[5.15.2707] A Time to Celebrate (attn: ALL)

[Kit]

Cybele walked down the stairs to the dining hall, the long train of her very irritating formal dress flowing behind. The Dining Cavern had been cleaned and the glows refreshed. The tables had been scoured clean and festive cloths laid upon them. Already the harpers in the corner played a lively tune. She had to smile, despite this discomfort of her outfit. The weyr needed this, as did she. They had lived to long in grief and fear.

She sat down in her spot at the center of the head table, trying not to see the empty Weyrleader's chair, and watches as the other weyr denizens filed in. Argent appeared, and settled on her shoulder, complementing the blue and gray of her dress as nicely as a piece of jewelry.

Arktos came in, dressed austerely in all black, leading his gaggle of charges with a serious set to his face. There were few Candidates now, but that would soon change. She smiled at her son among them. He was so young, she actually hope he wouldn't Impress until the next Hatching, to let him get a little maturity. Some of the others were obviously prime for Impression, like that brassy redhead in the sapphire dress. Her bearing put her well into adulthood.

Q'del, meanwhile, waited at the door for Toniel, dressed in his best Gather clothes of navy and black. They might not be close, but the feast was in their honor, at least to some extent, it would do for them to walk in together. His auburn hair was held at his neck by a leather thong and his gray eyes were serious, casting unseen dissaproving looks towards his sister Quindara at her ridiculous flirting.

[Kendrall]

G'rett arrived at the dining hall, dressed in his finest outfit consisting of what was known as a cavalier shirt[/url]; its dark blue velvet-like material nearly black in the dim lighting, and featured slashed sleeves revealing a silver satin-like material for the inner sleeves. Around his waist was a slim leather belt dyed black; followed by black breeches and a highly-polished set of black riding boots. His hair was tied back with a simple leather cord. Truthfully, it was his least-favorite outfit to wear, but he knew he had to present a proper appearance at this particular Gathering. Especially in light of his painful loss of the last Gold flight to Q'del.

G'rett viewed the Weyrsecond as a legitimate rival, but knew he had to give deference given the other man's position. Contrast that to the fact G'rett was most likely one of the most skilled duelists in the entire weyr, and was proficient with most weapons...he knew he couldn't openly duel Q'del as that was not permitted, but he figured if they were both given a pair of blunted blades and wore padded jackets along with helmets...G'rett would teach the Weyrsecond a lesson or two. Or, even better, a head-to-head archery competition. He didn't know if Q'del was skilled with the longbow, but G'rett highly doubted it.

He simply nodded at Q'del as he passed him at the entryway. The Bronzerider knew the Weyrsecond would be waiting for Toniel, and no sooner did G'rett pass the man and enter into the main hall did he allow himself a soft smile of self-satisfaction. He saw Arktos, the Candidate master, along with the current class of Candidates in tow. G'rett offered the man a pleasant smile and a gracious bow of his head. He genuinely appreciated the older man ever since his time as a Candidate himself, and that respect still carried to this very day. He then looked at each of the Candidates - far too few, but one in particular was a redhead in a sapphire dress. G'rett had to shake his head. He didn't need to get himself involved with one of the female Candidates. Especially the redheaded girl. Not now. Definitely not now. But he couldn't help but give her an approving glance. You'll make a fine Rider, young lady. Should you wind up Impressing a green or gold at the next hatching, and survive your training as a Weyrling...you'll be worth pursuing.

When he saw the Weyrwoman, Cybele, seated at her chair at the head table, he gave her a formal bow and a compassionate smile before speaking softly. "Lady Cybele. You truly look magnificent this evening." G'rett had always treated her with dignity and respect, and often stood by her decisions. He'd never been one to disagree with her - at least, not openly in front of anyone else. The Bronze Rider leaned in a bit. "Do try and cheer up, m'lady. We all know we've fallen on hard times recently, but we'll pull through."

[Jazzeh]

It had taken Toniel awhile to get ready for the feast, trying to select attire that would both honor her, but not drawn too much attention away from Cybele. Part of the reason she was late, too, was that she had had to make absolutely sure Aylinth was comfortable and sleeping well before she could leave her. The queen was exhausted, so she slept deeply, her body maintaining a relaxed semicircle around her precious brood. The woman did not think her lifemate would be too difficult when it came time for the Candidates to see the eggs, but only time would tell.

