shelter to my soul { birthing thread
Several weeks had past, and her stomach had enlarged to the point where she couldn't get to sleep at night. She refused to eat, she was constantly vomiting and growing sick, and the little demons inside her were squirming around a ton. They'd even force little waves of pain upon her, sometimes. It had caused her to grow even more nervous and anxious of everything going on. She wanted to have Bass close to her even more, and her moodswings were becoming even worse day by day. No, minute by minute. Of course, she was guilty for being so rude and aggressive. But she couldn't help it! Her whole self, at this point, was like a time bomb, ready to explode at any second! But today, she had found strange peace that had been very scarce ever since the signs of pregnancy hit her. Bass, apparently, was out doing something with himself. Maybe, talking to someone? Meeting up with a friend? She hoped he wasn't too far away, either way. But, like every day, she was in their den. Lying down, watching the cloudy sky from below, waiting for her husband to return home with some food. But, she'd throw it up anyway, right? There was really no point. The snow that was falling from the sky was completely silent, and it was gentle. Everything around the den was completely silent. No birds singing, no sound of bugs, not even the sound of the wind. Just her quiet breathing, and the snow that fell outside. It was really peaceful. She finally felt like maybe today she'd finally be able to relax completely. Maybe even take a nap! But, these thoughts soon faded, as a horrific pain rattled through her body. Wren gasped and leaned upward, eyes widening. At first, she thought it was just another one of those "occasional pangs of pain" that she felt. But it happened again, forcing even more pain upon her. The dame parted her jaws and released a loud whine, breathes becoming heavy and rapid. It was happening, it was happening. She was giving birth, and at the same time, she was panicking. For the first few moments of sitting there, overwhelmed by horrific pain, she didn't know what to do. She felt completely helpless. But the thought of her husband quickly flickered into mind, and she almost immediately yelled out, "B-Bass!" It took her a while to collect at least a portion her thoughts after beginning to panic. Once she did, though, she began to push weakly, eyes rolling shut and brows furrowing. Even with her effort, Wren was really too panicked and shocked to truly push with all her strength. So for the most part, until she completely relaxed herself, it was no use. At least it wasn't for now. The woman tried to call out Bass' name again, while continuing to weakly try and push, pained whines leaving her throat desperately. What was she supposed to do alone at this point? "Burn Baby Burn" |
He was at the border, answering someone's call when her voice called out for him. He had felt the calmness himself, something to odd to him. It had been utter chaos in the past months, with so many woman growing little ones within them. He dismissed himself from the conversation, his own breath hitching in his throat. It was time, wasn't it? As he raced towards the den she tipped back her head and let out a howl for Rhy ring loose. There was no doubt about it, the panic in his wife's voice. Were they ready for this? Was the world truly ready for all these little ones running around? He broke through the den, seeing Wren laying there panting, obviously panicking. She wouldn't be able to focus if she was like this, so he gently tugged on her ear. "Shh, my darling, shh. I'm here. Rhythm is coming soon my love. Just breath, its all okay." He said calmly, forcing himself to remain sturdy for her. Bass stepped over her heaving form, sides quivering as her body was getting ready to do what it did best. He scooted in behind her, close enough to brush against her but at the same time giving her space. Her body was already starting to grow hot, and Bass started to hum softly. Anything to take her mind off of it, to ease these pains that she was going through. "Baby mine, don't you cry." He sang softly, nuzzling in behind her ear. "Get ready my love, push when you feel the need to with all your might. These little ones need you, aren't you excited to see their little faces?" He asked, whispering in her ear. He sure was, he couldn't wait to meet the little trouble makers. "Burn Baby Burn" |
All she'd really brought was a bit of lavender, not having been able to save any other birthing herbs before the winter had set in. "Take a few whiffs," She'd whisper as she placed the dried plant in front of WRen's nose. SUrely that would help as well. Bright eyes would turn to Bass, a smile on her face. "You're doing perfect so far, keep it up." She knew this birth would be smoother than Motif's. She would pray that she could save the pups this time, the tragedy in Motif's birthing had been too much.
