But Naib was broken. The memories with Rio were so clear, her first love in which she had long since left behind. Life had a funny way of throwing obstacles around, and more often then not Naib took to the distractions like water; it was, after all, why she fell in love with the Spanish male in the first place. It always opened up new and adventurous days, but in convinced her by closing precious doors behind them.
She had to take things one step at a time...It was her destiny to move on, travel, and find Hussan. To share her life with him was now a new and prosperous adventure that, she hoped, would keep her around until the end of her days.
With one leg extended out and holding its ground, the spare elbow propped Naib up precariously. A familiar girth wrapped around her torso, rustic fur stretched out to hold all the extra weight...she was pregnant, or more up to date; giving birth. There was little fear in her eyes, although a part of her worried Rio would show up and question her judgment. The process was familiar: Time, pain, babies. She had gone through it once before, coming out on top like a trophy wife should, so whatever mysteries there were had long since been discovered.
In the forest where a brilliant white moon shone brightly, Naib tucked herself deep within the foliage. Her throat rumbled some, what sounded like purrs as the first head reared, but other then that there rarely came a sound from the mother-to-be.
She wondered where Hussan was, having left him several hours ago. Naib had grown fond of him throughout her time of grief and, as it was, became very much apart of his life. Green eyes scanned the forest floor for any movement, a trickle of hope seeping through her solemn facade...He'd peek around the corner or slip out from a shadow, that was what Naib saw him doing. That was what she hoped he would do.
The first pup came from its sac with ease, his mothers long tongue workings its way over such a tiny, brown form. His markings weren't clear yet, but Naib saw hints of white and reddish-brown; colors that her mother had been known for. She hadn't thought of her mother in such a long time...what would Soul think of being a grandmother all over again?
Several pants later, an hour separating the first puppy from the second, a light brown male whines for milk. He is gripped by Naib and placed beside a teat, his tiny paws kneading her belly, desperate for more. She stared at him for a long while when the pain dropped, baffled by such a brightly colored pup as he...but in the end she assumed it came from Hussan's side, dismissing it completely.
Immediately, when her eyes fell on the black puppy she thought "Dashiell", dubbing him his name. He came four hours later, squealing and hurling his body around to the best of a tiny pups ability. Her lips parted in a grin, as she had done with her sons prior, before he too was put beside the stomach for food.
The female had no way of knowing there was a fourth, contractions settling drastically. Hours passed, seven exactly, and all the while Naib had flattened out on her side. The heavy, birthing pants had turned to calming breaths and the pounding heart that got her through the entire ordeal had settled to a normal pulse...but the fourth puppy was coming.
He was the worse of all, pushing against her insides so suddenly and vigorously that it sent a quick shock of pain throughout her body. "Oooh." Naib screamed, struggling to gain her posture.
The blue pup came through like a slug, inching slowly and steadily as if to ensure its safe release. Once his body plopped against the moistened dirt, Naib lapped away the mucus and gasped. She hadn't seen a blue pelt quite like his since her fathers disappearance, and the sight almost immediately made her stomach drop.
She would love her puppies, including this blue one, but...it hit far too close to home for her not to be surprised.
Then the world grew silent, and in the midst of a cool summer night Naib rolled back to her side.
She glanced over her pups before fatigue settled, stricken by their beauty, and smiled. There would be no room for mistakes this time around; she would not let her pups become distant, like her first lot had.
