When it all comes crashing down

Avacyn always appreciated Irilyth's kindness and attentiveness, even if it was ultimately all for naught. Even as she tried to reassure her and tell her that they didn't know if they were gone yet, Avacyn knew. Maybe it was some sort of twisted maternal sense or something. Still, she waited as Irilyth listened at her belly, hardly breathing to stay as quiet as possible in some vain hope that maybe she was wrong. The minutes ticked by oh so slowly until her caregiver finally lifted her head with a look that told Avacyn all she needed to know. There was a heavy tightness in her throat as Irilyth squeezed her paw and began to reach for supplies from her satchel. She was quiet as the first vial was brought to her lips, her gaze distant and not really focused on one particular thing, but she didn't hesitate or fight Irilyth on taking the medicine she was offered. It was grim and earth shattering, but she knew there was nothing that could be done. She knew Irilyth would give her what she needed and took it without question. Even as the purpose of the first one was explained to her, she could hardly hear what Irilyth was saying. She sounded so far away as the blood rushing through her ears drowned everything else out.

There was a pause as Irilyth reached for something else and eventually her former nanny's mournful, raspberry eyes came into view once more and she felt another glass vial being pressed to her lips. The finality of the bitter liquid rolling over her tongue truly drove the final nail into the coffin. Thinking about what was about to come made a weight settle on her chest and made it hard to breathe, but she did her best to focus on Irilyth's face and listen as she was instructed on how the medicine would help things along. There was an anxiety that gnawed at the steely numbness that she held onto tightly even as an odd, unpleasant warmth filled her stomach. It was like waiting on a time bomb now as they both stood watch and waited for the inevitable. She managed a small shake of her head as Irilyth apologized for not being able to do more. "It's not you're fault," she insisted quietly, her voice hoarse and quivering. No, Irilyth had done everything she could have and more the whole duration of her pregnancy. If anything, perhaps she had prolonged the inevitable. "You gave me so many weeks of hope," she added after a moment, glancing to Irilyth with a weak smile. "Don't be sorry."

When Irilyth questioned whether she wanted her to send for her mate, Avacyn hesitated for just a moment, but eventually relented and replied, "I'll send Loqui." She hardly wanted Saracyn to have to witness this any more than she wanted to experience it, but she knew she would need him. She knew that he would want to be here for the birth of his children, no matter how grim the results of it would be. Lifting her head enough to whistle, her raven needed to only glance at her through the den's entrance before he took off in a flurry of black feathers, flying faster than she had ever seen him fly. He was her first companion and she knew all too well how aloof he tended to be, but even he in this moment knew how pressing this message was. All that was left was for them to wait and she shifted slightly in a vain attempt to get more comfortable on her side. She stared off toward the far wall of the shadowed den, focusing on keeping down the medicine that Irilyth gave her that so badly wanted to turn her already uneasy stomach.

She wasn't sure if the medicine truly worked that quickly or maybe just hit her system harder than usual considering the lack of food in her belly, but it only took a handful of minutes for her to feel the first tight, painful twitches of her muscles as the contractions began. She gasped softly and grimaced at the sudden, gripping pain, the induced labor hitting her hard instead of building up slowly the way she had always pictured. Looking off toward the entrance of the den in anticipation for Sara's arrival while the contractions quickly began to roll through her one after another, she tried to do as Irilyth told her and trust her body to know what to do. She whined quietly and grit her teeth as the pain and pressure built quickly, nearly holding her breath until the worst of the contractions passed for a moment and she was able to quickly catch a few unhindered breaths. It felt almost as if her body had simply been waiting on permission to be free of these pups and now that it had it there was no choice but to go full speed ahead.

"Avacyn Mendacium"