She had been feeling fairly restless all day. She knew the pups would be coming soon, but she hadn't thought today was the day. For the last week she had stuck mainly to the den, hunting was on the back burner until at least her litter was born. She had been only hunting smaller stuff for a few weeks now and sticking closer and closer to the pack lands. All day she had been unable to get comfortable, unable to nap, and it seemed no matter what she would do she couldn't remedy it. She resettled herself for the hundredth time hoping to get comfortable before Typhon would return to her. She wanted nothing more to simply snuggle up to him and if she got in a comfortable spot then hopefully there would be no need to move around anymore. This time she was able to get comfortable and finally able to drift into a doze. This doze didn't last long before a strong contraction woke her up. It was time, even though she thought she may have another day or two. She grunted for a moment until the contraction passed before lifting her head and howling, alerting Typhon and hopefully the healer, Rain, would be nearby and hear the call too. She was not opposed to others coming, but she would only want Typhon and Rain inside the den with her. "Speech" & 'Think'

Rain trotted toward the call with Fauldr at his side, his bags resting on his back. Some healers toted that herbs like ginger would help the labor pains to ease inflammation but rarely took the necessary steps of soaking the woman in water heated with ginger rather than having them eat it. It was a fool’s remedy, but Rain through his studies, had learned better. He had taken steps beforehand to ensure that the woman’s labor would be relatively easy, and had kept close track of the days since the pale woman had gone to him and had altered his prescriptions for her accordingly.  Over the past few days he had given her devil’s claw; an herb used across the sea to aid in child birth. It didn’t seem to grow in Boreas but it thrived in the temperate Auster. As he approached the woman, he slipped his bag from his back and wordlessly began to kneed his small paws between the base of her spine and her hip. The massage would help ease the early contractions but once the cubs entered the birth canal she would be on her own. “How have you been Zinnia?” He asked with a small, charming smile. “Do you remember the breathing techniques I taught you?” He asked. There was a falseness to his smile and a blankness in his eyes; something that he had carried with him for the past few days but had addressed to no one. It was his own burden, he wouldn’t trouble anyone else with it. This is him talking This is him thinking This is you

Typhon had been stunned at the news that Zinnia was pregnant, and as the weeks drew by his awe hardly faded. Malleus had not been wrong - not that he'd really doubted him to begin with. It was obvious now that God was favoring him by allowing to carry on the Abraxas name to a new generation, and he was infinitely grateful for the opportunity. He would not let Him down. He had every intention of being as good a father as these children could ask for; he would mold them into devout followers who would only continue to impress their God and deliver his family - including Zinnia and their future children - to eternal greatness. He couldn't be happier. However, much of that happiness was clouded by worry as soon as he heard Zinnia's pained call. She wasn't panicked persay, but there was a sense of urgency in her voice couldn't be ignored. As quickly as he could he made his way back to Risen's territory, veering hurriedly toward the den they shared. He didn't expect, for whatever reason, that Rain might arrive before him.. or maybe he was just deeply distracted, but his presence caught Typhon off-guard. He was acutely aware of the way he felt his chest constrict as he drew closer, something like jealousy welling up inside him at the way he was assisting her. He was well aware he was merely helping with the birthing process, something he knew nothing of, but it still struck him the wrong way. He regarded Rain with a cool stare as he approached, though his expression warmed as he faced Zinnia. He wouldn't interfere unless he suspected Rain wasn't acting in her best interest, though he highly doubted anything like that would happen. Instead he focused on Zinnia, moving to her other side - near her head - in their rather cramped den. He made himself remarkably small for his size, pressed tight against the wall of their den, and lowered his snout to gently nuzzle the top of her head. "How are you feeling, Zin?"

She assumed Rain wouldn't be to far, he had been keeping track of her pregnancy, ensuring that she would have a healthy pregnancy and birth. She had been and was still so excited to be caring for her and Typhon's pups. She was excited to see how many, what genders, and what they would look like. She was still excited even though she was a little terrified. This was her first litter and though she trusted Rain's ability as a healer, she didn't trust herself to be worthy enough to produce a healthy Abraxas litter. She tried to get herself as comfortable as she waited for the arrival of Typhon and Rain. She was laying out on her side, letting her instincts guide her through what she needed to do. First to arrive was Rain and he looked prepared. She was beginning to get more and more contractions and doing her best to keep herself calm. Rain didn't hesitate to get to work and his message was very unexpected, yet it felt very good. It helped her to relax more and helped her muscles in her back end to relax more. It also helped to ease her contractions. "I feel like I've been doing very well," she replied with a smile. "Yes I do!" She had practiced on her own with those exercises and felt like she had it down pat. In fact she would even start the breathing technique he taught her. Then Typhon would arrive and a wide and bright smile would appear on her face. Her focus going to him as he entered and settled by her head and face. She would gently nuzzle into him excited that the pups would soon be here. He asked how she was feeling and she pulled back to look at him. "Fine and very excited," she said. She began her breathing again before burring her muzzle into Typhon's chest, his scent also helping to calm her and keep her focused on what she needed to do. It took a little bit before she could feel the short strong contractions, the first pup slipping into the canal She would tense, but force herself to relax, keeping up the breathing exercises. She would squeeze her eyes shut as she felt the pain of her body beginning to push the first pup out, but she kept her focus on what the happy ending result would be. "Speech" & 'Think'

As he felt her body tense under his paws he moved away from her body to crouch behind her, his expression distinctly one of deep thought and practice. “Do you want anything to bite down on?” He asked, his expression worrying as he watched her strain, even with the comfort of her mate.

Silently he thanked the gods that he had been born a male and would never need to endure the pain of childbirth, then gave a quick look to Typhon wondering if he felt the same way. "You're doing a fantastic job Zinnia, just keep pushing." He instructed her.

“I can see the head!” He barked suddenly, then turned to look at his companion. “Bring warm water, and rags.” He commanded and the golden primate obeyed, slipping into the depths of the castle to retrieve what the young medic needed.  

speech Thought You

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His arrival didn't go unnoticed, and he was pleased to see that his presence brought a smile to her face, in spite of the pain she was surely feeling.  "I'm excited too," he breathed quietly, though didn't say much more than that. As well as being excited he was also terrified, though he wouldn't dare voice those thoughts out loud. The gods would ensure their children were brought safely into this world, he was certain of it. He hoped his presence might comfort her, though he tensed slightly as he felt contractions begin to wrack her body. Somehow she managed to stay calm through it all, breathing steadily and focusing, and in her impressive display of strength he decided he couldn't imagine loving another more than he currently loved her, not in a lifetime. Not only had she endured a disaster that could've easily killed her, but now she was bringing forth life into this world; he felt his heart soar with elation for what she was capable of. Typhon was silent for the rest of the ordeal, deciding that Rain knew how to handle this situation better than he ever could. Everything seemed to be moving along smoothly, though he felt his heart lurch when he exclaimed he could see one of the pup's heads. Instead of moving to see himself, he remained pressed against Zinnia, hoping he could help ground her when she needed him most, as she had definitely done to him through these last few months.