mainland maternity ward

It seemed like one instant she had squeezed her eyes shut and the next she was nursing three small - infinitely small - warm bundles of half-wolf, half-dog puppies. The labor was over in an instant (truthfully, perhaps just shy of an hour passed after everyone arrived). It was as if everyone who had arrived also lent her their strength and stability. Luce smiled weakly at everyone who had gathered. Although the labor had been uneventful, she felt more tired than she'd ever been in her life. Everything had changed. She was a mother now. "They're perfect," she breathed. Two of the three had small, almost unnoticeable bumps above their eyes. Luce wondered if the rigor ritual from the festival had somehow mutated her genetic material. The thought made her a little bit ill, but she pushed it aside. Horns wouldn't hurt them. Maybe it would even be a boon. They'd need to defend themselves as they grew older. Some wolves didn't like strange things and it was all the better that they'd be handily armed; as hybrids they might have to defend their very existence. "They are, aren't they?" she asked the surrounding wolves, her brows furrowed. Anxiety still plagued her.