Chicken and dumpling soup, a fight, a talk, and Rosa's cubs almost die. Again. Beware the toddler rampage.

Neara bundled up, her face flushed with effort. The dress got harder to pull over her bump every day, but she couldn't wait to tell Shay what had happened last night. Her babies kicked so hard, she almost fell over several times. Oh well, the Ape King had said they were strong.

Orson watched from bed, a bemused smile on his face. "You might be the clumsiest female or beastman I've ever seen. And I've watched Theo try to mate with you."

She blushed and fastened her cloak around her throat. "Shut up; you're just pissed because I haven't sent him away yet."

"And why shouldn't I be? He's obviously too good for you, yet he stoops to my level just to send a message? Unforgivable."

"You think I'm ugly?"

"Anyone with eyes shares my opinion, Neara."

"Shut up."

He stretched. "What do you want me to do again?"

"Feed the shortbirds and make a ton of rice. Also scrape the snow off the roof, otherwise we might have a cave-in. It's been snowing a lot lately... I wonder if Curtis is hibernating yet."

"I'd say I'm surprised he's managed to hold off hibernation this long, but with four marks, he has a lot of willpower. It won't be easy to get him away from Shay."

"You're right..." She finished lacing up the boots they'd made for her and twirled. "What do you think?"

He suppressed a gagging sound. "Fine. You look great."

"If I wanted to mate you right now, you'd throw everyone into the river, so shut your lying face."

Orson blushed and she walked to the fire.

"Hey Winston, are you going hunting today?"

He handed her a bowl of thick rice pudding. "Yes, I will make three kills today."

"Thanks! I'll eat it on the way." She scooped a steaming spoonful into her mouth. "Hasafasahasa." She breathed in quickly through her teeth, attempting to cool it although she sensed her tastebuds were long gone.

"You'll need an escort, right?" Theo bounded up to her side and grinned, grains of rice caught on the thick beard he had started growing.

"It's just a little ways away; I'm fine. I had Winston mark this coat so Tony wouldn't even think about coming near me."

"Well, what about Shuu? Can't I protect you from him?"

"Um... I'll deal with him if he shows up, but the Ape King seems to be needing the Wolf Clan a LOT lately." She sidestepped his arms and called out, "Have fun, guys!" then shut the door behind her.

The snow crunched under her feet and she grinned. Although the temperature was cold enough to burn her nose hairs, it felt wonderful. She always thrived in the cold weather and despite her large belly, this winter was no exception. The path to Shay's house wound through a multitude of small trees, but Neara had memorized the path, having gone through it almost once a day since Shay moved. With the exception of when Curtis twisted the trees together to signify coitus... she avoided here for a few days when that happened.

She passed the small cabin where Parker and Joseph slept, although neither seemed to be home today. At her knock, the door swung open and Ryan peered out.

"Neara! Shay was looking forward to seeing you! Please, come in." He gestured inside with an appreciative look at her belly. "I'm glad the babies are doing well."

"Yeah, they're getting stronger every day. Feels like they're going to kick a hole through my stomach any minute." She saw Shay by the fire spoon-feeding her babies with bits of egg. Their eyes lit up as they swallowed the quivering yellow mass and she kept reminding them to wait their turns.

"Calm down, there's plenty of egg for everyone." She scooped another spoonful and steadied her son's head.

Neara bit her cheek and took a steadying breath. Seeing 10 snakes squirming around her friend always made her nervous, but she told herself they were babies like anything else... just moving spaghetti, really. "Shay, you'll never guess what happened."

"Oh, hi Neara! Look! They like egg like Curtis does!" The babies hissed in approval and snuggled close to the warmth of their mother. "I figured it out last night after I made Curtis his last meal before hibernation. He dropped a little on the ground and before he could grab it, one of the babies got it and then they all started begging. It was so cute!" She grinned. "I asked Ryan to go catch more shortbirds for them. Parker's working on the pen right now!"

"Which brings me, actually, to what I wanted to tell you. Rosa's cubs killed one of my not-chickens the other night and..."

"Wait, Rosa's cubs? What did you do?"

