She was dreaming of better times. Her mate, Aaron, wasn't taken as a prisoner of war yet. She was starring deeply into his laughing blue-green eyes.

"What's on your mind, Annabel?" Aaron asked.

The bald type red female norn startled. "Oh! Nothing really." she replied as she smiled in awe of their newly hatched son, Fren. Fren looked up at his parents and cooed happily. Fragments of his sky blue shell with white dots were still nearby.

"He is like a tiny copy of you, Aaron." Annabel smiled.

"Ah, but he has your lovely rose coloring." Aaron smiled back.

The small family was met by a battalion of friends and family. For the most part, it was easy to tell which were Annabel's relatives and which were Aaron's relatives. Annabel had come from a very long line of pure bred bald type norns while Aaron could trace nothing but purple mountain norn blood in his linage. There were also various mixed breed norns who were obviously just friends by their apperance. But there was a very unusual being among the well wishers, a black female grendel.

"Nanny Grah! I was worried you wouldn't make it here!" Annabel said.

"I wouldn't miss THIS baby shower for the world!" Nanny Grah replied.

*Everynorn* knew Nanny Grah. She was the unoffical "assistant" to the Hand. She tutored the babies, helped the ill norns and acted as a "midwife" for pregnant norns. Nanny Grah had been present when Annabel had hatched. Mom, Dad and Nanny Grah had been the first three creatures Annabel had seen.

"He's adorable!" Nanny Grah bubbled as the tiny norn plopped himself in the grendel's lap.

The gifts for the newborn were opened and all the females "oooohed" and "aaaawwwwed" at the contents as little Fren was passed around to relative to friend to cuddle like a nornish teddy bear. He eventually fell asleep in Grandma Sandy's arms.