The First Clutch

Writers: Avery, Miriah
Date Posted: 21st November 2020

Characters: Kapera, D'hol
Description: The first clutch of Barrier Lake is laid.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 2, day 23 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Jayzine, Teseada, K'ran, J'nus, Jeyme, Cyradis, K'deren, Timassa
belated because of Avery LOA

Kapera

D'hol

Riyanth was grounded from flying and her belly grew heavier with the
outlines of the eggs every day. Like everyone in a Weyr, Kapera knew
the rhyme for when golds would clutch relative to flight; like every
goldrider, she knew her lifemate had her own rhythms and would vary
slightly. She fretted with nerves as the days came closer to expected
clutching and Riyanth's belly grew and the gold became more restless
and still the eggs did not come out.

In the middle of the morning, a few candlemarks before lunch, while
she was in the Infirmary having a discussion about riders who'd be
rejoining the Queen's wing, she felt the cramping in her belly that
reminded her of her moontime. It took her a few deep breaths through
the pain before she realized whose feelings it was - it wasn't hers
because it had just been the past sevenday, so it meant Riyanth was
clutching. Finally!

She made a quick apology to the Healers, and rushed out to the nearest
ledge so she could watch as Riyanth was ungainly making her way down
from her ledge to waddle into the Hatching Caverns. Kapera knew that
Riyanth preferred to clutch in the middle of the night. It had been a
habit at Dolphin Cove and Dragonsfall both. She theorized it was some
kind of privacy instinct, the desire to get the laying of eggs done
when other dragons were asleep and she could exert herself without the
pressure of the attention of others. So the timing of her going down
to the cavern in mid-day when all could see was a surprise.

The process would take time, she knew, and Riyanth would keep her
there for it. So as she walked to the Cavern, she made a few requests.
A young man with cavern-staff knots was dispatched to request a meal
from the Headwoman be sent over, and to pass Teseada the information
to take over her meetings. A woman with Candidate knots was sent to
offer D'hol the chance to join her. Kapera arrived at the hatching
sands and stood sentry by the entrance from the lower caverns into
the hatching sands, keeping an eye on Riyanth, who was shifting sand
about busily, and ready to catch people
before they could come in and unsettle the prickly gold.

Yumath appeared before D'hol did, his eyes whirling with soft shades
of blue and green as he appeared at the large entrance and spread his
wings. He rumbled a soft hum, bobbing his head gently as he watched
his mate shift among the sand. He didn't approach, not without a
welcome, but stood sentry, instinctively protecting the oncoming
valuable clutch.

D'hol's footsteps were respectably quiet as he came up behind Kapera.
He kept his voice lowered as he stopped by her side. "I see it's
time." He laid a companionable hand on Kapera's waist, arm loose
around her. "You've been antsy the past few days." He watched Riyanth
with interest but knew that it would take time for all the eggs to
arrive. "Relieved to have it started?"

"Absolutely. She's been uncomfortable and it made me uncomfortable and
it's going to feel better when she pushes them on out and stops
grumbling." She leaned her head against D'hol's shoulder. "Might take
a bit, though, if she can't decide what spot to start at."

}:It must be the right spot,:{ Riyanth replied so that Kapera and
Yumath both could hear.. }:I must see everything and it must be seen
that our clutch is strong and protected.:{

Kapera rolled her eyes at D'hol. "Every time I think I'm going to be
nervous about the fact we have the very first clutch at a new Weyr,
her ego just makes me laugh..."

At her direction, Yumath crooned and moved a wing to allow more
natural light to enter the cavern, but still kept close watch on the
entrance. }: Whatever you need, Riyanth, I will provide.:{ The bronze
stood steadfast, waiting on Riyanth to request anything of him.

D'hol snorted softly. "Sweet Faranth, he's going to be just as bad as
last time." He chuckled. "The pair of them are going to drive us crazy
again, you realize that. I'm going to have to drag him away for any
drills. " Threadfall at least, wouldn't be a problem; if anything
Yumath would be doubly ferocious about protecting the Weyrhold. He
gave her a squeeze. "You've already sent for food, I take it? Want me
to warn everyone off so you can sit and relax while she clutches?"

"I sent someone to go ask for food, but I know it's the pre-lunch
rush. I wouldn't mind sitting and eating with you, if you'll have
time...I figure Teseada will have to take my afternoon meeting with
Jayzine, I don't think Riyanth will let her in. If K'ran could take
yours, we could keep an eye on them."

"I'll ask him." He sent a quick message through Yumath. "I've not
eaten breakfast, so a meal would be welcome. Besides, this is an
important occasion. Perhaps Jayzine could organize a special dinner
tonight to celebrate. The first Clutching at a new Weyr should be
celebrated. I'm sure she's already thought about it."

"You know, I didn't think to ask. We've discussed so much, but I just
never brought this up. Or the Hatching feast. We should definitely
already start thinking about that." She hummed softly as she looked
around the Cavern, thinking about how it would look at the actual
Hatching - white-robed Candidates on the Sands and the seats full with
chattering personages...

"Is there anything you'd want? I mean, we will be hosting all the
Weyrleaders of Pern here...all the local Lord Holders who look to
us... we'll want to be a spectacle and to show we're ready. That we
have a proud clutch we're ready to lead."

"You know, I've never been good at planning that sort of thing." He
admitted. "Wings, Thread, fighting, not a problem. Making things look
nice? That's not really my specialty." He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I suppose a dance will be important; a large one and a feast as well.
Show off the electric lights, most certainly. There'll be some
politics involved as well. The Lord Holders will expect a show. We'll
have to coordinate with Jayzine. Perhaps Teseada will have some
thoughts as well. "

"Well, it is usually the womens' job to take care of that part. I just
want to make sure that if there was some kind of special touch you
wanted to celebrate yourself, that we include it. This is Barrier
Lake's moment, but it's also _ours_," she said. "So there should be
small reflections of our preferences too."

