OOC: Sorry it's bad, I'm still very fairly sick.

Esti had thought she had prepared herself for this. Her den was surely big enough, even for a giant like herself. She didn't want this pup in the beginning. She wasn't even sure she wanted it now. She was, however, sure of one thing. It was coming either way. The pains radiated through her body. She was shivering uncontrollably and she could hear her hear beating in her ears. She panted alone in her den and contemplated calling Valentine. She didn't want to. She was tired of relying on him, however her feeling had developed into something deeper than they were before. She wouldn't say she loved him. She couldn't love some guy who just casually had women all the time. She knew she had had men causally too, but to her that was all the more reason to not be in love. Ever.

Her pains heightened and her thoughts blurred. How much time had passed? Has anyone come to her aid without her calling? She doubted anyone but Valentine knew where her den was. She thought of her brother briefly, wondering what he would say at a time like this. The pup eventually came and Esti cleaned it without much thought. She didn't feel an overwhelming compassion for the pup right off, but she didn't know any different, either. The pup lay suckling on her side as Esti faded in and out of consciousness. She shivered alone in her den with her pup, feeling like she was dying. A small part of her mind hoped Valentine would come along and have some strong reaction, while another part of her just wanted to be left alone forever. The last bits of her mind faded out as she lost consciousness. Maybe her dreams would be better than her reality.

Curiosity at coming across a vaguely familiar scent had led her to follow that scent. Interestingly enough, she believed it may have been someone she had sparred just prior to finding out she was pregnant... the rogue, not the pack wolf, so... tall? Black and white? The trail led her to the mouth of a den and she paused, clearing her throat to warn the occupant she was there. No answer, but no trail leading out either. As she shuffled at the entrance to the den alarm bells flared. Blood. Amniotic fluids. Familiar scents. Unthinking she stuck her head inside the den to see the form of the young fighter slumped in a less than conscious state and a little pup nursing at her side. Oh hell.

She withdrew her head to call for Valen. She didnt know for sure who the baby-daddy was but she had a pretty good inkling it was Valen's and knowing how much he cared about his kids...

As an afterthought she threw in a summons for Rhythm. The girl had mentioned being something of a midwife when Cas had tracked her down to bug her, while Cas herself was more along the lines of a battlefield medic. Sure she knew enough to be useful in a pinch and she had actually given birth, but someone with a bit more training to back it up would make things a lot more comfortable. Plus if it was Valen's kid she wanted it well taken care of. And if it was it would be fun to see how Valen and Rhythm dealt with the whole awkwardness...

Grinning she slipped back into the den to clean the girl up a bit and help keep her and the pup warm until help arrived.

She was hunting, her usual query of prairie dogs, she still hadn't quite gotten tired of them yet but she knew it might be a good idea to go a little easier on them for a while. She'd heard the summons for Valen by Cascade, but she hadn't put much thought into it until the second howl came from the woman's mouth. Raising a dark brow the girl found she couldn't deny the curiosity at the summons, delicate paws would carry her towards the voice. The scent of birth reached her as she was almost to the den, surprise and alarm filled her but she'd keep her cool. Calmly she'd maker her approach, the curiosity still evident in her features. Cacade was within the den against another she wolf and one tiny pup. Rhythm could see the other was incredibly tall, and that she was quite obviously not conscious. Dark ears would fall to her head as she grew more worried. Shaye's birth flashed back into her mind but she'd try and push the memories away. It looked like the birth was finished here, but that didn't mean the danger was gone. Rhythm's features would peek inside, "Is she.." bright eyes would adjust to the muted light and she'd look to see the steady breathing of the she wolf. She'd shake her head, "She doesn't look so good," Rhythm would back out again. She'd need some herbs, probably meadowsweet for potential internal bleeding and possibly alfalfa to make sure she had enough food for her baby. She'd seen the later in the range, "I"m going to get some herbs." The chocolate girl would mutter before running off again. ""

He knew exactly who the den belonged to and as he approached, Valen had a pretty good idea why he was being called. However, he was unprepared for the scene he walked in on. Cascade's delivery had been smooth and uneventful, and if she had had any difficulties she'd kept them to herself. The smell that wafted up from Esti's den was very different. It was the same combinations of scents, sure, but there was something different about it, something that made him a bit uneasy. Tentatively peeking his head inside, the brute was unsurprised to see Cascade tending to Esti. He took in the scene, noting the lone child at Esti's side, the exhausted sleep the new mother had fallen into and the shivers that occasionally wracked her body. "How are they doing?" Was there anything he could do? Anything he could get? Or should he just park his ass outside and stay out of the way? ""

The pup wriggled at Esti's side, though she was mostly unaware. It was a plump, fat thing with the dampness of birth still clinging to it's fur. Its soft, round grunts fading into Esti's grey underbelly. She was shivering; cold, then hot, then cold again. Her body couldn't decide what temperature it should feel. Vaguely, the woman's head swam back into consciousness. An unfamiliar scent filled her nose. It had her pack-scent, but was (mostly) a stranger nonetheless. Instinct filled her exhausted body, her eyes flew open and she struggled to get to her paws and safely over the pup. A weak, but deep growl echoed from Esti's chest. The pup rolled back in the den slightly, squeaking with surprise and unknowing. Blindly, Esti tried to force the intruder from her den, "Get out, get out, GET OUT!!!" From any other point of view, the whole display would only be threatening because of the giantess's size, however, everyone knew that a new mother was a force to be reckoned with.

