Keeping true to her word, the Amenti Captain had set out several days ago to head toward the halfway point between the Amenti and Seracia territories so Bane could be there for the birth of their pups. She knew she was close to her due date, but since she had no true way of knowing exactly when they would make their appearance. The trip had been slow moving at best, sometimes only making it a half mile before she needed to rest. She did that for several days, moving a mile or half a mile at a time and resting, not wanting to strain herself too much so close to time for her to give birth. She knew nothing of the process or what to expect. The ivory fea had never seen herself as a mother or even particularly wanted pups so she had never bothered to learn anything of it or even much about healing in general. She hoped maybe Bane knew something of it for her and her pup's sakes. She had been following the huge river that was the Rio Grande down toward the south, trying to avoid the desert that was to the west and making sure she had a steady supply of water and food at the same time. It had worked out well and Alena had been making her way toward the south at a slow, but steady, pace. Suddenly her muscles tightened and a sudden discomfort and pain washed over her, bringing the fea to a halt and pulling a surprised gasp past her lips. She blinked, holding still for several moments and the same pain came again, making her wince. Were these contractions? She looked around her surroundings franticly, her instincts telling her to find a den. She had hoped to reach the halfway point and still have a day or two to find a suitable den, find Bane, and settle down, but it seemed that her children had different ideas. Off in the tree line she spied a dip in the ground and she thanked her lucky stars. She padded over to it and poked in her head. The hole in the ground looked plenty big enough for herself and her pups and even another wolf or two to squeeze into. It looked like perhaps another fea some time long ago had given birth here, but she didn't dwell on it. She had to stop once again as another contraction took over her, this one stronger than the last. Her pups were making their way and they weren't wasting any time. She slipped through the den opening, circling anxiously around the dirt floor, trying to decide how she wanted to lay and how to get comfortable. For several minutes she paced the den, trying to ignore the contractions as best as she could, the minutes passing by one by one. Finally a wave of pain finally over took her and she had to stop her movements once again, her violet eyes squeezing shut with a whine. Bane's name flickered through her mind and she realized he wasn't here. Was she far enough south for him to find her? Her ears flicked back and she realized with a jolt that she was afraid. In her whole life she couldn't remember a time when she had been truly afraid, but this was one time that she was. Alena had known leaving Amenti for her birth was a bad idea! Now she was alone, experiencing something she knew nothing about, something had never expected to go through. She poked her head outside the den to give a long howl, hoping by some slip of luck that Bane or some other form of help would hear her. She waddled back into the den, carefully laying down in the back corner of it just before another contraction took her over. ooc: I'm gonna have a pretty loose birthing order, first come first serve kind of deal. I'm fine with a pup or two arriving before Bane gets there, but if you see one or two posts and no Bane, hold off till Ral gets to it, okay? And pleeease post with your pup asap so I know that they are all really born and you still want them and all that good stuffs. Thanks! P.S. There will be tables for all the pups in my art thread shortly ;D Speech Thought Others

Bane had left Seracia two cycles of the moon after meeting Alena, his paws taking him towards an area between Seracia and Amenti where she would give birth. Three years... three long years before his first pups had been born, and died alongside his mate. Alarice...
But Bane had a new mate, Tahlia, and during this morning he gave her a lick in the forehead and told her to follow him in a few hours so he could find Alena due to him knowing her scent more than his mate. Now he was following a massive river up towards Amenti, the male nervous about what awaited him when he met up with the female baring his young.

It took him most of the morning to get to where he was, and as he overlooked the river a sense of calm was cast over the wolf, his head feathers blowing in the river breeze as he looked upstream at sound of the close by howl. A smile crossed his muzzle and Bane bounded off in the direction, the owners howl having become very familiar to him. This had worked out perfectly. The grey lupine meandered up the hillside and hesitantly stopped at the entrance to where the scent of Alena was coming. A rather sizable den she'd found, the earth scattered around the entrance much to hard packed to be recently dug out.

Bane gingerly placed a paw in the opening of the den. The smell Blood permeated the air and he squeezed he sapphire eyes closed. The memory of finding his mate amidst a pool of blood came to mind and he hesitated. It was something he never wanted to go through again. And in a whisper the Seracian spoke. "Alarice, are they... Alena, are they here?"

