It was a day like no other in Vicky's life. She, wife to Master Farmer Dominic, lay panting and heaving and sweating as she struggled to give birth to their first born child. The pain rippling through her body seemed unbearable, and when that final moment came and she heard that first cry of strong little lungs her eyes filled with tears of joy. "It's a girl!" the healer attending her exclaimed. Vicky's heart leapt. A girl... A little lady to bring up, to love forever and ever! The healer brought the little purple bundle of her daughter to her arms and all Vicky could do was weep. Her baby, her beautiful little girl! But then something strange happened, she felt another contraction and groaned in pain. Was the after birth really as painful as the birth? But all thoughts were cut off by another contraction, "don't push Vicky, don't push!" Ok, Ok! And then there was another cry, the soft gurgle of freshly cleared lungs. "A boy! A son!" And all the joy and love she felt before doubled over. Her heart felt like it really would explode with her happiness... A boy! A son for Dominic and a daughter for her. It was all so wonderful! And the names.. Oh! Both names could be used-- Danae, for a dear friend's daughter who had died and Vicktor, for Dominic wanted to name all their children after his beloved. Tears streaming down her face as her two beautiful children were placed into her arms, Vicky had no idea what mischievous little darlings they would grow up to be. Over the years Vicky and Dominic would have many children, and foster many more. But by the time Danae was three there was herself, Vicktor, their younger brothers Brandon and Garwin, and fosters Annie and Erzi. They were true to prediction, mischievous and always getting into trouble. When Danae was just under four turns her mother took her to a firelizard hatching. This was an exciting event for little Nae more because she got to play with the raw, squishy meat than because of the little things that creeled around her. So when the demanding little hatchling jumped into her lap and snagged her meat toy she was very surprised. But then after giggling and being encouraged by her parents she continued to feed him. A perfect pairing they were, for Etzal, as Nae named him, was an insistent creature, wanting complete adoration, and that's what Nae gave him, completely amazed by her new living toy. Totally in love with her big bronze boy. Soon after that impression Danae, her siblings, and a group of their friends got into quite a bit of trouble. Thread was due to fall over Grinstead, but the children were tired of being cooped up during such times. And, they were too young to really understand the dangers of thread. They snuck out while the protective doors of the hold were still open and brave and defiantly played outside, to prove there was no real danger. They went unchecked for all the shutters of the hold had been closed and no adult eyes could see out. They had great fun until the dragons appeared over head, and even the bravest of them decided they better take cover-- "so that the riders don't see them" was the excuse. So they went to the familiar cave by the lake and hid. But inside the Hold and Hall their absence had been discovered. Vicky was sick with worry, along with the other mothers, when they found the children were not safely inside. One man was sent out to look for them and when he found them he was not at all welcomed. The children refused to come inside to the point where they yelled at their would-be hero and kicked him in the shins until he left. Firelizards popped in, but the little ones were quick to shoo them so that no message could be conveyed. So they waited out the fall in the cave.... and then suffered the wrath of their parents afterwards. And wrath it was. Erzi was sent off to Ista Weyr, taken in by B'ran. Annie was almost sent away, and Danae and her other siblings who were involved were close to being fostered out. They skimmed by with humble acceptance of punishment and promises to never behave so badly again. But time passes, and these things are forgiven. Danae's fifth turn-day came around and a big party was thrown. All her family was there; children running and laughing all around Grinsteads lake, colorful decorations strewn about, and more attention than Danae could ever ask for. All this was capped by the presentation of mommy and daddy's turn-day gift. A runner. A wonderful, well bread, beautiful, tame, little gelding that was perfect for Danae. She named him Medalion. And with Medalion, Nae's interest in the HerderCraft grew. She took lessons every week on him, learned how to ride quite well. But, like her fleeting interest in the DolphinCraft, it didn't last long after that. Much later that turn Danae attended another firelizard hatching. Vicky came with her, but let Danae do this one herself. Knowing the little thing like food, she sent Etzal off with those instructions, 'bring food'. So he