#dragon whelps

Dopey Royal Lindwyrm whelps.

No, the eggs are not all mine. <Dracasia scoffs.> But I do tend to all of them--and to the whelps. Do you think it easy to corral dozens of tiny, nipping, fire-breathing scamps for even a single day? Being a broodmother is never easy!

Most of a whelp's diet consists of cooked meat and eggs, cut into small pieces. When they are a bit older, they can add insects, bones, and small crustaceans to their diets as a crunchy treat. For fussy whelps, or as a reward, honey can be used sparingly as a sweetener.

Caeweth awoke to something large sniffing, huffing, and nudging her.  Cold breath caressed her cheek.  She opened her eyes to discover a large blue dragon’s snout carefully inspecting her for any injuries, sickness, or deceitful magic.  The dragon poked and prodded so much, Caeweth couldn’t help but scream loudly, startling everybody within the cavern.

“Vat is it?  Vat happened?” Estelle squawked, fluttering down from the cave ceiling in a panic, “Vat did you do?!”

The jumping spider crawled onto the nest edge, chittering angrily.

“Calm your egg tooth bat,” Arvak replied cooly, “I wasn’t going to hurt her.”

“Vell!” Estelle huffed with angry indignation as she scooped the frightened child into her arms, wrapping her wings around Caeweth, “Couldn’t you at least have vaited till she voke up?”

“Risking my eggs in the process?  Not a chance!”  Arvak bellowed.

While the adults argued, a cracking sound caught Caeweth’s attention.  She heard a chirping, no, more of a small grunting noise coming from across the chamber.  Caeweth tried to get Estelle’s attention by pulling her fur… No response.  She poked the membrane of Estelle’s wing.

“Vat is it love,”  Estelle asked.

“I hear a strange sound over there.”  Caeweth stated softly, pointing in the direction of the egg nest.

“The eggs!” Exclaimed Arvak, rushing over to the nest, “They are hatching so early!”

Ragnar, who had been ignoring the screaming match, dashed over to his precious nest.  The first egg cracked, revealing a red beak, followed by small horn structures.  This baby looked exactly like Ragnar, but with complete wings.  The small red dragon easily hatched out of her egg, resting as the egg shell lay in shards behind her.  Her claws were small and needle like, and she curled up like a puppy on the soft straw.  The next egg hatched, revealing electric yellow scales, and glowing white fleshy stripes intermittently dispersed across her back.  She joined her sister, eyes closed, exhausted from the effort.  The last one struggled, whimpering and scratching.  Arvak carefully punctured the hardened egg shell with her claw, allowing the baby inside to start emerging.  The little infant struggled quite a bit, but made it out.  Her scales reflected an icy blue, just like her mother.  All three dragon whelps cuddled together, slowly opening their eyes.  The red dragon had eyes of burning gold, the yellow dragon had shockingly white eyes, and the blue dragon had eyes of icy grey.

“Zey are beautiful,”  Commented Estelle, laying her wing claws on the edge of nest for balance, “Look Caeveth.”

Caeweth saw them, cuddled up like newborn pups on the straw.  The blue dragon looked at her, a small smile gathered at the corners of it’s mouth, before unsteadily wobbling over to small fae child.  Caeweth put her small hand on the dragon’s head, stroking the baby dragon’s smooth scales.  The small dragon cooed, then sneezed.  Her icy breath coating the straw in front near Caeweth.

“Vell, ve know who she takes affder,”  teased Estelle.

“She’s cute,” Caeweth said quietly as the dragon whelp licked the back of her hand.

“I sink you just made a friend.”  Estelle patted Caeweth’s head.

“Alright, enough,” Arvak hissed, “Let me tend to my brood.”

Caeweth felt hunger pangs ripple through her stomach.  She had not eaten anything since Estelle found her.

“Estelle?”

“Vat is it little von?”

“Do you have any food?”

“Let me get something.” Estelle put Caeweth down on the straw nest before rushing out of the cave.

