CHAPTER 10

"Aeneth! What's happening?" Teri's voice cracked and she stood on trembling legs. Waves of fear and anxiety that were not her own flooded through her.

"Here, come on!" I'an grabbed Teri's arm and pulled her forwards. She felt the pressure of his grasp, felt her feet stumbling over the stone floor, but her attention was elsewhere, seeking her dragon's presence with her mind's eye. Weyrfolk crowded around her and I'an, clamoring loudly.

"What's going on?"

"Something's wrong with the little green."

"What is she doing?"

"Where's her rider?"

"Excuse us," N'hal said's voice behind Teri's right shoulder. "Coming through. This is Aeneth's rider here." The press of bodies in front of them parted slightly and they moved forward. Teri could feel the heat from the Hatching Ground through her shoes.

"You all right Teri?" N'hal asked.

"Aeneth's in trouble," Teri gasped, holding tight to I'an's supporting arm.

"We're almost there," the brownrider said.

"Aeneth!" cried Teri. Her dragon's distress grew so strong she almost lost her own consciousness. She sprung forward but hands caught her shoulders, holding her back.

"You!" said an angry voice, words barely registering through Teri's mounting mental storm. "Control your dragon! What in the name of Faranth is she doing on the Hatching Ground?"

Another roar echoed through the cavern and Teri's consciousness of self was washed away in a burst of Aeneth's fear. She opened her eyes and vision blasted through her mind.

The gold queen stood across the sand from her, hunched protectively over her eggs. All of her muscles were taut, glistening in the dim light. Aeneth wavered, knowing she was intruding on another dragon's nest, yet driven on by a primal urgency deep within her. She flicked her tail, her claws digging deep in the sand. Eyes whirling crimson and golden wings spread menacingly, the queen lunged toward Aeneth with a piercing scream. Rows of gleaming, razor sharp teeth snapped together just inches away from Aeneth's hide. The queen was torn. Unwilling to leave her eggs, yet equally loath to allow the green to invade her territory, she roared in frustration. Aeneth held her head low, a strange sound that was half growl and half whimper escaping her throat. Her spine arched high like a stretching feline, but she kept her weight back as she sketched a wary half circle around the entrance to the Ground, trying to get past the queen.

Dragons began to line the shelf overlooking the sand to observe the spectacle, colored shapes against the light sky. The senior queen bellowed angrily above them. Aeneth winced, but ignored the reprimand.

The queen facing Aeneth screamed again, tail lashing, and lunged with gaping jaws. Aeneth ducked, but she wasn't quick enough to dodge a second blow. The queen's claws caught her on the neck, leaving jagged lines of pain down to her shoulder. Aeneth staggered back, shrieking.

The pain was enough to shake Teri briefly from Aeneth's consciousness. She jolted back to herself, the dazzling sensation of vision winking out in an instant. Someone was shaking her shoulder roughly, voices jumbling incoherently around her.

"Teri," I'an said urgently, "you have to pull yourself together!"

Teri shook her head, her scattered thoughts slowly coming together. She needed to get control of Aeneth and pull her away from the Hatching Ground before she got hurt again.

"I'm trying," she gasped. She planted her feet firmly and bore down on Aeneth's will, determined not to get swept away again. The green resisted desperately, her anxiety mounting to a feverish pitch.

Aeneth! Listen to me! You need to leave right now!

No! Aeneth's response was barely coherent. Teri felt the dragon's will crumbling slightly and she pushed harder, gaining ground. Perspiration dripped down her forehead and into her eyes from the effort.

I need to find a safe place, Aeneth wailed. My eggs!

Teri lost her focus for a moment in shock. What are you talking about?

I must find a nest! Aeneth's determination crumbled, lapsing into misery.

Aeneth, are you going to lay eggs? Teri asked, bewildered.

"Good," said N'hal's voice, interrupting Teri's thoughts. "She's backing out. See if you can calm her down more."

The queen Esmeth let out a final roar and Aeneth answered with an anguished cry. The dragon's consciousness retreated into a dull sense of defeat.

"She's gone," I'an breathed.

"Where did she go?" N'hal asked. "What was she doing?"

Teri's mouth worked soundlessly. "She said she needed to find a nest," she choked out. "N'hal, I think Aeneth's going to lay eggs."

Exhausted, Teri rested her forehead against Aeneth's snout, her arms wrapped around as much dragon as she could hold. It seemed like hours ago that she had been sitting in the dining cavern, throwing tubers at I'an over their lunch. After Aeneth had left the Hatching Ground, Teri and N'hal caught up with her by the feeding pastures. It took some effort, but they were finally able to coax her back to her weyr. I'an had arranged to take Hanoth to a different weyr for the night, once their afternoon training session was done. Rinth was the only dragon whose presence Aeneth would tolerate. N'hal had sedated her to treat the gashes she had received from the irate Esmeth. The frenetic whirl of Aeneth's thoughts gradually slowed to a lazy trickle.

