The Time Comes

[dragoncharm]

Unless Emberyth had been eating way too many herdbeasts recently, it was pretty obvious that she was a clutching dragon. She was egg-heavy - there was little doubt now. Azelle didn't know how long it'd take her to lay them, or how many there were, or what they'd be like. But the biggest question was: Would they be Wrathcursed?

She didn't know. Nobody knew. Now, finally, the Ashrider was aware of just what her dragon was, but what that meant remained to be seen. It was a lot to think about, a lot to decide - though Azelle really didn't know why she had to decide anything. She just got the sense that she did.

It was an overcast day when Emberyth flew down to the Hatching Sands, the promise of rain lingering in the air. It all fell on deaf senses though: the Ash was concentrating on etting to the Sands before it hurt any more than it did now. It hurt, but she was happy. The pain meant that it was time. Her babies would be here. She didn't care what they looked like or what gender they were; they were hers and she was delighted to have them.

Azelle came dashing down in th middle of the process, having dashed up from where she'd been lunching in the Lower Caverns. No words were exhanged between the pair: Emberyth worked and Azelle watched.

It was over soon. The great black dragon had already curled up around her beauties protectively, so much so that her tail was practicaly close enough to her head for her to bite it. The Ashrider did not ask her dragon to unfurl herself; instead, she asked, How many? The answer came: five. Five beautiful, strong, healthy eggs. Azelle shared her dragon's joy - the Ash was a mother now.

Five eggs. Five baby dragons, waiting and growing. Wht would become of them?

Emberyth caleld to Astrafith, eager to share th egood news.

((I APOLOGIZE FOR FAIl! Museless.))

[amielle]

Astrafith bugled loudly and proudly, announcing to the world that five new dragons would soon fly the skies of Pern. And soon, he privately thought, the Wrathcursed would rule Black Obsidian and make iin a Weyr to rival Wrath's Sunset.

Ciri laughed, a rare show of genuine joy in her eyes as she shared her dragon's thoughts. She patted his leg affectionately, then clambered up onto his back to go see the eggs with him.

[dragoncharm]

Azelle saw the oddly-colored hide of Astrafith drawing near, and waved to the figure on his back. She was still wary of Ciri, and yet couldn't help feeling connected to the Opalrider, the one who had revealed to her who she and Emberyth really were. Right now, she was willing to drop the tension, wanting to share the joy of Emberyth's clutching.

"Ciri!" she called, grinning widely. "Five eggs! Emberyth has five babies!" She didn't know how much Ashes usually clutched - then again, they were so new, there probably wasn't a "usual" yet - but she thought five was amazing, pitiful though it was compared to the normal clutches of Golds and Violets.

Emberyth greeted her mate similarly: My dear, look at what we have made! Five children, can you believe it? Not long ago she hadn't known whether she could clutch - whether she could even Rise - and look at her now! She was going to be a mother!

Em, could you call Akri and Z'dyn? Azelle asked suddenly, realizing that the Weyrleaders should know of this as well. She hadn't actually told anyone about the Wrathcursed yet, because she still wasn't sure what was the right thing to do; everyone still thought Astrafith was nothing more than a foreign Teal. But if the children did end up being Wrathcursed as well....people needed to know. The deadline was now.

All right, love, Emberyth agreed, and called to Lunith and Silth: Violet Lunith, Bronze Silth, would you consent to have Yours come to the Hatching Sands at earliest convenience? Joy saturated her voice. I have clutched and my Azelle wishes to speak with you.