Ankh had laid curled up in the warmth of Ailith every night since she had stayed with her. Although she did not smell like mother her white fur was soft and plush just like Natu's and she slept easily with her aunt. Indeed she had noticed the way Ailith's belly bowed outwards as if she had eaten too much and a few times her clever pale eyes had stared at it as she began to realize that Ailith would have kids. That much was clear because she had seen a few other pregnant wolves this winter and there was no way Ailith could have gotten that fat, she thinks. Her dreams are peaceful and her bottom teeth poke out in her bliss until she feels Ailith shifting away from her followed by the lick atop her crown. With an exaggerated groan, because Ankh was not a morning wolf, she flopped over and onto her back so that her belly lay exposed to Ailith with her forefeet hanging down at the joint in a cute manner, ears flopped out along the ground. "Awwhhhh, I don't wanna go yet! I want to go see the caves at the top of the mountain." Where she had heard this story who knew but Ankh wanted to look. She loved to search and find things.

With another heaved sigh she rolled over and climbed to her paws before shaking off her multi-hued fur and darting out past Ailith with a sleepy smile. "I'll race you there!" She shot off like a bullet down the mountainside, her paws almost missing some steps and almost sending her tumbling down, but she redirected herself each down with an intense look on her face. As much as she had enjoyed it here - and she did want to stay! - she missed her mother and even her brothers.

Once her eyes caught sight of Natu Ankh lets out a shrill string of barks, each more excited and happy than the last and she races so fast that she doesn't have time to put the brakes on before she comes tumbling into her mother's legs and knocks Natu to the side. Natu yips in response, her tail wagging at her daughters exuberance and she jolts at the impact of her growing body against her. Normally she would admonish her for such behavior yet the clear happiness on her face is enough to make Natu joyful so she leans down to lick her daughters muzzle eagerly. "I have missed you, my sweet," she rumbles pleasantly, grinning when Ankh beams up at her and jumps up to press her shoulder into her mothers legs.

Those icy blue eyes lift now to spy Ailith coming towards her at a sedate, somewhat lagging pace, and her eyebrows dip in worry. Was Ailith still as sad as she was before? Natu knew that it was hard on her when Eric had chosen another even if Ailith would never admit it. She wanted so much to help her friend but what could she do? Her own life was ever in shambles, a constant domino effect, and her friend felt such an intense loneliness. Yet when she scans across Ailith in the instinctual habit of checking over her friend her eyes fall on her belly. For a moment the world is hushed as she zeros in on the swollen belly and her nostrils flare to try and catch any scents on Ailith. She takes a few steps forward now with utter concentration and Ankh follows with eager wags of her tail.

"My sister... you are... you will be a mother." Her voice is hushed, reverent almost as her eyes snap up to Ailith's. "Why do you look so sad and scared?"