|
Post by sorelle on Oct 11, 2010 9:10:56 GMT -5
OOC - This EVENT thread means that a character can be in two places as once. In the main RP AND in the Event, as they are needed.
It was the darkest of nights and the Weyr was quiet, resting from the exhaustion of the day. Sivarith slept uneasily, changing positions often until, finally, she rose.
"Mine."
Sorelle's eyes snapped open and she instantly knew. It was time. She quickly joined Sivarith at the edge of their weyr. "I'll meet you there," she said. Sivarith grunted and spread her wings, gliding awkwardly down to the hatching sands. The stubborn dragon had, like always, refused to take a temporary weyr, lower down, stating that the day she couldn't fly was the day she would go /between/ forever. It had been an argument Sorelle had with her every time Sivarith clutched and she had learned not to push the issue.
Sorelle quickly dressed, then ran down to the bowl and across to the warm sands. Sivarith was still circling, trying to find just the right spot. Eventually, she found it, then began nosing around in the sand, excavating and moving the fine particles until it matched her exacting specifications. This was Sorelle's favorite part because it always made her laugh. Sivarith looked up at her and gave her a 'look', then went back to nosing through the sand. She picked up a small rock with her pointed teeth and tossed it aside. It dropped at Sorelle's feet, and the woman laughed, "very funny."
The great dragon groaned and Sorelle knew it was about to happen. She walked over to her lifemate, who lowered her head. Sorelle took up her position, her body leaning against the dragon's flat forehead, her hands rubbing the eye ridges. Sivarith's body trembled. "Easy," Sorelle soothed, "just let it happen." Both were well-versed in the deed, but it was the ritual that was comforting to them. Most dragons preferred to be left alone. Sivarith liked the touch of her lifemate.
After some time, Sivarith lifted her head away. "What's wrong," Sorelle asked. Sivarith swung her head around and picked up the egg in her mouth, then moved it far away. The color indicated it was not viable. Tears stung Sorelle's eyes and she sent out all her love through the link.
"Another comes," Sivarith said and she lowered her head to Sorelle once again. The swirling eyes showed her emotions clearly. When the next one came, Sivarith again moved it to the side, putting it with the other. Two bad orbs in the sand. When the large head returned to her, Sorelle hugged the great head, not daring to say a word, but her heart pounded in her chest.
They had long thought Sivarith finished, and the unexpected Rise had caught them all by surprise. She had provided many hatchlings over her lifetime. Strong, proud dragons. Sorelle glanced through the dimness of night over to the dark eggs as the tears fell from her eyes to the warm sands below. She knew from the shape of the dragon that there were more eggs to come. Would any survive?
Tag Any
|
|
|
Post by J'lor and Tonuth on Oct 11, 2010 14:16:54 GMT -5
Sivarith has gone to the hatching grounds.
"Is she clutching?"
Yes but Imahyth is not here.
The clutch sire was supposed to guard the grounds to prevent random visitors while the queen was laboring to deposit her eggs on the warm sands. If he was out training or had gone hunting, J'lor didn't know.
She has called but he has not answered.
"Guard her!" he said and began running down the stairs and toward the sands. There was already a crowd gathering a gawking at the immense gold. J'lor slipped inside the cavern and then Tonuth landed right in front of the cave opening with a hiss that scattered the onlookers.
"Leave immediately if Imahyth arrives, these are not your eggs." J'lor warned the big brown and he could tell Tonuth was not happy with that order any more than he was. They should have been he complained. "Yes well it was her choice." He moved to the back of the stands out of the way and trying not to bother either Sorelle or the beautiful Gold. His heart was sore to see her discard the first two. The Weyr needed every single dragon they could hatch.
The last weeks since the flight he hadn't seen much of Sorelle. It wasn't that he didn't want to, he just felt very hurt and awkward about the whole thing. Tonuth wasn't happy about it either. Sivarith was ignoring him to entwine with her clutch sire in the sun at the top of the bowl.
He'd even asked J'lor why she'd knocked him out of Radanth's flight just to ignore him in her own. Basically he was sulking over the whole thing and it rubbed off on J'lor. That had probably contributed to his reluctance to go talk to Sorelle, he'd probably find her with B'lor and that would just be too hard right now.
Since the flight, he'd found the girl and apologized to her for his behavior. He knew is was the intensity of the gold flight and his own anger at being passed over that had driven it. He had fully accepted the blame for the incident and though she kept her distance she seemed to accept his apology.
