Dawnlark Plains can't get used to something so right

for @Pema but any passers-by welcome to hop in! assuming Pema is right around the den

He'd made a point to stay by Pema's den, only visiting Grayday's body once a day or so. It was changed, now; without Shale's constant presence, the scavengers had had their way, picking the flesh from the bones. It was all he could do not to chase the vultures away--but he knew it was just their way, surviving as they were designed to. Besides, there were more important things to do besides keep watch over a dead man. . .

One of which was to prepare for his incoming pups. The grief he'd felt over Day had slowly morphed into a growing anxious excitement over Pema's due date, coming sooner and sooner, and he occupied his mind in preparing for the litter. Today, he surveyed her den, thinking it was perhaps too small for her, her herbs, and the newborns.

He entered the space, sniffing around to see where excavation could be made to make it larger, wider. The sweet, earthy scent of plants suffused the air, and he breathed it in, feeling at peace. It was a soothing note, a means of calming his spirits, which boomeranged wildly from joy to fear, depending on the hour. Pups were always a blessing--but he knew all too well their birth could end in tragedy, as well.

As she neared her due date certain things within her body were changing. One of the very noticeable and inescapable symptoms was her need to constantly relieve herself. It seemed like every time she had a chance to lay down she felt the need to gain the strength to lift herself back up just to use the restroom.

It was on her regular trips back to her den that she found Shale digging around in her den. She had been very proud of him the last couple days. So diligently had he stayed near her side, only visiting with Day a few times. She could see him his expression from time to time how he felt about the persistent birds flying down upon the body. But he remained strong and level-headed. Something she would need when she popped.

She slowly waddled into her den, laying down in the entrance between the main cavern and the one where she stored her herbs, as he didn't seem to be working in that area. "What are you up to?" she asked with a smile.

A shadow fell over the entrance to the den, and he wheeled around, smiling as he caught sight of Pema. So lovely, so round. He padded up to her, running his muzzle along her cheek before pulling him into his embrace. She had that wonderful smell that all pregnant women carried--he couldn't describe it, exactly, but it was fertility embodied, homely and serene.

"I'm trying to figure out the best way to make your den bigger," Shale explained, nodding toward the wall that he'd been examining. "With the little ones on the way, we're gonna need a lot more room than this. Especially when they get older, start runnin' around." He grinned, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"How are you?" he asked, the ever-present note of anxiety in his voice. It grew more and more pronounced as her time drew near. "Anything I can do for you?"

So he was attempting to make the den larger. Making room for their soon to be children and even prepare for when they got older and larger. He was always so thoughtful and prepared. But that might have been because he had been through this before. Pema wasn't completely sure how old his past litter had been when they passed away, and she didn't think it would be the best thing to ask either. She knew they were still very young at the time of their passing, but that was all. She hoped that his time spent with their children would help him heal his heart from his past.

She excepted his affection with a giddy look on her face. She felt light and airy, a big difference that her actual current state. He asked how she was doing and she nodded along with her answer.  "I'm doing alright. I feel enormous but other than they I feel fine." When he asked if there was anything else he could do she smiled shaking her head. "I'm not sure what else I would need. You have done so much already." she said applauding his efforts.

He laughed at her use of the word 'enormous,' nuzzling her belly affectionately. "Just more of you to love, that's all," he said, each word suffused with love. Shale rested his head against her abdomen with a sigh, feeling the pups move against him. It was a wonderful feeling, and he'd let it take over if the fear wasn't there, as well. Life teeming within her--so close, yet so far. And things could go wrong so fast--

"Not nearly enough," Shale countered, shaking his head and stepping back. He chuckled, shifting his paws. "I know, you think I've done plenty. And I probably have. Keeping busy keeps me from worrying. Well, sort of." He stretched, long and languorous, enjoying the way the movement felt on his muscles. He'd been hunting more than ever before, lately, and it affected his body much more than his mind.