slow mend

No one had ever told Hanako that childbirth would be this hard, that it might almost kill her. After plenty of bed rest and time with her children she was feeling a little better, enough to wander from the den without needing to lean on someone for support. But the same couldn't be said for her crystal condition. If anything she felt as though it was getting worse, the jagged rocks seemingly a permanent feature on her post-partum body. More than anything she feared for her children, that they might catch whatever awful illness she had. Her tiniest son was already so quiet and weak, slow to feed and grow when compared to his sisters and biggest brother. It was hard to say what was even wrong with him, the true cause behind his stunted growth. All she could do was love and fuss over him a little more than the rest, hope he would grow big and strong in time. Just like his Father.

Who currently wasn't doing well at all. Maintaining his distance as he was riddled with sickness, worse than any other Armada wolf. She knew why Azure was doing it and all, but couldn't stop the lingering feeling of loneliness that had settled within her. Deeper than any crystal embedded in her skin. She didn't just want to be a mother and yet that's all she felt reduced to, like nothing else mattered any more.

Limping down to the beach she stared out at the ocean, wary to sit as she knew getting back up would be a massive struggle. She wouldn't stay away from the den for long, her babies needed her, but some fresh air wouldn't go amiss. Some time to just think about the many mistakes she'd no doubt made as of late.