By my calculations… and the med scanner results… I was approaching the five and a half month point of my pregnancy… the latter part of the second trimester… and I was really starting to show. In spite of the incredible risks I had taken, not only jumping transdimensionally to get help for Golanth but also the very strenuous multiple 'timing' jumps Ruth and I had executed to rescue the remaining members of the Exiles Ruathan assault group from that fateful canyon Threadfall, my baby was still hail and hearty. No problems detected.
At least not medically. L'trel repeatedly harped on the risks I had taken and how they could've adversely affected our child.
"Did you even think to ask me before you went off half-cocked like that?!" he demanded one afternoon as we ate lunch in our Landing Quonset hut home.
Even Fellth got into the act; growling fiercely from just outside the window.
I had repeatedly said I was sorry, but I knew deep in my heart that L'trel was as acutely concerned about the health of our first child as I was. Showing him the med scanner results only reduced his anger a little bit.
A month earlier, we had been in a similar heated discussion about my 'carelessness' when we very nearly missed an equally important event.
"Are you listening to me?!" L'trel demanded, seizing my hand in a fierce grip.
"Ssshh!" I hissed, my attention focused on a penetrating drone that resonated right down to my bones.
"The eggs!" I exclaimed, leaping to my feet.
"She's laying?!" L'trel stammered, in a state of total disbelief. "Now?!"
We collided with each other at the door, both of us trying as fast as we could to reach the Landing Hatching Ground.
Everyone on Pern knew that dragons hummed just before the eggs a queen has laid will hatch. They also hum as the queen is laying her eggs!
"Hurry!" I exclaimed, clearing the door of our Quonset hut home, making a beeline for the expanded Landing Hatching Ground.
Masterminer Nicat had done an excellent job of converting the large expanse of the cave we'd found into Landing's own Hatching Ground. As we arrived at the entrance, L'trel and I could see the gathered dragons ranged above the hot sands, peering intently from their various perches, humming intently as Tarnaa was laying her eggs. By the time she had finished, 30 eggs now rested on the hot sands, closely watched over by my heart and soul.
"Tarnaa, they're beautiful!" I gushed, pleased and proud of my lifemate.
That initial incident had occurred nearly a month earlier. This morning, L'trel and I were having the same heated argument about my recklessness when I heard that same bone-rattling hum!
"Where are you going?!" L'trel demanded, still at the breakfast table as I flew out the door.
"Hatching!" I shouted without slowing my pelting stride.
Once again, I'd been caught unawares. Thankfully, though, the other inhabitants of Landing were more clear-minded. By the time I reached the Landing Hatching Grounds, the white-tunic-wearing Hatching candidates were already positioned on the hot sands… the boys forming a semi-circle around the massive pile of rocking eggs… the girls discreetly to one side awaiting their chances with the two massive queen eggs Tarnaa had laid.
"Come on," whispered L'trel, coming up beside me to take my elbow. "Hurry!"
We just made it up into the tiers when the dragon hum abruptly stopped, sending a ripple of gasps through the crowd as every eye fixed on the pile of rapidly wobbling eggs, their occupants struggling to break shell and find their lifemates.
One of the eggs in the main group was positively massive. At first, we had thought it was a queen egg, but the shading and mottled patternings didn't match what a queen egg should have… leaving us none the wiser about who the occupant was.
Well, we didn't have long to wait. This largest egg in the main group suddenly began rocking violently, cracks beginning to show on its surface. With one final convulsion, the shell practically exploded, and not one but two bronze dragons emerged!
"By the Fire Falls of Firlea!" I hissed, caught totally unawares by this latest development. "A double yolker! Twin bronze dragons!"
"By the First Egg!" L'trel could only whisper.
Such a thing had never occurred on Pern before… at least not on this Pern. Smiling to myself, I realized one day I was going to have to let Chlorith know about this latest development!
As it happened, two of the boys waiting for their chances to Impress were also twins. Even more astonishing, the twin bronze dragonets made straight for their twin lifemates, Impressing in seconds!