Toniel had finally decided on a long dark green gown with a nice trim along the bodice, hem, and going down the sleeves. She had left her hair loose about her shoulders and had not elected to wear any jewelry. The fitted gown would be enough, just the right touch of elegance and simplicity to say 'I am the rider of the clutching queen.'

She was both looking forward to and dreading the feast that Cybele had planned. She was not particularly social and to have all the people of the Weyr congratulating her was never something she had cared for. But still, Toniel's presence was expected and required, so she made the journey to the dining cavern. At the doorway waited the clutchfather's rider, Q'del, looking quite put together in his Gather finery. She approached him and forced a quiet, reserved smile onto her features. "Good evening, Q'del," she greeted in her usual mild way. His hair was looking quite nice, shining and held in place at his neck as it was. But it was something she would never bring herself to tell him.

[fellis]

M'lym was dressed formally, but plainly, in a simple silk tunic with little embellishment. He didn't enjoy dressing up for any occasion, and he didn't see why a bronzerider needed to make a show of himself anyway. Fancy dress was for women and silly greenriders. In fact, formal feasts like this tended to make him uncomfortable in general. He was much more at ease out in the weyrbowl, training with his riders. Ah, well. At least the food should be excellent, and it would give him a chance to convalesce with the other leaders of the Weyr.

Toniel and Q'del were near the door together, and M'lym nodded and smiled at both of them as he passed. They seemed like a good pair of Juniors, and by the looks of it they got along well. That was good, since it was nice when a Queen/Bronze pair could actually feel unity as well as display it. M'lym would wait until later, after Quindara and Q'del had greeted each other, to congratulate the pair on the clutch.

Inside, he saw Arktos with the candidates, including his son. Edilon was dressed more decoratively than he was, in a blue doublet with gold embroidery and a hat with a ridiculous feather sticking out of it. The lad was watching Arktos with adoring eyes. M'lym held back a sigh. Sometimes he thought that his son preferred Arktos to him, but Edilon did spend more time with the Candidate Master due to his position.

He continued on to the head table, where G'rett had already arrived. M'lym wasn't surprised that the brash young bronzerider was the first to greet the Weyrwoman. He bowed to Cybele. "Good evening, Weyrwoman," he said simply. Unlike G'rett, he didn't compliment her; he would never notice such a frivolous thing as a dress. "And hello, G'rett." he greeted his fellow bronzerider with quite a bit less formality. Salutations done with, he waited for the Weyrwoman's invitation to sit.

[Kit]

Q'del nodded at the reserved greetings of his fellow bronzeriders, but couldn't help but smile a little as Toniel approached him. She looked as tense as he felt. "Good evening, you look lovely," he said, offering his elbow for her arm. He wasn't looking forward to the feast either. Truth be told, he hand't want this rank. After Turns of being Heir to a holding, which his mother made out to be much more important than it actually was, he was tired of keeping up appearance. But he could hardly keep Demnoth out of a Goldflight, especially considering how smitten he was with Aylinth.

You will have fun at the party, Mine? the bronze inquired, sleep clouding his mindvoice.

Yes, don't worry Demnoth. Go to sleep. Q'del reassured him as they entered the door.


Cybele smiled at the bronzeriders greeting her. "Good evening M'lym, G'rett. Thanks you for saying so G'rett, I'm afraid I'm not fond of finery." She smiled gently at his reassurances. "I'm sure the Hatching will do much to cure what ails us." she agreed. It was strange, she thought, she had once felt quite at ease speaking with her riders, but now that Chandrath was up for grabs, so to speak, she felt nervous around them.

What do think, dear? Do you fancy Coth or Iverasth?

Oh, they are both fine bronzes I suppose. But we will see who flies the best soon. There are plenty to choose from after all. The gold was feeling about as much enthusiasm for her mating flight as her rider was, but she knew the gold would feel differently once she was rising.

When it looked like most were gathered, Cybele gestured for all to be seated. Her own second, Toniel, would be on her right, with Q'del on his weyrmate's right. The weyrleader's chair remained empty, but just to the left, Arktos sat with the Weyrlingmaster. Each wing then, had its own table sitting perpendicular to the head table, with its leader and second at the head. The Candidates had their own table and the end of the hall, presided over by Arktos's seconds, and the weyrlings were the same.

