Sex: FemaleIt was noon but to Sagacity, who wandered through the dense woodlands, it felt more like evening. Little light filtered down through the trees and she found herself weaving this way and that with every step she took in order to get around trees. The trunks were everything between sickly and thin, and round and old- it was a peculiar place, and the undergrowth, despite not receiving much light, was still quite thick though not nearly as green from light deprivation. Brambles and twigs were like snares, tugging at her coat but thankfully removing the last few bits of winter fur that she had yet to shed.The ground was moist and made squelching noises from time to time depending on how wet it was. She grimaced as for seemingly the millionth time that day, her stomach growled and turned. She'd left the pack three days ago on another scouting mission- this time in a different direction- and had been eating relatively well but as of late her appetite had been nearly insatiable and even after she'd eaten her insides seemed to flip and flop, as though tripping over themselves. It was only this morning that she'd begun to feel discomfort and pain with every toss and turn her insides gave.
The muscles along her ribs tensed and she groaned, forcing herself to stop and sit down to allow the cramp to pass. Perhaps the fox meat wasn't good for her- but she'd been sure they hadn't been infected, so she couldn't be getting sick. That would be the last thing she needed- discovering she'd eaten rabid foxes. What cruel irony that would be, she thought to herself, as the cramp passed. The pan eased, but she felt the same stirring within her abdomen she'd felt over the past few days. In retrospect, it'd been happening for over a week. Maybe two; only now had it been happening with any sort of frequency.
She might have passed it off again had she not felt a very distinctive sensation next. It wasn't a turn or a roll- this was a very distinct prod, and caused her to chuff with surprise. Ears flattened, she growled softly and turned her head to glare at her abdomen, cursing her innards for being so rude. And at that moment, it happened again- but this time she was able to see it. The tiny, quick movement from within that caused a small ripple in her side. And there she saw it- the barely noticeable roundness of her lower abdomen which might have otherwise been passed off as the effect from a decent meal. But she hadn't eaten yet that day and would have digested her last meal already.
Having spent time with Naira before she'd left the pack on this scouting mission, she'd naturally felt the effect of hormones telling her she should have had puppies. Along her underside was evidence that she'd been infected by the alpha female's pregnancy, as she'd begun to carry her own milk supply, albeit in a meager amount. It was natural for this to happen, and she'd felt a tinge of pride, being the second-in-command, whose body prepared itself to aid the alpha female should she need to. But she saw now that her body wasn't responding to Naira's pregnancy-
It was responding to her own.
She couldn't explain the way she felt upon discovering this. She couldn't believe it- but the tiny life inside of her proved itself to her again and again as being more than a simple cramp. She felt joyful, knowing she hadn't been robbed completely of her keepsake from the night of passion she'd shared with Rhysis...But she was also terrified- perhaps it wasn't his. Even so, Naira was the breeding female of the pack, not her. There was no way she could go through this, having had no plans. But she needed a plan now.
Her mind went to work, as did her instincts; Sagacity left the waterlogged section of the fen and headed for a denser part which had dryer ground. There she made herself a den and set to work improving it, making it as comfortable as possible.
She had a plan. Now all she had to do was wait.
Table by Tyrant <3