did, he brought his favorite food, live minnows. And plenty of them. The little fish proved to be quite distracting to Nae as she tried to keep their flipping bodies in a little corral of sorts she made with her legs. And most of her effort was spent on catching one of the fish so that she could offer it to the hatchlings, but they were so slippery she could not grasp them with her still uncoordinated fingers. So when the discolored gold hatchling stumbled into her 'corral' and began to eat up Danae's fish, Danae was shocked! The little ungainly gold hopped and wobbled around cheerily sucking up each little fish and when they were gone she turned and looked to Danae for more. Elated by the flood of love from the little creature Nae was quick to send the happy Etzal for more fish. Little did the bronze know how disgusted he would become with this green queen... but then, she was his now, like it or not. Life went on happily after that. Danae growing older, testing crafts, getting into trouble. But nothing really kept her interest for long. She was a good organizer though. Her biggest venture was a surprise turn-day party for a friend. Games were put together, races, play things, all for the children of Grinstead and Ista Holds. They even got permission to decorate and use the Ista Holds gather grounds. Danae's young gold Carolyne had recently laid her first clutch, so the eggs were offered as prizes. There was a firelizard race, a bubblie eating contest, a dart throwing contest, and a few other games that were all played out. It was great fun, and Danae was very pleased. But Nae's life wasn't all peaches and cream. Vicky's sister Narissa wed to a wonderful man named Luhel. Soon after, they had a child named Lurissa... But the happy couple was not meant to be. Narissa fell ill and died not long after Lurissa's birth. Danae was never quite sure what exactly it was that killed her aunt, but the death brought a mournful fog to their home. A while after that things brightened for Danae as she impressed yet again, this time to a little dirty-looking brown who she named Mud. And things began to get better all around, added to by the birth of three more siblings; the triplets Teanna, Tamisha, and Trista. Identical girls, save for the different birth-marks they all have. But again, things would turn sad. Danae's favorite uncle, Jaot, went on a sailing trip with his family Jueann and their child. A wild storm caught them, and only Jueann and child returned. She was much closer to her Unkie Joat, so it hit her quite hard. Again mourning quieted the hold... And over time things began to heal, months and turns went by and happiness returned accompanied by Danae's mother giving birth to another set of twins. Shane and Shanysia. This birth pleased Danae to no end. Twins, just like her and Vicktor. Shany a little sister she could bring up in her shadow. Danae doted over her baby sister, wanting to play mommy with her all the time, and was only slightly restricted by her parents. Life was good again. News from Ista Weyr came of Erzi's impression to a brown dragon named Wicketh. And, even though Erzi had been turned away long ago, all of Danae's siblings still considered her a sister and were very proud and happy for her. Dominic was now the Master Farmer of Pern but with his children growing older and the twins now at a turn of age, he and Vicky decided to take their chance to tour Pern, going off to finally see their world as Dominic has always wanted to do. Vicky was still not completely recovered from from her last labor but she went along any how. She was happy and eager to get her mind out of the past. In the meantime, Danae and her siblings filtered out. Annie went to Ista Weyr to live with a new found sister and rider, Kara. While Danae, Trista, Shane and Shanysia all went to live at Gar Hold as the LordHolder's fosterlings. Not too soon after word came of eggs on the sands at Ista and dragons riding search. They came to Gar and Danae was snatched right up and taken to the Weyr. Only to find that her sister Annie had also been searched. Her Candidacy was fun, hard, frustrating, and absolutely wonderful. They played the traditional pranks of painting dragons and the Weyr bright colors, and a few not so traditional ones... Then, the ultimate, catastrophic event of Danae's life hit. Her father, Dominic, came back from his travels alone. Their loving mother was dead. Vicky died peacefully in her sleep, the birth of Shane and Shanysia was too much on her body. A fever took her to her bed, escalated quickly, and she passed on in just a few days time. The whole family was devastated. Danae refused to believe it. Mothers don't die. But Vicky did.. Slowly, Nae had to come to terms with that fact. It will always be a tender spot for Danae. Her mother was her life, very loving, always kind and understanding. Nae doesn't like to talk about it at all. And if it hadn't been for the love and support of her