Swiftcurrent Creek fold out your hands; give me a sign [birth]

another dead one came, perfect but still. he was paralyzed with grief and fear as he sat beside her bleeding out upon the ground—it wasn't safe out here for her! for the children!—feeling wholly inadequate to handle any of this. he was about to erupt into panicked sobs when two pups slid out in quick succession, and they. . .oh! they were alive!

dawn, he croaked, bursting into tears anyway, although these were more tears of thanksgiving. he helped tear the sac from the pup he would know as his daughter, helped lick her clean, pushed her close to her mother. two, nursing. breathing. living.

mere bachchon, adi whispered, sniffling. he laid with his nose on his paws, outstretched in front of them, watching them suckle: weakly, at first, but growing in strength as the minutes went on. his eyes moved to dawn's face, suffused with so much exhaustion his heart broke for her. hamare bachchon, he clarified, a small, trembling smile curving his muzzle.