Sun Mote Copse The stars collected, each world accounted for

Actually, Eljay was very grateful that Niamh didn't ask him how he was doing. Everyone asked him that and he never had a good answer. It was easier when he wasn't forced to think of how he was feeling. Eljay smiled, grateful that the birthing had gone well. As a midwife he would've been devastated if things hadn't gone well. He would've felt terrible to know that his absorption in Wiffle's illness would have cost his uncle's family anything -- or anyone.

Niamh doubted a moment what exactly to call Eljay. He smiled when she decided on uncle, for the same reasons that she had named him so in the first place; it was a title that commanded some sort of respect, and it meant much to Eljay that Niamh saw him as a person who deserved such respect. Hi, little ones, Eljay said with a smile and a wag of his tail. It was a lot easier being a little happy with tiny innocent beans around. Especially when they didn't have your dead mate's faces.

Niamh introduced the pups as Nellie and Bronco. Eljay looked at Bronco, who stood and stared at him. He offered a smile, and Bronco's tail started to wave. Aren't you a happy little fellow, Eljay said, just as Bronco burst forward and pounced at his paw. Eljay fell to the ground dramatically in pretend-being-slain as this mighty warrior grabbed his paw.