{this is the birthing thread, but she will not give birth till her actual due date (tomorrow), just so everyone is clear <3} ?Damn it all,? she huffed as she staggered toward the den. She had had every intention of staying in it until she had these godforsaken children, but alas - her stomach had had other intentions. With a yowl of pain she would hoarsely cry his name ?Isardis!? before collapsing where she stood - a mere two feet from the entrance. The contractions had not yet started, but she could feel her body preparing itself for the horrors to come. The Queen was mere hours away from meeting the children who'd given her so much grief even before their birth. She writhed on the earth, anxiety being the most of her suffering for the time being - well, anxiety and exhaustion. She was fat and disgusted with her very being, but soon enough it would all be worth it. Sendoa lay still, forcing herself to conserve whatever energy she still had - in time she would require it desperately. ?speak,?

She cried for him and her voice would punch through the walls of his chest, grasping desperately at his lungs and squeezing the oxygen from their confines. A bark of desperation was involuntary, however working to provide his queen with the reassurance of his seeking. He loped, balanced, steady, however eager; pacing between the snow-ridden trunks of his domain, weaving so effortlessly with the grace he would always bare. He had been misplaced in recent times, having satisfied all the bloodied cravings of his twisted desires; he had achieved so much, but what now? Was death all he held to look forward to? Though as he came to see her dark frame, resting silently against the crystalline snow, he was reinfected with a born purpose. If he was dead who was to guide his family, his love? He marched forth with the presence of not only a domineering king, but a passionate mate; ushering his coral frame to her side, haste evident within every flexion of his supple thighs. ?Come, my adore; to the den,? he would crouch his elbows, pressing his right shoulder against her left, encouraging her to lean into him as his jaws would clasp her scruff; preparing to aid his queen in lifting her swollen bodice. Not long, and Alacritis? most divine would breathe. Where was Eris?

The little woman had known that the kingdom would be expecting more pups, and knew with Spring on their heels the due-date for said pups had to be close. She wasn't at all surprised to hear the cobalt queen call for Isardis, and the tone of the queen's cry drew her to her feet, her small bundle of herbs clasped in her in her jaws. She moved quickly through the trees, closing the distance from her den to the king and queens home. Her golden eyes searched before her, coming to rest on the cobalt queen and the ivory king who had already came to her side. Pushing herself into a lope, she came skidding to a halt near the pair. She'd pause with a wary glance at the king, and the queen. "Sendoa, Isardis." She would greet each in turn, before moving to the queens other side, and stepping close to her, to help take some of her weight, if she needed the assistance, glancing at the pair, she spoke again. "As soon as you get inside and comfortable, I'll give you something for the pain, my Queen" Her tone was soft, as she mentally fretted, as she often did over each of the women who would give birth. THANK YOU YUMPY MY LADY LUMPY Speech,

{Also a note, I plan on this being a rather difficult delivery with a few complications here and there, so yayyy xD} The Queen's vision would blur as pain surged through her body, and yet somehow she knew the worst was yet to come. It felt as if the children were clawing, desperately seeking their own way out instead of the way nature had provided for them. She would wretch, dry heaving for there was nothing of substance to expel from her bodice. Her King arrived, the beloved Isardis - kind as ever. She would relish in his touch, and willingly accept his assistance. Eris came then, taking up her other side. With haste she would fight to stand, leaning on them both as needed - for she knew if she lay any longer her children would be born here in the open. Strength was rapidly leaving her frame as the three of them made it into the den. She would collapse wherever she landed, not giving a care anymore about herself. All she wanted to do was live through this, live to see their children breathe life into their lungs. She felt her body convulsing all the sudden, and a look of pure panic would reach across every fiber of her being. ?Argh,? she would groan as the muscles of her sides and abdomen contracted and tensed. Moments passed, and then it was through - and she could breathe for a moment. ?Eris, please.. get me something..? She didn't even know if the healer was still there. Her stomach would churn as the children revolted, ignoring the urging of the contractions. They didn't want to move, almost as if one - or more of them - were tangled, rooted where they lay. She would groan as another contraction shook her. She lay on her side, panting heavily as her limbs stiffened of their own accord. Ears twisted tightly against her skull as emerald eyes danced around anxiously - fearfully. Then there was a third, a fourth, and millions more - or so it felt. Where was Eris? She yowled without abandon, experiencing for the first time in her life the pain of being a mother. A great pressure had built up near her hindquarters, but the progression seemed to have stopped. The contractions struggled in vain to wrench the children from her womb - it seemed they intended to stay. ?Something is wrong,? she growled through gritted teeth. As her body convulsed, instinctively she would push with all her might, over and over and over again - to no avail. ?Isardis! Something is wrong!? She couldn't tell if he still remained in the den, her senses were dulled enough by the pain that she saw nothing, heard nothing. Something was definitely wrong. ?speak,?

