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“The kin are resistant Em, give her time." Imava said, touching her head to my shoulder. She'd gotten a lot more into touching since being with the wolves, but I didn't want to comfort now. I was a ball of tension, I felt like there was something I should have been doing but there was nothing to do. The fight had been won. Imava had done her best to stitch up Runa, though we all knew she was no doctor. I'd been too much a shaking a mess to do it myself, and the memory of my inability to help Runa pained me deeply. “She lost a lot of blood but I don't think her lung was pierced, my understanding is that she'd be breathing differently."

I ran my hand over Runa's stomach below her bandages. At least Ima had gotten the bit about 'breathing differently' right. I hadn't spared the pups she might be carrying a thought yet, though of course touching her belly made me think of them. The trauma might cause her to miscarry them if she lived, and they'd die with her if she passed. I supposed it was best to focus on Runa herself for now, not that there was anything I could do for her either.

“I wish you'd say something." Ava said softly as she rubbed my back. I felt like I'd run out of words.

“Thank you for … the stitching." I said finally, with difficulty. It was something of a dismissal, too.

Imava sighed quietly and squeezed my shoulder. “Of course Em. The pack will help you. Don't forget about the children." She reminded me as she got set to go.

We were all at home now, Runa, myself, and the children. The kids were unusually quiet. No doubt they felt the absence of their mother, and I was sure too that they were worried about what I'd be like. I can't have been putting on inspiring faces since everything had happened. Ava was right, I should see to them, reassure them I would still be a good father to them. Less of one if Runa died, because I would be less of the person I was, but I could still manage to give them the childhood their mother had wanted them to have. I hoped.

I stayed with Runa a little while longer. I could feel the pull to just sit and wait, to keep thinking she would wake up any moment and then life could begin again. I got up slowly. I couldn't sit and wait, or I might sit and wait forever even if she went beyond our reach. I went in search of the children, finding them under Holly's care in the stables. She was reading to most of the children the simplest of books. We were working on her reading skills, but they were behind what they might have been if she'd been able to receive the attention she'd deserved. The children didn't mind, they were looking for comfort in grouping and snuggling together as they looked at pictures and listened to their eldest sister.

I smiled a bit brokenly at them all, then scooped up a couple of the little ones and scooted in next to Holly to watch and listen too. The moment of nervousness my appearance had caused passed, and then they all seemed to feel even better than they had before. Holly leaned against me, and I rubbed tiny backs soothingly. When the story was done I smiled at Holly. “Thank you for keeping an eye on your siblings Holly. I'm afraid we'll have to depend on you for a while here to be their voice of reason pretty often."

“Where's Moma?" Tivald asked.

“Your Moma is hurt, she got hurt when the army came through." I said, knowing they'd heard the barest details of what had happened.

“Is she going to be alright?" Tivald asked.

“We don't know yet." I answered honestly, not wanting to risk answering either way.

“Are you going to turn into a useless blubber-face then? When she dies?" Viyya asked, tone tart. She was such a sas sometimes.

“Viyya!" Holly scolded, though Viyya just shot her a glare.

I gave her a small half smile. “For a little while, probably." I said. “When you love someone, it's hard to see them suffer, and hard to see them die. But I'll still be your father, and I'll provide for you and play with you all still." I said, pulling Viyya into my lap and petting her. I had pretty much responded to her rather abrasive personality by insisting on being more affectionate with her rather than getting angry. I figured she'd seen enough anger and aggression in her life, and it was probably what had made her so standoffish. By now, and especially since she had to actually be quite upset and worried about Runa herself, she let me coddle her.

After a while I told Holly I had business in the town, and to please watch the little ones. I didn't have to ask, but I knew that she appreciated being asked and thanked. I moved slowly as I went, dreading talking to Anthovis. I had shot him with a hunting arrow meant for large, powerful beasts when I'd seen him going after Runa as she'd tried to leave the fight. To be honest, I hadn't even known it was him I shot when I'd let the arrow fly, but I would have shot him all the same to keep him from Runa. I was thankful I hadn't been able to go for a neck shot and had taken him in the shoulder between plates of armor instead. I wasn't sure how long I'd be thankful for that.

