Fatter and fatter and slower and slower. The whole concept of being pregnant was more than frustrating for the petite wolfess as time passed and the pups inside her continued to grow. It was not that they were particularly large, it was that she was simply small. Coupled with the scarcity of food and the harsh winter season, Pine’s lean body had been all but consumed by the powers that fed off her. Sure, she complained loudly about the whelps slowly eating away at her body, but her concern for her unborn children was even more all consuming than they were. Pine’s determination to keep them alive, even at the cost of herself, had her eating literally anything and everything edible to she could get her teeth around. Their lives would not be lost because of her.

Snow and the season kept much of Iromar locked away from the world of Moladion. Rare storms made the moors even more hazardous to traverse and enter. It was a relief to the Alphess as she had hunted down anything that would keep her and her pups alive. It meant she would not have to worry as much about intruders crossing her borders. But with the shift in seasons came the spring rains. The water that fell from the skies landed on the still thawing glades, piling higher even as the under ice melted. With her light mask slowly darkening in the precipitation, Pine panted in anxiety as her eyes watched the water rise. Her stomach turned tightly, painfully constricting as she continued to move throughout her land. She needed to take note of everything that had happened and changed throughout the winter. In the cold her wolves and her home seemed to have hibernated. It was time to wake up.

Paws sank deep in still frigid mud. Startled, Pine yelped at the bite of cold and a particularly sharp stab through her abdomen. The Alphess froze for a second, her feet still knee deep in the mud. It dawned on her this was not just worry and anxiety for her home and her pack. This was something else. Shit. The word snapped with another contraction through her body and she changed her path to b-line for the safety of her den. Gritting her teeth she quietly moved through Iromar, not calling for anyone but knowing Cenna would know what was happening. Fighting through the natural process, Pine tried to mentally convince herself she could hold off on this until she reached her den, though still having to stop occasionally to breath through the birthing pains.

At last, she made it to the shelter of her reed hidden den and slipped inside. Gratefully, she fell to the dirt ground just as the pups started to make their way into the world. Breathing deep, Pine tried to wash herself in the comfort of the mingled scents of her and Cenna in the den as she whimpered softly with each push of pups. Slowly but surely, each pup made its way into the cool spring world, each one of them taking their sweet time. Pine could not blame them. The season had only just changed, and winter still lingered in the scent of the air. But with each new breath of life, she pulled them close to clean the moisture off their tiny bodies, wrap them in the love of her tongue, and press them as close to her body as she could, to warm them with what little she had. She rested her head gently above them, enveloping them the best she could. Breathing deep through her exhaustion, she knew one thing for certain; these pups would always know they had a family that loved them.