So Kuvio, the firstborn is breached at the moment - hence why she's pushing with no results. I don't expect Eris to be able to fix this, but I enjoy torturing Sendoa soooo xD

Never before had he seen his queen so fragile, writhing with the agony of greatness; and oh the pleasures she would bare in being the mother of the most divine, she should have been as proud as the King were himself. He was so eager, aching with every inch of his being to see them, to watch them breathe, and to pray at least a single child was born not only healthy, but vigorous, determined. But first they had to survive the trauma of such an uncouth bringing, and even though? Sendoa had to survive to nurse them. The thought was barely there, as the king was so aloof in regards to the success of women birthing; solely due to the fact none of his broods had had difficulties. Surely Sendoa, one of the strongest, most prestigious woman of his numbers, would not be an exception? She collapsed in the Den, and Isardis took a wary step backwards as she would cry out, ruby gaze eagerly sent for Eris as the albino seemed wide-eyed with fatherly misunderstanding, ?Eris, something is wrong!? it was a demand and no less. That?s what his Curer was there for, to make sure his spawn breathed and his adore remained. ?You will be fine, fine,? he wasn?t aware he had repeated the vocals, edgy with the nerves that rattled his throat, but trying so hard to support his queen, his mate. ooc; sorry guys, I lost this twice! Twice! Grrrr. <3

The moment the queen was safely in the den, Eris moved to give her herbs. From living through the experience twice, the small woman understood that Sendoa would be in a living hell of pain. Digging through the herbs, she carefully plucked from her bundle, a large dose of meadowsweet, an herb she had found in one of the southern meadows, mixed with stems of lavender to calm the queen, she had also mixed in trillium for good measure. She would drop them near the head of the queen, and speak quickly. "Eat these." She would speak quickly, her soft voice not issuing an explanation on what the herbs were. Horror courses through her, when the queen spoke, claiming something was wrong. Moving forward instantly, she stepped around the flank examining the queen, forcing down her fear. She could tell that the pup was breached, but there was nothing a that a healer could do for that, at least that she knew of. She did know that if Sendoa started panicking, it could very well kill them both. At Isardis's words, she resisted an eye roll, knowing the man was simply terrified for both the life of his queen and his children, stepping back, she would speak to Sendoa. "This pup's breached, you're going to have to relax. I know it's hard, but try to force yourself to relax." Of all those in this land, did it have to be his Queen that has complications, she would ask herself with an inward sigh. Racking her head in seconds she tried to think of anyway to right the pup, though she could come up with none. She wasn't a God. She couldn't undo what had happened, but she could, help the queen relax, some. Moving from her flank, she dug more lavender from the bundle, and some stems of periwinkle, which would relax some of the muscles in the queens body. Perhaps that would help move the pup as the Queen pushed. "Eat this too, it's going to help relax some of your muscles, which I hope will help move the pups when you have more contractions." She refused to let her inward panic show, as she spoke soothingly to the woman, praying that what her instinct was telling her was right. She was wary to give her more pain killers, not wanting to dull her pain entirely. Moving back to the flank of the queen, she'd watch carefully for excess bleeding, or other signs that Sendoa's life may further be endangered, and she would pray for a miracle. She could hear Isardis's words to his queen, and she spoke, from where she was at the rump of the Queen, "You're doing great, Sendoa." Soft tones, and soothing words, would leave her. Speech...