It was early afternoon, the battle having ended the day before well into the evening. The bodies had been cleaned up. It seemed as though the kin kept losing people, there was always someone else to bury lately. What a bloody beginning for Fenrick's reign. At least Imava had cut back on the death by getting most everyone out, and Fen had managed to bring home the hunting party quickly. What would we do in the future though? The kin still needed to go hunting, but at least at the moment, the human threat seemed painfully real. Probably so many were dead that there wouldn't be another army marching for years and years, generations maybe, but it didn't seem that way with so much lost so unexpectedly.

The jail was a small place, but it existed. Vise was being held there, one of only a few that had been taken prisoner at all. At the end of the fight what was left of the battered army had been chased off into the mountains, most of them ill prepared for the wilderness and injured. It would be surprising if they made it back to human lands. Then those captured in the middle of the battle, and the human injured, had also been chased off. Except for Vise. It was clear by looking at him he was related to Imava and I, and we'd both pleaded that he stay a prisoner for now. He'd been left untreated long enough that he'd also fainted from blood loss, and Imava had stitched him up while he was still unconscious. We hadn't yet seen him since.

I had brought back from my trip to the human lands various medicines besides the one for Tivald. If Vise was going to live, he would need some things to hopefully fight off infection. The medicines seemed largely unnecessary for the kin, their bodies quick to heal and fight off infection. I'd brought them back for Imava and I mostly, in case we needed them.

“Ah Emmett, your relation's been throwing a tantrum since he woke up." Thar said, giving me a small, wolfish smile. “He's got a mouth on him. Runa up yet?"

“No." I said. I could hear Vise as I walked up, indeed throwin a fit. He was cursing with the best of them. He sounded angry, but also in pain. “I'll talk to him." I said to Thar in such a way that said he could take a few steps away.

“I've been watching your sister waddle this way for an hour now. She's moving slow and checking on people as she comes, but I think she's mostly making the trip down here to see the prisoner." Thar said, and I could tell it was in case I wanted to wait. I didn't want to wait. I wanted to try and get Vise calmed down before he messed with Ima's head with anything harsh he might let pour out of his mouth.

I walked into the jail and found Vise in his cell. He hadn't been taking to captivity well. He'd thrown everything he could beyond the bars into the walkway. It really wasn't a lot of trouble or a big mess since prisoners were given little, which I was sure was only more frustrating for him. I felt a stab of burning anger as I remembered him going after Runa, and the injury she had in her chest. I also felt a sharp pang of sadness for Anthovis, trapped as he was, caged.

“Emmett!" He said, stopping his pacing when he saw me. He glared at me though, not coming closer or moving away, suspicious. He was dressed in the armor and decoration of a low level knight. His birth and abilities had demanded he be given decent rank. It was strange to see the brother I'd traveled and played with in normal clothing so done up, separated from me by these unfamiliar battle trappings. Blood still stained the cloth of the pants he was wearing, possibly some of that was Runa's blood, some of it his own. I wondered how many of the kin he'd killed before I'd stopped him.

“Anthovis." I said, giving him the smallest of smiles. “I've brought you medicine, to keep you from getting an infection that will kill you."

Vise grunted. “So you are with these monsters? Where are the people you told me about? Or do you think these animals are people? Different, but people all the same?" He spat the words.

“They are people. They think, and talk, and love just like we do." I said with a sigh. Anthovis might change his mind, but I knew him well enough to know it wouldn't be today. He was too angry.

“Oh that's disgusting. Oh gods, that wife you told me about … Are you fucking one of these monsters?!" That was probably the wrong line for Imava to arrive during, but she was bound to show up eventually. She waddled into view and Anthovis stumbled back, taking in her obviously pregnant belly. “Oh gods I think I'm going to be sick." He said.

Ava frowned in confusion, and looked to me with a hurt, questioning face that made me more annoyed with Anthovis. “Yes, Vise. You ran my wife through with a sword yesterday." I snapped at him. “And she and I do make love, and she is a wonderful, amazing person you might yet have killed."

“Imava, how can you be fucking a dog like this?!" Anthovis asked her, ignoring me.

Ava cringed, shying from him and putting a hand protectively on her belly between herself and Vise. “I …" She stumbled. “Fen is a good man, Anthovis." She said quietly.

“He's a good dog, you mean. A good dog you've trained to hump you. I can't believe this! What the Hell are you going to give birth to exactly?! Monsters, horrible, dog-monsters!"

