Little patchwork Gracile meets huge blond Robust

Mairr pushed aside one last bush and found herself looking into a sudden clearing in the forest... and directly at a single, obviously pregnant Gracile with strange black patches on her skin who was crouched in the grass holding her stomach. Kiian's eyes widened in terror as she was suddenly confronted with a giant Robust holding an axe. She flinched backwards, wanting to escape but trapped by the trees and brush which walled the other side of the clearing. Confused and immediately ashamed to be the cause of such fear, Mairr lowered her axe even as she looked around the clearing and found no dangerous animals or other dragons, Gracile or Robust.

?Erm...? Mairr ruffled her free hand through her crest, suddenly shy at the prospect of talking to a Gracile alone and wondering exactly what she had intruded on. ?Are you okay? It sounded like someone was in pain...?

Kiian was frozen in terror, and it took her a long moment to process what the giant Robust had said. Even when she comprehended the words, the idea that anyone, but especially a Robust, might be concerned for her, was such an alien concept that she couldn't quite wrap her mind around it. But she gathered up her shattered nerves **** out the one question her skittering heart really needed to know the answer to. ?A-are you not going to kill me, then??

Now it was Mairr's turn to blink, then flush with shame. ?What? No, I ? it just sounded like somebody needed help. I just brought the axe in case,? she hesitated, fearing to give any further threat or insult to the poor little Gracile by mentioning ****, then seized with relief on the more innocent explanation, ?in case a tree-cat was attacking you or something.?

Again Kiian could only blink in astonishment at the big Robust, but seeing that she had lowered the axe and hearing her apologetic tone of voice Kiian relaxed, deciding that, astonishingly enough, she wasn't about to die. Of course, as soon as she relaxed she was hit by a contraction. ?Owowow hell!? escaped her before, made self-conscious by the watching Gracile, she gritted her teeth and swallowed the rest of her complaints.

?You are hurt!? Mairr dropped the axe and took a few steps toward the oddly-colored Gracile. She reached out to her, then paused, realizing the other dragon might not want to be touched. ?Is there anything I can do to help?? She observed that the black and white Gracile was clutching her stomach, and although it was hard to tell from the way the little Gracile was doubled over, that stomach appeared to be pregnant.

Kiian, still trying to catch her breath from the last contraction, looked up at the yellow-feathered Robust towering above her looking so incongruously concerned. Suddenly the hurt and stress of the whole day ? Borrad backhanding her, calling her names and saying it was better her egg should die, the bodily pain of the contractions and the spiritual pain of being so damn helpless, thinking that she was going to die, then suddenly being presented with exactly what she needed, a Robust, who wanted to know what she could do to help but would never in a million years just lay down and let Kiian lay the egg into her ? it just all boiled over into bitter laughter. ?Oh certainly. Certainly there's something you could do to help, but you'd never agree, and I don't even dare ask you.? Kiian hiccupped a bit, laugh threatening to turn into a sob. ?So just... just leave me to lose this egg and-? Another contraction hit, cutting off whatever else Kiian had to say.

Mairr drew a startled breath as she suddenly realized what was going on. Lose an egg, gods, Mairr couldn't even imagine how horrible that would feel, to know your child was dying. Why was this Gracile here alone? Didn't she have a mate, family, friends, who would help her... Mairr's thoughts stumbled. Help her what? Help her **** a Robust? That wasn't a solution either, **** was wrong no matter what. Help her bribe a Robust into carrying the child? There was such a stigma against carrying a Gracile child that hardly anyone would do it voluntarily, and the ones who would charged a small fortune ? an amount equal to all the money Mairr had saved in her adult life, and probably more than this little dragon could possibly scrape up. The patchwork Gracile had told her to leave, and Mairr wanted to honor that, but she also really wished she could help, her heart ached to see the pretty little dragon in pain and **** out a laugh that was only a feather's-breadth away from a sob. ?Just tell me one thing. Would you... would you want to keep the egg, if... if I...? Mairr gathered up her courage, took a deep breath, and took the plunge, ?if I was willing to carry it for you??

Kiian's gaze jerked up to meet that of the huge yellow-feathered Robust. Shee stared into the bigger dragon's green eyes, trying to determine if she could possibly be serious. ?Of course I want to keep the egg! But,? the faint hope in her voice gave way to sadness, ?I have nothing to offer you.?

