Little Fiery One

The hard edge to his voice when he told her to pick a name that felt right felt like a slap to the face and her ears flicked back, the smile she had been attempting to wear falling away. She finally brought her gaze up from their daughter as Alastor rose, watching him with shock as he got up, snatched up the bundle that contained their children, and then stormed out of the den. "A-Alastor!" she called after him, watching where he disappeared in stunned silence for a moment while her mind reeled and what little composure she had managed to hold on to started to slip away. "You... You promised..." she whispered, mostly to herself now that she was alone in their den with only their unnamed daughter beside her. The den felt cold and empty on her own and the weight of everything resting on her shoulders crushed down on her even more heavily. The fire marked girl began to stir now that her father's paw that she had been nestled against was gone, making soft squeaks and whines and Manea looked down to her again, hardly able to breathe as she lifted the little pup and brought her back to her side.

"Shhhh... It's okay," she soothed the little pup, her voice trembling as she tried to smile even though the blind, deaf girl wouldn't know any different. Her paw gently stroked the girl's back as she curled around her, forming a protective violet nest around her daughter. "It's okay, my darling... He'll... He'll be right back..." but even as she spoke the words she wasn't sure she believed it. She was exhausted, mentally and physically, and as she rested her head beside her daughter it was impossible to keep the tears back any longer. She held the precious remaining child she had with her so carefully and gently while the flood gates opened, sobbing uncontrollably while she still could before she had to face the rest of her family, the rest of their pack. Before she was forced to put on a proud grin and present the newest Mendacium to them all. Before she had to play the song and dance of the happy matriarch that was able to have another successful litter with another dazzling pup to show for it.

In that moment a loathing built in her aching chest toward them all. Toward her mother for forcing her to be the one to carry these burdens after her, for their way of life that forced her to hurt the only wolf that had ever truly meant anything to her, for all of her family members that would be waiting expectantly to see what she had done and would be eager to praise her for her choice, for upholding their family ideals. She hated them all. It made her wish she had simply seen the treasure that they were given in their first litter being born as twins and stopped while they were ahead. She wished she could have been content with having two perfect children so she wouldn't have had to risk tearing her marriage apart to have another. As she slowly started to get control of her tears with short, hiccuping breaths, Manea blinked open her aching, tired eyes and looked at the girl she was curled around again and knew that she could never regret or resent anything as perfect as her, no matter how empty and heart broken she felt in that moment.

She gave a shaky sigh and nuzzled into the girl's side, feeling her wiggle a bit before settling once more. Oh how she envied this little girl, so oblivious to all of the turmoil around her, eating and sleeping as she pleased. At some point she drifted into fitful sleep, waking up at any little sound or shift expecting it to be Alastor, but it never was. She didn't move much after that, refusing any visitors and having Irilyth send them away. She told her handmaiden to tell them she was tired, that she would speak to them tomorrow, anything that kept them from pressing for reasons why or trying to push their way past the small healer. She couldn't face them. Not yet. There would be plenty of time for them to ooh and ahh over the family's newest miracle soon enough, but now wasn't the time. Although, as more time went by without Alastor returning, she really began to wonder if she would ever be ready to face them again, to have the weight of their expectations on her again. She wanted to damn them all and hide here for as long as she possibly could.

The entire day passed with her laying here on her own with just her still unnamed daughter with her, only Irilyth coming to check on her periodically. The entire day ticked by, dipping all the way into the dark of night. She was watching the little fireball at her stomach drink with aching, tired eyes when she heard a bit of a commotion from the main chamber of their dens, hearing Irilyth fretting over something, but she couldn't quite make out the words at first. She couldn't get up without disturbing her daughter so she waited anxiously for a few moments more until She finally saw Alastor come into view. Her heart leapt up into her throat and an unspoken relief washed over her. You came back, was what she thought to herself, but that relief was quickly tarnished by the lingering, simmering anger that had been building since he stormed away and worry over him as her aqua gaze darted over him and saw the wounds that he accumulated while he was gone. "Alastor?!" she gasped, at a complete loss for words as she tried and failed to form some sort words or response.

"Manea Mendacium"