Bass had arrived momentarily, bursting through the den entrance and hurrying over to her. "I'm here. Rhythm is coming soon my love. Just breath, it's all okay." He tugged gently at her ear as he said this, his soft reassuring whispers filling her ears. From what she could see, he looked so calm and relaxed. But her vision was so hazy and blurry with pain- could she really trust it? The dame shook her head and continued to whimper, finding comfort as her husband stepped over her and laid down behind her. Other than trying to comfort her, she didn't know what he was doing. But she was too occupied with giving birth to find out. Wren leaned herself back into the man just slightly and allowed her breathes to become slower and calmer. And instead of thinking about the pain, she listened to the gentle voice of her husband as he sang a line from their lullaby. For a little bit, she managed to smile, but a massive wave of pain managed to shatter that peace yet again. "Push when you feel the need to with all your might," His words repeated in her head as her body shuttered and responded to this horrible pain. It really was a difficult choice to make. But now, considering she was a little more relaxed, she figured it was a good opportunity to push as powerfully as she could. Rhythm had seemed to arrive just as she was beginning to do so. The chocolate woman had joined Bass as he hummed the lullaby, and she had also placed a strip of lavender in front of her. But before she had actually managed to really 'take a whiff' of the herb, she pushed violently, and to her relief had actually released two of the pups into the world. But there were three left to go...and she was already so exhausted. She felt like passing out right there. Instead, she panted uneasily and inhaled the relaxing aroma that the lavender offered, her eyes softening by just a bit. She was counting on Rhythm to take care of the newly born pups for the time being, considering she was too busy herself to even look back at them. Wren opened her eyes for a moment, but everything was practically just a hazy blur, so she shut them again and continued to push aggressively. This extreme effort had really been worth it. Within several minutes of continuing to push and breath heavily, the birthing had finally come to an end. But it wasn't as glorious as Wren had imagined it. Once it was all over, she lied there like a dead body, sides heaving up and down quickly and eyes drained of emotion. She was so exhausted, she wasn't even thinking about the pups she had given birth to. She just wanted to sleep. "Eh..." |
It would seem that this was nothing like the birth that Motif went through, and he smiled at Rhy as Wren started to push. He kept humming, nuzzling her a few times to encourage her. It was then that the first two pups came forth, all covered in goo. His nose turned up at the thought of cleaning them, the smell almost making him gag. That was until their tiny forms started to wiggle around, crying to be set free. Swallowing whatever threatened to come up, Bass bent down and picked one up, leaving the other from his chocolate sister to tend to. Poking it softly with his nose, he watched in wonderment as it reacted to his warmth, moving towards his own belly. Golden eyes grew wide as she shook his head, leaning down and bonking it softly with his nose. "Oh no little one, you won't get much from there." He whispered, licking the damp creature. It was just so... small. He. As he cleaned it its gender became clear, and he beamed up at Rhy. A son. He had pups. Letting out a short barked laugh, his eyes welled with tears as he gazed down at the tiny thing, screams that seemed way too loud coming from it. Pale ears pulled back as he picked it up gently, placing him by Wren's belly. Reacting to the heat of his mother, he easily crawled forward to nuzzle at her belly. His gaze was full of awe as he watched the tiny thing, soon joined by his brother that Rhythm had cleaned. Two tiny little boys. It all seemed like a dream...
It didn't last long though, his wife wailing as three more pups were expelled from her womb. Now his eyes were really wide, huge saucers as he recounted. Five. Five? It couldn't be... Wren was so tiny... How in the world did FIVE of them fit in her? They had five children. The number kept repeating in his head, until he realized that they were crying at their mother's tail, aimlessly wandering around. He picked up a little female, cleaning that one quicker as he looked at her pale form. Just like her mother, with tan elbow points and a dark gray under her tail. Tan markings ran from under her eyes towards her nose, a combination o both his and Wren's eye markings. And so tiny. Bass' thoughts kept repeating in his mind, dancing in circles as he placed her down with her other two brothers. There were still two children left to be cleaned, and he nosed the other female towards his sister as he began to clean the last male. He was dark brown like Motif, white lines running under his eyes and a tan tipped tail, and the inside of his tiny little ears. Cleaning the boy off he placed them with the rest, gazing down at the five little ones. Three boys and two girls. "I miei figli, i miei bambini piccoli." He whispered in Italian, a large grin taking over his maw.
