70 Joining

Selisse, Sandhir and Lindessel squeaked their protests at being washed so thoroughly but their mother was unsympathetic.

“Today is a big day, children,” she reminded them for at least the tenth time.  “Today you meet the clan for the first time and you aren’t going to shame me by appearing with grubby claws.”

For six months they had lived in the nesting chamber, joined in the evenings by their father.  His appearance often triggered the disappearance of their mother who escaped above ground for fresh air and hunting, returning with something tasty for them all to eat.  Now, they were weened and were active enough to make the confines of the nesting chamber impractical.  It was time for them to join the clan.

Sandahl wrinkled his snout in a sympathetic smile.  “I remember my first day out of the nest,” he told them.  “My mother scrubbed my brothers and me until our scales shone brighter than the stars!  You’ll meet her today – your grandmother.  And your uncles – my nest-mates and the ones from my mother’s second litter.”

“And you’ll meet both of my parents,” Linesse added as she gave the scales on Sandhir’s head a final wipe with a piece of dried moss, “and my sister.  There are only the two of us in our family...”

“You little scamps don’t know how lucky you are to have each other,” their father told them, giving his mate a moment to compose herself.  “Not everyone gets...”

Selisse gave an exaggerated yawn.  “Is it time to go, yet?” she asked.

Both of her parents stared at her with displeasure and she ducked her head submissively.  “What did I say?” she asked.

Lindessel rolled his eyes.  “Don’t interrupt the grown-ups, silly.”

His mother gave him a scratch under the chin.  “That’s right, children.  When a grown-up is speaking, you let them finish before you answer.  They might be telling you something important.”

“But only ‘might’,” said Sandahl with a wink.  “Are we ready to go, then?”

Linesse gave the nestlings one final look and nodded.  “As we’ll ever be,” she replied.

The children scrambled onto their parents’ backs, Selisse and Sandhir on their father and Lindessel on Linesse, hooking their tiny claws between the adults’ scales.  They travelled along the passage for the final time.  After the joining ceremony, they would return to their own burrow that had lain empty for half a year, but not neglected because other members of the clan had kept it clean and aired.  The nesting chamber would also be cleaned out and prepared for another family to begin its journey there.

At the end of the passage, they found themselves in another, this one broad enough for four adult reptilia desicca to walk abreast.  There were several side passages just like the one they had left; ahead of them, another family was emerging.  All of the adults greeted each other and admired each other's infants, then they walked forward together.

They reached the end of the passage and paused.  “Everything OK?” asked Sandahl, glancing up as well as he could at his nestlings whose tremblings were transmitting themselves through his scales.

“They’re just excited,” Linesse reassured him.  “Right, children?”

There were three barely audible squeaks of agreement and Sandahl laughed.  “Well, let’s not keep the clan waiting any longer!”

They all stepped out of the passage and into the clan’s main meeting chamber.

A wall of noise met them as all 150 or so members of the clan cheered their arrival.  Sandhir and Lindessel remained clinging to their parents’ backs, overwhelmed by the sight of so many reptilia desicca.  Selisse, however, scrambled down in such a hurry to see the clan up close that she tumbled off, earning an affectionate laugh from the assembly.

After getting to her feet, she stepped forward then paused, suddenly uncertain again.  As if her movement had been a signal, the whole group surged forward and the youngsters were introduced to so many cousins, aunts and uncles, and grandparents that their heads spun.  After the introductions came the best part, as far as they were concerned, the Welcome Feast, when food and drink flowed in all the abundance that could be wished by anyone.