Now days, he tended to spend his evenings in the dining hall getting quietly drunk. So his head wasn't feeling so good this morning. But he and Tonuth would remain on guard until B'lor and Imahyth arrived to guard their mates.
Tag Any
|
|
|
Post by sorelle on Oct 13, 2010 11:33:29 GMT -5
Tonuth is here.
Sorelle turned slowly to see the big, hissing brown, but it was not the dragon she sought. The man was silhouetted against the dim light of the early dawn and her breath caught in her throat. Though he had the same stance as N'lon, he was taller, and the way he held his head was different. She sighed and looked away.
Tonuth is angry at me.
Sorelle laughed and rubbed the dragon's hide, "yes, he is, and His is mad at me... so is the entire Weyr. We're quite a pair, you and I." Sivarith closed her eyes and gave Sorelle a soft puff of air before putting her head down to rest on the warm sand.
Quietly, Sorelle walked away. First, she stepped over to the discarded eggs and examined them, but it was just an excuse. She would have a couple of Candidates remove the eggs as soon as Sivarith was done. They would take them and bury them deep in the soil away from the Weyr. Time ticked by and she knew she couldn't delay it any longer. Her feet dragged slowly through the sand until she was standing in front of him. As she tilted her head back to better see him, she was appalled by what she saw. He was disheveled and scruffy and his eyes were bloodshot. "Shards, you're a mess," she said.
She hadn't seen him for a while, choosing instead to busy herself with records and her visits to the Hold. She laughed to herself as she remembered the incident with Selora. Trust Sivarith to always do the unexpected.
Mine!
Sorelle turned to see Sivarith back into position. "Sorry," she said to J'lor. It had a depth of meaning deeper than just the moment at hand. Running through the sand back to Sivarith, Sorelle cursed the timing. "I'm here," she soothed the dragon.
Sivarith opened one eye. Touch me.
Sorelle's small hand rested on the jaw of her lifemate as the large dragon convulsed again. Something was missing. She looked over at J'lor and beckoned him over. Every clutch Sivarith had ever laid had been done with Sorelle and N'lon standing by her, Sorelle's hand on the dragon, N'lon's arms around Sorelle. It was not the usual way a clutching happened, but it was the way they did it. Sivarith's desire for touch and comfort, along with the love between the pair, was what got the dragon through it. Right now, there was a hole in the formula and there was only one way to know if Sivarith would accept him in place of N'lon.
Tag J'lor/B'lor/Any
|
|
|
Post by J'lor and Tonuth on Oct 13, 2010 19:37:20 GMT -5
She turned and saw Tonuth and then looked at him though she turned back to commune with her laboring lifemate. Then she went to examine the discards before she came toward him.
"Shards, you're a mess," she said.
He realized that and knew he must look awful if he looked anything as bad as he felt. She on the other hand was a lovely as ever. He didn’t quite know what to say but there was no condemnation only regret.
He searched her eyes for any indication she was still thinking of N’lon but she seemed herself. More than that there was something else. "Sorry," she said and that was all yet it conveyed so much.
The moment was cut short when she ran back to minister to her Sivarith. He took a deep breath as he and Tonuth continued to watch and guard until B’lor and Imahyth could get back to the Weyr.
Then the strangest thing happened. Sorelle called him to her. He stood up straight from where he’d been leaning and walked slowly in her direction not wanting to disturb Sivarith in the least. As he got closer he could hear the labored breathing of the great queen as she labored to bring forth the eggs he could see outlined against her flank. There didn’t look to be as many as he’d seen in other queens but this was a much unexpected occurrence.
He got very close before Sivarith even opened her eye to look toward him. Her eyes were whirling lavender and gray with pain and stress. He bowed deeply to her before he came within reach of her rider.
“Sorelle” he said.
Tag Sorelle/B’lor/any
|
|
|
Post by B'lor and Imahyth on Oct 13, 2010 22:26:08 GMT -5
B'lor shivered slightly against the chilly air. Even this tropical climate could get cool at night. He and Imahyth had just returned from a night patrol. Even though the area was supposedly uninhabited except for Dragon Hold and Weyr, old habits died hard. Someone had to take the night watch, and after a hard Threadfall, B'lor didn't want to strain his riders. Sighing, he started to strip off his riding gear and get ready to crawl into bed.
