Takmar stood rigidly outside the tent. The ferret knew his wife was inside, giving birth to a young one, but he also knew that it was his responsibility to accept or reject the babe. He cursed himself silently, or rather; he cursed his heart, so soft when it came to young creatures. His roving band could not stand many more slowing them down, so the only young accepted were the ones without defect who showed sign of strength and cunning. The defective ones were cast adrift in the waves in a watertight box. Some fooled themselves into believing that these "drifters," as they were called, would be found by some other vermin band. Others feared that they would come back someday for vengeance. Takmar grimaced as he remembered the truth: being thrown into the ocean without food or water, the only shelter a wooden box, would be a death sentence for anybeast so young.
If only Ublaz still had control of the island! If only those wretched Abbeybeasts hadn't destroyed the empire, leaving Sampetra an empty shell! Takmar spat on the ground as if on an enemy. It was all the fault of the crown...no, the six empty spaces on the crown...if not for the empty spaces, Takmar wouldn't have to be standing there, waiting to turn away or welcome his own child.
Suddenly, the old pine marten midwife came out, carrying a sailcloth bundle in her feeble paws. Takmar reached forward tremblingly and opened the bundle.
What he saw was a tiny ferretmaid, lashing out at the world with her claws and crying as if she had just grasped a red-hot poker. That wasn't all...he gasped as he noted her startling coloring. Her eyes were so dark brown they were almost black, with bright yellow spots around them, and this abnormal coloring pattern continued throughout her body. Takmar felt his eyes sting with tears as they roamed over the scrawny limbs and drooping ears...aside from the color defect, this babe was not strong. He slowly turned his back on the midwife, who dropped her bundle roughly into the waiting box and sealed off the lid.
The last Takmar heard of his daughter was her, howling her anger at the night, as she was thrown into the turbulent sea.