He mused as he watched Riyanth, debating over the past clutches that
Yumath had sired and the most recent he'd sired with Riyanth. "The
first dance should be ours alone; we need to be shown as a united pair
for the Weyrhold and the Holders that will attend. Perhaps we should
be seated together as well. Both of us should wear the Weyrhold
colors." D'hol's hand idly stroked her waist. "I'll leave the rest to
your choices. You're the Weyrwoman, and I'll bow to your preferences.
As long as I don't have to strip naked at any point."

"I think we can keep that sight away from the scandalized Holders,"
she said with a grin. "I like the idea of commissioning a
Weyrhold-colors set of wear, honestly. As long as you have time for -
oh!"

Riyanth had been industriously moving sand around until she'd
assembled a good pile of it close to the farthest end of the Caverns
from the opening, and while the riders talked she had hunched her back
and shifted the position of her tail and hind limbs. }:One,:{ she told
Yumath and her rider.

Yumath hummed deeply, eyes whirling with pride as the first egg was
laid in the sand. He held still, blocking the light and the entrance
as though a statue, determined to provide just the right lighting and
quiet for his mate.

"Good sized egg." D'hol briefly tightened his arm around Kapera in a
congratulatory hug. "Will you be staying here with her in the
temporary weyr? I can have your things brought." He looked over and
flashed a set of teeth. "Although, I'll miss seeing you in our baths.
It perks me up every evening."

It was one of the perils of being a queenrider. Not every goldrider's
weyr could be directly adjacent to the Hatching Sands, usually it was
reserved for the Weyrwoman only, and that depended on each Weyr's
construction. The Weyrleader and Weyrwoman complex here had the ledges
right above the Hatching Cavern, and their corridor had stairs that
led right to the Cavern. It was far closer than she'd ever been
before, unlike Dolphin Cove where she'd had several levels to traverse
between and Riyanth had refused to let her be that far.

"I would desperately like to stay in my own weyr this time. The
Weyrwoman's weyr is so close. But if Riyanth pitches a fit I'll have
to move into the temporary weyr."

She kissed him on the cheek when he grinned like that. "It perks
something up, eh?"

He nodded with a low, pointedly suggestive chuckle. "Can't deny it."
He turned back to watch Riyanth, but his hand settled a bit lower on
her hip, thumb stroking idly over the curve. "I think she's about to
lay another."

"She is. I hope we're over thirty. A gold might be too much to hope
for, but wouldn't it be a good omen?"

"I'd be thrilled. Yumath's sired a few, so it wouldn't be completely
against all hopes. But I don't know that we have a good gold
candidate, or at least I've not heard of any in our barracks yet. They
all seem to be a little google-eyed, from what I've noticed. More for
greens and not a steady mind among them yet. We'd have to really
Search for someone suitable."

"They might get more serious with eggs around. The excitement of
being first at this Weyr is probably a lot for some of them. I was for
one of Windswept's earliest clutches and remember that sense, myself,"
she said.

"I'm going to spend some extra time with the Candidates this batch
just because I'm excited, even if we don't get a gold egg."

He nodded. "Probably wouldn't be a bad idea for you to do so. I try to
keep a distance." D'hol's lips lifted with a soft chuckle. "Though,
one of them has already offered herself for my bed. I passed. She was
a bit too eager."

"I remember at Dragonsfall, a few of the older male Candidates who
jockeyed for bronze would try to worm into my bed then, because I was
so young. I wonder if it will be the same now. The young women tend to
go for an older range of men, while young men seem to keep limits on
how old of a woman they'll go for. Not that I suppose I should indulge
with the Candidates, anyway, I do have a few good things going with
far more seasoned individuals."

"Mmm.. yes you do. " He gestured to Riyanth. "There goes another
one. Good sized too. I think I'm done breaking in young women. I'll
leave that for younger men. "

"Not planning to find someone younger and get serious with her here,
impress a pretty young thing with the Weyrleader's authority?" she
teased.

That brought a snort and a low chuckle. "Shells, no. My time for
that is over. I did that already and that was a colossal mistake. I
got a son I adore out of it at least." He stroked her side and gave
her a brief, but warm hug. "Between Timassa, you on occasion, and
Cyradis, I think I'm fairly well taken care of. I think I prefer the
pleasures of experience and the comfort of friendships over youthful
lusts."

"It's nice to know who you're compatible with. Though I thought, with
Cyradis and K'deren, that that door was closed?" she said, idly
curious.

She added, "I'm glad you weren't upset that I brought Jeyme here to work
with, even if J'nus winds up working with her more. He's very happy to
have her."

"Not closed. After my surgery, we rebuilt some of what we lost so
many turns ago." D'hol replied with a lift of his lips. "K'deren is
understanding of when Cyradis visits here and I'm thankful for that.
It's better for us both, considering our temperaments, this way. We've
worked it out." He glanced down at her at the mention of Jeyme. "I was
surprised that you did it, but she's up for the task. Our
relationship is over besides our son. It's more comfortable for us
both and we've managed to remain friendly. " He gave a shrug.

"I'm glad it resolved well for everyone, then," she said. "It sounds
like you have everything worked out and are as happy as can be."

"So far." D'hol agreed easily. "This is going to take a while. Let's
have a seat until she's done."

"Hopefully it won't take her until dawn," Kapera said. "But if it
does, I'm sure we can find...ways to entertain ourselves..." and she
winked at him. They'd probably only do work, but why not amuse
themselves during it...?

Last updated on the November 23rd 2020

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The First Clutch