Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire

The pregnancy had, decidedly, gotten progressively worse. She felt as if she couldn’t take a step without her belly swinging from side to side… at least the company made it bearable. Vili and Lillia had come to be slightly more than tolerable… likeable even, both in their own way. She still felt the constant apprehension that came with the idea of being a mother, but Sophrosnia had also been pushing it down at every opportunity. The night part of being mute was the fact that no one bothered to ask her how it was making her feel, because they had such a hard time communicating with her anyway. That alone was a solace.

Even now as she laid, she felt that relief. She shifted uncomfortably, her nose twitching as the litter once again decided to use her colon as their own personal punching bag, leaving a dull aching pain in the muscles that had been expanding and stretching with each passing day. Soon, she would find relief. She knew it had to be soon now… she’d never really seen another litter be brought into the world, but she had to assume this was what women felt like before they popped. She herself had found a den she was hoping to hide away in until the time came.

She was hiding away in a small cave that she’d turned into a makeshift den for the moment. It had been carved out some time ago – she assumed someone had lived there before, a pack or maybe a group of cougars or something. Either way, it was her good fortune to find it. When she heard the chuff, she’d offer one back in return, her emerald gaze peering outside of the den, the chuff meant to be inviting in return to invite Lillia in, wondering what she wanted and secretly hoping she’d brought food with her.

Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire

There was a silent but pained smile on her features towards the woman as she settled in beside her, asking if she was uncomfortable. She offered a light chuff and a nod of her head to show ‘yes’. Lillia had figured out faster than most that yes and no questions were the easiest way to communicate with Sophrosnia, and for that she had to give the woman props.

She shifted, nudging lightly at her belly, as if it would make the child stop kicking her insides or using her bladder as a toy but also to point to the root cause of all her discomfort. She had a feeling Lillia already knew, but she made an effort to communicate as efficiently as she could given the way her vocal chords rejected the idea of creating a sound. She’d spoken, to herself in private, but around others it was as if her throat tightened up.

Perhaps it was a medical condition, but she had yet to meet a healer who could figure out there was something wrong so she doubted it.

She would shift again, wincing as she did it. Sophrosnia was not accustomed to such pain, and in many ways it was miserable… and yet, a part of her also knew that it was with a purpose, and that soon she’d be corralling children.

Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire

She was so grateful to have stumbled across someone who could understand her. She knew Vili tried, when he was around, but he lacked the full depth of understanding of what she tried to communicate. She could hardly blame him, or any of them. She knew wolves to be social creatures who spoke to one another, and she was an oddity because of her lack of vocal communication. Her silence was powerful, she knew that, but it could hinder her. Particularly when it came to important conversations that she ought to be having with the father of her children.

When the woman was able to pinpoint exactly what Soph was trying to communicate, she felt relief course through her body, offering an emphatic nod in response to show that the woman was correct in her assumption that they were jumping about. She’d even had a few close calls to soiling the den she’d chosen to reside in for the time being. While she knew a mess was inevitable once the pups arrived, she did not want to ruin it all before they even were ready to be born. A part of her remained ornery like that, constantly grooming and picking at herself, expecting a lack of energy to do so later.

Upon the mention of food, she felt her stomach grumble and offered her a grateful smile and a gentle nudge to her shoulder to show her appreciation. The fact that the woman had continued to stick around and travel with her had brought her a great deal of relief, especially later on. Between her and Vili, it had made the pregnancy much easier.

But when she spoke about dens, Soph’s brow furrowed in confusion and she tilted her head to the side with a frown. It showed just how little she knew about the changes that were coming to her own body. She would slowly nod, but it was clear that she didn’t fully understand. She didn’t know much about birth, or how difficult the weeks after it would be.

Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire

They were a strange bunch, even as an insider to the group she knew that. The connection between herself and Vili had been unintentional, and with their communication barrier it caused them to echo around each other, constantly in each other’s gravity but never quite close. She had no idea if that would change once their children were born… in all honesty, a part of her was still convinced that Vili was going to attempt to steal away in the dead of night with the children after they were born. The further she got into the pregnancy, the more confident she became she’d tear him limb from limb if he tried.

As Lillia rose a brow, it became apparent to the woman that she knew something that Soph did not… that this was some kind of societal standard. She had never known, being the only child and only litter of her parents. Nastia had told her bits and pieces, enough birds and bees to get by, but never about the specifics that went into pregnancy. She offered to dig her one and she felt some measure of relief flood her chest. Lillia seemed to know more than she could, and she felt as though she could trust the woman enough to be a support and staple, even if she wasn’t entirely sure why the woman wanted to be around.

It reminded her much of Isla, of the dance they had done silently, inquisitive of each other without ever quite getting answers. At the mention of staying inside of walking, she paused, a contemplative look on her face before she decided to push to her paws with a wince, her belly beginning to hang low from the weight of the children inside. She offered a nod, a soft grunt sound which, to this point, might be the most Lillia had ever heard from her.

Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire

Sophrosnia was not new to the interest of others. Many over the years had found themselves mystified by her, seeking answers in the form of observations made. She offered a gentle hum once again, wincing from it as she stated what Soph felt was obvious. She could make noise, yes. Many seemed to find themselves shocked by that, and she supposed a part of her could understand… the other part of her felt amused by it, as if everyone thought she might be completely inept because she did not speak.

To be fully honest, a part of her had felt that way for a long time with her affliction.

At her question, she wound nod. She wasn’t certain she could say it if she wanted… perhaps a nickname, Soph or Nia which were shorter, but her name was ironically a mouthful even for those who could speak open and freely themselves… much less her.

She would blink a few times at her companion, a silent question under the surface that she wasn’t sure how to ask. Why? It was one question she seldom got an answer to, because it was difficult to communicate without simply stating the word.