~*~ All had been set in place some time ago. Not trusting to some birthing den away form the pack, Crusade had explored the cave that the wolves all used for their lair. At the back there were some lovely little alcoves. They were off to the side, dotted with a mineral pool here and a bit of moss there. It was lovely. Crusade had been well looked after by her family all these months of her pregnancy, and despite her old age, all seemed to be going perfectly. Except for one thing - where was Keki? Crusade had been more or less confined to cave these last weeks, and though Gargie assured her Keki was still about somewhere, her motherly instincts were on overdrive. Her brother had to forcibly keep her in the den at one point. (But then she'd asked him earlier on to make sure she didn't do anything that would upset the little ones within her) The birthing pangs came quiet early in the morning. Crusade grunted quietly, but that was all. She picked herself up from where she'd been laying with Maka and picked her way around the other sleeping bodies to the back of the cave - down the passageways to her little corner. She laid down in the bed of juniper and caribou fur. She'd been through this before. She refused to let herself get too scared. ... Come morning there were tiny mewling sounds coming from the far reaches of the cave. Crusade stretched out on her side with three plump little darlings suckling at her belly fur. There were just grey balls of fluff at the moment - eye color and pelt designs were something that she would have to wait to see. What she did now was that two were male and one was female. There were lovely... so little... And so alive. Though Crusade was tired as all get out, she refused to let her eyes close. Not yet. Not until there were others around and she was satisfied that her babies were healthy. The rest of the pack would be waking up soon. With the smells of newborns and milk, no doubt Cifer and Gargie and the others would be coming to investigate soon. The new mother wanted to save the naming of the children until their father was present. For now she was content - beyond content - she was bursting with joy just to get to lick her little fluffballs and watch them nurse hungrily. One of them even turned up it's squinty eyed head and yawned - showing toothless little gums. "What angels you will be," Crusade murmured. "Welcome to Glaciem my loves." (ooc: any Glaciems are welcome to peek in!) ~*~

The small she-wolf had rolled over in her sleep expecting the soft fluffy warmth of her mother. To her surprise there was no warmth and fur, there was just the cold ground that her face had rolled onto. A small grunt echoed throughout the cave as the dame pulled herself upright and looked around. Now Crusade was gone along with Keki. Keki, where had her sister been, she had seemed to disappear but she knew her sister couldn't have gone far.

Maka missed her sister ever so dear these days and she knew their mother did as well. A small smile came to her lips as she had witnessed Uncle Gargie keep Crusade in the cave from going out to look for Keki. A small soft noise was hear as it reached Maka's gray ears. Was that a puppy's squeak?

Her tail started to wag as she stumbled over sleeping bodies and tried not to trip over some but alas that was a fail. Turquoise eyes shone bright as she had made it to the part of the cave Crusade was to have her brothers or sisters or both!

Maka peeked her head in as her turquoise gaze settled on her mother encircled around three small puppies.

"Puppies!!!" she cried out in a whisper so she would not wake anyone.

With a swift gentle bond the dame was beside her mother and gazed in awe at the three small fluffy puppies.

"They're so cute!" she exclaimed to Crusade in a soft yet cheerful voice.

"If only Keki was here, she's missing all of this! but congratulations mother!"

Asheni had not seen nor had she spoken with Crusade or Cifer in a very long time, a season, perhaps more? She had yet to speak to Cifer personally at all. It was selfish of her, yes she knew and she was trying, trying so very hard to radiate that air of innocence and jubilee that had surrounded her for so long. She would be fine. She would be fine. She was happy, no, exuberant for her two most precious people. They had formed an unbreakable bond and no matter how much it wounded her, she would never show it, never tell them. She would be fine. She would be fine. The lie had become her mantra or so it seemed. She paced through Glaciem, her pads taking her to Crusade's den. She was Glaciem's lead healer, it was her responsibility to see that Crusade and Cifer's pups were well and healthy. Void of any abnormalities or disease and to be truthful even if it had not been her job, she would have gone to see them regardless. Crusade and Cifer were everything too her. They always had been and they always would be, but they wounded her, albeit neither knew it, but they did. She paused a safe distance away and gathered her wits about her, forcing herself to focus. She pulled her maw into a fierce smile, wiggled her tail incessantly behind her and forced the never-ending abundance of light into her cerulean blue eyes. She set off at a gallop, limber legs eating away the snow beneath her as she raced the last short distance to Crusade's den. She gave an animated bark when she lingered several feet away alerting Crusade to her presence. It had been a long while since she had seen her sister. Her head appeared in the opening of her den, but she did not enter, gaze immediately falling to the little bundles of life that suckled greedily for food. Asheni's heart skipped several beats. "Oh Crusade! They are beautiful! Might I come in?" her voice ever happy, ever joyous, filled with laughter rung through the small space with a gentle softness, not wanting to frighten the new life. Speech,

