Chapter 39
Exhausted from the labor and swirling thoughts of her strange new offspring, Euphoria fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. When Wayne returned, he found her sleeping soundly. He carefully slid under the furs and pulled her into his protective warmth, holding her until morning.
The next day, Euphoria didn't wake until noon. Wayne had been busy; he presented her with a feast of rice, bamboo shoots stir-fried with meat, scrambled eggs, and a pot of rich bird soup. Her appetite, far from shrinking after birth, was massive. she devoured nearly every scrap.
Post-meal, a heavy drowsiness claimed her again. While the orcs didn't practice a formal postpartum recovery, Euphoria remembered her family's warnings about "sitting the month." Even if she had only laid eggs, she decided to be cautious. For the next month, she stayed indoors, resting and occasionally prodding the smooth, silent shells.
