A Marvelous Clutch

Writers: Dana, Devin
Date Posted: 26th November 2008
Series: Proving His Worth

Characters: N'vanik, Traelyn
Description: Nyith clutches.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 24 of Turn 4

N'vanik

The Weyrwoman watched her dragon queen, pride swelling within her as Nyith shifted in the hot sands, wings slightly extended as she laid yet another egg. Her huge head swayed from side to side for a moment, and she gave a low moan before rising to paw at the sand surrounding her, searching for another spot to briefly burrow in. Traelyn sent soothing thoughts and her love to her lifemate, gently encouraging her in the silent rapport they shared.

Even though both queen and rider went through this every Turn, to some extent each time felt like the first time. Clutching was one of those precious times outside of mating flights and Hatchings when Traelyn was in Nyith's mind with a rare immediacy. She wondered if all Weyrwomen experienced such intimacy with their clutching dragons. Clasping her hands together, she watched rather anxiously as Nyith writhed for a moment before laying her thirtieth egg. Was it the thirtieth? Shards, there were so many glittering down there it was hard to keep track. And the queen didn't seem like she would be stopping any time soon.

Traelyn smiled. She certainly hoped they would pass the thirty-five mark. Her last clutch had been forty-two...before the hurricane had taken eight precious eggs from them, leaving Dolphin Cove with only thirty-four that had hatched. Faranth, they needed dragons. But this last time, Nyith had flown long and high--it had been an intense flight, both for her and her rider. The final count _should_ be thirty-five, at the very least.

She glanced over at her Weyrleader, who was watching her queen intently. "Mark for your thoughts?" she asked quietly.

"I just ... I was starting to think this would never happen." He stared at the eggs. Thirty already, and Nyith clearly wasn't done yet.

"How do you mean?"

"Loseth's clutch," N'vanik said softly. The bronze radiated love and pride.

Smiling, she turned her eyes back to her queen. "He ought to be very proud."

"He is." He couldn't find the words to say to his bronze, so he sent his feelings across their bond. Not far from the Sands, Loseth thrummed.

Hearing her mate, Nyith craned her head around to glance at the arching entrance to the Grounds, whining softly. "She'll let him inside later," Traelyn told him, leaning forward to brace her forearms on her thighs. "Once she's settled."

"He's okay as long as he gets to watch." Loseth was as close to the entrance as he dared, but he respected his Queen's wishes that he not be inside. "He's using my eyes." N'vanik laid a hand on Trae's back.

Silence fell over them again as they gazed down at Nyith. Traelyn didn't know how much time had passed, but it must have been a fairly lengthy amount. Shifting closer, she rested against N'vanik companionably, silently recounting the number of eggs. Thirty-nine! She watched in breathless anticipation as the queen moved to yet another spot on the Grounds, watched as another egg slipped to the warm sands, gleaming brightly.

Forty! Forty eggs! Her hand curled tightly around N'vanik's wrist as Nyith nosed piles of sand around her last--for it was her last. Her contented, relieved sigh revealed as much. **Well done, dear heart,** Traelyn sent, mental tone colored with joy and love. The proud gold blinked serenely at her lifemate before she carefully maneuvered her weary body to surround the last egg laid--a particularly protective gesture that Traelyn had never seen her exhibit before.

Wait....

Her breath caught in her throat. "N'vanik," she breathed, pointing to the large, gleaming egg. "Is that..."

"No way," he whispered, staring.

The egg was noticibly larger than the others and had a unique, radiant hue. Nyith gave soft croon of confirmation, large tail curling around the mound of sand it was nestled in. "Faranth's name," she whispered in awe, hardly able to believe. "She laid a queen egg." Tearing her eyes away from the Sands, she looked at N'vanik. "She laid a queen egg!"

"A gold!" He pulled her into a tight hug. No way! No _way_! **Loseth!** His mental cheer was sent with all the stunned awe he felt.

}:I saw! I know!:{ The bronze bugled, unable to contain his joy.

Her dark eyes were bright as she beamed up at him. "This is her first."

He didn't think he could get any more surprised, but at that information, he did. "Really?" He stole a glance over at the Queen and her gleaming egg before looking back at Trae.

She nodded. "There had always been enough golds at Far Island, and Dragonsfall. They hadn't needed more to help populate the Weyrs." At the time, anyway. But Dolphin Cove did--and now they finally had another gold...Nyith's first daughter egg. She smiled at him. "Shards...what a flight, hmm?"

"Yeah." He returned the smile. Things were looking so much better than they had when he'd woken up after the Flight. He'd proven that he could lead the Weyr in Fall without a disaster and now there was a gold egg on the Sands. A gold! The first for both Loseth and Nyith. Loseth's first children ... N'vanik's smile widened. Loseth's pride and joy was singing through his whole body as the bronze thrummed outside. "Want to celebrate?" his arm went around Trae's waist.

"Forty eggs, and one of them a queen? We have a very good reason to," she laughed quietly, slender body pressing against his.

"Good." His lips pressed against her neck. "Cause I don't know what else to do with all this energy." He felt ... giddy. There was really no other word for it.

Grinning, she rested her cheek against his chest, looking out at the Sands again--at Nyith, who was proudly surveying her marvelous clutch, dipping her head to nose the queen egg every so often. No doubt she would sleep soon. Maybe she would let Loseth in to watch over her and their brood as she did. "We can go to my weyr."

N'vanik jumped to his feet and scooped Trae up. "Forty eggs! And a gold!" He spun her around, laughing. He didn't set her down, but when he stopped spinning he looked up at the golden Queen. "Thank you, Nyith. From both of us."

}:Yes. Thank you, my beautiful mate,:{ Loseth echoed.

Last updated on the November 26th 2008

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A Marvelous Clutch