Erani

Erani counted, and counted. There. A faint, light pressure in her abdomen, that held for a moment, then released. She knew she was in labor. She was very early into it. She had begun feeling the pressures an hour ago. She had sung long and loud her celebration, calling for her family. Nova, the girls. Preston., Syrinx The pups were on their way. As always, her den would be open, welcoming all members of the pack. She had hours. A day or more. Some wolves labored a short few hours. Others perhaps two days. She hoped for an easy, safe birthing. But she was seven, there could easily be complications. Neither Rayne, nor Preston were experienced enough if problems arose. She busied herself with grooming her belly, spreading the fur away from her heavy, thick nipples and swollen, milk filled belly. She would be clean. The den would be clean. Her pups would be healthy. She stretched out on her side in a warm ray of sunlight, focused upon the movements within her womb as the pups followed natures instinct to get into birthing line. What would the firstborn look like? The second born? She gave a soft sigh as another tiny spasm rippled through her. The day was beautiful outside, the sunlight felt beautiful upon her pelt, warming her side and making her eyes slide shut as she napped slightly. Another peaceful sigh soothed from her muzzle as she rested. She felt grounded, solid, but so light. She would soon enough be curled around her first litter. Or was it second? Her first litter born to herself. A soft smile pulled at her muzzle as another spasm, this time slightly stronger, pulsed softly within her. What would she name them? What genders were they really? So soon. So soon it was that she would know. Her eyes closed in utter, complete contentment. ~~~~~ The Next morning, I imagine Nova will have arrived during the night, And others sooner and possibly stayed around to support her. But that?s just me *wink*~~~~~ She gave a fierce grin as the now powerful, and painful contractions ripped through her. Every spasm since they had begun the day before had been greeted with that smile. The pain was nothing compared to the fierce joy that made her want to sing to the morning sun with every contraction. One such contraction east off, and in the lull before the next wave, she felt a turning sensation within herself, an easing. The firstborn was nigh on paw. The next contraction made her give a soft crying pant, and then the next came directly after, propelling the firstborn from her body. She fell back with a sobbing laugh, resting a moment before she lifted her front to see what her firstborn looked like. In the lull between births, she gently pulled the large, already wriggling white male around to her belly, cleaning and grooming him as she went. Once he was firmly nestled to her side, she leaned back to let her beloved see his firstborn Son. ?A son, Mo gr?. A son. Castiel. What do you think?? She gazed up at her mate with fierce eyes full of love, and joy, and then leaned back as the second born began its own arrival. This one was smaller, and came easier. Within five minutes, a grey female, nearly black in her wetness slithered, wriggling fiercely and uttering a complaint about the change in atmosphere, or the development of it, onto the bed of moss behind her mother. Erani repeated the first gestures, bringing her new daughter around to be cleaned and checked. She nuzzled into the little female, who?s thin, silky fur now began to dry, showing a dark silvery grey color. ?I want you to name her, Nova.? She lay back, gazing at the two pups, firstborn and second. Soon, the contractions bore down upon her, and she greeted them all with a grin. Another female, this one black, wriggling as they had all done thus far. She brought her around, grooming and nuzzling, and leaned back. ?I will let Chrysanthe name her.? The words were spoken to herself, as she looked around for the young female. Her eyes went back to the three pups at her side, then she leaned back and rode the next wave of contractions as they propelled the fourth born out of her body. A male, smaller than his brother, but equal in size to the two females. He was given the same treatment as she admired his inky fur, so reminiscent of his father. ?Gabriel.? And at last, at long last, the fifth born worked it?s way free. She rose from her stretched out position and turned to gaze at the lastborn. Her head tilted curiously. What an unusual pattern? The little female was white as a base, but then the normalcy ended. The little female was adorned with black swirls, on starting at her left eye, another curving over her chest, and another on her left side. Where had this come from? Erani nuzzled into the little body, grooming and licking, before moving her to nestle in among her brothers and sisters. At last, with a sigh, Erani sank back against the moss, eyes tired, but overwhelmed with happiness. A successful, smooth birth, and five healthy pups. Her eyes rose to gaze at Nova and she gazed into the golden eyes that had caught her heart from the first. ?We?ve done it.?

