She was returning to her temporary den in the alcove where Ardyn and the other healers had encouraged her to stay. Her paws were weary, aching from the weight of the pups she was carrying. She was close to the time when they would arrive, but the only question was, when? Ares had been informed of her pregnancy prior to her coming to Valhalla, and she planned on meeting him again after the pups were born and able to walk so he could meet them. She had no intentions of keeping them away from their sire. After all, she hated that her mother had up and abandoned her in her younger years. It wouldn't be fair to do that to these innocent lives...though she had no plans of abandoning them either. She would leave it up to Ares and the pups to decide if they wanted a relationship with each other. Regardless of her lack of a relationship with him. She gently laid down upon the bed of furs in her den. Bi-colored gaze fluttering closed for a nap. She was tired...more tired than usual, and her steps had been sluggish earlier. Though she attributed it to her just being tired from carrying around the extra weight. And the age, of course. Her father had been sluggish when he got up there in old age, too. She had been asleep for...well...she wasn't sure how long, but she was suddenly woken up by a sharp pain in her side as her body felt like it was tightening up. She woke up with a sharp gasp-turned-whine, ears folding back as she startled with pain. Out of instinct, she tried to stand. But the pain got worse when she tried to do so, and she ended up back among the furs as another wave of pain came on suddenly. Her body was contracting, and within the first couple of waves, she felt a strange warmth on her hind end, followed by the scent of blood. Alarm and panic shot through her, and when she looked, her rear legs and the furs there were getting soaked with dark red blood. Heart hammered hard in her chest, and she called out in alarm for someone, anyone to help her! Walk, "Talk" Think

Eramaya of Valhalla

She’d been preparing for the upcoming birth of Kairi’s litter. The woman was nearing ten years, and really shouldn’t have been able to get pregnant – although it wasn’t unheard of – and it was likely to be a rough ordeal, with no guarantee of survival on either the mother or the offspring’s side. She wasn’t far when the panicked call came—she’d actually been gathering a bladder of water to take in and heat to ease any cramping the elder might be encountering from late stage pregnancy, along with aching paws. Clamping the water bladder in her jaws, Eramaya darted up the three steps into the main chamber as Legacy careened out of her own alcove, where her late father had slept for many years. The mother and daughter fell into a steady routine—it was with Eramaya that Legacy had assisted her first birthing and many after, and the two knew the pattern well. While Legacy took the water bladder and ducked down the hallway to the fire chamber to heat the water and steep the herbs they’d need, Eramaya gathered the herbs they’d need right away. Motherwort was one of the best for easing a mother’s fears and it sounded like Kairi needed every bit of comfort she could get. Lavender was added to the pile of packets soon after. She stepped into Kairi’s alcove, greeting the woman softly as she took stock of the situation. This much blood wasn’t the best sight, but she was only hoping that the birthing would be text book and smooth. It was better to expect the worst. “Take a breath, Kairi, relax. It’s not great, but we need you to be calm for your babies. The more stressed you are, the worse it is on them, and we need all the help we can get. How far apart are the pains?” Paladin’s primate companions, hanging around the pack despite their friend’s death, set a stack of soft rabbit hides, worked to buttery softness, before disappearing to go help their friend’s daughter. Eramaya took up one of the hides and cleaned the blood away from Kairi’s rump and legs, checking the rate of bleeding before she turned and set the packets of lavender and motherwort in front of Kairi. “I made these with you in mind, so the dosage is a full packet. Eat them both. Your Cousin Legacy is steeping the rest for a tea and another bowl for better cleaning. Now breathe.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Legacy Ancora

Legacy was tucked in her father’s alcove, sorting packets of herbs when an ear flicked back at the faint rustling from Kairi’s alcove. A shift in breathing, the scent of blood, and then the older wolf’s panicked howl ripped Legacy fully out of her thoughts and sent her barreling out of the alcove, nearly crashing into her mother. The sight of her mother steadied her racing heart and she nodded quickly, taking the water skin and trotting quickly down the cave hall to the fire chamber, dumping the water into one of the clay pots and lifting it onto the coals. She fanned the coals, adding wood and getting the water boiling while she listened for any calls. Kyode and Ime came around the corner and fell into an old rhythm with the young woman, one she’d watched them do with her father, and she was forced to swallow back the ache of longing as she focused on her task. The water was steaming, and soon bubbled. Ime wrapped a thick hide around the clay handle and Legacy clamped her jaws around the handle and lifted the pot away, feeling the pull in her neck muscles. She tipped the pot against the ground and let the hot water pour into two bowls. She dropped the packets of tea into the first bowl – the smaller one – and waited with breath held for it to steep while she bustled around and gathered the rest of the supplies needed for the ordeal ahead. Finally, it was ready and she let the two primates carry the bowls out ahead of her. Legacy peeked in and murmured, “The water and tea’s ready. How’s it going?” The smell of blood was thick on the air, more than there should be in a regular birthing. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

She was freaking out. Panicking. Whining through the pain that wracked her body as it contracted. Her pups were coming. How many? She didn't know. She wasn't huge, so she could guess it was likely a small litter. Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to work through it, not really noticing the shuffling outside of the den she was in as the healers gathered up what they needed to help her. She tried to breathe, but every breath brought a fresh wave of pain and she felt choked up. Were they going to die? She didn't know. She prayed they wouldn't, but she didn't think that this much blood spilling from her body was anything but bad. Eramaya arrived first to greet her before checking her over, but Kairi was in too much pain to greet her properly in return. “Take a breath, Kairi, relax. It’s not great, but we need you to be calm for your babies. The more stressed you are, the worse it is on them, and we need all the help we can get. How far apart are the pains?” She nodded in understanding, teeth grinding together as she tried to relax a little more. "They're about...two minutes apart...I think.." It was hard for her to tell how much time passed in between when all she felt was like her body was fighting against her. Her breathing was hard and labored as she rested her head down, trying to relax like she was told. When Eramaya gave her some herbs to eat to help her, the red woman took them while the healer helped to clean her up. She didn't know how much there was to clean since the woman had not dared to look, but she felt embarrassed. It was her first litter after all, and she always thought it would be different. Not like this mess. Legacy arrived moments later, but Kairi was too focused on trying to breathe as she waited for the herbs to take effect. Walk, "Talk" Think