The powerful wails of a brand new child reached the neighboring weyrs' ears, and soon the entire Weyr was congregated in the small weyr that Alana called home. She and S'ban nodded politely to each visitor, and waited patiently for them to leave. "He's lovely, Alana." "Congratulations, S'ban!" "You wanted that baby pretty badly, eh? No Between for nine months, I couldn't do it!"

Neither could I, Alana thought sourly, pinching the baby's elbow sharply when he suckled too strongly. At long last, each person left, and the Archivist came in.

"So what shall you name him, greenrider?" Viren asked, jiggling the baby almost paternally.

"Sabanel," S'ban said almost automatically, but Alana cut him off.

"No, his name will be Salanalay. If he survives to see a dragon, his name will not be S'nel. That was the name of my most repulsive brother," Alana said with a glare. S'ban shrugged and the Archivist wrote it into the baby records. The Healer he had with him, Ysara, took some measurements and checked everything over once more. She had birthed him, but people had come so quickly she had needed to wait until the end of the visits.

"Okay, you're done, now go. I want to be with... Salanalay," Alana said dismissively. The Archivist and Healer nodded curtly, and winged down on Ysara's green. "That includes you, Bluerider," she said with a wave of her hand as she placed Salanalay in a make-shift crib.

"Do you need any assistance?" S'ban asked, looking at Salanalay with warm brown eyes. Alana shook her head, and S'ban left for his own weyr. He would never understand that woman.

"Damn child, I never wanted you," Alana was muttering to the crying baby. He was hungry, and Alana was tired. "I tried so many times to rid myself of you, but the dolphins kept saying you were still quite alive. Shells, kid," she said almost affectionately, the baby boy made a small gurgling noise. "You are deffinitely a miracle child. Shaffit!"

Is something wrong, Mine? Avenuth's unintrusive voice came quietly. Alana shook her head.

Of course not. But you know how many times I tried to get rid of this boy, she responded.

If I could Clutch, I would not try and kill it, the green said in a distressed tone.

Well I am not you, am I? Alana asked with a scowl. When the baby started to cry louder, she pinched his elbow again, and threw herself into her bed awkwardly. She was exhausted, and it had been a hard birth. She would never have another child. Ever. She covered her head with pillows, and eventually fell asleep. When she awoke, the boy was still crying.

"SHAFFIT, YOU DIMGLOW! SHUT UP!" she bellowed raggedly on the third day. "What do you WANT from me? I have nothing for you! Why didn't you just disappear like the rest of them?"

"Bad day, Alana?" came S'ban's voice softly in the doorway. Alana leaned into him.

"Oh it's been awful, S'ban, love, handsom dragonman... He won't be quiet! I don't know what's wrong!" Alana said through a sob. S'ban hugged her gently around the waist and looked towards the crib. It smelled awful.

"Have you changed his rags?" S'ban asked, letting her go and prying her hands off of him. He took the baby out, who promptly quieted to half the volume. After changing the defiled diaper, he jiggled the baby about and listened to Alana's problems.

"...and Avenuth won't stop going on about how she would love to have a child! I don't see why! Dragon mothers don't have to deal with this! Oh the screaming! And the smell! I don't want to touch him, much less have it's lips on my... my..."

"Don't worry about it, Alana, love. He will be disciplined to be the best man he can be. He won't be a baby for much longer," S'ban said comfortingly. Alana looked so tired, almost wildeyed. Salanalay was still sleeping contentedly in S'ban's arms. The boy gurgled in his sleep, and S'ban smiled.

"Yes, he'll need discipline... Good discipline, not the wimpy stuff my father gave Sarnel when we were young..."