“They'll be my babies!" Ava snapped at him, her voice high and harsh. “My children, Anthovis, and I'm going to love them as they are! They'll have fur, I'm sure, but they'll think and know how to accept people who are different from them!" I put my arm around Ima's shoulder and rubbed her arm, hearing the tears coming in her voice and wishing she'd calm down. “Just because they'll look different doesn't mean they'll be any less people than I am, though I hope they're better people than you are." Imava stomped from the room, though I was sure I'd find her just the next room over from the cells crying when I left. She was emotional these days, and this subject had once been horribly troubling for her.

I sighed and shoved Vise's blankets and the few other things he'd been given back in through the bars. Then I showed him the medicine I was giving him and put that in too. “I'll see you tomorrow Anthovis. Take care of yourself in the meantime. I have to see to my wife." I told him, voice rather hollow. It pained me to hear Vise being so hateful toward the kin I'd grown to appreciate, the woman I loved, our own sister. He was my closest brother, besides Imava, and his disapproval weighed on me.

I walked Imava home. She linked arms with me and was quiet, sad. “Don't listen to Anthovis Ima, he doesn't know what he's talking about." I told her before I left, kissing her head and giving her a squeeze as tight as the belly between us would allow.

I walked more quickly home, worried that Runa would have woken up helpless and alone without me. Would she be helpless? Well probably not, but if she were awake I could help her with things and I wanted to be helpful for her if I could be. I knew I should swing by and check on the children, who'd still be hanging out in the stables, but I wanted to check on Runa first so I went straight for the house.

When I got there I immediately heard the sound of children coming from our room, and I rushed to see what was going on, but when I opened the door Runa was up, sitting up in bed propped up on a pillow. There was a thick band of bandages wrapped around her wound, and I could see blood had seeped through, but she was up and talking to the children. Holly was sitting next to the bed and attempting to keep the children from jumping on their mother too much, but she was fighting a losing battle.

“It's alright, little ones, I'm going to be fine." She was assuring them, though the insides of her ears were pale white, and so were the gums around her teeth. She'd lost a lot of blood, and I could see her hands shaking a little.

“Holly said we had to be strong because you might die." Tivald said with a bit of a whine. “She said daddy would need us to be tough."

“I'm not dying just yet." She assured them. “I'll be back on me feet soon enough." She looked up and saw me and smiled. “Em, love, it's good to see you. I was worried you might have been hurt in the fight, so I called the children."

“Settle little ones." I said soothingly and smiled at her, the expression feeling relieved and genuine. I scooped up Flint, the most excited of them, and held him as I sat next to her on the edge of the bed. “I mostly used my bow, so I wasn't within reach of many swords." I told her. I felt like there was a lot to say, to discuss, to worry about, but I didn't want to do any of it in front of the kids. And I had to remind myself that Runa was still quite ill and probably not up for much.

“I saw you arrive and I tried to get away, but it was too late. One of them had run me through from behind. I didn't have enough strength to flee. I was so afraid for you and kids." She said, shivering a little. “I'm just happy everyone is alright."

“What are you making for dinner? I'm hungry." Viyya grumbled, but I noted that she was sitting close to her mother, one hand on Runa's knee, protective.

“She isn't making anything." I told Viyya. “There are some things downstairs that Liet brought over, she's been in charge of getting food together for those families that have lost someone or who have injured to care for. We'll get some of that warmed up when it's dinner time."

“I can start that." Holly offered, and I realized it was getting a bit later than I'd first guessed.

“I can help! I can help!" Tivald and Syndril insisted, getting up after Holly. They were just getting old enough that they was sometimes more help than hindrance.

“I probably could have cooked." Runa said apologetically. “How long have I been out? I hope it wasn't long."

“About a day." I told her, absently running tickling fingers down Flint's giggling back so he would stop struggling to get away from me and crawl all over her. “You look sickly still, you should recover some more before you start trying to do normal things. At least give it tonight." I said, squeezing her hand with my free one and giving her a worried look. I didn't want to say how awful she looked and comment on her blood loss with four of the children still with us.

“Don't worry about doing stuff, mom." Kathor said, standing with his chest puffed out. “I can take care of things."

Etris was looking dubiously at his older brother. “I'm not sure that's a good idea." He said in a whisper that was meant to be private, but was really loud.