Mairr swallowed. Well, there was her opportunity. Did she want a Gracile badly enough to bear a child for one? She examined her feelings and found that she didn't mind the idea at all. She wanted this pretty, unique-looking little Gracile to be happy, she thought it would be interesting to try being pregnant without actually being committed to becoming a parent, and she really didn't care if a few people looked at her in horror or made snide remarks. Instead, the one thing that stopped Mairr from just making her offer was the nagging feeling that it was totally unfair to hold someone's child's life hostage unless they agreed to sleep with her. Just the fact that this dragon had gotten pregnant in the first place suggested that she probably had a mate somewhere... ?You do-? Mairr noticed her voice was husky with desire, swallowed, and started again in a more normal tone of voice. ?You do have something to offer me. But... what of the other parent of the egg? Where is she, doesn't she care whether the child lives or dies??

?No.? Kiian averted her gaze and glared at a spot on the ground. ?This egg has no other parent.? she pronounced, bitterly but firmly. ?There's no one who cares whether it lives or dies but me. And no one,? another contraction set in, but Kiian, panting, fought to speak through it, ?...no one who cares whether I live or die, for that matter.? Meeting the big Robust's eyes again, she demanded, ?So please tell me what it is I could possibly have to offer you, because these contractions are getting closer together.?

No mate. That one little fact sent Mairr's emotions on a rollercoaster. No family or friends either? Mairr couldn't even imagine how painfully lonely that would be, and her heart went out even more strongly to the little patchwork dragon. ?What I want is... well, two things. First, I want you to promise to stay with me until I lay the egg. I definitely don't want to be left alone with a child that isn't even related to me. There's no way I could raise a Gracile child-?

?Done.? interrupted Kiian. ?She's my child, I want her even if no one else does, I won't abandon her. What's the second thing??

Mairr felt a bit wounded about being lumped in with the 'everyone else' who didn't want the child. ?Alright, I'll do it, I'll carry the egg for you. The second thing, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I would really like it but I would never **** you to do it and I won't hold a child's life hostage just for something I... desire.?

Kiian's eyes widened. ?You'll really carry my egg? You're really going to just lay down and spread your legs and let me implant the egg into you??

Mairr blushed but nodded. ?Yes. But I don't exactly know how, so you'll have to tell me what to do.?

Kiian panted and groaned her way through another contraction (she could finally feel the damn painkiller kicking in). Then she took a few breaths to recover and consider the fact that this giant Robust had just agreed to carry her egg, and she might really have a child after all. She couldn't believe her luck. There had to be some sort of catch. ?But what is the second thing, what is it that you said I have to offer you??

?Um.? Mairr blushed more. ?Well see, I always... Since the first time I saw a Gracile, I... I think they're really beautiful and I always wanted to mate with one.? Mairr looked away. ?But like I said, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I'll bear the egg for you anyway, because ? well, just because I want to.? she shrugged one shoulder shyly.

Kiian was once again non-plussed by this odd Robust. ?You want to mate with me??

?Um, yeah.? Mairr nervously ran her hand through her feathers, hoping the little Gracile would agree but afraid she was about to get called a pervert. She knew it could reasonably be considered perverted to want to mate with someone of a different species, but... well, it was what she really, deeply wanted, and it would hurt to be rejected for revealing her innermost desires. ?Or, if you didn't want to but you had a friend who was willing to, I suppose that would be okay too. But I do like you.?

Kiian looked away. ?I don't have any friends. So it would have to be me. You really... you really want to mate with me? Even though I'm a freak?? The fresh memory of Borrad calling her that still stung, and Kiian kind of spat the word out as if flinging it back at Borrad.

Mairr blinked, confused and tipped her head to examine the little Gracile. ?You mean... because of your skin??

?Of course because of my skin!? still not looking at Mairr, Kiian scowled and dug her claws into the ground.

Realizing that this must be a sensitive topic, Mairr searched for a diplomatic response. ?Well... a Robust who wants to mate with a Gracile is a freak too isn't she?? It hurt Mairr a little to say that about herself, but when the little black and white Gracile looked up at her in wonder, that felt more than good enough to make up for it. ?I- I like your skin. It's... exotic. Special. It makes me want to...? Mairr blushed scarlet and her voice dropped to a whisper, ?It makes me want to lick a black patch and a white patch and see if they taste the same.?

And then Kiian felt the strangest feeling ? felt the arousal engendered by the big Robust's words mix with the clench of the next contraction and somehow make it less painful.