"I'm getting to that. Anyway, I asked Winston and Orson what I should do and they said they don't do 'repayment' here in the City of Beasts, and the only thing they could do was go duel their father, which I wouldn't want them to do because..."

"Because it would leave those poor babies without a father, and they need a dad, even if their mother is a horrid person who makes them go kill shortbirds for revenge. Yes, continue."

"Um... where was I... oh yeah! So Theo recommended building a pit..."

"Theo's still with you guys? That's cool."

"Yeah, anyway, so we dug the trap and we caught her cubs last night AND they came over to free them AND I totally burned her. You should have been there, it was awesome. She came over and was like, 'How dare you endanger my cubs?' and I was like, 'Why are your kids on my property, I can dig a hole in my own yard if I want.' and she said, 'Well, Winston, you suck and you're ugly, so ha!' and I said, yeah, this is the burn part, anyway, I said, 'I see why you wanted to mate a tetra-mark; your males are too weak to provide enough food.'"

"Oh! Sick burn! That's a good one. I probably wouldn't've said anything, just beaten those dogs with this stick I've been polishing up ever since Tony killed one of mine. I hate dogs. Hate the smell, hate the sound, hate their whiney hyperactive personalities." She pointed to a thick straight stick near her feet. "I would've told Shuu to hit the high road a long time ago." Her wild gestures with the spoon made her babies swoop along with her movements, their eyes fixated on the crumbs of egg that clung to the bottom of the wooden utensil.

"Meh, he's not doing much damage... and I don't want to piss off the Wolf King by outright rejecting him. You know what the leopard queen said about rejected males..."

"Hm. Yeah, I guess you're right." She noticed her babies and put the bowl on the floor. Scarlet snakes swarmed the bowl immediately. "Guess I'm glad I have two feral mates... even if they don't get along all the time."

"I bet they don't. How have they kept from killing each other?"

"Shay has that effect on me." Ryan laughed pleasantly when he saw Neara jump. She'd forgotten he was there. "We have an understanding between us concerning Shay, and we will respect each other's claim as long as we have to."

"Uh-huh. Anyway, want to see what I can get my babies to do?"

"Um... yeah, sure."

"Ok, watch this." Shay gently moved her babies from her lap, laid down, and spread her arms wide. "Medusa!" The babies crawled onto their mother's hair and twisted themselves around individual locks. Shay carefully stood and slowly twirled. "Look! I'm a literal Medusa!" She cackled and laid back down. The snakes slithered out of her hair, although a few still hung on her arms and neck. "They can't hold it for very long, but I got the idea because one of them got tangled in my hair while I slept and I wondered if I could make them all do it!"

"Yeah, that's really cool."

"I know! I finally got Curtis to agree not to kick them out just yet... do you know they're kicked out almost immediately after birth?"

"I mean, it figures. They're snakes, right? It's... kind of what they do in the wild."

"Well, yeah, but these snakes are different." She picked up the smallest one and snuggled him close. "These snakes are beastmen! That means they'll grow up to become real men, and if we're going to make any real lasting changes in this world, we have to make it with our children, otherwise everything we've done will fade away when we die."

"Oh. Orson said they raise the sheep babies in a kind of flock, so that's where we were going to send them."

Shay's eyes widened in dismay and she stopped rubbing her face on her baby. "You'd send them away? Why? They're your babies! Your own flesh and blood! Why wouldn't you want them around?"

Neara shrugged uncomfortably. "I mean, it's what they do here. I don't know the first thing about raising bum lambs, and they wouldn't be bum lambs really, they'd be my kids. It's just that I've never had kids before and this pregnancy thing is weird, don't get me wrong, but it's different than having kids..."

"It's like raising a brother or sister; you had 3 little brothers and a little sister, so how is this different? That's how I'm treating my kids. You don't have to get freaked out by the whole thing."

"I'm not freaked out, it's just that we're not... we're not home. We're not in the same environment where I babysat, and these aren't even going to be babies... they're going to be little sheep, animals with human consciences. I don't know anything about it, but..."

"But Orson does, so you're going to default to his judgement."

"Exactly."