Kathor growled at his brother, but then turned and fled for the kitchen. Etris charged after him, as though intent upon saving his older sibling from trouble, but likely just to help with matters. Viyya slid out of bed as well, looking as grumpy as ever. “I should help those idiots or something will end up on fire." She grumbled as she left the room, which left just me, Flint and Runa.

“They're really good kids." Runa said, a tired smile on her lips.

Flint howled in my arms. “Stop Daddy stop! I have to go potty!" I quickly released the child, knowing full well by now that four year olds did not have the best bladder control when tickled.

“Well go on then!" I said, near panicked, and Flint ran from the room looking uncomfortable. When he was gone I laughed quietly and leaned in to nuzzle the side of Runa's head gently. “You've bled through love, we'll change that soon." I promised. “I was so worried, and you look awful so please don't overdo it trying to cook and all else. You need to rest."

She looked downtrodden. “But who will take care of the kids?" She asked, and then she laughed a little weakly and shook her head. “No, that's a dumb question now. You will, of course. I'm still not used to having help on these things. I'll get the hang of it eventually I'm sure, but for now it's still strange to have someone I can rely on." She reached out and grabbed my arm. “I love you, Em. I'm so glad you're alright."

For some reason Anthovis' disgust jumped into my head, but I smiled back fondly at her anyway. “I love you too, and we'll get you back on your feet. I'll care for the babes, and you know tomorrow most of them will be off playing with the neighboring kids again anyway." I smiled widely. “Holly is a big help too, together we'll handle everything." I said, very confidently. I knew there'd be some mistakes and things would be done a little differently than usual, but I also knew I was right. At the end of the day everyone would be happy and healthy anyway.

I sighed looking her over, trying to figure out how much she could take at the moment. “Let me change your bandages while we talk, alright?" I asked, getting up to fetch the supplies from where I'd left them in a heap on the desk that morning.

She nodded. She unfastened the bandages around her chest and let it fall away revealing a nasty wound that I knew was matched by an even nastier one on her back, where the sword had originated. “The man who stabbed me - when it happened I think I was confused - I could have sworn he looked like you. I think it must have just been the heat of the moment or something, maybe confusion from the pain."

“I'm afraid not." I said softly. “I was already pretty sure it was my brother who stabbed you, Anthovis. He continued after you when you tried to leave the battle, but I shot him with a arrow. He's in the jail at the moment, and not taking kindly to things." I thought about adding that if my first contact with the kin had been a battle and then jail, I wouldn't have been too receptive to the idea of them as people either maybe, but I decided I'd save that for when I was feeling more fond of my brother than I was now.

I wanted to talk to her about the babies, the ones we were so excited to have made together. I wanted to share my worry for them with someone, with her in particular, but if she hadn't thought of it I didn't want her to worry just yet. She didn't need to be worrying as she was, we could talk about them when she was stronger. It was also so early in the pregnancy that she wasn't feeling them move yet, we wouldn't know right away if they'd gone still, so there was no reason to think she'd know any better than myself how they were doing now.

She seemed sad. “With the way you and your sister accepted us so readily, I guess I'd assumed that your family would be more receptive to us."

“Yeah, sorry." I said, feeling like somehow Imava and I'd own reputation was tarnished by Anthovis. Maybe it was. He was family, afterall. I shot her a half smile. “Well, at least my father or Colhard haven't shown up, that'd be a real disaster." I examined Imava's stitching and started rewrapping Runa's wounds. “Vise might come around. So far his only experience with the kin has been violence and imprisonment. Otherwise I don't know what we'll do with him." I frowned. “I'd like to return him to human lands even if he can't accept us, but it might be dangerous for the kin I suppose. And it would probably mean my resources in the human world would be cut off, no more trips to get medicine or anything else if it becomes necessary."

“I'm not sure what my brother will do." She said forlornly. “I don't really know him well, but I imagine with Imava and you asking for forgiveness, he'll probably agree to send him home. Were there other prisoners, or just him? I know the battle was quite violent. We'd lost a good dozen kin at least before you arrived, and the number was probably higher."

