Post by Memorie on Jun 19, 2007 10:31:01 GMT -5
Tujal stood back and grinned as Amenth finished laying the last egg. It had been a long three-day trial, but they had began it together and finished it together. And there they were, all twenty-nine mottled eggs, some still glistening with fluids from the womb, others dry and getting dryer every day. Sadly, there was no great golden egg, but there were at least seven fairly large eggs that Tujal was sure were bronzes. It had been an awesome, if terrifying, flight, and the laying had gone much better. And Tujal would be charred to Fall if Ista, or anyone else, stole her queen's eggs. For a queen she was now--she had risen, mated, and laid. The only thing left on the list was a successful hatching.
They are mine, Amenth told her, not exactly rudely, but still asserting her authority.
"We must let candidates into see them, Amenth. I know you won't like it, but they have to meet the eggs. Some say it helps Impression...and it certainly alleviates the fear of those little squallering infants," she replied, smiling at the Gold. Amenth had not grown up to be giant, but she was beautiful.
They better not be loud, then, was the answer, and Tujal had no worries.
She and I'slen celebrated accordingly that night.
A month later, the eggs had lost their leathery roughness and now were hard as rocks. Amenth had preened and turned and dusted and preened again, but the eggs, all twenty-nine, were still there. They grew closer and closer to hatching.
"A day of glory/and in a month, who seeks?" Tujal whispered to herself as she entered the cavern to inspect the eggs.
They are mine, Amenth told her, not exactly rudely, but still asserting her authority.
"We must let candidates into see them, Amenth. I know you won't like it, but they have to meet the eggs. Some say it helps Impression...and it certainly alleviates the fear of those little squallering infants," she replied, smiling at the Gold. Amenth had not grown up to be giant, but she was beautiful.
They better not be loud, then, was the answer, and Tujal had no worries.
She and I'slen celebrated accordingly that night.
~~~
A month later, the eggs had lost their leathery roughness and now were hard as rocks. Amenth had preened and turned and dusted and preened again, but the eggs, all twenty-nine, were still there. They grew closer and closer to hatching.
"A day of glory/and in a month, who seeks?" Tujal whispered to herself as she entered the cavern to inspect the eggs.