It was agony, pure agony. The fear had only served to tighten her muscles which, she could deduce, would only further her problem. Did anyone else have these troubles when birthing children? Isardis would quickly repeat her words to Eris, as if she hadn't heard the queen speaking them the first time. Ah well, there was no time or strength to scoff - she knew he was just as afraid as she. Sendoa took everything that Eris gave her without a second thought, she trusted the woman - she had no other choice. Eris seemed to know what the problem was, and sons he was explaining it to the agonized Queen. The pup was breached. Her heart nearly stopped, but somehow managed to keep going - there was no solution to this other than to keep rallying against the pain and hope the child moved enough to pass through her birth canal. Relax, she had to relax. Eyes shifted to Isardis as she gritted her teeth and tried to relax her hind quarters first. Eris gave her more herbs to eat, those that would hopefully relax her muscles. Sendoa writhed as contraction after contraction shook her, sending her muscles into spasms and her mind reeling. The pressure built up and she was sure she could push no harder. And then the first was born. ?Oh Isardis,? she would breathe, barely a whisper. Her head raised, neck arched to see the child - the firstborn of a perfect lineage. The brave, beautiful, magnificent. Emerald eyes would fall upon a sac, and instinct would chide at her. Her child was suffocating. Immediately she would shift, leaning toward him in efforts to nip away the casing around his glorious frame. When it was gone she would lick him vigorously, once.. twice.. three times until he yipped - his toothless jaws opening and drawing in his very first breath of Glaciem air. She meant to snatch him up toward her bosom when a second wave of pain hit her - sending her head careening toward the floor once more. ?There's another,? she growled through gritted teeth. Breaths came quicker, her heart beat hard in her chest - building up to the moment where the second would slip from her womb and into open air. There was no strength left, only just enough to breathe two single words of pleading. ?Eris, please..? She knew not if there was another, perhaps even more. Though her heart ached to aid the two that she had, her body ached far worse and prevented her from doing so. Helpless to the entire world, the Queen of Glaciem would finally rest. ?speak,?

It was a painful few moments, watching as his queen groaned with the breathlessness of pain, writhing and aching as she used every last inch of her being in an effort to deliver his spawn. He could see the energy fading from her eyes, glassy glaze heavy as emeralds would shudder with apparent agony. He watched as Eris would work, so grateful to have her, and in that moment he was almost convinced he would promote her; to show her worth through rank. But would she run away again? Could he trust her? Ruby gaze would hover atop her golden and charcoal form for a moment longer, before the whining and crying of a babe would send his skull to attention. Relieved, so relieved, as he watched the pale form of the perfect creature squirming at the nose of it?s mother. Here was greatness. But it was not yet over, ?The child is perfect, my adore; you are strong,? it was his way of encouraging her onwards. And she did it! Thank heavens she had birthed what seemed to be the last child, both considerably large. But she was exhausted, her skull pressing against the earth as the child rolled in an abundance of after-birth, he looked at her expectantly, concerned, but as she asked Eris the King understood why. A coral snout was sent ushering towards the struggling babe, entangled in his sac, and he would shove towards it?s small frame in an effort to help. But quite plainly, the instinct was not there. ?Eris, quickly,? it was a demand, but one light at heart, for he knew she would not allow the spawn to die. Slowly he would move to sit by Sendoa?s face, reaching towards her as low whines of appreciation would slide beneath his pipes, salmon tongue tracing the contours of her jowls.