“The other prisoners were driven back into the mountains after what was left of the army had been chased that way. I'm not sure any of them will make it back, they were pretty beaten up. Anthovis wasn't driven off because Imava and I asked that he stay a prisoner for now. He wouldn't have made it back, not with the wound I put in his shoulder." I said. “All told the kin did lose quite a few, though nothing compared to the losses the army took." I shrugged one shoulder. “It's hard to be happy about that when we would have been better off not being attacked to begin with."

“War is never a happy event." She agreed with a nod. “I'm sorry if this puts you at ends with your brother. I will talk to him if you'd like. I don't want there to be bad blood in your family."

I shook my head, finishing with her bandages. “Imava and I will work on him. Maybe having contact with one of the kin would help, but he did stab you with a sword so you certainly don't have to be the one to do that. There are plenty of kin that can try to talk to him and make him realize he's wrong about you all."

I kissed Runa's muzzle and scratched behind one of her ears briefly before sitting down beside her again. “How are you love? Anything I can say or do for you?" I asked, taking her hand in mine and giving it a squeeze.

She smiled at me and nipped at my cheek. “I'm fine. I guess you could bring up some food after you've eaten, but I think I should talk to your brother. He needs to know that we can forgive, and that we can be civil when not backed into a corner. I will go with you to see him some time."

Imava and I visited Anthovis daily. He settled into a disgusted simmer by the second day. I was happy to see he was taking the medicine. I knew that Vise would quickly become bored and then depressed in captivity. Over the next few days he told me with hostile eyes that I should just release him so he could return to the human lands. At first I refused to talk to Fenrick about that possibility because I knew Anthovis would die before he made it. After a few days, as he began to heal, I didn't bring it up because I wanted him to accept the kin before he left. Fenrick might be willing to move the Earth for Imava and release Vise, but even though I loved my brother, I knew it would be dangerous to do so until he'd gained some measure of respect for the kin.

Letting Anthovis return to the human lands meant releasing a man with considerable influence back into the world with a hatred for us. People would believe him when he talked of there being monsters just over the mountains. There would be more lone hunters, and there was a possibility another army would be raised against us if the right people decided it was a good idea. They would think it was a good idea. Wolf pelts were worth a lot, the bigger the better, and werewolf pelts and heads would be highly prized indeed. I could see them trying to turn the pups into pets, enslaving them. They would say it was a campaign to cleanse the world of monsters, but it would really, as always, be about the money to be made.

I tried to explain to Anthovis that the fact he was in a jail at all was evidence of the kin's humanity. They had to build it, construct it, conceive of the need for some punishment besides outright killing anyone that did wrong. For the most part he ignored me, throwing out the occasional insult about my relations with the kin. I also tried to explain that the fact we could produce offspring with the kin meant they were closer to us than he was giving them credit for. He didn't seem impressed.

Finally Runa insisted that she come with me to the jail after I'd made her take several days to relax and recover. I tried to tell her it was alright, that she didn't need to. I didn't want her to get upset. I was still worried about the pups, more so as she recovered and I didn't have to worry about her own health quite as much. As we made our way in the guard was away from the jail, which meant that someone was in to talk to Vise that could be trusted. I figured it was Imava, and that was soon confirmed since we could hear her yelling.

“Damn it Anthovis why can't you just admit that you were wrong?! You have to know it by now, even you aren't that stupid!" As we reached the door I could tell her anger had turned to tears. “I dreamt you killed my babies last night Vise, I don't want to think of you that way. I don't want to see that as a possibility. I knew when Fen took me in the forest that I wouldn't be accepted back into society, that my own family wouldn't take me back in after that, but you didn't have to prove me right."

“Ava." I said, voice soothing as I helped Runa inside, though she probably didn't really need it. “Not all your family abandoned you, thank you." I said, trying to use a teasing voice to lighten the mood.

Imava frowned at me, both her hands on her belly and her brows knit in her unhappiness. “Hey Em, Runa." She said quietly, all her loudness apparently spent. She shifted awkwardly. “I guess I'm not helping today. I'll just go now, you can try some more I suppose."

Runa seemed nervous as she sat down in a chair facing the cell. “Hello, Anthovis. I'm Runa, Emmett's wife." She introduced herself. She'd chosen to come in her hybrid form, though it had been painful to use that form while she was still injured.

Anthovis looked her over and snorted. “A little wild, but human looking. But I know what you really are, I didn't stab a woman."