Asheni thundered across the land, pads barely scraping the earth before they were lifted and she was forced to move faster. She had explained what she had set off to do, briefly to Gargoyle. Erani, a dear friend, a loving companion swelled greatly with life and with pups, she feared complications due to her older age and Asheni had the experience to treat such conditions should they arise, her mind would feel more greatly at ease, if Asheni was there. Asheni had promised her old friend she would be there. Since it was Valhalla's territory, a great ally to Glaciem, Gargoyle had been content with letting her go... she had run with Insomnia, at least near to the border and the speed demon had told her she would wait for her outside of Valhalla's territory, to escort her back to Glaciem. Asheni had actually remembered a guard, Gargoyle would be proud. The last few feet sent excitement bursting through her veins, quite the opposite of the first time she had approached the Valhallen border. It seemed she was checking most everyone's pups. Crusades, and now Erani. It seemed everyone important in her life was settling down, starting a family, it was a wondrous thing to behold! Asheni hit the border at a dead sprint, she wasn't sure if Erani had told anyone that she was coming, but she didn't have time to waste on pleasantries. A mouthful of herbs were clenched between her teeth and if complications arose, Asheni would need every second to see to Ernai's life and the pups. She didn't have time to swap insults at the border. The two toned medic of Glaciem zipped between the trees, tracing the heady scent of Erani's to the den that the woman had described. She took a moment, starring in awe at the raw beauty of it but quickly snapped out of it. Erani's belly was swollen wide with youth and her mate, or at least who she assumed was her mate, was coiled behind her protectively. Pain, love, excitement, joy, and so many other emotions danced in Erani's eyes and Asheni was quick to move. She darted forward dropping the herbs in the corner and quickly identifying herself. "Erani, and you must be Nova! My name is Asheni, I'm Glaciem's lead medic, I'm here to help." She prefaced quickly, not wanting the protective male to think her an enemy. Quickly she brushed her snout against Erani's shoulder, a warm hello before she took her attention to the woman's belly, feeling the contractions, they were healthy, rhythmic. "You are hardly dilated at all, it will still be quite some time." Asheni murmured soothingly. She retreated to the variety of herbs and bringing one back to Erani, she set it near her snout. "This is Crampbark, it will help with the pain, without hindering your contractions." Asheni murmured, the two toned dame retreated, giving the couple some space, but staying dreadfully close, ready to spring should anything begin to go wrong. It was a hard, rough night, the contractions steadily growing closer and closer. Asheni grew more and more excited for her dear friend, her tail batting back and forth anxiously. She could not wait to see the life Erani would bring into the world! Finally, finally the first pup began making itself known, Erani strained and cried out her pain, but finally the wriggling white pup was born. One after another after another, Asheni watched them carefully, scanning them for abnormalities or signs of disease, while she allowed the two parents to enjoy their moment of glory. There was nothing wrong with the liter, happy, healthy, wriggling puppies. That cried and whined until they found a free nipple. Once they were nursing Asheni beamed. "Oh Erani! They are beautiful! Look at how stunning they are!" The two toned dames plume was a blur of color, so fast did the appendage move! Speech,

Nova

His heart throbbed as he knew it was time, she smelled ripe this morning, ready to burst. His head snapped up from the water he lapped at and he took off, the giant wolf pounding carelessly through the skirts of his home, through vaguely familiar ground blazing up the natural steps and into his den at long last. He curls not against her but close enough his eyes anxious and his heart audibly pounding in his chest, a heavy pant at his maw. A slender, pretty female arrived and she greeted Erani and him warmly, he liked her immediately after she spoke. Her voice was high, but soft and soothing. "I am Nova." Was all he could muster. His excitement might get the better of him and he didn't want to make himself sound anymore strange than he already did. "It's wonderful to meet you, Asheni." He managed a few moments later, having been too intent on his mate's bulging belly to really say anything. He curled tight and forced himself to sleep until the time came, it felt as if it never would... Though he knew that to be indubitably incorrect. He woke with a start as Erani's first loud cry shattered his dreamless dozing. Shortly after he gathered himself and stood at a distance, he heard it. A puppy's cry, his puppy's cry. It was loud and strong, and his heart felt as if were going to burst with pride, he was fighting tears of joy as Erani spoke to him. "Yes Love.. Castiel." He mused, hearing her words, but not taking his eyes away from the squiggling new life at his mate's abdomen. Soon there were more, and the job to name his second child was bestowed upon him. He thought hard, watching the newborn cry, her tiny voice, although small and whining fresh from the womb, was a song to his ears and he smiled. "Surreal, shall be her name." He stated with pleasure rolling through his accented rumble. He watched as another, and another, and another were let from his mate. It made him giddy, every single one that came to breathe the air made him swell inside more than anything had ever done before. He had given Erani love, and new life.She had given him, the monstrous wolf he used to be, another reason to let go of his nightmares. The wriggling crying puppies made him smile so. He at long last curled into his mate's back and licked her in a grooming fashion along her ears and simply rumbled with happiness, words would fail him for the moment. He simply nodded at her as she spoke again. Yes, yes we have.

