The future we made

When Tamsyn's voice joined his in the midnight air, Kane could very nearly have wept. Her voice was so beautiful and blended perfectly with his as they prayed to the Universe together. But even beyond the sheer melodiousness of her song, this moment was pure perfection to the old hunter. Here he lay, singing his prayer with the love of his life, their new family growing healthy within her womb, their lives perched on the precipice of a brand new chapter they got to write together. He couldn't have asked for anything more. Truly the Universe had been kind to him when it saw fit to bring Tamsyn into his life. She was his second chance at a life of happiness, and he swore not to squander it or take it for granted ever.

Kane couldn't resist a hearty laugh when Tamsyn commented on how she'd considered just about every terrain she could think of. "That is indeed the trouble most new mothers of my tribe went through," he said with a sagacious nod and amused smile. "Some were very set on having one specific name. Others were overwhelmed by the choice." It seemed clear which camp Tamsyn belonged to. When he asked how their pups were doing, Tam responded by rolling to place her rotund belly between them, then took one of his large paws in her daintier ones to rest over her stomach. His expression visibly lit up and his eyes twinkled more than the stars above did when he felt their children shifting and kicking about within her. Then came one exceptionally strong kick against his paw, knocking the wind from Tam's lungs and earning another chuckle from their saber-toothed sire. "They've got their mother's fighting spirit," he said, giving his mate a cheeky grin. "See what happens when you go taking our children into battle? Now they're going to want to fight the world!"

Still beaming with all the pride and love a single living being could possess, Kane rubbed slow circles over Tam's swollen belly while her paw rested over his. He couldn't wait to meet their children, to watch them grow and turn into their own persons. He wanted to teach them to hunt, to track, to fish, and which herbs were medicines and which were poisons. He wanted to watch their mother show them how to navigate the land and how to fight to protect themselves and their loved ones. The life he'd long thought unobtainable was suddenly so very close to his reach. He had been so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't hear what Tamsyn had said at first, glancing up to her with a soft hum. She suggested the name "of the Sea" for their children, opting for the Shimmering Shore just down the way from the Hallows. "Of the Sea was a very popular, yet very rare name in my tribe," he explained with an approving smile. "The sea represents vast opportunity and an endless horizon of adventure for my people. We were never near it for very long, hence the rarity of the name." Kane leaned closer to catch Tamsyn's lips with his own, kissing her slow and gentle for a moment. "You know I will support whatever name you choose, my little blackbird. You've made me the happiest brute in the world simply by bearing a family for me. Does this name call to your heart?"

"Kaneonuskatew"