Neverwinter Forest lxxiii. when my working day is over

Stirred from her sleep by a sound she could not identify, Wilwarin did not rise or move to suss it out; she had woken from a particularly strange dream, and blinked her sore, sleepy eyes in the direction of mother's den.

She was squinting - but she saw the pale figure of Kukutux drift by like some kind of figment, then another wolf, and finally decided to investigate. It was a time for women to come together after all.

Wil did not get too close. She felt a rising excitement as she watched the wolves enter the den to help her beloved mother, but also a nagging apprehension. There were low voices and then a high crowing, sharp, as if in pain, and that spooked her back.

She found herself hiding in the dark of the woods. Another wolf was there - a shadow - but Wilwarin did not disturb him. She was too overwhelmed by the thought of her mother's struggle. Knowing she should be there, present and helpful, and guilty for choosing otherwise.