It had been a little while since her outing where she had met the sell-sword, Ox as he'd given her as his name. Long enough that things had physically changed slightly for her. Not enough that she truly noticed, but someone else might of noticed. She was making another run to the kill pile, her second in the day. Gods she was starving. Her rabbit that would of normally kept her going until late in the evening had seemed to vanish all too quickly and she tried her best to wait longer before slinking in for some more. She'd effectively waited until almost noon and she was happy with that at least.

She had her tail curled under her as she escaped the underbrush and came to the small clearing of the plains. Her ears pinned and instinctively she lowered to the ground and creeped forward. She half expected after so long as a slave to be stopped. Her heat had seemed to vanish so she wrote off the need to eat so much as that, seeing as she had never once been pregnant nor could she get pregnant. She quickly snatched a little piglet from the pile and made a dash for the underbrush with her ears pinned and her tail between her legs. She had also wrote off the little roundness in her gut as her finally seeming to put some kind of weight on.

Rhyme wished he could spend more time with his younger sister, he wanted her to be more comfortable and to really recover from her previous life. He never had enough time in the day, with alpha duties, his kids, or whatever other emergency took place. Abaven was one of the largest if not the largest pack in Boreas, there was almost no time for himself. That day he decided he needed to make time for her, she had been a little off since the beginning of Fall and he had reason to check in on her.

The slate alpha had purpose in his paws as he crested the overlook into the plains. There was a good view of the kill pile from here, he had thought to bring something to Eulogy when he saw her approach herself. Perking his dark ears he followed her away. ”Eulogy?” He called out, not so far away from the pile. If she stopped he’d grab himself a piece and join her for a meal.

Hearing her name brought Eulogy to a halt immediately, her head dropped and she dropped the piglet she had secured. Of course she had a guilty look on her face when she looked back at Rhyme. This was her second meal this morning. He was probably stopping her to make her put it back, after all she didn’t really need it. No she had went from surviving off scraps to now having food at least once a day. ”Sorry, I’ll put it back…. I was just really hungry again.” That was why he had stopped her right?

Her eyes didn’t meet his though. Tears pricked at her eyes, she really just wanted food. She picked it back up and turned around to put the piglet back. She’d survive she knew that. She was just feeling off that had to be it. That had to be why she was starving and almost crying over not being allowed to have extra food. She lifted a paw and wiped away the water from her eyes. She needed to look on the bright side, at least she wasn’t abused here.

He almost turned to grab his own meal as Eulogy halted and turned to look at him. She seemed guilty, and Rhyme understood. Living free hadn’t quite settled in her yet and she thought he wanted her to put her food back. Rhyme shifted to stop her as she tried to do as she thought he wanted. The slate alpha finally got a good look at her, and now that she was closer he realized why she had been off. He hadn’t expected it, otherwise he might have realized sooner.

”No, keep it.” Rhyme told her as he leaned down to nuzzle her cheek encouragingly. ”I wanted to join you for a meal.” His voice was pleasant and held a happy ring to it that Rhyme wasn’t sure he felt. If Eulogy was pregnant.. He thought that he’d kept a close eye on her, but the folly of never having enough time returned to him. She hadn’t mentioned anyone trying to hurt her, but he knew she was still adjusting to a more civilised world.

Rhyme however, did return to the kill pile to grab himself a duck. Having always been a fan of fowl, turkey being his favorite. He figured he wanted some comfort food for the conversation ahead. Turning back towards his sister he would lead her to a spot by the cliffs. There was a nice rocky outcropping he frequented, large flat stones rested on the short windswept grass. A perfect view of the ocean laid out before them for when they enjoyed their meal. Rhyme gestured for Eulogy to get comfortable before he settled near the zenith.

”How are you, Eu?” Rhyme asked her softly, still somehow keeping his nerves from his voice. ”Sorry, I can’t be around more often to catch up,” He apologized before trying to find his way closer to the point. ”Anything interesting happening recently?” Maybe she would mention some kind of clue so he could more easily transition into a conversation about her current condition.

