The Honor Is Yours

Writers: Clancey, Dana
Date Posted: 23rd February 2006

Characters: Traelyn, J'darin
Description: Nyith's clutch hatches
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 8 of Turn 3
Notes: Congratulations to the newest batch of DCW weyrlings!

R'mer, rider of bronze Hanunth
R'alt, rider of brown Tieranith
T'jan, rider of blue Sajaneth
V'con, rider of blue Cacholetyth
Isaline, rider of green Thanatath
Khalida, rider of green Kirrsinth
T'delik, rider of green Sammath
S'ric, rider of green Lemintrith
F'lian, rider of green Gramth

J'darin

Traelyn had just settled herself behind her desk and had picked up a few hides from the hideous, looming stack on one corner when suddenly a subliminal sound - much more than a real noise - began to resonate throughout the Weyr. Her breath caught in her throat.

It was beginning.

With a wide smile, she rose and rushed from her office, and everything -
the piles of hidework, the impending Threadfall scheduled for the next day
- was forgotten as she made her way swiftly to her Weyrleader's office.

"J'darin!" She burst into his room without knocking. Her cheeks were flushed, and her gray eyes were bright - looking far younger than her Turns. It seemed as though everything she'd been going through was wiped away by the sheer excitement she was feeling.

J'darin was pouring over some hides, seeing who was about to graduate form Weyrling training when Traelyn burst into his Weyr. He looked up and his heart stopped.

Faranth, she was beautiful. His eyes drank the sight of her in for a few heartbeats before the sound of her voice and the humming caught up with him. All thoughts of his reactions to her vanished in a loud yell of happiness.

**HASAARTH!! You're going to be a FATHER!**

His dragon, wondering why his rider was stating the obvious, ignored him, too intent on the event taking place and his beautiful golden mate crouched proudly beside the eggs.

Jerking his eyes back to his Weyr, he couldn't believe only a few moments had passed. "It's starting isn't it?" He raced up from his desk, grabbed her hand and ran for the Hatching grounds as fast as possible, tugging her right along, or being tugged. It was hard to say.

People were begining to pour in from all directions just as soon as the Weyrleaders arrived on the Sands. Nyith had risen up on her haunches, her eyes shimmering rainbows as her maternal croon deepened in pitch, the masculine hum of her bronze mate deepending to harmonize with hers. The very stone of the Weyr seemed to vibrate as Traelyn pulled J'darin with her to their designated seats.

All of their stormy past vanished beneath the hum of the dragons coming from all sides and he sank beside her to watch anxiously as eggs began to rock. A few here or there. He saw out of the corner of his eye Y'sani shepherding the Candidates into their places, all of them in the proper dress. Shards let there be enough!

A moment later he was back standing, far too excited to sit still as one egg of the few began to rock even more determinedly.

Traelyn was right beside him, her hand instinctively reaching for his as her eyes found the same egg that had caught everyone's attention. The humming of the dragons was increasing with each passing second, their throats seemingly swollen from the chorus of their sounds. Ah! A crack!
Her fingers squeezed J'darin's tightly, her breath catching sharply as the egg split right down the middle.

A few of the Candidates moved closer, a few stood straight and still. A few trembled.

Then, a shimmering wingtip emerged, and with one mighty shove, the dragonet spilled forth onto the hot sand, the shell casings falling around him. "A bronze," Traelyn breathed.

"His name is Hanunth!"

"A bronze!" He said excitedly, holding her hand just as tightly. "And Impression made.." he said more quietly, his blue eyes darkening, as they always did, with memories of Impressing Hasaarth. **Your bronze son is beautiful.** He sent to his lifemate. **As were you.**

Love and peace returned to him 100 times over, his lifemate telling him he was happy with the paths they'd taken, the lives they lived to fight Thread and protect Pern, and that he was happy to witness the next generation of protectors emerging even now.

As if that was a sign, several eggs cracked at once. A few browns and one feisty blue.

J'darin turned to gaze at his Weyrwoman, just taking in the moments as they passed.

"Sajaneth! His name is Sajaneth!"

Traelyn found herself grinning at the elation in the boy's voice, watching as he clasped the fiesty blue to his chest. She could remember clasping Nyith to her much the same way.

Just below the Weyrleaders, one boy - an older Candidate - knelt, stroking the head of one of the browns, a look of tender wonder on his face. "Tieranith..." he murmured lovingly over and over. "Tieranith."

Traelyn swallowed past a sudden lump in her throat as she watched the Impression. She could remember being down there, kneeling in the hot sand, unaware of everything save the golden queen who had chosen her.

}:You are mine,:{ Nyith whispered, her eyes shining as golden as her hide as she turned to look at her lifemate.

**And I'm yours, my love.**

The Weyrleader was barely aware of all the Impressions going on around him. He felt them though, as he stood remembering that day.. had it been only 15 turns ago? - Hasaarth finally found him, at the last Clutch he could stand for.

}:You were for me. We are together. :{ Hasaarth finally sent, and both sets of eyes turned back to the Hatching ground floor.

He looked just in time to see five greens and one blue make for a cluster of Candidates. The littlest ones were unsteady and crying piteously. One lovely stopped beside a young woman, he'd heard her called Isaline, who cried out, "Her name is Thanatath!" with happiness in her voice.

A grin as the second green found her lifemate, this a tall newer Candidate called Khalida, he thought. Their eyes met and the joyous Impression was made. "Her name is Kirrsinth!"

"Lemintrith! Her name is Lemintrith..."

"Her name is Gramth!"

"His name is Cacholetyth!"

There was one last green, and this one was crying so loudly now. She had faltered in the hot sands, her ungainly body not cooperating, and unable to find her lifemate. J'darin's throat choked off. **Oh please please let her find someone suitable.**

A boy who'd stood for more than one Hatching already headed for her, looking as if he wanted to help her. He said something softly to her, and the green looked up. Joy rolled off the young man and he cried happily, "Her name is Sammath!"

Still holding Traelyn's hand, J'darin came out of his daze, having been lost in watching Impression over and over. He smiled as he realized all the eggs had Hatched, and all the dragonets had found their partners. But he found he couldn't move, really. Just standing there in happiness unlike any he'd quite known.

She gently squeezed his hand, turning her face up to his. Traelyn knew what he was feeling, and new that her own eyes reflected those same, glorious emotions. Joy and pride filled her - and a feeling of maternal satisfaction. Was this how she would feel if she ever had her own children? That whispering thought was fleeting, and the noises down on the Sands brought her back to the present. Smiling, she told him, "Congratulations, Weyrleader."

J'darin smiled back at her, glowing with pride. "The honor is yours, Weyrwoman." And he bowed.

Last updated on the February 23rd 2006

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The Honor Is Yours