Arktos made sure the Candidates were settled with many a stern warning before making his own way up to the head table, bowing his head in respectful greeting to the Weyrwoman before taking his seat. He was thoughtful, and not quite as dour as usual. Perhaps there was even a ghost of a smile as he stroked the head of his firelizard Forge. He had a feeling this would be a good Turn. Arkysk agreed sleepily, it was not yet quite time for him to be awake, but the wher had sensed all the commotion.

Tesni made her way into the Dining Hall, grinning and nodding at everyone she knew. Kaitoth had convinced her that a dress was in order, and she chose her favorite one of the two she owned. It was simple, but it hugged her body nicely before siwling around her ankles, and the blue-green shade, just the same color as her dragon's hide, brought out her eyes and complemented her fair skin. Maybe there'd be dancing, and maybe she'd have someone to dance with this time. She steered clear of M'lym, the man was much too conservative for her tastes, and sat down with the rest of Solstice Wing, she was starving.

Quindara, meanwhile, wrinkled her nose in annoyance at being banished to the Candidates table. She had seem some likely looking riders she had hoped to chat with, and unfortunately no one at her own table was to her tastes. Cynell was too young, Kyaline...too rough, and she preferred men in any case. Edillon was quite charmingly cute, but she was fairly sure his tastes ran to men. At least he was someone to talk to. "So did you hear anything about the Eggs, Edillon? You know my sharding brother doesn't tell me anything."

[Jazzeh]

Toniel was a little surprised by his greeting, but she should have expected it. His smile eased some of the tension she had and her shoulders visibly relaxed as she felt the corners of her mouth curling in a faint, answering smile. "As do you, Q'del," she murmured softly, choosing not to use his title. He was now essentially her equal and to call him Weyrsecond would be like referring to herself as 'Weyrwoman's Second.' Gently she took his proffered elbow and together, the pair entered the dining cavern. Toniel angled herself straight for the table, wanting to be seated and avoid the majority of the well-meaning, but still annoying, congratulators.

They managed to make it to the table with only a few people stopping them, to which Toniel responded with a bland report of the number of eggs and no, there was not a queen egg. Some of them seemed disappointed by this, which somewhat irritated Toniel. Why should a queen's worth by measured by her clutching a gold egg? So when she arrived at the table and saw Cybele gesturing for everyone to sit, she was relieved. No more sharding questions. She took her seat silently, untangling her arm from Q'del's. She glanced down the line, noting the empty the Weyrleader's chair and knowing Cybele had to be having a hard time with the loss of her weyrmate. But like any good Weyrwoman, she was holding herself in check, to which Toniel responded with the briefest of sympathetic smiles.

[sorra]

T'tarel groaned as he raced toward the Dining Cavern. He had gotten caught up in reading over one of his hides that he had totally lost track of time. If Reloith hadn't said something the bronzer probably wouldn't have made the feast at all. He knew he wasn't making a real good impression by being late, but at least he had already been dressed before he dug into the hide.

The young bronzer was dressed in his best pair of dark brown wherhide pants. He also had on a rusty red shirt that had billowy sleeves that cuffed at the wrist. He had on a finely designed belt and a dress knife for the occasion. And he had thankfully remembered to brush his sometimes unruly blonde hair. His crystal eyes were sparkling as he slowed his pace to step into the Dining Cavern.

T'tarel bowed politely to the Weyrwoman. "I am so sorry I am late, Weyrwoman. And may I say you look beautiful this evening. I do believe Argent adds to your attire perfectly," he smiled. The bronzer hadn't grown up with a Harper mother for nothing.

[fellis]

"Indeed, the Hatching will be a good remedy for the Weyr. I hope that you enjoy the celebration, Lady Cybele." With that, M'lym took his leave of the Weyrwoman and sat at Comet Tail's table with his Wingriders. He did sincerely hope that Cybele could relax a little tonight. It wasn't difficult to see that the Weyrleader's death still affected her deeply. The empty Weyrleader's chair seemed to draw attention to it, and he firmly looked away from it to face his riders. He realized that he was rather hungry, and he let this practical concern override his worries about the state of the Weyrleadership.

Edilon sat down with the rest of the candidates, noticing as he did so what a small group they were. He couldn't wait for the Searchriders to go out and bring more candidates back. Then the barracks would be a live again, full to bursting with new friends.

