oceans of tears and gales of laughter

[OOC: Cobra and Sweeny played by and © to MaxKhaos; Regan is played by me and is my own character. RP arrangement edited for clarity.]

From where she lay sprawled on the worn musty mattress, Regan growled, in pain and frustration, and some fear. Her hackles prickled. She didn't quite know what was up, but she didn't like this one bit.

Just recently she had started feeling strange, though she couldn't quite point to why exactly in her head. She hadn't felt like going out, or stretching her legs, bounding across the sun-warmed, rain-dampened fields. The world was well into spring now and the air was warm and full of the green smell that promised new life. By all rights she should be out there in the sun, reveling in her own strength and beauty, bewitching her prized mate all over again with the way her red-gold coat shone in the sun, and the swift graceful movement of her legs as she ran. She had been anticipating this, eagerly, sick of the cold and of the hungry time that was winter. But no, something compelled her to just lie here.

Worst of all, her belly was swelling. At first she had thought it was her own imagination, but as the days wore on it not only became apparent from the increased weight of it, but to her own consternation the results were clearly visible to boot. That silly little rat and that fat ugly terrier, no doubt they laughed at her behind her back. She could hardly repress a snarl at the thought of it.

She had designated a particular corner of the bed as her own, and she was lying there now. Nosing at her now clearly rounded belly, bulging like a paunch from her slender frame, she felt some sense of revulsion. She had deliberately avoided considering the possibility that somehow she had life growing within her, but it seemed more and more sure by the day.

Cobra. She snarled to herself, this time in pure frustration. She had wanted to possess him, and if bearing his litter was what it took to be his queen always then that was what she must do. But nobody had told her it was going to be quite so inconvenient.

( what left to do but complain? better find someone to blame )

[OOC: May and Jewel played by and © Soteria; Memo and Hollywood played by and © Blueflyer.]

The day had dawned cool and fresh as any other, but now the sun was high in the sky and the heat had been intensifying with every hour of its climb. Yeesh, the young woman thought, lifting her legs high to step through the long grass without tripping up. Behind her, the White Foam River burbled gently along its course, and beyond that was the town that she and her companions had left behind. Her thin cotton shirt was soaked with sweat, and she was wishing she hadn't chosen to wear her denim cutoffs.

I mean, I hoped it wouldn't rain today, but this might be just as awful.

Yet May had insisted they try anyway. Don't let the sun spoil their plans for a picnic. Johnny was out of town visiting his family, so it was just the pair of them. Beth pushed strands of her curly brown hair out of her eyes as she gazed ruefully ahead at her friend, a slight wry smile on her face. Hefting the picnic basket on her shoulder, she kept walking steadily. May had said she knew of a good place out here where they could sit and eat and enjoy the relatively unspoiled beauty of the countryside surrounding the town.

Oh well. It was probably good she should come back here again. Closure, perhaps, she might find here.

The last time she had been on the other side of the river, she had nearly cried herself hoarse calling for her lost dogs. She had gone as far as she dared, had enlisted the help of people to search the area. But even of the great monster dog there had been no sign. Beth sighed. It still tightened her chest, being here again. Winter had come and gone, and she was beginning to wonder if Penny and Wings were even alive. She had heard of whippets surviving as strays on instincts alone, but this was the wilderness with its maze of field and forest. So much could happen here to an animal that wasn't familiar with its surroundings. And Penny and Wings had certainly never been here before.

Beth sniffed, rubbing a sweat-grimed arm across her face somewhat crossly. It'd probably never stop hurting, but all she could do was keep going.

----------------------

That awful whining buzz, followed by the tickle of tiny legs on her ear. Irritably, the copper coloured whippet flicked the ear in question, but the fly only buzzed around some more before coming to rest again. With a half-snarl, Penny shook her entire head and snapped at the tickling thing. This was no time for her to have to deal with such pests. It was too warm this day, and despite Penny's short coat her breath was coming in heavy pants as she lay on her side, in her own whelping corner of the den.

The puppies were moaning and crying at her from the curve of her body in which they lay, and she put her ears back in consternation. She had already suckled them that day; she had no more milk to give. Why did they cry so? How could they still be hungry? Penny too whined low in her throat. The noises tore at her heart, but she too was hungry. Even with the fine feasting they had had a week ago when they were first born, feeding these six pups had proved to be hard work. It seemed they did nothing but hunt now. Penny sorely missed running and hunting with the rest, missed being part of the warm cosy pile they had all curled into every night. Together, that way, they had weathered the winter relatively unscathed. Ironically enough their hardships had seemed to come with the spring.

"Shh... shh," she whined fretfully, nuzzling and licking at them to try and still them and their hunger, their noise! One of the dog pups, the largest and firstborn, had managed to drag himself halfway up her flank, and she gently put him back in his place. Turning her face towards the entrance, she waited, longingly, for her companions to return.

( hitch a ride on the back of a butterfly, there's no better way to fly, to get to me )