49.6.26 Afternoon in the Istan Hatching Grounds

Trailed behind everyone else into the Hatching Grounds. There were 17 eggs in all, all different colors, shapes, etc. I think there was something like 12 candidates there, along with Reye (the WW) and Omfaleth (the queen). Most of the candidates were in awe, talking in hushed tones, looking around a little timid. I stood back against the wall... I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be there or not - but didn't want to pass up the oppurtunity to see the eggs!

Oiry presented his fish (the one we caught earlier) to Omfaleth. She liked it and thanked him! :)

After a while, I just couldn't take it any longer. Touching the eggs seemed so cool - so I slowly approached one. Several candidates were giving me weird looks, but no one ever said anything. I approached one that looked like:

Bubbling to the surface of the blackened sands of the hatching grounds is this egg, looking like the warm pockets of water swirling around the surface. Deep indigos mix with deeper shades of black then forming into sudden bursts of light blue that it almost looks like bubbles bursting along the surface. Small, lighter white tendrils float almost as if steam was being let off by the egg as it nestled in its pocket of sand.

I slowly walked up to it, started touching it and then...

At first this egg seems much like the rest, smooth alternating pebbly-rough textures that almost seem a complex pattern on their own. You press your ear to it and hear nothing- not at first. It's almost like holding a large shell to your ear, a sound that emulates the ocean. And then... was that something? A rustling, a knock? No- yes! There it is again, and this time the still-hardening shell even pushes against you a little bit, as though the dragon were rolling over in bed.

How awesome! Sadly at this point Reye said Omfaleth was getting tired and we needed to leave. I was closest to the entrance, and I had to get back to work, so I took off and headed to the kitchens.

I later found out (from numerous people) that only candidates were supposed to be on the sands and touch the eggs! Opps... but it sure was cool. And I didn't get in trouble - so I'm very glad I did it. Now that I know I'll probably never get that close again :( - but the memory will stay with me forever.