Pigeon

🦋
Daughter of Ophelia and Zephyr.
Mother of Crow, Owl, Monody, and Ode.

July 3rd, year 5.
The ground was covered in a light layer of snow the night Pigeon had her pups. A large litter of six, all weak and sickly except one. Cinder tried her hardest to keep the pups alive but, despite her best efforts, the litter declined throughout the night until there were only two pups left whining at her belly.

One, a large silver pup and the only one whose breathing didn't sound like a ragged wheeze, and the other a small and sickly pup who looked as though the night itself had consumed her. Cinder didn't have to say anything for them to know that the darker pup's chances weren't promising.

Pigeon looked to her mothers, Ophelia and Zephyr, as they entered the den, tears of exhaustion and grief rolling down her face as they hurried towards her. Ophelia quickly laid by her daughter's side, tucking the smaller wolf's head under her chin as she gently shushed her.

Zephyr stood back from the two and the apothecary, frozen at the foot of the nest with her eyes locked onto the small pitch black pup. There was an strange look in her eyes, what appeared to be an intense mix of fear, anger and panic.

Cinder took a hesitant step towards her, ears pinned back and tears threatening to fall from the young apothecary's eyes as she moved to guide her to her daughter, only for Zephyr to turn tail and abandon the den without another word as Pigeon and Ophelia cried out for her.