"Huh. I get you. That's also why I'm not completely stopping the whole idea of letting the snakes out into the wild eventually. Though, I hate to burst your bubble, but we're not exactly females from around here either. I could technically get pregnant right now." She blushed when she heard Ryan's throaty purr. "And that's not something that happens. Ryan told me females give birth once a year if they're lucky, IF they're lucky, so that makes us different."

"But you and me... we got pregnant right off the bat. How often does that happen in our world? We can't be too different, otherwise I wouldn't be... pregnant with sheep. I have 2 sheep babies in my uterus right at this moment. You gave birth to snake eggs! How is any of that normal?"

"Maybe it's just because I'm so excited to have a family, but Neara, I just feel how much pain this world is in. My males beg for attention and get excited when I'm the slightest bit nice to them. Parker and Joseph have sworn undying loyalty to me, and it's... it's not fair that they're so starved for love that they swoon over kisses and kindness."

"I get what you're saying..." Neara interrupted.

"So it's my job, as their mother, at least while they're here, to show these beastmen that love comes from a happy, supportive family. Even if one day I have to send them away for their own good, I want them to always know home is a safe place."

"I guess we just adapt to this world differently."

"I think it's the only thing to do." Shay put down her struggling son, who rejoined his brothers on the floor. "We're raising different kinds of kids, after all."

"I mean, I guess so. I just think if there was a different way to do things, they'd be doing them."

"Maybe they were done once but were forgotten when tribes went extinct or kids lost their parents before they could be taught. All I know for know is that I'm going to make sure my sons and husbands will feel all the love they need."

"Sounds good."

Ryan stopped stirring the pot and inhaled deeply. He served a few deep bowls of thick stew to the girls and took one for himself. "Neara, I can tell you're hungry. Please, eat."

"Thanks, Ryan." She waited for her bowl to cool and watched Shay cooing over her babies. It didn't feel right to her, but she didn't know how to phrase what she was feeling.

After lunch, Neara wiped the dust from her cloak and said her goodbyes. Ryan waved and stopped a scurrying snake from following her. She thought about what Shay said, about the love-starved world they were in. It was true, but how could two people change it? They'd entered into a different culture, a different species, a different way of life, and by thinking they knew better, wouldn't that be offensive? Or at least colonialist? Was she introducing politics into their world for no reason? Her mind danced with thoughts, so many that she didn't notice Shuu until it was too late.

"Neara!" He jogged to her side. "I was just coming to your house to call on you!"

"Oh. Hi, Shuu."

"Winston must be proud of his sons. They look healthy." Shuu nodded at her bump.

Neara tightened her cloak protectively over them. "Yeah, it's a good day to be pregnant."

"Can I speak freely for a moment?" He looked over her shoulder, then at the quiet woodland around them. "I... have feelings for you. I admire your beauty and kindness and I want to become your mate." He noticed her opening mouth and hurried to say, "You don't have to answer now. In fact, I'd prefer if you didn't. I just wanted you to know my intentions and that I will never find another female."

"Shuu... that's really nice, but I already have two mates. I don't need another one." Neara also scanned the area around them, hoping for a fluffy tail, sleek stripes, or a puffy angry sheep. "Besides, I already told you I'm not..."

"I know. I know you're afraid of your mates, but you won't have to be for much longer. I'm going to accompany the next trade to the ocean and when I return, it will be with an emerald. With that, I know I'll be bumped up to four marks, and you'll have another strong protector."

"I'm not..."

"Let me walk you to your house. I know I can't go inside, but..."

"You just don't learn, do you?" Theo stalked from the bushes, covered in various weapons. "The lady said no."

"Your fertility priest? Is he another one of your mates?" Shuu asked Neara.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." Theo thumped his feet against the ground. "I might not be Neara's mate, but I know enough to respect her wishes, and when she says she's not interested, she's not interested."

"I didn't hear her say that." Shuu crouched and began to circle the bunny, his large tail flicking the air. "It almost sounds like you want a fight."

"Yeah, I'll... I'll fight you." Theo's hands fumbled at his belt and produced two dull knives, the matte black stone seeming two-dimensional against the white snow. "If you say you want to fight, I'll fight."

Shuu stripped off his clothes and Neara backed away, her hands circling her stomach. "Guys, let's not fight. Come on, Theo, let's go home."

