Redhawk Caldera ambergris

Eljay had been checking up on Teya regularly, but it was tough, if not impossible, for him to keep both her and Maia surveyed and healthy. He felt like a failure in the middle of it all. His old anxiety spiked up again and regularly he found himself breathing in between the space between his legs as he tried to calm himself down. They needed him, but Maia was still weakened and even between himself and the older children, Eljay didn't seem to manage to bring her enough of what she needed, and Teya was still feeling miserable.

He tried his best, but it just wasn't good enough. Eljay's checks on Teya were frequently and daily, but he had his doubts whether she would ask him to perform his duties as midwife. He'd tried to find the words to tell her that the odds of it going wrong were not more if she didn't ask for help; only the odds of it going wrong for her would be bigger. But it was such a sensitive subject that he had no idea how to breach it. It was so clear that this was not what she wanted. It was not understandable to Eljay, who'd always wanted to be a father some day, and who'd been over the moon when it had happened. Even in the middle of losing Wiffle, his children had been his rays of sunlight.

It was raining heavily that day and Eljay had a terrible feeling in his gut. Usually his gut was right. He hadn't gone to find Teya despite it all, instead wanting to hunt her something fresh first — there was some in the caches but he'd bring it to Maia later — and when he had finally managed to find something — curse how bad he was at hunting the small game — the rain was pouring down heavily and it had soaked his fur through and through before he even swam to the island.

At the other side of the water he found wet pawprints on the bank, scrambling and struggling, and his heart shot to his throat. He hurried, following the steps towards her den with the thin rabbit he'd found in his mouth. He dropped it at the den's mouth and called, Teya? He could smell blood, birth, heard something akin to squirming. He didn't dare come in — not without her permission — and called softly, Can I come inside? Then waited with bated breath, hoping that she was still alive.