Tali and Rick spend the next quite-a-while setting up the incubator/terrarium for Ni'tingal's egg. They put it under a bottom bunk in Tsanten's module, with the idea of Tali, Rick, Enya and maybe Brenda taking turns sleeping on the bunk itself so that no matter when the egg hatches, someone will be there to notice.
Meanwhile, a certain self-propelled Avatar gets an inspiration...
Enya, having collected a whole armful of moss in a large gathering-pouch, now contemplated the matter of stones. They weren't hard to find; but her eyes chanced to fall on the pit-oven next to the bonfire, and it gave her an idea. "If stones be good, warm stones be better, yes?" she mused. "Can keep baby-Ikran warm same way me and Tsanten stay warm at Hometree, bringing stones from fire... Not gotta learn how to work those! And when they cool, he can use them for bracing."
Surprised and pleased by this burst of cleverness, she hustled into the longhouse to fetch a firepot for the stones.
She returns with her finds as Tali is briefing the young healer Silronsem:
...Silronsem's second verbalisation sounded just like her first: "Oh, my!"
"That's all right," Tali assured her. "We've had plenty of practice with strange roommates...right, Enya?" He grinned at the Avatar as she maneuvered her way into the module, drawing a predictable "HEI!" in response. Only then did the boy notice that his not-so-little sister was armed with a pot of hot stones. Fortunately for his full head of hair, their possibilities as projectiles didn't occur to Enya either.
Enya takes "first watch", with predictable results...
Rick chuckled while checking out the second lamp, switching it on; and when it started glowing too, he backed off again. "Seriously, I've never seen someone fall asleep that fast before; and as a soldier you usually learn to take your naps when- and wherever possible."
"She's earned it, though," said Tali; then he turned to Silronsem. "Do you have any idea what a hero she's been this morning?" And he gave the healer the rundown on all that had transpired during their foraging trip, including Enya's first time riding at a canter, her quite competent climb up the rock, her discovery of the undersized egg in Ni'tingal's nest, and everything she'd done since then to nurse it along.
"I'll just have to tell Tsanten, then," Silronsem said. "I'm sure he'll get a good round of taps and scratches out of that tale!"