With pregnancy, came pain. Meleys could not remember it being as much so in the four previous years she had carried pups. A year had gone missed, but one since her turning of two. Had in the time between her body had forgotten how to act?

Her ankles felt swollen, so much so her toes felt numb. Back hurt. Feet hurt. Legs hurt, tail - it felt fine. Maybe it was just the cold. At least in this endless dark one might not quite notice just how big the black wolf really had become. Meleys refused to think it was all because she was getting old yet alas, it was.

It was also the first time she had been pregnant not by her (former) husband. The Darkfang refused to ask either of her brother's assistance in building the birthing den. She had yet fully come to care for Yaalk'ali. He seemed too alike the red-fox as the fur he wore for her liking. And Cen? Five new pups filled the den of his newly wife.

In this forest when they had first ventured through it when traveling north the first go around, they had found odd structures here. Meleys considered denning in one of them, but stubbornness to relent in her people's ways made her refuse. A shelter would be made of snow.

She began to dig and did not get far. The strain in her muscles was too much. Tiny puppy paws pressed against her ribs and bladder. Then she had to pee. Her prior litters were one or two pups - how much could they possibly be squabbling and pushing in there??

A grit of her teeth in frustration, she calls out for Aiman in howl. Slave! Her sharp demand rang through the forest.

[aiman had not been able to move close to the snow shelter of the chieftain's wife, and he had ceased his inching after a while. there was much to occupy him, and the demands on his time exhausted the slave beyond any scheming. yet he did not forget, and he searched for any opportunity that might take him close. but aiman feared the teeth which guarded that den, as much as he feared anything else. he devoted himself to the skill of the peltwork, noting that he was the one to carry these on their marches. therefore, it did not benefit him to make many, and he sabotaged some skins here and there, rendering them unworthy of being among those few bundled from place to place. this was done carefully and surreptitiously, and aiman was so focused upon it that he jumped when the darkfang's voice rang out. she was with child, and he had kept even more distance than usual, but she commanded him within reach of her jaws now. tailtip wagging underbelly, eyes slitted to appease, the slave licked his lips and crept forward with a whine. he did not speak. these wolves did not use words without reason. she would tell him at once what she wanted and he would do it.]

aiman had not been able to move close to the snow shelter of the chieftain's wife, and he had ceased his inching after a while. there was much to occupy him, and the demands on his time exhausted the slave beyond any scheming. yet he did not forget, and he searched for any opportunity that might take him close.
but aiman feared the teeth which guarded that den, as much as he feared anything else. he devoted himself to the skill of the peltwork, noting that he was the one to carry these on their marches. therefore, it did not benefit him to make many, and he sabotaged some skins here and there, rendering them unworthy of being among those few bundled from place to place.
this was done carefully and surreptitiously, and aiman was so focused upon it that he jumped when the darkfang's voice rang out.
she was with child, and he had kept even more distance than usual, but she commanded him within reach of her jaws now.
tailtip wagging underbelly, eyes slitted to appease, the slave licked his lips and crept forward with a whine. he did not speak. these wolves did not use words without reason. she would tell him at once what she wanted and he would do it.

---

Aiman's face

He was a slithering thing, the way he stalked. It reminded her of Yaalk'ali. A snake. Well, she could hardly blame his display. He was slave after all and no false dignity would do him any justice. Meleys snorts, eyeing his tawny colors. It reminded her of the desert wolf. The desert wolf she just so happened to find in the high reaches of the north.

You see shelter Chieftain build? Of course he had. Her tongue rolls oddly in her mouth at the need to use the common tongue for him to understand. Pointing with her nose and snorting wouldn't due, not when it came to the specifics of where she would birth her pups. You make for me, for mine. For his siblings, though they did not know. She sat, waiting to watch him build as her back legs kicked up oddly in front of her, letting the full of her pregnant belly hang.

She'd rather do it herself, but the long march had put more of a strain on her than she would have ever expected. It had never much before. This pregnancy too was proving, difficult, to say the least.