He turned to Quindara with a smile. She was a lovely young woman, although he only recognized this objectively. "Father says that there are twenty-one healthy eggs, all different colors and sizes. It's a good clutch," he told her cheerfully. "I can't wait for the Hatching! I wonder if I'll Impress this time."

[Kendrall]

G'rett simply nodded to M'lym. "Wingleader M'lym," he said respectfully to the other Bronze rider. He then turned his attention back to Cybele. "Truth be told, m'lady, I'm not overly fond of finery myself. But I do understand the necessity of it." G'rett gave the Weyrwoman a compassionate smile, then bowed his head again to her before walking over to sit with his fellow wingriders in Stardust Wing. Only when Cybele gestured for all to sit did he finally do so. Briefly, he looked at the empty seat where the former Weyrleader used to sit. He couldn't help but frown. Cybele has gone through much recently. I don't know whom will earn the right to sit next to her as the new Weyrleader, but I just pray he will be just as honorable as J'nel.

He studied the Wingleader, F'rak, for a moment. He'd heard rumors that the man was an alcoholic, but the young man couldn't quite prove it. Best to wait and see how far into his cups he goes tonight, G'rett thought to himself. B'selion, the current Wingsecond, he knew was a capable rider but never was overly ambitious. Then again, most Brown riders typically are content with the status quo. Only the rare few would challenge for the right to be given the position of Wingleader.

The prospect of food was tempting, but every so often his eyes drifted over towards the Candidates' table at the redheaded girl in the sapphire dress. He wondered whom she was, and why he hadn't been introduced to her before. He felt a stirring in his loins but quickly suppressed it. She is rather stunning. But I know I can't do much beyond finding out who she is. The Hatching isn't far off, and the Healers will want to inspect her the day before she Stands. Should she Impress, it'll be at least a full turn or so before she'll be allowed to have any type of relationship. No, I must wait for that. But I will find out who she is sooner or later.

[Kit]

Q'del returned Toniel's smile with a hopeful one of his own. "Thank you," he replied as he took her arm and led her into the cavernous Dining Hall. They were intercepted by several well-wishers, which thankfully Toniel handled, though she seemed irked by their questions, for good reason. it wasn't as if they had any better idea about the eggs than anyone else, and as for a Gold Egg, well, Aylinth was still young, Just to have two young healthy Queens was something to be said in these times. There looked to be a good number of large eggs, in Q'del's opinion, so he didn't know what anyone was complaining about. Finally they got to the table and sat down. Q'del looked down over his own wing, Equinox. Everyone was present and all seemed to be in order.

Quindara grinned back at her table mate. "Yeah, that's just what I heard. But I don't think you'll have to worry about not Impressing this Turn, what with Chandrath due to have her Flight pretty soon. I'm sure she'll lay just as many Eggs as Aylinth. I just hope the Searchriders find more Candidates." It was a shame to make the dragonets choose out of the Stands, only because a lot of those people didn't want to be dragonriders, and even if they did, they didn't have a clue what they were doing. But it was even worse when the dragonet could find no one. Then they went between, and the whole weyr suffered.

Cybele grinned at the young bronzerider. "No worries T'tarel, and thank you. I'm sure Argent agrees with you." The silver firelizard crooned happily.

Once everyone had found their seats, Cybele motioned them to silence. Sh stood, and raised her glass that, like everyone's else's had been filled with a dark fruity wine. "Times have been hard for the weyr of late. We have lost many that should be here." Arktos could be seen wiping his eyes surreptitiously. "But we have endured, and now a new generation of dragonriders will soon be among us, to help us fulfill our ancient purpose. So let us continue to look forward.. but never forget. A toast to Aylinth, Demnoth, and their 21 Eggs." Cybele drained her glass, sat back down, and motioned for the servers to start bringing in the food.

[Kendrall]

G'rett tried not to brood over Toniel and Q'del sitting next to each other. There wasn't anything he could do about it. But, out of respect to the Weyrwoman's Second and Weyrsecond, he lifted his goblet in their direction and gave them a soft smile. "To Aylinth, Demnoth, and their eggs. To looking forward to the future," he said softly, his voice mixing in with the others' before taking a long drink. He then seated himself and waited for the servers to fill up his plate and refill his goblet.

