Lakota & Ktulu

The Poisoner & The Constrictor

As the days dragged by in endless succession she knew that the time for Lakota to finally give birth to the child they had quested for was coming near. She just didn't know when it would finally happen. She did not hover over Kota like a worried mother hen because she had not liked anyone hovering over her when she'd been pregnat with Hototo and Ranjiri. Ktulu was content to watch her from a distance so the other mare could have her space (and because she was wary of Lakota's temperament). When she had her patrols she left Eytan behind to watch over the Poisoner so she could be alerted if anything changed. Day in and day out it was the same. Lakota would go about her daily life and she would grow a little bit bigger. At one point she'd begun to suspect that Lakota would give birth to a fully grown mare or stallion at the rate she was going.

When the time finally came Ktulu was sleeping. She stood with her shoulder pressed against a tree and her head hanging down near the ground. Eytan lay near her hooves, snoring as he, too, slept. Had it not been for Aodaun's persistance she would have slept through the birth of her child, which was a strange concept for the mare. His grunts and growls and shoves at her legs woke her and she snorted. "What?!" She snapped grumpily at the bear.

"KTULU!"

Her heart lurched she was suddenly wide awake. "KOTA!." She called back to her mate. Aodaun was already running ahead of her and Ktulu's hooves pounded against the snowy ground as she chased after him. She arrived in time to see the small foal slide from Lakota's body and she stumbled to a stop, her heart stuck in her throat. Her ears flicked forward as she heard Lakota name the child. Murtagh. She looked at Eytan as he came to stand next to her. "A boy..." she told him as she stepped toward Lakota and her newborn son.

"Kota." She whispered as she dipped her head down to press her muzzle against her tearstained cheek. Then she looked to the child and every 'what if' that had plagued her since Lakota became pregnant just seemed to wash away. How ridiculous of her to wonder 'what if she didn't love this child'. The only thing she felt as she gazed at him was love, the depth of which was reserved only for her children. "He's perfect."


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