeg rather than an egg it would surely be enough to cover the weyrs spice need for a year… or three.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Hedging Your Bets Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A perfect ovoid in shape and size, this smaller egg has a curious texture. It is as if someone has affixed a forest of spines to the shell, making of it a spiky ball. The illusion is created by long over lapping rows of tan and black stripes, tipped by creamy white. The spines seem to lay in one direction all across the exposed surface, even to the point of curling up underneath. They stop there, just before the sands start where creamy white with an undertone of pink can be seen. Two final black spots are visible, and for just an instant it seems as if one winked in and out of existence.

Cassiath tucks the egg in with a caress and a croon and moves on to dig another shallow depression…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Igen's Impression Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Billowing, pulsing the clouds of dust and sand writhe and twist in a nightmarish storm. The angry grains of sand whirling and scraping against the shell of the egg beneath. What true hue it may be is completely obscured in the desert-like sandstorm which engulfs and wears at the hardened surface, chipping it away grain by grain. Each joining the unyielding tempest that swirls just over the surface, churning until hatching day and perhaps even beyond.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Nuttin Doing Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A curious division breaks the shell into two hemispheres. It runs right down the long axis, carrying through the egg straight to the ground so that the left side is distinctly different from the right. The left is rather like a hard knotty husk: dull tan with darker wood brown divots running lengthwise down the shell. The left seems to cup around the right side, as if holding it in place. The right is lighter in color, a more pale golden walnut rather than tan. But the biggest difference is the texture. Here the shell is a crazy maze of folds and valleys. It has a curious waxy appearance with a creamy luster at each peak and a deep golden brown in each valley.

"Coming fast and furious now, hm? How many do you think she'll have? I'm hoping she goes over twenty. Even Xaeth's last set were a bit…ummm." Emmaline leaves off quickly with a glance around for the leadership. Seen or not, it seems she's decided to error on the side of caution and doesn't continue her comment to Chandi.

Deimara smiles and watches as her Cassiath moves along in the business of egg laying. "Beautiful eggs Cassi, I knew they would be." Cassiath warbles happily at Deimara then goes back to the serious business at hand and sets to digging another hollow or two……

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Hidden Treasures Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tucked away in the distant corner of some distant store room deep within the depths of the weyr's inner reaches are the forgotten. Memories of a past era, an age that dawned and set so long ago that only the growing layer of dust will soon remain to tell the tale. Of shelves full of slowly rotting leather scrolls, and more fragile paper sheets which crumble at the merest breath of air upn them. Secrets lost to time, some quickly and others more slowly. Others such as the aged trunk which is discarded, or perhaps purposefully tucked away in the corner beneath a fading blanket. The blanket has fallen mostly to one side, revealing the sturdy thick planks of wood. Ancient grains seem not of this world as one follows the natural pattern upon darkly stained wood until it slips beneath the thick leather straps which seem to not be wearing quite as well. Drying aging time is sucking the life away from the thick strips which bind this trunk into its form. Still, for now tightly sealed it remains, the treasure within not yet lost, if not yet found either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< On Little Cat Feet Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sleekly ovoid, this egg is more elongated than the norm, standing out amongst its siblings both by shape and by the odd picture it paints of being slinkly furry. Agouti stripes stand out, marking tiger patterns in an odd grey brown over the surface. Outlines of other markings delineate delicate lines that suggest a whiskery face and moody gold eyes, or are those simply more spots in the yellow brown furry patterns? Finally wrapping all around the egg and near buried sometimes is the sleek long length of a ringstriped tail.

Chandi merely nods toward Emmaline. "Over twenty would be best. Since we lose so many as young ones. The new riders seem to leave their brains behind at impression. Not sure what that is about."

Cassiath pauses for a few minutes, hard work this can be. Break over she moves again and digs another couple hollows…..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Collapsible Housing Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slender and so very angular, this long egg seems somewhat blocky, squared off where it should be more rounded. It also appears to have hollows where curves usually are in its pale even brown coloration. Looking like just another good soaking might do it in, it sits just a little bit forlorn out on the sands, away from the shelter of the rest of its clutch sibs. Finally one last bit of winding tape almost appears loose until close enough to see it is a bit of mere decoration across the shell.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Sickly Sweet and Melting Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This dark round brown blob of an egg shape seems to be only holding it together for the very moment as it appears to melt. Strands of darker near brown black ripple through it, along with near black splotches that stick out as lumps beyond the melting surface, equidistant sometimes from pure white circles that are softer in texture. Runnels and drips appear to fall, melting to the sands below and one white section, appears to hang by a drop.