She had responded to Erani's call by simply following suit and going to her. She was nervous, excited, and anxiousness swelled within her, buzzing around her as she waited with her family. Erani was going to have her children, oh she was so incredibly happy for her. Her mother was going to have puppies - that meant that she would have siblings! It didn't matter in that moment that she would not get to see them grow, only that they come out healthy and Erani be happy. She felt a bit awkward, around Nova, the enourmous beast of a male that Erani had apparently been properly courted by. Meeting his eyes was hard, not because he was intimidating, but because she knew nothing about him and they were... sort of... family?

It was a bit strange.

She waited vigilantely outside of the den that night, her mind buzzing with thoughts and anxiousness and excitement put her a bit on edge. The girl had almost snapped at the poor little Glaciem healer, but she had introduced herself to Nova quickly, and the yearling immediately let herself relax. Inside, she could hear voices occasionally, and Erani's quiet grunts as she effectively gave birth. The smell of blood and hormones made her jolt - because she worried that Erani was quite possibly hurt. Yet there were no words from the healer to signal something going wrong.

The waiting was hard, but she did so - and continued to wait until she heard Asheni's sweet little voice congratulate the couple.

They were parents!

And there was no covered sense of loss, no with held pain, the air was jovial - there were no stillborn or unhealthy pups in this litter. Erani's family was perfect, she deserved it, Chrysanthe couldn't have been happier for the fae. She was leaving Valhalla soon, and this was just the way that she wanted to do it - with beautiful life in her wake. They would be a part of Valhalla's future, they were her siblings, they would be strong because their parents and their pack were strong.

Quietly she peeked her head in, not daring to squeeze in because with Nova in there she wasn't quite sure whether there would be enough room for another wolf. Yet she barked gently, happily, expressing her congratulations. "Congratulations!" She would get the chance to brush against the woman and see the little squirming pups with due time. For now, this was Nova and Erani's moment, and she was hesitant to intrude too much more. "How many are there?" She asked aloud, not caring who answered her. She wondered whether her mother was right about their being five of them.

Preston had no more time to imagine, no more time to pretend, he was a full fledged healer now, and thearrival of new cubs meant a handful of things to the young wolf. Along the way he stopped to gather evening primrose and flax,to transition the birth, as well as motherwort, and Aurum, although he prayed he wouldn't have to use aurum. He stopped again to catch a snake for the birthing mother, she'd need her strength.

By the time he arrived however another healer had come and taken his place. He felt...Offended Erani was letting some snow eating Glaciem wolf take the place of her own son! What's more her star pupil! But....But he was not his brother. He would not let hate consume him. No. This was fine. She probably just wanted someone more experienced. Instead he arrived in the den with a wide grin and placed the snake beside his mother as an offering, then stepped aside to let the healer, who was not him, do her mediocre work. One by one the pups were born, "?I will let Chrysanthe name her.? Erani said. He grinned and playfully whispered "Name her Preston Jr." In his sister's ear, his tail flicking against her back playfully.

Speech!

CODING BY TIFF

Too much movement it decided, to much pressure, what is this feeling, it didn't feel good... Or bad, but strange. Being kicked more than usual, more noises, fast pounding of the walls, thump-thump thump-thump thump-thump! Then loud groans and redness. Blinding redness! And cold.. So cold at first. Then comfort as something begins feeding him, much different than he is used to though it was nice. He did not know he could do these things but the felt right, warm milk and noises like from inside the walls. Voices, but not rumbling or quiet. No longer weak vibrations. Castiel was amongst the world of the living and was feeding happily. Or at least he felt right.

The squirming wriggling puppy, a mucky tan and dirty snout still slightly smeared in blood as he nursed waggled his seemingly hairless tail a few weak batting times and buried himself into his mother's fur, wetting it around the tit with newborn slobbery suckling. He was firstborn and smaller than his father when he was born, but only because he was half dire wolf. He would get bigger. The noises were nice, and then loud as sounds much like his own rebounded off of the cave's interior as his first sibling was expelled from the thumping walls. It was noisy and he had to fend off the little invader from his nozzle with wriggling puppy squirms and loud untrained vocal chords. At last he was too tired of all of these new sensations and he latched onto his original nipple and suckled, letting his mother's warmth, milk, and the noises lull him to sleep.

