Ouroboros Spine walk to the road

@Minnow, dated for 3-24-24

As soon as he heard her voice, Valiant was on his feet and running. His spirit soared to know that she was back, and then plummeted as he anxiously wondered if she was alright. He grew increasingly distressed until he laid eyes on her, and then his relief was so intense he nearly fell to the floor.

"Minnie," he said, casual-like, while his heart pounded away as his nerves calmed.

The moment they stepped onto the borders she had looked around for her brother. She had no idea where tuft had gone and the girls anxiety had started to get the best of her. She needed her family now, in her eyes currently she was alone.

Her name was music to her ears as she ran, or more so waddled to her brother. She wasn’t used to having a pregnant belly so it was a bit awkward for her. She smiled and nudged him softly. “I missed you.” She said. “What’s happened since I was a way tell me everything.”

She wanted to know his life. She had been gone for months. “As you can see much has happened for me as well.” She chuckled.

"I missed you, too," said Valiant, glad to see her safe and sound once more. But there was something different about her — something he couldn't place for all of two seconds before she showed off the swell of her sides.

His mind blanked. Blood rushed in his ears, as if he had had a very close brush with death.

"You — " he said, intelligently. "You're — " Was this good news? Terrible news? He thought about a lot of things right then, but clung fiercely to the idea of their children growing up together, as it was the best one he had at the moment. "Me too," he told her, his voice still strained.

Finally he cleared his throat, offering a weak smile at his own expense.

"I mean — Vai's pregnant, too," he clarified, his tail wagging and then flagging as his eyes traced over her changed figure. "What happened?" he asked her, feeling dread for no clear reason.

His reaction was to be expected but she wasn’t expecting that he was going to be having children as well and she wagged her tail in delight of his news. “A lot.” She said with a heavy breath. “I met someone his names Tuft but I’m actually not sure where he went.” She said with a sad look on her face. 

She was worried for him and now for her and her babies. “We were looking for the pack of two young ones found by moontide…I haven’t seen him since.” She looked down at her paws as panic crept in.

She'd been gone for months. Valiant reminded himself of this, and that she'd had plenty of time to fall for someone, and that this Tuft fellow probably wasn't as horrible a villain as his imagination immediately tried to paint him. It was hard, though, when the man was so glaringly absent from this conversation.

"Well, I'm here, now," he said, wishing he had a better balm for her distress. "How long ago was that?"

The woman shrugged softly; she’d been so preoccupied with her pregnancy she couldn’t even think of the last time she’d seen her mate and she felt terrible about it. “Perhaps a week ago. I’ve been so busy with sickness and searching for a home it’s hard to say exactly when I last seen him.” She looked down at her paws with guilt as she heard herself speak. 

“I won’t be able to search for him either with my babies being born so quick.” She was at a standstill and there was nothing she could do. She would be able to leave them for weeks. “I’m scared…I didn’t want to do this alone.”

"A week ain't all that long," Valiant offered, trying to find some hope in the situation for them both. But a week did seem like quite a long time to be away from one's pregnant wife. Valiant, of course, feared the worst. He only wondered if it would be worse if the man had abandoned his sister or if he'd perished somewhere on his hunt for a suitable home.

They might never find out. He would find them or he wouldn't, but Valiant was sure of one thing:

"We're gonna figure somethin' out," he assured her, though he knew that another litter would put quite a strain on the pack. He felt dizzy when he imagined having to choose between his wife and his sister, his children and his nieces or nephews. Worse, he knew already what his choice would have to be. But — "You won't be alone," he promised her. "You ain't alone. I'm right here, alright?"

He was going to take care of her. One way or another, he would see her and her children happy and safe.