[5.15.2707] Carrying On The Line

[Jazzeh]

As Toniel was making her way back up to her weyr after meeting with the Headwoman, there was a distinct discomfort in the curve of her back. The farther she walked, the more uncomfortable it became, finally crossing that threshold into pain. The thin lips of the Weyrwoman's Second were pressed into a firm line as she fought to maintain her calm amidst the pain. What was causing this? She couldn't remember a single symptom of the feared Cloudlung to be back pain. Perhaps a general tiredness and soreness, but only minutes ago she had been feeling fine!

I am clutching![/color] said a pained voice, dispelling the growing dread in Toniel's mind.

The dark-haired woman had to breath a sigh of relief inwardly as she realized that it was no pain of hers, but the referred pain of her dragon, that ailed her. Toniel focused on calming thoughts and also on her own lack of pain, hoping to channel that to her beloved queen. Her feet moved of their own accord, reversing their journey to her weyr to go instead to the Hatching Grounds. I am coming, Aylinth. Just stay calm, she soothed.

By the time Toniel reached the large cavern that housed the infamously hot sands, Aylinth was emitted a low wailing keen of pain, punctuated by whimpers. The rich gold's hide was slightly dulled, but the light of the glows still rippled across her body as it expelled the eggs that had weighed her down. The Weyrwoman's Second strode over to her queen, breaking her emotionless facade to hurry to calm the beauty. "Shhh..." she soothed aloud, resting one hand on the queen's nose, the other one lightly stroking her cheek.

Still the gold whimpered, her voice climbing into a pained roar which echoed throughout the cavern. Barely audible was the soft plop of an egg upon the sands, joining the five others that already rested within a hollow. The hide shuddered in release and Toniel used a little more pressure as she stroked the gold, all the while trying to assure the queen that it would all be over soon.

And it indeed was over soon and a very tired Aylinth was able to relax, thoroughly exhausted. She curled around the edge of the hollow she had dug, lightly nuzzling one of the twenty-one eggs she had just lain. Darling? Toniel asked softly. Aylinth, could you call Chandrath and Demnoth? Their riders should see your eggs, she reasoned, knowing the queen would not be particularly keen of having strangers peering at her eggs. The gold opened one sleepy eye and stared at Toniel for a moment before sighing heavily.

I will call them,[/color] she said resignedly. Chandath! Demnoth! My eggs are here. Tell your riders they can come only if they stay far away.[/color]

[Kit]

Cybele was going over some reports in her office cursing the rain that made going outside such a chore. It made Chadrath moody because she could not sun her ledge. The golden queen lay on her couch with her neck stretched out to the heavy curtain that blocked the view of the rainstorm.

Suddenly she perked her head up. ((Aylinth has laid her Eggs. She says you may come look, if you stay far away.))

Cybele gave a sigh of relief and smiled. A clutch was just what was needed right now, with Thread on the horizon. She only hoped they were healthy. {{Tell them I'll be right there, love.}} Chandrath complied, a bit grumpily. Cybele stroked the golden head fondly. {{Don't worry, you'll have eggs of your own in due time. Besides, this clutch looks well on you. You are Aylinth's mother after all.}}

The Weyrwoman arranged her hair into something a little more formal and put on a skirt. It wouldn't do to go in her leathers, though she might have preferred that. Taking the steps two at a time, she arrived in the Hatching Cavern promptly. It seemed the Sands had gotten hotter since the last time she was on them. She waved to Toniel, beckoning her over, since she didn't want to upset Aylinth by coming any closer. It looked like a good large clutch from where she was standing.

Weyrsecond Q'del arrived a moment later, looking damp. "Greetings, Weyrwoman, sorry I'm a little slow, had drills this morning, in the rain and all. I was just bathing."

"No harm Q'del. I've only just arrived. Looks like Demnoth did a good job of it," she said with a grin. The tall man nodded distractedly, his eyes on the clutch and the Queenrider. He seemed thoughtful.

[Jazzeh]

Aylinth sighed heavily and tentatively snaked out her tongue to lick the egg nearest to her. Chandrath's and Demnoth's come,[/color] she told Toniel after a moment, still slowly licking the soft egg. The Weyrwoman's Second watched her dragon as she licked, then gently nudged the eggs. One of the eggs was leaning away from the rest of them and set slightly apart. That just would not do. Tired as she was, the gold hauled herself to her feet and ever so carefully moved the egg so that it touched the others.

It was while she was doing this that the Weyrwoman arrived. Toniel turned to see the woman walking in and waving at her. With a final look at her gold, who had just finished moving the egg, she strode over to Cybele. It was a very good-sized clutch. Aylinth's previous clutch had been much smaller, only fourteen. There was no queen egg, but the sheer number of eggs was enough to make her very proud.

Q'del was the next to arrive, looking for a moment like he had been out in the rain. But at second guess, his clothing was dry, which meant that he'd probably just gotten out of the baths. His eyes seemed to flick from Aylinth's clutch to her, that pensive look on his face. She nodded a greeting to him, which seemed cool, like she was merely putting up with his presence. Truth was that she just didn't typically connect with people, especially not quickly, and not in the circumstances that had brought them together.

