Blackfeather Woods Clean blow

Life wasn't so terrible, once they had gotten past the initial bump in the road--well, that bump being a pretty significant one, seeing as how Potema had ordered her brother to kill her own children.

But Maegi didn't know any of that. All she knew was the blind, relentless search for nourishment. And for the most part, she was satisfied. The little girl was growing day by day, becoming more aware of her surroundings as she explored the whelping den.

She had deduced that she had two other siblings, sightless blobs in the dark beside her. She was vaguely aware of having more companions. . .where they had gone, she did not know. The remaining trio was going strong, though, and as long as Maegi had food in her belly and stayed warm, there were no complaints from the tiny babe.

There were others in the den, too, every once in a while; she felt their pawsteps vibrating on the stone floor, felt their larger presence nearby. But without sight nor sound, nor really a sense of smell, Maegi was stuck in the darkness. For now.