Sun Mote Copse A Child Has Been Born into the World

It was Eshamun the greeted him first, and she was the harbenger of both good and bad news. The children were healthy and strong, but one needed to die. Ar-Khalba could feel his chest clench in a reactionary manner, but he nodded. "I understand," he whispered. With winter approaching, and two others among the pack pregnant, At-Khalba knew the pack had a lot on its plate. For survival's sake, the herd needed to be cut back. His son was not exempt from the culling of the fold. It was fair, but painful nonetheless.

He could not bring himself to hold Eshamun's decision against her. She did what was necessary, and he knew she struggled with it too. She bore the pain just as he had during the iliidu-dam. As tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, Ar-Khalba pressed his face into the scruff of Eshamun's neck for a passing moment before she stole away.

By the command of his queen, Ar-Khalba made his way into the den's mouth and laid eyes on his children for the first time. He was overcome with emotion: joy, awe, and a twinge of bittersweet sadness. "They're beautiful," he muttered, looking to Asherah as he spoke. He had never seen something so beautiful in his life.

The emotional moment, however, was broken by the arrival of the accented wolf. Ar-Khalba had no issue with him, but being new among the fold -- he did not trust him around his young. He turned his gaze from his children, and trained his careful eye on Bastian.