Between was cold; colder than anything Nian had ever experienced. It was also very dark between, which she should have remembered from the ballads Ruart had so diligently taught his students. The song came to her mind — "Black, blacker, blackest" — and then, just as Conna had said, they were suddenly warmed by the bright morning sun and circling down to land at Ista Weyr.The last time the twins had come for a Gather here, they had sailed in her father's boat. From above, Ista didn't look as big as Nian had remembered, but it was still bigger than Lado Hold.
There were people to welcome them and Nian tried to maintain her newly found confidence and not hide behind Ru who, as ever, spoke for both of them.
"I'm Kilpie, in charge of the Lower Caverns," announced an older, slightly stout lady whose sun-streaked blond hair was neatly braided and coiled around her head. She had a stern mouth, but her eyes were welcoming and alight with good humor.
"Come, I shall show you candidates where you will be staying. And you can meet the others whom the dragons have Searched for the Hatching. Which, I might add, won't be long now. Come along. When I've shown you around," she added, shooing them all in front of her, "you are to come back here for a snack. There's always something to eat for hungry riders. We keep klah, soup, or porridge warm all day and all night." She pointed to a small hearth at the far end of the cavern where, indeed, pots sat at the back, keeping warm. "And fresh bread when it's ready."
Ru grinned at his sister. He was always hungry, now that he was growing tall and filling out his bones. Pretty soon he'd be taller than Nian.
The main kitchen cavern of Ista Weyr was immense, and some of the stalactites had been left in place as if holding up its stony roof. Along the outside wall, with chimneys built in to take cooking odors out of the huge room, were the hearths and ovens, just like the kitchen in Lado's much smaller hold. But here some of the hearths were enormous, and the heat they gave off would be intolerable in full summer, Nian thought. Would she and Neru both be there in full summer? Tables and chairs were placed around the main dining area, with a platform for the head table where the Weyrleaders would dine with guests. She hoped candidates were not considered "guests." Everyone would be looking at them, and Nian did not like to be the object of scrutiny. It made her conscious of herself and her plain looks.
Kilpie led them down a broad corridor and into another wide cavern. This was on two levels, a passage leading to curtained alcoves and steps down to a living area filled with comfortable chairs, tables, and storage chests. She pointed to the curtained passage that led to the baths and necessaries.
"And we expect everyone living in the Weyr to be clean for breakfast and dinner every day. Now, there will be empty sleeping alcoves along here, unless people have been changing about, but pick one that doesn't look occupied and you'll be all right if your bags are displayed. I've put a white candidate's robe in every alcove, so that you'll all have them to hand."
"Are there many of us candidates?" Orla asked.
"Forty, so far," Kilpie said. "And more coming in, as we have thirty-two eggs and wish to give the hatchlings ample choice."
"But how will we know when the Hatching starts?" Neru asked, wondering how quickly he could get his robe on and make it to the Hatching Ground on time. Thirty-two eggs and more than forty candidates to stand. Well, even if the dragons hadn't picked him outright, he would remain positive. He just had to Impress his very own dragon!
Kilpie regarded him a long moment. "The dragons begin to hum a welcome to the hatchlings. As soon as you hear them, drop everything and change into the white robe and present yourself at the Hatching Ground." She pointed to the opening at the far end of the living area. Crouching down a bit and looking in that direction, Nian could see the great arch of the Hatching Ground entrance directly across the Bowl of Ista Weyr. "There will also be a lot of coming and going as guests are brought in.
And your parents, if they have chosen to come to the Hatching." She made a noise halfway between a snort and a sigh. "So, go along now," she said, gesturing to the alcoves, "and settle yourselves in. Then come back to the main cavern. I believe there're sweet buns and cool fruit juice or klah waiting for you."
The promise of food had the newly selected candidates immediately rushing toward the curtains, peeking past them to find the untaken alcoves.
Neru and Nian, with an unspoken thought, moved to the far end and chose alcoves side by side. Orla and Chaum followed their lead; Orla's eyes were bright with curiosity, and Chaum, who was rarely excited by anything, still kept close to those he knew.
Nian's alcove included a bed, a chest, and several pegs on the wall. The white candidate's robe hung on one of the pegs. She held it up against her. The straight lines would fit anyone, covering all but the tallest to the knees, and the sleeves were not too long. The fabric was very soft from much use and careful laundering, and Nian wondered how many successful candidates had worn this particular robe over the Turns. Would their luck rub off on her and Neru, too?
Just then Neru entered her sleeping alcove. "You can't have unpacked already," she accused him.
"No, I put my carryall smack in the middle of the bed so anyone would see that the room is occupied. But I'm hungry and could sure use some sweet buns to tide me over until supper." He picked her carryall up where she had dropped it to the floor and plopped it on her bed. "I'm going to look silly wearing something like that. It's nearly a dress."
"It's a candidate's robe, and who would ever have expected this morning that we'd be chosen to wear one?"
"Not me," her twin said staunchly.
"And the same back at you, Ru."
"They were smart to pick Chaum and Orla, too," her brother said, pleased.
She heard his stomach growling and grinned at him. She carefully hung the robe back on its peg. "Let's go eat."
No one was late for the snack, Kilpie remarked when the lot of them arrived back to the kitchen cavern and took seats at the table she designated. The juice was cool and tart, while the sweet breads were dotted with nuts and dried berries and were so tender that Nian and Neru hoped there'd be more than one apiece. They were joined by a white-haired older man who introduced himself as H'ran, Weyrlingmaster, rider of bronze Prinith. He looked them over one by one and smiled.
"Now, I've a few words of advice for you candidates. First, the new hatchling is invariably starving. There will be bowls of meat for you to feed him or her to the stuffing point. Hatchlings can be a little unnerving as they stagger around looking for their riders, so don't be surprised or fearful of such antics and be quick on your feet to get out of their way. If you're the one they want to Impress, you'll know it."
"How?" asked a very pretty girl who was dressed in the finest blue robe Nian had ever seen.
"That dress of hers was expensive," Orla murmured in Nian's ear. "That blue dye is hard to get." Orla knew about such things.
"How?" H'ran grinned. It was an unexpectedly soft and loving expression, which Nian thought remarkable in an older man. "It's unmistakable. You'll immediately know their name. Added to that, they act as if they owned you, keeping any other hatchling from getting near you. They may be wet-winged and newly hatched, but they can move fairly fast once they've discovered their rider. Watch out for their claws. They're sharp and dangerous, even if they don't mean to hurt anyone. They're as anxious to Impress as you are to be Impressed. But don't worry. The Weyrleaders and I will be on the Hatching Ground with you to organize the stampede. And there'll be plenty of food to stuff their guts. Bring any questions you have about your hatchling to me. That's what me and Prinith are here for."
If anyone had questions, they weren't bold enough to voice them and so, when all the sweet breads were eaten, H'ran suggested that they follow him to the weyrling barracks so they'd know which direction to take with their dragons when Impression had been made. The barracks were exactly that — not nearly as homey or comfortable as the alcoves. There was a broad wooden bed for the hatchling, well marked by generations of dragon claws, and above it, a narrow shelf with bedding on it for the rider.