Winter Clutch 2007

This year's Lantessaman Winter was void of snow, like usual. But that hadn't stopped Lucas from using all the draconic abilities he had to his disposal to decorate his holiday cavern with snow. The inside of the smaller one of the two hatching caverns in the middle mountain was plastered with ice. Snow crackled below his feet and his breath made little clouds in the air. It didn't matter that a few winter season and a couple of assembled winter-type dragons were grumbling and sending out bad karma when the end result looked like this. It was snow!
Lucas smiled, relaxed and took a seat from which he'd have a good view. Now all he needed were for the candidates to show up. 8 there were for this clutch. It was a good number for this time of year and Lucas felt confident that all of them would impress.
Candidates and spectators filed in, as did the other Laedrysses and a few other Lantessaman officials. When everyone was seated Lucas signaled for the lights to be dimmed and then the entire cave bathed in a faint icy blue sheen. As the temperature dropped, the eggs in the center of the cavern, buried in snow and ice, started to show signs of hatching.
The first one to actually hatch was one of the eggs at the edge of the circle of snow. A green-yellow head, resembling the gem peridot, popped out of the snow, followed by feathered wings and a sleek body. The hatchling, a male, shook the snow from his back and tail and then sat down cleaning his paws. Only when he'd finished that did he move toward the candidates.
"Svyn." he said, "My name is Skaoi Imar."
"Nice to meet you." the Iceland medic replied.
Two more eggs hatched. Another one from the edge of the mound of snow yielded a bright green male dragon. The one that'd hatched from deeper into the mound was cyan in color. It was this dragon, a female, that moved first.
The larimar cyan ice feather dragoness glanced over the waiting candidates but her eyes only locked onto the one dragon standing. A copper-coloured metal, ice and light magic winter dragon named Rej Hielo. Gracefully making her way over to him she smiled the draconic equivalent of a grin which sounded like chimes echoing in the hatching cavern. The delicate sound rolled over the audience and caused hairline fractures in about half of the gathered eggs.
"Rej Hielo." she spoke with the same chime-like clarity in her voice, "My name is Harven Freu. I will bond you, but before that some things must change."
"Change?" Rej asked not all too comfortable with the idea.
"When I'm large enough my feathers might be large enough for two." Harven bartered, "It'll be cozy..."
The jade green hatchling had waited for his sister to hatch, but now he too was impatient to bond. He swished his tail, scraping the snow of some of the eggs buried in snow, causing cracks to form on their fragile shell. Ignoring what consequences his actions had made, the dragon moved toward Laguz, one of the runic warriors.
"My name is Gefjun Lof." he said, "I want to fight."
"Maybe later." Laguz grinned, "You're eager, but we'll need to train first."
One of the eggs that had been disturbed by Lof crackled and shattered into dust. Or ice. The hatchling that emerged from the snow was female and her hide a rich indigo blue. She took her first steps on the snow, skidded on a patch of ice and waited. Trying to keep her balance she carefully placed her feet in front of her as slowly as she could. Absorbed by this the lapis lazuli feather dragon didn't notice that she was approaching the candidates. Suddenly she bumped into Sha'uny, threatening to take both of them down.
"Careful!" Sha'uny shouted.
Nervously the indigo dragoness replied: "I'm not that stable yet... but I will. Would you mind waiting for me until then?"
"I wouldn't mind even if it takes forever, Senua Göte!" the young Iceland girl smiled back.
Two more eggs had hatched as Senua left the patch of soft snow that held them. The two had been hidden close together, confusing the hatchlings about which limbs and wings were their own. Finally they sorted out who they were and two females, one pink and one purple emerged from the snow.
Both the bright kunzite pink and the soft tanzanite purple female headed to Solaire and Lunaire. Two very distinct girls with matching characters. The both of them had managed to break free of a life that had bored them and now they found themselves at the center of excitement. The two baby dragonesses seemed to be racing to reach them first. Both of them already knew which one would be their rider, but they still wanted to make that choice known first. It was the kunzite pink that won. Victoriously she called:
"Solaire! My name is Ferann Kalte." then she sat down panting trying to hide the sounds of hunger leaving her belly.
"Hmph." the tanzanite purple female said to Lunaire, "She doesn't know her limits. My name is Zenri Shnee by the way and I'm far smarter than her."
"Slowpoke." Ferann hissed.
"Overachiever." Zenri hissed back before both of them were shut up by the angry glances of adult dragons and their riders. There wasn't time to argue on a hatching day.
The last two eggs hatched in close succession, sending small clouds of fine snow in the air. Two faint-colored tails rose up from the snow, followed by heads, limbs, wings and body. Only when the two hatchlings were out of the snow did it become clear that they had a different color. The first, a male was completely grey, like the sky during a storm. The second, also male, though faded had a hide that shone blue, like a moonstone.
The moonstone blue hatchling was the first to reach the remaining candidates. Both were male with similar builds and looks. In the end, the hatchlings yielded toward Inguz and remarked:
"That was a tough choice, but I'm glad I picked you."
"I'm happy about that too, Mani."
Yvander, the last remaining candidate looked at the last remaining hatchling, expecting the dragon to come find him. In stead the hatchling sat down and stared at him. Both of them persisted for a while, but finally Yvander's nerves caved,
"Aren't you going to pick me?"
"As long as both of us know you need me." the slate grey dragon replied.
Baffled Yvander tried to speak, but the hatchling interrupted him, "My name is Heunir Shtil, and we've made these people wait long enough. Let's eat."
Dazed, Yvander followed behind the last hatchling wondering if it had been such a good idea to come to Lantessama. maybe the South was cursed after all....

Riders:
Solaire and Kunzite Pink Ferann Kalte (f)
Lunaire and Tanzanite Purple Zenri Shnee (f)
Rej Hielo and Larimar Cyan Harven Freu (f)
Inguz and Moonstone Blue Mani Licht (m)
Laguz and Jade Green Gefjun Lof (m)
Yvander and Slate Grey Heunir Shtil (m)
Svyn and Peridot Green Skaoi Imar (m)
Sha'uny and Lapis Lazuli Indigo Senua Göte (f)