Tana was staying at the den today, Rhyme had made a mention of wanting to find someone and introduce them to each other, so it was best for her to stay where she could be easily found. She was slowly digging the den, so far she could get her body under the tree but she needed it deeper, she wanted to make it so there was at least six or so inches of dirt above her and a larger round room for her and the pups. The entrance would also need to be widened so rhyme could fit easily. 


Alma and basil were helping by running the dirt she loosened out of the den. They were a team. 


She was panting as she emerged from the start of the den. She'd been digging all morning. Her stomach was rounded up a little more and she could every now and again feel the tiny paws starting to kick this morning and she was delighted. She honestly couldn't wait till those kicks could be felt by rhyme. She sat with her stump out to the side and her belly slightly turned. She was going to take a brake and wait for rhyme.

Imperia had flown ahead to ready Rhythm for a visit to Abaven. She didn't take very long before the old blind woman was following the raven towards Rhyme and Solitude. They met half way and returned to the border together. He talked to his mother a lot, telling her of many events since the last time they had talked. He managed to avoid talking about Shaye, he almost asked if Shaye had been to see her. Eventually he spoke of Tana, but at that point they were almost to the den.

"I might have drank too much, and not thought enough about the consequences." He confessed as she shot him a hard glance. Why could he just keep the truth to himself? She had to know everything. Rhyme shook it off though, she was making him admit to himself more than her anyway. "Don't tell Father yet.." by then Rhythm was already interrupting him. They had appeared at the Maple Tree.

Imperia was an interesting bird, she seemed a lot older than she actually was. Rhythm guessed she couldn't have been more than a year or two, but she had the impatience of a chick. Early on the raven had realized Rhythm was blind, she tried to fly high above the tree tops. Rhythm couldn't see her though, and realized she would be better on the she wolf's back.

Eventually they met up with Rhyme and his second bird Solitude. Both birds had taken to the sky immediately and started an aerial show. Not that Rhythm could see but Rhyme told her. He told her a lot over the last leg of the journey. Eventually settling on a girl as they strode through Abaven. As soon as he started mumbling about her Rhythm knew what she was going to learn when they showed up to the designated meeting place. He started to say something about Valentine when Rhythm caught a whiff of the girl in question. "So she is pregnant." She managed not to say it too gleefully.

It wasn't long after she had sat down for her break that she heard the sound of approaching paws, along with some words being exchanged. It was easy to tell rhyme, but the woman's voice was one she hadn't heard yet. It was from a woman and she didn't sound happy with him. She pinned her ears and instinctively lowered her head, unaware that the other woman wouldn't see this. "I-I a-am." she almost wanted to disappear right now. 


Basil was immediately in front of Tana , eyeing the woman. Rhyme got a free pass, since he was doing everything in his power to make certain things went good. Tana was covered in dirt from head to toe and her paws were sore from digging. She wanted badly to tell Rhyme she could feel them moving sometimes but didn't want to upset this woman any more than she probably was.

Rhyme didn't miss the ashamed look Tana gave them as Rhythm announced the news he had brought her all this way to tell her. He really should have realized that his dear mother would guess, but Tana's scent gave her the final clue. Basil was swift to put himself between Tana and his unassuming mother, but when every wolf was bigger than you.. Rhyme sighed softly. Tana didn't realize Rhythm was simply ecstatic. He took a good look at Tana since Rhythm couldn't. She was filthy, looking a lot like a scolded pup. He wanted to scoop her up and hold her, let her know he was going to do what he could to make everything okay.

Right now though he needed to focus on Rhythm. Tana confirmed her thoughts quickly, lowering her head. "She is," he reiterated. "You're officially going to become a grandmother." He offered softly as he reached down and nuzzled Rhythm's cheek before shifting his position next to Tana. "No need to look so guilty. She, no doubt, is more excited about these babies than we are." He chuckled, offering a little affection to Tana, cleaning a clump of dirt from behind her tattered ears. Rhythm wasn't one to be judgmental, especially in her older age.

The dark chocolate woman tilted her head and raised her brow at Tana's timid response. Judging from where her voice came from she was either very tiny or laying down. Rhythm could smell the fresh dirt, having no doubt the young woman was starting to nest. She turned her features to Rhyme's voice as he fully explained themselves. Grandmother. Rhythm was getting her grand babies. Her heart felt like it might explode in her chest, she hadn't even met them yet and she felt like she loved them. Unconditionally. A sappy smile overtook her features as she wagged her tail with joy. Since she didn't have a chance to examine Rhyme's mistress yet she had to ask, "When are you due?" She was a little better at not showing how overjoyed she was. Rhythm sat back on her haunches, delighted with the day's turn of events. Not even aware of the deep set worry that lingered with the couple. She knew Rhyme was as big as his father but has no idea how tiny Tana was.