Rhyme blocked her from putting back the food and she stopped, watching him before he spoke and clued her in enough to tell her she didn’t need to. He nuzzled her cheek as he spoke and she returned her gesture affectionately. Unlike with other’s she had no fear of Rhyme, just an understanding that he was her better, and the child Rhythm had wanted. Unlike her, unlike so many of the children she knew Rhythm had birthed.

There was a moment as Rhyme turned to get his own meal, and she seated herself as he selected his own. She of course had never told anyone that she was very partial to exotic meats, such as the one taste of alligator she had once had, then there was also the snake she had ate, it was nice too. Most meats like fish were too slimy or gamey tasting to her, but she never would complain or ask the hunters for anything different. That would be a burden, and some of it was much to dangerous to go after anyway.

As Rhyme returned with his duck she stood and when he asked wordlessly for her to follow she did so. She walked in silence and watched the surroundings, an internal need to watch for danger and masters was imprinted on her mind, and would probably never leave her. When they stopped and rhyme gestured for her to get comfortable she looked about and selected a large flat stone to lay on so she could sun as she ate.

When he asked her his question she put the piglet down and placed a paw over it. ”I’m okay, my head doesn’t hurt anymore and it only itches on my cut now, like when my wounds are finally mended.” He must of wanted to know because of her injury in the fire right? Of course her own condition still hadn’t dawned on her. She still thought she couldn’t get pregnant, that she was infertile. He apologized and she shook her head to stop him, ”I’m not some pup, you shouldn’t have to worry about me, your an alpha. The pack and your children are more important than me anyway.” She was genuine when she gave him a smile and looked him in the eyes with her statement. It was true, he had a pack to worry about and she was just merely a piece of it that when he had time for he could tend to.

When he asked if she had anything interesting happen lately she perked her ears as she thought. Aside from meeting Ox and that fiasco, nothing had really happened. ”Not really, anything interesting with you?” Of course she was more comfortable speaking with Rhyme than anyone else in the pack, well aside from Poem, but she was a baby.

He felt bad making her pause her meal as she lay her paw over her meal delicately. She offered him a quick update of her injuries from the fire before reprimanding him for apologizing. He was glad that she didn’t harbor any resentment towards him because of it, but she was still very much in the habit of speaking depreciatively about herself. ”You’re just as important, Eulogy.” He made a point to find her gaze as he said it, because there couldn’t have been anything less than seriousness. After losing too many of them family had become everything to him.

Even with gentle prodding she didn’t offer him any news, bad or good. ”Not really..” Wasn’t much of an answer, which she seemed to be avoiding. She didn’t leave him open like he had hoped, but still Rhyme made the attempt. Now he knew there was something she wasn’t completely willing to talk to him about. He kind of felt hurt, but he knew to attribute it to her sense of self-worth. She didn’t want him to worry about her.

”Yes, I've… stumbled upon some interesting news today.” He told her as he took a moment to pluck the breast of his duck. Rhyme sighed softly into his food as he looked back to his sister, now the weight of what he was about to say looked heavy upon him. ”It’s only a rumor though, I wondered if you might be able to help prove it.” His attempt at keeping his words light hearted was valiant, but he as wavering now. ”Do you know the signs of pregnancy?”

She kept her comment about how she definitely was not as important as his alpha duties. There was no need to sour Rhyme’s day or turn this into some stupid sibling squable over what was more important. They’d never see completely eye to eye over that and that was completely okay with her. Perhaps she could of just told him but there was too much of a chance of an argument that she didn’t want.

She started to delicately eat her piglet little by little as she waited for his own answer to if he had anything interesting happen lately. Though when he started she looked up at him as she chewed a piece of her food. News? What news did he have? Was his children okay? She knew he had more than poem now but she still hadn’t met any of them except Poem. Her ears pressed forward as she waited for him to elaborate. And then he did, sort of anyway. Her prove a rumor? What had she done to make rumors start? Or did he just want an extra mind to think with? That had to be it, most likely anyway. ”The signs of pregnancy? Well they can differ i think. Why? Do you think you made someone else pregnant now? Or is there someone else in the pack you think might be?”

