Gods above her stomach was heavy, swollen with pups that were late for their due date. Yoshiko was stressed, worried for the little ones not yet born and for her sister, Kait, too. Kaitlyn was the very reason she’d left Boreas for a short time, tracking her sister down to make sure she’d be alright. Kait was… sadly broken. She was hurting in a way that Yoshi couldn’t fix and it frustrated the young female. She worried for her mate, Rivaxorus II, too. She had disappeared without a word… worried about losing her smaller sister and now…

Yoshiko felt a pang of pain race through her body. No, she thought… not here. Not in the open… not… Her head was spinning, a sickening feeling entering Yoshiko’s gut. She wasn’t typically one to worry… but after all the traveling she’d been doing she had to wonder if her children were going to be delivered safely. At least there in familiar territory… and the scent of a pack did not hold here. Yoshiko gave a sharp bark, alerting Kait that she was going to find a den. It was time.

Yoshiko found, ironically enough, the den she was to enter was the old one she shared with Riv once upon a time. His scent lingered here… a bit fresher than she expected too. Had he come this way looking for her? Yoshi felt her stomach lurch before the green giant settled on the moss. Right now, as much as she loved Riv, she couldn’t afford to think of him. She had to focus on the lives that were coming.

The first two children Yoshiko gave birth too were horridly small… and lifeless. The female nosed them, trying to revive them with gentle licks to no avail. She felt even more sick… she’d killed them. She’d killed her children with Riv… The female squeezed her eyes shut, briefly aware of Kaitlyn entering the den with some moss soaked in water for her. But Yoshiko didn’t want it. Why did she deserve to keep going after this?

Another contraction shook Yoshi’s form, though the young woman wasn’t sure she wanted to keep pressing on. She didn’t even want to look at Kait right now. But her sister was speaking, trying to encourage her in a little voice… Yoshiko knew, even if she didn’t want to, that she couldn’t give up. Not when there was still the chance a little one could be born alive.

Yoshiko pushed, urging her body to do as it naturally would. Finally, after several more minutes, yet another child was produced… another one that seemed smallish, at least to a wolf of Yoshi’s size, but… It was moving.

The female moved her head over to the little one, almost shocked to see at least one child was still alive. Instinctively she began to clean the child, a little girl, marked with multiple colors… She was beautiful. Brown, green, white, black… even a bit of red! Goodness… Yoshiko found herself smiling a little, moving the pup to her side once it was cleaned. At least now, she thought, she could look towards the living.

But Yoshiko’s birthing didn’t stop there. She was panting a bit, growing a bit more weary, yet still another little one sought to enter this world. After a few more minutes her last child was set free, a young male, and Zephyra nearly recoiled when she saw him.

Green. Green everywhere. But somewhere deep inside she felt happy too. After he too was cleaned the femme placed the larger pup at her side and then glanced over at Kait. Two pups alive… two pups stillborn. “Can you… take care of those two?” She asked her sister, motioning to the pups who would never know life in this world. Now if only Riv were here to see his new son and daughter…

The woods held a few herbs he wanted to check out before heading back to the ridge. It helped the fact that the rains had made herbs grow while the cold was still in effect. The male couldn't sit idly by. Qualm knew very well he was lacking something, lacking where he needed to serve Ivory Ridge. The healer still had a long way to go, but he felt a sense of pride in the work he'd been doing. Hell, he couldn't wait to tell Quake of his adventures! Maybe she'd found something exciting too. Regardless of how she felt about him Qualm knew he'd never stop trying to make her see he loved her. That was when he stopped, smelling something rather different. Blood mixed in with other things. In front of him was a huge... green woman? Another who was brown. However the green and black woman seemed distressed. Upon closer context, he could see that there were pups. Newborns. While two were completely still.... the huge female seemed to be nursing the others. He could only guess that they were no longer with them. The good nature in him kicked in and he cautiously approached. "Excuse me ladies, but I'm a healer. I was wondering if you were in the need of my assistance?" he kept his distance knowing if the other wanted their privacy. However he was worried, eyes furrowed forward. He couldn't even think about how it felt to lose new life. It seemed that one of the pups that were alive, it's growth was stunted too. Tiny, but colorful. As was the male looked strong. "Talk"

She had done what she could, feeling guilty for how her sister’s birthing was turning out. Two still born children… she felt horrid. She set the moss down, unable to even address Yoshi right now. She looked away from her sibling, sitting down silently and waiting… at least until she heard the cry of a pup.

Kait’s green eyes shot towards the newborn, heart pounding in her chest as she looked upon it. It was alive… tiny, but alive… Kaitlyn gave a soft, happy whine, watching her sister now as she continued through the process.

In the end half the litter was stillborn… but that meant two young ones had made it. The green pup looked almost like the moss she brought in, covered in various shades of the color. It wasn’t until she heard Yoshiko speak that she went to grab the two little lifeless forms, pausing only once she heard a voice.

A male… she eyed him uncertainly, fur raising along her spine as she watched him. “That’s for my sister to decide.” Kait spoke simply, glancing over at Yoshiko. What would she decide to do about the other? Would she accept his help or turn him away?

A male approached the den, and Kait stood ready to attempt defending it. But Yoshi could hear him clear enough. He was a healer. Perhaps it would be a good idea to allow him to help… to look at her tiny daughter who was dwarfed beside her brother. The female flicked her ears back, giving a sigh. From what she could tell of the stranger’s scent he belonged to a pack. This too made the new mother feel a little worried… but she was certain that if he tried to make off with either of her children that she could track him down and teach him a lesson. Maybe she was being a bit paranoid or overprotective… but could one blame her?

“Let him in, Kait. I’d like him to look at my little girl…” She was worried for the size of the child. She seemed like something that would be born of her much smaller sisters… not her. Yoshi gave a tender lick to the same female, thinking of the religion that Rivaxorus had spoken to her about. Snowlit… it was at that thought she decided on a name for the child. Itsume.

“I am Yoshiko… my sister is Kaitlyn. If you really mean no harm then we will have no problems with you.” Blood pink gaze shifted back to the male just outside the den, watching her smaller sister step aside to allow him to enter.

Qualm tried to make sure he stayed calm. He would flick his tail and turn to look towards the female who was now nursing her young. She would grant him access, and told him if he truly meant no harm then there wouldn't be an issue. "Truly ma'm it's my duty to help." he would take cautious steps forward. As if to say may I as she had asked him to take a look at the smaller newborn. A small female, especially for one of yoshiko's size. He could notice that she was worried with two pups dead and one stunted. Qualm too, wanted to know if the little girl would be okay. Gently he nudged the tiny thing and heard it's soft cries. Listening and feeling closely to it's heartbeat and other vital signs. The softness of the creature did make him wag his tail with a small smile. "Your daughter will be alright, her heartbeat and cries are strong. Though I know she won't grow much bigger - she'll probably stay rather small." Qualm said. Though the girl might have some issue with fighting off sickness. "Make sure she eats well, your milk will help her starve off infection and sickness. Since that may be an issue." As for the boy.... he didn't even really have to check him - the green boy was healthy as it was. A runt and a large healthy man. "If I can ask, do you have names for them? My name's Qualm Rivers by the way." he had almost forgotten to introduce himself. "Also how are you feeling Yoshiko? If you'd like I have some herbs for the both of you - the willows has mint and a few herbs that are good for new mothers. Mint will help anxiety and stomach ache's." The man looked softly at the two of them. When they looked like they needed a lot of help that was why he was here. "Talk"