The days were growing shorter and the nights even more so. She had well moved out of her brother's den and into her new one, she had dug it to accommodate growing children and herself. She even had refused her nephew's help except to have him near to give her company when she dug. She was likely to soft on him, but she felt that's what he lacked, the softness of a mother figure. Rhyme always drove him hard and shaye seemed to do the same. It didnt hurt to let the boy have some time to just sit and for once be a kid with the attention of her on him.

She was laying inside as night rolled on. Her stomach was clenching and she knew enough to know it was labor, but yet she refused to call upon her brother. He would just freak out anyway and she didnt want to trouble him any more than she already had. She just layed there whining as another contraction hit her. Rhyme would likely be by in a few hours anyway, and it would be done. Best not to disturb his sleep, he got so little of it now a days anyway. She fidgeted as she tried to remain comfortable in her bed of furs. For Rhyme to get to her in the den he'd have to squeeze down the main entrance or find her bolt hole, which was dug to start as a small hole but widen to easily allow someone larger than Rhyme to get out it. She'd made sure this den was not easy to invade.

As the night rolled on her contractions grew fiercer and closer together. Her ears pressed and she squeezed her eyes shut. It was likely only an hour till dawn but she was ready. She pushed as hard as she could and within a minute she had her first child. She scooped up the mess of pup and cleaned him until he was only wet from her. He was like a night sky, with white clouds dancing over him. He was also huge. She was panting from it and pain was there. She'd be in for a long day at this rate.

Rhyme knew that Eulogy would give birth any time in the next few days, so he was being extra diligent at keeping tabs on her. It had taken a bit of convincing, but he had already stocked up what he wanted to be there, since they wouldn’t have Rhythm with them to help. He hated to think about her as he closed the short distance between dens, and he’d push her from his mind as he came to the entrance. Already it smelled of birth, and he could hear the first puppy mewling. Good things he’d left early.

The slate alpha wriggled his way into Eulogy’s den. It was just big enough to work in. He brought along with him, a few gifts for his nieces and nephews on their birthday. Soft sheep and long haired rabbit skins. He lay eyes on the first pup and a similar excitement to his own broods rose in his chest. ”How are you feeling so far, Eu?” He asked softly as he admired the first of the litter. This was certainly not the last of them. ”You have a strong motherly instinct,” he praised as he returned his attention to the stores he left. ”Have you taken anything yet?” He’d been over the dosages and plants he wished for her to take when she started labor. He also had some water for her to quench any thirst she’d worked up.

She could hear as something crawled down into her den and her ears flattened. She'd known that slavers took pups before they had even suckled from their mothers and instinctively she shifted, hiding the child inside her chest fur as best as possible. She knew if that's what it was she couldn't stop them but she held out hope it wasn't.

As Rhyme entered the den her tense body visibly relaxed a bit. Obviously not fully able to as the pain of labor kept her slightly tense. Pain had drove her to think the worst things but could anyone blame her? She was born a slave, with only one purpose, even as a free woman she could never truly forget that. His question had an obvious answer but she answered anyway. "As well as you might think." she returned her attention to her son and nosed him to her test gentle as she could.

Rhyme praised her but she didn't answer as another contraction came and she clenched her teeth. Sure he'd been over the herbs with her, but with her own noseblind affliction it was hard to even think of which herb is which. She shook her head through clenched teeth. She didn't trust herself to even attempt to use the herbs without supervision. As the contraction ebbed away she relaxed a little more. She was already tired but she was only one pup in.

Rhyme’s attention shifted to his tiny sister as another contraction hit her, he observed all he could until she finally relaxed. With one pup already here there should only be a few minutes between each pup. Any longer and things could start to go very wrong. He took a deep breath and removed the first of his little packages from the cubby in the wall. ”Keep breathing.” He said gently, as much for himself as for her. ”If you can keep it down try and take this.” The plants were long dried so he nosed the water closer to her as well.

”It’s a little bit of ginseng, which should give you an energy boost, and some motherwort. Hopefully that will ease things along.” He nuzzled her affectionately as he lifted his head from offering her the herbs. She was much more independent than he expected, but to show his support and offer his affection Rhyme curled up beside her so she could lean on him. ”You’re stronger than you know, they’ll be worth it when it's done.” He encouraged her softly.