All Alena could pay attention to was the pain. She had known just from common sense that this whole process was going to hurt, but she had no idea it was going to hurt this badly. She panted quickly, her breath halting and teeth clenching with each new wave of pain. In one of the short lulls she lifted her head to glance down her body, gasping in air. She whined softly, her ears pinning back to her head as the muscles of her side rippled with a contraction pain washing over her yet again. She could feel the first pup making it's way into the world and knew it wouldn't be long before her first child would make its appearance. She had been so caught up in the birthing that she hadn't the foggiest idea that Bane was nearby till she caught his voice. She jumped slightly, whipping her head toward the entrance. She sighed with relief when she realized who it was. At least Bane had found her so she wasn't completely alone now. "Not yet," she replied through gritted teeth, gasping as the strongest contraction yet. She hadn't failed to hear the slip up he had in her name, but she was much too preoccupied at the moment to care. "Won't be long," was the last thing she managed to say before she clenched her jaws again, a low whine echoing in her chest. With a solid push her first pup entered the world. She twisted around to see the strange shape of the sack that enclosed her child. Following her instincts and what little knowledge she held, she lapped away at it, freeing the little pup and running her wide tongue over it till her ears were graced with it's little cries. She was stunned silent, blinking at the sound. It was her child... Her first child. She kept licking at it till the pup was clean, seeing that it was a girl. A girl! She had a daughter. She marveled at the thought, still unsure about the whole situation, but coming to love it more and more. Another contraction broke her out of her thoughts, reminding her that there were more to come. Carefully nudging the little white and black bundle of fur that was her first daughter toward her stomach, Alena gave a gentle lick to the top of her head and whispered, "Jian," giving the pup a name. She took a deep breath and readied herself for the next. Speech Thought Others

All the little pup had known was warmth, security, and the presence of her siblings for the last several months and suddenly that had all changed. All at once she could feel a shift and suddenly she was alone. Just as soon as she realized that she was away from her siblings she felt the comforting, constant licks of her mother. She sucked cool air into her tiny lungs and let it out in a cry, a tiny, pitiful sound. Her stomach was empty and she had been tossed into an unknown world that she didn't know how to react to. She felt herself moving again and her mouth found her mother's teat, her cries silencing as she quickly began to drink her fill of her mother's milk. The warmth and security had returned, now all she was missing was her siblings. Soon her stomach was full and she felt herself slipping away into sleep and she drifted away willingly into little puppy dreams. Speech Thought Others

The sudden warmth was of a different kind as Nako came into world, and he would latter learn that this sensation was called cold. Nako didn't like the cold, but even as his mother lapped away at the blood that covered him a familiar sensation returned with each lick. And it was called warmth. Nako liked this warmth, and as the being he would learn to call mother licked him dry a little tongue tried to lick at her. This warmth she brought unto him not being as good as the other encompassing kind but Nako was satisfied with it. A second presence was close by her now, the one called Bane, the father. The father said a word, and it wouldn't be until later that the pup would learn to respond to it as it was what he would be called from this day on. Nako.

A better warmth was offered to him, one of his mothers fur, and as he was placed next to another one similar to him, the first male squirming and feeling with his cheeks until his maw closed around a teat and thus began to feed. Another pleasing sensation was discovered, one of being full and not hungry as he drank his fill. Though his ears were next to useless and his eyes remained closed, Nako pushed against the one that came before him and adjusted himself to snuggle against mother contently. A young Nako drifted off to sleep with a small yawn, the thoughts about who that one that stood over him fading away into nothing.

Alena visibly flinched and snapped her head to look at him and saying that no pups were out yet. At least he was in time to help before any young appeared, Bane ducking into the main chamber and curling up behind her. A few comforting licks were placed on the back of her neck from his reaching muzzle. A moment later and with a pained whine Alena reached down and began to clean their first pup. Bane shifted on his paws and crawled around her front to look at the white and black female, Jian. He watched the pup nurse while waiting for the second arrive, a curious sniff being given to the blood scented female. Bane spent a moment thinking god just how many pups there were going to be.

A good while passed and a second pup arrived, Bane watching Alena clean blood off the small grey male. Bane brought himself close to inspect it as it was, a whispered "Nako" being given as he watched it get cleaned. The wall of the den was leant against as he gave a slow blink of his sapphire eyes. Nako... a good name. Bane fought back a laugh as he watched the little male feed and squirm against his sister, both of the little wolves falling asleep one after the other once their bellies were full. Band continued to watch Alena as well as the dens entrance, rather content that he'd finally produced pups after the tragic loss of his first four... and his mate.

