The days had ticked closer and closer to when Gwynevere expected her to go into labor and she couldn't be more eager to get these pups out into the world. Her belly had grown to the point that doing her usual daily tasks was nearly impossible and finding any position to sit or lay in comfortably was laughable. Her back and legs nearly always hurt and there was always at least one pup at the ready to kick her in the ribs. Still, despite the toil that all of this had put on her body, she would happily do it over again—and she was sure she would. She and Artorias were so excited to be parents and the weeks of preparation had only added to that excitement. Everything in the castle was ready for them—now they just needed the pups to complete this perfect picture.

Over the last day or two she had been especially restless and uncomfortable, only able to settle and rest for short periods of time before she would end up getting up to pace or move something around. Gwynevere checked on her periodically, feeling the movement of the pups and giving her medicines that were supposed to help ease along the birth. Briar didn't really know what to expect beyond the technical mechanics of it all and every new change made her wonder if this was the moment when they would finally begin meeting their long awaited pups. Artorias' sister seemed to think that it would be any minute so Briar kept her mate close even though she was very sure nothing could peel him away from her side at this point. She just couldn't imagine going through the birth without him so she made sure he was with her always regardless.

The sun was beginning to set as she paced up and down the hallway outside of their room, the movement becoming the only thing that was giving her any kind of relief from this uncomfortable restlessness. Over the last several hours she would occasionally feel something like a tightness or a cramp, just a light pull of muscle that was surely just a taste of what she was going to be experiencing later. As she slowly walked and paced along side Artorias she felt that some cramping tightness, but stronger than before and she winced a little as it made her stop for just a moment before she kept going. "I'm alright," she assured her worried husband, giving him a little smile as she tipped her muzzle up to give him a soft kiss. "I don't think it'll be much longer though."

As if on cue, just as she was about to turn around at the end of the hall by their bedroom door, another tight pull of muscle caused her to stop. This time it was strong enough to cause her to pull a pained breath through her teeth and the light cramps she had been feeling shifted into what she could only assume were real contractions. It took a couple of moments for the contraction to pass so that she could move again, glancing up at Artorias with a little smile and a soft chuckle. "I think they already have a sense of humor," she joked as she went to go back into their room, the first real nerves she had felt in this whole process settling on her. "Will you call for Gwynevere, love? I think we'll be meeting them very, very soon."

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

The end of Briar's pregnancy had come faster than it felt like it had. The past few days, Artorias had been glued to his wife's side, never leaving her for more than a few minutes to fetch them food or relieve himself. There was no chance in heaven or hell that he was going to be anywhere else but with her during these last steps, and he was certain he was going to be there for the birth of their first litter. His own father had always been an enigma—a ghost in his life's story that had existed and yet never really existed at all. It was because of that, Artorias had vowed to always be present in his children's lives from the day they were born. Briar's range of movement had become much more limited as her pregnancy ballooned her stomach to almost comically large level, and the Aegis found himself briefly wondering if this was what his petite mother had looked like when she'd been carrying him and his siblings. It definitely seemed that their firstborn children would be taking after the dire genes in their families.

As always, Artorias was ever grateful to Gwynevere for her attentiveness and talent. As Briar drew nearer to her expected due date, Gwyn's constant presence and checkups were one of the few things keeping Artorias from going insane with nervousness. His sister had also confirmed the closeness of the pups' arrival, and so Art remained by Briar's side, never leaving her for more than a few minutes at a time. There was no priority higher in the brute's mind than protecting and comforting his Queen in these moments. Corbin and Eira had been sent out to fetch Tamsyn and deliver a message to Sirius and Zee about the coming birth. Hopefully the presence of both of their parents would be a comfort to his wife. However, they never got a chance to find out. The pups were arriving before the grandparents would.