[aiman nodded. he had seen the congregating at the mouth of that den; he had seen the chieftain scrape it into place and had witnessed others place charms around the shelter. now meleys wanted the same for herself. he wondered why she had taken no mate. there were more men than women in the saatsine. she had many choices and had made none, aiman thought as he moved to heed her words. it was odd to hear her heavy accent curve around words he could understand. came wondering now, that she did not insist upon his use of lanzadoii. but mind diverted to tasks. aiman started the first excavation and clawed his way down into the surface of the dirt. it was slow work, work to twist the muscles and make his back cramp. but under the darkfang's watchful eye, he went on and on, mounding walls and pushing away heaps of discard, until a shape at last started to take form. the work might have been enjoyable in another context. but aiman was a slave, and so the only context for him was to labor beneath duress, doing the tasks he felt a husband should be performing for the gravid woman wearing such cold eyes.]

---

LOL seriously!

aiman nodded. he had seen the congregating at the mouth of that den; he had seen the chieftain scrape it into place and had witnessed others place charms around the shelter. now meleys wanted the same for herself. he wondered why she had taken no mate. there were more men than women in the saatsine. she had many choices and had made none, aiman thought as he moved to heed her words.
it was odd to hear her heavy accent curve around words he could understand. came wondering now, that she did not insist upon his use of lanzadoii. but mind diverted to tasks. aiman started the first excavation and clawed his way down into the surface of the dirt.
it was slow work, work to twist the muscles and make his back cramp. but under the darkfang's watchful eye, he went on and on, mounding walls and pushing away heaps of discard, until a shape at last started to take form.
the work might have been enjoyable in another context. but aiman was a slave, and so the only context for him was to labor beneath duress, doing the tasks he felt a husband should be performing for the gravid woman wearing such cold eyes.

The young wolf moved swiftly. Digging down to round out an opening in the earth and building high sides around. It would be some time before it looked to perfection. Certainly by the making of totem and caribou pieces as its finishing touches.

Though she did not build as Aiman did, she created from within herself and felt that exhaustion at a constant max level. She laid on her side to rest, cheek to the earth, for laying on her stomach was impossible to do comfortably- or at all.

Maybe one day the slave might take to realizing the goodness of his work. Made not only for a mother and her pups, but a woman who held siblings to himself. Something either realized and if Meleys ever did, let it be known she'd never proclaim it.

[aiman worked until his limbs shook and he was forced to drop down to his haunches. the mound of earth and snow was high as he could make it, rounded with a deep hollow inside. he had narrowed the aperture for only her entrance, expecting that meleys would widen the doorway for her own needs. there was something hurtful in the work. each pawful of soil thrown, each smear of dirt along his muzzle, reminded the once-nobleman of the status he had lost. a brutish woman with hawk eyes prepared to give birth, and like a husband, he built her birthing-chair. but aiman was not a husband, and despaired that any normalcy of this kind could be his own. he began to swipe the pathway clear and smooth, packing it down with his feet.]

aiman worked until his limbs shook and he was forced to drop down to his haunches. the mound of earth and snow was high as he could make it, rounded with a deep hollow inside. he had narrowed the aperture for only her entrance, expecting that meleys would widen the doorway for her own needs.
there was something hurtful in the work. each pawful of soil thrown, each smear of dirt along his muzzle, reminded the once-nobleman of the status he had lost. a brutish woman with hawk eyes prepared to give birth, and like a husband, he built her birthing-chair.
but aiman was not a husband, and despaired that any normalcy of this kind could be his own.
he began to swipe the pathway clear and smooth, packing it down with his feet.

As time passed Meleys rest. Half in and half out, with a single ear flicking and turning at each heavy breath, a kick of rock away, a grunt of hard labor. She would be a fool not to listen for the closeness of his footfalls, should the slave decide to turn teeth on the old mother and make a break for it at last.

A single eye would open every once in awhile and when all was said and done, she roused herself slowly with a groan from the ground. It looked good. This slave was not a fool, he learned quick, despite how foolish he had been when they met. A foolishness which cost lives. Now he helped in the bringing of new lives.

Good. She now said the word allowed, making heavy steps past Aiman and into the den opening. It would be fitted with the remnants of caribou in time - pelts, hooves, antler, claw. For now, it was a den built by a slave, but it would do.

---

last for me i think!