Alena watched as Bane came over to curl up beside her, giving comforting licks to her neck. She leaned into his touch with a sigh, silently grateful that he was here. Whether she would admit it or not, she had developed a strange sort of liking for the gray brute and still appreciated his support in this process. Part of her wanted him to leave till it was over, not wanting him to see her weakened and in pain like this, but the other, louder voice in her head told her to keep in close just in case something went wrong. He was older than she was so perhaps he knew something of this. She leaned her head on his shoulder briefly as she took in a deep breath, bracing herself against the next contraction. She could feel the next pup coming quickly and she tried her best to be ready, but she was still overwhelmed by the pain that overtook her as the gray pup slid into the open. She sighed heavily and turned to clean the next pup, this one a male. Her eyes flicked up to Bane as he came over to inspect it. He gave the little male the name Nako, and Alena gave a little nod of agreement. That was a lovely name for the gray pup. She lapped at him eagerly till his yelps found her ears as well and she guided the wriggling pup to her stomach as well. She hoped she was doing everything correctly. All she knew was the awful pain that kept coming over her in waves. She rested her head back down against the ground, panting hard and squeezing her eyes shut. Alena had been through countless battles and attacks and injuries, but nothing compared to this. She let her instincts guide her, pushing out her third pup and wondering how many there were and how she would ever survive birthing them all. She gave a whimper and gritted her fangs once again as she welcomed her third pup. Speech Thought Others

Feeling the world shift and change around him was strange, to say the least. Suddenly the comforting walls that had surrounded him, and the presences of his siblings were gone. The walls were pushing him away from them, in a direction that he had never been before. Soon, many of his siblings were gone, and he was alone, clinging desperately to the warmth and comfort that was all he had ever known. However, nature summarily took its course, and he found himself dumped into an unfamiliar place. A chaotic rush of sensations hit him all at once, and he attempted for a moment to puzzle through them before promptly giving up when the scent of milk hit him. It was the most amazing thing he'd ever smelled in his entire life (and to be fair, probably the only thing), and he immediately found himself drawn towards it like it was a magnet, tugging him along. He was powerless to deny the pull of this scent. It didn't take long for his muzzle to latch onto the body of his mother, though he wouldn't identify her as that for some time yet, and in short order, he was drifting off into sleep, peacefully full and already happy in this new world. Speech,

It made a sort of sense really, that he should be born in blood and confusion. The ivory pup was thrust rather suddenly into the cool air of the outside world and he didn?t like it. As a warm gentle tongue rasped across his body he voiced his complaint, a tiny yelp released from within him. Then as he approached the warmth, that was his mother?s belly, instinct would take over. Minuscule jaws closed over his mother?s teat and he began suckling, black tipped tail wagging a little as he felt his hunger diminish. The pup that would be Lel yawned and curled upon himself, pressed closely to his siblings and fell asleep. Speech Others Thought

Walk | Talk | Think She had been trying to go about her business as usual, distracting herself with pointless wanderings and eventually making a quick trip across the pack's ranch-style territory in order to see if there might have been anything worthwhile lurking about the fields. But her thoughts were elsewhere, stuck back to that morning when Bane had instructed her to come looking for him after a time had passed. Tahlia had wanted to ignore the command entirely and travel with him the moment he left, but, assuming he might know more of what this pregnant female he intended to meet would tolerate more than she did, she accepted the direction though somewhat grudgingly. Despite pretending to be actually interested in what was around her, her ears continued to flicker, her golden gaze to wander distantly, feeling as if every second was taking an hour to pass and that time was testing her and actually at a standstill. Barely halfway to the location she had been intending to go, the russet and black she-wolf abandoned her course and turned for the border, unable to wait any longer. Enough time had passed already, she assumed, and, to be honest, if she waited another moment longer she was sure to drive herself into a fit. The whole idea of it still made her rather uncomfortable. Bane had a female on the side pregnant with his children, though he professed up and down to having no claim to her. Tahlia tried to assure herself repeatedly that she had nothing to worry about, that Bane was truly hers only, but her jealousy was a creature all its own, ignorant of reason and proof to the contrary. In her eyes, the faster she reached him the longer he would remain hers. Her paws moved swiftly as she trailed after his scent, following it clear outside of the Seracian territory and into the surrounding region, eventually following alongside the Rio Grande. This was unfamiliar territory to her, but her eyes continued to scan about in search of the familiar black and grey wolf rather than take in any of the lovely scenery. His scent was thankfully still prevalent alongside the river and beyond, leading up along the hillside where she was sure she had found him. From the opening of the large den as she slowed and approached quietly she could hear the faint sounds of the tiny lives nestled within, and ears perked she moved with careful steps to stand at its entryway and peer inside with a tentative air. "Bane?" she whispered into the den at the dark figure who rested against the side of the enclosed space, her golden eyes momentarily skirting beyond him in a swift glance at the mother wolf. Had she arrived too soon? Or, perhaps, too late?

