[for Duo] I remember the Wolves in the timber

[forged_hero]

Of course it was night, Moist thought reflectively. It always happened at night. His granddad had had a theory about that; something about how there was a part of all dogs that remembered being wolves and the wolves had a special relationship with the moon. Tonight, the moon was full. It was Hogswatch Eve and there was snow on the ground.

Comments

[self_named]

There was so much wrong with the situation Duo awoke to. First off, he was alone in bed. This meant, second off, he was fucking freezing, because Duo's inner furnace had been busted since the malnutrition set in when he was ten and had never kick started again, so he needed others to leech warmth from and Moist was his designate target.

Third, there were weird noises outside. He dragged himself from bed and found the warmest things he could to burrow into, most of which were Moist's, and pulled on his space boots and stepped out of the warm cabin with its lowburning embers in the corner (genius addition, thank you Island) and into the-

"Fucking cold," he hissed. "Sheezus, awe, man it- Hey," he said, voice rumbly and husky with sleep as he clomped with his odd grace down the steps and crouched with similarly effortless ease next to Moist and Arnold.

"What's- oh holy shit, are those puppies?"

[forged_hero]

Moist looked up at him, grinning in face of the cold.

"I'm just out here to avoid your iceblox feet," Moist said, laughing a little at the strange grace, even in boots that weighed more than the rest of Moist's winter wardrobe put together. He carefully made room, and Arnold huffed in impatience, sniffing the towel with obvious, doggy concern. "You see, the drift is actually warmer."

But then he nodded under the porch, where it was just possible to see Annagovia and four squiggling bodies that were, for the best of words, gooey. Not quite cute yet. The worst was yet to come, after all the puppies were born, and what Moist had seen all the dogs do after giving birth. It would be a waste of nutrients not to, he told himself, but it had put him off stew and marinara sauce for quite a long time.

"Four," he confirmed, letting Duo crowd against him. "And this one, too. If he comes round."

[self_named]

"If?" Duo said quietly, voice already concerned, snaking and arm into squeeze his hand over the bridge of Annagovia's muzzle for a moment before withdrawing it. He bent his head so his bangs were brushing Moist's skin, looking down.

"What- why if? Is there something wrong? Can you tell what's wrong?"

[forged_hero]

Moist shrugged ineloquently. "It's been a long time since I've done this, mind," he said, "But...there's always a runt. Five already and more on the way, I think. So, there was always was going to be a runt."

He peaked at the shiny black nose in the bundle. "I don't thing the zwerg believes his lungs work quite yet." He gently blew a breath at Duo's bangs. "He just needs some convincing, that's all."

He looked solemnly at Annagovia. "It's about all we can do."