OOC: Feel free to have Cascade scramble away or get nudged, nipped, whatever. Esti is blindly firing away.

"She's fine," she told Valen dryly as he hovered outside the den. "Just exhausted herself, probably panicked and fought it... Rhythm's gone for some herbs to -" The body beside her heaved suddenly, sending the pup rolling and a shrieking, furious harpy was suddenly in her face, flailing and trying to shove her out. An incredulous laugh burbled up, cut off with a disgusted sound when the brat landed a pinching nip on her neck. She rolled her eyes at the girl even as she ducked herself down to the dirt and twisted her body like a stoat, seeking to come up alongside the rabid young monster's shoulder instead of in front of her, trying to bodyslam the girl and pin her to the ground. Sure, the girl was easily as tall as Valen but she'd just exhausted herself whereas Cascade was fresh, the close quarters of the den would hinder a larger beast much more than Cascade with her smaller stature, and Cascade had already proven herself more experienced than the younger girl. "You idiot," she snapped, craning her neck to check on the pup, "If you've got a brain try using it, you kick around in here with your big clumsy paws and your pup is going to get seriously hurt! Valen's pup," she emphasized loudly, irritably, in an attempt to forestall any further panic, "is going to get hurt. Damnit Valen why didn't you tell someone sooner so she wouldn't flip out when someone showed up to help, huh? And where's Rhythm with those herbs?" Her hackles were raised, face set in a stubborn snarl as she faced down the girl who, at this point, wasn't giving Cascade the warm fuzzy impression that she was going to make the best mom...

Somehow she'd found both herbs in rather quick succession, though she knew that even the amount of time she'd used up was probably to much. Only a couple of seconds could mean the difference between life and death. Esti seemed pretty weak when she'd seen her, and as soon as she had her quarry in her jaws Rhythm would fly back to the little den. Her heart rate would quicken as she took in Valentine's form from a distance. She'd come back to Cascade's very loud voice screaming about Valen's pup. She'd take a deep breath at her approach, focusing on the talk that she had shared with the massive brute. She was different.. She wasn't just another womb for his spawn she meant something. Just what that was became really cloudy. Rhythm would nuzzle Valentine's neck in greeting briefly, the touch causing butterflies to well up within her but she'd swallow them down. She'd hear her name from Cas's mouth then and she was all business once more. She had no desire to become a chew toy for the new mother, and would stay back behind Cascade as she dealt with the hysteric she wolf. Now that the woman was actually awake Rhy felt like she should have grabbed lavender too. The girl would lay her catch at her feet, "I've gathered a couple things, to make sure she isn't bleeding on the inside, and one to help her milk production." There was a confidence in her voice that didn't often sound. Rhythm was doing her job though, this was the task she'd trained with her mother since early childhood. What she would shy from was how exactly they'd get the hysteric woman to settle and eat her gathered plants. ""

The boy knew of Esti's return to the pack, and he'd kind of been avoiding seeing her since he'd noticed the scent of pregnancy lingering on her pelt. He shouldn't have felt as dejected as he did, they'd not done anything more than spend some innocent time together. They offered no commitment, and he'd even found himself exploring sexuality with out her. So why did it feel so terrible to know she held the spawn of another within her?

He really had avoided her completely, but as he heard the calls and then her distraught voice Revenge couldn't help but to creep closer to where her den lie. There was already a gathering, Valentine, Rhythm, and Cascade were there for her. He felt no fear that she would fully recover but as he caught Cascade's voice he would know with out any doubt who had fathered her child. Feeling himself sink back the boy would keep himself away from the group, maybe Esti could see him maybe she couldn't but either way he did not feel like sticking around. His chest felt tight and his body alight with a prickling flame as her turned from the commotion and went back to where he came. He didn't belong here.

