Taryn was smiling and shaking her head at Raschen's insistence that they break camp as soon as possible to get on their way. She was wrestling with the tent hide when Lily joined her.<br/><br/>"Here, let me take over," the female Hase ordered, butting Taryn with her hip.<br/><br/>"What? I am perfectly capable of striking a tent." Taryn protested, butting her back, but with a laugh and smile in her voice to reduce the possibility of Lily being offended by her refusal.<br/><br/>Lily nodded but didn't stop helping. Together they made short work of the task.<br/><br/>"When I was heavy with my first litter, I was so lucky to have my aunts and grandmothers around to help me prepare the nest and to talk to me about lying in." Lily said, chatting on about pregnancy and the pleasant prospect of children.<br/><br/>Taryn grew quiet as she thought of having no females who were knowledgeable of her plight nor sympathetic. Her people would kill her offspring, born or unborn and how Raschen's mother would react only the gods knew that mystery. She ran her hand over her belly, which seemed rounder today than yesterday.<br/><br/>Already she loved them. In her heart she knew there were two. What would they look like? Hume with fur? Kuguar with no tail?<br/><br/>"Do not fear, little ones, we will survive. We are a family." she whispered lovingly to them.<br/><br/>"Move out," Jax called to the camp, waking the Kyote who slept curled in snow bank.<br/><br/>They rose, shook the snow off and loped away. Taryn knew they were close to home now and would want to be in their camps before winter set in.<br/><br/>As Raschen joined her, Taryn said,<br/>"They are a good bunch, if rough around the edges. Never once did I fear when they were at my back. The Hyane on the other hand, I was glad to see him succumb. He was brave though. Do you think we should stop with the Hyane to report our success and to report on his bravery? In good will, we owe them that much, and if he has a mate, she needs to know he died a hero."<br/><br/>They set out through the snow, walking in the path that Raschen had made early that morning. Lily and Jax bounded off, laughing as they went, leaving Taryn and her love to talk.