Blacktail Deer Plateau Your journey has only begun

Whatever the outcome of her talk with Kisu the previous day, Pied did not spare it a single thought as she wandered around the edge of the plateau, the cloudless blue sky sprawling above her. A flirty breeze whistled in her gray ears and wound its fingers into the long, mottled fur at her nape as she picked her way toward a ledge occupied by a lumbering tree. It faced east over the flat lands, offering a good view of the winding Whitefish River.

When she sat down beneath the crooked oak, she felt something strange and looked down between her forelegs. Her belly protruded, pushing against her hind legs and forcing them to spread a little wider than usual. Pied stared at this anomaly for several long moments and when she finally lifted her eyes again, the brightest smile shone upon her face. My baby bump, she thought blissfully, leaning backward slightly and lifting her right forepaw to crook gently over the small swell of her middle.