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Kazul's half-brother Odd had been to see her twice. The first time had been at the beginning of her labor when she had made him promise to keep her updated on their father's battle. The second time he had come to her with an update that the pair seemed fairly evenly matched. Things had changed since then, both rapidly and drastically.

At least the visions his sisters had been having made sense now. And if they had been predicting this particular sequence of events, Odd had a good idea what would come next. That was why he was racing toward Kazul's den at full speed. Of all his family, she was in the worst position to get away, and she would need to.

Kazul was past the point where she was frustrated at missing her father's fight to give birth. The actual process of giving birth was too strenuous and difficult for her to entertain any other thoughts except those which would help her to eject however many cubs she was finally going to produce. She hadn't even been able, really, to pay attention to the report she'd demanded her half-brother bring her about their father's challenge.

Now, though, she had given birth to seven cubs and it did not seem as if there would be any more for her to bear. She was exhausted, but her reason was returning to her. The cubs were really kind of enormous, she thought proudly. She couldn't wait for her father to see them, even if they were fatherless. As she was thinking this Odd flung himself into her den.

"So?" she asked.

Burz had guided his hysterical sister to their father, disobeying their uncle's orders to go home, but figuring that their father would be able to keep them safe if it came to it. He was a warrior, after all, and so was Burz. The two of them would be more than enough to keep Finna out of trouble if things went wrong.

He had not stayed with his father long though, because he had seen the orange pelt of his uncle moving at a reckless speed away from the fight and toward the dens. Pricked by curiosity, he sneaked away and then raced after his uncle until he realized where he was headed, and then he slowed his pace somewhat so that he could catch his breath.

The black and white cub arrived at his half-aunt's den in time to hear Odd explaining everything.

Tomi had observed a few others during this season of breytast vindar, but none of them were as important as this challenge to Aesir. No one had ever challenged Aesir for the title of warlord. No one had ever challenged Aesir, period. This was an historical event, and Tomi wasn't watching it because he didn't think that he would be able to maintain neutrality in doing so.

He had asked another lawspeaker to take his place in observing and recording the event and stayed home. He liked Aesir too much, and his children too much. He didn't want to see them come to grief, if that was to be the outcome. If Aesir was victorious, of course, that would be good news and Tomi had no reason to think that he would not be, but like many in the pride this challenge made him uneasy.

In Burzum's absence Odd and Kazul discussed exactly what Burz had thought they would, more or less. He had also been doing his best to tell her what had happened in the battle. There wasn't a whole lot he had to say after he said, "He's been blinded in one eye, and I don't think Njal would mind if he lost sight in the other one, too."

Odd could practically feel the rage and hatred for Njal radiating off of Kazul. It was even making the cubs squirmy. He understood her fury, and wondered that he felt less of it himself. He wasn't happy about what was going on, but he was more angry that his family would be threatened than that his father might be killed.

"Who will you name as their father?" he asked quietly in the moments before Burz returned with Tomi.

Kazul managed to grin at Odd, despite everything else. She knew he had meant the question seriously, and she had given the matter serious thought, but the fact was she had not been sure who the father was until she had seen the cubs. Now she knew, but she didn't think it would be politik to claim that her cubs were sired by the thunder god's messenger, given the circumstances.

"If it wouldn't make everyone deeply uncomfortable, I'd say they were yours," she teased her half-brother. She continued more seriously, "But in all likelihood I will just say that they have no father, officially."

Any further discussion was curtailed by Burzum's return with Tomi.

Burz burst into the den with the lawspeaker right on his heels. He had been frustrated that the lawspeaker had not simply gone ahead of him, taking advantage of his longer legs to make time, but nothing Burz said could hurry the dark-furred adult. Grown-ups could be really dense sometimes.

"We're back. Is there anything else you need me to do?" he panted. There had been a lot of running very fast in a short period of time with virtually no rests, but if there was more to be done, he was willing to do it.

He could not have been more surprised when Kazul told him that she wanted him to stay and stand as a witness for the naming of her cubs. Unlike a presentation of cubs, where already-named cubs were presented to the pride and deemed fit, a naming was usually a private affair and being asked to be present was a lot of responsibility.

"Really? Yes, of course. What do I do?"