I sighed. “Anthovis, if you can't be nice to my wife don't talk to her or I'll have to come in there and have it out with you. It'll be worse that that brawl we had in the snow at the winter festival when I was 14, I promise." I said darkly.

“You brought her here. I can't help it if I'm stuck here." Anthovis snapped back.

“Runa insisted on coming. Something about showing you how the kin can forgive and be good people. Since you know. You nearly killed her when all she'd done was try to defend the town from your army, who went after a child that came running from a house looking for her parents." I knew my voice was getting more angry and tried to calm myself down, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the wall. Anthovis, surprisingly, didn't have anything to say to that right away.

“I don't expect you to like us. You don't know our people, and humans have long referred to us as hell beasts because the few times they've seen us, they've never tried to understand what we are." Runa began softly. “We are very different from you in appearance naturally, but we aren't that different in kind. We want to live in peace, to have a family and to raise our children in safety. When threatened we will fight like monsters to protect our young and our homes, but would you do any less? To our people there is nothing we value more than our children. I would give my life to save them, and that was what I tried to do yesterday, but death and fighting aren't things we want. No one prospers from violence."

She took a deep breath. “I came here today because I love Em, and I don't want him to lose a brother to a lack of understanding, and because I wanted the chance to forgive you for nearly killing me. I know you were only doing what you thought you had to do. I hope you can come to understand that we're not monsters, even if we're different. I would like it if the children Em and I have together could get to know their uncle."

"I'd like that too." I added quietly. I'd assumed I'd be the fun uncle long before I was a father, but I supposed I'd taken it for granted that my siblings would be important in their lives.

"Mmmm." Vise made a noncommittal noise, but he looked a bit sadly at the wall of his cell, I thought.

"Maybe we should let him think about it a bit." I said softly to Runa, running my hand over the back of her head, over her hair. I'd leaned in to whisper, and I ended my words with a kiss on her cheek and a squeeze of her shoulder.

Runa nodded and got up from her chair, clearly in pain, though she tried her best to cover it up. She took my hand in hers, leaning close to me. “He'll come around." She said softly “He just needs time, and a reason not to hate us, and we can give him both. If he gets to a point where he's not going to hurt anyone we could move him to a place besides that cell. I can't imagine that is making him any more forgiving."

I put a supportive arm around her waist and we headed home. "I hope you're right." I said with a sigh. "It'd be nice to have him stop calling me .... uh, names." I decided to leave off any if the things he's been calling me, though 'pig fucker' and 'dog rapist' were a couple of his favorites. "Thank you for trying to talk with him." I said, giving her a soft smile.

She smiled back and at me and nuzzled into my neck. “I don't think he's a bad person. He's just afraid of what he doesn't understand. I want you to have your brother back. I can see the hurt it causes you for things to be like they are, and I don't like it when you hurt."

I gave her a grin. "Aww well, I'm not so hurt!" I kissed her cheek, and then sobered a bit. "Do you think our babies are alright?" I asked, my hand squeezing her side lightly. Then I frowned. "I don't know if I can forgive him if he causes you to lose more children. I don't want you to have to hurt that way anymore." The Seer's warning about two children causing us 'grief' came back to me.

Her smile slipped. “I don't know." She admitted with a hand over her stomach. “The blow was high. It shouldn't have interfered directly but there was a lot of trauma, and I bled a lot.

We used to have a woman who specialized in these things I could go to, but she was killed by one of Voltas' men when she birthed a fifth daughter to him. We've been without a specialist since then."

I sighed heavily. "Well, if our babies aren't alright I'll still be here for you, Runa. And we can try again when you're ready, if you still want to have more." I kissed her cheek again and gave her a small smile that I forced to get wider. "In the meantime, we'll assume they're alright, stay positive!" I nuzzled her neck a little. "And get you to rest. I can tell you're still hurting you know." I said, a little scolding, a little teasing.

“What, I'm fine!" She declared and leaned into me with a shoulder. “It barely feels like I was skewered by a sword at all." She actually laughed, which was a nice sound from her, considering how worried I knew she was about the current situation.

We spent the evening watching the kids romp and hearing them chatter loudly. It was easy to be happy and put aside our troubles with them to play with. They didn't leave much room for deep, dark thoughts as they demanded stories, games of hide and seek, tag, and general running around. I read a chapter to them as usual before bed, and then Runa and I tucked them all in.

