Family Addition

Writers: Kaysea
Date Posted: 27th April 2007

Characters: Kaldyn
Description: Kaldyn and his family gather for some good news from the Weyr
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 22 of Turn 4

"Well are we ready to go?" Kaldyn asked strolling into the room, pulling a jerkin over his head. "I told Ma we'd be there by noon, and its almost that now."

"Almost ready, Da!" Reia raced into the room, "Mam's just tying my hair back for me." she raced across the room and handed her mother two hair ribbons.
Karei took them, and once again applied the hairbrush to her daughters hair.

"Do we know what the occasion is, yet?" Karei asked her husband. She nimbly twisted Reia's hair into two neat plaits at either sides of the child's head.

"Not a clue." Kaldyn replied, quickly flicking his hand through his own hair, while watching his wife and daughter with a smile on his face. It was at times like these that he saw the deep similarity of mother and child, and it tugged at his heart to know they were both safe and happy here at their new home. He turned as a shadow passed the window, and then the door opened and Kardyn stuck his head around the door.

"Sorry Da, I'm not going to be able to go. Girah is foaling." Kardyn displayed a wide smile, and Kaldyn wasn't sure whether it was the fact he didn't have to go to a family gathering, or, that Girah had finally gone into labour. He had been worried about the runner for the past sevenday, she had become slower and more morose, or that was the way Kardyn saw it.

"Just your luck then, isn't it lad?" Kaldyn smiled, and waved his hand at his son, "Well, away with you, you're needed elsewhere." Just as Kardyn started to close the door, Kaldyn called out, "If you need me, just holler!
I'm sure to hear you across the field. It's such a nice day, Ma said we're eating outside."

"Thanks Da! If I need you I'll call." Kardyn took off at a half run, the door swung open again, sincein his haste he hadn't bothered to close it.

Through the open doorway Kaldyn could see small figures in the distance; the other side of the field was were his mother and father lived, and he could see them gathering out on the cleared area to the side of the cot, his brother would be there as well, btu even from this distance he could see someone else and wondered who.

"Come on, you two, we need to go." All he needed was for his father to start complaining about him being lax again.

"We're ready, let's go." Karei said, ushering Reia out through the door.

They hadn't gotten very far across the newly ploughed field when Kaldyn heard a yell from behind them. Kardyn appeared through the barn door, "Da!
She's foaled." His son raised both arms, and pumped them high in the air, it wasn't hard to tell he was excited, and pleased with the safe delivery.

"Da." he felt a tug at his jerkin, and looked down into Reia's eyes.

"Yes love?"

"Can we go look at the foal, please?"

"Not yet, love. We have to go to your grannies first. But we'll come across as soon as we've had our meal. I'm sure your grandad will want to look at the new foal as well." he assured her, then bent and picked her up in both arms, and flung her around his shoulders. Linking his arm through his wifes, they continued across the field and to his parents cot.

He was right, his mother and father were waiting, as well as his brother and his _sister_. "So, what's the occasion?" he asked as he and Karei and Reia pulled chairs out around the table. He stopped for a moment and bent across the table, giving Rettana a kiss. "Welcome home." he whispered in her ear.

"Does there have to be a reason?" his father asked, gruffly. Tanallyck rolled his eyes in an exaggerated way, "Can't we just want the family to get togther for a meal once in a while?"

"I just thought it seemed.." Kaldyn began then stopped, it wouldn't make any difference, he knew his father too well. The fact Rettana was here form the Weyr was reason enough for him to be suspicious. "Never mind." He shook his head, and leaned across to his side and kissed his mothers cheek. "How are you mam?"

Minaretta allowed herself to breathe againn, it was never easy when her son and husband came together, it never had been. "I'm fine Kal." she reassured him, patting his leg fondly. "We saw Kardyn stick his head out of the stable, everything alright?"

"Girah had her foal nanny!" Reia piped up, and danced around in her chair, her head barely coming higher than the table. "But Dah said we can't look until grandad is ready." she pouted, "Can we go soon grandad?" she asked smiling up excitedly at her grandfather.

"In a few, sweetling, in a few." Tanallyck patted his grand-daughters hand on the table, "First, aunty Rettana has something to tell you." He glanced down the table towards his daughter.

All eyes turned towards the stocky, fair haired woman sitting along the table opposite Kaldyn.

"We'll have another family member joining us shortly." she smiled warmly.

"You're pregnant?!" Karei and Kaldyn said together. Shock was evident on their faces, the knew the reason Rettana's husband had left her, was because she had been unable to give him a child.

"No." for a moment her eyes clouded, "No, nothing like that. But, Minall's daughter is coming here. To stay with you, if..." she looked at Karei, "if you're still willing to foster her?"

"Oh!" Karei smiled widely, "She's had the babe? How wonderful." Her hand rested across her chest and her eyes began to fill, "That's the best news."

Minall, Kaldyn's youngest sister had lost many children over the course of her life as a dragonrider, the last three had been the greatest loss to she and her weyrmate. After almost twenty turns as riders they had found each other, and had wanted to have a child, but three losses had been hard to bear. The chances had slimmed of her ever having a child, as her age increased.

But somehow she had managed to keep this babe. 'Sticky' she had been dubbed when still in the womb, and sticky she had been, lasting to full term, or so it seemed.

"When?" Karei asked, dabbing at her eyes with the corner of her apron.

"In a sevenday, if you're ready?" Rettana asked. She would dearly have loved to take the care of the child herself, but her duties at the Weyr precluded her. She had barely had a chance to come and visit her family since their relocation, but this had been a bright spot of news for them all and she had been pleased to come and deliver it.

"And the babes name?" Karei asked.

"Allini." Rettana answered, "And she is the most beautiful baby you'll ever see." The women started talking between themselves, talk of babies and chilbirth.

Kaldyn and his brother looked across the table at each other and rolled their eyes. "Shall we?" Kal asked, glancing up to his father, "Dinner can wait, yes?"

With a nod, Tanallyck stood as well, shaking his head, "You want to come too, sweetling?" he asked, looking down at Reia who looked more than a little bemused by her mother, aunt and grandmother. Looking up at her grandfather, she gave a brief nod and dropped from the chair.

Leaving the women to their talk of babies, the men stomped off over the field; Kaldyn and Rettallyck each holding one of Reia's hands and swinging her between them.

Last updated on the April 30th 2007

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Family Addition