Spring had rolled in, and with it, her stomach had grown. She knew the signs of pregnancy, she had a previous litter in her life. She stretched most days, wandering the shoreline. Spring had brought warmer weather, and she laid in the sun most days. Today, she woke with the pain stabbing harshly. Her breath wooshed out in a rush, she groaned, an unsure feeling washing over her. She felt the world tipping, and her head began to spin. The morning rain was light and drizzly, a gentle sound that should have been soothing, keyword, should. But the pitter-patter was nerve wrecking. It was giving her a hell of a stress-ball building between her shoulder blades. She wondered where Panzer had gone off to lately, probably duties as usual. But she felt as if she needed him, but didn’t want to come across as a bit of a priss. She needed him, but didn’t want to be the clingy older woman. She could not believe she was eighteen this year. She felt the aches in her bones, and this pregnancy was making her bones hurt more than ever. The weight from her belly was certainly giving her lots of grief.

Just as she listened to the rain splashing around outside, feeling the pups twist and kick within, she felt the pain twisting through her again, and it stole her breath away. Her head began to spin again, reminding her of her reluctance to go from the den yesterday to eat..Not the brightest idea. She whined, laying her head down across her legs as the pain began to come in waves this time. She felt as if she needed to get up, to go call for Panzer, but the energy that it was going to cost her...She was not up for that. Yet. It wasn’t painful enough to call for help just yet. She knew it would get there, and that with her age getting up there...she wasn’t as young and spry as she was when she had her first girls...But thinking back, her older children were eight now. It was quite the gap in age between her children, but she knew in her heart these would be her last children. And she’d be lucky to see their first birthdays, if she got longer, then she’d be blessed. She just hoped that they’d grow up just right.

It was hard to think of that sometimes, that because of her age they wouldn’t have her around for their lives, but with Panzer as their father, they’d have a good life. She knew that, she wasn’t doubting him in any way shape or form. She knew they’d have the life they needed. And that was in no way a magnanimous sense, she loved him. Whether or not Sekera would admit it to Panzer, that was to be decided. She groaned, her thoughts being pulled back towards the pains that were growing closer and closer. She tried to lift her head, to call out, but another wave crashed over her and she knew she wasn’t going to have a chance to call out for him. She only hoped he’d come around soon, because she needed him. Whines slipped from her as she tried to re-situate herself, to try to get a little more comfortable, but it was getting harder, she knew that it meant the pups would be here soon, but at the same time, she wanted to prolong this whole thing, to have Panzer here when they were born would be the best, ideally. But she knew even if he was here, she’d probably not even realize it.

The pains clouded her mind, and as she thought, the sounds and sights around her blurred. The rain was gone, and all she heard was her heartbeat racing, her breathing labored. And soon, she found the urge to push upon her and she began to bring forth their first child. It wasn’t long before the white pup was born, and she began to clean him in an urgent matter, clearing his coat of all the residue from the birth. She saw some light gold on his shoulder, and his head, and she grinned softly to herself as she tucked her only son against her side, cleaning him slowly as she let the rest of the pains wash over her as they started back up again. She made a soft sound in the back of her throat, nuzzling against her son as she waited for the next pup to be brought forth. It didn’t take long, and she found the urge to push, and soon, a dark body was out. She was shocked, nonetheless. But cleaning her daughter as fast as she cleaned her son, she grinned broadly to herself.

She moved her daughter next to her son, nuzzling them together, awed at how different they both were, but they were both gorgeous in their own way. A son born of white and gold, and a daughter born of the shades of grey. They were a perfect yin and yang pair. One that she knew would have a bond that would last ages, no matter the trials that would come their way. She lifted her head, looking out to the opening of her den, seeing the sky had darkened, unsure if she’d see Panzer’s white form there, or if he was still on his way.