Tocan could feel herself being sucked out of the world that she only knew. The darkness and warmth was going to become cold rather quickly. Yet her relaxing body kicked as she felt herself come to the outside world. She already knew that in her brain the attachment to her mother was being embedded into her. After she was clean and proper the girl with gray and black markings stretched and wiggled past her siblings to get close to her mother. After they had fallen asleep she was feasting. The last was not the weakest though. After Tocan was finished with her first meal in the real world. She snuggled herself, attached to the chest of her mother as close as she could get. Before whining a little she drifted off to sleep. And dreamt of a strange world, that would be ahead of her in the future. Speech Thought Others

The next two pups came quickly, barely giving her a chance to breathe. She had to shut out the outside world, only being able to think about the steady, rhythmic push and pull of her muscles and the pain that pulled her down. Breathe, pain, push. Breathe, pain, push. She struggled to pull herself up off the floor to clean up her third child, licking away the blood and coaxing breath into her son's lungs. "Calix," she said softly in the short break between contractions, guiding the black pup over to rest beside his siblings. The latest addition to her family was solid black, reminding her of her father. She gave each pup a small lick before she gasped at the next wave of contractions, making her ears flatten to her skull and her violet eyes close from pain again. "When is this going to end?" she thought tiredly. She repeated the process all over again. She could tell that with each pup it was getting to be more and more of a struggle. The ivory fea let her body lay out on the cool den floor, panting hard as she struggled to keep air in her burning lungs. Her heart was racing she just wanted the agony to go away. She gathered up her strength and pushed her fourth pup free with a sharp whine. She blinked her eyes open and sighed with relief. Surely four was it, right? Surely she was done. She scrambled up to clean off the little white pup, its coloring almost exactly like her own with the exception of a black tip on its tail. She gave a tired, but satisfied, smile as the pup took in its first breath of air. "Lel," was her name for him, her voice soft. She finished cleaning her newest son and nudging him toward her stomach just in time to feel yet another contraction. This newest wave of pain took her by surprise and she gasped, looking down at her side in exhausted bewilderment. "Another?!" she thought, whimpering weakly. She leaned back against the wall of the den, her shoulders and the back of her neck using the wall as support, but careful still to not disturb her already feeding children. She was afraid to lay down flat along the floor again, fearful that she wouldn't be able to get up again to clean off the last pup. She thought vaguely that she heard a voice calling Bane's name, but she paid it no mind. Alena was completely lost in the sea of pain and exhaustion and had no energy to give to greeting the intruder. She was sure Bane could handle whoever it was if there was really someone there and she wasn't imagining the voice. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, falling back into the rhythm of the birthing. Soon her fifth and last pup came into the world, making her heave a sigh of relief. She forced herself to stay awake as she pulled herself over to the little gray and black hued pup, the coloring reminding her of Bane's, so she could clean it and bring it over to her stomach as well. One last name to give for her second daughter. "Tocan," she said finally after a moment as she gave the little girl a tender lick and nudged her over to her stomach to eat. It was over. Finally over. She had done it, given birth to five healthy pups. It was something she had never imagined she could have done on her own. She felt completely drained and was barely keeping herself conscious, but her family had made it safely into the world and that was all that she cared about right now. Alena laid down, content that her pups were safe in the circle of her legs. Her tired eyes glanced up to Bane, seeing the intruder she had heard before for the first time. It was a fea, one she had never laid eyes on before. She wondered if it was his mate. Alena gave a slight nod of greeting to the fea before curling around her pups protectively. She had always known that Bane wasn't hers. She had no hold on him, nor had she ever wanted to. There was no reason for the small spark of jealousy that lit in her mind. She pushed it away, ignoring the irrational thought completely. She had her pups. No one could take them away from her, not Bane, not his mate, not even Seracia. They were hers and she was theirs. Three boys and two girls. She sank into deep, dreamless sleep, ignoring their father and "stepmother" completely. Speech Thought Others

Bane nuzzled Alena's shoulder as she leaned on him to rest, the male humming in satisfaction as how she was doing. The Amenti she wolf seemed happy with the name he'd given the second pup, curious eyes watching Alena the entire time as she struggled through birth. A third young one came next and by this time Alena looked absolutely thrashed, Bane's gaze unshifting as he watched her. His name was called, Tahlia having arrived and Bane scooted closer to his real mate away from the birthing one, an exhausted on his face. This was murder simply watching this and not being able to to a damn thing about.

