Redsand Canyon My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.

As Towhee slowly walked around the sparring pit to stretch her legs, she tried to remember: had she felt this under the weather during her prior pregnancies? She didn’t think so—especially not her first—but she pondered whether it might be a matter of selective memory, just like childbirth itself. If a she-wolf could remember the awfulness in any great detail, she would never breed again, and nature couldn’t have that.

She rolled to a stop, letting out a sigh. Her warmed muscles ticked like a cooling engine as she simply stood there, ascertaining her symptoms. Could bones hurt? It felt that way to Towhee, although she was pretty damn distracted when she felt the fluttering kicks in her distended midsection. She smiled despite herself, then turned her head and squinted thoughtfully toward the tablinum.

Would @Aquene even be there, though? She must be getting pretty close to her due date now. Towhee mulled this as she resumed walking, deliberating with every step. She usually went by the palazzo around this time of day, though perhaps she would drop by and see the healer after she was done there.

Wait, she muttered aloud, stopping again. Hadn’t Kallik gone with Arsenio and Tamar to begin establishing the outpost in the vale? Abruptly, Towhee pivoted on a heel and began shuffling toward the married housing, guessing that she might find the healer there, heavily pregnant and alone.

It had been on her mind to stop by and chat with her mom after Caracal left, but then she'd promptly forgotten the entire thing. It stayed forgotten until she happened to be coming back from a "patrol" and spotted Towhee crossing a ways in front of her, seemingly on her way to some of the dens.

Hey mom!! Where you going?! She called, slightly breathlessly, as she picked up her pace to close the distance. She'd spent most of the morning running around here and there already.

The yell was habit, but when she got close, she bumped her lightly and repeated it. -Hey! Where you going?- Depending on if it sounded worthwhile, maybe she could tag along. It kind of sucked that, pretty much as soon as she joined, her mom wasn't really doing the training thing anymore.

Sometimes she sensed someone approaching. This time, she didn’t, so Tierra’s nudge caught her off guard. The Redhawk inhaled sharply and stopped in her tracks, though the sight of her daughter’s face immediately softened the sharp edges of her surprise.

Hey, I was headed over to the housing, she replied, distracted into vagueness by the yearling’s presence and quickly saying, but I’m glad to see you. I felt a little wrong-footed with you the other day, when Caracal was visiting… so I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. How everything’s going now that you’ve been in Mereo a while, Towhee said, planting her feet and giving the young Auxillary her undivided attention.

It took Tierra a minute to remember what her mom was talking about, and when she did she waved a paw and blew out a quick, dismissive burst of air.

-That was dumb. And things are going great, obviously! Germa's teaching me stuff, and it's kind of non stop patrols and all. It's just kind of weird how seriously everyone takes it.-. Tierra sat down real quick, scratching at an itch near her neck, before bouncing up and catching up again. Hold on, maybe her mom could clear that up, actually. -Are they, like, seriously thinking someone's gonna attack any minute? It feels super crazy.- 'Paranoid' was probably the better word but she wasn't one for nuance.

There were a lot of other things she'd wanted to ask her mom about too, things about Maxim and Sphyra and even her dad. But for now she was on the Mereo gossip train and those trains, for her, were vary hard to derail.

Tierra waved her paw in an unmistakably “it’s no big deal!” gesture. That made Towhee breathe a little easier. The corner of her mouth twitched upward when the yearling declared it dumb before moving right along in the conversation. Towhee still wanted to go see Aquene soon, though she tabled that thought in favor of paying attention to Tierra’s every word.

It can feel a little over the top sometimes, can’t it? Towhee rejoined. It’s not a bad idea to stay prepared and train for the possibility of combat, sort of a ‘hope for the best, prepare for the worst’ sorta deal. Especially with how much things flux around here, I’d rather be ready than not, and the regiment of it all really works for me. It’s not for everyone, though. Maybe it wasn’t for her daughter, though it seemed to her like Tierra was still finding her footing with it.

Speaking of feet, Towhee motioned Tierra toward the nearby common area and took a seat in the shade of a drying deerskin. Her whole body twinged as she shifted her weight, favoring her right hip a little to make room for her baby bump. The puppies were kicking nonstop, though it was nothing more than a slight inner fluttering. She wondered if it could even be felt from the outside and placed one paw over her belly.

You can kinda feel them kicking, Towhee said, glancing at Tierra’s face. Your little sibs, I mean. Wanna try?

