Three plus two makes five

Once Manea consumed the herbal concoction and Alastor settled behind her, they all simply fell into a comfortable silence, waiting for the inevitable. Iki assumed that Manea would tell her if something felt off of wrong, so she didn't ask, preferring instead to observe the signs and make her own conclusions as to the expectant mothers condition. Over time, the healer could see the undulations in the purple fae's abdomen and knew that they were about to welcome two new souls into the world.

The birth went smoothly and Ikigai cleaned first one pup, a boy, then a second, a female. The little girl was very small, especially compared to her littermate and her older siblings. It brought a bit of worry to the woman, but the pup cried as loudly as her brother so she obviously had enough strength. The girl would need constant observation as a precaution, however.

Once Iki made sure that the bleeding had stopped and the afterbirth was cared for, she rose, collected her things and smiled at the new parents. "Congratulations," she told them both. "If you need anything... any time, night or day, just call." With that, she allowed the quartet their privacy for rest and bonding.

"Iki"