Northstar Vale If we drop a stone in a pond, the ripples begin to move.

Maxim joined her, earning an intrigued look from Towhee. She snickered at his playful question. The cold water helped with the pain, mostly by partially numbing any submerged body parts. On the other hand, it wasn’t long before she was shivering slightly. The pain relief wasn’t worth the discomfort.

Rising, she slogged out of the water and let herself drip dry on the bank for a few moments. Towhee then shook the remaining excess out of her fur and began padding toward the roost. She suddenly yearned to be somewhere comfy and warm, preferably with Maxim wrapped around her like an over-sized scarf.

Yeah, that sounds real good, she commented to herself.

She didn’t have to look behind her to know her mate was there. Towhee waddled through the willows with her shadow in tow, letting out a sigh of relief when they reached the mouth of their small lair. She ducked inside and soon dropped to her haunches before easing forward onto her belly and then shifting sideways to avoid putting pressure on it.

She settled just in time for a fresh contraction. They were still a little dull and spread apart. Towhee clenched her teeth until the wave crested and ebbed, then curled slightly into herself, snout and toes both pointed at the wall. She hoped Maxim would recognize his cue to drop down behind her and drape himself along her scarred backbone.