The strength of the pack is the wolf; Posted on February 3, 2020 at 01:48:00 PM by Akela
Air.
Gasping the first breathes gulp into his lungs. No more warmth and confined space. No more knees bent against his chest. He is free. Small limbs strike out, reveling in the freedom of stretching tendons long confined. A sharp bleat peels past his lips as the close safety is no more.
But he is not alone.
Through eyes still milky and blurred by birth he can feel her. The rough scratch of her tongue as she cleanses his nostrils of mucus and again he takes another deep breath. Her strong muzzle is against his, nosing him upright and he gives his proud head a shake in protest, slinging damp after birth from his skin. Auburn eyes blink up at her now, focusing on the creamy color of her muzzle and the warmth that breathed familiar through her nostrils. Mother.
It is a word that comes without second thought. A knowing that he felt somewhere deep in his soul. He knew her. He felt the beat of her heart and she was his. He blinks more rapidly now, the milky film clearing from his vision so that now he can see her clearer. She is not alone. There is another that lingers on the verge of his peripheral but he does not take notice. Not in this moment. Mother. She is his world.
Heart flutters within his breast as he draws upon what energy remained in his body. She was standing. He needed to stand to. He needed to be next to her.... To feel her heart beat again. Determination glistens in his eyes as one gangly forelimbs after the other unfurrows from the remnants of his birthing sac. A grunt rushes past his lips as he shoves his weight forward only to topple forward in the long grass. This standing business was much harder than he expected. Ears flop toward as once more he shifts his weight and with a final snort brings himself to rise on legs widespread and shaking. It was an accomplishment. He blinks up at her now, wondering if she would be pleased. He had done it. Replies: