Clutching of the Tidal Seas Clutch

[Tashe]

She was a nervous wreck, an absolute and complete wreck, and so far pacing wasn't doing much to relieve any stress. Millieth had moved into the Hatching arena two days before, nearly giving the Goldrider a heart attack, her mind immediately thinking the clutch was due that day. Fortunately for Kaegan, the Gold didn't look as though she was going to drop her eggs on the floor of her Weyr, but it didn't stop her from having a panic fit. Placing one boot in front of the other, the Queenrider concentrated on getting to one end of the stone couch to the other without looking up or diverting her attention to something other than Millieth or her rudimentary needs, such as walking and turning. /Stopstopstop. Stop pacing, you are making me sick to my stomach./ Well maybe you shouldn't watch me! Wincing as she realized her comment was filled with an unneeded sharpness, Kaegan stopped in her tracks before swinging around to face the Gold's saddened eyes. I'm sorry Gem-of-my-heart. I did not mean to snap at you in such a way. The hide of her Queen was warm to her touch as Kaegan circled her snout with her ams, letting herself fall into the bond that they shared as she closed her eyes. /Mine it is fine. When I have my children inside me, you act as though you are carrying them, our bond is strong enough for that to even be an after thought./ Rubbing her cheek gently against Millieth's muzzle, Kaegan reached deep within her Dragon's mind, combining herself with her senses. It was only because of doing this, the Weyrwoman was able to launch herself away from her dragon in time to avoid the rumbling spasm that wracked her gold's body. Picking herself off of the floor, only to end up back upon it, Kaegan curled into a ball as Millieth's pain ruptured the barrier of her mind. She had been contracting for the last few hours, but nothing could compare to the feelings she was experiencing now. The Gold was beginning to clutch, and the whole Weyr would soon know about it.

Furling and unfurling her wings, Millieth squawked in pain as she began to dig the hole for the first of her eggs, all the while trying to cypher her emotional connection to Kaegan down to a trickle. It had been a bad idea to mind connect so close to her clutching, now it would take a small while to cap her link enough to let her rider think clearly. Twisting her head to the side as the egg made its way down the painful-egg-track, the Gold pushed her muscles so the first of her egg bound children dropped into the hole she had made previously. Millieth instinctively began pushing the sand around the shining blue egg, making sure that the air would not effect the Open Ocean egg, she didn't want any of her children to die because of poor heating. Arching her neck as she moved over, the Queen began digging another shallow, twisting to look at her Mine before having to return her focus on the on coming egg. A snarl ripped from her mouth as the Tidal Wave egg pushed past a painful section and then a few moments later dropped onto the sands. Turning to nose the sand around the egg with with a drooping neck, Millieth released a large breath before waiting for the next ripple of a contraction to appear.

The glowlights in the room made everything look fuzzy, combining it with the feelings she was picking up off of Millieth, her head was pounding and her judgment was off. Tilting her head up as a hand passed into her peripheral vision, the Goldrider studied the appendage before slowly coming to the conclusion it was female. The woman who was currently helping her up onto a padded chair grinned, making her look like a sly fox, while a second woman frowned in worry. "T-thanks."

"N'oproblem M'lady. You're so light I can pick ya up with one hand."

Smiling as the Bluerider flexed her arm muscle, Kaegan watched as the Greenrider glared at her friend, clearly unhappy at the lack of respect being shown.

"Saraina Rinoansdaughter, how can you be so relaxed!"
"Oh shut yer trap Gina Carsonsdaughter. The Weyrwoman needs some laughter in 'er day."

[Tashe]

"Why don'tcha go an' make yerself useful. Go get some Klah or somethin. I'll watch 'er, an don'tcha give me that face, I can make sure no one gets up 'ere and be a gent like the next person."

Feebly smiling at the Greenrider when she bristled, Kaegan was about to say the drink wasn't necessary but the sudden exeunt Gina never allowed her to voice her statement. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, the Goldrider leaned back against her chair, her eyes closing as she tried to disconnect herself from the brunt of her dragon's emotions. It took a few moments to accomplish the feat, but when she did so, Kaegan felt much better. Shifting her position in the chair, the Weyrwoman tucked her legs up under her skirt, letting their multiple layers fan out and lay over the chair. To avoid lashing out at Saraina or anyone else that got past her, Kaegan curled up and closed her eyes, concentrating on calming her Dragon. Lucky for her, Saraina had seen what she was like the first time around, and had offered to be there for her during the hatching... like her own temporary body guard. Ironically enough the Bluerider was at this moment, standing near the entrance to the Queen's couch, looking rather devious.

Unintentionally flexing her back muscles as the Under Tow Egg passed through the final sector of her tract, Millieth used her tail to pat the sand around the egg filled hole, turning an eye on silvery teal shell with a sense of pride. Her eggs were all lovely! They could even be more beautiful than Aslath's. Yes, yes they were! Snaking her body across the sands to pre-dig three holes, Millieth glanced up into the eves with a hiss, observing the Blue and Green that lay quietly up there. She didn't like the Green Dasmonth, she was dilutioned into thinking she was a Queen, and it annoyed her how she tried to talk to her on an equal level. The Blue she didn't mind as much, yet he was young and too attached to things under his control, but Blues in general the Gold tended to dislike. Shaking her head as a large contraction rippled through her back end, Millieth began to pant after she passed the Low Tide Egg, but she didn't get much rest before the Dark Fissure Egg appeared onto the sands.