He sensed his dragon's tension before Imahyth voiced it. Sivarith clutches![/color] he announced, his tired form perking up again. The bronze's eyes whirled with excitement at the thought of the first clutch he had ever sired. Hurry! We must go see.[/color] Imahyth flew off, racing for the sands while his earthbound rider hurried there on foot.
Imahyth found a brown already waiting there, in his rightful place. He growled, the presence of a clutching Gold the only thing that kept him from roaring. What are you doing? This is mine![/color] He landed, stalking past the Brown and trying to muscle him out of the way. He snaked his head past the entrance and saw the dead eggs and Sivarith straining to lay more. He crooned encouragement to his mate.
B'lor strode onto the sands after his dragon. He felt a flash of anger, mostly from Imahyth, at the sight of the Brownrider. He shot J'lor a glare, but then his expression softened when he saw how Sorelle was looking at him. The older Brownrider could obviously offer something that he couldn't here. As frustrating as that was, nothing was going to change it. "You can stay, but I'd recommend that your dragon leave," he told J'lor.
He moved a little closer to Sorelle and Sivarith, but he wasn't sure how near he was allowed to get. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked. No one had ever given him lessons on what to do when his dragon's mate was clutching.
Tag J'lor/Sorelle/open
|
|
|
Post by sorelle on Oct 13, 2010 23:56:32 GMT -5
Sivarith arched her neck slightly as the egg was passed, then she opened an eye to see J'lor bowing. "He can stay."
“Sorelle”
"Hold me," she said over her shoulder, but a throaty growl from the entrance caused her to turn. The huge bronze pushed past Tonuth and, for a moment, Sorelle felt pity for the smaller dragon. He had been put through a lot and his noble heart deserved better. Sivarith picked up on the feeling and lifted her head in Tonuth's direction, but was distracted by the crooning from Imahyth. Your children are coming. They will be strong, like you, and beautiful, like me.
As B'lor entered, Sorelle cringed. This could get messy quickly. He was entitled to be here, yet she had just asked J'lor to stay.
"You can stay, but I'd recommend that your dragon leave."
Sivarith grunted her disapproval, but she was gripped by another convulsion and Sorelle turned back to her lifemate. "You two work this out," she said, waving her hand at the two males. "It's okay," she said to Sivarith, "just concentrate on the eggs." She hummed quietly to the dragon, a song they both had heard many times. Sorelle had long forgotten the words, but it was a song of triumph, of a bright future, of hope.
Tag Any
|
|
|
Post by J'lor and Tonuth on Oct 14, 2010 1:29:35 GMT -5
"Hold me,
He was confused but obediently reached out to put his arms around her waist when he heard a wordless snarl from Tonuth and a growl as Imahyth landed and inserted himself into his rightful place.
"You can stay, but I'd recommend that your dragon leave."
”I told you to give way to him, it is HIS right not yours. Now back off.”
Tonuth galloped a few strides away scaring beasts in the pens before he launched into the dawn sky. He flung himself away from the Weyr, over the Hold and then across the passage between the two islands. Finally finding a peak he settled there as the sun rose.
"Is there anything I can do?"
J’lor’s mind followed his launch but turned back to the sands and where he was. There was no mistaking the flare of anger in the bronze rider’s eyes. The younger man had every right to be here and he didn’t. Yet Sorelle had asked him to stay.
He was torn wanting to support Sorelle but this stress would not be good for Sivarith.
“I’m sorry.” He apologized to B’lor “We were only guarding them until you came. Please assure Imalhyth we did not intend to usurp his place.”
He still couldn’t bring himself to break contact with Sorelle. For some reason he didn’t understand she needed him right now. That was enough to make him want to stay and give her whatever support he could, even though the situation was odd to say the least.
"You two work this out,"
J’lor sighed. Losing Sorelle seemed to be the theme of his life. He turned and dropped a kiss on the top of her head and then let her go. He turned to walk out of the hatching grounds and as he passed the younger man he said “She wants to be held.”
Tag either
|
|
|
Post by sorelle on Oct 26, 2010 8:33:28 GMT -5
Sivarith ignored what was happening with the others. Pain wracked her body and she struggled with each egg. It had never been this hard before and she worried over every one of them, after seeing the results of the first two.
After several eggs were laid, she rested her large head in the sand, utterly exhausted. There was ichor stained sand behind her and on the eggs.
"I hurt, Mine."
Sorelle pushed the man behind her away and knelt down next to her lifemate, her eyes full of fear. "I know. You are doing an amazing job." She swallowed quickly as she saw the stain in the sand. Sivarith's breathing was shallow.
