Verdigris Ravine 'tis time that i fare from you

The words she spoke now were like music to his ears. Talisman’s heart swelled as he pictured himself surrounded by little miniatures, all of them cream with cinnamon points and pale blue eyes. But that mental image—and S’ari’s blessing to go forth and multiplty—begged a big question.

How many pups can a female have at once? he asked a little hesitantly, once more uncertain whether it was a socially acceptable question.

But S’ari hadn’t batted an eyelash at anything he’d asked so far. If anything, she seemed more and more enamored with their conversation. Talis found himself grinning at her when her teeth flashed in a smile. She really was pretty despite her plainer coloring.

You mentioned that everyone helps raise all the children in The Tribe. What if the pups literally have multiple parents though? What if someone doesn’t want to take a single mate, for instance?

He couldn’t help but think of his father. He’d modeled monogamy, for better of for worse, and Talisman liked the idea of finding the one. It was romantic. But after spending so much time on his own lately—and having no experience living in such a sociocultural setting—Talis wasn’t entirely sure if he was built for any of it.

The only thing he felt certain about, he realized with a little snort, was that he wanted to father as many kids as physically possible.