Making Time

Writers: Emma, Jane
Date Posted: 15th October 2009

Characters: K'sedel, Zharesti
Description: Veyeth begins to clutch, attended by Zharesti and K'sedel.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 5, day 17 of Turn 5

K'sedel

"It looks like a nice cavern to me," Zharesti said as she joined her
gold in the Hatching Grounds. "What do you think?"

Veyeth apparently felt that her rider was a little late in asking the
question as she made a hollow in the sand in which to clutch her first egg.

"Have you told your mate?" The goldrider winced at her lifemate's
vehement assurance that she had done _everything_ and was now going to
_concentrate_. The with sigh Zharesti settled on the empty tiers of the
stone stands that would be filled with crowds in about a month's time as
this clutch Hatched.

It was a short space of time later that K'sedel appeared. "Did I hear
right?" he asked. "It's time?"

"Veyeth apparently doesn't make mistakes about such things," Zharesti
muttered under her breath with a dark look at the gold dragon who was
still concentrating but now on surrounding the first egg with the warm
sand. "And she doesn't clutch very fast, as a rule. How much time have
you got?" She patted the stone beside her.

"I can make time," he said as he sat down. "Nikornath would probably
have got me here by chewing firestone and flaming in my direction if I
hadn't come anyway." It was a joke, but one with a nugget of truth
behind it. The bronze always liked to see the eggs as soon as he could,
it reminded him that he had sired the clutch on the sands.

"Hidework can always wait a little longer."

"I'll tell the Headwoman you said that when she comes asking for this or
that that I've completely forgotten." Zharesti tilted her head to one
side and studied the bronze at the entrance to the Grounds. "Is he a
good mate? Or fussy? Because Veyeth's not very broody once the eggs have
hardened a little. At least, she hasn't been up until now, but this is a
new place for her."

K'sedel thought for a moment. "He's learned to listen to his mates. He
won't be fussy, unless she wants him to be. And if Veyeth wants for
anything, he'll do his best to get it, like bringing her food."

"She ate half the feeding pens yesterday," Zharesti admitted - it had
been embarrassing, "So she'll probably wait until she feels it safe to
go again herself." The Weyrwoman grinned. "She may expect him to guard
the eggs, though."

"I think he'll be able to manage that," K'sedel said with a chuckle. "If
he has his way, nobody will get any closer than a dragonlength from any
of the eggs until hatching day."

"That sounds just the thing - though it'll be a sevenday before that's
needed. Look - the third egg. Do you want to wager on numbers?"

"What's it worth?" The weyrleader was well known for wanting to indulge
in a friendly wager or two.

"Half a mark is as much as I'm prepared to lose," she said firmly. She
had very few hobbies - and none that generated marks - so that all the
marks she used came to her from the Weyr. She was cautious with them.

"Half a mark it is then," K'sedel said with a grin. "And I'm going to
say a nice even 38 eggs."

Zharesti paused, watching her lifemate fuss around the eggs she had on
the sand. Although Veyeth's illness had prevented her rising to mate for
over a Turn, there had never been any reduction in her clutch sizes
before or after. But there were plenty of variables in flights and
clutches, and this was a queen in a new location. "I'll go for
forty-one," she said finally, not choosing forty-two since that would
make it possible for them to tie for closest to their guess.

"And it's down to her to prove one of us right or wrong." He could sense
Nikornath, and it wasn't a moment before the bronze commented to him.

}:We flew well together, there will be a good clutch.:{

**I have no doubts on that front,** came the reply.

"If I win I'll be up for a wager on the number of greens," Zharesti
added with a challenge in her expression. It was more traditional to
wager on bronzes, but she thought greens were of more use to the Weyr
and was prepared to support her theory.

"You're on."

"What are the people here used to?" the Weyrwoman asked as Veyeth began
her typical hollowing of another patch of the hot sand preparatory to
clutching another egg. "Do they like to come and visit the eggs? are
they used to that? Do the children make pests of themselves?" She had,
after all, in her own childhood, but clutches had been so rare then.

"That depends. Tabarnith didn't mind the odd person coming to peek. I
brought my grandchildren occasionally, but she wasn't over keen on it
until about a sevenday before the hatching. She seemed to fuss over the
eggs until then."

"I shall let people know not to sneak around; she's usually quite happy
to have visitors as long as they announce themselves. But if she's not
here _nobody_ is to come near. Not on a dare, not because they're a
Candidate. _Nobody._" Zharesti met her Weyrleader's hazel eyes. "If
you'd fly in formation with that, I'd appreciate it."

"Not a problem and I'll make sure that Sol and R'syl know, just in case
anyone gets tempted to peek." There was always one or two who would
think themselves brave enough to try and sneak a look.

Zharesti laughed. "Veyeth will rouse the Weyr if people sneak up on her
- so everybody will learn fairly smartly."

"We had one clutch not long ago which was nearly a disaster."

"Vilarth's? Hmm. We heard." Her slanted eyes betrayed her amusement.
"Goldriders are still a small group on, even these days, and very
interested in each other's business. I doubt you'll have those sorts of
problems with Ariau when her lifemate rises."

"I hope not, I know Tsaera spoke to her, and I hope you will. It's one
thing for her to be told in training, but it's different to actually
experience it." That was one thing all riders knew. They could tell you
what it felt like to have your dragon participate in a flight, and how
it might make you feel, but until you actually were there, you just
couldn't put it all together.

"Of course I will. It's a problem that the support we might offer
younger goldriders is limited by the fact we have to absent ourselves at
the critical time." She shrugged. "We can only hope that us older
goldriders have adequately trained the Weyr's bronzeriders over the
Turns, so that they in turn can guide the novice goldriders if needed."

"Well I've not had any complaints, yet," replied K'sedel with a grin.

"It's less you and more the others I'm worried about. I shall tell them
I have my eye on them," she said firmly, sure that would encourage their
good behaviour.

"I'm sure they'll behave once they know that."

The dark eyes studied the bronzerider as Zharesti wondered if he was
laughing at her. "I'm sure they will," she agreed and then turned her
attention back to her gold. "Number four. We may be here a while."

"It'll take as long as it takes," K'sedel said. "And then one of us will
be half a mark richer."

"I will be," the Weyrwoman said returning to watching her gold as if the
closer the supervision the more likely it was that the clutch total
would go in her favour.

Last updated on the October 17th 2009

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Making Time