Estelle sniffed around, fruit would be the easiest thing for her to eat without lengthy preparation.  She flew up into the canopy, squinting her yellow eyes to adjust to the bright sunlight.  It was nearly impossible to know day from night in the forest.  She scouted out some large sun fruits for Caeweth, as they were easiest to locate during the day with their crimson rinds contrasting against the verdant sea of leaves.  Sun fruits were aptly named for their affinity for growing in bright sunlight.  She grabbed one, sniffing to check it’s ripeness.  It was perfect.  She scurried down, back to the forest floor.  Estelle nearly panicked when she found Caeweth was not in the nest.  She glanced around worriedly, until she noticed a flash of white glowing petals near the dragon nest.

“What will you name them?” echoed the little girls voice.

“I haven’t thought of any names yet.”  Arvak said, nuzzling the dragon whelps, “But we do have three elements here.”

“How about Ingle for the red one?”

“Hmm,”  Arvak pondered, lifting a claw to her scaled lips in a thoughtful way, “Strong name… means fire… alright, Ingle it is.”

“You can’t just decide on names so quickly Arvak!”  Ragnar protested

“Hush Ragnar, Ingle is a good name.”

“What about Levin for the yellow one?”

“Lightning… So be it.  Levin it is.”

“Arvak…” Ragnar tried to protest again, only to be met with his mate’s steely gaze and bared teeth.

“What will we name the last one?”

“Frasil.”  Caeweth chirped.

“Freeze,” Arvak muttered, “Frasil is good.  We have Ingle, Levin, and Frasil.  Good names for my strong children.”

Ragnar snarled, only to be met with Arvak’s tail slamming into his cheek, knocking him slightly off balance.

“Fine,” Ragnar huffed defeatedly.

“I’m back!”  Estelle trilled happily, presenting the sun fruit to Caeweth, “Here little von, eat up.”

Caeweth gladly bit into the sweet fruit.  It tasted delicious, heavenly sweet yet slightly tart.  It felt so much better eating something solid than living on only flower nectar and pollen.

“Is it good?”

Caeweth nodded happily, finishing the last few bites of the fruit.

“I vill have to teach you how to hunt and forage, but for now zis vill have to do for now,”  Estelle patted little Caeweth’s head, “Vagnar, don’t you have any weapons in zat hoard of yours?”

“Estelle,” Arvak said, “Do not give the child weapons.  I do not want her or my whelps to get hurt.”

Ragnar chuckled at her statement.

“Vat am I supposed to do?  Keep her in zis cave forever?”

“At least wait till her magic reveals itself,”  Arvak reasoned, “She has only just emerged into this accursed forest.”

The jumping spider skittered up to Caeweth’s shoulder, rubbing it’s body against her cheek affectionately.

“Ava protected me against scavengers, does that count,”  Caeweth piped up, pointing to her spider familiar.

“Uh… darlink,” Estelle stammered, “A spider isn't a veapon.  Vat she did was impressive yes, but she is not a veapon.”

“That little thing killed scavengers?” Ragnar scoffed incredulously as he pointed to Ava, who was still perched on Caeweth’s shoulder.

“Saw it vith mine own eyes,” Estelle explained, “zer faces ver covered in silk vith fang marks on zem.  Eizer zey suffocated, or died from poison.  I did not have time to check before a grave dog approached.”

“Impressive yes, but a spider can only protect her so much,”  Arvak said, “Caeweth must stay in here with my whelps till her magic builds up enough to learn basic spells.  Need I remind you that she is only a few days old?”

Estelle crinkled her nose, lifting her lips and baring her knife like teeth in protest.

“Take my advice,” Arvak said, brushing off the aggressive display, “Fae do not grow as fast as haflings, so there will be plenty of time to teach her.  A little advice from one mother to another.”

Estelle lowered her lips, nodding her head in reluctant agreement.  Arvak had a point, all of her halfling children grew up as quickly, as they had taken after their mortal fathers.  Estelle knew not the fate of all of her children, but she was still thankful they had survived long enough to start families of their own.

“Besides,” Arvak continued, “She won’t be lonely or bored, my children will keep her company.  We will raise them together as sisters, how does that sound?”

Estelle nodded, “Yes, zat sound fair.”

“Another mouth to feed,” Grumbled Ragnar.