A Sweet Surprise

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 14th August 2020
Series: The Hallmaster's New Wife

Characters: Enamra, Thayde, H'riv, Thavior, Aydrisia, Aydramine, Thayrisa
Description: A surprise sweet sixteen birthingday party
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 3, day 14 of Turn 10

Enamra

Thayde

Sixteen. Thayde remembered when he turned sixteen, he was already an
apprentice dolphineer and living his life at the Hall. His friends,
older apprentices, had procured some ale and beer, and then there had
been the gifts delivered to him from his family. With only some
younger siblings at the Hall, Thayde knew that making Enamra's
sixteenth birthday special was up to him.

He had just celebrated his thirty-ninth birthingday a sevenday before
and the proximity in their birthingdays made their age difference
rather glaring, he thought.

The gift had already been taken care of and had remained hidden in his
office until today. H'riv and Aydramine were in charge of picking up
his parents and Thayrisa so his family could give her a proper
birthingday celebration.

"The party is here," H'riv announced, opening the door without a
knock, arms raised. Behind him trailed Thayde's parents, Thavior and
Aydrisia, and behind them his greenrider sister Aydramine, and his
youngest sister, Thayrisa, who was only a Turn older than Enamra.

"It is so good we arrived early," Thayrisa said glancing around,
"because you definitely need help decorating."

Aydramine produced a basket of party decorating supplies that she and
Thayrisa began rapidly putting out.

"Ah yes, that's why I invited you," Thayde said dryly as he hugged his parents.

"Master Thayde?" an apprentice poked his head into the Hallmaster's
living quarters. "She's on her way."

Thayde's family dived for hiding places as the door was closed again.

Enamra looked down at the hide pieces that her sisters and brother had
given her. Though they'd decided to stay with their foster parents,
she saw them daily and had been surprised when, after all this time,
they'd remembered her birthingday. The drawing on the hides were cute,
she thought. Drawings of them swimming and playing, with Mornem's
being nothing more than a few stick figures. **I'll hang them up on
the wall. Surely Thayde won't mind too much.**

Humming to herself, she smiled idly at an apprentice walking by, then
opened the door and stepped into her home.

"SUPRISE!" was shouted in unison as the hidden people in the room came
jumping out from behind couches and curtains.

The sudden shout brought a scream of shock and the hides in her hands
flew up into the air. Stumbling back to catch her breath, she stared
with wide eyes at the crowd in her home. "What? What's going on?"

Her questions brought several responses of "Happy Birthingday!" from
around the room.

Thayde stepped out from the others in the room and put his arm around
his wife's waist. "We thought we would throw you a little party to
celebrate your birthingday."

Her mouth parted in surprise as she looked around the room and then
slowly smiled in disbelief. "A party? For me? Really?" She hugged
Thayde. "Oh goodness...you scared me half to death! It's
so...wonderful. Thank you. Thank all of you!" Her smile brightened as
she looked at the decorations and at Thayde's family. "This is...it's
wonderful!"

"We brought cake and presents," Thayrisa announced, grabbing her
sister-by-marriage and leading her over to the table that held finger
foods.

"Yes, let's cut that cake," H'riv agreed, putting a hand to his
stomach and winking at Enamra.

"Presents?" Enamra was young enough to be gleefully excited at the
prospect and her face showed it. "I never got real presents for my
birthingday or a cake!" She willingly let Thayrisa lead her away
towards the food and the cake. "Oh, that looks really good." She
grinned at her sister-in-law and then at H'riv. "After the presents!"

"Excellent decision," Aydramine said with a grin as the rest of the
family sat around the table.

Aydrisia handed Enamra a small pouch. "From me and Thavior."

Buzzing with excitement, Enamra tore open the pouch and gasped. "Oh,
thank you..." Her breath caught as she lifted out the silvery locket.
"It's beautiful! Thayde, look!" She turned to Thayde's parents, and
impulsively rose, hugging each in turn.

After slipping the locket carefully over her head, she wiggled in
delight as another present was pressed into her hands. The pretty
wrapping of the package was quickly decimated by eager fingers and
Enamra peeped with delight as the brush set along with a mirror and
comb were revealed. "I was just telling Thayde I needed a new one!
Thank you!" She hugged both of her sisters-in-law as well.

She should have been suspicious at H'riv's grin. She really should
have. It was a simple box but when she opened it, her cheeks flamed
immediately. It obviously wasn't for her to wear! It...did men wear
that?

Thayde, who had been standing behind Enamra's chair, immediately shot
his brother a withering glare as his wife's face reddened. Aydrisia
slapped H'riv in the back of the head. "H'riv!"

"Ma! What was that for?" the brownrider hissed, ducking and putting a
hand to the back of his head.

"You know what for!"

H'riv grinned, clearly unrepentant. "Come on, that's a good gift. A
gift that keeps giving you could say."

"I'd offer to let you borrow it sometime," Thayde said coolly, eyes
glancing toward his brother's crotch, "but I'm afraid it would be far
too big for you."

Thavior snorted in laughter, which he quickly turned into a cough at
his wife's look.

Enamra sputtered for a moment as she stared at the sparkly looking
piece of men's underwear. It had a silver bow right where...well...the
cup was. And was that little strip supposed to...She cleared her
throat, took in the laughter and her lips suddenly turned upwards in a
little giggle. "Uhm...thank you. It was very thoughtful. I'm sure
he'll look really nice in it later." She blinked up at Thadye and
giggled louder. "It _is_ my birthingday."

Thayde's lips twitched as he met Enamra's eyes. He had a very good
feeling he would be wearing that sparkly underwear later.

"Okay, you have one more gift, but you'll have to close your eyes,"
Thayde instructed, taking Enamra's hands and putting them over her
eyes. Retrieving his gift from their bedroom, he set it on the table
before her. "You can open them."

Still giggling, Enamra let him cover her eyes and waited, nearly
bouncing. "What is it? Can I peek?" She heard him come back in and
when instructed, lowered her hands. Her eyes popped open wide and she
gave a squeal of pure delight. "A firelizard egg! You got me an egg!"
She rose immediately to get close to the egg, hands shaking as she
bounced on her toes. "You got me an egg! Thank you, thank you, thank
you!" She whirled and flung herself at Thadye, hugging him tight and
giving multiple pecks on the lips and cheeks before flinging herself
back towards the table to stare at her egg. "Is it close to hatching?
What should I do with it? Do we have the fire going? Oh! I need to
start the fire for it, don't I? It needs to be hot, right? What do I
do?" She was nearly dancing around the small egg in her excitement,
eyes gleaming.

"There is a bucket of sand on our hearth in the bedroom. The beastcrafter said it should hatch in a couple of days." Thayde said lips pulled into a grin at his wife's excitement.

"Is there a fire already?" She carefully scooped up the basket, not wanting to jar the egg. It was as though the guests weren't there as she scurried into the bedroom without waiting for Thayde to answer. Thankfully, there was a fire, and as gingerly as she could, she set the basket close. She could sleep warmly for a few nights!

"I'll just, put these in a safe place," Thayde said to his family, putting the sparkly underwear back into the packaging they had come out of.

H'riv grinned. "Again, you're welcome."

Last updated on the September 19th 2020

[Prev: Unexpected News of the Scary Kind] Series: The Hallmaster's New Wife

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Sweet Surprise