WC: 524
Coli was pregnant. Saul had confirmed it for her two days ago, and then she privately told Lilin last night. The Virdings were the only two to know so far, but soon it would be obvious to anyone who saw her. She wrapped herself more tightly in the fur-lined cloak, trying to conceal the roundness of her stomach. Mere days ago she thought she was simply ill, some unidentified malady causing her to grow queasy and collapse in the summer heat, amid other symptoms. Now she had an entirely new set of worries, knowing the cause of her sickness was just the beginning: in a few short weeks she would be a single mother, if she could even survive the birthing. Her one small comfort was that if she did perish, at least the pups would be safe here in Vinátta with their aunt.
She rose laboriously to her feet, wincing as her ankles protested the weight. She was feeling weak from hunger, but there was no easy way to remedy that in her condition. She only knew how to hunt on all fours, pouncing on small creatures like voles or lemmings, and now she was unable to shift. She pushed the door of her home open with great effort, the old warped wood getting stuck like it always did. Pale morning light streamed in, making her blink rapidly as her eyes adjusted. Her house had no windows, so the small interior was always dark like a den, something she preferred because it was easier to sleep that way. As her sight adjusted to the outdoors, her gaze fell down at her feet. There was a dead rabbit. It had been placed before her door as some sort of charitable donation, the red marks around its throat clearly from a wolf's bite. It had to be Saul, only he would be that thoughtful and kind to her. A swell of grateful emotion made her nearly start to cry, but the scent of the fresh kill was an enticing distraction. She sank into a crouch, ravenously devouring the surprise breakfast.
Coli finished her meal very quickly, rising to lick the blood from her fingers and whiskers. In her wolfish haste, she left nothing behind. She knew she needed to be more responsible now that there were other lives depending on her. She couldn't let herself starve, and it was unfair to burden the pack with hunting for her. She was feeling better than usual today, a meal in her belly and an unbroken night's sleep refreshing her; perhaps she could be proactive and capture some prey she could store for later. She would only get heavier and less mobile from here on, which frightened her to think about. She adjusted the leather cloak about her shoulders, and headed deeper into Jordheim at her own shambling pace. There were lemmings and rabbits in the fields, squirrels in the wooded forest, plenty of small enough creatures she could attempt to capture with her hands. That would be her goal for the day, to create a cache she could rely on later. She had to be responsible.