She was oblivious to what he knew. She herself didn’t even know, but how could she when she had never been pregnant before and every attempt to make her so from the masters had resulted in failure. She was as far as she knew infertile. Definitely wasn’t her this rumor was about.

Well if anything she was just ignorant about her condition as he guaged her reaction with his blue and lavender stare. She seemed mostly just confused, and any worry he doubted was attributed to what he was about to say. He was slightly offended she would think he’d sired another litter, but he could forgive her for it. Rhyme sighed heavily as he looked his poor sister over once more. She didn’t seem any worse for wear. Whatever had happened.. with whoever it happened with, she wasn’t sporting any new wounds.

”No, Eulogy.” He tried to offer a quick chuckle but it was just sad. ”You are.” Living with Rhythm for so long he was kind of stunned she wouldn’t know the signs by heart, or had associated them with her own body. ”I..” He felt himself losing control of his emotions, but he sucked in a breath as he tried to go on. ”Were you hurt?” He went on to ask, wondering if he had to get more specific about that question too. His poor oblivious sister, he hated that she had grown up this life.

When Rhyme said no she assumed it was his answer to if he had gotten someone pregnant, and she nodded. He probably knew he didn’t need more kids right now, which was a good thing. Though then he went on to tell her she was. Her look she gave was one of confusion and disbelief. Had he been feeling okay? Didn’t he know she was infertile? She sat up and aimed to put a paw on his head, checking for a temperature. Nope not that, she retracted her paw and tried to figure this out. ”Don’t think so, seeing as I'm obviously infertile or else all those times i would of had puppies for the masters.”

Was he okay? Did his duck go belly up before or was he just on some sort of mushroom? Then he asked if she was hurt. Honestly did he just ask about her sex life? ”I owed him my life Rhyme if your talking about why I had another’s scent on me the other day… he saved me from one of them.” Ox hadn’t hurt her, and had been nice to her. It didn’t matter anyway, the man was likely miles upon miles gone by now and would never be seeing her again. She should of washed his scent off probably but she hadn’t thought Rhyme would be so protective over her.

She did glance back to her stomach though. Sure it had gotten a little rotund but she didn’t think it was that bad. Did she really look fat, and pregnant? ”Do i really look that fat? I didn’t think i did….” Her eyes were watering again as she looked back at Rhyme. She was on the verge of crying again, over something so small. Maybe she was just stressing out, because she had no one telling her what to do and she was always looking over her shoulders for masters.

The slate alpha watched his sister with pity as she continued to deny what he’d just told her. She was utterly convinced that he was sick or crazy over the fact that a young she wolf like her hadn’t gotten pregnant yet. He sighed softly as he let her go through her motions, sure she was infertile. He didn’t expect her words as she spoke of the wolf who had gotten ahold of her in the first place. He even managed to make her cry as her emotions eagerly got away from her. He sighed softly again as he repositioned himself next to her. He’d offer his shoulder to cry on and a nuzzle against her cheek in comfort.

”Oh, Eulogy. Little sister, listen to me.” He wrapped one of his striped arms around her and pulled her in for a hug as he decided on his next words. ”You’re emotional, you’re eating more, you’ve.. been with a man recently.” The last one was a little hard to say about his defenseless baby sister. ”You smell of pregnancy Eulogy, and you’re already showing.” He hoped that she didn’t have to deal with large pups like Tana had. ”If I can’t convince you, will you at least take some herbs I prescribe you, and eat more too?” His words had grown softer, he didn't know if he would be able to convince her until they were born. Even then he wondered.

Even as Rhyme tried to comfort her she thought he was sick or at least trying to play some sick joke on her. It really wasn’t funny if he was. It was cruel to joke like this, considering that she loved kids and would love to one day have a litter with someone she loved. Though he pulled her close and something in the way he spoke again told her he wasn’t joking and truly believed what he said. Her ears pressed back.