Five pups... incredible. But bastard children... and Bane could never watch them grow...
He watched the Alena look up at Tahlia and he followed her gaze to his real mate. Alena adjusted herself against the dry earth and Bane marveled at how fast she went to sleep. Without another word Bane stalked up out of the den and wrapped his neck around Tahlia's.?"They may be mine Tahlia, but I'm still yours. Don't you ever forget that." Bane stared at his mate with a serious gaze, taking one last look at the female who bore his young. "Let us distance ourselves, she needs to rest undisturbed."

Walk | Talk | Think He spared her only a look as he moved a little closer to her position at the den's entrance, though in it she could see the odd mixture of worry and elation coupled with exhaustion and helplessness. She had always supposed the birthing process to be the most trying on the mother, all things considered, but never before had she been witness to a birth nor the effects that it had on the father. Her darkened gold eyes were drawn to him as much as they were the straining mother and her nursing pups, noting how attentive and careful he was about staying out of the way and yet seeming as if he wished to greet each of the small bundles as they arrived. It was impossible to tell just how many had been birthed, at least from where she stood, but as the white wolf Alena shifted she supposed the process to be over. A nod was given by the mother, and in return Tahlia mimicked the gesture, hoping it was meant at least in a show of tolerance if anything. The last thing she wished to do was upset her so soon after giving birth. But all thoughts, all worries, vanished as Bane at last turned and came toward her, eliciting a quick tail wag and a brightening of the eyes from the she-wolf. Eagerly she stepped into his embrace, eyes closing as she pressed her muzzle against his shoulder before drawing back and meeting his serious, assuring gaze as he promised that he was still hers. Was it possible for him to read her mind? Guiltily she smiled, grateful to hear the words from his own lips again and see within his expression the truth behind the statement. He meant it, and was proving it even now. She could ask for nothing more than that. Another quick glance was given toward the sleeping mother and her newborn children before her mate suggested they let the she-wolf rest, to which Tahlia nodded agreeably. She had seen somewhat the struggle Alena had gone through and thought with certainty that she must have been exhausted. Letting Bane choose which way they would go away from the den, she stayed close, waiting until they were away from the entrance to speak to him again. "I suppose congratulations are in order," she stated, once again feeling the slight sting of jealousy that she had not been the one to give Bane children - at least not yet - though she made herself ask, "How many?"

Small and tired form wandered the land in search of water. The day had been completely hot, and he was tired and thirsty. Exhausted one might say...His day so far had been far from exciting. But then again, nothing was exciting when you were constantly running and hiding. But this morning would certainly take a different turn. He had found a small puddle of water, almost dried from the heat. Fall was upon them soon, he could smell it as well as see it. The land around him was silent, the chatter of birds seemed to have all but disappeared along with any other signs of life. Then, as if by some strange cue, a distraught howl ripped through the silence. His head show up, ears shot forward as he turned to see where it was coming from. The cry sounded like it was in pain, and needed help. Though he was afraid, he felt that being a healer, he should find the owner of the voice and see if assistance was required.



He rushed as quickly as he could to the source of the dying howl. Tripping and stumbling over rocks and branches here and there trying to move as fast as his small body would take him to find where it came from before it died. He was soon upon it, however, when the scent of blood and other wolves hit his nose. His eyes widened in alarm, was someone critically injured? Ambushed? Dying??? The thoughts ran through his head and terrified him, but he pressed on and skidded to a halt when he neared the den. Soon, three different scents hit his nose as he trotted to the entrance, and upon seeing who was there, he noticed that there was a wolf lying on her side with bloodied fur and...pups? He blinked several times as he made his way over, wary of the trio. Swallowing, he took a deep breath and made his voice as calm as he could.



