a few more than expected (BIRTH)

Alfrun had been all but den-bound these last few weeks. The illness had taken a heavy toll on her aged body in addition to the growing needs of the lives within her, and even as the rest of the pack began to recover, even as the crystals dissolved off her body and the ooze cleared up, she had only gotten weaker. Now, as she neared her time, her already-delicate form was skeletal, and the tremendous bulge of her sides would have been absolutely comical in comparison - like someone had jammed toothpicks legs into a watermelon - if it hadn't been so pitiful. It was all she could do to stumble outside to relieve her body's needs and immediately return to her warm fur nest to fall into an exhausted daze. She had been having early labor signs for over a week without progressing into the next step, but when she woke up that evening with a sharp pain, she knew it was time.

"Tanken, darling," she said softly, waking the raven by pressing a kiss to his beak. "Would you be a dear and find Jupiter, please? And... perhaps Alarr, if you can find him," she added after a moment of thought. She'd have preferred her sister attend her as healer, but alas that was not to be. Alarr was more medically experienced, anyway, and with her age and her infirmity it was more likely for something to go wrong than not, so it would be better to have him there if the raven could find him. If not, well, she'd prefer at least have her husband there to welcome his children into the world with her.

The raven cawed harshly and hopped out of the den before taking wing, off to find the blue-coated male. Satisfied, Alfrun endured another sharp pain before moving to arrange her bedding more to her liking. It was likely to be a long night.