Briar was especially restless this day. The Queen had spent most of her time pacing their bedchambers, and when she needed a change of scenery, began pacing the halls of the Carpathius Wing so much Art feared she might wear a rut in the carpets. Every time she would pause and flinch beneath a cramp, Art was immediately and attentively at her side, studying her expressions carefully and ready to call for Gwyn at a moment's notice. Each time Briar reassured him, the azure and black wolf would breathe a sigh of relief and resume pacing with her, allowing her to lean into his side whenever her paws got tired. After some time, however, another cramp hit Briar, but this one turned into a full contraction, and Artorias' heart missed a beat. It was time! Amber eyes wide and an anxious expression on his face, Art nodded emphatically while already moving to open the bedroom doors for her. "Of course, my love. You get settled, I'll take care of the rest."

While Briar went to get settled down on the expansive bedding of soft furs laid out before the fireplace, Artorias howled for Gwynevere, then closed the doors most of the way, leaving them open a crack for Gwyn to enter without fuss but granting the alpha couple their privacy for this life changing moment. Being the dutiful and somewhat obsessive husband he had become with his incessant prepping, Artorias moved about the bedroom with rehearsed steps, going to grab two bowls and cloths from one of the tables and bringing it over to Briar, then fetched a pitcher of water and filled both bowls, presenting one to his wife to drink from and reserving the other for cleanup. He then stepped around to Briar's backside and lay down, curling his body around hers to offer her comfort to lean back into. His large paw rested with such delicacy on her stomach, rubbing over her taut skin with a nervous yet excited smile. "It's happening! You've got this, Briar. I'm here if you need me for anything."

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Briar smirked softly at the immediate anxiousness that colored her mate's expression when she asked him to call for Gwyn, Art immediately picking up on the fact that it was time for them to finally welcome their pups into the world. She stepped through the door of their room and went over to the large, plush spread of furs that they had set up in front of the gently crackling fire place, settling down onto them with a long sigh. She did her best to fight off any nervousness or worry, reminding herself that Gwyn would be here and that she was the most talented, skilled healer that she could have hoped for, telling herself that everything was going to go smoothly and all of their pups were going to be healthy. It was a mantra she had been telling herself as they counted down these final moments until she finally went into labor and she told herself all of this again as another contraction made the muscles along her sides tense and ripple before she could get settled onto her side. She winced and waited it out, letting the feeling pass before she shifted and rolled onto her side with a sigh. By then Artorias had gathered up the bowls of water, one near her for her to drink and another within reach of where Gwyn would be working. A slight smile pulled on to her lips as Artorias settled behind her and she leaned back into him, glancing back at him with a grateful smile as he held her and offered her whatever she needed from him.

Just then Gwynevere walked into the room, nudging the door closed behind her and setting down a bundle of supplies she had clearly preprepared for this moment. She had already been giving her various herbs and treatments throughout the day to prepare her for this moment so there wasn't much to give her right this moment, but Gwyn still pulled out her supplies and herbs and gave Briar a dose of the honey-sweetened paste as the contractions really began to take hold. Briar washed it down with a bit of water before she rested her head on the upper part of Artorias' leg again, feeling Gwyn's paws move over her round belly as she felt the pups and how far along she currently was. "It won't be long now," her sister-in-law told her, Gwyn lifting her paws away to start unfolding and preparing a few cloths and furs to dry off the pups as they came. "Just breathe through the contractions and I'll guide you through when to push, okay?" Briar gave a little nod to her instructions, glancing up at Artorias again with a little smile while she tried to just focus her attention on anything besides the little creeping bit of anxiety that was nagging at the back of her mind.

The contractions very quickly began to come one after another, the time between them growing shorter and the intensity of them getting steadily more painful as they went. Briar did as she was told, making herself breathe through her contractions even as some of them made her breathing come as short gasps through her teeth as she grimaced and whined softly at the feeling. Eventually the pressure and pain in her lower belly had gotten to a point where every instinct was telling her to push and that was when her perceptive healer placed her silver-tipped paw on her belly again, feeling for the pups with a small nod. Gwyn instructed her to push with the next contraction while helping to support her hind leg and keep a bit of the pressure off of her pelvis and moving her braided tail out of the way to help keep it from getting too messy in the process. Briar nodded quietly, panting lightly while her paw came up to find Artorias', holding onto him and bracing herself as she anxiously waited. As a particularly strong contraction gripped her and made her sides clench with painful tightness she let her instincts take over and she pushed hard, her teeth gritting and ears falling back against her head with a pained whine, not letting up until the contraction had passed and she relaxed again for just a moment with panting breaths. She could only imagine what this might have felt like if she didn't have all of Gwynevere's herbs and treatments and it only made her all the more grateful to be here in her care.

