Hello loves! While I haven't been writing, I have been working on updating some issues that have been hanging around on the layout! The Character change box is now at the bottom of the page, beside the up/down arrows! Green and Gold dragon flight dates have been shifted to the bottom of the page, where the (useless!) discord widget was located. Where the dragon flights were in the header, is now replaced by a Monthly Event box! This will be updated at the start of each month, with a fun mini-event you can take part in, if you want to! Thistle!
24.May.22, 09:58 AM
Aili had gone to bed early, still humming with warm fuzzies after the fuss R’nya and Rhaedalyn had made of it being her birthday. While Aili had never been ignored on her birthday, they were never much more than a kiss from her mother, a smile from her father, and maybe a special meal at dinner time. They simply didn’t have the time to throw full-fledged parties like Aili had heard they had for the high ranking Lords and Ladies when they had birthdays, or weddings, or any reason the upper class seemed to find for drinking and dancing and showing off how much money they had. It seemed, to some degree to Aili, that the Weyrfolk weren’t all that far removed from them. Aili had been given mulled wine that Rhaedalyn had made mild so she and the children could drink it. She’s been presented with a birthday cake that Rhaedalyn herself had made (Aili had been beyond delighted) and the pair (and their army of daughters) had presented her with a firelizard egg.
To say Aili had been rendered speechless would have been an understatement, even for the usually quiet girl. She’s burst into tears – happy ones – and repeatedly thanked the couple for their generosity and kindness. R’nya had been as stoic as ever, but Rhaedalyn wasn’t above being emotional and Aili found that special, because she was so used to her mother telling her off when she displayed too much emotion; ladies were supposed to be reserved and demure and not cause a scene. Crying or laughing loudly caused scenes. Aili had spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening hugging the small clay pot that was filled with hot sands from the Hatching Grounds, with her little egg cradled protectively inside.
When Aili had called it a night, she’d made her way back to her weyr to find that the fire was still going, and she banked it, watching the sparks flare up and then catch on the fresh wood. Setting her little clay pot down beside it, where it would keep warm for the night, she’d made her way off to bathe, brush her teeth, and pull on her pyjamas before falling into bed in exhaustion. Which was why, when she awoke a handful of hours later, she was bewildered. Suddenly, from the middle of a peaceful dream, she’d found herself wide awake. A frown pulled her brows together, and Aili sighed as she got up, figuring she needed to go to the bathroom and her brain just hadn’t clicked to the fact that she needed to pee.
The stone floor was freezing on her bare feet, and Aili paused to pull on some socks, and a pair of shoes. She could use the chamber pot that was in her room for such things, but Aili disliked cleaning it, and would rather the cold walk down the hall to the public bathroom. Wrapping her arms around herself, she made her way out of her room, glancing towards the fire as she passed to make sure it was still keeping the egg warm. She paused, blinking, not realising what she was seeing for a moment. Her frown reappeared, and she crept closer to the egg, eyes widening suddenly when she realised it was not shadows that were decorating the little shell, but cracks.
“Oh!” she gasped, dropping her folded arms to pick up the clay pot, bringing it up close to her face. “Oh!” This one was a breathy sigh of excitement. Her egg was hatching! She was going to have her firelizard the day after her birthday! She beamed down at it. It took a few more minutes for the instructions she’d been given to make themselves known to her, and she glanced around wildly. She needed oil for the little lizard’s hide… Oh and food! What was she going to feed it! It needed to eat, or it would leave her! Suddenly horrified, Aili glanced around desperately again, though she knew she had neither food nor oil in her little room. She didn’t have a full weyr, since she was a Candidate, and would hopefully be moving into a weyr with a dragon in the future. She was too shy to join the Candidate Barracks, which was why R’nya had organised for her to have a room near their weyr.
Hugging the clay pot to her chest, Aili trotted out of her room, looked left and right, and then darted down the halls to take the shortcut Rhaedalyn had taught her to get quickly from the Weyrleader’s Wing to the Kitchens. She didn’t see anyone as she made her way down there, but the little one inside the egg was starting to really fight for their freedom. A nose almost poked out, and Aili gasped as she darted, finally, into the kitchens. They were lit with low lights, to cater to those who came by in the wee hours when everyone else was sleeping. She glanced around – no one was there that she could see – and she made her way to one of the cooking fires. There was a large pot hanging over it, and she could tell it had been left to simmer.
