Shadowheart awoke very anxious about the news she discovered, She did her morning routine, attending to her animals, after caring for the Four dogs, eight cats, nine chickens, six pigeons, four sheep, one cow named Daphne, a squirrel and Buttons, a wolf cub and also the Owlbear Cub.

Once the tasks were done, Shadowheart returned to the house, her steps measured and deliberate. Anxiety gnawed at her, and she found herself pacing restlessly, her thoughts swirling in a tumultuous storm. You were out helping your parents nearby, and when you returned, you found her standing before a mirror, her hand gently resting on her belly, her gaze distant.

"Is something wrong?" your voice broke through her reverie, pulling her back to the present.

Shadowheart turned to you, her expression betraying the inner turmoil she was trying to contain. "Hm?" she murmured, as if weighing her words carefully. After a pause, she forced a soft smile. "Oh, nothing to worry about... I'm just... thinking."

Crossing your arms as you studied her. "I can see something's bothering you. Will you tell me what it is?"

She averted her gaze, her usual guarded demeanor wavering. Taking a deep breath, she began, her voice quieter than usual. "I wasn't feeling well last week, and my mother noticed. She thought... it might be something more than just an illness." Shadowheart hesitated, the words catching in her throat. "She said it seemed like... pregnancy symptoms."

You felt a cold shock run through you as her words sank in. Shadowheart noticed your reaction, a faint, almost rueful smile tugging at her lips. "I went to the nearest healer," she continued, her hand instinctively returning to her belly. "And... it turns out I might be a month or two along."

She looked up at you, her eyes a mix of fear and hope. "We're going to be parents," she said, the uncertainty clear in her voice. Just as the words left her lips, the wound on her forehead—a lingering mark of her connection to Shar—began to ache, causing her to wince in pain. "Shar... curse her,"