The day had actually been fairly dry for once with a clear sky that eventually revealed the stars once day turned to night and Tamsyn knew Kane would want to take advantage of the lovely evening so she didn't even ask. She walked out into the grasses of the plains with him, a slight waddle to her steps with the round stomach hindering her a bit. She wasn't nearly as large as she remembered being with her first litter and she didn't have to struggle to get around nearly as badly as she had back then, but that didn't mean that the pups she carried didn't make their presence known all the same.

They were quickly approaching when she suspected the little adventurers and hunters to be would arrive. It always seemed like time moved so quickly and she tried her best to just enjoy every moment of what she knew was likely to be her last pregnancy. It was really a miracle at her age that she had not only gotten pregnant but had also had such a smooth pregnancy at that. She knew it was partially thanks to Kane and Gwynevere caring for her every step of the way and making sure she had the best care and prep available, but she was still grateful that there had seemingly been no complications for their energetic, wiggly pups.

She settled onto her haunches beside her mate with a content sigh once they reached their usual spot out in the plains near the stream, leaning into his side as she looked up at him adoringly. She gave a little nod toward she sky and smiled, her tail curling around his. "Feeling up to your song tonight?" She knew the broken rib he had gotten thanks to the dire wolf they had killed at the beginning of the summer had made breathing deeply a bit of a challenge for a while, but now that he was well on the mend she figured she could at least offer for him.

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Kane couldn't remember a time in his life when he'd felt happier and more complete. Since the day he'd lost Tiva and left his family, the tribal hunter had been focused on nothing but revenge. It had consumed him, defined him, became all he thought of day and night. Kane had become a slave to his anger and his resentment. But now, for the first time in half a decade, he felt like he could finally breathe again. Tamsyn had freed him from the specter of his past trauma, helped him find the closure he needed, aided him in finding his justice, and given him the greatest gift anyone could ever give him: true unconditional love and a family. With the paleo dire wolf dead and the final ghost of his past laid to rest, Kane could finally start living for the present and looking forward to the future.

It was one of the few dry nights Auster had in its winter, a bright and clear sky filled with stars and a waxing moon. Kane escorted a very pregnant Tamsyn down to their usual midnight rendezvous spot down beside the stream they'd mated at beneath the stars all those seasons ago. It felt like a proper closing of the circle. It was here that he'd confessed his past and his need for revenge to her and where they'd first made love together, and now it was the start of the rest of their lives with their little family growing stronger within her womb every day. Tamsyn's round belly brought a proud, loving smile to Kane's face every time he glanced at her, his heart feeling an overwhelming bliss and peace while he watched how radiant his mate had become. She was always meant to be a mother. Caring for others and giving her love to her family suited her as if she were made for the role. He just hoped he'd be half the parent she had already proven she was.

Sitting down in the grass beside Tamsyn while his mate leaned into his side, Kane gazed up at the nighttime sky. Big bushy brown tail slowly entwined with silky black fur while they cuddled together in the cool night. Tam asked if he felt like singing and Kane chuckled under his breath. His injuries from the fight with the paleo dire had left him sore and broken for a couple weeks, but the diligent attention of Gwynevere had his rib set and body healing in no time. Now he didn't feel pain every time he breathed, and he hadn't punctured his lung either; a lucky break. Grinning a knowing smile, Kane lifted his muzzle to the sky and sang a song of praise, thanking the Universe for gifting him his little blackbird and their puppies. His howl carried over the lands for a solid minute before he let it drop off, leaning gently back into Tam while he dipped his muzzle to brush his snout against her forehead. "I don't think I've ever been happier in my life than I am now, Tamsyn," he said, planting a slow, affectionate kiss to her temple, ever mindful of his sharp sabers. "I love you to the moon and back, my little blackbird."

Kane started to settle down on the grasses, helping Tamsyn lie down as well if she wished to join him on the soft, cool grass and earth. The tranquil sounds of the babbling stream held his attention for a minute before curious hazel eyes turned to seek Tam's minty gaze, raising an inquisitive brow and intrigued smile. "How are our children tonight?" He immediately followed with, "Have you given any more thought to what you'd like their names to be?" He knew their first names wouldn't be chosen until their birth and their genders revealed, but Tamsyn had been fazed by the idea of having to decide where she wanted to birth their litter and what land they would take in their names. He was happy she'd been on board with following his tribal traditions of naming, but perhaps giving her the freedom of having them anywhere had been a bit too much to put on her at once.

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Tamsyn returned her mate's grin that answered her question for her and once he lifted his head, his song filling the air, she did the same to howl along with him. She was slowly learning all of the things that made Kane and his ways of life unique, incorporating them into her own life as well, but the howling to the night sky was one that had been a part of their time together since the very beginning. She let her own howl taper off with his, their voices fading into an echo. After Resin's attack she never thought that her heart would feel this full again and certainly never believed that she would find this kind of love again, but Kane had given her all of that and more. She smiled as he leaned down to brush her forehead with his muzzle, leaning into him again and tipping her head to rest it against his shoulder. "I love you just as much, my love," she replied as she looked up at him happily, simply enjoying this perfect night with him for a moment.

When he began to settle down onto the grasses she followed his lead, letting him help her down as she settled in beside him with a sigh. Even though she wasn't as large and encumbered as she had been with her previous litter, their children had still become quite an obstacle in her daily life. As she shifted so did the pups she was carrying, feeling them move and kick, as energetic as ever. With as close as they were getting to her due date she could tell that they were just as eager to get out and meet the big world waiting for them as she was to finally have them here. She looked to Kane again when he asked about their children—quickly followed by the question she had been pondering heavily since he brought up the fact that their names would be determined by where they were born.