"Pardon me, I uh...heard someone howling and I thought I'd come by to investigate. It's a good thing I did, she needs help." He said to himself as he walked past the two other wolves leaving the den. He ignored them for now, his usual jumpy self disappearing now as he slunk into the den to inspect the new cubs that had been brought into the world. He first went to the mothers side, sniffing along her until he came to her face and touching her nose. "Don't be alarmed, I'm here to help." He told the sleeping fae, unsure whether or not she heard him. He then moved to look at each pup, running his small nose alongside each one to ensure they had no health or breathing problems. Satisfied that they seemed healthy, he then glanced at Alena, worry creasing his brows. He knew she would need some herbs, the bleeding hadn't stopped after all.

He quickly left the den back towards the way he came, not even glancing at the pair that had exited the birthing area. He had scented and stumbled upon some herbs on his way over, and so he would find them again to bring back for the mother wolf. The first thing he came upon was crampbark, so he stripped some of it and broke off a piece of what he needed and proceeded the search for the other herbs. It had only taken him several minutes before he gathered small mouthfuls of everything he needed, quickly returning to his den to begin working. He nudged the mother wolf, coaxing her into consciousness so she could chew and swallow the herbs he had brought. "I brought you a mixture of different herbs. Eat them and they will help your ailments and stop your bleeding, as well as ease your cramps." He sat neatly by her side, nudging to her a mixture of crampbark, white willow leaves, seeds from a motherwort plant he had found, along with mistletoe berries and a few other herbs that he was too busy to remember. He had skillfully made a mixture, each herb would help her in different areas of afterbirth from stopping her bleeding to ensuring that she would remain healthy and intact as well as relaxed. He waited for her to wake, and he would make sure she got the herbs down. In the meantime, he kept an eye on the pups for any signs of trouble...




"Speech"

Darkness surrounded Alena as she drifted in and out of unconsciousness, barely catching snippets of words that came from Bane and his mate. Suddenly something touched her nose and she heard a new voice, making her stir a bit more. She was struggling to wake up, making her panic slightly. She was exhausted from birthing the five children that now slept in the protective curve of her stomach, but she had no idea that she was still in danger from the bleeding. Compared to the contractions she had just gone through everything else seemed like nothing. She had just begun to sink back into the dark unconsciousness when that new voice returned again, urging her to wake. He nudged her, making her blink open her eyes tiredly. In front of her nose she saw a pile of herbs, supposedly for her. She glanced at the black, white, and gray patterned brute. Her mind flicked back in her memories to when Tiresias had helped her with the gash on her shoulder, wondering if all healers were this kind and selfless. She turned her attention back to the medicine that the healer had brought her. In no condition to argue, she licked them up, slowly chewing the bitter herbs that she could not name and swallowed them obediently. Slowly, they took effect, easing the pains she had been ignoring and calming her panic. She sighed and turned her tired gaze up to him. "Thank you," she said softly to the nameless brute. Turning her head, she looked down at the five small pups, all of them various shades and combinations of white, gray, and black. She smiled faintly and asked without looking at the healer, "Do they look alright? I don't know anything about pups really... or birthing them for that matter." Speech Thought Others

Bane knew that this was hard on Tahlia, and during the birth he had to catch himself a few times when he found himself trying to comfort Alena with a nuzzle or lick that his mate might have seen. And yet he resisted beautifully with his real mate so close by. The Seracian mates exchanged nuzzles, Bane taking pause in his showing of affection to motion with his head that they should move away from Alena's den. Tahlia spoke her congratulations and asked how many pups there were, Bane rubbing his neck against her's more firmly in sudden alarm. "I, thanks... they're five pups." There was a scent in the air... the wind blowing it towards the two wolves. A rogue.

Bane stalked over to the side of the den and crouched, a sideways glance down at Alena as the rogue came into view. The rogue wolf smelled of no pack and Bane relaxed when he detected the underlying aroma of medicinal plants in the rogues scent. A healer... responding to the howl Alena gave. The stranger went right down past him into the den and Bane let out a low growl as the rogue sniffed his recently born young. Then the rogue came out again and left as soon as he came. Bane glanced at Tahlia and beckoned her to lay down next to him.

The rogue came back, carrying a multitude of herbs and branches and Bane stood again. The Seracian let out a growl and flashed his fangs in warning as the healer went back in and woke Alena, who them at the herbs. But Bane didn't hear anything, all his ears picked up was the sound of his quickened breathing as his body tensed up in preparation to lunge at the back of the rogues neck should he try anything. Bane had waited four years for this. This rogue better watch it. All the bristling Seracian need was one good reason to break that exposed neck.