Toniel's gaze returned to the Weyrwoman and she quietly reported, "21 eggs." She turned back so that she could watch Aylinth with her eggs. The gold was settling herself back around the clutch. She laid her head on one leg, nose only inches away from one of the eggs. Toniel watched as her eyes drooped and the queen tried to fight the exhaustion.

[Kit]

Q'del sighed inwardly at Toniel's brief greeting. Why was it that he always felt like he'd offended her in some way, like an errant child? Certainly the Flight had been passionate enough..he thought. He kept telling himself that he ought to give up on her, certainly there were plenty of other women that wouldn't mind the attentions of the Weyrsecond. But he was ever a stubborn sort.

((Are they beautiful Eggs?)) his bronze inquired cheerily, breaking his dour thoughts.

{{Yes, 21 of them. The Weyrwoman says you are to be congratulated.}} Q'del informed him, his face taking on a lopsided grin without him knowing it.

((For what? I didn't lay the eggs?!)) was the confused reply. Q'del stifled a chuckle. He loved Demnoth dearly, but he wasn't the brightest of bronzes.

Meanwhile, Cybele stoods on the Sands beaming over the clutch and her second. "21? Well, that is a good number. The largest we've had in a while. Just what the weyr needs before the Pass. Congratulations. You'll give Aylinth my thanks and congratulations later won't you? When she's more awake?" The younger Gold was definitely about to doze off.

"I'll post a rider here to ward off curious onlookers for now. But how long do you guess it will be before she'll allow the Candidates to come in? Hatchings go so much more smoothly when we can get them used to the Eggs early."

[Jazzeh]

Toniel nodded in agreement. She was proud of her gold. Though she couldn't say that she cared much for Q'del (though that was more due to unfamiliarity than to any character flaw she found unpleasant), Aylinth had made a good choice of mates in Demnoth. The bronze had given her a good clutch. But whether or not they proved to be good genes would only be revealed when they Hatched. Until then, all they could do was watch and wait as the eggs hardened upon the warming sands.

"Yes, Weyrwoman, I shall. She's very tired right now, as any gold would be after laying so many," she told Cybele. Her eyes settled upon the richly colored dragon, ripples of metallic sheen running across her hide as she breathed. Toniel's gaze was drawn back to the Weyrwoman as she asked when the gold would allow the Candidates in. She looked back at the gold, her expression faintly thoughtful.

"I don't think it will be long. She did well with her last clutch, so I think she will let them in even earlier now that she knows they won't hurt her eggs. I will keep an eye on her and ask her when the time is right," Toniel assured Cybele after a moment. Then, almost as an afterthought, she turned herself towards Q'del. "I will have Aylinth contact Demnoth when she is ready to let him in to see the clutch," she said, her voice detached and bland, though it still possessed the inflections that prevented her voice from being monotone.

[Kit]

"She certainly deserves a rest. Just send your Leifa to Arktos when she's ready to let the Candidates in. I'm sure he'll be glad for a change of pace. Its much more exciting around here with a clutch on the Sands." The gloomy Candidate Master was surely in need of excitement, Cybele thought. But that was unkind. Arktos had lost his brown Bjornth less than ten Turns ago, of course he was gloomy. They were loucky to have him for Candidate Master, truth be told.

Q'del received Toniel's bland response to his presence with practiced stoicism, but inwardly he had the urge to shake her, just to see if it would arouse some feeling in her. "I'm sure he'll be glad to see them."

Cybele picked up on some of the Weyrsecond's tension, though she had little ideas as to the cause. In any case, she was eager to provide a distraction. "I say this calls for a little feast. I'll go inform the Headwoman. Aylinth needs her rest in any case, and she won't get it with us three standing around yacking." Not for the first time, she felt an inward pang. There should have been four of them. How happy J'nel would have been to see that many Eggs on the Sands. And he would have known what was wrong with his Second. With that sobering thought, she turned and made to go talk to the Headwoman. Lots of wine...yes that would be good.

[Jazzeh]

Toniel nodded. The mention of her red firelizard made her wonder where the creature went. She was usually very close and to have her absent for Aylinth's clutching seemed strange. But then again, maybe Leifa had stay away on purpose so that she didn't anger the queen. That had to be it. "Yes, I can imagine he will be happy to have a clutch on the Sands." It was quite tragic what had happened with Bjornth, but Toniel could not even begin to connect with his loss as she had never known him before the incident. She had never had the chance to meet the brown, so it was difficult for her to sympathize with him.

Toniel could hear the slight strain in Q'del's voice, but she couldn't think of a way to alleviate it. She had always had trouble connecting with people and he had been no different. It was strange to share such an intimate moment with someone without knowing him very well and she was perhaps self-conscious around him. Every time she saw him, all she could think of was that flight and she thought he must be doing the same.

She was grateful for the Weyrwoman's relief in the form of her suggestion for celebration. She nodded again, casting a quick glance at Q'del. "I think a feast would be appropriate," she agreed. Toniel turned her gaze to her beloved queen, listening to the slightly noisy breathing sounds. It almost made her smile. Though it had concerned Toniel at first when the gold had snored (due to the still rampant Cloudlung), as she watched her carefully, she had found that Aylinth was perfectly healthy...she just snored. The faintest glimmer of happiness showed in a slight lifting of the corners of her mouth. Yes, a feast would be nice.