family, Danae may have never made it to the sands. And then the day came, the Hatching. It happened all too fast. The dragons began to hummm and the group of candidates were quickly rushed into their white robes and then ushered onto the hot sands where eggs were already rocking; dragonets were already peeking out of their shells. Impression began immediately. Left and right of her, Danae's friends were brought to their knees with joy, love sparkling in their eyes as they called out their new lifemates' names. Danae searched through the many gleaming hides for her dragon, searched for that mind that would link with hers. Distraction caught her, the queen egg, glowing like a gem, had broken open. A beautiful, wonderfully perfect golden queen sat in the sands and creeled for her lifemate. Danae's heart filled with joy! But, this little queen was not creeling for her, the golden beauty Serath was creeling for Annie! Torn and bewildered, Nae didn't know whether to cry out in joy or defeat. She was left on the sands without a lifemate, but Annie, her sister, had impressed the queen! Annie was now a Weyrwoman. Crushed by her failure on the sands, but still happy, Nae decided she wasn't going to let this bring her down even further. Isn't that what mother always told her? Chin up... Vicky wouldn't want her death to ruin her family. Life went on, Danae was Danae, and though recent events still stung, she was alive. She still had the rest of her family and she was still young, with many hatchings to come. She opted to stay at the Weyr, helping where she could and moving into Annie's old room in Kara's weyr. And her helpfulness did not go unnoticed. Silvera, Ista Weyr's Headwoman, watched her. When Danae responded to a request for an Assistant Headwoman she was accepted and given new duties, a room of her own in the lower caverns, and a new responsibility she took with pride and maturity; despite her young age of 14 turns. Just about the same time she became assistant headwoman she impressed a little green firelizard. A silent one, with somewhat mangled feet that made it hard for the little Sairi to walk. In flight she was perfectly graceful. And Sai was not the only new relationship that developed for Danae. Now a pretty young lady, she drew quite a few eyes of the young men. Friends that she's had since childhood began looking at her differently now. Quite strange for Danae, but not all that unwanted. And then the weirdest thing happened, Danae was asked to stand for Ista's newest clutch by the Weyrleader C'dar. She accepted, but wasn't all that happy about it. She was the assistant Headwoman, she had been giving out chores for all the new candidates to do, and now she was going to have to do all those chores she happily assigned. All cores aside, she still had as much fun as the last time she was
a candidate, new friends made, and old ones seen again. And her little
brother Garwin had also been searched, leading to a bit of competitive
pranking. And then that fateful day arrived, and all the lads and lasses
in white robed glory filed out onto the sands. Danae and Garwin huddled
together, wishing and hoping, watching all the eggs hatch until the very
last two. Then as a blue and a green broke their shells the Weyrwoman called
out, upon Annie's request, for Nae and Gar to stand closer together, to
be seen better. And when they did, blue and green hatchlings decided they
had found their matches.
Elated with her new lifemate, Weyrling hood went by with only a few incidents, and soon Danae and her wonderful Almirath began their search for their own weyr. Around this time Nae and one of the Assistant Weyrling Masters, C'ran, began spending a little more time together. And then, when Almirath did what all female dragons do, it was C'ran and his blue Celth that sprang to the skies in flight, among others, but in the end, Celth captured the little lady green, and C'ran and Danae began a relationship. That relationship went on for a while, until Annie, Nae's older sister,
found out about it. See, Annie has held onto her Holder values, still believes
Danae is an innocent child, and flipped when she found C'ran and Danae
together. What insued was a battle royal, and in the after math Danae was
sent to Black Sands as a watchrider, and C'ran was grounded to his weyr.
In the end Serath flew, Annie cooled down, some, and C'ran and Danae staid together with out Annie knowing. The pair had just found out by way of a helpful dolphin, that Danae was pregnant. And there was no other possibility but C'ran as the father. Things have been quiet since, the birth of Cianae, a bouncing baby girl, went with out a glitch. Annie has yet to see her niece, but it is sure she knows about her. And even though Danae and C'ran still have their separate weyrs, Celth continues to win Almirath in mating flights and C'ran and Nae spend their idle time together with their daughter.
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