Redsand Canyon Stars are born in litters.

She knew she was in the home stretch, though she slept so frequently now that time lost all meaning to Towhee. When she woke to dull cramps in her midsection, she honestly couldn’t remember if perhaps the time had come. Her instincts whispered not yet, so she pushed onto her feet and waddled to the threshold of the den, then through it.

Towhee actually felt markedly better today and decided to stretch her legs with a slow walk. She didn’t intend to go far, though after milling around the married housing, she still felt surprisingly restive. Her feet hurt a bit and she still felt the occasional cramp, yet she felt suddenly compelled to head toward the trees on the far side of the sparring pit.

It took her a while to reach them. As soon as she stepped into the shade, she made her way toward the stream there. Towhee dropped down into an ungainly crouch to lap at the water. After taking care of her thirst, she carefully pushed upright again and told herself to head back home now and rest.

Instead, she began wandering deeper into the woods.