He listed off what she knew first, the over eating, the emotions that seemed out of whack. But then he made mention of something she couldn’t confirm. She could barely smell things and identify them so she didn’t know about that one. Though rhyme hadn’t really been one to lie about anything to her before. She looked back at the roundness of her stomach. Was she?

How could she be though? She was infertile. Or at least she had thought so. ”Your not joking are you? Cuz it’s not funny if you are…..” she looked back at him. Tears were coming from her eyes and she wiped at them. She wanted kids one day but had thought it impossible. She nodded though to his question about herbs. ”You….. Aren’t going to make me terminate if I am….. Are you?” It was almost a whisper. She didn’t want to terminate if she was pregnant.

He seemed to at least convince her of something, she looked very much alarmed as her big blue eyes looked up at him. Tears started to spill forth and Rhyme pulled her closer as they started to fall. ”No, never.” He promised her as she panicked. The last thing he wanted was for her to rid herself of the growing beans. ”I want you to eat enough, and take some plants to help with their development.” If she wanted to be a mom, he wanted her to be a mom. She deserved a bit of happiness after all she had been put through. He might never know who had sired them, but Abaven would take care of them and would defend them if the father ever came looking.

”The den I have is a bit small right now, but it can be dug out. I know it’s hard for you, but I want you in my den or with Shaye and Epitaph.” He knew she and Poem had hit it off, and Shaye’s den was massive compared to his. Eulogy could be comfortable in there. It would give both of his daughters some life experience, being able to see a pregnancy up close so young. ”I want these pups to be loved, and I want them to have a chance to have a better life than we did.”

He would never know the true relief she felt as he said he never would make her terminate. Her face likely showed that relief though. Even as Tears overflowed from the overly emotional girl’s eyes she couldn’t think of a worse thing for him to want of her, if he ever had. His orders she nodded to. Eat more, take plants to help them, she could do that. That was easy, she just wasn’t sure she felt safe enough to always get food if there were others around the kill pile. She’d get over that eventually but for now it was best to take things at her own pace. There was no need to always push her comfort levels.

She wasn’t sure if she should seek Ox out though. They were part his, even if he didn’t want anything to do with them he deserved to know didn’t he? She wasn’t about to force the responsibility of parenthood on the adventurous sell sword though. How to find him though? She’d have to ask for advice on that but would Rhyme understand? Maybe she should ask Miss Shaye? She might be a little less murderous than Rhyme might be if he knew the entire circumstance.

Rhymes next command had her ears pressing. She was hardly comfortable in his den and she couldn’t imagine being comfortable with basically complete total strangers, since that was what shaye and Epitaph were to her basically. She shifted a back leg though and subconsciously covered her stomach more to protect the potential growing lives within her. She would stay in her own if it weren’t for the destruction of the fire before. She liked it in her den before the fire, out of the way and a tight fit to get in along with a nice wide exit on the other side. If she were going to be staying at Rhyme’s den there was going to be a lot of compromises. ”Can i….. Can i just dig a new den near yours?” She really didn’t mind his children, but everyone knew where his den was and she liked the silence and comfort of her privacy.

She couldn’t agree more though that she wanted her children to grow up well loved and protected unlike with her and his life with the slavers. That brought another thing to her mind. ”The man saved me from one of them Rhyme….. I don’t know if he’s dead or if he ran for good though. He tried to drag me away with him. I don’t wish death on him…. But how do i know he won’t come here?” She looked up at her elder brother with a look that probably said it all. She was scared they were back to take them all away, that they would take her children from her. She’d seen it so many times now, mothers heartbroken as their children were taken away and given to surrogates. She closed her eyes and pressed her face into his thick neck fur. A tremor passed through her as she tried to stifle her fears in Rhyme’s fur.

