Two pea's in a pod

Tana was in a constant state of preparation now, her gut could easily be seen and gave away the joy in her hobble. Her den was now dug with help from Rhyme and her companions. Winter was here and the air was cold. Soon snow would be gathering on the ground and she would have little ones tucked away in her den. She was either having a large litter or a small one of large babies.

She was moving with her new accessories in place. She'd been out this morning collecting some wintering herbs that she intended to give to Vail or someone to see if they may be of use. Her red hooded cloak was pulled up over her head and she moved quietly. One could still see her pregnancy if they looked but the cloak hid her most horrendous scars. She was well aware of the absence of shaye, it wasn't hard to smell. In fact that was the hardest thing to hide from a blind woman. She had noticed a smell about the places where shaye had returned.

It was during her little walk that she came across the fresh scent of the alphess. "Shaye?" she stopped and intently listened for the footfalls of the woman. Maybe she wasn't near here right now.