for
@Pema but any passers-by welcome to hop in! assuming Pema is right around the den
He'd made a point to stay by Pema's den, only visiting Grayday's body once a day or so. It was changed, now; without Shale's constant presence, the scavengers had had their way, picking the flesh from the bones. It was all he could do not to chase the vultures away--but he knew it was just their way, surviving as they were designed to. Besides, there were more important things to do besides keep watch over a dead man. . .
One of which was to prepare for his incoming pups. The grief he'd felt over Day had slowly morphed into a growing anxious excitement over Pema's due date, coming sooner and sooner, and he occupied his mind in preparing for the litter. Today, he surveyed her den, thinking it was perhaps too small for her, her herbs,
and the newborns.
He entered the space, sniffing around to see where excavation could be made to make it larger, wider. The sweet, earthy scent of plants suffused the air, and he breathed it in, feeling at peace. It was a soothing note, a means of calming his spirits, which boomeranged wildly from joy to fear, depending on the hour. Pups were always a blessing--but he knew all too well their birth could end in tragedy, as well.
A shadow fell over the entrance to the den, and he wheeled around, smiling as he caught sight of Pema. So lovely, so round. He padded up to her, running his muzzle along her cheek before pulling him into his embrace. She had that wonderful smell that all pregnant women carried--he couldn't describe it, exactly, but it was fertility embodied, homely and serene.
"I'm trying to figure out the best way to make your den bigger," Shale explained, nodding toward the wall that he'd been examining. "With the little ones on the way, we're gonna need a lot more room than this. Especially when they get older, start runnin' around." He grinned, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"How are you?" he asked, the ever-present note of anxiety in his voice. It grew more and more pronounced as her time drew near. "Anything I can do for you?"
He laughed at her use of the word 'enormous,' nuzzling her belly affectionately. "Just more of you to love, that's all," he said, each word suffused with love. Shale rested his head against her abdomen with a sigh, feeling the pups move against him. It was a wonderful feeling, and he'd let it take over if the fear wasn't there, as well. Life teeming within her--so close, yet so far. And things could go wrong so fast--
"Not nearly enough," Shale countered, shaking his head and stepping back. He chuckled, shifting his paws. "I know, you think I've done plenty. And I probably have. Keeping busy keeps me from worrying. Well, sort of." He stretched, long and languorous, enjoying the way the movement felt on his muscles. He'd been hunting more than ever before, lately, and it affected his body much more than his mind.