-exit revenge unless stopped-

In a flash Esti was up and flailing, her too loud voice reverberating painfully off the den walls. When Cascade moved to handle the new mother, Valentine shoved his way in to protect the--his--child from harm. He hovered over it protectively. If he had to he'd lift it out of the way, but for the moment he was satisfied with merely standing over it and swatting limbs away should they flail in his direction. Cascade's grumbling pulled a harrumph from the brute. "I didn't know it was that close," he groused back. Dimly he was aware of Rhythm's affectionate greeting, but he was too hung up on the tone used against him and eying Esti warily to return the gesture. His expression grateful, he did glance at her briefly as she explained what she'd brought. The appearance and subsequent huffy departure of Revenge went unnoticed. If he had been seen or spotted he would have either been called back or his dramatic exit would have earned him an angry reprimand because that kind of petty behavior was unacceptable in a healer of Imperium. His gaze dropped to the pup at his paws. As he'd been with his first litter, Valetine was mesmerized by the tiny features. He was precious. ""

The grape woman's banter went mostly unnoticed as Esti struggled against her. Cascade had tried to push Esti to the ground, but mostly just pushed the girl against the side of the den. Her bitching continued as she pushed Esti, causing the new mom to stumble and fall squarely on her butt. When Cascade emphasized that the pup was Valentine's, however, Esti recoiled, "No. Not Valen's pup. My pup. Mine. I carried it and bore it, it's mine. You're the one who's not supposed to be here! You're the one that's gonna hurt 'em! Now get OUT!" she spat. Esti clumsily tried to stand and aimed to ram the woman out, though she was exhausted and would probably only manage a soft face-plant into Cascade's fur. At some point, Valentine himself had pushed himself into the den. Esti had half the mind to snap at him, but if she trusted anyone at this point, it had to be Valentine. The other woman- herb woman- stayed out of the affair. Revenge came and went silently, but his scent would not be missed for long. Esti, for now, at least, was not focused on much but getting the woman out of her den. She didn't feel the need to ask the woman's intention. To Esti, she was simply trespassing. Maybe later they could be friends, but right now Esti wanted her to either leave or die.

Growling deep in her chest now, Cascade was in a rare mood - thoroughly annoyed. She'd been more than prepared to be accepting of this girl, her pup, the whole shebang when she'd come upon them. Hell, she'd actually tried to help them. Called for a healer and the baby daddy and everything, and what thanks did she get? She got shoved around and to make it worse she was the only one doing anything! Well, to be fair so was Valen, doing what he should be doing and protecting the munchkin. "Well that's just... really annoyingly reasonable," she retorted back at Valen, earning a shoulder to her nose for her inattention. The girl's shrieked words drew a snarl and raised hackles from Cascade. This was just getting better and better wasn't it? Perhaps wisely, she didn't shout back anything about the pup belonging to Valentine, as much as she wanted to. Instead she ducked her head and threw herself down and forward in an attempt to knock Esti's legs out from under her. Sure that might very well mean knocking the squirmy bitch on top of her but she was willing to take one for the team, assuming someone else would come lend a paw. Maybe Valen could sit on Esti, or... "Some help would be really nice just about now, Rhythm," she called out as she threw herself at Esti.

Everything was going down hill pretty fast, Esti was growing ever more agitated, and even as Cascade tried to calm things down the woman grew even more unreasonable. Vantine remained calm enough, and the den was getting pretty full but as the crazed woman tried to attack Cascade Rhythm's fur would bristle along her spine. The darker woman tried to knock Esti's legs from under her and called for Rhythm's help at the same time. She wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do but she sure wished she had some levender or marijuana to calm the raging mother. As Valentine protected the tiny new born Rhythm would try topin Esti's neck underneath her chest. Hopefully her weight would give her enough leverage that Esti would no longer be able to stand and move around in the den. What were they going to do after they got her down though? At the moment she wasn't sure if she'd mind force feeding her the herbs. Though as the moments ticked by the more sure she became the new mom would be okay after her birth. "I know it doesn't look like it, but we are trying to help," she'd try to reason with the girl if she managed to hold her down. ""

Esti's words and continued belligerence drug the brute's attention away from his son. A spark of annoyance quickly turned into a flare up of anger and Valentine's eyes lifted from the newborn to stare daggers at his mother. "Oh, knock it off, Esti," he snapped in exasperation. "They're here to help you and you're a fool if you don't lay down and let them." He wasn't even going to touch on the subject of the boy being Esti's alone. Like hell he was just hers. Last time the brute checked it took two (count 'em, two) to get puppies. HOWEVER. That was an argument for another day. Tail lashing, the brute continued to stare pointedly at Esti, his gaze holding a command. The more she fought and pouted the more ridiculous she appeared and the loss of dignity was no one's fault but her own. If she didn't lay down and behave he wasn't above sitting on her while Cascade and Rhythm drugged her and/or examined her. If she was going to behave like a child then she was going to be treated like one. ""

Cascade moved forward and pushed Esti over her. In her struggle to stay upright, Esti managed just the opposite, falling onto her back at the back side of Cascade. A half-growl, half-yipe escaped the woman as she fell. In a second, the herb-woman was above her. Valentine finally put his two-cents in after the herb-woman tried to calm her. Esti tried to return a nasty look to Valentine, but couldn't find him in her view, "Fine, okay, whatever!" she barked as she relaxed her body, her maw opened in a pant from the exerted effort, "Do whatever and get out.." she finished somewhat defeated as a shiver overcame her. She really was tired, but she felt overall bombarded with people, one familiar, one maybe slightly familiar, and one completely new. Valentine's little entourage had thoroughly invaded her space and had taken her down. Great. Now what.