~*~ The first pattering of paws in the cave tunnel, and Maka's head popped out from around the stone corner. Those brilliant eyes gleamed at the sight. Her voice bounced to Crusade's ears, making the mother smile all the wider. Her tail drummed upon the stone floor, softly though, for her body was tired even if her heart and soul had never been more awake. "Maka!" she cried in happy, hushed tones. "What do you think of your new little siblings?" When Maka spoke of Keki, Crusade was quick to reply. "We'll fetch her soon enough - even if Gargoyle has to round up a search party." she shook her head, but it was impossible for her to let worries prick her too deeply when she was so blessed. "Don't worry, little ones," she murmured, not just to her newborns but to Maka as well, "We'll find your elder sister." It was a testament to how tired Crusade was that she did not scent or hear Asheni until the healer was just at the mouth of the alcove. Crusade couldn't be happier to see her marbled sister, and to think that Asheni would have any other reaction was beyond Crusade's imaginings. "Of course, Asheni!" the mother said emphatically, "Please, come, come! Tell me, how they look to you - are they healthy?" Crusade had always been a strong sort, but she'd lost a child before. A child that had seemed entirely fine and healthy to her own eyes. She had attempted to prepare herself in case all was not perfect, or perhaps one was sickly or stillborn.. but now that they were here, she felt the fierceness of a mother's love ignite within her breast. She would climb to heaven and back to keep each precious one alive. ~*~

The pups were do any day now. Cifer was out of his mind with apprehension and nerves. The fact he'd never been a father before, and the fact he'd never even had a mate before Crusade. He hardly knew how to react and his stomach became twisted full of knots as he drove himself insane with worry. Crusade was an aging wolf. What if their decision to have pups killed both their children and her. He would be devastated. The most he could do was stand by and keep an eye on her though. He knew she hated being cooped up, but he'd been overly cautious, not wanting to risk a thing. He'd been on hunts more frequently as well, to hunt for Crusade, himself, and the pack. It also had been something to keep himself busy. The male trotted back towards the den with a hare dangling from his jaws. A few familiar scents filtered to his nostrils and he immediately recognized Maka, Asheni, and then Crusade. Three new similar scents reached his nostrils and he was puzzled for a moment. They smelled like milk and a mixture of Crusade. It only took him a moment to piece together the links and that was all it took. The male began to run in excitement, the hare almost forgotten. On multiple occasions he almost dropped it in his rush to make it back to the den. By the time he got there the crowd seemed to have stayed the same. He slowly entered the entrance and worked his way back to where the others were and peeked over the shoulders of Asheni and Maka. The rabbit dropped from his mouth as his emerald gaze fell upon three little gray bundles of fluff. It was obvious their markings would later come in and it was a shame he couldn't see their eye color until later. Cifer seemed frozen as he gazed upon them. Their children. They had finally arrived. He couldn't bring any words to his mouth. Any sounds seemed to get stuck in his throat. The only notion of his pleasure was the soft wave of his tail behind him as he gazed upon his new family. A sight he thought he'd never see. Speech,

Thaddeus Rogue ideally walked about, he had heard talk of his elder sister, but had not seen head nor tail of her... But what confused the most out of him was talk of pups... Wasn't the ol' girl... Well to old to have pups? The made Rogue stop his walking for a split second to chuckle to himself. Thaddeus would never tell his loving sister that to her face, for one she would bite it off, and for another he had seen much stranger things on his travels, so he guessed anything was possible. So after his talk with Gargie he made his way to the heart of the territory, which looked the same as all the old one that the pack used to thrive in. There was snow, snow capped peaks.... and more snow... Nothing different. Rogue chuckled louder to himself, ah his family was so predictable, if it was cold they would be there. But as time passed and more wolves seemed to grow weary of his laughter and lingering Thaddeus Rogue ceased his humerus thoughts and moved on, his large paws and lanky legs doing what they do best, trot.