"His name is Henneth!" "His name is Tawneth!" the two twins joyfully exclaimed in the same moment, lovingly hugging their new lifemates.
"Oh, my!" I gasped, hands and knees trembling as I sank back onto the bleachers.
The remaining hatchlings were pretty much an even distribution of the colors of dragons… from the powerful bronzes all the way down to the nimble greens. Soon, our attention was focused on the rocking queen eggs, their inhabitants fighting to get free of their shells.
The first of the two queen eggs split neatly down the middle, spilling its contents onto the hot sands. One of the girls bravely moved to help, righting the gold hatchling, Impression happening seconds later. A fitting portent for the new queen rider had come from the Eastern Islands Weyr, Kara's home!
I spotted my Eastern Islands friend at the back of one of the tiers, her eyes brimming with tears of pride. Smiling, she glanced my way, dashing the tears from her eyes. I returned the smile and added a wave.
The last remaining queen egg chose that moment to begin rocking violently, signaling the hatchling was impatient to emerge. This was also the larger of the two queen eggs, but the biggest surprise of all was when the shell practically exploded. A collective gasp rose from everyone in the Hatching Ground as a second pair of twin dragons emerged, bugling their distress.
"Another double yolker!" I gasped, hardly believing what was happening.
What truly made the moment special was when the two queen hatchlings moved unerringly toward a pair of twin girls standing with the rest of the candidates. When I realized who they were, my heart soared with happiness. These twin girls were Mercina's children, daughters of the woman I had sponsored not so long ago as a Hatching candidate to Canth's & Wirenth's mating flight and clutch.
Mercina was seated not far away. She turned, happy tears falling and overwhelming joy radiating from her smiling face. I shared her joy, smiling in return.
Just as the boys had done moments before, Mercina's children cried out in the same moment, "Her name is Ecstath!" "Her name is Elateth!"
My heart, I silently spoke, I am so proud of you! Your children are as beautiful as you!
Fellth chose that moment to glide down from his perch, landing beside Tarnaa. Together, they twined necks, rubbing each other's muzzle.
I knew Hatching Days were special times, but I didn't realize just how special until I witnessed the birth of my lifemate's children. Glancing down, I placed my hand over my expanding womb, visible even beneath the oversized tunic I was wearing. The baby within chose that moment to kick, rather strongly, causing me to grunt and bend forward slightly.
Your child is just as strong as you, my heart, Tarnaa quietly sent, our gazes meeting across the intervening sands. Have no fear for her. When she is finally born, all of Pern will rejoice!
"What are we going to name her?" I asked, leaning into L'trel's strong and welcome shoulder.
"Who?" he wondered, totally clueless.
"Our daughter, silly!" I giggled, tickling his ribs.
"It's a girl?!" he gasped, eyes flying wide as he stared at me.
"You were always complaining to me about the risks I'd taken with our child," I sighed, smiling to take some of the edge from my words. "Didn't you look closely at the scan results?"
"Sharding hell!" he cursed, disgusted with himself. "I didn't!" His expression softening, he asked, "What do you think of naming her Moreta?"
"That's quite a name to live up to," I chuckled, planting a peck on his blushing cheek. "But if Tarnaa's right, she should be able to handle it with no problem!"
As the visitors slowly followed the new riders and their dragonets out to where they would be fed, L'trel and I made the rounds of those who had been left standing, failing to Impress. While their disappointment was plain, I pointed out that this was only Tarnaa's first mating flight. There would be more in the future that they could all look forward to. We all could!
Three months later, it was my turn to bring a child into the world. Moreta screamed at the top of her tiny lungs as she emerged. Sweaty, exhausted, but elated, I silently cheered when the med scanners gave her a clean bill of health.
"Strong and healthy," Oldive reported, having insisted on being the one to bring my child into the world. "Well done, Ambassador!"
"Well done, indeed, ch'lia!" the Matriarch chimed in, proud tears pouring down her furry face.
"Welcome to Pern, little 'Reta," I sighed as she was laid in my arms. "A bright future awaits us. All we have to do now is reach out and take it!"