-It's boooring.-. She signed back, extending the sign dramatically and plopping down inelegantly as well. Then she shrugged and relented a little, because it wasn't all that bad, really. -I don't mind all of it, I guess. I just wish they'd chill out a little bit. All the boys are so serious.-. She made a face, then sighed. It was a hard life for a teenage girl, I tell you what.

-Oh, weird, really?- She looked at Towhee's flank with fascinated hesitation, then giggled. That's so freaky, mom. I don't know. How are they even alive in there? She absolutely wanted to feel, but something about knowing there were things squirming in her mom's insides made her own stomach squirm too. Wouldn't that hurt? Didn't she hate being this fat? How long did she have to walk around like that?

I see no lie, Towhee thought when Tierra complained about boredom. The same thing was often said of patrolling. She supposed she just enjoyed mundane tasks, especially if they allowed her to keep her loved ones protected.

Her head canted a little when Tierra brought up “the boys” specifically. She wondered if one of them might’ve caught her daughter’s eye. She was certainly old enough to court, even take a mate, though Towhee admittedly balked a little. She supposed her children would always be her babies.

The reaction to her pregnancy sort of spoke to the girl’s inexperience, earning a snicker from Towhee. They’re like any other intestinal parasite, if you think about it. They feed on me and grow until they’re ready to be shat out in a shower of blood and viscera, possibly literal shit as well. She blinked innocently, anticipating the yearling’s reaction to such a graphic remark.

Eugh, moooom, that's horrible! She stepped back and looked at her mom's sides with a newfound expression of disgust. -There's no way anyone would do that on purpose! You're messing with me.- Puppies were way too cute to be born that way, and there was no reality where Tierra had ever had another wolf's shit on her. She would absolutely remember that.

Despite her negative reaction, she crept back in just a few moments after. Curiosity was getting the better of her hesitancy. She put a paw up, then looked at Towhee as if to make sure her mom wasn't going to erupt into shit immediately on impact before placing it gingerly on her side. What does it...

When she felt them move, her words cut off and the surprise shut her mouth (for once). It was so weird. What did it feel like, having them inside of her, seriously? It had to hurt. There wasn't any room for anything else in there, so having full on puppies moving around meant everything else had to stretch and push and.... augh. Tierra was speechless.

Tierra’s indignant reaction could not have been more satisfying, earning a hearty round of chuckling from Towhee. She leered playfully at the yearling, making no effort to backtrack or clarify the realities of childbirth. She did have to nod to her daughter’s point that it was insane that anyone would do it on purpose, not once, not even twice, but thrice now.

When Tierra decided to reach out after all, Towhee shifted a bit to give her ideal access. She was so busy watching the yearling’s expression, she didn’t actually lipread the cut-off question. She had to laugh again when she saw the look on Tierra’s face, somewhere at the corner of fascination and naked dismay.

Tierra put her paw down and kept staring. -Does it hurt?-. It had to. Ew. She was sure she'd love her siblings and all that junk but right now they were little alien blobs in her moms stomach and god she did not like. 0/10.

That was probably fortunate though because , with her proclivity towards other boys even on a normal day, it was going to take a veritable firehose to keep her off when her heat came. This was a pretty good one, at least at the moment.

The kicking? It can twinge a bit, if they manage to kick an organ, Towhee replied, fairly certain that was what Tierra meant but seizing the opportunity to add, Labor and delivery is incredibly painful too, but it’s worth it. As soon as they get here, you just sorta… forget.

Speaking of hurting, though, Towhee became aware again of just how achy and worn out she felt. Her eyes flicked in the direction of Aquene’s den, though suddenly she knew she wouldn’t have the energy for a visit today. Maybe if she slept the rest of the day today, she could summon it tomorrow…

The worst part is just feeling utterly exhausted, Towhee told her daughter. I’m going to go lie down in my pad. You’re welcome to come hang out for a bit, if you’re not too busy. I would like to hear more about what’s going on in your world, Tierra.

She listened silently and the look on her face got slightly, if possible, more scandalized. Kicking organs. Fortunately she recovered quickly when Towhee changed the subject. Yeah, okay. She stood up and cocked her head, as if noticing for the first time how worn out her mom looked. (Because she was, in fact, noticing it for the first time.)

-Ive got loads to tell you about. Did you know that most of the guys here probably don't even know what a date is? Mom, they are hopeless.-. She finished with an enunciated emphasis on hopeless, then switched. -But first, can I like, help with anything? Or something?- She could probably steal them some food from one of the stashes nearby. She wasn't about to go hunting herself, since she was totally more interested in keeping her mom company, but delivery was absolutely in her purview.

