Blacktail Deer Plateau Your journey has only begun

When he professed skepticism, Pied didn't blame him. And, blessedly, when she reopened her eyes this time, the bodies were gone. She sucked in a deep, shaky breath and sat up straighter. Almost nervously, she looked around, as if checking to see if they'd simply relocated. She saw no sign of the five little bodies.

"I've seen ghosts all my life," she said somewhat blankly to Peregrine, "and I've considered schizophrenia and all those things. But it doesn't explain a lot of things, particularly when ghosts leave me with information I wouldn't or couldn't otherwise know..." She trailed off, feeling too shaken to substantiate her ability.

Her mouth twisted and she fought the urge to cry again when Peregrine reassured her with such confidence. Her lips parted as she prepared to say something when she felt yet another strange flutter just beneath her ribcage. It prompted her to climb to her feet, as if her distended stomach was somehow restricting her lungs and she could only breathe properly on all fours. And it did help.

"I keep feeling this..." And, suddenly, it dawned on her. "Oh my god, Perry, I can feel them. They're moving, inside me." Her wan face slowly but surely reassumed the earlier smile. Her pups were very much alive. Even though their tiny little movements hurt a little—probably the bruised rib smarting, which would explain the breathlessness—Pied was elated.

"My babies are alive," she murmured with happiness and more than a little relief. Her smile faded a little as she said aloud, "But someone's pups aren't..." and wondered over the real source of the ghostly, obviously miscarried puppies.