It was early morning when she went out, a light fog clung to the early dawn hours. It would dissipate as the day came because of the dry season that Auster was under, and she wasn't too keen on going out during the hotter parts of the day. Her belly had been growing bigger as the days passed, and each day she could feel the pups within her growing bigger as they moved around. Today, however, would be different. She was picking the last bits of motherwort that she could find in the Garden thanks to the seasons dry spell. She gently plucked it from the ground after a good bit of digging, and as she turned to place it behind her, she slipped and fell heavily to her side. Grunting, she lied there for a moment as she suddenly felt winded, the woman muttering curses under her breath as she wasn't used to the added weight she had packed on. As she went to stand, a sharp pain suddenly gripped her abdomen which caused her to stiffen in surprise. She nearly curled in on herself as a wave of pain wracked her body, and instinctively she knew she was starting to go into labor. "Damn my luck..." She knew one day they would come, but she hadn't been able to anticipate when exactly. Part of her was glad though because being pregnant hadn't been the most pleasant experience for her. Forgetting about her herbs, she went to her den as fast as the contractions and pain would allow. Once there, she shuffled around the skins she had collected since her return and promptly settled down. She had helped with births before in their homeland, but this being her first pregnancy, she couldn't quite think clearly through the pain. So as she lied there trying to endure the pain that sent waves over her body, she uttered a howl for Malleus to come to aid her, though it was cut short by another contraction. Her body began to shake a bit with the pain, her teeth gritting as she laid her head down and waited. She didn't know how long it would take for them to come, but she guessed it was really soon considering how close together the contractions were. She tried to think of what would help her through the pain, and that's when she realized she had forgotten the very plant that could have helped her. She debated for a moment about getting up to fetch it herself, but it seemed that as soon as she lifted herself to get up and go, the pain would keep her down. speech action

Malleus was quick to answer Kasdeya's call. Her call sounded a bit urgent so with her advanced pregnancy in mind he grabbed a large hide bundle stashed at his den's entrance for that very reason and took off running with Pascal in tow. Hopefully their presence wouldn't be required today. Malleus strove to take a rather passive role in births. His goal (unless something was wrong) was to see to Kasdeya's comfort without jeopardizing her safety or the safety of her pups, which was an easy thing to do with herbal remedies. Sure, motherwort was good for stimulating uterine contractions, but that ability was paired with an increased risk of bleeding. Crampbark too had its uses. An effective pain reducer commonly used in childbirth, the plant also had the nasty habit of suddenly bottoming out the mother's blood pressure. Navigating the waters between being helpful and being a life-threatening complication was a difficult thing. It was in everyone's best interest, ultimately, to let Kasdeya's body do its thing if it could. Without ceremony Malleus poked his head into the den and peered into the darkness. He set the bundle down as Pascal climbed off his back and then asked, "Kasdeya? It's time, isn't it? Can I get you anything?" He was willing to get her anything, play any part.

Malleus arrived promptly, the woman peering at him through hald narrowed eyes. She grit her teeth together as she braced herself for another contraction and muttered curses with it. While she was usually a bit more lady-like, right now she just couldn't. "Yes, it's time. A bit sooner than I expected, I think." Her body stopped tensing for the moment, allowing her to breathe a little easier. She didn't want to put Malleus into an awkward position by calling for his help, but she didn't know who else to call let alone trusted enough to help her with this should she need it. Initially, she thought about doing it alone without help. But the pain of the contractions was something she didn't particularly want to go through without any aid now that it was actually happening. How the hell did some wolves do it so naturally!? Sure, she believed herself to be as Godly as the rest of her family, but even Gods had their limits, she was sure. "Water, and something for the pain at least." She grunted. Another contraction took hold of her for a second, causing her to grunt as she laid her head on the ground. speech action

Pascal was off like a shot at the mention of water leaving Malleus alone with Kasdeya. He’d brought with him a mixture meant to ease the pain of her contractions so without a word he dutifully undid the bundle he’d brought with him and pulled out the bladder. The decoction was his own blend and he thought it would ease some of her pain. For fear of rendering her too inebriated to safely deliver her puppies Malleus (while he wasn’t going to tell her this) was limiting the amount of pain relievers he was going to give her. The line between helping and hindering was too fine and his knowledge of childbirth too limited to justify more medication.

”I’m afraid this isn’t going to taste very good, but what it lacks in flavor it makes up for in pain relieving properties,” he said before hefting the bladder up and motioning for her to lean forward so he could pour some into her mouth.

Pascal returned with a turtle shell full of water and set it beside Malleus. The primate then stepped back and tried not to wring his hands. He’d helped with only one other birth and while it had been uneventful, he found the whole thing stressful and wasn’t looking forward to another.