Shuu growled and lunged forward, his arms fluffing into wolf limbs before he hit the ground in front of a terrified Theo. He snapped at the bunny's waist and danced away when Theo brought the knives closer.

"Theo, stop!"

The bunny beastman didn't seem to listen, or care, and his face turned serious. The trees behind Shuu exploded with birds as Theo's knives buried themselves into the trunks with a thud. Before Shuu could react, Theo reached to his belt and pulled out two small spheres that looked like they were made from clay. He threw them at Shuu's feet, who jumped out of the way of one, but not fast enough to avoid the other. It burst on his face with a puff of blue smoke and he swayed slightly. "Think you're fast enough?" Theo grimaced and threw another ball.

Shuu leaned away from it and shook his head slightly. His ears pinned against his head and his tail lay flat as he lunged for Theo's throat. Theo countered with a spear and a large net, which he wrapped around Shuu's head and front feet, dragging him to the ground. Shuu's back legs swung around to jab at Theo's stomach, but he held them off with his spear, jabbing them as he clambered on top of the wriggling wolf.

"Theo... let him go." Neara couldn't believe her eyes. Theo... tiny baby Theo... had won?

Shuu growled and whined in the trap, his thick legs gauging holes in the snow and exposing the rich earth beneath. Theo tightened his grip on the net. "Had enough?" he panted.

"Fine." The wolf melted back to human form. "You win this time."

Theo nodded and released the net, sliding off Shuu's back as he stood up and shook the snow from his hair. The wolf beastman looked wistfully at Neara, who looked at the ground with a flush. He nodded, picked up his clothes, and ran back to the main section of the City.

"Theo, that was..."

"I didn't know if I could do it..."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because he wouldn't leave you alone. I figured if I saved you, you'd feel grateful or something."

"Theo, he wasn't going to hurt me. But whatever, you did good anyway. You should tell Joseph the next time we see him. Also, I know I can't tell you what to do, but please don't fight again."

"Really? But I won!"

"Yeah, but what if next time you didn't? What would that mean for the Rabbit Clan?"

"All we need to do is mate successfully once, and we'll double the size of the Clan." Theo folded the net as they walked, his fingers deft in their knowledge.

"Wow. I didn't know the Rabbit Clan had such big litters. I mean, it makes sense but still... I guess that's why it's so important to mate."

Theo nodded. "That's why our mating habits are so different from other beastmen; normally a beastman will devote himself to a single female, but members of the Rabbit Clan travel and devote themselves to one female from every city they visit. It's important the female they choose has other mates to care for them if we need to go somewhere else."

"So when do you need to go?" This might be the out she was looking for...if she could convince him to leave, she wouldn't have to reject him for being so underage...

"In the spring, maybe. If you're pregnant, I'll stay and care for you." He blushed deeply and looked at his hands, empty once he put the net away in a small pouch around his waist. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't be talking about you like you're just for reproduction..."

Neara ignored his fevered stare and crunched her feet deeply into the snow, attempting to reach the hard ground beneath. They continued in silence until they reached the home, where Orson called to her in excitement.

"Neara! I'm glad you're home! I think I finally perfected that mill idea you gave me. Come and see!"

She followed him inside and coughed through the thick dust on the floor. A roughly hewn stone disk sat on top of another with a sizable groove cut into the center. Inside the groove, small raised ridges circled the center. A large staff stuck out from the topmost stone and it looked movable, if only she had the strength.

"You can put rice here, and I have clean water from the mountain here as well." He tapped the top of a stone bowl happily, although grit looked as if it had collected in there as well. He noticed her looking and gasped. "I hadn't realized how dirty everything got! I'm almost as bad as a predator!" He grabbed the broom as well as a wad of hide. "Get out while I clean! This can't be good for the babies."

Theo dragged her outside to the sounds of Winston working on her next project, a spinning wheel. She'd drawn the rough sketch and briefly explained to him what it should do. He looked up and smiled at her.

"Does this look correct?"

It looked impressive, although Neara wasn't sure how he accomplished the design without seeing one for himself. Then again, she'd only seen them in movies, so maybe he did just as well as could be expected.