Hideaway Strath When the party begins!

Arlette looked up dazed when she heard someone speak. She angled her head and saw Derg peeking in. Of course, he would be by her side. She smiled at him, a soft tired smile. "A daughter, Mulberry," she returned, her tone a whisper. She wasn't sure if she wanted to believe it. The pale female didn't have a lot of time to think as a jolt of pain shot through her and she groaned in return. Arlette shifted in a better position and started to push with the pain. She had done that last time and it had worked. It still hurt though. But the pale female was more of a quiet sufferer than to call out.

She groaned, not wanting to think of what happened last time. She pushed, glancing at Derg. Derg was here. This was not like last time. She had a living daughter now. The female pushed and felt one be pushed out (@Turmeric), however, it felt different from last time. She still felt like something was there. Arlette wanted to look but another contraction kept her down. She pushed again and felt a similar sensation as before. Another! She was panting heavily as she tried to look. Then the cries started. She tried to get up and saw two pups there. The sac had broken just as before but wrapped around them both. She started to lick the darker agouti pup. Like Derg!

But there was also another, lighter pup. She quickly refocussed her attention on him as he started to scream louder. A boy. He also was agouti, very similar to the other but just everything a shade lighter. She couldn't stop crying with happiness as she moved her attention to the darker brown one. Also a boy! Arlette picked up the lighter pup gently and placed him by his sister. So he would stay warm. She then grabbed the darker boy and placed him by her paws. "He looks like you," she told Derg. "There is a lighter boy as well," she told him between her licking and panting. When she deemed Turmeric dry enough she placed him by her belly as well.

She tried to catch her breath, but she also realized the lighter boy was only half cleaned. She tended to him as another contraction got through her. She thought it would be another pup but it was just the afterbirth. Three. Three living pups. She felt giddy and tired at the same time. She stayed on her side, trying to get used to the feeling of them nursing. "Turmeric and Thyme," she whispered back. Arlette then paused, glancing from the newborns at her belly to Derg. "Do you like them?," she asked. She hoped Derg would. She was just so glad they were alive. They were perfect in Arlette's eyes.