Peering into the large pot, Aili was disappointed to find it was filled with porridge. That wouldn’t do at all. Rhaedalyn had said the little firelizard would want meat, not grains. There wasn’t even anything in it yet, to make it tasty, like fruits or something. It was obviously being prepared for the morning’s breakfast. Turning away from the pot in disappointment, Aili spotted what was left of a roast, and flashed a smile, glancing down at the egg before looking around for a knife. Spotting one not far from the haunch, Aili set the clay pot down on the table near the meat, and collected the knife; she set about hacking off a few pieces, glancing anxiously at the ferociously wobbling egg – which was now making squeaks and grunts as the baby worked to escape – hoping she’d be able to have enough before the little one got its head out.
To say Aili had been rendered speechless would have been an understatement, even for the usually quiet girl. She’s burst into tears – happy ones – and repeatedly thanked the couple for their generosity and kindness. R’nya had been as stoic as ever, but Rhaedalyn wasn’t above being emotional and Aili found that special, because she was so used to her mother telling her off when she displayed too much emotion; ladies were supposed to be reserved and demure and not cause a scene. Crying or laughing loudly caused scenes. Aili had spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening hugging the small clay pot that was filled with hot sands from the Hatching Grounds, with her little egg cradled protectively inside.
When Aili had called it a night, she’d made her way back to her weyr to find that the fire was still going, and she banked it, watching the sparks flare up and then catch on the fresh wood. Setting her little clay pot down beside it, where it would keep warm for the night, she’d made her way off to bathe, brush her teeth, and pull on her pyjamas before falling into bed in exhaustion. Which was why, when she awoke a handful of hours later, she was bewildered. Suddenly, from the middle of a peaceful dream, she’d found herself wide awake. A frown pulled her brows together, and Aili sighed as she got up, figuring she needed to go to the bathroom and her brain just hadn’t clicked to the fact that she needed to pee.
The stone floor was freezing on her bare feet, and Aili paused to pull on some socks, and a pair of shoes. She could use the chamber pot that was in her room for such things, but Aili disliked cleaning it, and would rather the cold walk down the hall to the public bathroom. Wrapping her arms around herself, she made her way out of her room, glancing towards the fire as she passed to make sure it was still keeping the egg warm. She paused, blinking, not realising what she was seeing for a moment. Her frown reappeared, and she crept closer to the egg, eyes widening suddenly when she realised it was not shadows that were decorating the little shell, but cracks.
“Oh!” she gasped, dropping her folded arms to pick up the clay pot, bringing it up close to her face. “Oh!” This one was a breathy sigh of excitement. Her egg was hatching! She was going to have her firelizard the day after her birthday! She beamed down at it. It took a few more minutes for the instructions she’d been given to make themselves known to her, and she glanced around wildly. She needed oil for the little lizard’s hide… Oh and food! What was she going to feed it! It needed to eat, or it would leave her! Suddenly horrified, Aili glanced around desperately again, though she knew she had neither food nor oil in her little room. She didn’t have a full weyr, since she was a Candidate, and would hopefully be moving into a weyr with a dragon in the future. She was too shy to join the Candidate Barracks, which was why R’nya had organised for her to have a room near their weyr.
Hugging the clay pot to her chest, Aili trotted out of her room, looked left and right, and then darted down the halls to take the shortcut Rhaedalyn had taught her to get quickly from the Weyrleader’s Wing to the Kitchens. She didn’t see anyone as she made her way down there, but the little one inside the egg was starting to really fight for their freedom. A nose almost poked out, and Aili gasped as she darted, finally, into the kitchens. They were lit with low lights, to cater to those who came by in the wee hours when everyone else was sleeping. She glanced around – no one was there that she could see – and she made her way to one of the cooking fires. There was a large pot hanging over it, and she could tell it had been left to simmer.
Peering into the large pot, Aili was disappointed to find it was filled with porridge. That wouldn’t do at all. Rhaedalyn had said the little firelizard would want meat, not grains. There wasn’t even anything in it yet, to make it tasty, like fruits or something. It was obviously being prepared for the morning’s breakfast. Turning away from the pot in disappointment, Aili spotted what was left of a roast, and flashed a smile, glancing down at the egg before looking around for a knife. Spotting one not far from the haunch, Aili set the clay pot down on the table near the meat, and collected the knife; she set about hacking off a few pieces, glancing anxiously at the ferociously wobbling egg – which was now making squeaks and grunts as the baby worked to escape – hoping she’d be able to have enough before the little one got its head out.