The Bronze Rider reflected for a moment. He had to admit, Demnoth was a fine, intelligent dragon. Coth was nearly his equal; but that wouldn't be good enough for him. No, G'rett wasn't quite satisfied with Coth's last performance in the flight. He couldn't fault his bonded, but resolved to start developing new tactics at the first available opportunity. It wouldn't be tomorrow, since mostly everyone would still be recovering from a hangover. Probably in the next sevendays or so. G'rett gave an internal shrug. He'd have time to think it over and discuss it with his lifemate.

By the time his plate was filled with various foods; roasted wherry, tubers, fruits, cheeses...and his goblet was refilled, he ate somewhat slowly, not wanting to give himself a bad case of indigestion. He also wanted to remain somewhat attentive to what was going on around him, in case anyone wanted to speak with him.

[sorra]

T'tarel flashed the Weyrwoman another smile before hurrying to his seat with the rest of the Meteor Shower Wing. He listened quietly as Cybele made her speech. The young bronze rider fought back tears. It had been hard on them all.

I'm still here, Reloith said softly. And we'll make it together. You've made new friends and help the Weyr stay strong.

T'tarel smiled slightly. Thanks old friend. I needed that.

[Jazzeh]

Toniel was glad to see Cybele motioning for silence. That meant no more questions about Aylinth's clutch that even a wherry would know that there was no definite answer to. As she spoke, her own thoughts reflected back on recent times. The loss of her father eleven turns ago still was very hard on her and she knew that the Candidatemaster's loss just a turn after her own could not have been easy. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose one's dragon. Needing a moment of comfort, she brushed Aylinth's mind and found her sleeping, but content and very much alive. It was enough to reassure her.

But the hardest loss of all was J'nel's death. It had rocked the entire weyr and there had been several listless days where it seemed that everyone was entirely defeated. But as dragonriders, they had a duty to fulfill and were able to find solace in this. While they could not stop Cloudlung, they could stop the Thread that was due to fall in only a few short turns. Toniel's smile was genuine, though it still could not be described as warm, as the Weyrwoman toasted Aylinth and her clutch, along with the proud father. She, too, raised her glass and looked first at Cybele before directing her gaze to Q'del. She took a long drink of the fruity wine, but did not completely drain it, before setting it back down.

Before long, food was arriving at the tables, plates ladden with roast wherry, tubers, vegetables, and other dishes that had been made with the tithes. Idly she wondered how much of the stores was left and she mentally made a note to check in with the Headwoman tomorrow. Most Holds were dutiful in their tithing, but with all of the death, there were not always enough workers to harvest crops at the proper time and so some were lost, leading to less food to split between themselves and the weyr. Toniel carefully began to eat, selecting the wherry first. It was well seasoned, but a bit tough. Still, one had to be grateful for what they had. "The Headwoman has really outdone herself this time," she remarked quietly to Cybele and Q'del.

[fellis]

Edilon smiled at Quindara's encouraging words. She was right, there was nothing to worry about. Even if he was left standing once again, he wouldn't have to wait long this time. "I hope they do bring more candidates back, for our sake as well as the dragonets. It's too quiet around the barracks!" he declared, shaking his head. He couldn't wait for some excitement.

He was quiet as the Weyrwoman gave her toast. Edilon lifted his glass solemnly, then took a sip. This was a feast mixed with both sadness and happiness, but as always, Edilon chose to focus on the latter. As the food arrived, he paused to serve himself a generous plate of roast wherry and vegetables. After taking a bite, he turned back to Quindara, lowering his voice a little in a conspiratorial tone. "Speaking of Chandrath's flight, who do you think has a good chance of winning?" He looked around at the Wingleaders. There was M'lym, of course, but it wasn't very interesting to gossip about his own father. "That bronzerider G'rett is cute, don't you think?" He chuckled.

[sorra]

Kiyoni managed to slip into the Dining Cavern just before Cybele asked for silence. The young search rider quickly found a seat as Rivi landed on her shoulder. Surprisingly the little blue complimented Kiyoni's dark blue dress perfectly. She felt awful that she was late, but she had gotten back late and had had to run to get to the Cavern on time.

T'tarel lifted his glass in a toast as well. Hopefully this would be a good day. He glanced up at Cybele and smiled. He hoped her next flight would go easy for her. She deserved to be happy again. Amid all the loss everyone needed something to be happy about.