She chuckled and replied, "I've given it so much thought that I think I've just ended up talking myself in and out of every kind of terrain." The idea that she could give birth anywhere, quite literally anywhere of her choosing, was daunting enough, but the fact that their children's names would reflect her choice for the rest of their lives lingered on her mind too. It was such a big decision and one she couldn't change her mind on once she actually went into labor. The question over how their pups were doing was a much easier one to answer. Shifting a bit, she rolled to be more on her side with her round belly between them and she reached over to lift his much larger paw, bringing it over to rest it on her stomach. "If all of this movement and kicking is any indication I'd say they're doing wonderfully," she told him with a little laugh—which was quickly cut off by a soft 'oof' when one of their pups gave a particularly hard kick at their father's paw. "Little spitfires, these ones," she said only half jokingly. One of her favorite parts of watching her first liter grow up was seeing their personalities grow and develop over time and she couldn't wait to see these do the same.

She left her paw resting over his on her stomach while she started thinking about where they might be born again. She at the very least knew that she didn't want to have to go too far from The Hallows. Not only did she not want to have to travel very far in her current state, but she wanted to be close to her older children so that they could come see their half siblings after they were born. That at least narrowed it down a bit. She started thinking about what lands were near by, trying to say some of the possible names in her head. "Of the Sea..." she said out loud after repeating it to herself a couple of times. She looked to Kane curiously after a bit of consideration. "Maybe the Shimmering Shore? What do you think about 'of the Sea'?"

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

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"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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Tamsyn couldn't help but laugh when Kane mentioned how bringing their babies into battle had been the thing that made them want to fight the world. "Well, if they want to be little fighters then I'm more than happy to let them be," she commented with a loving smile as she looked down to watch Kane's paw moving over her round stomach. She remembered all too well being the feisty pup that was hungry to learn and eager to fight, but everything she wanted went against the grain of what was expected of her. Her spirit had been beaten out of her and broken. It was actually kind of amusing to her sometimes how much pressure she put on herself to be a good mother when she had the parents she had to compare to. Next to them she felt like she felt like there was no contest, but she only wanted the best for all of her children. She wanted them to grow and thrive and enjoy all of the things they were passionate about. Her oldest had been forced into so many hardships and she blamed herself for that far more than she should since most of it was entirely out of her control, but all in all she felt like they grew to be wonderful young adults and she hoped she could do the same again for these little wild ones.

She listened curiously to Kane's explanation of the name she suggested after she offered "of the sea" to him, smiling while he spoke of his tribe and how popular yet rare the name was. She was surprised to hear that they were never near the sea for long which made the name rare, but she supposed if they traveled as much as they seemed to it made sense. She enjoyed the meaning behind the sea for them and what it represented, thinking to herself for the hundredth time how beautiful his tribe made every aspect of nature seem. She glanced down at her stomach where their pups had begun to settle down again and she couldn't think of anything that she could possibly want more for them than a world of opportunities and adventures. Tam looked back up to Kane as he leaned into her, returning his kiss with a happy hum. Her mint gaze found his hazel eyes again as their kiss broke and he asked her if the name called to her heart. She considered it for a moment longer before giving him a nod, saying, "I think so. It feels fitting for our little miracles that are going to grow up living out in nature to have a name that embodies an endless horizon and adventure." She smiled happily, giving him another sweet kiss while her tail wagged and gently thumped against the ground behind her. "You've made me the happiest lady in the world as well, my love. I love you more than I could ever say."

Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley

Kane nodded with a bright smile that flashed every tooth and saber in his mouth when Tamsyn confirmed that the sea did call to her heart. His tail wagged excitedly behind him; their children had their names decided! "I'll get started on building us a birthing den right away then," he said with a nuzzle to his mate's cheek that delicately nudged the pure white feathers hanging from her fur. "I know a few good locations we can scout out. Right on the edge of the shore, between the plains and the beach. The earth will be stable, but you'll still see the sea from the door and get all the wonderful amenities, like tracking sandy paws in the house when the pups start roaming." He laughed softly at the mental image of their little ones scampering over the shimmering dunes, getting to see the sea as the first thing their little eyes got to behold in this vast, marvelous world.

When Tamsyn kissed him back and told him that he'd made her the luckiest and happiest lady in the world, the hunter felt his heart leap in his chest. His tail beat the ground in time with hers, both parents just happy to be sharing their love while they cuddled protectively around their little miracles, as she had called them. The nickname felt fitting. Tamsyn had been a miracle in his life, their children another miracle further. He'd given up hope on ever feeling the warm embrace of love again, and resigned himself to the fact that he'd never know the joys and pride of fatherhood. Tamsyn had given him back the life he'd been robbed of and so much more. "And I love you the same, my little blackbird. More than there are stars in the sky." As if to prove his point, Kane gently cupped Tamsyn's chin with a large paw and guided her lips to his in a deeply passionate kiss. He held her against him like that for a while, pouring forth all of his love for the gorgeous black fae against her lips.

Their kiss only ended when they both needed to draw back to breathe, and the first thing Kane did with the fresh air in his lungs was tip his head back and howl his love for Tamsyn to the night sky once more. Til the day he died, he would sing praises of her for all the world to hear. The world would know the glory and love of Tamsyn Carpathius of the Valley.

"Kaneonuskatew"

As his mate, Tamsyn may enter his threads not marked as Private.
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