Kassia was just rebraiding her hair after putting on her birthday dress. She'd gone fancy with a red dress that hugged her upper body and flared out slightly at the bottom where there was a high leg s

#clutching

Truenoth and Talith had slowed up and Foreth relaxed a little. She was protected at one of her most vulnerable times in her life. A couple more twists around and then the first egg slid out of her. Ka

#clutching

There was a short rest while Foreth caught her breath. Inwardly Kassia felt mixed feelings. Two eggs, but such weird looking ones. Was that a sign that something had gone wrong? A reflection of Foreth

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Kassia looked up as Mendl was finally let into the Caverns after the guards and the two male dragons. Mendl wasn't always her favorite person, but she was glad that the young woman and gold had bonded

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“She was hurt once for the time that made her get stuck on the Island,” Kassia said, “but that was a long time ago.” Out on the Sands, Foreth was fussing with and rearranging her eggs over and over. O

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“If she’ll let me, I’ll check the eggs every day,” Mendl said, voice low. Not that it would matter. “And Dytha. Dytha is very detail oriented. But I don’t think there’s anything wrong. If they were mi

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“What’d I miss?” Kassia asked, emerging from the temporary weyr with glasses of juice for each of them. She’d changed into a much lighter sundress and looked a lot more comfortable. She was just reach

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“I guess it’s right what they say about a mother’s love,” Mendl said, then grabbed her opportunity. “Are you pregnant?” If she was, it would explain a lot of things. “Huh?” Kassia was watching Foreth

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“Oooh, that one looks so stormy. If the dragon Hatching from it has a stormy personality, well, I pity that Weyrling.” Of course, it could be her. “I like it. The other is pretty too.” She really didn

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“I wouldn’t expect that,” Mendl said. “I love Dytha’s Ponth, I mean, she’s so friendly and all, and her upkeep is way less than one of your offspring. But I want a dragon that,” she looked around to m

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“Why yes it does!” Mendl said. “Maybe she’s been eating too much fish. That is a weird image. Though I love how the images on her eggs are so clear. Some of the other golds you have to squint and look

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“I think it looks like a normal egg,” Mendl said. “Night fog doesn’t have to be creepy, after all. Most people are afraid of the unknown, and in dark and in fog, the unknown can be hanging around the

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“I bet you’re right,” Mendl said, “I can’t imagine anything but a bronze coming from that egg. Better be careful that it doesn’t get lost in the Hatching Sands.” She realized after she said it that so

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“Oh, Faranth,” Mendl echoed. She’d been trying to put a good spin on all the eggs that were less than savory, but even she couldn’t get a good spin on this. “Maybe it’ll look less like blood when it s

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“Foreth!” Mendl cried as the egg was laid. Briefly she wondered if that egg had zapped the queen, but that was impossible. “I can get some cold water for you--it sounds like there’s some swelling goin

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Mendl wanted to go down by Foreth, but knew she shouldn’t. It was hard though--any other dragon that was hurt, she wouldn’t have any qualms about. Well, any other color than gold, that is. But a Clutc

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M’gal was at Kassia’s party, wondering what was keeping her. About the same time that the news of Foreth’s Clutching began to circulate, Kashara found him and requested him to get ice for Foreth. A bi

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A second load of ice came in about that point and at Kassia’s urging Foreth took a little bit more to cool her body and give her some liquid before settling down to regain herself. The sun had gone do

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Foreth was losing energy again, but she dutifully settled her eggs under her before she took a break. Kassia was content to sit there with Mendl and just watch the Queen for as long as it took. Sunlig

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“I promise. I won’t hurt your egg. I took care of you for the past sevendays, and didn’t hurt you, did I?” Mendl asked, keeping up a stream of chatter to distract the gold. Down by Foreth, she careful

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