Raised by Wolves

Although Effie had gone into labor prematurely, both she and her infant son were alright. 

The worst fear of the cohort had not come true, either. Perhaps because the child had been conceived in the waking world, or perhaps because he was born in the black void outside the currents of the Great River, at the very heart of Ariel's Tomb, he was not Riverborn. 

At least that was what they surmised after cautiously setting the Chain Breaker in motion and observing no change in the appearance of the baby. 

It was an immense relief. 

Even Sunny, who always expected the worst and was usually prepared to receive painful blows from fortune, felt like an incredible burden had been lifted from his heart.