“Sounds good,” Mendl said, moving over to give Kassia room. She oiled up again and took one side of the egg. “You’re doing good, Foreth. I’m sorry that this hurts, but think of how much better you’ll

#clutching

Mendl splashed oil on her hands and arms, and generously around Foreth’s cloaca. “This is going to hurt, but then again, you may not notice considering all the hurt you’ve been going through up until

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“She knows when she’s at the last one?” Mendl asked, then almost slapped herself. Of course she did. “Sorry, stupid question.” A good fifteen minutes went by. She watched for a moment longer, her brow

#clutching

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

#clutching

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

#clutching

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

#clutching

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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

“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

#clutching

Mendl swallowed. Hard. "Uh, yeah. And, that red one looks like something I wash out of my monthlies. But the glassy one is kind of pretty." Usually the eggs all had a happy glow to them, no matter who

#clutching