Brand New Babies

Writers: Devin, Emma, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd August 2014

Characters: Cyradis, K'deren, N'vanik
Description: Another hatching... and other stuff
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 12 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: X'dris, Saidrene, J'ackt, Alina, Saibra,

Cyradis

K'deren

N'vanik

She'd known it would be soon for the last few days she'd expected it
and prepared by having some of her pillows and a very comfortable
chair made ready for her on the Weyrleader's platform in the Hatching
Cavern. Her new dress was ready and hanging by the wall. So it didn't
surprise her when Panitath summoned her.

}:My brood will choose today:{

**Tell Loseth his should get ready for the crowds to arrive.**

"K'deren," she nudged her sleeping weyrmate. "They're hatching. Can
you help me get ready?" She turned on her side and pushed herself up
into a sitting position.

"Mpph," the brownrider made a sleepy noise, almost tempted to roll over and
grab a few more precious moments of sleep, until the start of the humming
penetrated. "Now?" he said as he managed to get himself out from under the
furs without jarring his weyrmate too much.

N'vanik got out of bed with, for him, minimal complaining about
getting up early. The excitement of a Hatching chased away the worst
of his grogginess as he got dressed and ordered klah and breakfast
from the kitchens.

Back in the Weyrwoman's quarters Cyradis turned to grin at K'deren.
"Yes sleepyhead," she grinned and shook his foot. She figured if she
took her time getting dressed and walked slowly she could probably get
there under her own power and without too much stress.

That got the brownrider moving. As he swung himself out of bed, he reached
for a shirt to pull over his head. "Need help to get to the bathing room?"

"I think I've got it," she said standing slowly and starting toward
the pool. She'd feel much better once she was in the swirling waters.
Sure enough once she was in she felt lighter and more able to move.
But after quickly washing it was a bit more difficult to climb out.

Finally she was dressed in her loose but beautifully made gown. There
was also a heavily embroidered over drape that went with it but she
would save that for the feast, and after plaiting her hair into a
single long braid she felt ready to go. "If I could just hold on to
you," she smiled at her weyrmate.

"I'd be honoured, My Lady," K'deren said formally. The brownrider himself
had managed a quick wash and had dressed in his best gather clothing,
ready to accompany his love to the hatching.

She smiled up at him and hugged his arm. before they started down the
incline from her weyr out onto the sands. She expected N'vanik had
already made all the calls and sent the dragons off to retrieve the
dignitaries as he always did. Sure enough when they emerged from the
tunnel, the hatching ground was a hive of activity with dragons
depositing their passengers. Heavily pregnant now Cyradis was very
happy to reach her chair and sat with a sigh of relief. She ignored a
twinge and thanked her Weyrmate.

N'vanik was already there and put a hand on her arm. "You okay?"

"I will be," she covered his hand with her own as a drudge slipped a
stool under her feet. "Though I hope you don't mind if I excuse myself
from the Hatching Feast. I'm just not feeling up to it."

"You need to rest. I'm sure everyone will understand." It would make
him feel better to know that she wasn't overexerting herself.

The stands kept filling and the Candidates made their appearance.
N'vanik looked for one in particular as the humming intensified. There
he was, standing a little apart from the others. Of course.

Cyradis watched as the Candidates took their positions just in time
for the eggs to start rocking. She reached for K'deren's hand as the
baby kicked her really hard and she winced. She twisted slightly in
her chair but refocused on the eggs.

"You okay?" K'deren asked softly.as he took her hand.

She smiled at him, "Just a little discomfort, I'll be fine." She
looked up just in time to see their first hatchling break his shell.
"Oh look! Brown," she said and watched as the little one bawled for
his lifemate and made a dash at an older candidate.

The young man embraced his new lifemate as the crowd cheered the first
Impression of the day. A green and a blue emerged almost at the same
time. The blue looked bewildered, standing on wobbly legs as he stared
at the Candidates, but the green knew exactly who she wanted.

A moment later a very handsome brown pushed out of his shell and
started crying for his rider. "Isn't that Xandris" she asked when a
young man rushed forward to wrap his arms around the little guy.
"X'dris now of course," she smiled. "X'dris and Zenaroth."

Several eggs broke open within seconds of each other and suddenly
hatchlings were everywhere. N'vanik noticed a bronze among them and
hoped for at least two more. They'd had none last time and sorely
needed to make up for that. The bronze barely took the time to get his
legs under him, heading straight for a knot of Candidates with intent.
Unfortunately, one of the girls was looking at a green on the other
side and didn't notice him. The hatchling barreled right into her,
knocking her over, and kept walking.

"Oooh Alina," Cyradis winced.

N'vanik hissed in sympathy as a red stain appeared on her white robes.
The other Candidates moved to help her up and a healer jogged toward
her. **Hopefully it's not bad.** Then he noticed where the bronze was
headed and sat up straighter. Much like the girl, Jenackt was facing
away from the hatchling. He was either looking at a wandering brown or
at the newly formed blue pair nearby.

