Luckiest Girl

Writers: Miriah, Suzee, Yvonne
Date Posted: 4th August 2020

Characters: Lanniya, K'ale, R'enh, F'lin, Pierka
Description: Lanniya gives birth
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 15 of Turn 10

Lanniya

K'ale

R'enh

Pierka

The little squirming, red-faced bundle was carefully wrapped and
placed in Lanniya's trembling arms. Panting and exhausted from a long
labor, Lanniya blinked slowly and a surge of warm, fierce love filled
her as she looked down at the face of her baby. A tear trickled down
her cheek and a wide smile spread her lips as she pressed her lips to
the brow of the little girl in her arms.

It hadn't been an easy labor, but seeing her daughter's face was worth
all of the sweat and pain. She'd also bled more than expected, sending
the Healers into a frantic effort to get it under control. Thankfully,
they'd been able to manage; though she felt weak and tired, Lanniya
looked up at K'ale, eyes moist. "Look at her. Isn't she beautiful?"

"She is," K'ale nodded and bent over Lanniya to kiss her forehead and
then Lanniya's lips. "You amaze me," he smiled into her eyes.

Outside of the Infirmary, F'lin sat and fidgeted. Then he stood and
paced before sitting down again beside R'enh. When Seneth had told him
that Lanniya's egg as coming, he wasn't prepared for the surge of
feeling that hit him. Worry, excitement, fear, joy-- what if something
happened to Lanniya or her baby? What if they were just fine? What if
he was too late? What if he actually _was_ the baby's father-- well,
no. He dismissed that errant thought. No matter whose baby it was,
K'ale would be its father. And K'ale would do a better job of it than
he could ever do. What did he know about fathers, when his had died
when he was so young?

The Wingsecond caught R'enh looking at him, and he grinned
reflexively. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you have children?"

R'enh returned the grin with one of his own and nodded. "Several. At
least this one had the courtesy not to be born in the middle of a
'fall." He lifted his eyebrows meaningfully and tilted his head. He
knew his place in this child's life would be more of an uncle but he
had enough love to give to make that completely fine in his book.

"How old are they?" F'lin asked.

"My eldest is just fifteen. He hasn't decided if he wants to stand yet
but I think he will soon enough. In the meantime he's apprenticed to
the Harpers." R'enh's pride in his son was evident. "The twins aren't
yet a full turn, so they don't have any decisions to make at the
moment," he chuckled. "Is this your first?"

Pierka came trotting into the infirmary with an anxious look at the
two bronzeriders. "Is it over? Did I miss it?" The greenrider was an
older more mature version of Lanniya but with blond hair and an
sparkling smile. More people followed her in looking over her
shoulder.

"Looks a bit crowded in here," her mother said. "We'll wait outside."

R'enh stood "Wait," he held out a hand. "I'm sure she'd like to see
you. You're her family right?"

Lanniya pressed her lips to K'ale's, then back to the little girl's
brow. "The healers were still working to clean her up when she heard
the voices outside of their little room. Looking up at K'ale, she
offered a weary, but happy smile. "Take her. Go introduce them to your
daughter." She wiped moisture from her eyes. "Could you let my mother
and Pierka come in while you do that?"

"Sure," he smiled and settled the tiny bundle into the crook of his
arm. "Hey guys," he smiled as he came through the door. "Here she is,"
he walked slowly toward R'enh and F'lin. Then he smiled and Pierka and
her mother "She wants to see you two."

Pierka had just nodded at R'enh but cut off what she was going to say
with a brief glance at the little bundle and headed into Lanniya's
room. "She's beautiful," she grinned at her sister. Their mother
followed her in with a similar smile.

F'lin looked longingly after Pierka but followed R'enh toward K'ale
and the bundle in his arms. "It's a girl?" he asked, rather stupidly,
as he looked down at the baby. It-- she had a tiny, squished red face
and seemed no bigger than a feline in K'ale's embrace. He smiled,
involuntarily. This baby would some day be grown, and Lanniya had
_made_ her. It was amazing. "Does-- she have a name?"

"Not yet," K'ale smiled at F'lin. "Got any ideas?"

R'enh stepped closer "May I hold her," he asked in the soft voice
parents the world over used not to wake sleeping babies.

K'ale smiled at the wingleader, not really wanting to give her up but
said "Uh sure," and carefully moved to place her in R'enh's arms. He'd
have plenty of time to hold her in the turns to come and didn't
begrudge the other fathers a turn.

R'enh peered down into the little face with a smitten smile in the
same way he had when his twins were born to Saibra. "Welcome to Pern
little girl," he breathed and kissed her tiny forehead. Then he
turned and looked at F'lin, as he unconsciously swayed and bounced the
tiny bundle. "Want a turn?"

"Uh.. sure." F'lin had never held a baby so tiny, and it was
terrifying to take the tiny girl from R'enh. But he was a bronzerider,
and if he could fight Thread then he could hold a baby. Holding her,
he felt the responsibility of his knots come crashing down around him.
She was the reason that the skies had to stay clear. His eyes teared
up a little, and he blinked furiously so that he could see her
smooshed little face. "She's so little, K'ale..."

Lanniya looked up to see her mother and her sister enter and a tired,
but contented smile wreathed her face. "She is beautiful. She's
absolutely perfect. Did you see her?" She glanced out of the door to
see K'ale with the two other men. "K'ale is going to be a wonderful
father. Did you see his face?" She held her hand out to her mother and
sister. "I'm glad you could come."

"How do you feel," was their mother's first concern as she went to
one side of the bed and bent to give Lanniya a kiss. "Pierka came to
find me," she smiled as she rose.

Pierka shrugged and grinned. "We had to make sure you were all right.
Are they taking good care of you?"

"Hi, mama." Lanniya leaned towards the kiss, smiling. "I'm okay. Just
light-headed and a bit tired. But I'm so happy. I can't describe how
happy I am." She turned to Pierka. "They are. I think there was a
roomfull in here during labor and Anaeryth had as many dragons around
her, humming. "

K'ale, out with the fathers, smiled at F'lin. "She really is tiny
right now, but they grow really fast."

"And you'd be surprised at how much noise just a little thing can
make," R'enh chuckled.

F'lin looked up at K'ale with a slightly stunned grin. "Then I'm glad
it's you that's going to be there, because I know you're going to be
great at it. Both she and Lanniya are really lucky." He looked down at
the tiny baby in his arms. He didn't want to give her up, now that he
had her. "You are," he told the sleeping baby. "You don't know it yet,
but you're the luckiest baby in all of Pern."

Last updated on the October 13th 2020

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