Sleep was a rarity as of late. With dreams plagued by memories of her life before Ichika, she found not a comfortable reprieve from the toils of the day, but a longing that could no longer be fulfilled. But it was not a permanent state of mind fixed on her, rather one conjured by the present circumstances now alive and wriggling within the den. X’yrin was overjoyed with the birth of the Lady Nayru’s brood, the expectant mother now able to feel something other than strain of fatigue when carrying them. But the rewards of life were well worth the weeks’ efforts; her patience and care bearing beautiful fruit that would grow and ripen under the nurturing light of their mother.
She could hardly wait for her own birthing day, if the fates willed it to be. To experience that care for one’s own was a sensation that the woman longed for if only to encapsulate and relish the splendor that the mothers of her culture were unable grasp. But more than that, she wanted to look upon the faces of the life she’d carried and see within them the love forged by an unwavering love. A gift such as a child would mean more than any memento she would ever hope to make for her beloved. A permanent testament to their love and loyalty to each other. The chance to experience the maternal bond robbed from her culture. She wanted to experience it all.
But what could be said about newborn pups was that there was little sleep to be had when they were hungry. No matter the hour or the times prior when they had eaten, they commanded more with their searching cries needing their mother’s milk to sustain them. The only consequence was that when they cried to awaken their mother, so was the slumbering she-wolf brought into the world of the living. And once on her paws, there was little she could do to put herself to rest again. In these waking moments when Saluce was absent and it was only her and the pups, she could clean the den as many times as it was needed. She’d brush the scraps of their meals outside and clean around the mother and pups, ensuring their room was sanitary (which proved difficult as often as the whelps relieved themselves). It was a tiring process that often led to the gentle beast’s return to her bedding to rest. A routine adopted in such a short span of time, but none the less workable.
However this morning, she was not roused by the squeal of pups but instead a horrible churn in her stomach. X’yrin fought down the rising bile in vain, abruptly pushing herself to her paws just as the bitter liquid stained her tongue and forced only her maw to expel. The smell was atrocious and strung her nose. Her stomach lurched a second time and with her maw already opened, the contents of the night’s meals were spilled beneath her, hot and acidic. Several more lurches followed, digging deep in her stomach to void its contents but ushered little more than saliva and dry heaves. Whatever had brought on this sickness was merciless, nearly rendering her immobile as she was forced to catch her breath. X’yrin blamed it on the shared meal last night and anticipated she would not be the only one feeling the repercussions. Hopefully neither Naryu of Saluce would have to suffer a rude awakening as that.
But it was strange that she was taken by sickness and was not catered to by her mate. Blinking the pained tears from her eyes she looked around the den, noticing for the first time his absence. No doubt the overworked male was out hunting for them again, the thought forming a smile on the woman’s lips. The shuffle of snow turned her attention then to the mouth of the den, what minimal light that filtered through was suddenly blocked by a large form. Her ears perked to his call and immediately the she-wolf wobbled over to greet him, still a bit nauseate from the earlier episode. She poked her nose out into the open receiving her first scent of the morning air melding with the musk of her mate. Her tail wagged eagerly within the den; her form not all the way out, but partial as she laid her forelegs out into the snow. “Good morning.”