Date: 8/15
Most days she was content to just be near him, watching him at whatever it was he was working on for the day. Her moods had improved since their talk. The air around them seemingly cleared of the tension that had been so stifling before, now that her pregnancy was open between them. Today was one of those days were she lingered nearby as the soft breeze coming in off the ocean was cool, heavy laden with the salty scent of the waters. It barely ruffled the dark amber fur of the she-wolf as she lay in the sheltering shadow of one the few trees along the shore. Anann watched Toliy as he worked on his boat, unable to much more than that. Without dexterous hands Anann found she was little use at all and could seldom offer any real help. She could still hunt on her own, though Anatoliy had discouraged her from this. Her large size was not suitable for hunting smaller prey. It was not nimble nor quick, but a massive hulking weight that could easily down a doe on its own. A task the Russian had insisted was not fit for a woman in her condition and she knew her love only had her best interest at heart. So she listened and submitted to his wishes.
Mentally, Anann was recovering. Anatoliy had given her the thread of hope she had needed. Without his support she would have been lost. The playful glint was leaking back into her dark brown eyes that had been dull and the smile that had become so rare was re-appearing with more frequency. Though the cloud that hung over her had not completely vanished. She was not feeling completely well and in the past few days her appetite had all but disappeared. There was an unease in her abdomen, but she had thought little of it. Anann assumed it was only her body adjusting to the growing lives. The threads of pain that cut through her in waves had started off light, hardly even noticeable, but their severity and frequency was growing.
Dark ears twitched back as a rather strong cramp cut through her. The pain no longer a dull nuisance, Anann felt sure something was not right and after the spasms of pain stopped she hefted her large form to her feet. "Tol," she called out softly, "I'm gonna head back for now." She would say she was fine, just a little sleepy if he questioned further and made her way back towards the inner streets of Lunenberg. She wouldn't make it far, just beyond Anatoliy's sight when the next spasms of pain hit her. Her legs shook under and buckled as it washed over her. A soft whimper leaked from her lips. As it faded instincts grabbed hold of the woman and lead her deep into the thicker portions of timber far from the scent of others and away from the house she shared with Toliy.
It was clear to her what was happening to her. Even as her mind was fogged with pain and even stronger instincts. She followed them, scrapping together a makeshift bed of leaves and other foliage debris. Circling a couple times before laying down atop the pile in the secluded and seemingly untouched thicket. Wave after crippling wave of pain washed over her. Her unwanted burden was expelled from her body, their lifeless, shapeless masses concealed within the rest of the nasty mess.
Time had lost all relevancy and Anann did not know how long she had laid hidden. Her body ached and she felt exhausted from the endeavour. Eventually the spasms of her core subsided and she stood up on shaky legs after she had cleaned herself. She covered the remains with the remainder of the improvised bedding and crawled from the thicket she had hidden herself in. She was disoriented at first and felt beside herself as if watching from the sidelines and with no control of the prior events. Evening had already begun to settle over the land as she walked the rest of the way home. Unsure of how exactly to tell Anatoliy what had happened. She felt no sorrow or sadness at the loss of her unborn children, only a sense of relief, though a pang of guilt came with it.
She nosed the door open, unsure he had returned home before her. "Anatoliy?"
.freebjuly23 b {font-weight:bold; color:#8b755f; letter-spacing:1px; text-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.2em #000a17; }
.freebjuly23 p {text-indent:0px; padding:5px 15px; margin:0px;}
.freebjuly23 {margin:0 auto; width:500px; background-color:#000a17; background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/Qzux1.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #000000; padding: 120px 0px 7px 0px; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size:12px; color:#555a62; text-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.2em #000a17; letter-spacing:.6px; word-spacing:.9x; line-height:13px; text-align:justify;}
.freebjuly23 p b:before { content: open-quote; }
.freebjuly23 p b:after {content: close-quote; }
</style>
[/html]