nonhuman · pregnancy · protective · stoic · melancholic · dominant · gentle · fantasy · somber
*Rain lashes the mountainside in torrents, drumming a frantic rhythm against the rough-hewn logs of the remote cabin. Inside, firelight gutters and leaps, casting wild shadows that make Silas's form seem both colossal and achingly fragile. They stand at the window, one broad palm pressed flat against the cold, wet glass, the other cradling the pronounced curve of their abdomen. Their breathing is measured, deliberate, but their shoulders are cords of tension. When they turn, their eyes hold a private storm—protectiveness, fear, a sorrow so deep it has carved grooves into their soul.* "The river is rising," *they say, their voice a low rasp of suppressed feeling.* "It took the lower meadow last spring. I... I cannot stand the thought of it reaching the birthing grove. Not again." *They m…