| Bonders/Adults Blue Dharishar & Yellow Kelar Pirila/Allayar Agua/Cwyddaur Maji/Eiffeur Fivta/Vigor Bromar/Oir Zzar Melchor Azur/Yasmir |
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The Hatching of the clutch of: yellow Kelar and blue Dharishar Kelar and Dharishar crouched over their children in one of their few moments together. The blue male was all too often away, guiding the Gypsy Rover while his bond guarded it. His yellow mate, usually gone on bondsearch, now hung about the Cove and the beach, still unable to travel with him. Dharishar had missed her, and she him, as much as their bonds had missed each other. He was grateful for this moment of silence. With Kelar at his side, it was a precious moment of contentment and serenity. The moons were rising, and the gray-green beach looked almost pretty in the moonlight. Full summer was on them, lingering long after it should have given way to autumn�s bite. It was altogether idyllic. Something grated in the sand nearby. The lightning-yellow female raised her head reluctantly from Dharishar�s shoulder. Her hawkish eyes widened, and she groaned. �They�re hatching. Of all the times�� Dharishar, already droning low in his throat, nuzzled her neck. �At least it�s not a typhoon or a tsunami or anything,� he murmured. �Just the ten minutes we have together this month,� Kelar fumed, but she only beat her broad yellow wings once before she settled and began to sing. The rest of the Cove came at a run, but the yellow seadragoness let only the bonder-hopefuls and other seadragons gather near to her brood. Maternal instincts aside, there wasn�t enough room on the beach for any large crowd. Pirila of Lathis Cove was the first one down to the Cove, tripping over the rocks in her haste. The brown-eyed, brown-haired eleven-year-old was practically bursting with excitement. Close behind her, the other human bonder, Fivta, came down, her pace more sedate. There was just as much anticipation on the sailor woman�s face, however. Maji and Agua were only minutes behind, followed closely by a lone blue seadragon from Agendor�s last clutch. The Musique pair�s skin was still wet, and shone with a pearly gleam. Their silvery-opal eyes dulled momentarily as a transparent membrane swept across them, replacing the moisture lost to Agendor�s brisk wind. Azur was as flustered and out-of-breath as young Pirila. Agendor seadragons were powerful and graceful swimmers, but they were not particularly speedy. On the edge of the beach, Hemji and blue Aliandirestiantiss looked on. Pirila�s brother was trying his best to look bored, but he couldn�t conceal the grin tugging at his lips. Alian�, on the other hand, made no attempt to hide his interest. The eggs rocked violently now. One heaved so fiercely that it spun on its side. In a few minutes, the shell exploded away from the spinning egg. Two hatchlings tumbled out, small but very lively. They tumbled into each other, and ducked their round heads. The larger of the two hid her face in her sister�s flank. Azur chuckled at the two, a sonorous rumble that startled the Musiques. With a snap of wet wings, the smaller twin turned to look at him. Shrilling in incoherent delight, the brindle flopped over to him, brushing him with her nose in frantic devotion. �I am Yasmir,� she said breathlessly. �You are Azur. I love you!� The other twin, blinking shyly, stared at the humanoid bonders. She evidently liked what she saw, for she began to drag herself laboriously over the sand. Agendor dragons, flippered and legless, were not the world�s greatest movers on land, and the big brindle�s problem was compounded by the drag of her floppy wings in the sand. Pirila was distressed. �Oh, don�t!� she burst out. �Tell us who you want, and we�ll come to you!� Meeting the girl�s eyes, the hatchling reeled. Shaking her head, she spoke in a soft contralto�as unlike her twin�s shrill coloratura as possible�as she drank in the sight. �You can come to me, Piri.� The covebrat�s mouth hung open for a moment before she ran to the shy dragoness. �Oh! What�s your name? You can just whisper it to me. I�ll tell the world!� Stretching her neck, the newly bonded brindle murmured something to her lifemate. �Allayar!