She should’ve urged Tierra to head out on patrol or something related to her duties, though Towhee was quietly glad that her daughter opted to join her for a bit instead. She motioned for the yearling to follow and began to move back toward the humble abode she shared with Maxim.

The mention of dates caused Towhee to arch an eyebow, then snicker. Have you considered looking for romance outside of Mereo? ‘Cause in my experience, you’re exactly right: the guys here aren’t really the dating sort… She paused. Are you interested in anyone in particular? she pressed curiously, sliding to her haunches as soon as they arrived at the den.

Tierra offered help if she needed anything. Towhee shook her head, only to pause again and admit, I couldn’t tell you why—pregnancy cravings are a thing, and kinda whack sometimes—but if you wouldn’t mind grabbing me a bone to chew on… maybe not right this second, but before you leave, she added, her mouth watering a little.

Tierra laughed and shook her head emphatically. -No! They're all hopeless. But I don't have to be interested to think a date sounds kind of nice.- She scuffed a claw on the ground, then sighed. She just wanted someone else to be interested in her is all. Was that too much to ask?

-I could, but this place is full of soldiers. I figured at least one would know how to treat a girl and, like, sweep her off her paws and stuff. They're all big enough for it.- Tierra smiled at her mom with the slight joke. Then she shrugged. -I guess I could, though. Who all's close by?-. She had no idea where to even start looking if she couldn't find someone here. But she wasn't shy about it if that was what it took.

Now that was was relatively more comfortable, Towhee was a little afraid she’d struggle to stay awake. But for her part, Tierra’s words captivated her mother. She ranted a little about the hopeless men here, earning a curve of Towhee’s lips as she flipped through the mental catalogue of dudes here. A few of them were relatives, most were married and then there were guys like Glaukos. Yeah, she could definitely understand Tierra’s complaint.

Well, they’re starting that outpost in the vale, so eventually there’ll be more guys there, if all goes well. And since they’re less soldierly there, they might actually tickle your fancy, Towhee quipped. She wondered if Tierra herself might find that setting a little more to her tastes but, not wanting to lose her proximity, did not mention that possibility outright. You could always volunteer for scouting or recruiting missions, find some quality dudes and bring them back here, she suggested instead, laughing as she added, As an added bonus, it’d probably score you big brownie points with the Imperator too.

-Yeah, I guess.-. She was decidedly less enthused on that response, as she'd been kind of hoping her mom knew of some kind of pack nearby that was full of romantic strangers who would fall over themselves trying to take her out. Life really was full of disappointment, wasn't it?

Her track record with strange guys wasn't great either, but she hadn't quite landed on the problem being her expectations or her attitude towards it. How could the issue be her? They were the ones who were weirdos.

-I met a few when I was traveling. Like, from the Frosthawks.-. Good save. -But they weren't a lot of help. And I doubt anyone cool would really want to join here. No offense.- She waved a paw in the direction of the barracks. -I guess I can always see, though! Thanks, mom.-. If nothing else, it gave her an excuse to travel some and see some places outside of Mereo. She couldn't believe the thought of 'recruiting' never occurred to her.

-I'll be right back.-. She gave her mom a peck on the cheek, then set off bounding towards where she figured a bone might be. As soon as she found one she'd nab it for Towhee and settle in to chat more about life.

I figured this was the perfect place to wrap? !

It was probably a good thing nobody at Frosthawks had really caught Tierra’s attention, seeing as there was a high probability they were related. Towhee almost cringed at the thought, but carefully schooled her expression. It cracked when her daughter dunked on Mereo, and the two of them in the process. That made her laugh for a solid two minutes.

When Tierra bustled off to dig up a bone, Towhee wondered if it had occurred to her daughter that she’d effectively dipped into the yearling’s pool of potential mates. Maxim was closer to Tierra’s age than her own, after all. The thought made her snicker, though she had gotten so used to the (admittedly young) man by her side that it felt a bit strange to hold him up against anyone else, even hypothetically. He was hers.

Oh, thank greebles, Towhee said nonsensically when Tierra reappeared with a bone. She didn’t stop to question the craving at all, just fell on it like a starved woman. It wasn’t even the marrow she really wanted, just the act of grinding her teeth against the tough, chalky surface scratched some weird itch in the pregnant she-wolf.

As she chewed, her orange eyes stayed fixed on her daughter’s face, catching every word. Bone grasped possessively between her forepaws, she only occasionally paused to make her own contributions, though Towhee was more than happy to simply sit back and listen until her whole face ached and she had no choice but to give it a rest.