Dawnlark Plains no, they won't be home tonight

She had been asleep. Tossing and turning alone in her den. She had been having cramps. Unsure if they were simply later term pregnancy cramps or ones brought on by stress. She worried that Day's death and Shales demeanor would have an effect on her children. Logically she couldn't see how it would, but in her mind, as she slept she thought of it constantly. About the pack, he responsibilities, her children and Shale. Where is he? Where has he gone? Why did he leave me? she dreamt thoughts racing through her head before a loud thundering woke her.

Her body was tense as she woke up and she could feel the pups kicking. She took a sigh of relief as she came to terms with the fact that she was having a dream. The pups began to settle, but it only made her feel more lonely as she looking around her dim lit den and once again saw that Shale was not by her side. She had seen him now and then in passing, always by Day's former side.

It was late in the night and she thought about trying to go back to sleep but heard shouting. She could recognize Shale's voice and made the struggling effort to lift her enlarged body from the ground. When she came to the scene she saw Shale standing over Day, and black feathers scattered around. She walked up to him and rested her head on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"  she asked, both referring to how he felt about Day and also to whatever had happened with that bird. She could see here and there little sections of Day's pelt that had become penetrated by bird beaks or decay.