Secret Falls We sang just to bless the morning

 Her nimble paws carried her bloated frame swiftly across the ground, carpeted in both lush green grass and fallen branches. The silver woman found that the added weight of the children inside her belly hindered her movements, making her far less nimble than usual. But she regretted nothing in the choices she and Inkheart had made. She had wanted this....they had wanted this. For as long as she could remember, she had always been drawn to pups. They were innocent at heart, with their fresh young minds just begging to be filled with knowledge. And at the same time, they were still so vulnerable. Representing the legacies of their parents...of their bloodlines, they were to be protected and cherished. Zia never thought she would ever have the opportunity to bear any young of her own, so while her superiors were allowed to breed, she just looked on with admiration, and perhaps a bit of envy. As she aged, she began to realize that she was no longer content just sitting by, letting her life unfold as that of any other common subordinate in a pack. She didn't want to just be forgotten when her time came, without leaving some sort of mark...a memory in the world. With Inkheart as her mate, and back by her side for good, their dream was soon about to become a reality. They could now live out the rest of their lives with purpose, as both pack members and parents.

Having taken the initiative in tracking down their meal, she used her nose to follow the fresh smell of recently spilled blood. Tufts of silver and charcoal fur, remnants of her winter coat, snagged loose as she ducked under a thick cluster of prickly bushes. With no doubt that the others were far behind, she paused only once when she spotted the freshly slain carcass of a young male deer, it's antlers not nearly as impressive of that of a full grown adult. Cautiously, she looked around, hackles raised slightly, to insure the lynx was indeed gone. This was their home now, and the expectant mother most certainly would not hesitate in lining a den with it's silky pelt, should she catch the cat too close. Behind her, Koda had deemed the time was right to make their claim official. With a smile, she regarded her new Leader as he tipped his head back, raising his voice into the sky. And she of course, joined in immediately. Craning her head back, lips parted into an o, she released her song triumphantly.