shadow of doubt
#1
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ooc: Set just before this thread!
WC: 801


The weather had grown dark and fierce over the past several days. Strong winds came blowing from the south, distant peals of thunder rumbling all around. Coli remained holed up in her small house, curled protectively around the small forms of her three daughters. They needed her warmth as the sun set and the temperature dropped lower and lower outside, and the new mother was already loathe to leave them for long, slipping out the door only to relieve her bladder or replenish her food supply before rushing back to her brood. She was still so weak from the birthing, plagued with headaches and muscle cramps from the anemia. She wanted to see Lilin, to learn the names of her nieces and nephews, but she was too tired for socializing. The one exception she had made came as such a surprise... but she hadn't the strength to think about Anu right now.

No, tonight she could only think about her pups. Rain was pelting the roof of her home, rivulets of mud seeping in through the open front door. The small wolf whined, blue eyes staring through the gloom at the storm beyond her home. She had to stay in her four-legged form to nurse, but then she had to leave the door open. She didn't have the energy yet to shift up and down all day. It was then she heard the howl -- Saul's voice carrying clear and strong over the drumming of rain and the keening wind. It was more than just rain, they could be in danger here. They needed to reach the safety of the Virdings' home.

Coli rose from the nest of pelts she had arranged on the straw pallet, nudging the small bodies into a heap. The blind little pups raised their heavy heads, squeaking and mewling as their mother left them to make preparations. It was only days ago that she had carried them one by one away from Saul and Lilin's home, their birthplace, and now she needed to get them back there. They had to be protected from the rain, though, so fragile and dear to her. Then her eyes fell on a forgotten object, a goodwill gift from a well-intentioned Infernian. The basket. It had a top she could close, and it still held the fur-lined cloak inside, a makeshift blanket. With urgency in her movements, Coli grasped the basket handle in her jaws and carried it to her daughters.

"Fiora, Farina, Florina," she spoke gently, revealing their secret names as she placed them each inside the basket. Names inspired by flowers, pretty names for the beautiful wolfdogs they would grow up to be. It had taken her so long to name them, but finally these stuck. They were hers alone. Now she would protect them from this new challenge, the storm threatening their den.

She nosed the basket shut and sank her teeth into the wicker handle, nervous and high strung. The tailless wolf padded out the door, paws splashing in the cold puddles soaking the path. Water was everywhere, curtains of rain that made everything grey and shapeless. Her fur was already plastered to her thin body, and try as she might to catch the scent, the rain drowned out the trail. Suddenly she wasn't even sure she was traveling in the right direction, but with a shiver she pressed forward, precious basket in tow.

A sudden gust of wind nearly bowled her over. Coli staggered several paces to one side, whining as she felt the basket shift and overbalance. The top slipped, and one of her pups came tumbling free, landing with a splash into a puddle of water. Immediately Coli set the basket down on the ground, frantically making sure that her other two girls were safely inside. Then she stooped over the fallen puppy -- white fur visible against the gloom, so it was Florina -- and was about to whisk her back to the warmth of her littermates when something gave her pause.

Flor had not reacted negatively. She was laying in the puddle, tiny paws clawing at the muddy water with a curious laziness. Why was she not crying about the cold, or wanting reassurance after being hurt for the first time? Her sisters were already beginning to whimper, and it was their pitiful mewling that finally galvanized the new mother into action. She could not risk pups this young getting sick from the weather. She delicately grasped her youngest daughter by the scruff and deposited her in the basket, vowing to tell Saul what happened as soon as she found the house. Then with an exhausted sigh, the wolf nosed the top closed again and took off at a run, basket clamped firmly between her teeth as she raced against the hurricane.

Stock photo credit: Wincey@dA
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