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She is beautiful, aze down at her, fascinated Her mane is as black as mine, but her little nose and chin are all No-rah Her cheeks are fat and full, her legs long and skinny like all newborn kits Her eyes are dark, like No-rah before she received her khui, and the sight of those eyes fillsdown a sa-kohtsk and give er to her tiny hand and she clasps it, her sers and a thumb, my Es-tur, and unlike her sisters, she has no tail

The tiny, perfect little hter screws up and she bellows

I laugh, delighted "Strong lungs, just like her mother"

No-rah givesher arms out for the kit "I should feed her"

I glance over at the healer, but she no longer has her hands on No-rah Maylak looks tired, but her work is done "It was an easy birth," Maylak tells us both "And she is a very healthy kit A worthy addition to our growing tribe"

I gently place Es-tur in hter turns in toward her ht better than this one, and hter She watches the baby begin to suck, her fingers stroking the thick black cap of fuzz atop the kit's head Then, she glances up at irls froet a chance? They'll want to say hello to their sister"

I do not want to leave ht Ah-nah and El-sah will be excited to erly touching No-rah's stomach when the kit kicked inside her They ant to share this moment with us…and I want my entire family close The birth of the little one has reile all of my females are, and I want to watch over them like a broody snowcat in a den with its kits huddled close

I move forward and kiss my mate's sweaty brow, just because I need to touch her She beaaze down at "

"I know" Her lips twitch with amusement

I pause a er "This one looks more like me" I reach out and touch the small fist, fascinated anew by how little Es-tur is

"They all look like you" No-rah gives me an exasperated smile

Maylak gets to her feet "Well, I airls and bring them back?"

I want to tell her yes, that I want to sit next to et up for days But I am a father, and Ah-nah and El-sah deserve to hear frolance down at Es-tur one more time and then pull away "I will be back very soon"

"I'll be here" No-rah leans back on the pilloatching the little one nurse She looks tired,to spoil her this day, I decide I will stop by Stay-see and Pashov's hut and see if they will be willing to cook a few et the tea she likes best from Asha I arm some water and bathe her when the new kit is asleep I will help the girls with their sewing and with keeping the hut clean, and ill let No-rah rest

My work has doubled, but I could not be happier My faht turns of the seasons ago, I thought I would always be alone Truly, no male is as lucky as me

I head into the village, but I am stopped constantly Harrec and his ratulates me on the addition to the tribe Claire and Ereven offer to watch the girls and take theive me and No-rah tihted to , she promises, and pushes a basket of fresh-made seed cakes into my arms as I leave

I find Asha with Air-ee-yon-uh and their kits, along with irls Ah-nah and El-sah jump to their feet with excitement