"Help us," Sorelle shouted.
Tag Any
|
|
|
Post by Echo and Anayeth on Oct 26, 2010 17:40:42 GMT -5
Echo had had no doubt that Sivarith would have been able to clutch just fine. In fact, Echo had less doubt than she had had with Chalarath that Sivarith could clutch just fine. Thus, she wasn’t outside the hatching sands, worrying her head off like she had with Chalarath. However, Echo really hadn’t taken in effect Sivarith’s old age. The poor Gold was too old to be Flying but had Flown because the Weyr needed more dragons. It was horrible, yes, but it was necessary. And until Drusilith and maybe Brekka’s Silver could Fly, only Chalarath would be a cluther. The Weyr would not grow fast enough then.
However, the brown-haired woman had happened to be walking around the Hatching Sands at the exact moment Sorelle yelled for help. For a moment, Echo thought this was a farce and that she had not heard Sorelle’s voice at all. Echo had truthfully never heard the crazy woman yell. Though Echo would never call her a crazy woman out loud—not even alone—she was pretty sure everyone knew of Sorelle’s… slightly off personality.
“Lady Sorelle! What’s wrong!” Echo cried as she ran into the Sands. She was running into the Sands at such an angle that she did not see the green smears on the ground, but she did see the dead eggs. None of that registered in her mind right now, though. What did register in her mind was the fact that this was a clutching time and both mother and father (and… Brown?) dragons were very irritable. Echo screeched to a halt (obviously with no sound), and sand flew up around her boots, which already held sweating feet. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Echo declared, bowing at Sorelle and her dragon’s Bronze mate’s rider. And maybe the bow was for J’lor as well, as they were all in the same general direction. “May I enter the Sands?”
|
|
|
Post by J'lor and Tonuth on Oct 26, 2010 21:42:39 GMT -5
At the distress of Sivarith Tonuth screamed from his mountain top and flashed /between/ to the Weyr descending behind and beyond the position of Imahyth the clutch sire.
She is in pain more pain than should be for her clutch he told his rider.
J’lor whipped back around at the entrance where he’d been about to leave them in B’lor’s capable care to see Sorelle push him away.
”Help us,”
He saw the dragonhealer come running and skid in the sand. “Lady Sorelle! What’s wrong!” She bowed to them all covering all the bases “May I enter the Sands?”
J’lor felt awful about all the drama he and Tonuth had added to the stress on both the gold and her rider. He caught a glimpse of the brown head weaving on the other side of the big bronze trying to see Sivarith. His eyes were whirling with lavender and purple, yellow, and orange.
J’lor went to the dragon healer, “What do you need, who do you need.”
Tag Any
|
|
|
Post by sorelle on Oct 28, 2010 13:19:27 GMT -5
“Lady Sorelle! What’s wrong!”
Sivarith curved her neck and raised her great head, then opened her mouth and let out an ear-splitting roar at the intruder. "Easy," Sorelle said, laying her hands on the leg of the gold. "She's just here to help you have healthy children." Sivarith shook her head in agitation, but dropped it back down to the sand with fatigue.
"Come closer," she said to Echo, beckoning her with a wave of her hand.
Sorelle looked for support, but B'lor seemed to be in some sort of shock, as he wasn't moving or talking at all. He was young, and this experience had to be hard on him. Then, she saw J'lor. He hadn't left after all. Her eyes found his and she gave him a look of pure desperation. There was not one dragonrider who didn't fear the loss of their lifemate. Sorelle had never seen hers so weak. The dragon had spent her life in glorious health, vibrant, not like the dull creature that lay there today in the hot sands. Sorelle knelt down in the sand and put her head against Sivarith's, sending love and strength through their link. Her hand reached out in the direction of J'lor.
Tag Any
|
|
|
Post by J'lor and Tonuth on Oct 28, 2010 21:56:28 GMT -5
The roar distressed Tonuth to the point where he was hopping back and forth between feet in anxiety. His croons were soon echoed by other dragon voices and though the big brown wouldn’t cross the clutch sire he was anxious over the gold in a personal way for a dragon… almost as though she was his own mate.
J’lor was finding those emotions from the dragon almost overwhelming and was torn between trying to help the dragon healer, and going to his lifemate.
But it was the plea in Sorelle’s eyes that changed everything. He was completely certain the look was meant for him and not B’lor. They were no longer standing together. He couldn’t understand why the man seemed frozen where he stood.