So with the thought of pups in mind, because god forbid one of his brothers actually helping him, Gargoyle left him to his own device with a welcome and a stern 'you must see Crusade', he had trotted off to deal with his kingly duties... Which caused Rogue to enter another fit of giggles. Gold his siblings where amusing. But all silliness aside Thaddeus Rogue moved near the caves that his brothers pack used as dens and started to use his strong nose to track the one wolven he wanted to see, Crusade.

Rogue nose to ground entered the caverns and started to fallow the faint trail that was left days ago by his kin, to only stop short, the smell transformed into something stronger, to his left, birth. The lanky male took off then, his tall legs carrying him fast through the cavern to the location of the birth. He was not the first wolven to arrive. There was a young female crowding the new mother (with that thought Rogue had to stuff and laugh) a matronly female that stood respectfully away but watch the goings on with a knowing eye, and a brute that positively glowed with fatherhood. Thaddeus Rogue knew the male from passing but he did not know him intimately just like the two females, but he knew they where important to his elder sister so he did not became aggressive as was his instinct said to.

Rogue moved into the cavern keeping his tail and head down, he was not a pack wolf, ad there for not allowed to join in the celebration, on most occasions; the one catch was that this was his strong sister, the one that raised him beside there mother, and the sister he looked up to. The male may get aggressive but he knew that Crusade would not let him attack her brother so he moved in closer to his elder sisters strong body but still kept himself low and far enough away from the brute that if he did turn on Thaddeus he had plenty of room to maneuver himself without hurting anyone in the process. "It seems I found you sister." His blue green eyes twinkling with good humor. "But at a bad time, if it was not for our brother maybe I could have came before the birth." Rogue looked at the green eyed male and bowed his head to him. "Congratulations. My elder sister and you are truly blessed in the birth of your young..." And that is when mischief filled his eyes, he looked at the male and then at Crusade. "Even though Crusade is passed her prime..." Well maybe he did have the balls to tell Crusade his first thoughts on the pups, and it was not just her mate that Rogue placed himself well away from, he had also place himself out of her reach and in a way not to hurt anyone where there to be... Affects form his statement.

As the dame walked as she carried one of her three pups Pericles, she looked over to her uncle as they neared. The den was very close and no other wolf had been spotted. Her nose scented her mother, sister, and two other familiar wolves along with one wolf she had not smelt before.

The gray and white dame entered the large den unnoticed but a voice had reached her gray lined ears. It was that wolf she did not know talking about how past her prime Crusade was. Of course when she had entered did she smell more puppy fur and milk; her new siblings must have been born.

?My mother isn?t past her prime nor old; to you she may look old but she?s young at heart and one of the fiercest wolves I?ve ever known!? she said with a small smile as her voice was a bit muffled due to the pup being held the scruff in her mouth.

Keki then walked over to her mother while still holding the pup. You could see the pride in her turquoise and cobalt blue eyes as she made eye contact with crusade. The femmes head then turned around waiting for her uncle gargoyle to follow up with Kairos and Tiberious. Curiosity piqued her mind; how would her mother and Maka react? The dame?s guess was nothing bad because puppies were always welcome; yet she hoped this wouldn?t be too much of a surprise.

As she came up next to Crusade she sat down on her haunches as she then gently set Pericles down at the base of her two front paws, awaiting a reaction.

