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Variel 1
It was a bright sunny day in Matori with the gentle trade winds marching along and making the weather most agreeable despite the very real heat that the sun carried. She loved Matori. It had sand like Oba but also some of the lushest vegetation and a great view of the sea at any convienient moment. It filled her heart with joy to be here with her family. Her pack. Her everything.

Even her brother was kicking around here somewhere with Kynin. And as they had all been anticipating her janarim had fathered this years batch of Janarim eggs to improve the bloodline as he was only so happy to oblige.

She was excited because it was from these clutches that she got to choose two janarim for herself as stud fee and one or two of Viltre's and Ein's choices, should they wish to take a baby as well. They may even use Xar the following year should his genetics prove fruitful.

Viltre, once introductions were raised, had been taking the chance to look around, see everything. The farm he remembered from visits to Sorin had been more agriculturlly focused, and thus he'd expected fields, not the small garden. He knew this had been a ranch, but being a city boy through and through, the differences between ranch and farm had seemed minor at best. Their stay was proving him wrong most every time the thief turned around.

It didn't help that there was always at least one child, teen or younger clanmate keeping an eye on him. Not from distrust so much as security. They likely thought themselves discreet about it, which would be true enough for anyone else. Young Kavensei, however, felt the eyes, heard their movements, felt the placid caution. It felt like being surrounded by people that thought walking on tiptoe was the way to avoid attention. Excellent hunters, many of them, he was sure. But few details escaped his attention.

Slender and tall, he seemed to spring up behind Variel like bamboo. She'd been leaning on the post of one of the pens, watching some of the younger creatures play with a smile on her face. "Anyone winning?"

It had taken a little time, an hour, half again an hour, to get close enough to sit down. The young war-lizard was still grousing at her earthling, but she was also gnawing at a substantial chunk of hard, salted meat. Though the grumbling equivalent sounded fairly savage, the fanged maw paused to open by the earthling's head and lick at the softer cheek. Einsol had been a little girl herself when this one hatched, and was a known factor. It'd just been nerves, was all. Not unjustly! Janarim males could get single-minded enough to step on their own clutch if not driven off. As intelligent as Xarthin was, these things could happen.

True, the healer had to sit around for a while, but it couldn't be called boring. She had plenty to do! She could keep the eggs warm with her touch and gift, watch the weather, make faces at Variel once she arrived... There she is. Right on time. This batch would take a little more incubation, but one of the others had already begun breaking open their shells. As they were somewhat obliged to look after themselves in the wake of careless feet, Janarim pups were up and moving within minutes of hatching. Normally, anyhow.

One, egg shattered by an enthusiastic clutchmate following in the finest traditions of his careless forebears, had broken him out a few minutes early. She patted their mother on the snoot, and got up, leaving her basket there. It had her scent and would do for a little while. Dark Einsol marched over to the pups, tossing a bit of eggshell to get Variel's 'winner to leave off, and began checking over his lateblooming sibling...

"Is that so? Can you really predict it that closely?" She eyed him suspiciously. Did her mate have some uncanny foresight ability that she didn't previously know about?

She had noticed a few changes in her mother when she was pregnant with the twins but she had already been out of the house and working so visits had been somewhat sporadic.

She enjoyed watching Einsol work with the young critters, the girl had such a knack with them. It was a joy that they shared.

"Xarthin still petulant I see. They are such crazy beasts during the breeding season."

"Closely isn't a word I'd use when the margin for error is a month. But yes. The maths are fairly consistent. Going to need to be a bit better about sketching out plans, going forward. Risks to calculate and all that." Contrary to the webs of influence involved in preparation, Viltre preferred secrecy and simplicity in a scheme's execution. Less moving parts to something meant less bits to foul up at the first run of trouble. He had no doubt Variel would insist on personal involvement in any attempt to make Elaxi's thieves pay. If more delicate matters got too far along by that point, things might well become complicated. And complications, while unavoidable, were to be minimized where possible.

While his thoughts whirled behind them, green eyes stared out over the field, watching more and more pups scramble their first steps in the sand. One or two had begun to circle their third sibling, and by extension the yellow-dressed woman holding them. The clutch weren't old enough to do more than squeak, and tended to startle each other when another made noise. Rather foiled any clumsy stalking. "Get the impression she'd prefer 'Mama Einsol', if that's alright. Been 'Auntie' most of her life, hasn't she?" She wouldn't say anything, he thought, just tell herself to stop being silly and wait. Sounds oddly familiar...

Warmer-than-natural hands soon had the slime dried off this pup. To the newborn reptile, they were the same as the hot sand around the shell. It (or rather, she) stopped trying to escape once the eyes opened. No more slime meant the lids came unstuck, and the tiny mind had a whole lot of distractions all at once. Einsol let her go at this point, as no damage or infirmity had presented itself. The pup scrambled off like a shot, making a beeline for her sibling and bowling him over. With a new playmate, he soon forgot all about eggshells and got down to the important business of running over and being run over by his clutchmates.

With this clutch up and scampering around, she got up, brushing dried fluids off of her yellow liene. A few dozen paces brought her back to the new mother, picking up her basket again. A slightly lighter basket. A look inside saw another large chunk of salt meat missing. Under the healer's patient yellow gaze, even the janarim had the sense to look a little ashamed. When she glanced back to her mates, the hybrid girl couldn't help but smile a bit. They were bickering again. Wasn't quite an argument and it wasn't banter. Wonder what she's on about?

Variel opened her mouth and then closed it. She took a deep breath and watched the hatchlings for a moment to gather her thoughts which had gone the way of brain squirrels off in every direction at once.

She turned to Vil opened her mouth...then closed it and turned back to the hatchlings.

"Er, next time you er...notice that I'm pregnant, you can tell me."

"But for comfirmations sake, Einsol!" She called their other mate over, when she had a moment with the clutch between hatchings.

"Er, how would I know if I were...pregnant?"

He'd misstepped. His father's attitude there was not something to mimic, but this hadn't worked either. Should have answered more delicately, or else less flippantly. Course correction was required. The peck gave another moments pause as dark blue lips found his. Einsol's abrupt manner had a way of blindsiding as effectively as going unnoticed did. When stealth is impossible, try boldness. An old lesson he'd let fall by the wayside, now and then. "...Must admit, noticed automatically. Didn't consider you might not know 'til a day or two ago. Big family, you learn what to look for when a new sibling is on the way.

Sorry. Only meant to tease." The slim hand found hers, squeezing a bit. Einsol didn't need to stare at him. Even Viltre had learned some version of shame.