Sorelle’s eyes showed her despair. They couldn’t lose Sivarith! No…
He could see her send everything toward her life mate and when her hand extended to him he could do nothing but go to her and hold her like she’d asked in the first place.
J’lor knelt behind the Weyrwoman and put his arms around her his face against the top of her head. “she’ll be ok,” he said. “We’re not going anywhere until she’s done.” He said everything he could think of to reassure and support the woman he loved. He poured forth his own heart to try and help replenish what she was sending to the magnificent mother of so many dragons.
Tag any
|
|
|
Post by Echo and Anayeth on Oct 29, 2010 16:39:59 GMT -5
Echo attempted not to cover her ears when Sivarith bellowed out her ear-splitting wail. It took some trying, but even after the few seconds, Echo still instinctively covered her ears when the cry became loud enough. Wincing, she looked apologetically at Sivarith. She did not know the amount of pain that the Queen was going through, but she could imagine. Except she still had no idea what pain Sivarith was going through because she couldn’t see.
J’lor, the Brownrider, asked what Echo needed and who she needed, and Echo shrugged with unknowing. Then Sorelle shifted her gaze back from her dragon to the Dragonhealer and said Echo could come closer. With cautious but quick steps, Echo drew closer, staying well away from the eggs Sivarith had laid.
Then she saw the green ichor that covered the sands and the eggs Sivarith had laid. With horror in her eyes, she turned back to J’lor and gulped. But, for all she felt horrible, her voice was steady as she said, “I’ll need a Master in to check my work after, but what I really need is more numbweed and muscle relaxant. I think I’ve got enough redwort here, but there’s no use having more. A comfrey poultice is good, and the Healer named Wrennie is good at making those.”
Having relayed orders, and hoping J’lor could remember those orders, Echo turned and stepped closer to Sivarith. The great, heaving dragon was in pain and in labor. She covered her hands in the fish oil she kept with her always in her shoulder pack and then drew from it numbweed, which she pushed her fingers in the jar. She gently touched the dragon on her hindquarters, “Let me see, may I?” She asked the Gold, wondering if being this close without having been a rider, or her rider, or her dragon’s mate, would certainly kill her.
|
|
|
Post by sorelle on Oct 30, 2010 17:11:50 GMT -5
“She’ll be ok. We’re not going anywhere until she’s done.”
His embrace was warm and comforting and she wished she could do the same for Sivarith, whose hindquarters trembled at the touch of Echo.
“Let me see, may I?”
Sivarith yanked her head up off of the ground and Sorelle fell back slightly as she avoided her lifemate's head. Leaning against J'lor, Sorelle remained still, not wanting to distract the distraught dragon with unnecessary movement. Sivarith's lips curled away from her huge teeth and she hissed at Echo.
"Stop that," Sorelle commanded, both mentally and out loud.
Sivarith sniffed Echo up and down, blowing hot puffs of air. Then, with a flip of her head, she flung Echo skyward. The woman fell with a thud into the soft, hot sand.
"Sivarith!" The dragon flipped her head back to Sorelle, eyes swirling.
"Mine, she-"
The eyes stopped swirling and the membrane came down over them, covering her eyes as her head and neck wobbled. A strange sound came out of her mouth as her head lowered to the ground forcefully, scattering sand over the pair with the impact.
Sorelle screamed.
Tag Any (Sivarith passed out. Now's a good time to treat her.)
|
|
|
Post by B'lor and Imahyth on Oct 30, 2010 21:22:57 GMT -5
Imahyth swung his head back and forth, his eyes gray-tinged crimson as he watched his mate suffer. He didn't understand what was going on, or what he could do to help. B'lor stood by in a similar state of confusion, his face chalk white. He wanted to do something to help Sorelle, but he didn't want to crowd her. She didn't trust him enough.
His eyes went wide when the Gold flung Echo across the sand. Then Sivarith went limp. Imahyth let out a low keen, and B'lor held his breath. She's still alive, but I can't reach her![/color] the bronze said, panicked. He moved closer and nudged Sivarith gently, trying to wake her.
B'lor swayed on his feet. Sorelle's scream seemed to come from far away. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. B'lor![/color] He could feel Imahyth's panic growing, and he shook his head, trying to steady himself.
The Healer...they needed her. B'lor walked over to where Echo had fallen and knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?" She probably wasn't, but he wanted to feel like he was doing something helpful.
Tag Any
|
|