raii does not know how to do not crappy posts here, so SORRY

Sleep had become the Centurion's new favorite hobby over the past several days, calling her back to the den more and more often outside of night. The weight she carried was far more than her previous pregnancy and carrying it had been exhausting her little by little. This morning, she had come to a point where she only made it through half of her patrol of the border before padding back to her resting place and dozing for several hours, only to be awoken by a sharp pain.



The instant the contractions began, Natalya knew it wouldn't be a long wait. She rose to her feet and stepped carefully to the entrance to her den, calling for her husband and any pack member with enough healing experience to assist, then retreated to the corner where she kept her herbs and retrieved the motherwort for what she was certain would be a painful afternoon.






talk, think

Apollo had not been around Olympus too much, he was too caught up in Chrys to even bother checking in. But he knew that his mother was close to birthing, and he wanted to be there for the woman that raised him. He wasn't sure how he felt about all of this, having little brothers and sisters. He was bitter still after the loss of his own brother, he wasn't sure how he would feel about these tiny creatures coming about. Huffing a sigh, he made his way towards his parents when he heard his mothers howl. Ah, so he had been right, they were coming now. Good thing he had been here. The albino beast trotted the rest of the way, poking his head in. The heady scent of birth was around, and he snorted. Apollo wasn't sure if he wanted to even see this... Backing out slowly, he cleared his throat. "I am here, but grab me when things are in the clear." He said softly.

As Natalya had slowly gotten bigger and bigger so too had he grown more and more anxious. He felt as though this pregnancy had transported him back to their first, he was as scared as before Apollo and Hermes had been born, especially as he did not remember Nat being this big the first go around. It also didn?t help that Apollo had seemingly left them again, though he didn?t seem to have disappeared fully this time. As the call went up over the land Helios felt his stomach drop. And he was instantly running off to his wife?s call, his own duties forgotten for the moment. It did not take him long to find her, and the russet man was glad to see his son there he slowed to a trot coming up beside the albino boy and giving him a weak smile. "Glad you are here." There was sincerity in his voice, he was glad at least one of his sons would be here to witness the birth of his new siblings. At that thought his smile dropped and red eyes turned towards the den. The man dithered for a moment before poking his head into the den, not wholly sure what to do. Walk "Talk" Think

Unfortunately, neither her husband nor her son had much in the way of healing abilities, but they were the first to be by her side. The sable woman forced a smile against the increasing pain of her labor as Apollo briefly popped his head in to inform her of his presence, quickly followed by Helios who, thankfully, remained. As with her first pregnancy, she sensed no complications and thanked the gods silently for that. The loss of one son was enough. To worry for the loss of any more children would have been too much to bear.



It was only moments before she was plunged into the thick of the process, pushing with all of her might the new Olympians into the world. The first came quickly, and time drew itself out long enough for her to clean each pup and guide it to her belly between each subsequent. In the end there would be four in all, and as her tongue ran over the final one a look of concern crossed her face.



Natalya had been certain that she would give birth to strong new life, and all butt one seemed rightfully so. What could the gods be punishing her for now that they would do this? Perhaps she was mistaken, her mind affected by the herbs and the experience. She raised her head from the child and spoke in what was nearly a whisper. She did not want Apollo to come just yet, for he could not see what she feared.



"Helios, come quickly. Please tell Apollo to stay outside for now, but not to worry."






talk, think

I would very much like for Helios to post next, then Natalya, then Apollo again if that is okay!

Gods above what had he just gotten himself into, the first pregnancy there had been others around to keep Natalya company and make sure all went well, all he had to do was pace outside the den; worried. Now though, well lucky Helios had a front row ticket to all the glory that was child birth. The first thing that hit him was the pained look on his wife?s face and he instinctively took a step forwards and then two or three back as the stench of blood and amniotic fluid hit him right in the nose. He had never known there was so much liquid involved, Gods, he had never even known there was that much fluid in a wolf! It felt like an eternity, it felt like a second. Then there they were, four beautiful children, and he was stepping forwards again. Nat was whispering however and he paused, nodding and turning around for a moment to poke his head out and gaze upon Apollo. "Your mother?s doing fine but uh, she needs my help and it?s getting kinda crowded." Then he was marching towards Natalya again and coming to rest before his wife and new children. "What is it love?" He whispered, glancing up at her but his gaze more or less remaining focused on the pups. Walk "Talk" Think

It would take nothing but her simple request and her husband was at her side, his attention on their children as he addressed her. Did he not see it? She gently pushed the final pup toward him away from its feeding, tipping her nose toward it before facing him with worry in her expression. "This one... It is deformed, is it not? I will not survive our life, it cannot survive the training. The leg is... it is too small. We cannot let anyone know it has been born... You know what we must do."



She would await a response from him before pulling the pup away and tucking it between her front legs before resting her head over it. They would need to take care of the problem soon, but for now she had a son waiting to meet his siblings and she was certain that others would come. She would inform the empress of what happened, but the rest of Olympus would only know that Natalya and Helios had three new children in the world.



"Apollo," she called, summoning him to the den. "Come, help us name your new siblings. Two females and one male."






talk, think

A breath was held, the sounds and lights becoming more intense as she was being sucked away from her litter mates. It was the only life she knew, and it was being taken away from her; forcefully. She didn't want to be left alone, her little paws tried desperately to climb their way back, but her body wouldn't move in inch. I have given you life, don't you want to live? The language was almost foreign to her, being too young to understand what words even meant. But in her heart she knew what the being was speaking of. But it wasn't anything she would remember in the future. She would loosen up and her tiny body would leave her sanctuary, letting the light take over her. But she was ready to go back, until the others were placed beside her. And then she could finally let the world take her. Now that she wasn't alone. Now breathe darling. She would only make a few simple whines, but nothing else. And by that time she was flying. Like a hook had grabbed at her fragile skin, but removed itself and guided her to nursing. Tones hit her ears, nothing she could understand, but it didn't matter any more. That was until one of her friends was removed from the pile. Don't worry dearie, we'll take him away. And she did just that. Ignored the removal of a brother and continued to fill her belly with the new material brought to her. She didn't have to worry anymore. Walk "Talk" Think

The boy was being shifted, changed within the area he felt was safe. It was getting tighter... The space where he felt safe was moving so violently now. Everything was shifting, and the male could feel himself being forced, without his consent, into a darker, colder world. The boy would have many challenges to face, many challenges indeed. Had he had the ability to know what would become of him after his birth, cast away by his own parents and deemed unworthy to live, how would he have felt?

But the boy would be born, expelled into the world that was so harsh and unforgiving. He would lay there, squirming slightly, though clearly having some difficulty. The cause being one of his legs... It was undeveloped... Weaker. The boy would call out for his mother, blindly trying to find her. Seeking warmth and what should have been her love. But instead he was pulled away, and surprisingly the boy was silent. He would be tucked between his mother's front leg, shielded from the world. Shielded from any who might try and save him. His fate was in the hands of the gods now.

The world he had come to get used to would be suddenly pulled away within seconds. It would become cramped, and he would be pulled away from the warmth. Tighter and tighter the world became till finally he had all the room he wanted, but with it came the loss of warmth. With the sack around him cleared and the touch of something warm, he would squirm, little paws moving back and forth, head going from the left then to the right with a small whine. He was being moved and so he would instinctively go limp, feeling the world beneath him drag along his feet till finally he was released against a mass. Paws moved up, gently kneading at his mother's belly, mouth being guided to his first meal. And so, his life offically began. "speech. thought. you."