Turning to Wren, he looked over just in time to see her flop to the ground, a very short word muttered from her lips. Chuckling, he bent down and ran his tongue over her ear, the scent of their children strong on his breath. "L'hai fatto il mio fiore, cinque splendidi cuccioli. Rhythm ora, il mio amore. Ritmo e posso prendere da qui." He gazed over to his sister, realizing that she most likely didn't understand his words. "Should we let her sleep now?" He asked, uncertainly of what to do now that the whelps had all been set free. He looked at them now, all nestled against their mother's belly. Names, they needed names. Bass looked up at Rhy, their litter had been all set around musical themes. His gaze flickered from one woman to the other, an idea forming in his mind. "We should name them all after song birds, a combination of our litter theme and Wren's name. How does that sound, il mio amore ?"
The little one would not stay in warmth for long, a harsh shove against her had expelled her into the cold winter air. She let out a cry, the cold ground seeping into her damp body. Slowly she was lifted up, something running across her to clean her fur. She whined and cried, hunger the only thing that drove her at the moment. She knew nothing of this world that she as brought in to, only that she needed something to eat. The pulsing heat of her mothers body called to her, and she was brought airborne once more until placed near her mothers breast. Crying, her tiny mouth moved open and closed as she blindly sought for some form of nutrition. There was nothing else bouncing around in her tiny head, but warmth and food. Food and warmth. Finally finding what she was after, the tiny girl latched on for dear life. The soft drone of voices rang though her body, the noises they were making her little form vibrate. She was safe, warm, and had food. What more could she ask for, if she had the ability to think? Perhaps more food...
"Speech"
'thoughts'
She wouldn't catch the words he whispered to his wife, but she would not try either. She would offer them the privacy she deserved and she would hide away the jealousy she felt rise. Even through everything Wren had just been through Rhythm would feel a longing. It was odd and misplaced but all the same she craved what Wren had in her brother. The pure look of love that he offered the exhausted woman was almost enough to make Rhythm cry. However, she had much more important thoughts to focus on.
"Yes, she'll need to get as much sleep as she can. Thankfully the little guys wont move too much the first couple of days." She'd smile proudly at her brother, five babies and every one of them was perfectly healthy. She was astounded still at the difference in outcomes, and she knew it was visible on her face. The sadness that had come from their own sister... Rhythm's ears would fall to her head the amount of emotions she was experiencing was almost enough to rush her from the den. SHe'd look away for a moment, collecting herself before turning back to Bass and his question. "I think that's beautiful, Bass." A genuine smile on her features. These would be the babies she would help raise, and she was truly excited for that.
"Ack..."
The dame managed to breath out yet another distressed noise, her brows furrowing as she shut her eyes. At this point, everything that had just happened was already a hazy blur of pain and frustration. It had hurt so bad, but it was a different kind of pain. It wasn't like the pain of a broken paw or a torn ear. It was different from all of that. And this strange pain, combined with the amount of effort she put into giving birth to the pups, equaled to major exhaustion. It was just as she felt in the middle of it all; she wanted to pass out, there and then, but the woman wanted to stay awake long enough to get a glimpse of Bass and Rhythm's expressions. She wanted to know if everything was alright, if she would be okay. Just by studying their faces.
Ultimately, she was allowing herself to ignore the fact that she had just given birth to five pups. She was too exhausted to even focus on them. Which was pretty strange, too, as most would have expected a woman like her to be so excited. It only occurred to her when their gentle wails spilled into her ears, with Bass' soft voice following. "L'hai fatto il mio fiore, cinque splendidi cuccioli. Rhythm ora, il mio amore. Ritmo e posso prendere da qui." She silently translated the words into her mind, eyes widening in shock. The birth had seemed to take forever, with all that pain and exhaustion. But she really didn't expect to hear that she had given birth to five pups. Not three or four, but five. Wren pulled her head into her chest and breathed out hoarsely, body shifting so that she wasn't lying flat on her side anymore. Although, she had made sure not to move too much, as all five of the pups were attached to her stomach. Her head twisted around and she had managed to take a good look at every one of them. Soon enough, tears began to swell in her eyes. "Mie coccole..." She hummed, her emotions overwhelming her as she leaned in to gaze upon their tiny little forms. They were all so beautiful. Several of them looked a lot like their parents, while the others looked a bit different. Such as one of the boys, who looked a bit like Motif or Rhythm.
