You Are Loved
He hadn't been in the deepest of sleeps - a simple close of his eyes, observing the blackness. His heart couldn't relax with its pounding rhythm and his entire form was tense, making him toss and turn with discomfort. Even his companion had grown annoyed. Why? He didn't know, and when he tried to make it stop, it was no use. It wasn't the first time he hadn't been able to sleep, though instead of laying there staring up at the ceiling, he quietly padded out of the den into the chilly outside. The sky wasn't exactly the same inky shade that swathed the world at night; a few tones lighter - a grey. Great, he sighed, feeling his chest deflate. Dawn is almost upon me. Now he would carry out the rest of the day in a moody haze, exhausted in his sleep-deprived state and...all thoughts instantly evaded him as he heard the worry-stricken howl of his elder brother. He knew that call all too well. Galloping back into his den, he hurriedly assembled a bundle of herbs and took them with him to the leader's den along with a grouchy hedgehog.
At the time of his arrival he overheard the questions being inquired by his other brother. "Has Terrae given you any herbs in preparations? Any pain-killers, birth aides?" How was he supposed to know the pups were already due? "I'll do that now," he rumbled hastily to the two males as he poked his head in, pushing his way into the den. There he found the golden-brown female known as Anais taking quickened, fluttery breaths. He had done this before; he could do it again. "Take deep breaths, miss. There's no need to worry," he gently instructed after placing the bundle of herbs on the ground, allowing his companion to nose through the small pile. With a white-flowered stem between its teeth, the hedgehog took the flowers over to the female, placing them by her nose. "That's trillium. It'll help ease the delivery," he explained, watching as the spiked creature skittered back to the pile and nosed a couple seed capsules to the woman. "And inside those are poppy seeds. They'll relieve the pain." There wasn't much else he could give, and he had to be wary when prescribing pain-killers. Too much could be fatal. The rest, however, was all for the female to push through and accomplish. |