~*~ (ooc: we?ll keep this a loose posting order thread ? my favorite ;)) Even as she was speaking with Asheni she caught sight of another face. Two beautiful green eyes peered in, almost seeming to have a double take before the head stopped and the eyes froze in disbelief. From her place there in the nest of pine needs Crusade smiled up. Cifer. Her mate. The father of three new little warriors. Crusade started chuckling at the look on his face. At the wonder of it all. These two lovely old folks, parents. Soon the chuckle turned into a laugh, a real silver ring of a laugh, like she used to in days gone by. This was heaven. And it because more so when another face showed up. This time it was Crusade?s turn to stare in disbelief. Her jaw dropped and her remaining eye stretched wide. Was it? No? it couldn?t be! ?Rogue!? she choked out. He started talking ? at first she couldn?t catch the words. She was absorbed totally by the face. By those eyes that had once been so tiny and carefree. Even now they glimmered with his quirk of humor. It was then that she heard his words. Well he?d live today. She wouldn?t kill her brother on the day of their reunion. ?Rogue it IS you!? she cried. And the eyes that had danced with laughter were now rimmed with the extra light of tears. Joyful ones though. For this was as good as any heaven Crusade could imagine. Maybe she was already there. Perhaps the next to walk in would be her mother or her father. Well it was a grey wolf that next strode into the mouth of the alcove, but it wasn?t Drake. It was Keki! And she had a pup! Crusade stared in pleasant surprise as Keki told off Rogue. That made Crusade laugh again. Barely did she stop to introduce them to eachother. ?Rogue! Meet your adopted niece, Keki.? She flicked an ear beside her. ?And this is Maka. Maka, Keki, this is Rogue, one of my brothers?.? She was still at a loss as to how this all was possible. Keki was already coming to sit beside the aged mother, however, and Crusade turned her attention to this new little bundle of joy. ?Hello there.? the timber fae chuckled. She was ready to explode with motherliness at the moment and she was quite ready to share her new flow of milk if the little one needed it. ?Who?s this adorable whelp, Keki? He?s not one of Gargoyle?s litter ? Where?d you find him?? It was then that the pup turned over slightly and Crusade got a look at it?s back. The markings? they were just like Keki?s? Crusade looked up to her adopted daughter with a start. ~*~

~*~ And it was then that Gargoyle strode on in. He had two more pups ? both held by their scruffs in his massive jaws. He was becoming quite the fatherly type of Chief. So many litters to look after! ?Crusade! No freaking out!? he commanded around the mouthful of fur. Rogue might?ve been brave enough to insult and run, but Gargoyle was the only living creature who could give the she wolf an order and expect her to follow it. Only in emergencies of course. He trotted through the growing crowd to his sister and laid the babes down at her side. The nest of pine and fern was far more warm than the bare cave floor, and a little milk after the journey would do them good. Gargoyle doubted either of the mothers would mind for the moment. Besides, he needed his mother free to talk. Crusade had turned her full attention on him, silently demanding an explanation. Before she could loose pacience, he spoke: ?I?ll explain everything later, Crusade. For now, let it be enough that you have been made a mother and a grandmother on this day.-? His address changed from being towards one wolf to being towards all that had gathered: ?-Keki has had her first litter this season ? giving us three sets of cubs to nurture and protect. And back to Crusade ?Isn?t that wonderful?? He was pushing her towards the correct reaction, and for what it was worth, it seemed to be working just fine. Crusade was smiling again ? all the more bemused and surprised, but smiling. And Gargoyle smiled too ? just a touch of it at the corner of his mouth. Then, remembering his own duties, he turned back over his shoulder and called into the main chamber of the cave: ?Ocena dear! Come see meet the new relations!? He caught Rogue?s gaze with the corner of his eye. ?You make one move towards my wife and I?ll rip off your tail to replace my own.? Garogyle showed his affection in lots of different ways. ~*~ ~Don't want to let you down, but I am H.e.l.l.b.o.u.n.d.~

The litter of three had been moved into the main cave as soon as possible. Gargoyle hadn't wanted Ocena to be alone with her pups, and if she were totally honest, Ocena agreed completely with him. She didn't want to risk the three precious darlings who were completely dependent upon herself and Gargoyle. The trio were large for their young age, but that, she imagined, came straight from their father, who was easily almost double Ocena's size. Still, they were perfect, in her eyes (well, eye), and for the moment, she was curled protectively around the three, her tail wagging gently against the earth as she listened distantly to the going ons of the main cave. It was only when Gargoyle summoned her, however, that she disintangled herself from the children, glancing thoughtfully at the three. They were sleeping fitfully, and as she disentangled herself from them, they hardly stirred. They could bare to be left alone for a few moments, she figured, though she wasn't going to be leaving them alone for long. "Coming, Gargoyle!" The female called out, pausing to shake her head in amusement. "Now, now, I'm sure that everyone here is attached to their tails." There was a hint of a laughter to her voice as she appeared on the scene, padding daintily up to Gargoyle. She settled down at the massive male's side, tail wagging contentedly, "Your children are asleep," The female spoke softly, "I didn't want to wake them up just yet." It would hopefully be enough of an explanation as to why she was alone in that moment. The three would surely be fine, she assured herself. Nothing would happen to them here. Not in the heart of Glaciem territory. It was only then that she turned her attention to the rest of Glaciem. The female examined Crusade, her tail wagging joyously at the sight of three healthy, adorable pups that snuggled against the older female's side. "They're beautiful, Crusade..." Ocena smiled joyously, glad to see her children's future companions. As her attention began to wander, however, Ocena found her gaze settling upon three other pups. "And who are these little ones...? Keki...?" Her gaze flicked towards the adoptive daughter of Crusade, measuring the marks of the female against the marks of the other three. They looked very similar. Had Keki been pregnant this whole time? Joy filled the female's heart at the other two healthy litters. Her children would not grow up alone. Not that they would have before. But now they would have playmates their own age. A happy path spun itself out for the children of Glaciem in Ocena's mind as she leaned against Gargoyle's side, basking in the warmth and scent of her mate. Speech

