Nimbus Summit but i have felt the wind crawl where we're cursed

im gonna assume theyve chosen a den by now, hope thats ok!

a fortnight had passed, and the symptoms remained the same; intensified, if anything. a week after that first day of her heat, antha had started to feel ill each morning. her heat passed, and the nausea stayed. she could eat nothing until well into the evening, and even those meals were small, precarious.
and she was sore in several places, from the many times she stood too quickly and found herself ill-prepared for the sudden tilting of the ground under her feet. already she had told @Tessa of her certainty. it was past time that she told her husband of it.
@Issorartuyok, she approached him after they had each fully risen for the morning, the hint of a shy smile dancing along her features. it's still quite early, but i'm certain my illness can have no other explanation. a fortnight has passed, and tessa agrees - i am with child. soon we'll be parents.

Things had settled for their people, for their village. The mountain had been good to them, though their time upon it had been short. The northerner could not quite shake the stress that had settled into his frame. Even has they had risen from their den and embraced the day, Issorartuyok felt his mind was muddied with thoughts of the village and its residents.

While he hunted for Antha, the northerner thought of Lane and Tuuluuwaq. They had both moved into the Beta position. It was what they had wanted, he’d told himself again and again. His hunt had only produced a mid-sized hare, but he carried it back to the den in time for Antha to approach. The hare was left near her paws, whenever she would like to eat.

You are certain? Issorartuyok asked of her, dark ears drawn to a point. Children… they were to be parents. The northern man stirred with something he did not yet understand. Are you well? You look tired. At once, he believed that Antha should be in a place of rest. He did not want her to overwork her body or mind.

the witch's heart was set aflutter to see that her husband had brought a gift to her. she accepted the hare with a grateful smile, watching issorartuyok's expression carefully as he absorbed all that she had said.
i am, antha spoke softly, confirming her certainty in the conclusion she'd come to. when her mate expressed concern for her, blue eyes briefly fell away from the warm brown of issorartuyok's gaze. but when her eyes met his again, they were full of optimism. i'll be alright. illness is... part of it. for some women, it is more difficult. but my sister has had years of experience in guiding women through difficult pregnancies. i know she'll take care of me - and our children.
she reached out to touch his cheek gently. and i know you will, too. thank you for the gift.

Antha was certain, going on to explain that illness was common for women who carried children. He did not like the sound of that. The northern man had not heard what it was like to carry a litter to birth. The stories of his early childhood had always been after Noatak had given them life. Issorartuyok wondered if there were any complications and he fearfully thought of Tuuluuwaq’s litter. Was such an illness something that his own pups could get?

Issorartuyok swallowed at a lump in his throat.

Is there anything that I might do for you, Antha? his voice sounded quietly. She was fairly independent – he had learned this much in their time together. She was also astoundingly kind with the members of their village. Taking Antha as his wife had been a sound choice. The northern man had no regrets.

aware that issorartuyok would worry for her nonetheless, antha battled with guilt as she watched her mate's expression darken with concern. she decided then that she would tell him no more of her condition, unless it improved. tessa would keep her secret. issorartuyok already bore the weight of atautsikut on his shoulders. for his sake, antha would bear this burden alone.
what you do for me now is enough, she told him, her voice far lighter than her heart felt. but i will tell you if i need anything more.
tell me about our village. are our people well? our felt odd on her tongue, but she belonged to atautsikut now. and it belonged to her just as much. she had already met and bonded with many of the residents of the village, the children most of all. and now her own children would be born here. atautsikut had become home.

The northerner did not like the response he was given, but he did not argue it. If she believed that he did enough, he did not need to force more of his help against her will. Issorartuyok only wanted Antha to feel secure and to feel that she was cared for. He wished that for all the wolves in Atautsikut.

The village is well. The people are good. I hope that the spring brings us prey and opportunity for hunt so that we know that we can endure. I hope, too, that we will see families begin to start.

Issorartuyok, of course, was thinking of his brother and of Lane. He wondered if they would have more children or if they would wait for another year. The northern man could not help but to think that his brother would make a marvelous father figure. He already knew Lane was a fine mother to her kids. Though he was not certain of it, he imagined Antha would be the same for their own.

You are sure you feel well enough?

issorartuyok confirmed that their people were well, and spoke of hopes for the future. antha smiled at the thought of more children to grow up alongside her own. perhaps lane would choose to bear children again this year.
i hope to see new families as well. if lane and tuuluuwaq choose to have children this year, perhaps we can invite them to share a space in the arlathan for our children to play and mingle, the witch mused softly. it would be good for them to grow up alongside their cousins.
her mate worried still for her health. antha fought the urge to frown, wondering how she might reassure him. you don't need to worry for me, issorartuyok. the illness doesn't bother me. this... to start a family of my own - it always seemed like a far-off dream. at times i can hardly believe this is real. this is a blessing, a time of happiness. nothing can change that. how long had she spent wondering if this day would ever come? how many sleepless nights? a few weeks of suffering seemed a small price to pay for the realization of one of her most treasured dreams.