Cassiath looks at her eggs so far and chirrups happily before moving on to dig more hollows for her eggs…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Never Rush a Turtle Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A small lumpy and misshapen egg rests slumped lengthwise on the dark sands. The bottom side is partly flattened but seems even more so as most of it is buried in the sand. Strange walnut colored lumps stick out here and there from the lower surface while ribbons of gooey caramel brown drizzle down the sides and between the lumps to pool against the ground. The upper surface is still a smooth curve, from apex to apex, and shelled by a matte milk chocolate. All in all, it seems the egg might just melt away in the heat at any moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Oiled Plank Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For a roundly curved egg, this one has some awfully straight lines painted along its surface, the tight dark grains brought out by the slight seeming sheen of oil. It sits pristine in the sands, not even a grain clinging to it, almost as if it repels them but nothing shows in the small hollow beneath of the bright oily finish. Still, it waits there on the sands, a dark brown treasure in bright shining perfection, planed and honed perfectly together.

Emmaline 's starting to frown a bit as egg after egg hits the sands. "They are a all a little..well, dull and brown, don't you think?" She stirs restlessly, accidently kicking the rider in front of her. But he's one used to this green and just gives her a look and sigh. "Chandi, can't you control her?" he asks of the other rider. This just makes Emma pout some more.

Cassiath sighs softly, and moves about the eggs already laid. She lays down for a moment to rest, nudging the sand up on an egg or two.

Chandi rests her head on Emma's shoulder. "It's not possible to control Emma. But lovey, do stop kicking the people in front of us, they might throw us out." She glances at the eggs. "Err, yes. Rather plain. But she's had a good number already and doesn't seem done yet?"

Deimara watches as Cassiath moves about laying then lays down, "A bit of a break Dear heart?" Cassiath nods her head then stands back up, she looks to the left then right in the sands. She moves off to the right and builds up a wide pile of sand, mounding it just so, she looks at her mound and piles a bit more sand before moving to lay her egg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Diamonds are a Girl's Best Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scintillating colors dazzle over the shell of this very large egg, bursts of rainbow flashes that seem to come from deep within, but never the less glow from the golden brown coloring. The coruscating color is almost blinding, a nonstop flash of light that starts at the apex of the egg and continues along until it is nearly hidden where the egg rests on the sands. But even in shadow, sparks of color form, glinting starlight on the surface.

Cassiath rumbles happily as she carefully builds up the sand around this egg. That accomplished she digs a couple depressions for more eggs…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< A Moment from Conflagration Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tinder on the edge of exploding into a conflagration is waiting for that singular spark. The dry heat at the end of summer has sucked all the life from the dried brown grasses which curl and tangle about the shell. A whole season without any precipitation has left even the few interspersed shrubs wrinkled and dry, leaves curling in yellow-browns, waiting but a few more days for autumns presence to gently drift groundward. At least if that last that long, for on the apex of the egg a storm is brewing in angry grays. That odd smell and taste of a storm, it looks likly that only liquid fire will fall from these clouds in the flash of lightening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Ancient Rivers Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wind weathered smooth this egg bears no scars but the banded variation of the true stone it resembles. Pale sand brown forms the thickest layers, darker tan randomly interspersed at a thickness about a third the width of the dominating hue. Smallest yet is the rather medium dark wood brown hue, though only stone there is. It is found interspersed randomly between the other layers as though representing the occasional cataclysimic event, just to keep life interesting. The layers run at a slight angle from being perfectly straight from end to the other, but otherwise there isn't much more to see about this egg.

Cassiath tucks her newly laid eggs in. She moves to the side and digs again….

Emmaline isn't going to be settled for long. She managed to make it through the queen's own rest period, but after the arrival of a gold egg, the greenrider is all antzy again. She mutters to Chandi, "Oh,… you… one? I mean,… many… can… weyr… right?"
(Emmaline isn't going to be settled for long. She managed to make it through the queen's own rest period, but after the arrival of a gold egg, the greenrider is all antzy again. "Oh, here we go again. Do you think we'll be losing another one? I mean, how many goldlings can one weyr lose right?")

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Sweet and Sticky Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Simply scrumptious the cooks have outdone themselves in this pile of fluffy golden deliciousness. A stack of pancakes rest before you, with perfect golden brown tops and bottoms. So fresh the steam still rises, curling about the layers. The thick sides of each pancake are a paler cream hue with streaks of brown butter from the pan drippings found frequently. To finish it off the plate has been liberally drizzled in the liquid amber sugar that is maple syrup. Mouth watering to behold it's hard to believe that beneath lays the hard shell of an egg, clearly hiding in plain sight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< In the Eye of the Beholder Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Though most of the egg lays buried in the sand, one vibrant section of the shell can be seen. A ring of green so dark it could be mistaken for ash gray rises out of the sands. A perfect circle of purist black is dead center to the visible shell. Between these two is a sea of olive green sprinkled with gold flecks. In some spots the green is brighter, while others duller but olive is by far the predominant color. Radiating outwards from the black center are spindles of amber, lying overtop the olive and gold. They run out like spokes of a wheel, thickest at near the center and narrowing to nothing at the gray-green border.