She was very emotional, but obviously relieved as he banished her unnecessary fears. He nuzzled her softly, knowing what she felt like. Rhyme's children were the center of his world, and though he didn't carry any of them he couldn't describe how much he loved them. Eulogy made it obvious she didn't want to share his den. He couldn't blame her with his almost yearlings taking up so much room at this point. Rhyme decided to nod after a little deliberation.

"Yes, but i want it close enough i’ll hear you if you call." He also planned to start encouraging her to eat more by bringing her food himself. He doubted she would be comfortable with one of the hunters taking up that task. Her thoughts suddenly on the wolf she had been 'saved' from as she feared her pups were in danger.

"The slavers are no more Eulogy." He told her confidently as he nuzzled her, memories of that day flashed back. He had taken many lives, but the memory that remained clearest was his own brother tearing into their children. He banished the thought again as he held Eulogy tighter. "If your den is near to mine that means its also most centrally located in the pack. With all of our patrols and wolves on alert they will never make it past the border." He promised that her unborn were safe.

Rhyme easily agreed to let her den close to his own den but separately. That was a small relief. Though there was still the matter of the would be rapist ox had saved her from. She was certain it had been on of the master’s, but then Rhyme said they were no more. How could he be so sure? How did he know that some didn’t escape him? That there wasn’t a few trying to rebuild what had been?

Her ears pressed. She didn’t want to doubt him but she couldn’t help it. She had seen the fiend, had been almost dragged away by him. If it wasn’t for Ox, she very well might of been. She could of been forced into that life once more. There were few wolves she trusted in life fully, but she felt like she could trust Ox just like she did Rhyme. Even if he had taken from her the way he did, he at least hadn’t been so horrible.

Rhyme tried to reassure her that no master would make it past the borders and she tried to relax against his shoulder and accept that. The thought still scared her though. That if these lives did indeed exist within her, that someone might one day rip her children from her as she birthed them. There would be nothing she would be able to do either. ”Do you think…. I should find him and tell him about them? He deserves to know doesn’t he?” She had at least stopped crying now and her head just laid against her giant brother’s shoulder. She still didn’t want to force the responsibility on Ox but she wanted to at least give him the option to be there if he wanted.

He held her tighter, hoping she would relax and let him help take care of her. Abaven was a hefty force, and there was little that got past their eye for very long. He wasn’t sure how to answer her as she asked her question. She hadn’t said very much about the sire of her growing brood, but he found himself uncomfortably reminded of the nameless woman he had been with before the pups had been born. Did he have more pups somewhere out there in Boreas? Did he deserve to know anything about them?

”No, I don’t think so. We won't hide them if he comes looking, but you shouldn’t seek him out.” He thought again, ”With your current state Eulogy, I’d like for you to have an escort if you want to leave pack lands. It won't be forever, but I want to assure your safety. As well as theirs.” Rhyme reached down to nuzzle her cheek encouragingly. She could lean on his shoulder all day if she wanted.

He said no to her going to find Ox and tell him, but she still wasn’t so sure. Maybe he would want something to do with them? Rhyme wanted to deny that to him. Her ears pinned further, if that was even possible. Did rhyme think the worst of her choices then? It was her opinion that it was a better option than having the pack owe him.

His next statement made it even more obvious that he was going to be over protective of her and her pups. She wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without an escort. That was going to be harder for her. The only other wolf in Abaven she was comfortable enough around was Poem and she was just a pup so that was not happening. She internally sighed. So much for her trying to be adventurous then. She also doubted Ox would make a visit anytime soon, seeing as he liked his independence. And here she thought she might of had a friend in the sellsword.

”Okay….” She definitely was less than thrilled with confinement. Even if that confinement was temporary. She’d also need to start thinking about where to den and who she wanted involved in case something went wrong. ”Do you know where mom is?” She hoped her mother was at least here. She definitely needed to speak with her at least. She hadn’t seen her in what felt like forever, not completely her fault but she didn’t even know where to find her.

Rhythm would be the best place to start for advice, and maybe to get Rhyme to ease up a little bit. But then she’d have to see if rhyme minded helping her find a nice tree to dig under.