Redsand Canyon The heart does not exist solely for the purpose to pump blood

In the small hours of the morning, Ruenna stirred. Swallowed in darkness, she did not know where she was, and she did not immediately understand why there were small beings wriggling at her belly. Her eyelids were heavy, and her mind was hazy. The inside of her mouth was dry and tasted like herbs. She did not remember, but @Aquene had woken her at regular intervals over the past two days to get her to take food, water, and medicines, battling the fever that had set in after her delivery. 

Ruenna reached out, and her groggy mind was unsure of what she was searching for, but she knew it when she found it. Germanicus. Her muzzle drifted over whatever part of @Germanicus's body she had found. "I love you." Perhaps she had said it a dozen times over the last two days-- she didn't recall it if she had-- or perhaps this was the first time he was hearing it.

Clarity slowly settled upon her, and she bent her muzzle towards her belly to touch each infant in turn. @Valiria. @Cornelius. @Aquillius. @Alivia. She did not know which was which in the darkness, but she was satisfied that all four were present.

the birth of his children. the fever that followed. the reappearance of crowfeather.

were it not for the newborn lives beside them both, ruenna might have found him stiff-necked and unyielding in the darkness. germanicus had never been assailed with so much in such a short time. the struggle to hold all of it was great.

he should have been present for it all. instead he found himself moved and split into halves that shifted independent of one another. 

i loved you.

i love you.

the tenses splintered him. his voice was hoarse. "i love you, ruenna."

the words were genuine. he would not explore the sensation behind them. as she looked over their children his eyes followed each in the dark. he too had not yet been able to connect name to sound, only to image: alivia was small and softly grey. cornelius was already a stocky boy with the imperator's own look. aquillius shared the same shadowing with a promise for height. valiria bore a black paw. 

germanicus turned his attention to his wife. "can i bring anything to you?" he knew she was exhausted after her long battle post-birth, and wished to be attentive in any way possible. work would keep all else from his mind.

cameo unless you wanna notice him!

It seemed Phox had arrived only days before Ruenna had given birth. Now that she had, and there were murmurs about, Phox thought it best to give the new parents a gift. Wasn't that customary? And while he had once been fairly close with Ruenna, back in his leading days, that seemed so long ago. He couldn't exactly claim to be close to Germanicus, of course. The two had barely said a dozen words to each other. Still, both of them were his leaders, and both of them would likely appreciate a gift.

Using the methods he had learned from somebody at the Frosthawks, he had carefully skinned a beaver, making sure to get the largest piece he could. It turned out quite nice, he thought, and the Redhawk approached their home with guarded caution. He didn't intend to intrude or ask them anything, so he carefully laid the skin outside their door, paused only a moment, then turned to leave. His scent had surely embedded itself in the fur with him working it so, and so they would know the gift came from him.