Runa and I cuddled up into bed. I insisted on spending some time petting and talking with her. We'd obviously not made love since the fight with the army, but I still enjoyed having alone time with her. I talked about gathering the baby things the Seer needed, and making the trip up to see her when Runa was feeling better. We talked a bit about Ima's coming delivery. We talked about other things too, but it seemed to me we were kind of dancing around our fears for the unborn children by talking about other babies and the children we already had.

We fell asleep after a while, but didn't get to stay that way. Liet came knocking at the door well into the night. I answered, since Runa was still moving slowly, though we'd both woken up. I wasn't expecting good news, it seemed to me few things happened in the middle of the night that required people to be woken that were good. I worried Vise had done something stupid and hurt himself, or that something had happened to Imava.

“I'm here to stay with the children. Imava wants you and Runa at her and Fenrick's house, she's been in labor for a while now." Liet said, and I ran upstairs to get Runa and get myself dressed.

“Ava's gone into labor, she wants us both I guess. Liet's here to stay with the children." I told Runa quickly. She'd been woken by the knocking too, and I'd told her to wait and let me find out what it was all about.

Runa hopped out of bed, shifting from her werewolf form to her wolf form before she'd hit the ground. She still moved stiffly, but she was more agile in her smaller form. “Poor girl is probably terrified. It's always frightening the first time." She said as she followed me to the door, and then out into the brisk night air. “Have you been to many births?"

“Absolutely none!" I said cheerfully. “Honestly I'm not sure why she's asked for me." I said and chuckled. I didn't feel tired like I had when Liet had woken us, I felt wide awake, excited and nervous.

“Oh good, I'm sure you'll be really helpful then." Runa snorted. “Well, I guess this will be good practice for when I'm pregnant and ready to deliver. Watch what my brother does and try not to do that when it's your turn to be the expecting father."

I laughed. “Are you sure Fen will be so bad at it? He seems to know an awful lot about kin babies and all that."

We arrived at the house before she could answer. The lights were on and Imava was pacing in their living room, breathing a bit heavily.

Fenrick was standing at the opposite end of the room from her looking somewhat terrified. He saw us as we entered. “Imava is going to have the pups."

Runa chuckled. “Yeah, we got that message." She padded over to imava. “Honey, you can walk if you want, but you should really try to relax. Relaxing between contractions helps the birth go faster and easier. How long have you had contractions and how far apart they?"

I went over to stand by Fen while Ima answered my wife. “Hey, so, how are you?" I looked over at Imava. “She'd probably relax more if you'd like, walk with her or rub her back or something right?"

Fenrick looked at me, clearly confused. “What if I break her or the pups? I mean, what if they fall out and it's my fault?" These seemed like strange questions. "This part of the process scares me."

"I'm pretty sure that if they could just fall out, women everywhere would be much more alright with the whole birth thing." I looked over, watching Ava sit down on the couch and start crying big, hot tears.

"I'm going to die." Ava said mournfully, and I worried what exactly she was going to say during her next contraction.

"Look, she's afraid too. Just take a deep breath and pretend to be calm, and ask her if she wants to be held or have her back rubbed or something." I told Fen. I wondered if I should follow my own advice, but I also knew Fen would be more relaxing to Imava.

"Just relax. Really. You won't die. Take deep breaths for me when your next contraction comes, in through your nose, out through your mouth ok?" Runa told Ava.

"Let's not do this now. They can stay in." Ava said hopefully, and Runa shook her head.

"Sorry dear, they've decided to come tonight."

Fenrick walked over next to his wife, doing his best impression of calm. He knelt at her side. “Love, is there anything I can do for you? Would you like me to rub your back or perhaps pick you up?" Fenrick's translation of 'be held' had failed a bit there.

"Sit here." Ava instructed him, and she took his hand in time for painful contraction. She cried out and whimpered, all throughout a long groan. It was terrifying to me, and Runa had said she WANTED to do this again? Runa reminded Ava to breath, and imitated how she wanted Imava to be doing it, smacking Fenrick's shoulder to get him to imitate it also.

Fenrick attempted to imitate the breathing as well, though he was whimpering with each exhale, a strange sound coming from such a large and intimidating werewolf. He appeared keenly out of sorts for a man who was normally very well put together. I could see why Runa had instructed me not to follow his example.

