There were so few of them in the pack that he did not sleep there but had begun to work, meditate, train and sometimes sleep under the large overhanging rock face and so she had to go there with him each morning, or find him there, to learn, to grow…
Learning the work of a spirit-talker was not done by rote or some formula - though there were rituals to learn and the memories to memorise, in the main training was by watching and helping. Crow… Quin, the black and white male they'd found by the southern border, had been a perfect opportunity for training - he was weak, scratched up and in need of some care - something she was perfectly willing to give. His language was different - and with his southerner accent it was even harder for her to understand him at times so Kalain had set her to coach him how to speak so that they could understand. Sati had happily taken up the task - he was such a cutie and so polite and gentle! Small, too, not like any of the other southern wolves, like Ely…
Today, however, she was distracted and skipped up to her mentor with a big grin. "'Sha's coming to see you in the afternoon" she said gleefully.
"Oh?"
Sati smiled shyly at Quin, who had come over to see what the fuss was. "I… I told her to come and see you about it, but I'm sure I saw…" she blurted.
Despite being a little giggly, young and childish at times, Sati was serious when it came to her vocation - she was not usually very good at the medicinal side of it but she had never seen another in the tribes who was as good as Kalain had become; she could do simple things though and the signs had just popped out at her this morning.
"I think she's going to have little ones" she finished, enthusiasm shining through
The news hit Kalain like a rock. Pregnant? 'Sha? It couldn't be… no… Surely not. He fell down onto his rump with a thud, looking out towards the main den.
"I think it must be Ely's, there's noone else… unless she's been visiting Quin in the night!" Sati's grin showed how unlikely she thought that was "Oh I'm sooo excited!"
Kalain was not.
Sati was young, she had been even younger yet when her sister had passed and as the daughter of a second mate, she'd not known Kalain's mate so well… She had recovered, as many had, from that loss and although she knew the pain of it surrounded her mentor like a wreath, she had never let it fester in herself. All Kalain could think of was wolf blood - the smell the taste… and death.
"Kalain?"
Her voice awoke him from his reverie. "Hmm?" was all he could manage, his throat clenched with a terror he did not want to let loose.
"Aren't you excited?"
"Ye..yes. Of course." Quin, over Sati's shoulder, was giving him an odd look. He needed to pull himself together - Mu'sha would need him: it was her first litter and her family had a… a history with problems birthing. Yes, he'd make sure she was ok. Everything would be right this time. "This afternoon you said?"
"Yep!"
***
Never before had any of her liaisons brought this particular kind of surprise but when she'd started to find it uncomfortable to run normally, and her belly had swollen more than it had a right to even with this season's glut of food she knew something was up. She hadn't gone straight to Kalain, neither of them had really spoken much or even made eye contact since they had scouted out the new shrine - what could one say after that? She had, however, talked to Sati and it was Sati's judgement which had left her whirling.
"Pups?" She had asked, having known in her heart but not believing in her head, and Sati had giggled cheerfully, pointing out this and that which meant that pups were the most likely cause for her current difficulties. She had been cautioned to see Kai though, so she'd have to go down to his damn rock and talk to him about the one thing she really didn't want to talk to him about. He was not only a spirit-talker but one blessed by Kalain, for whom he was named - if new life was stirring he would surely know instantly. He'd also know when they'd started.
***
The way his eyes widened when he saw her told her instantly that Sati had been right.
Pups? Her own? "Ohh no… Spirits save me!" She groaned under her breath.
***
The warm sounds of the compact den surrounded her. Although the pack generally converged near to and around the rocks which topped the subterranean living space, there was not a footstep or stray bark to be heard - Jove, Ely and even Sati had given her the room she needed. Kalain was at her side, anxious, his eyes showing a dull, hollow fear.
"Don't worry" she told him for what must have been the 20th time in as many minutes. But, she knew, he couldn't help it and she could truly understand. He had lost his first mate, her sister, under similar circumstances and his sanity was being shredded by the worry that it would happen again. It was normal for a spirit-talker to be there, to witness the birth of any young into the pack and… dispose of any who had not survived those rigours if the mother could not - with kindness but with speed for the living were more important. She knew if one were lost he wouldn't cope, so she prayed to Toghelac and Kalain - one for a kind birth, the other to stave off the prospect of death just yet.
It began…
***
Five. Five! No wonder her belly had been so big, Kalain thought. She'd never doubted they were his, she had said as much and, given their look, there was little chance they were Ely's. He had, deep in his heart, hoped they were not his - not because he didn't want pups, or because he didn't wish to take care of them, but because he felt it would almost be a betrayal of Cy and her pup to be happy with a new family. It wouldn't be the same, though. He had affection, closeness with Mu'sha but… lovers? Probably not.
"Kai?"
"Mm?"
"I can't feel her here any more. Not since they came…" she looked down at her brood, a lick here, a nuzzle there. She would bring them up as good, strong members of the Aves pack: train them as she had been trained! Who better to be their other parent than the one person in the pack who could teach them best if not hunting, but spirit-talking was their forte? She knew Kalain would not hesitate to take that responsibility - to be their father in name as well as body.
So, 'Sha couldn't feel her sister's spirit nearby any longer? Maybe she had stayed, knowing this would happen, wanting to save her sister from the pains she had gone through? He said a silent prayer to the spirit Kalain and asked him to take her onwards to a new life. Finally, he looked up, brought back to the moment. "You've thought of names?"
"Mmm I'm not sure… I'll think on it." Mu'sha murmured sleepily.
