Welcome to Gaia! ::

‘Rish blinked, looking away from watching the flit to the other beach goes. ‘More clutch hunters? This beach is very busy today.’ He hmed watching the waves come in and recede, listening to the girl and two young men. ‘Waves…tide, in and out, in, out!’


“You know, if the queen had any brains at all she would bury her clutch where the water wouldn’t reach.” He said kneeling down to draw various lines in the sand. “This means we can likely cut down the search area to something possibly manageable.” His fingers added loops meant to be waves on the bottom two lines and added a straight line to be where the land melted into the shore. “Such she likely buried it between this line” he pointed at the ‘high tide loops’ “and here where the land gives into sand.” He set his palm down on the untouched sand, making a zigzag motion. “Still lot of land but it would be the most likely area.”

"Unless you have something to add sir." He said cheerfully.

It had taken him a moment, but M'zaji suddenly realized just where he knew Kallista from! Yes, she was a wingrider at Ista, and he had probably seen her around- but the bluerider was firm on the idea he knew her some other way. He'd seen her name somewhere.. Their wing assignment! With the intense overcrowding, many of the wings were being shuffled around. M'zaji found himself within a new wing, and these two greenriders were both part of it.

"Forgive me," he began, laughing in good nature. The waves crashed up on the shore loudly, causing him to have to raise his voice slightly. "I believe I'm also part of your wing- tsunami, no?" M'zaji grinned widely, then his face took on a solemn look. "Oh, I agree! All these people, gathered together- why, we're making enough commotion to scare off the most hardy and determined wherries!" M'zaji offered Kallista a small bow, arm outstretched to allow her to walk past. "Well, I wish you the best of luck! Perhaps, have your green contact my blue if you find anything? I'd be more than happy to do the same," he suggested, a smile once again tugging at his lips.

Kaedrelath extended his wings once more, slightly pleased that Astarteth had taken to the waters rather than join him in his wallow. While some company would have been enjoyable, he certainly relished his space. Oh, we are well enough. How does today find you, and yours? Kaedrelath responded politely, though his voice was soft, and slow like a lazy forest stream, the water bubbling happily but without any sort of rush. The blue's thoughts mirrored Astarteth's; a nap would be most pleasurable!

M'zaji was grateful to be introduced to not only one, but two!, of his wingmates today. He hadn't been familiar with any of the names on the list. So, at least he had some faces to put with the names now! The bluerider ran a hand through his hair, fumbling through the short curls. "Ah, pairs! That sounds like a great idea!" M'zaji supported Kallista's suggestion emphatically- not knowing that Abi had already suggested the same thing. The bluerider looked around.. and found himself alone. He assumed that Kella and Abi were searching together, as were Kallista and C'ren; since the two greenriders seemed to know one another, it was natural to assume they'd venture off together. "Hmm," the bluerider pursed his lips and looked around at his choices. Maybe someone would select him as a partner?

Looking up from her fervent searching, Kella inclined her head to Kallista. "Umm.. Abi suggested that already. Yeah. That's why we're in a pair," Kella stated rather bluntly, waggling her thumb back and forth from herself to the youth beside her. "But, good idea!" She grinned at Kallista, though her tone dripped with sarcasm. Maybe it was the heat, but Kella was growing increasingly cranky. Nothing was screaming at her, indicating a clutch of firelizard eggs. Increasingly frustrated, Kella frowned and kept on searching.

Kaedrelath rustled his wings, adjusting them to better catch the sun's rays. One of the blue's favorite pastimes was sunbathing; he was quite the expert when it came to the best methods of sunning. He warbled amiably in Ceylith and Astarteth's direction, but still remained in his cool, sandy wallow. Do you think they'll actually find a clutch? M'zaji sometimes has difficulty finding his boots in the morning, the blue took a playful jab at his rider, rumbling in amusement.

After hearing Kella's rude comment, even though the dark-skinned girl had attempted to veil it, the bluerider frowned deeply. He was really in no position to reprimand her. The scowl across his face made her glare right back. He muttered angrily under his breath, and was sorely tempted to speak with her. That was no way to speak to a superior, in a voice laced with sarcasm and contempt. M'zaji shook his head and sighed. He turned to Kallista, opening his mouth to apologize for Kella. He quickly closed it, not intending to clean up after the candidate's mess. "I'd like that! We could be a pair, but maybe it would be better if we each worked with someone who didn't have a quick means of communication?" With a jerk of his thumb towards their dragons, he indicated their ability to send messages quickly. "That way, if one of us finds the clutch, we can broadcast it quickly. We don't know how close it'd be to hatching, and we may have to gather everyone around it quickly," he guessed as best he could, and explained himself to the greenrider with a smile. But, he wouldn't mind a chance to get to know her better!