Maka was ever so delighted to see all of the new babies. She gently bounced up and down with excitement of all of these wolves and family members! Hooray! Hooray! family!!! Turquoise eyes then averted to the entrance of the cave as the scent of her sister reached her nose. Her tail wagged a mile a minute as she saw her sister walk in.

Then curiosity piqued her mind as Keki walked in holding a puppy. Whose puppy was it? Had she found it somewhere? Then only when she set it down did Maka and her mother see it's markings. It's triangles were like Kekis!...well sort of except connected.

Next Uncle Gargie walked in with two other puppies! The other two were white and black but the one Keki had was gray. Funny...the gray one was a bit like Maka and the white one looked more like Keki. But the black one stumped her mind...who did he take after? A beaming smile was portrayed on Maka's face! Her sister had puppies! All this time Keki was having puppies?!?!?

Then only did the questions in her mind cease as Gargoyle silenced everything and told everyone that they were Keki's. The only question that still lurked in the dame's mind was who was the father?

A small smile appeared on the new mother's maw as she looked up at her own mother. Before she could answer Uncle Gargie had announced that she had had her first litter. Then did she see her sister's curious turquoise gaze as well. The dame figured she would at least announce their names. It would answer Crusade andOcena's question and along with her sister's question even though she never asked but Keki knew. "Their names are Kairos, Tiberious, and Pericles. The black based one is Kairos, the white based one is Tiberious, and the gray based one is Pericles." Keki then set Pericles with his brothers beside Crusade, their grandmother, and felt at ease now. But what would the others think; would they wonder who the father of the pups were? Of course they would but her uncle had silenced that for now. The dame remained quiet after that and motioned for her sister to come sit by her. Perhaps this wasn't bad at all....it was just a surprise for all of them and even herself.

Thaddeus's smile broadened when a stripped female came trotting in and 'put him in his place'. He chuckled as he eyed the pup in her mouth, "What is in the water? You all are giving birth. First his majesty's then my elder sister now this youngling?" He shock his head and then looked at his sister with affection. She had this shocked look on her face, like she was not believing in what she was seeing. He understood that, Rogue had been more of a shadow of a thought in most people minds, those of his family and for those he meet in his travels; he was there one second and gone the next, a true rogue. "Yes, elder sister, it is I." He moved close to her then and nuzzled her under the chin, and then looked at all the young around her and sniffed them, mesmerizing their scents. It was then that his sister got it in her mind to FINALLY introduced him to the flurry of a female that defended her and the quite one standing on the other side of her. Kiki and Maka, his adopted nieces, eh? "Oh good, so all the little scamps that is going to be running about are family." He smiled mischievously at the young mother. "And that means anything goes."

Then his brother decided to trot his tail-less butt in with commands abound. He smiled sweetly at his brother as talk turned from the mothers in the room to his lovely mate. And at the threat that rendered his tail gone. He chuckled at his bother, "Your threats do not scare me, you big monster. Come over here and greet your loving brother properly." Thaddeus Rogue moved to his brother and nuzzled him under his chin, showing his brother affection and also respect.

But he steeped away when Gargoyle's mate walked in. He shot his brother his mischievous grin as he moved toward Ocena. "Now my dear, I do not think we met, I am Thaddeus Rogue, or to my siblings just Rogue, you may call me what ever pleases you. Now what I do not understand is, why my fat brother? When there are much more handsome choices?" He grinned sweetly at her, as he put her between Gargie and himself, what could he say; Rogue liked his tail where it was, and he could not resist busting his brothers chops, and besides Gargoyle practically invited him to hit on his mate. What else was he suppose to do when threaten not to do something other then do it?