Chandi merely shakes her head and glances down at the eggs. She mutters to Emmaline, "… one,… right…. let… of… She'll need… keeper… her… long…"
(Chandi merely shakes her head and glances down at the eggs. "Another one, shards you're right. I suggest that no one let whomever ends up with it out of their sight. She'll need a keeper for the rest of her life. However long that is.")

Cassiath tucks the eggs in with a caress and a croon, she warbles to her rider who smiles and blows the honey gold dragon a kiss. Cassiath digs more hollows…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Beyond the Wall Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Brick by brick the egg builds a monstrous wall of earth-toned shell to try to keep the being inside safe from danger. Worn and weathered burnt umbers rest snuggly against strong rust reds. Bulging sand mortar glues in raw umber, cracked and crazed with glistening bits of auburn meshed within. One whole section of shell is perfectly aligned sienna, stone on stone, rising in even lines up from the sands. Another seems likely to tumble down at any point where cracks sink down into the shell and loose bits bulge out ready to fall at any moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Simply Irresistable Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dark, water laden clouds rumble in the distance but by the look upon this shell their presence has already been felt. What once might have been a pleasantly dusty dry wagon road is now a onimously dark muddy brown slick with mirror-like pools of clotted water found frequently. It's impossible to tell just what is hidden inthe depths of those pools. How deep may they be, what proportion of water to muck do they hide? Glistening, irresistable watery pools daring, taunting the casual passerby. What timely defense has been built up by the aged over the turns is lacking in youths curious splendor. Looking up on such a scene you know the first youngster who passes down this road will be exploring every puddle, discovering its depths and mysteries… much to the chargrin of their parents.

Cassiath shuffles more sand around the eggs until she is satisfied. She shuffles to one side and digs again…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Never Argue With a Wookie Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seemingly fluffed with dark brown ratty fur, this egg is nearly completely round. Dark matted tangles seem to catch on the sand until on closer inspection it is just that the egg is speckled and marred with spots of lighter and darker colors to imitate such a thing. Capping all of it is a thick band of bright yellow that wraps around the entire egg across the circumference, warped like fabric pulled to tightly and under strain.

Cassiath looks at the egg, tucks it in and moves along digging another depression or two….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Bubbling Over Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The shell is baked a pale golden brown by the heat of the sands below. It starts as crisp flakey pastry crusting over a shell of perfect proportion and size to create an egg of exceptionally delicious appearance. The only slight imperfections are painted as cracks in the crust, showing a pale, uncooked tan under the golden brown exterior. On the very tip of the larger end, just peeking out above the level of the sand, a tear appears in the golden brown, allowing a ribbon of gooey dark cherry red to drizzle over the side and into the sands. The same color is mirrored in on small spot on the upper surface as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< Woven To Sit Here Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wrapping around and around this paler yellow brown egg are sections of thin reedy looking bands. Interwoven and interlocking they coil around and over every part of its shell, from apex to end and back again in tight configurations made to support. It rests, firmly upright, sturdy on the sands as a steady bulwark for other eggs to rest against and as a signal outpost of what an egg should look like, curved but firm in shape.

Cassiath tucks these two eggs in and digs another hollow……

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~< What Hides Inside Egg >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As soft as butter, this dark leather brown egg nestles deeply into the sands so that only the very top curve can be easily seen. Supple tanned leather molds the shell with gentle creamy brown folds and near black creases. Twin brass spindles rest against the surface, seeming as if they might spring from the surface at any moment. A long slender stripe of medium brown is wrapped from end to end with brass wire complimenting the spindles. The strap snakes a twisting trail from one apex to the other, wrapping back and forth across the top to even spill down to the sands and up again.

Cassiath sighs contentedly as she lays down, hind legs tucked under her body and forelegs out in front of her body and crossed at her paws. Her head is up as she looks about regally at her eggs that she has just laid. Her tail curls around the mounds of eggs, another sigh and the new mother lowers her head to sleep

As the golden dam lays down to rest from her labor, Emmaline is busily counting shells and sand lumps. "Eighteen..Ninteen" The rider who's back she so carelessly assaulted earlier is helpfully counting as well, random numbers with no relation to anything, just to throw the greenrider off. "OH!" she huffs, starting again. "I think I got twenty-four. Not a bad clutch, especially with the gold egg in there."

Deimara smiles and walks over to Cassiath and caresses her eyeridges, "All done sweetheart?" Cassiath rumbles happily and raises her head enough to nod but does not open her eyes.

Chandi tilts her head to the side considering. "That's a lot better than we've had in the past. Although perhaps I shouldn't be saying so aloud."