Kella didn't bother to respond to Kallista, so absorbed in her search she was. Her eyes sought out some sign, any sign! Cracked shells might mean they were too late, but they also might mean that firelizards returned to the same spot to lay their clutches. Thoughts of fleeting firelizards ran rampant through the girl's head, and more than once she swore that she saw an egg, only to pick it up and find out it was only a rock. Kella cursed loudly, enough to make M'zaji blush. How long would they have to search for- and why was she the only one who seemed that engrossed in searching?

Kaedrelath rumbled in amusement. Both he and the green had taken jabs at their riders. I agree. I wouldn't stick around if there were this many people fumbling around, the blue snorted, blowing up a small whirlwind of sand. Another thought- what if they find the clutch, and it starts hatching here? Your rider won't be able to bring an egg for a gift. Kaedrelath liked to look at a situation and consider all possible options.

"Ah, true. Well... I don't want to bother C'ren. He seems caught up with his dragon and flit. Maybe I can team up with...Valad, you said your name was?" The green rider posed the question to the other teen who was standing near them. She had been waiting for him to say something but apparently she was going to have to drag him into conversation Amazing, her dragging someone to talk. "I am going to head towards the dunes. You can follow me there if you choose."


Astarteth was enjoying the conversation greatly. It was not often as she liked that she had someone's complete attention. Besides her rider of course. And she most certainly deserved any attention that came her way! Hatching? I don't know. Kallista most likely knows. Little ones have to be fed. I hope she brought food.

This worried the young green and she looked for her rider. What will you do if your clutch mate's egg hatches?


Kallista wrinkled her nose. I guess I will feed it. Let's hope that doesn't happen though. She was making her way towards the dunes with random piles of seaweed and driftwood. If she were a gold flit, where would she put a nest?

It was hot. The waves were loud. The sand was getting EVERYWHERE, as sand was wont to do. Kella grumpily plodded onwards, her eyes cast down at the ground. "Stupid flits, hiding your clutches where no one can find them," she grumbled unhappily. Kella was beginning to think that maybe there wasn't a firelizard clutch anywhere. Rumors were rumors, after all. Maybe someone at the Weyr was bored and wanted to stir up something interesting, so they spread this tale around. Kella wouldn't put it past The Nose. Nandeli was certainly a professional at that sort of thing; spreading rumors and gossip. Another likely explanation was that some drunken dimglow was out on the beach one night, and swears they saw a gold and her eggs- but in all reality, it was probably just the sun and some rocks. "Awesome," Kella muttered unhappily and sat her little bum down in the sand.

She picked up a rock and tossed it around, from hand to hand. She bounced it in her palm for a few minutes, then looked up to see that Abi had wandered a few paces away. So, she pelted the rock at him. "OI!" She called, trying to grab his attention without getting off her a**. "You find anything yet?" She shouted, holding out her hands palm out to display her lack of discovery. A frown flickered across her face, and she let her shoulders slump forward.

The bluerider, on the other hand, hadn't even really begun to search! His entire time on the beach had been spent meeting Abi, Kallista, and the various other people who had shown up. M'zaji was a sucker for casual conversation, and had been lured away from his original mission. But now he was back on track, and ready to begin the hunt!

The boy wandering down towards the shoreline looked promising; rather, M'zaji's stomach growled hungrily at the mention of shellfish. The bluerider was not so sure about the firelizard clutch being to close to the water, but a little searching certainly wouldn't hurt! "Hey there! 'Rish? Nice to meet ya!" M'zaji offered a grin and a wave. "I'm M'zaji, that's my blue Kaedrelath over there, lazy git," the bluerider gestured towards his half-asleep blue, sprawled on his side in a cool, dug-out wallow of cold, wet sand. "So! You mentioned shellfish? Sure sounds tasty- and I think there may be a few hungry hatchlings around!" The bluerider's spirits were high, and his happy nature was nearly-contagious; a huge grin spread across his face and he looked up an down the beach. "So! Where to search first?"

Kaedrelath lazily lifted his head to peer out at the water in Astarteth's direction. If she didn't bring food, I'm sure she can find some on the beach, the blue informed the green with a reassuring warble that probably did not carry out over the rolling waves.