An Anxious Battle Between an Egg and a Clock

As another day began in Albia, my attention was focused entirely on Angharad. At over 11 hours and 30 minutes old, she had successfully conceived her seventh egg. I was in a panic, and jumped whenever she seemed to be in discomfort. Yet Angharad peered at me with those enormous eyes of hers, assuring me that she was in perfect health. I wanted to believe her and leave her alone… It was just frightening to think of her passing away before she could lay her egg.

My overprotective side carefully watched over her. Again, though, Angharad was in excellent spirits! Orddu managed to find her, and they played together like a pair of young friends. The subtle wrinkles on Angharad’s face disappeared as she enjoyed her time with the youngest resident of Albia. I was still impatiently waiting for an egg, though it dawned on me that Angharad would have been miserable without any company. Norns know just what to do to help others out.

As if by magic, an egg suddenly appeared! Angharad had only reached a pregnancy number of six, whereas most Norns must wait until reaching seven or eight before laying an egg. I guessed she sensed the tension, and wanted me to leave her alone! Angharad was a sharp opposite of Eilonwy, another elderly female. The latter had camped out near the incubator for the better part of two or three hours, with almost no interaction with other Norns. She mostly slept, rarely ate, and always had a sad look on her face. She seemed to be waiting for death to whisk her off, unwilling to enjoy life anymore.

During Angharad’s pregnancy, Gwydion and Gurgi decided to try their luck with another female. Llyan may have just entered adulthood, but she was thrilled to have an egg on the way! It took a little investigative work to determine who the father was: Both males were very attentive to Llyan. It was Gwydion, pictured on the far left, who had won this battle! Friendly Norns hardly need any encouragement… This was the seventeenth fourth generation baby! There would certainly be a lot of eggs to choose from.

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