The past two months seemed almost as if they had flow away. One moment, Hotaru had been mateless with only birds to sped her lonely days with. Although she interacted with the pack a lot and worked hard to be an integrated part in the family, there was something to be said about having a mate. Levent had thrown a wrench into her life, and Hotaru couldn't help but be thankful for his presence. He had brought her great happiness. The blind female's house had been puppy-proofed and a nursery was well on its way to being completed. It was a time of pure joy for the pregnant female.

Yet, the past few days had slowed to an unbearable crawl. Her ankles, breasts, and back hurt as she walked, the added weight just terrible. If there was ever a next time, Hotaru would remain in her secui form for pregnancy. The puppies inside her had become more active and their kicks could force their mother to the ground and make her see stars inside of her blackened world. Plus, the added weight was just cumbersome. The grey wolf was tired of being pregnant and was feeling incredibly impatient. She wanted to hold her puppies in her arms, not carry them around inside of her. The birth of her puppies couldn't arrive any sooner.

Hotaru sat on the bench she had made several months ago, grateful for it's presence. The wood was almost cool and the shade provided by a looming tree kept the worst of the summer heat at bay. Hotaru's summer coat was thin and her languid position on the bench only accentuated her pregnant state. In the woodcarver's hands was a piece of scrap wood that she whittled away at. A lopsided pattern of celtic knots had been carved into the wood and as Hotaru examined her creation she frowned. Off days weren't rare, especially when the artist was blind. Even so, they were infuriating. Frustrated, Hotaru furiously attempted to fix her creation but her knife slipped and dug into the soft flesh of her thumb.

Cursing, Hotaru brought her injured thumb to her lips and cleaned the wound. The cut wasn't deep and would heal in a few days. But, it sure did hurt.

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The blind wolf was well aware of the approach of another. She heard the other wolf's soft steps and smelled her scent. Hotaru was only mildly interested in the approaching female. The wolf, although clearly a member of d'Arte, was a stranger to the Maven. Hotaru was familiar and on friendly terms with most of the members of the pack. The fact that she did not recognize the approaching wolf was a great stroke to her pride as a high ranking Artisan. To make things worse, the other female's scent was an unfortunate mixture of disease and pregnancy.

The strong taste of iron filled her mouth as she gingerly cleaned the shallow wound. Blind eyes looked at nothing while her ears perked forward when the other called out, asking if Hotaru was okay. The grey wolf gave one last lick, assuring that the wound was clean and the bleeding had mostly stopped. Rising her head, Hotaru turned so that she was sure that she was facing the other. "Yes, I'm quite alright thank you. Although, it seems as if I should be turning the question back towards you. Are YOU alright? Your health and current situation do not seem to go well together. Come, sit. I insist." Stretching her hand out, Hotaru gestured to a spot beside her.

Hotaru sat regally, turning back to her work and attempting to fix the lopsided design. Her hands moved even slower than usual to accommodate both her injury and to prevent another from happening. As she worked, the grey wolf said casually, "I do not believe we have met before, a failure on my part that I apologize for. What is your name, if I may ask?"

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Hotaru's dexterous hands worked diligently to make the celtic knots come out beautifully. The first try had been rough. However, with the extra work, Hotaru was able to create a masterpiece at the level that she was once known for. Learning to carve blind had been a difficult task, one that was comprised of a lot of failures and heartaches. Before her injury, the female had been praised as a genius in carving. She had possessed a natural talent that had been nurtured since her first shift. For over a year she had been carving each and every day as war had threatened her peace and prosperity. After loosing her sight, Hotaru had been forced to start again from the beginning. Her hands had known what to do, but they had lacked the leadership of her sight.

It had taken a year for Hotaru to reclaim her skills as a master carver, and she still failed more often the before her injury. The year that she could have used to make her own style of carving and set herself as an individual from her master, had been spent relearning the basics. However, Hotaru felt that the time was worth it. She had learned to live with her disability and had managed to retain her carving skills. Thus, Eclipse's compliment made Hotaru extremely happy, even if she didn't show it physically. "Thank you, your compliments are appreciated. As for this, all it is, is practice. These are celtic knots, both deceptively easy and impossible hard. A single series of parallel and intertwining lines that contort themselves into a mystifying pattern." As the blind wolf spoke, she traced the lines, feeling the grooves and patterns to form an image in her head. Yes, it looked much better than before.

Hotaru was starting to become annoyed with the female. How could anyone be so dense. Honestly, a due date interpreted as missing a meeting. Hotaru sighed and placed her carving on the bench beside her. The best way to approach this was to simply stop beating around the bush. "My dear, you should be a little more aware of what is going on inside your body. You are in a very precarious position." Without even bothering to look at Eclipse she said, "You are pregnant."

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Eclipse's questions started to take Hotaru to a place she would rather not go: her past. Her puppy-hood had been wonderful, a dream to experience. The tragedy of its loss only made the memories seem like a terrible irony. Everyone who had once been dear to her had been ripped from her hands, just as her vision had been stolen.

"It took me several months to learn how to do this. But... I had a good teacher." Her teacher, her uncle, her friend. "What about yourself? Are there any artistic mediums that you specialize in?" Most of the Artisan's specialized in something art related. Jace could sing, Tal was a poet, and Levent was a trader. However, Hotaru knew that there were a few individuals who took up the remaining jobs.

Eclipse's surprise was evident, and almost annoying. Her voice shook as she questioned Hotaru, but her tone sounded as if she knew exactly how the development came about. Well, it would be hard not to realize how one's pregnancy started. "Pregnant females smell a certain way. Although it's faint, you do carry that scent. Hence why you should be a little more careful with your health."

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Cooking, and art that Hotaru had given up on a long time ago. Even before her eyesight was lost she hadn't been one for cooked meat or cooking in general. Her culinary skills were pathetic. With the loss of her vision, the blind wolf had completely given up on the idea of food preparation. She didn't even dare light a fire. "It is my opinion that cooking takes a great amount of skill to perform. I would love to taste on of your dishes sometime. Hunting and gardening are nothing to sneeze at either."

Almost of the things Eclipse could do were closed off to Hotaru. Sure she could hunt, but even that had taken her over a year to relearn. Cooking, gardening, and getting enough food to feed a pack were all things out of Hotaru's skill range. Hotaru liked to believe that her inability to see did not hinder her daily life, but that wasn't entirely true. Eclipse listing off her skills made the blind female realize just how much she was missing out on. Even so, the pain of that realizing wasn't as bad as Hotaru thought it would be. It hurt, but the ache was dull and quickly dissipated.

"I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. You will need your strength." Hotaru spoke as if she had the answers to everything, it was part of her disguise. She always presented herself as one who could not be defeated. However, in reality, Hotaru knew very little. So when Eclipse asked for advice, the female was stumped. "The only advice I can offer you is to stay healthy and follow your instincts." Well, it was what Hotaru was doing.

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