The bronze went right up to him and headbutted his legs. Only
Jenackt's well-honed reflexes kept him on his feet. He looked around
with a frown before his gaze settled on the bronze hatchling. The
unmistakable look of awe spread over his face and he knelt beside his
new lifemate.

"Yes!" N'vanik stood, fist in the air as if he were cheering at
waterball. "Ha! I knew it!" He turned to Cyradis with a grin. And
maybe a little moisture in his eyes.

**Zith,** Loseth told his rider without needing to be asked. **Your
favorite and my hatchling will be a strong pair.**

Cyradis reached out to N'vanik with a pleased smile after he sat down.
With all the time they'd spent together over the last few months she
knew the special place their newest bronzerider held in his hopes.

"I think Alina will be fine," she said as the healers carried her off
the Sands while her little Imarith was carried alongside her by one of
the Dragonhealers. She could hear Panitath reassuring the little one
that hers would be well cared for.

When she looked toward the Dignitaries box she saw Saibra with G'nir
and her children she waved and smiled at her former 'second and then
her eyes widened as the other goldrider's daughter got up from her
seat and trotted down the stairs and onto the Sands. She pointed
urgently but as the young woman entered the chaos on the Sands she
craned her neck and walked toward where the remaining candidates
stood. "What is she doing?"

Then things just seemed to stand still as a pretty green walked
straight up to her. "Oh my," was all she could say for Saidrene's
Impression.

}:Ashareth has chosen,:{ Panitath told her.

**No kidding,** she replied. Then suddenly her belly clenched in an
unbelievably strong contraction and her water broke all over.

}:You are hatching:{ Panithath crooned.

"No," she said softly. "I still have two weeks."

The event brought K'deren to his feet, "I better get you to the healers,
now." The tone of his voice was clear that he wasn't going to take no for an
answer. "I'm sure N'vanik and the others will understand."

"I'm sorry, I..." she clenched her teeth as another bore down on her.
"Too late," she ground out. "It's already coming." Cyradis breathed
heavily even as she felt the need to push the baby out of her. How she
could have gone this far without realizing was beyond her. But she
wouldn't be able to prevent her body from expelling her child for
long. "Get a healer here."

K'deren waved to one of the healers on hand incase there were any injuries
on the sands, gesturing that she should come up to them now, and bring her
medical kit. "Someone is coming."

N'vanik's face paled. Right now, right here? **Faranth, let everything
be okay.** Cyradis's pregnancy had already been difficult and there
was always the chance that not only the baby, but Cyradis herself
could be lost. And Panitath with her.

Farther up in the Stands, a whole section seemed to erupt in cheers as
Geddori Impressed a delicate green. The pace of the Hatching slowed,
nearly all of the eggs lay in broken shards. The Weyrwoman's labor was
starting to draw a lot of attention, but the remaining Candidates were
focused on their dwindling chances.

One last brown emerged, a green, a blue. And then there was one. A
green pushed her way out of her shell, crying. She found her way to
Koiri, making the young woman the last Impression of the day.

Even though the eggs were done hatching, the dragons continued to hum
and flits decked the stands around where Cyradis labored until one of
the healers came running to them with a birthing stool. They got it
placed in front of her and between contractions she moved to it.

With K'deren behind her to lean on the contractions didn't seem so
awful and she concentrated as the healer knelt between her knees
murmuring encouragement.

"Alright," the young woman said after about half a candlemark. "Next
contraction I want you to push. Holding on to the handles of the stool
Cyradis took a deep breath and pushed.

K'deren held on to his weyrmate, this wasn't quite what he had anticipated.
but their child was soon to make an appearance. "You can do this", he urged
her.

A cry sounded and the healer smiled. "The head is out, one more good
push," she said. The contraction built and Cyradis pushed with all her
might groaning with the effort.

"It's a boy," the healer smiled as she held the bundle cradled against
her and scooped birth goo from the baby's mouth. A moment later the
baby was wrapped loosely in a shawl another woman had provided and
placed in her arms while they attended to the afterbirth.

Cyradis bent over the tiny bundle then leaned into K'deren turning her
face to kiss him. "A boy."

He returned the kiss, before moving away to study the child. "He's
wonderful, just like you."

She fingered the tiny perfect hands with wonder and a silly grin on
her face. She had no thought for the disappointed candidates as she
sent a glowing look at her Weyrmate and then N'vanik. But in this case
they'd probably excuse her.

"My Lady," the healer said. "I can take the baby so your Weyrmate can
carry you back to your weyr. Then I'll get you cleaned up and we'll
have Vandor visit you." She didn't hear much until the woman reached
for the baby. Cyradis sighed and handed him over. She would have his
care for such a short time she wanted to cherish every moment she
could.

"Alright," she said and reached up to put her arms out for K'deren.
"Tell them congratulations for me," she smiled at N'vanik.

"I will. And congratulations to you, too," N'vanik said. It had all
happened so _fast_. "And you," he told K'deren. "We'll have a drink
later. The really good stuff."

"We'll see," K'deren said as he rolled his tunic sleeves back, getting ready
to help Cyradis to their weyr. "We can't wet the baby's head until he has a
name."

Last updated on the September 6th 2014

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