Glancing up at the same time as her life-bond, Kaegan eyed the Dragons as she thought of their riders. Hokth and his rider were a good match for each other, although the Blue was slightly more malicious than Saraina, but they both had an issue with authority. She had read multiple reports about how the Blue resisted orders from Senior Dragons if they fit the stereotypical lower class... other Blues, Greens, and even Browns. Every time she chanced upon one of the reports, Kaegan would sigh and scratch out a note to herself, trying to remember to do something about it. Switching her gaze so it rested upon the regal looking Green, the Queenrider fit a mental picture of F'con and F'rah's cousin next to her. These two were quite different from each other, and because both of them had such strong personalities, she heard that they argued over some of the smallest things. Despite their differences, Gina and Dasmonth shared a bond almost like her's and Millieth's, the Dragon pretended not to care about Her's while the Human happily dealt with her prissy Dragon.

[Tashe]

"Password?"

"Let off it Saraina! Let me through or I'll dump this hot Klah down your front."

"Fine, fine! Don't get near me!"

Reclining her head so that the world tipped upside down, Kaegan watched the approach of the Greenrider, her hands filled with a Tray. While Gina balanced the tray on one hand, the Goldrider accepted the cup, holding it still as the other woman poured her the steaming tea. "Thanks." Curling up around the tea filled cup, Kaegan sent out her thoughts to the Queen, trying to soothe her pain with thoughts of love. You can do it my love, just hold in there.

--

Wondering back over to the Bluerider, Gina bit the inside of her lip, throwing a glance back at Kaegan. "I worry about the Weyrwoman, Millieth alway seems to struggle with pushing the eggs. It can't be a pleasant experience for either of them." She had hushed her voice so that Kaegan wouldn't hear her, even though there wasn't really a reason that the Goldrider shouldn't hear them speaking, it just made the young woman feel better.

"I'm just glad I don't 'ave a Female Dragon. Hokth, he doesn't 'ave to Rise, and he's not temperamental when it comes time ta' Chase."

"Not temperamental!" Letting out an exasperated breath, Gina nearly rolled her eyes before directing a finger up toward the Blue in the Dragon Coves. "He's malicious, conniving, angry, and always challenges the Superiors! And then goes and cuddles with you!"

"Tch. Thats just 'aving two-personalities... Now if ya' want to talk 'bout Temperamental, all ya' got to do is look up at your Green. She thinks she's a Queen... can't get more messed up in the 'ead than that."

--

Both her wings and head had drooped down toward the sands, her energy was reaching a low point, and even encouraging words from her Mine didn't do much to rejuvenate her. Millieth wished that at least one of her pretty Males had come to support her, it might have made a difference if one of them had been there, especially Kirayuth! They were /HIS/ children after all, he could have at least come for them! Growling as the Blue's consciousness lazily reached for her's, the Queen felt the presence snap backward, not willing to face her possible wrath. Another contraction, and then a few more afterward, deposited the Cold Current Egg onto the sands. She she might love her children later, but boy, did she hate them right now. They made her painful and then left her, never even giving her anything in return, not even a 'hello mother' every once in a while. Ungrateful! Stretching her neck out as she pushed at the next egg, Millieth gurgled unhappily as the Warm Current egg landed onto the sands a little ways away from it's colder sibling. These little ones had better be thankful for all the work she was going through to bring them into Pern! Grunting as another contraction pushed an egg into her reproductive tract, Millieth barred her teeth in agitation.

Tilting her tired head to inspect her glossy Eggs, the Gold huffed quietly to them, they were so small to make so much trouble. Though, that was exactly what Kaegan had said about her on their impressing day, even if she didn't agree with her. She happened to be rather big upon hatching from her confining shell, small didn't exactly cover her size adequately. Moving over Millieth nosed the sand away, creating a ditch before depositing the Deep Water then the Crashing Waves eggs a few moments later. The three eggs clustered together, looking as if they all enjoyed the presence of the others, and as if the Warm Current egg had missed it's friends. Shaking the aches out of her neck before trundling over to near the Queen's couch, creating another hole close to where she would be laying during the Touching and Hatching. A quiet coo wobbled out of her maw, letting her Mine know she was okay, before huffing again. It was a refreshing change in feeling when the High Tide Egg appeared in the ditch she had made for it, it had hardly hurt her at all in it's journey into the Arena. Pushing sand up and around it's sides, for she wanted to make sure this particular one was snug and happy, Millieth fluttered her wings before pacing away from her favorite egg before stopping to dig another shallow for the next egg. Lifting her tail as she pushed with the starting contraction, the Gold wrestled with the egg before heaving once more, depositing the Rip Curl Egg into its warm cradle.

Pushing the sand around the egg, the Queen stood quietly near it for a moment, wondering if she was finally empty of her children. A rumble of gratefulness passed over the Sands as the exhausted Gold waddled back to the couch, watching as Kaegan slid off her wooden seat. Flopping down onto the stone, Millieth curled around Her's as she settled herself down against her side, using a cushion to sit on. You did great. Your Eggs are as beautiful as to be expected, if not more. Her eye lids began to close, and her body began to relax, it was time for a nap. Yes, it was the perfect time to nap... it was just so warm, and she was comfortable. Her eggs would be safe with two dragons watching them, even if they weren't her first choices to watch her children, they still held her trust. At least for now.