stray

it was evening and Dutch was lying outside her makeshift den. she had no knowledge of how long she'd be allowed to stay in Ashen, or if her children would be accepted in the pack. she tried to trust Hannibal's confidence but in the end it was up to Deathbelle to accept them. she only hoped to remain here while her children grew. the dwarf would peer into the depths of the small cave, where she knew her children were sleeping soundly. she could hear their soft breathing of Beryl yet Gimli's loud snoring too. along with Godbrand's. a wary, sad smile crossed her lips as she looked back at the sky above her.

so much had happened. the wool had been pulled from her eyes, making her immediately suspicious of anyone that dared to come close. she hadn't socialized with any of the wolves in Ashen. especially not after the hushed whispers at her birthing. she was now aware Hannibal had another litter with another woman, and that woman was absent. she remembered him telling her of his children, and how she promised to help him find them when she wasn't round with her own. but now that their kids were born, Dutch wasn't going to stray far from them until they could manage by themselves.

not many others even bothered to visit either. she could see some hesitant steps outside her den a few times before Dutch went back to sleep. that's all she'd been doing. making sure the pups were washed, fed and safe before curling up in her own misery. how pathetic. part of her wanted someone to approach her, give her something to do... anything to take her out of her slump. but the biggest part of her also realized she'd be in for a lot more struggle before her kids were grown.