The labor would be intense but the queen would deliver. The little healer, watched over her patient as the woman pushed through contractions. Her golden eyes would leave the queen, pausing on the albino king for a moment, seeking out his ruby gaze. As the woman pushed her the small bundle of life into the world, the healers attention would shift to the pup watching as the Queen would bring herself to it's attention quickly. When the queen spoke of another, her eyes would stray to the pup in its family, a smile on her jaws. When Sendoa pushed the last bundle of life the woman, watched as the queen's head sank to the ground, a plea for Eris to tend to the pup that would be echoed by Isardis. Moving immediately the woman would quickly nip at the sack encasing the child, her salmon tongue brushing it, stirring life into it's lungs, as she cleaned the birthing remains from the pup. The pup was pretty, and the healer rapidly inspected it, her nose and tongue working expertly as she checked the pup over. Picking the male up, she moved it into the curve of the cobalt woman's belly, nosing it close to the other then sitting back. A sigh left her, her eyes pausing on the queen, and the other pup. "Two healthy males. Congratulations, Sendoa and Isardis." Sitting back she would watch for a few moments making sure both pups took to nursing quickly, before she would dismiss herself to fetch more herbs for the queen. Speech...

To watch the woman at work was no less than satisfying, never had any other member of Glaciem managed to threaten out-doing Eris? midwife or healing abilities. His mind was deep in thought as he watched the mottled banshee uncovered the brilliant charcoals of the last born male, proud not only in his two healthy sons, in his queen, but in his Curer. Her skill was matched by none, and perhaps it was time this was recognised? His haunches came to rest comfortably against the dense floor, ?Eris, your abilities have announced the coming of a new rank. As a Tier 3, you?ll now be addressed as a ?Sage?. I hope that gives you the desire to not trip anywhere your strides are needed to be sound,? he held a tone of dare in his voice, warning, not allowing her any objections as he again lowered his skull to groom at Sendoa?s tired features.

This was not like anything she had ever experienced before, not like any war she'd waged, or any fight she'd won (or lost). The pain had been so excruciating she was almost certain it was a miracle she'd made it through - and yet she had. The sheer joy of having children - two healthy sons, as Eris proclaimed them - was drowned out by the complete and utter exhaustion. She had not an ounce, not an iota of strength left. Thankfully Eris obliged her and cleaned the second son before setting him at her side to drink. Isardis seemed overjoyed, so much so that he promoted Eris on the spot. Sendoa could not argue - the healer had done well in a complicated birthing. He would groom her and warmly she would drink in the moment, relishing in his tenderness - his love. ?Isardis.. they need names,? she would utter - wanting very much for his opinion on one she'd been thinking of. ?The first, what do you think of Kuvio?? With whatever she had left, she would raise her head enough to gaze upon them, tilting it and resting it atop her strewn-out foreleg so that she would not have to tire herself holding it up. Emerald gaze would watch them lovingly as they suckled at her bosom. So innocent, so tiny. Motherly affection burned bright and hot in her chest as she watched them - in complete and utter awe. ?speak,?

A sigh of satisfaction left her, when she placed the other child at his mother belly. The labor that been complicated, perhaps one of the most challenging the healer had witnessed, but Sendoa had made it through. Settling back away from the royal pair, she watched the pups as they nestled by the queen's side. Her attention was disrupted by the words that would leave the albino kings jaws. Her ears flicked forward in surprise at what he would say? A new rank? Surprise widened her golden eyes as she stared at him for a moment, before speaking, her soft soprano voice filling the air. "Thank you, Isardis." Pride filled her, for the first time in a while. All the work and pain she had went through to get here, finally felt... worth it. Someone noticed her. Someone noticed her abilities. She was important. When the cobalt queen spoke to Isardis, her crown would tilt towards the pair, eyes lingering on the pups, hanging around a few more moments to see what names the pups would be given, before she would take her leave to fetch more herbs for the king. Quietly, she would sit, at the edge of the cave, watching the queen and her children carefully. Sage, the naming of the new rank filled her with happiness, as she sat in a bubble of contentness. She was someone. Speech...