They went on like this for a while, but Briar couldn't be sure how long. The contractions all started to blend together after a bit as they came almost back to back and her pushing was near constant as their first born pup was slowly and painfully brought into the world. At the very least she could feel the progress she was making and that became her encouragement as she felt the large pup moving further and further toward their goal. Finally, with one tremendous push that pulled a loud grunt that evolved into a scream from her she finally pushed the pup free, the immediate relief making her fall back into Artorias as she panted and caught her breath from the effort. Blinking open her eyes, she lifted her head to see their first born, spying the familiar blue-hued fur even as Gwynevere was rubbing the pup down with one of the cloths. A couple moments later the distinctive squeal of an angry pup filled the room and Briar sighed with visible relief, a huge grin pulling across her lips as she glanced to Artorias before looking eagerly to their pup. Gwyn declared it was a boy as she placed their son on the soft furs at her belly, revealing the little boy that was a perfect blend between the two of them with his coloring and the striped markings that covered her back and hips. Her chest swelled with pride and love as she looked at their little boy, dipping her head to nuzzle him gently. She knew there wasn't going to be much time to celebrate right now, but now that she had accomplished one it gave her the motivation she needed to bring his siblings into the world as well.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Not long after he’d finished making his preparations and gotten settled in beside Briar, Artorias heard the sound of rapid paws making entry into their chambers. His eyes lifted to greet Gwynevere with grateful appreciation as she immediately set to work, giving Briar some herbal paste to help with her contractions as she inspected his wife’s labors. The pups were moving along smoothly and would be here soon, according to her diagnosis. An excited, anxious smile touched Artorias’ lips to hear the news. He and Briar were about to become parents! They just had to get through this part first. The Carpathian leader smiled back to his wife, leaning forward to nudge his nose into the back of her neck. "I’m here for you. We do this together," he reassured her while they settled in for the long haul.

Briar’s labors proceeded as expected, her contractions growing stronger and more frequent as time passed and their children prepared for their arrival into the world. Artorias took Briar’s paw in his own as she reached for him and squeezed it, reassuring her that he was here. "If it gets to be too much, let it out on me. I can hear this with you." Without knowing how many pups they would be having or how long or painful the process would be, all Art could offer was his support—and to allow Briar to bite or claw at his arm and use him as a pincushion if it helped her vent some of the agony. He let Briar lean into him as much as she wished, comforting and supporting her through every moment of this ordeal. They were a team—a partnership. They had done everything together, and they would go through this birth together as well.

Briar’s contractions came faster and stronger, and not long after, they rocked Briar’s body with a grunt that turned into a pained scream. Artorias winced for his mate’s struggle, but soon they were rewarded with the squealing cries of their firstborn pup. As soon as he heard those sounds, everything became so real all at once. Black ears sprung up on his head, and the starstruck new father lifted his head to peer with wide amber eyes while Gwynevere presented them with their child. A son. Artorias and Briar had a son. Shocked eyes gazed down at the little boy who wore a coat of perfectly blended colors from his sire and dam. His son! Fire-toned eyes began to mist over while he watched their child feed at Briar’s belly, reaching a slow, careful paw out towards his infant. "We have a son…!" Artorias whispered with barely contained glee as he brushed the downy puppy fur across his child’s forehead, beaming with a wide smile to Briar. Their moment of joyous relief was short lived, however, for as soon as Briar’s contractions started up again, Artorias was right back in his position, ready to help her get through birthing the rest of their litter. One down… gods knew how many more to go.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Briar was given only a few moments to celebrate their first born son with Artorias while Gwyn hurried around a bit to clean up in the meantime, the two already infatuated parents doting over their son. "We do...!" she agreed quietly, giving Artorias a joyous—if slightly tired—grin. Seeing this little boy covered in shades of blue, gray, and black at her belly made every single moment of pain and discomfort feel like nothing. This pup and all the other pups to come were more than worth it and now she was just eager to bring the rest of them into the world so they could meet them all. She settled back into Artorias again after giving there son several loving nuzzles, giving his paw a squeeze while she took a breath and prepared herself. Now that she knew more or less what to expect she wasn't as anxious as the contractions began to pick back up and her body started to prepare for the next pup to be born.