Wren laughed to herself softly and lowered her head again, listening as Bass threw out a rather brilliant idea for their names. She nodded happily. "...That'd be wonderful, Bass." The exhausted dame forced her eyes shut, breathing relaxing itself as her body grew closer and closer to the point of sleep. But before she completely drifted off, she whispered to them, "Maybe Finch...could be one for a girl," She hummed, "and then...Shrike, for a boy?" The dame opened her eyes just slightly, shaking her head weakly. She was tired...these names she was coming up with were probably leaving her mouth as, "Fihhhtch" and "Shhhiek." With an exhaustion groan, she shut her eyes again and found herself drifting away partially. She didn't want to worry about naming her children right now...
"Speech"
'thoughts'
"Italian"
Both woman seemed to rather like the idea for names, and he gazed at Wren with so much adoration as she gazed down at their little ones. Their children. "You're a mother now, my dearest Wren." He whispered, his vocals thick with emotion as he looked down at them. His wife suggested some names, Finch and Shrike. His eyes fell on the little girl he was looking at, with the tan elbows, paw, and ear. He nosed her softly, licking her little form. "Finch," He whispered into her deaf ears, looking over at the brother beside her. He had many different colours on him, his tail alone baring three. "Shrike," He said, licking the little boy. Gazing at the other three, his golden gaze resting on a brown and white male. The markings down his back looked like splatters across his form. "Starling," He named him, looking at his sleepy wife, not even realizing that she was passing out. He looked at the last girl, head tilting as he looked at her tri-coloured coat. She had gray point markings above her eyes, the common Destruction ones under her eyes. She really looked like him and Rhy smashed into one little body. "Sparrow." Bass then gazed at the last dark male, eyes cutting up to his sister. He looked much like Rhy and Mo, so it would be up to her to name this last little soul. "What do you think, dearest sister?"
"Speech"
'thoughts'
She would keep quiet, still debating about taking her leave, as four little children would be named expertly by their parents. She wouldn't have been able to have found names any more perfect. A soft smile would light up her features, Bass wanted her to name the last pup? "They're perfect Bass, hmm.. how does Lark sound?" She'd ask as she felt an itch to get out of his hair. He'd allowed her to take part in naming them, but she would not overstay her welcome. Oh how she wished she could run to Motif in that moment, even though this birth had been so different she still found the emotions were difficult to contain. She didn't feel any loss, but longing instead. "I... I should probably get going though, give you some time to admire your new family." Her voice was quiet, barely hiding her feelings as she started backing out the den, "Let me know if you need anything else, Bass." She'd offer as she slipped from the den, unable to even wait for a goodbye as she lost the little control she had over her feelings.
|
...and they were being moved somewhere cold.
The boy would let out shrill cry as the gunk was cleaned off him, his body exposed to the hardness of the world and the cold air. He. Didn't. Like. It. He would start to squirm, reacting towards the warmth as something pressed his body. The warmth was that way, and the blind and deaf pup sought it. Never-mind the fact it was the wrong parent. He was cold! He was hungry! A series of protests left his mouth as he was licked. The air around him became a bit warmer but something about the motion made the little thing displeased. Wriggling the whole while, a strange burst of energy for such a little thing, he did not settle, nor cease his screaming, until he was moved next to his mother.
Warmth radiated from this place, and a scent drew him on. He knew not the name, only the instinct to move forward, find a teat, and drink the life giving nourishment from his mother's body. Small stub of a tail would move as the child settled himself down, suckling noisily and greedily. Nothing else mattered right now other than eating. Soon his tiny stomach was full and the creature would rest his body, teat still in his mouth, as he fell asleep in a process that would take up the main part of his first few days.
"Hear Me Talk,"
'Read My Thoughts.'
Table by:: Evelyn |