Surreal

Wriggling. Pressure. Her contained home was in chaos. All around her was movement, her fellow inhabitants moving and lining up. Then there was more room, an emptiness ahead. For a moment, things relaxed, and she began to drift, untested mind quickly forgetting the upheaval. Then it began again, and she was being pushed, and she wriggled in protest. It didn?t stop. Tightness, all around, and then cold. It hit her nose, and she winced, but soon the cold surrounded her. Too cold. Too? Warmth rubbed over her back, and a scent that was ultimately comforting, rich and warm. She needed to get closer. She wriggled, blind and deaf, trying to zero in on the scent, yowling and squeaking that she couldn?t find it, couldn?t pull herself along. The warmth came again, rhythmic and soothing, then the solid underneath her vanished. She began squeaking her protest, but then solid beneath returned, along with large warmth, and the rich, warm smell that drew her so strongly was powerful, so close. This time, she could reach it. Blunt nose bumped into softness, nudging along, until a most powerful point of that smell came to her, only? As she tried to sample, something swatted her away, a familiar push. Another scent, almost the same as the rich warm smell she wanted to reach, but different. She was pushed away by that scent, or the owner of it, and quested for another point of that warm, richness. An open strong point. Instinctively, she nosed into it, squeaking desperately, until she found what instinct demanded she find. And there followed the urge to suck. Rewarded by the warm, sweet taste of her first nutrition, she continued suckling. More movement, vibrations around her, the soft warm wall moving in front of her, and then wriggling next to her,, then on either side. After a few more bursts of hectic movement, everything was still, odd vibrations occasionally rippling through the wall at her nose. She didn?t know that she was being named, didn?t know anything but that scent, and the warm richness that flowed into her mouth. All that mattered was that sweet elixir. She drank until she could no longer swallow another mouthful. Her grip on the teat eased, and then altogether released, as she fell into the state of pleasant dreaminess, and Surreal slept.

Children! There was no way Epiphron would miss the birth of Erani and Nova's children; they would be her siblings, in a strange way. Not by blood, but instead linked by something nearly as strong... by love. But despite her eagerness to meet the newborns, her mind had been otherwise occupied. Her last meeting with Maverick weighed all too heavily on her mind, his presence haunting her. Struggle she did to get the boy out of her thoughts, her sister's future husband seemed unwilling to leave her mind. While she was distracted, she wouldn't dream of missing this day. Though she arrived slightly later than the others, she was sure Erani would not be disappointed. Already a stranger had arrived -- a small girl with bright blue eyes. Epiphron gave her a simple smile, creeping in alongside her sister. Her eyes drifted to Nova, noting that he was familiar, though she had never spoken to him directly. That would need to change soon. Though she had missed the actual birth, she was filled with joy and thrill at the sight of the five children clinging to Erani's belly. The girl would keep her distance as well; Erani seemed ecstatic, as did Nova, but she was unwilling to encroach on a new mother, even if the woman as as good as a parent to her. Preston had arrived as well, and she leaned over to nudge him lightly in greeting. "They're beautiful," she said, slightly breathless as she examined the newborns. Perhaps there was still some hope left -- if there was, it was embodied in these five children and their two loving parents. Perhaps not everything was so bad, she realized, as a wide grin spread over her features.

Arella

All the small newborn felt was cold. Cold, so cold, as she escaped her mother's womb, the comparatively cool air rushing to engulf her tiny body. A tiny breath left the unnamed girl's mouth, a yowl of discomfort as she left the only place she had ever known. If the girl was developed enough to rationalize her state of mind, she certainly would be afraid, as well as excited, exhilarated by the newness of it all. Blind, deaf and dumb, the girl squirmed about on the floor of the den, searching for her mother's warmth. Gentle sounds would leave the pup's mouth as she sought the comfort of her mother. The girl was small and had nearly jet-black fur. Her nose nudged Erani's belly, latching on to feed hungrily, nestling up against her siblings.

Gabriel

Warmth, sweet familiar warmth surrounded the tiny, breathing life. He was cocooned in a mixture of love and adoration, forever protected, never forgotten. His tiny heart beat was strong and steady, beating softly against his barely formed rib cage, his lungs did not yet have a use. He wished for nothing, wanted for nothing. This beautiful, undeniable, glorious warmth was all he would ever need... but then something wretched happened, he was being, squeezed, pushed, forced from his bright cocoon, he squirmed and fought against it, legs kicking uselessly as the pressure forced him to move, forced him along the tight channel and out of that warm bubble of liquid. Soaking wet and falling, feeling instantly the chill of death his tiny body would fall and plop against the ground. For a brief few seconds he lay utterly still, not moving and unbreathing. It was so cold! His body shivered, goosebumps breaking out across his flesh. He hated this, he hated this bitter cold, where had the warmth gone, where was the love? Suddenly his lungs drew air, drawing in their first breath and a soft cry whipped through his larynx, a cry of pain and of anguish! It burned! It burned to breathe! It took a long while more, out finally something warm and lovely tickled across his fur, brushing him free of whatever clung to him, and nuzzled him towards something soft and warm. There was the love, he remembered, he knew. His mouth would open out of instinct, latching onto a swollen nipple and greedily sucking down his fill. It was warm and delicious, and reminded of that warm and soft place he had come from. It was comforting, it was love.