Walk | Talk | Think There was a distracted nature to his answer, though Tahlia was momentarily drawn away from it as he spoke. Five! That was certainly a large litter. Just a little - and the emotion was very fleeting - she felt a sense of pity for the single mother inside the den, left to care for such a large family on her own. But no, she reminded herself, Bane intended to be there for the beginning of their lives. And after that they would be taken back to their pack where they would spend the remainder of their days. Perhaps the woman even had her own prospective male to return to when she made it back. As the wind cut towards them, however, the inattention she had noticed in her mate and husband suddenly made sense. Unknowing of a majority of the plans that the dark grey male had worked out prior to her knowledge, she supposed the unrecognizable scent honestly could have been anyone considering the unfamiliarity of it, but Bane's reaction spoke otherwise. He drew away from her, settling into the heavy greenery nearby the den's entrance to watch as the stranger approached, Tahlia merely crouching a little where she stood so that what remained around her would shield her from view. The wolf, or at least what she could see of them, slipped by into the den, inside only a moment before it disappeared again. As her golden eyes shifted from the male and back to her mate, she caught the motion he gave her and she quietly followed his instruction, padding silently over to join him and crouching near his side where he had chosen to keep watch. In what felt like no time at all, the wolf returned, and from her new vantage point, the russet and black she-wolf could see more easily who the stranger was. A mixture of grey and black, heavily coated in the scents of herbs and plants, the male wolf carried what appeared to be a mouthful of herbs back into the den, appearing oblivious to the two watching him. Her brow furrowed gently as he disappeared yet a second time into the den, knowing from another sidelong look at Bane that whoever the male was was treading on thin ice. Or at least from her husband's perspective; no noise of protest was made from within the den. Reaching toward him slowly with her muzzle, Tahlia whispered into his ear in a hushed voice, "Who is that?" She could not see quite so well into the den as Bane could, but from the look of things his presence was unexpected.

ooc//Not sure what happens since Ralon has been banned for a while, so idk if it'll just finish up with mako and Alena. your call.

The boy ignored the feeling that he was being watched, he knew the pair outside; the male more like would be keeping an eye on him. But Mako didn't care, not now, not while this woman was in danger after birth. He moved towards the pups, nosing them gently to move them just a little so he could feel their chests. After some moments of nosing and gently pressing, he returned to the she-wolfs vision to tell her. "They seem to be healthy, and the herbs seem to have worked for you. Just rest now, I'll remain close to keep an eye on them while you rest. And when you're fit enough, I...can help you move them back to your pack. You'll need the help to get there." His words came out a little nervously, the idea of helping a stranger move her pups didn't bother him...it was the fact that he might have to step foot into an unknown pack territory to deliver them safely.



The boy settled himself down, off to the side near the pups and watching the entrance to the den. Though he had no clue how to fight, he wouldn't allow something to come in and harm the pups. Even if it meant costing him his life. He tucked his forelegs under him, sitting much like a cat would. His bony haunches protruding from his sides, his malnutrtion apparent but he didn't care. Right now, all that mattered were the pups.





"Speech"

Tahlia had followed his signals with minimal fuss and hardly any questions, save one, which she closely breathed into his ear from where they lay next to the entrance. The answer to the question his Seracian mate asked had only one logical response Bane had an answer too. His teeth reached over to nibble one of her ears comfortingly as he informed in a hushed tone that only she could hear.?"A rogue, an outsider, a healer, one she may have had close by and one she didn't tell me about. And one who better watch what he does around my young. I've already seen the bloodied bodies of my pups before, and I will not see that sight again. My blood will be spilled before theirs, that I can guarantee. One who's interest should involve treading lightly." Bane had turned his head and growled out the last two words down at the rogue healer, paws finding purchase beneath him as the Seracian stood and blocked the entrance to the den. Just in time to see the healer touch his pups.

A haze of red clouded his mind as words were spat out at the rogue. "Don't. Touch." Bane growled then let out a stressed out sigh. "Your services are appreciated skinny one, but please, visual inspection only. It's been to long since my mate and pups died during birth while I was away. I'll remain outside should you need anything else, my few weeks as a rogue taught me well about herbs." He hated giving that reason, the memories still to clear to him as if they happened yesterday. Sapphire eyes continued to scan the surrounding bushes even as Bane lay down to guard the entrance from more outsiders responding to Alena's howl. One was enough.