“Am I doing this right?" He asked after a few cycles of the breathing.

"Well, you could probably stand to lose the whimpering." I told him, flashing him a confident smile I didn't quite feel as I came up behind Ava. I rubbed her shoulders and also imitated the breathing, without a whimper.

When the contraction ended, Ava lay back against Fen and asked me for water. We worked hard on getting Ava to relax. It was a bit comical, running around to Ima's whims, stressing ourselves out to sooth her. I made sure Runa mostly started sitting with Imava, and Ima seemed to like having her there for reassurance and instruction.

Her contractions got closer and closer together until they seemed to be one long contraction. Then the pushing started, and was done in various positions. I tried to avoid seeing more of Imava than was proper, but it was eventually impossible. It was also more than mildly disturbing, but finally Runa pulled a pup from Ava and held it for Fen to take while she inspected what was going on with the next child.

Fen was staring at the small little pup in his hands as though it were the most surprising thing that might have ever been handed to anyone ever. “Hello." He said, a less than poetic greeting to the world.

It promptly wailed at him in its surprisingly human voice. I looked over a bit shocked to find it was in hybrid form. "Cut her cord and wash her up Fen." Runa said.

Ava screamed from her position, and then bore down for another push. She whimpered before starting the next push, her eyes searching out Fen and the baby. "My baby ..." She said, the longing in her voice even painful to my heartstrings.

Fen snipped the umbilical cord with his teeth and then brought the baby up close to Ava for her to see. “It's our little girl." He said, holding her like the most delicate thing in the entire world, as though even touching her too hard might break her. “Iris." He said as he leaned in close so Ava could see her. I guessed they'd probably talked about names ahead of time.

"Why is she so naked?" Ava whimpered, touching the baby's face gently as she screamed her head off. I supposed she was commenting on Iris' small amount of fur. It was funny to think being born without so much fur was odd here. Then Ava gasped and had to turn away, take her attention back to her second child trying to make an appearance.

The second was easier to birth since the way has already been cleared. It was also smaller and covered in wet fur. It was in wolf form, and Runa announced its gender since it wasn't as obvious as it had been for Iris. It was a second girl. "Give Iris to Ava, she can start breastfeeding right away. Then you can come get this one." Runa told Fen, her voice cheerful as we headed toward the end of the birth. "There'll be a few lighter contractions as you birth the afterbirth, then some discomfort the first few times you breastfeed." Runa warned Ava.

Fenrick gave Ava his first born daughter, and then took his second little girl and severed the cord with his teeth again. He took a seat next to Ava and held her up so his wife could see the second daughter as well. “Sage." He said, a warmth in his eyes that was hard to see if you didn't know the kin.

I collapsed onto the shorter of the two couches with a big sigh of relief. I looked over at the window and find it was day, maybe close to midday the whole ordeal had taken so long. I got up and ushered Runa to sit with me, relax. I nuzzled her neck. "Are you ok? Sore? That seemed like a lot of work for everyone."

She smiled at me, looking happy. “It is, but it's the most work for the mother giving birth, and the end result is what matters." She nodded her head towards the two happy parents. “That'll be us in a few months."

I smiled, though it was a bit subdued for several reasons. "I can't believe you want to go through that again." I said with a chuckle instead of expressing my worries that it wouldn't be us in a few months. I found I wasn't so much afraid i wouldn't be good with newborns now as I was that I'd never get the chance to love a few squirming, fresh new babies.

She nodded. “It's a lot of pain, but it's over eventually, and when you're done you've created something wonderful. That makes it all worth it. I think it's the closest thing to magic we can manage." She smiled and leaned against me, nipping playfully at my neck.

I let out a bark of a laugh. “Honey, the kin are magic, with all your shifting shape and size." I squeezed her a little. “But I'm sure I'll find newborns magical too, they're whole, I took two people and combined them into one new one thing is pretty strange. I mean, when I hold Iris there, I might notice the tilt of her mouth is exactly like Ava's even if her eyes are golden like Fen's! I don't actually know what color they are, it's just an example."

“You did good in there today. I hope you do that well when it's your turn." She said, and she leaned into me again. “I love you, Em."

I smiled, glad I'd done some things right anyway. I kissed the side of her head. “I love you too."