Moon Spirit

The white alphess moved with silent grace to the den site, and slowly she crawled her pregnant frame inside. She cleaned it all out, the place hadn't been used for some time. After her little chore was done she crawled back out so that her lower half was inside and her upper out, waiting for Karai's children.

Karai*Saxton*Joscelin*Aderyn*Ziarre

Moon Spirit did not have to wait long. Karai arrived soon after, padding softly into the den that had been home to her for so long, body still stiff from the encounter with the lying strangers.

Her children were much less guarded about their arrival. Yips and play-snarls could be heard long before a mottled gray female came skidding into the den, laughing as her darker brother tackled her from behind.

Too late, Saxton! I beat you! Ziarre giggled at him, smiling and waving her tail. I'm the fastest thing on four legs!

Joscelin made a more dignified entrance, claws clicking softly against the rock floor as he slowly stepped into the main room of the den. He stopped immediately and swept Moon Spirit his finest bow, unfurling a soft smile that was his mother's born anew.

Aderyn was the final arrival, smiling sweetly at Moon Spirit, who was like a second mother to her. All Karai's children had grown, but Aderyn still remained the smallest, being only about an inch taller than Moon Spirit herself. However, her extreme timidity had almost disappeared, and she was now a warm, loving wolfess. Aderyn hid a grin in her shoulder as Ziarre and Saxton belatedly remembered their manners and bowed to Moon Spirit.

Karai watched all of them arrive, still visibly tense. Cursing silently to herself, she closed her eyes and, muscle by muscle, forced herself to relax. Finally, she searched inside herself and found her smile, placing it on her face as she turned to Moon Spirit. They're a bit bigger, I'm afraid.

Moon Spirit

Please, please forgive me,
But I won't be home again.
Maybe someday you'll look up,
And, barely conscious, you'll say to no one:
"Isn't something missing?"

Moon Spirit smiled as her 'nieces and nephews' arrived. A soft chuckle escaped her at Karai's words and she smiled at her 'sister'. They were her family. She knew Karai better then her live sister and had yet to even meet her real nieces and nephews. The proud wolfess lay down with her head high in a regal pose, but it wasn't on purpose. Just a habit. Pride was one thing that ran in her family. Even her daughter, Kekochoi, was a proud being. "I am sure that the girls will be pleased to see you." Now she was speaking of Kekochoi and Kianga. She hadn't seen her daughter for some time now, but she knew her daughter was always lurking near by. A soft smile crossed her face and she watched the children for awhile with the same smile. Soon more children would litter the Territory. Moon Spirit couldn't wait.

Even though I'm the sacrifice,
You won't try for me, not now.
Though I'd die to know you love me,
I'm all alone.
Isn't someone missing me?

Karai*Saxton*Joscelin*Aderyn*Ziarre

Karai leaned over to Joscelin and murmured in his ear, sending him away on fleet pads to accoplish his mother's task. She smiled back at Moon Spirit, and it was more sturdy this time, more solid, more real. Yes, I guess your little ones as well must have gotten big by now, but you know how mothers are, dear. We always remember them as our little ones. And as that sentence was uttered, the soft smile was back, true and genuine.

Then she turned to her children, speaking in a gently scolding voice.
Now if you're going to play rough, go outside. You are too big now to roughhouse in here.

She was really thinking that Moon Spirit might want some peace and privacy, but that was as good an excuse as any. Smiling at their mother, Saxton and Ziarre chased each other outside, their giggling and mock-snarling fading a little as they stepped out of doors.

A familiar eagle's screech brought Aderyn up from her relaxed pose at her mother's side, taking off in the direction of the sound.

Laughing a little, Karai spoke again. Well... they WERE here.