When the Stars Align [birth]

When Paladin came in with a small rabbit skin wrapped around the herbs for Solveiga, he was only half there. The side he needed to conduct the birthing was all there, and the natural excitement of new life, but the other side, the side that loved his family, was in turmoil. He knew that as these children came into the world, his mother was leaving it. But he wouldn’t let that cloud the current situation.

He settled the rolled-up skin in front of his fellow healer, nosing it open to reveal the proper dosages of plants she’d need for a relatively painless, easy birthing, habitually naming them and their intended uses aloud to her as he went. Sure she probably already knew them, but it was something to draw her mind to, in any case.

Motherwort, of course, to ease her body’s contractions and give her strength, as well as a little Valerian to help settle her fear and anxiety. Rosemary was in there as a simple aromatic to focus her mind. Trillium and Lavender finished off the line-up for the actual birthing herbs, but he had a few set aside for later in case she had any issues producing milk.

“You’re doing very well, Cousin.” His easy brogue was soothing, holding none of the silent grief he felt on that other side of his mind that he was compartmentalizing, as he circled around to settled at her side , toward her hind end, a paw lifting to press gently on her belly. A great part of him that was the lover of learning and sharing knowledge wanted to call Justice and Domari in to both assist and learn, but a glance at Regulus told him that while the Archangel would approve of the decision, Regulus, the new father might not be so keen.

But he did offer the suggestion, nonetheless. Who knew when the next chance for a paws-on experience of birthing might come. But he asked it of both parents. “Myself, you, and maybe Kalliope may be the only healers in the pack who’ll know their way around birthing. Would it be alright with you if Domari and Justice participated to learn? If not, that’s alright. This is your time, after all. Solveiga, I’ll be holding a birthing lesson for the healers later on, in spring.”

Part of the dialogue in the end of his question was mere banter for both of them, something to chat about while the labor progressed. By his judgement, she was only in the end of her first stage and about to go into the second of three – adjusting, active labor, and actual birth, where the first pup would enter the world.

Her body was preparing for the most part, and the contractions he felt under his paw hadn’t begun to really settle into a solid rhythm, but were getting there. It wouldn’t be too long, though. Once those preliminary spasms of the uterus had finished working the pups into line, it would be go time. And she was almost ready to go into stage two.