A Norn’s Invincible Maternal Bond

Sometimes it amazes me at how many details I never fail to forget! Though it had been around two months since I last checked on my Creatures 1 Norns, I wasted no time in completing itty-bitty Niltava’s language training. I did not expect to find Cotinga waiting to lead the newest Norn into the world. Then again, she had already laid two eggs and seemed to have a strong maternal instinct. It was simply adorable to watch Niltava crawl along as quickly as possible to follow around her new “mother” and try to do everything she did. I know I embellish and dramatize many aspects of my Norns’ lives, yet this was a truly unique experience. Normally, youngsters get distracted and find something else to hold their attention. Not Niltava! Cotinga was just about the best thing in Albia.

All of the maternal bonding must have struck a chord in Cotinga’s heart! As she made the long trek from the incubator to the docks, she suddenly found herself with a crowd of stampeding bachelors. Drongo and Manakin were just a little too slow, or it might have been Cotinga’s choice. I found it rather unusual that with so many males in the world, Cotinga had managed to pick the same male for all of her three children. Maybe she could sense some good genetics in Blackcap! And Niltava never fear: Although Cotinga would need time to grow and lay her egg, she had no intentions of leaving her!