Swiftcurrent Creek When my hands don't play the strings the same way.

I don't remember who else wanted a thread from me... so here's a freebie for anyone who wants a Paar thread before the pups are born. :P

The day she would bring her children into the world was drawing near, and with it Paarthurnax' irritability rose. She was so easily agitated with herself and others and, not wishing to upset her pack-mates more than her presence alone already had, she withdrew. The crimson beauty wandered a lot, seeking privacy in the woodlands where she could be alone with her solemn thoughts. She was being swept away by depression, slowly and surely.

Pregnancy had not been kind to her. Along with her fragile emotions, it messed with her whirlwind hormones and making her appear bloated and unattractive. She already felt a fierce love and protectiveness over her unborn brood, the tiny beings she'd created through her love with Shadow, but she wished more than anything to have and hold them already. Soon the time would come, and they alone would occupy her attention. She would have only her babes to worry for, rather than herself and the wolves who clearly did not appreciate her place in the ranks.

The bitter cold did not bother Paarthurnax Frostfur, who lingered outside the hollow she shared with Bazi. Her pale companion had already removed herself for the morning, no doubt hunting or scouting or seeking the conversation of another who did not lose patience with her. The crimson mother-to-be pawed at the frozen earth, digging up a mouse that her den-mate had buried for her the day before, and she demolished it with a swift crunch of her powerful jaws before retreating to the den's mouth, where she lowered herself into a sphinx-like position to rest.