Rhyme reiterated that she was indeed pregnant and tana easily caught him telling the other woman that she was going to become a grandmother. So this was Rhyme's mother. She knew the woman's name to be rhythm from what Rhyme had said the other day. Then sooner than she knew, Rhyme was beside her. As he cleaned dirt from her he told her that his mother was more excited about the pups than they were. Of course anyone might be able to disagree, she was extremely excited to get to be a mother like she had wanted with her first litter. 


She perked her ears as she was asked when the pups were due. She hadn't even calculated that yet. All she knew was it would be early winter. "E-early w-winter." she leaned silently towards Rhyme's chest, aiming to lay her head there. It was comforting to have him close. "I c-can f-feel them m-move s-sometimes." the second part was said more for Rhyme's benefit.

Rhyme had seemingly lost his manners altogether, thankfully Rhythm was too distracted by thoughts of puppies to scold him. Even though they had lived years of their lives as slaves Rhyhm had a talent of correcting his manners. He waited for their conversation to slow down, finding himself quite caught up with all the dirt in Tana's fur. Not that Rhythm could see her anyway, but he felt bad for leaving her to work on the den with out him. He perked his ears as Rhythm asked when the due date was, and Rhyme realized he didn't have any idea how long she would be pregnant. He froze as Tana answered, and the familiar cold fear of what might happen gripped him.

Rhyme still couldn't say if he was in love with Tana, but he was coming to realize how much he cared for her and the new bundles of life growing within her. The icy grip loosened as Tana mentioned she could feel them moving already. He was astounded at how much more real they were becoming each day.

"I'm sorry I forgot to introduce you two. Tana, this is my mother Rhythm. Mother, this is Tana the mother of your future grandchildren." Though the shiny newness had worn off at her guessing Rhyme felt the excitement cover his worries for a few moments.

Rhythm's hearing was impressive for her age, but she used it to help her understand the physical world. She couldn't see it anymore and relied on hearing and touch to keep her going. She easily heard Rhyme shift his position next to Tana. She wondered where this relationship might be going. Rhythm listened politely as the girl offered her best guess at a due date. Well they hadn't waited too long to tell her at least.

She sat back as Rhyme suddenly reminded Rhythm that she had interrupted any chance of an introduction a few moments before. She stifled an amused chuckle in herself as her son offered official names and titles. "I'm glad to meet you, Tana." The last thing she wanted to do was make the girl feel like an incubator. Rhythm had been through that too many times. These would be Tana's children, but Rhythm couldn't help but feel excited. "Are you enjoying Abaven?" She asked, trying to get to know this woman a little better, Rhyme had mentioned a brief history on their way here.

Tana hadn't taken notice of Rhyme's lack of manners, which honestly wasn't something she could say she knew. Most wolves who had once held her captive didn't believe she deserved that type of thing. But then Rhyme was introducing them to each other.she gave a dip of her head, unaware that the other woman was blind as well. 


She could smell fear on Rhyme as she told them when she expected the pups to come. It was enough to have her shift and lean against his chest. She didn't care that she was covered in dirt, it was easily explained if someone asked why. Rhythm then asked if she was enjoying Abaven and she nodded. "I-its n-nice here. Rhyme is n-nice, a-and Shaye i-is t-too." she wondered if she should ask rhythm to stay to help with delivery and monitoring the pregnancy. Though asking others to do things was not her way.

Tana leaned into him comfortingly as his thoughts flashed to the what ifs for the umpteenth million time since she had told him. This was going to be the longest pregnancy in the history of pregnancies. Rhyme would do his best to keep his head on straight, but he couldn't help but think about the possibility of making it through the end with out Tana or the little ones. He tried to relax himself as his mother and Tana exchanged pleasantries. He lowered himself to the ground, letting Tana rest her head on his shoulder instead of his chest.

He tried not to think about telling his father, Rhyme wasn't ready for that conversation. He had trouble reading and predicting Valentine, but he expected no shortage of grief for the choice in mother of his children. He toyed with the thought of not telling until the pups were old enough to be with out Tana, but the last thing Rhyme wanted was for her to think he was ashamed of her. The opposite was true. She was glowing in her pregnancy, blossoming with her freedom, and almost completely self sufficient with her disabilities. Rhyme was proud of her.

Her silver touched muzzle tilted with her head as she waited patiently for her answers. Rhyme had gone silent in the conversation as he expected the two of them to speak to one another. Rhythm had no idea exactly how much she has in common with Tana but she did know a bit about the life she had faced. What she had lost. (Minus her previous litter.) How tiny she was. Though Rhyme hadn't said specifically Rhythm had guessed by the level of her voice. The Destruction woman had been worried about the size of her pups with Valentine and she was almost twice the size of Tana.

The woman did answer, saying how nice Abaven and her son and niece were. Rhythm chuckled softly. "Someone raised them right." She offered in amusement referring to herself, who had a large hand in raising both of them. She couldn't help but think back to those days, she'd been so young and naive back then. However she would have given anything to make a return to those days. To give her son the proper upbringing instead of spending half his childhood a captive. "Have you started thinking about names?" She asked next, wondering if she might keep up with the unspoken tradition of their family