Book One: Onnu and Pannu

Holding Pattern

The dragons didn't know whether they were supposed to move back to their home Hold, or stay in Egg Hold. They sent a messenger to Amber and Weaver, to see what they'd opted to do. This wasn't as helpful as they'd hoped, because they'd chosen differently.
   Weaver had happily brought her little brood back home, to dwell in the majestic chaos of Blue Hold. The looms that had been constructed of bone and sinew were guarded by the larger kin, as her hatchlings were small enough to be gently redirected by a giant or gryphon, and some gargoyles.
   Amber, meanwhile, lounged in her Egg Hold with her pair of hatchlings, quite content to have more space to raise them until fledging. Even though she was slightly larger than Weaver, and she had one fewer hatchling to raise, she'd begun to feel cramped in her Hold. She'd appointed representatives from the Holderkin to keep her apprised of the goings-on, which Onnu and Pannu had only begun to do.
   There was also the matter of there being twice as many adult dragons in their Hold. Where Weaver could comfortably occupy her Hold with her little trio, plus little kin, Onnu and Pannu would struggle to do the same.
   In addition to that, the population of the Holds had increased right along with the dragon population, which meant that they would all require more space than they previously had.
   Onnu and Pannu took turns going back to their home Hold to consult the little kin there. They wanted to be both places at once, but it was no longer feasible to have one or both dragons in their home Hold, with all of the infants and toddlers underfoot. They had yet to set foot in the Hold, once the first babes began to toddle. They'd seen the tiny tots and perched on the spires, to avoid inadvertently stepping on anyone.
   As such, conversations were carried out either on the wing, or on a spire. The winged kin were content to hover for a bit, if the communication was brief, while flightless kin were dropped off by a winged kin for their turn.
   To keep the process as streamlined as possible, they had their littles talk amongst themselves each day, and report what progress, if any, they'd made. This also included the kin who didn't understand Draconic. They couldn't talk to everyone, with or without the language barrier, so they asked about all opinions, even the dissenters.
   Further expediting the process, they discovered that Liam was the best at presenting both sides of the discussions. Even with someone translating their words for him, it was the most thorough report they got. They had to press the others to divulge unpopular opinions, but Liam naturally relayed the conversations on both sides. Furgoyles, it seemed, lacked guile. They presented facts as would a child, and waited to see how they were received. Gargoyles and centaurs also spoke plainly, but were more wary of upsetting the dragons. One never knew if it was their understanding of the language, or some innate characteristic of theirs.
   Gargoyles, though, were the most likely to come up with observations that no one had thought of. Things out of left field that changed how they approached the topic at hand.
   Centaurs were more practical, pointing out that they could utilize Hold resources more effectively without the strain that dragons naturally placed on them, so they would have enough for the dragons' return. They could sense Charon approach, so they didn't feel they needed dragon protection as much as the other kin did.
   Birdkin, catkin, orcs, and giants seemed to have no preference either way. Ogres wanted to be flexible, in case one Hold had better conditions for their projects. Many of the elves did want to watch the hatchlings grow, but didn't want to be an imposition. They also had to take into account their chosen trades, and where they were best plied.
   The smallest kin firmly stayed put, as they were the most likely to be trod upon.
   Fauns and other species that seemed to be native to these worlds wanted to be where the dragons were. Except Firmen, that is. He had no particular attachment to his dragons, aside from a ride up into the Verse for study.
   It made sense that he wouldn't feel drawn to either dragon, where the other dragonkith did. He couldn't split his focus between them, so he was free to study the stars without obligation. If pressed, he would express a slight preference for Onnu, as she was more likely to go Above than Pannu.
   Todd, after a brief look at the hatchlings, decided that he agreed with the dwarves and gnomes (the proper gnomes, not the children they'd mistaken for them). Solara wanted to stay, as many elves did, but they had their own toddler to care for, now.
   That played a major role, as well. The kin with toddlers and infants were less likely to want to be near roly poly hatchlings who hadn't quite mastered their motor skills yet. Not for their own sake, but for their infants, who were even less coordinated, and all too vulnerable to being underfoot. Nobody thought they would intentionally harm anyone, of course. They just thought it prudent to avoid the issue altogether.
   Nobody thought to ask the hatchlings who they wanted to play with, because anyone they  met would have already chosen Egg Hold. If some of their playmates abruptly decided that they preferred the other Hold, nobody held it against them.