The Power of a Norn’s Maternal Instincts
Since my two Grendels found themselves together again, it had been a continuous celebration! Alas, Dahloi was far too mature to act like he had the energy of a youngster. Nildeleer looked at his slumbering body in dismay, almost begging me to wake him up. This was not the time to wake a sleeping Grendel, though! Nildeleer would simply have to learn a lesson in patience. However, this gave them all a moment to wish Grendel Man of The Realm a very happy birthday! After all, he created their base genomes!
It was not long ago that Hybralvao was a baby herself, yet she quickly joined the ranks of adult Norns in this world. Satisfied with her time spent high on the rope bridge in the jungle, she made her way back to the more familiar territory of the garden. Losthrayte was still a mere newborn, yet the sight of her made something stir deep within Hybralvao. She didn’t just make friends with the little one: Her maternal instincts started to kick in as she adopted the tiny Norn! Losthrayte wasn’t exactly amazed by the skills… She simply had a temporary playmate who followed her!
Athahain was the first female Norn to hatch in this fifth generation, so it seemed almost destined for her to become the first mother of the bunch. However, her serious nature and tendency to keep to herself turned her into a solitary sort of Norn. I was far from disappointed, though: These Norns were never intended to breed like crazy! Athahain took some interest in the strange robotic contraption that started to roll around. It wasn’t exactly a mate, but her life was anything but boring!
There was one Norn who was not quite herself, and that Norn was Krathlaysi. After her first encounter with hootch, it was clear that she needed some time to sober up. I tend to make some jokes about alcohol in Creatures, but please remember that drunkenness is no laughing matter in the real world. Krahtlaysi was lucky that all she needed to worry about was a staggering gait and some unusual behavior! She decided that the best course of action was to balance atop the underground cart and do her best not to fall off. It might have been a little easier had she been facing forward, but Krathlaysi wanted to be the brave soul on this journey. She successfully reached her destination, ate a carrot, and laid down as the hootch wore off.
That little cart made several more journeys as the world went about its business peacefully and happily. I eventually stumbled across Brekennion when he was just about as curious as Athahain! This jack-in-the-box toy was something he had never seen. After being startled by its initial surprise, he was quite finished with that investigation! Brekennion headed off towards the settlement where he discovered some hootch, though he had more self control than Krathlaysi. It looked like the oldest Norns were actually the ones least likely to become parents in early adulthood.
When I least expected it, that memorable instant happened. The two youngest adults, Hleengar and Hybralvao, were the first to celebrate a pregnancy! The time in the garden with Losthrayte left a lasting impression on Hybralvao. I was just as excited as she looked! My Santa Norn looked a little confused and disconnected, yet he was perfectly within his paternal instincts to not have the slightest clue. Goodness, time was just flying by!