� the eleven-year-old announced, her face glowing with wonder and joy. At the beach�s edge, Hemji was grinning as wide as the sky. He didn�t much care who saw him. As the bonded were led away, a solitary egg finally fell apart, its inner membrane fluttering. Glaring, a very dark brindle snarled at the world. He looked at the bonders with a maleficent gleam in his black eyes, and deliberately turned his back on them. He stared at the remaining eggs for a moment, intent, and then hissed his displeasure. Before Kelar could stop him, the brindle male smashed into several eggs with his powerful tail. The yellow dragon�s eyes flashed, and she backed him against the cliff, teeth bared. �Tell us your name,� she snapped, �before we take you where we can keep an eye on you. You could have killed them!� Dharishar, nosing the eggs, bobbed his head at his mate. They lived. �Melchor,� the angry young dragon spat. �Melchor. Let me into the water!� The Covelord�s dragon, aqua Celwyddaur, escorted him off silently, disapproval radiating like heat from a fire. The three eggs the savage youngling had smacked hatched in a rush: one brindle, one merle, and an auburn. All were males. Muscular and fit, the merle was first to act. He didn�t even pause to get his bearings, just came hurtling toward the bonder group at top speed. The enormous calf knew exactly what he wanted, and he found it in a surprised Fivta�s arms. �I�I�� the woman stammered, eyes wide. �My name is Vigor,� he said, rubbing his head against her so hard that she nearly fell over. The auburn, a slender, debonair fellow, waited long enough to steady himself. He heaved his way toward the water, inclining his head at his mother graciously. �My lady.� As he drew himself on, he looked up, aware of the Musiques� eyes on him. Apologetic, he bowed. �Pray forgive me, but I fear neither of you are quite right. I�m sure you�ll win the hearts of some of my remaining siblings, as wonderful as you both are, but I simply cannot choose someone who doesn�t fit. My name is Zzar, Father,� he added, his light tenor amused as he looked up and up and up at Dharishar. �I�ll be seeing you!� Humming cheerfully, he plunged into the water. The brindle did not offer the same courtesy as his brother. He paced in front of the eggs anxiously, without a look at the waiting humanoids. After several minutes, one egg rewarded his vigilance. A merle nose poked out, followed by the rest of a sculptured head. Her eyes met his, and they both stopped, stock-still. The merle wasn�t even out of her shell yet. �I�m Bromar,� he said. His voice was gravelly and sharp, but there was nothing but tenderness in his posture. The merle stared in mute adoration. Clumsily, he tried to knock another piece of shell from the small hole she had made. When no sound was forthcoming from her, Bromar gently touched her nose with his, and turned gravely to his sire and dam. �Her name is O�r.� The watching crowd murmured�could she not speak?�but the two hatchlings ignored them. They were still struggling to get O�r out of her shell. The last two eggs hatched in a crackling burst, like burning paper. The two hatchlings fell into each other, tumbling down the curve of the egg-hollow that Kelar had made. They looked at each other, and laughed. One was brindle, and he gaily threw himself at Agua�s feet. �Soul-brother! This is so cool! I�m Cwyddaur. Pleased to meet you, man!� The other, a merle male, was more dignified. He inched carefully across the sand, and laid his head against Maji�s gleaming ankles. �Maji,� he said seriously, �I would consider it a great honor if you would, perhaps, consent to be my bond. I am Eiffeur Dharisharson, and you are, in truth, the most wonderful creature I have ever seen.� The Musiques were speechless with delight. In fact, O�r and Bromar were long gone before they finally followed proud Kelar to their new home. �That was quick enough,� Dharishar muttered, clearing the eggshells off the beach and chasing away the last few curious onlookers. �All that watching for half an hour of hatching!� |
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| Calfs/Bonders Blue Dharishar & Yellow Kelar Pirila/Allayar Agua/Cwyddaur Maji/Eiffeur Fivta/Vigor Bromar/Oir Zzar Melchor Azur/Yasmir |
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| Clutch 2: Dharishar and Kelar |
| Fivta and male merle blue Vigor Agua and male merle indigo Cwyddaur Maji and male merle silver Eiffeur Azur and female brindle purple Yasmir Pirila and female brindle purple Allayar Male brindle green Bromar/female merle silver Oir Male auburn red Zzar Male brindle black Melchor |
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