Teri pressed her cheek against the dragon's hide and suppressed a yawn. She wanted to preserve this tranquil moment for as long as possible.

Aeneth, she whispered, I love you.

I'm sorry for scaring you. Aeneth's voice was sleep-muddled, her warm breath whooshing into Teri's stomach.

It's all over now, don't worry about it.

I wanted to find a place for my eggs, Aeneth murmured. They hurt me.

It won't happen again. You're safe now, go to sleep. Teri kissed the dragon's nose and stroked her warm hide.

Safe… my eggs… Aeneth's thoughts slurred and trailed off into unconsciousness.

Eggs. Teri bit her lip. From the time Teri and N'hal had caught up with Aeneth, to their return to the weyr, the green had kept up a panicked mantra about her eggs and finding a place to nest. Teri was exhausted from reassuring Aeneth and persuading her to put off her search. A green dragon laying eggs. It sounded insane, but Aeneth was so certain that Teri found it hard to doubt.

"How is she doing?" N'hal's voice asked above her.

"Fine. She's sleeping." Teri stood slowly. Even that small action left her feeling drained.

"I'm almost finished up here. Lucky she didn't get more debris in these cuts, the way she was wandering around outside."

"Thank you N'hal, for all your help," Teri said with a faint smile.

"Of course. I'm here to do anything you need." His hand squeezed her shoulder gently. "How are you holding up?"

"I don't know," Teri admitted with a deep breath. "It's all so crazy. I don't know what to think."

"This has never happened before, so you're not alone," N'hal said. "It's a lot to absorb at once."

"Is it really happening? Is Aeneth really going to lay eggs?" Teri asked. If Aeneth laid eggs, things would only get more complicated. Would they even hatch? Would the hatchlings be defected? Would they impress? Would they be viable fighting dragons? Who would want to ride a stunted green? Teri suppressed her wild thoughts. All her questions would only serve to drive her insane.

"Not for a few days at the least. The queen riders will probably examine her to make sure she's pregnant," N'hal said.

"I didn't know greens could lay eggs."

"It has never happened before that I know of, but greens are female, like queens. Usually greens are all sterilized before their first mating flight because of the firestone they chew during weyrling training."

"And Aeneth and I didn't go through weyrling training."

"You would be the first pair. I don't believe J'den took that into account when he restricted you. I don't think anyone would have considered the possibility of eggs."

"No, everyone was just concerned with the fact that a blind girl had impressed," Teri said darkly. She sighed and slumped to the floor. She leaned back against Aeneth, but the dragon's warmth wouldn't penetrate her skin. The only blind rider. The only one who never went through weyrling training. The only green dragon who would lay eggs. She wished she could stop being an anomaly and be normal for once. Just a few hours ago, her only concern was to wake Aeneth so that they could practice flying. Now, she had her dragon's eggs to worry about. At least she knew now why Aeneth had gained weight and was sleeping an unusual amount. She snorted softly.

You could have had the decency to tell me earlier, she scolded the unhearing Aeneth.

N'hal's boots creaked as he knelt in front of her and his warm hands took hers gently. "Don't worry, Teri. Everything will be all right."

Teri sighed and forced a smile. It took a disproportionate amount of energy to move her face. She felt weary to her bones. "Thanks N'hal." She squeezed his hand. "Do you remember when I told you about my mating flight? How I could see through Aeneth's eyes?

"Yes."

"It happened again." She quietly related to him all the details of what she had seen and felt. "I understood Aeneth's urgency before she put it into words that she needed to find a nest."

"The extreme emotion we thought would be the catalyst for this kind of melding of consciousnesses," N'hal said to himself in wonder.

"You were right, though," Teri said. "I don't know if I'd want to go through that again, even if it does mean seeing for a while. At least," she amended, "not on a regular basis."

"I didn't think it could be possible."

Teri sighed. "So what now?"

"We wait," N'hal replied.

"But where will Aeneth lay her eggs?" Surely the dragon couldn't clutch in their weyr.

"The Weyrleaders will figure out what to do," N'hal said.

Teri nodded, letting the subject drop. Thinking about J'den was the last thing she wanted to do. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rocked slowly onto her toes. "How long will Aeneth be out?"

"At least three or four hours. We'll have to monitor her as soon as she wakes and see if she needs to be sedated again," N'hal said, exhaling. "You look tired. You should stay here and rest. We can take care of the rest of your duties in the infirmary."

"Okay." Teri uncurled herself slowly and stood, feeling the blood rush back to her legs. A nap sounded heavenly. It would be good to get away from her thoughts for a while.

"Rinth will stay here with you," N'hal said, taking her arm to lead her inside the main room.

Nodding wearily in assent, Teri let N'hal lead her to her bunk. She sank into the mattress with a long sigh, not bothering to crawl beneath the blankets. Her bed had never felt so soft before.

"I'll be back in a few hours." N'hal's words fell on deaf ears. Sprawled on her stomach fully clothed, Teri was already drifting to sleep.