Arrow Lake ❝—by my blood & bone.❞ (lbr.)

At first, the midwife almost didn’t see Mahler — the man had a calming, rock-solid presence and when she noticed him, looking up from Aure’s body as she hovered, she felt relieved to have another expert here. She recognized him from the fertility festival and appreciated his support them, and she saw how he gave her room to work now, and her gratitude was multiplied. Then, he unrolled a small bundle by the entrance to the den and, giving the pup’s nose and mouth a lick or two — it was doing just fine — she swept towards the offering to see what was there. The druid touched her nose to the herbs and inhaled deeply, then looked to the Doctor and smiled. Aure would have been in fine hands, whether or not she had been there.

It was then that Aure began to labor once more and she fluttered close, leaving room for Mahler to be nearer, if he wished. Olive cradled the woman’s head as her body brought forth another child. Just as Mahler’s eyes became misted, so did her own.

At this, the new mother seemed to rouse and, very quickly, took to the tasks of motherhood. She cleaned the children and led them both to suckle, and then began to cry, as most new mothers do. It was one of the most intense things that a wolf, woman or man, could endure; and olive hadn’t lied. Aure was now made anew because of it. The father, Olive assumed, attempted to enter. She turned to him, radiating joy — for this was the most joyful of occasions. “Two children, one boy and one girl,” the woman admired fondly. She answered him, but it was Aure's prerogative whether or not he was welcome inside. “Dragomir and Isilmë.” Somewhere deep inside her, even though it was far too early to feel anything of the sort, Olive swore she felt her own children move and kick.