By some blessed miracle, everything Amaris instructed seemed to be correct. It was instinct, she would later surmise, that led her to behave in the decisive, instructive manner she had, instinct that drove her to mentor her queen into the correct posture to give birth, instinct that shut out all other distractions around her a focus upon her patient. Dramyrth kept her aware of all that went on in his silent, observant way, circling high above, hoping to lay eyes upon the approaching antlered figure of the Moon Doctor so his beloved could worry less - but no healer came, and even though Lyanna also arrived, none took the place of the dragonmare (and Amaris likely wouldn't have given up her spot, committed to this role she had given herself as she was).

With her wing still draped over the painted queen's hide, Amaris felt every contraction, heard the utterances of fear from her friend. She pressed her soft, warm muzzle to the lady's cheek, soaking up the tears in her whiskers and blowing warm breaths across her face in time with the breathing she was coaching the queen to do all the while. They were laying down, together, and Aaron's bulky frame was nearby too, While Lyanna remained standing.

Whenever the dragonmare would have a chance to review this situation, she might think wryly of the time where she thought healers to be a little bit foolish, for being so selfish that they often did not see the danger they put themselves in. Let us all be fools, she would think, with a smile, whenever time would allow such hindsight to form in her mind's eye.

They were never in danger here, however, at least, the adults weren't. The most precious cargo, the young life within Alysanne's womb, was probably most at risk, and Amaris was glad for the former healer's, her other queen's, attentions as Amaris focussed upon the mother in this situation. The strong scent of chamomile brought a rush of memories to the forefront of her mind, memories of a tea-drinking mare on the sands of the Dragon's Throat, memories of wandering through fields in spring and stirring the plant up in its own wild arena - vaguely, she knew it had some helpful relaxing properties, but she promised to make herself learn more about these things, to be less ignorant, to be more helpful so that she could have a more positive effect in situations such as this.

"Steady now," warm, honey coated tones soothed as contractions and labour mounted, as the time when childbirth actually occurred arrived, as the queen cried out in anguish and pain. Again, whenever hindsight was given enough time to settle upon her mind's eye, Amaris would look back and be further deterred from ever having children, though she knew that her instincts might think differently if presented with an appropriate mate, and season, and circumstance. Dramyrth gave no update on the approach of healers, and desperately Amaris simply did her best without a more experienced mentor guiding her actions, she simply kept doing what she was doing, maintaining her focus upon her painted queen, hoping she was not hindering the process, praying that all would be okay.

Something very wet landed behind them, and Dramyrth let out a colourful trill in the skies above, wont to celebrate new birth as dragons were - suddenly, two large, silver spirits, his equal in size but glowing brilliantly, joined him, and dragonsong welcomed the new life into the world. It was only at this time that Amaris craned her tiara to peer at the mass of feathers and blood and afterbirth, and met eyes with the beautiful filly who had entered the world. She was making small sounds, and already making to move, as her instincts would drive her to do.

Thank the gods she is healthy, Amaris thought, too afraid to even consider what could have happened had she required magical intervention when none was immediately available. Her attention swivelled back to the still motionless form of her queen, and fear turned her insides to ice as she worried that the lady was dead, passed away in the distraction of her checking on the filly - but no, breaths still filled her lungs and twitches in her muscles still betrayed that she was alive too.

"Rise, Alysanne, m'lady. It is time to greet your daughter." A smile curved her lips, her expression pure happiness, as the jubilance of the dragons above taint her emotion, as the relief of a seemingly successful birth settled upon her shoulders caused her to reach out and nudge the queen in earnest. It would probably be the last time Amaris would speak with such a commanding tone, with an authority she did not hold, for today, at least. Lifting her own weight, she moved close to ensure the painted queen had something to lean on, to steady herself against, as she found her feet once more, and welcomed the newest member of their herd, their family, into existence.

@Lyanna

Amaris