"Just pay attention and do as your uncle does," Tomi answered as he touched his nose to Kazul's forehead in greeting. He knew Odd would know what to do from having been present at the naming of his brother's cubs. "I will make this as brief and simple as I can. Besides, I'm told that time is of the essence."

He spoke a few opening words, abridging the ritual a great deal. The cub had explained in breathless gasps what was going on, sort of, and while Tomi had many questions he would wait to ask them. As he spoke Odd took one protesting cub from its mother's teat and placed it between Tomi and Kazul.

"Is this cub born free and of the storm?"

"He is."

"What is his name?"

"Skjoldr Kazulson."

"Kazul, you'll walk between Tuomas and myself," Odd ordered. He rarely issued commands to Kazul, but today he seemed to be doing a lot of it. Like Tomi, he had noticed the profusion of blood. Given the size and number of cubs she had borne, that didn't surprise him, but he was still concerned that his sister might be weaker than she was willing to let on.

"If you can't make it the whole way, stop. Tuomas will stay with you and guard you while I go back and forth." He could see Kazul getting ready to argue. "You will do as I say, Kazul, or I swear by all the gods and spirits I will leave all of your cubs here and drag your stubborn carcass to the forest myself."

As far as Odd was concerned, his sister was more important than her cubs. He knew her and loved her. The cubs were at present more inconvenient than lovable, even if they were family. If she died for them, he would find it difficult to love them ever.

"I'll make it," Kazul vowed grimly, pushing herself to her feet. It took her a dizzy second to recover her balance. The ground where she had lain was completely covered with blood, as was that whole side. To be honest, the birth had nearly killed her.

"Let's go." She bent to pick up her squirming, screaming parcel and her two escorts did the same. Then the three of them maneuvered carefully through the pride, heading ever downhill toward the forest. For Tomi this was an unfamiliar trek, one he had made only once before, but Odd and Kazul knew it well.

Once Kazul stumbled and nearly fell, but both lions had leaned into her and kept her upright. Her head was spinning and she was certain that she was leaving a bloody trail of paw prints behind her, but with her mouth full of fur she couldn't say anything to her companions.

Burz had used all of his ghosting tricks to get through the stronghold unnoticed, even though it seemed the entire pride was watching Aesir and Njal fight. If he listened hard he could hear the crowd's reaction to the battle. Not specific things, of course, but the collective gasps or grunts or sounds of appreciation. Every one of them made him flinch and move a little faster.

No one had ever trusted him with this much responsibility before in his life and he didn't want to let his family down. The cub he was carrying felt really heavy, particularly as he reached his forest home, but he was in the forest then and safe. He arrived at Odd's den and flopped onto the ground, instinctively curling around his half-cousin despite his exhaustion.

He was safe. The cub was safe. He hoped his father and sister and uncle and half-aunt were safe. He fell asleep dreaming of ways to kill Njal.

Tomi had not been so afraid since the raid when he had been captured, and that was a distant fear indeed. When Kazul nearly fell, and then went on as if she couldn't see straight was probably the worst moment, but the entire procedure was nerve-wracking. He cared deeply about the lioness who had once been his pupil, and even though he wasn't entirely sure how she and her fey half-brother knew what would happen, he believed them.

Odd visibly relaxed once they passed out of the stronghold and into the forest, but Tomi knew he wouldn't relax until Kazul and the cubs were safely installed in Odd's den, wherever that was, and he had gone back to cover whatever tracks they'd left behind them during their progress. He had no doubts Kazul had left bloody stains over the ground for the first part of the journey, which was unfortunate since that portion had been over stony ground.

When they reached Odd's den Tomi and the others were greeted with a snarl from Burzum, who was curled protectively around his cousin and fell asleep as soon as he saw who had come in. Tomi stayed to help Kazul find a comfortable place and arrange her cubs around her.

"I'm sorry I can't do more," he murmured to Kazul. "I vow to do what I can for the rest of your family though."

As he left Tomi realized that he was the only lawspeaker who knew of the cubs' birth. He could keep silent on the subject and allow the pride to believe that she must have died in childbirth. That was what he would do. He would let someone else find her bloody den and then he would offer the suggestion. And then he would have to pretend that she was dead, possibly for the rest of his life.