Renn placed her hands on the small of her back, stretching as the morning light gleamed on the still lake before her. It was late autumn and the trees were ablaze with deep reds, yellows and orange leaves as they sung their final song before the dead winter moons arrived.

The smooth surface of the lake reflected the vivid colours of the trees that rose from its banks on all sides amid a tangle of reeds and dead leaves. Renn made her way to the edge of the water, looking at her reflection below her. She looked the same as she always did: pale, dark eyed and red-haired, with her clan tattoos standing out vividly on her cheeks. She scooped a dock leaf into the water for a drink, watching the ripples disperse around her reflection.

Renn moved back from the edge of the lake and walked stiffly to the shelter, which was situated on the fringe of the forest, twenty paces or so from the lake. A soft rising of smoke from inside told her that her meal was still cooking. A plump duck caught last night was roasting slowly in the embers, filling the spacious shelter with glorious smells of roasting fat.

Renn's muscles tensed uncomfortably as she lowered herself down beside the fire, wishing Torak would hurry and return to her from his hunting trip. He had left a day ago with the promise of being back by dawn with a large meal, but there was still no sign of him and the morning was half gone.

She glanced over to their shared sleeping sack which they'd made for themselves. It was still crumpled from when he'd left yesterday before she awoke. She put her hand to her chest, where her shell necklace hung that Torak had given her about 6 moons ago.

Renn didn't realise how much she could miss someone until she met Torak. Now that they were mates, they spent more time together than ever before and she enjoyed every moment in his company. But when he went off to track larger prey, she stayed to mind the shelter. Sometimes he would be gone for days at a time, and she would often worry that something had happened to him.

As Renn sat worrying about her mate, she heard Rip and Rek causing a commotion from outside. She stood, holding her back as she exited the shelter.

Torak threw the pesky ravens some scraps, watching in amusement as they squabbled over the meat. He adjusted the roebuck on his shoulders and continued towards the shelter, where he could smell the tantalising aroma of roasting duck.

As he approached, Renn appeared. He took in her appearance at that moment, amazed that every time he saw his mate, she seemed to grow in beauty, like a blossoming flower that goes on and on.

Her long red locks floated about her face in the slight wind, framing her high-cheekbones and large dark eyes in a beautiful halo of red. Her small, pale hands rested on her swollen belly, barely contained by her tunic which stretched over her full stomach tightly.
The soft contours of her body were rounded and feminine, and her breasts had become heavy and laden with milk for the awaited baby. He had never seen her more attractive.

She gave him the signature Renn grin, and Torak could resist her no longer. Matching her grin, he placed the buck on the floor and quickly strode towards her, embracing her tightly and breathing in her fresh, sweet smell. Her large stomach pressed against his, so that Torak was holding both his mate and child.

'It's only been a day and yet I feel like I've been gone for a month. I kept worrying.' He said to her, drawing back a little and placing a large steady hand on her belly. She gazed up lovingly at him and wondered if their baby would have his silver eyes, or his tanned skin, or his wild dark hair.

'What are you thinking about?' he asked as her hands snaked up to rest around his neck.

'What our baby will look like.'

He smiled, placing a delicate kiss on her rosy lips. Torak and Renn had already had many conversations about it whilst sitting beside the fire at night. He thought they would have red hair and silver eyes, but Renn had predicted dark hair and fair skin. 'Again? Have you thought of anything else since we found out?'

Renn thought back fondly to when she had first realised she was with child; it had been barely half a moon after they first mated. As the old woman had predicted, her Magecraft abilities had given her the ability to sense its presence. At first she had thought she was just feeling unusual because of everything new that had happened to her body. But she had also had strange dreams, always featuring a pair ravens together in their nest. It took her a time after to realise the dreams emphasis was not on the ravens together, but on the eggs they were sitting on.

After having the dreams and sensing something unusual, she began to feel the symptoms the old woman had explained to her. After one moon, she had been certain.

At first, Renn had felt frightened and alone. She was still young, coming up to her sixteenth summer, and she was uncertain on whether or not she would be strong enough to survive the ordeal, or mature enough to be a good mother. But she knew from living in a clan all her life that many girls had children at that age, with their mates being of the same age or older.

She had been worried about telling Torak well into her second moon. He would often talk to her about how much he loved their free-spirited life together; he acted childishly and often immaturely. She remembered when they had first become friends, and she found out much to her amusement that he had never even seen a baby before. Renn found herself doubting whether he was ready for the responsibility. She and Torak weren't exactly parenting material just yet.

Renn was also aware that his mother had died in childbirth. She didn't want him worrying about her life or becoming overprotective of evrything she did. She also feared him resenting the child if anything were to happen to her.

These thoughts had plagued her endlessly until she realised that he was going to find out anyway. Renn also knew that he was well aware of this being a consequence of their frequent mating sessions. He knew the risks. She gathered her courage to tell him, quite suddenly, one afternoon out hunting.

Torak was crouching by a juniper bush, examining the way the twigs had snapped. 'A red deer moved through here not long ago, it seems relaxed and its prints show it's moving slowly. It can't have gone far.' He stood up and turned to look at her casually, expecting her to follow him, but she didn't move.

'Torak, I – I'm carrying your child.'

His immediate expression was unreadable. Then he uncomfortably he scratched his neck and averted his eyes. He stumbled over his words, 'I uh, I already know.'

'What?!' she asked incredulously, 'how can you possibly know?'

He shifted his weight from one foot to another, avoiding her intense stare. The red deer had been completely forgotten. 'Well, um, Fin-Kedinn told me some of the signs to expect from you if you were, and well, I noticed you doing a lot of the things he said, so I guessed it.'

'Why didn't you tell me you knew?'

'Why didn't you?'

Renn was silent. She felt angry and relieved and sad and happy all at the same time. This wasn't at all how she had expected their conversation to go.

'How long ago did you realise?' she asked. Their eyes locked, and her anger melted away at seeing him look so open and honest. She knew she was the one in the wrong.

'About a moon ago. You kept throwing up and feeling sick. At first I thought it was from illness, but you were acting strange as well. You cried a lot and you wouldn't tell me why. Then you started eating like a whale.' He shrugged, smiling, 'I eventually figured it out. I knew you would tell me when you were ready.'

'Oh.' Renn suddenly felt foolish for thinking he wouldn't notice. She didn't know her uncle had told him what to expect. 'Torak, I'm sorry I didn't tell you straight away, but, I was unsure whether you were ready to hear it.'

He drew closer to her and held her hands reassuringly. 'Renn, look at me. Do you really think I would mate with you at every possible opportunity if I wasn't prepared for what came after?'

She gave a bashful smile, which quickly turned to a grin. Soon they were both laughing, then they were making up, then they were kissing.

Renn awoke from her fond memory when Torak kissed her forehead. Stepping back, he resumed his task and dragged the dead deer towards the edge of the river to begin skinning it. She rubbed her hands gently on her stomach, watching him work. She wondered what their life would be like once their child was born.

Pondering on names, she hobbled back inside the shelter to prepare their nightmeal, knowing that soon they would have to begin travelling back to the Ravens.