Heron Lake Plateau sleeping children are still flying

Welcome, @Owen and @Kite! <333

As Quixote leaned in to sniff at the baby girl, she felt an almost involuntarily upswell of instinct that made her want to growl at him, snap and drive him away. It was an ancient terror, woven deep into the fabric of every she-wolf -- that primordial fear of the father who killed his own progeny. But she resisted, instead finding a degree of comfort in his presence and closeness. And so heartbreaking had the arrivals of their two firstborn been that Raven couldn't dare drive him away from the one who'd made it. She smiled weakly at the wonder on his face, sharing his emotions and daring to hope that there might be more healthy children behind this one.

The next labor pain came but she was ready for it. She almost refused when Quixote suggested she get into the den, but when he mentioned that it might be too cold for the newborns, she suddenly found the strength to get there. Her eyes lingered heavily on the two lost children -- she hated to leave them -- but she had to think of the ones who might live. Carefully picking up the ebony girl, her whimpers and squalls protesting the disturbance with a vigor that heartened the worried mother, Raven managed through the pain to pull herself on her belly into the den. Rolling onto her side, she placed her daughter back at her belly to continue nursing and resumed the struggle of bringing forth more life into the world.

This time, two came in rapid succession, a little boy and another girl. She tended to them both quickly, relishing their tiny squeaks and blind, fumbling movements. The boy was large, strong, and wrapped in colors of warm earth. In stark contrast to the previous two, the girl was glacier-white with a dusty cape of silver on her shoulders and back. Raven noticed she was tiny -- very tiny -- and weak. Could this have been her third star? Dim but not dark, at least, and she resolved to do everything in her power to make sure this child lived. She took her time cleaning up the tiny girl, making sure she was safe and warm, before placing her beside her brother and sister to eat.