Golden Bounty

Writers: Devin, Emma, Suzee
Date Posted: 10th January 2013

Characters: Cyradis, N'vanik, K'deren
Description: Panitath clutching.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 11, day 5 of Turn 6

Cyradis

N'vanik

K'deren

Cyradis' glass of wine paused on the way to her lips. Her eyes glazed
momentarily and the glass slowly sank back to the table. She'd known
it was coming but even with that she wasn't ready. Her relationship
with N'vanik hadn't gotten any better and she just couldn't face this
hatching the way she had in the past.

She looked across the table at K'deren. She hated to put him in this
position but the next few hours would be very hard for her. Panitath
was very demanding while she clutched and Cyradis had been summoned.

After the flight, she'd moved into the Weyrwoman's quarters from her
original spot and her weyr opened onto the sands. She heaved a big
breath and rose from her chair.

"It's started," she said. Knowing from long experience that her
lifemate was touchy at best when on the sands. "Can you please have
Donneth tell Loseth? Panitath won''t."

"She's clutching?" It was more a statement than a question, knowing the
length of time since the flight.

**Please tell Loseth and his to come, Panitath is clutching,** K'deren asked
of his brown.

"Yes," she said softly and turned toward the door that lead out onto
the sands. "Can you come with me?"

"Will she let me?" he asked.

"She will, if I need you there" she smiled. She hadn't told anyone
here how Panitath needed human love and harmony when she clutched. She
needed hers happy and focused. Cyradis turned and went out the door
and down toward the sands.

Loseth got the message and passed it along to his rider. Within
minutes, the pair arrived at the entrance to the Hatching Grounds.
"Hello?" N'vanik called. "Can we come in?" Three Clutchings now, with
three different Queens. He didn't know what to expect from Panitath.

Cyradis crushed down her surge of dislike but not quite in time as
Panitath's head rose and she made a sound that could only be called a
hiss. "Ummm," Cyradis felt bad momentarily about it but she might be
able to change things. "Just a minute." **Let your mate in my dear?**
she pleaded.

}:His is too disruptive and I need to concentrate.:{ said the petulant
queen.

Cyradis shook her head blaming herself. She should have planned for
this but she had been selfish and truth be told she had put it off.
**Please my love** she asked.

}:Oh alright:{ the laboring gold huffed with whirling unhappy eyes.
}:Yours had better behave himself or you can't stay,:{ the queen added
to Loseth.

"Come in N'vnaik," called Cyradis.

His dragon cautioned him as he entered the Hatching Cavern. He
clenched his jaw for a moment. Behave? What did she think he was going
to do? Hurl insults at Cyradis while her Queen was laying? Then he saw
K'deren next to the Weyrwoman. Worried about jealousy, maybe? That was
almost laughable.

Loseth came in behind him, head low and crooning encouragement to his
mate. }:He will love our eggs and our hatchlings.:{

Panitath was happy to see Loseth and welcomed him with a soft reply to
his encouragement. But her emotions were entangled with Cyradis' so
they were both a bit confused about how they felt regarding the other
pair. The small goldrider tried to push away her conflict and walked
toward her giant lifemate, leaning against the side of her head. She
reached up to stroke the sensitive eyeridges just as she liked.
Calm... that was what she needed. Calm, centered, acceptance and love.
Cyradis hummed and ignored N'vanik as she stroked.

"N'vanik," K'deren acknowledged the Weyrleader with a nod. "This is an
amazing sight."

"It always is." N'vanik smiled. "Are you and Cyradis pretty serious
then?" he asked quietly. "Not to pry, but I assume you've gotten close
if she's asking you to the Clutching." Well, maybe he was prying a
little. Having a good, stable relationship would make Cyradis more
likely to stay.

"I think we are heading that way," admitted K'deren.

"First one," announced Cyradis and began murmuring and encouraging the
laboring gold. Panitath moved to curl around the singleton she'd just
laid. Her wing protectively flaring over it.

}:The first of many.:{ Loseth had taken a perch nearby and was a bit calmer
now.

N'vanik smiled a little, both at the first egg and at Loseth's
bragging. "That's good," he told K'deren.

"Well done, "K'deren told both Panitah and Cyradis. "Tell her she's doing
well."

"You're doing great," she said.

}:I heard him:{ snorted the gold and Cyradis chuckled. **I know dear
but this is the first time he's been able to see a clutching. So he's
probably a bit nervous.**

Two more eggs came in quick succession and once again her wing blocked the
view.

N'vanik was content to just watch and listen to his bronze as he
encouraged his new mate.

"How many is that now?" asked K'deren.

~*~

It seemed like forever but that was just because Panitath was laying a
large clutch. The question came up over and over again. It was very
hard to see the eggs the way she curled around them so protectively.
Cyradis could feel the discomfort and anxiety through her link with
the big gold from where she sat enveloped in K'deren's arms. She'd had
to sit before her feet toasted through her shoes or her legs gave out
from standing near her lifemate's head.

}:Two more:{ said Panitath and Cyradis totaled it up in her head with
a smile at N'vanik. Her legs were curled up on the bench and he sat
only a little bit away and she tapped his leg with a toe. "That's
fourty one."

"He's smug about the clutch size." N'vanik nodded to where Loseth
watched the gold with whirling eyes. While the bronze's pride washed
over him, N'vanik still felt a pang. Seeing Cyradis curled up with
K'deren made him wish Tal was here. He wanted to share this with
someone he loved.

As another candlemark crawled by Cyradis lay her head on K'deren's
shoulder. She was as exhausted as the big gold doing all the work. But
then she felt it and Panitath told her. "That's it," she said and
straightened up.with her feet on the ground. She pushed off the bench
and went toward the clutch. "Let me see," she told the gold.

}:They're still soft, you will hurt them:{

**I would never hurt them and you know that. Now lift your wing and
let me count.**

Panitath grudgingly lifted her wing and then put it back down.

**Please,** she cajoled her lifemate. **I need a little more time to
count so many eggs my love**

This time when the wing came up it hovered over the eggs flaring and
folding again until Cyradis spun and announced, "Forty four! There are
forty four eggs." She projected joy and praise to her lifemate and
practically skipped back to the two men. A very healthy sized clutch
for her first as Weyrwoman.

Cyradis ran to N'vanik and threw her arms around his neck kissing him
soundly before she laughed and did the same with K'deren.

Last updated on the January 28th 2013

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Golden Bounty