The next pup didn't prove itself to be any easier to contend with. As the contractions began to build again and Gwyn continued to coach her through the process, Briar could already tell that this one was going to be just as big as the first. She knew that big pups were an inevitablity considering Artorias' height and the many larger wolves that were in her own family as well, but of course she had hoped that they might spare her at least a little bit. The contractions and the movement of the pup through her body were not any more pleasant than the first. If anything it was worse since her muscles had the previous strain to contend with as well. Still, she gripped onto Artorias' paw, settling into a rhythm of short panting breaths and gritting her teeth through each rippling contraction, the pain of the process quickly building and causing her to whine each time. She relied on Gwyn's lead and when her sister-in-law told her to push she put her all into bringing this pup into the world. Each push brought a pained groan through gritted teeth until the very end as Gwyn encouraged her to give a few extra strong pushes to get the pup the last bit of the way. After a couple of panting breaths Briar bore down, that groan turning into another scream as she finally pushed the second pup into the world.

Briar flopped back into Artorias again, panting hard for several moments while she used him for support and Gwyn quickly went to work cleaning up the pup and drying off their puppy fur. There was just a moment of silence before more squeaking puppy cries filled the room again and a smile pulled at Briar's lips as she blinked open her eyes and managed to lift her head to look at their second pup. Another boy, Gwynevere told them, and the perfect blending of the two parents was very evident in this little boy as well, again taking after Artorias' colors and her markings. This one was far darker though with a mostly black coat that was striped with blue. There had been no doubt in her mind that their pups would be the most handsome and beautiful pups there ever were, but seeing them for the first time even blew her expectations out of the water. "Two big, handsome boys..." she said breathlessly with a little chuckle while she lifted a paw to lightly stroke over the second boy's back for a moment since the thought of curling around to reach him at her belly felt like a slightly daunting task.

There was less of a pause for her to rest this time, the contractions almost catching her off guard with how quickly they gripped her again. She gasped softly at the first one, grimacing a bit as she eased herself back into Artorias' frame with a whine. Their pups were obviously just as eager to get out into the world and certainly weren't waiting for her to recover before the next one wanted out. Thankfully, the next was slightly easier, clearly not as large as their older siblings. Finding that rhythm of breathing, contractions, and pushing was even easier to find this time and even though she was very quickly burning through her energy she was determined to make it though this for their beautiful family. She struggled with her contractions for a bit, pushing hard with pained, muffled screams through gritted teeth while she gripped onto Artorias' foreleg for support. At first it had felt like she was making progress fairly quickly, but right at the end it felt like she was at a stand still. She soon found out why as Gwyn told her to wait, telling them the pup was turned around just a bit, and she felt the healer move her hind leg a bit with careful paws. Gwynevere was quiet and focused as she worked and Briar took the moment to catch her breath even a little bit, panting hard while she rested her head on the upper part of Artoras' foreleg, grimacing and whining when the contractions gripped her and she had to resist the natural urge to push through them until Gwyn told her she could. She felt Gwyn's paw and then there was a shifting and tugging that was not at all pleasant until finally there was relief and she felt her healer pull the little pup the rest of the way free.

Briar breathed a heavy sigh of relief, laying there for a moment with Artorias and blinking open her eyes to look up into his with a little smile. She gave a breathless chuckle as the pup was cleaned up and immediately started crying, this pup very much the loudest of the bunch. It somehow felt fitting for the one that gave them a little trouble would also come into the world screaming. Her ears perked when Gwyn told them that this one was a girl and Briar lifted her head so she could see the little pup that looked like she was made entirely of pitch blackness. She blinked with surprise and smiled as she lifted a paw to gently pet the little girl's back while she settled in with her brothers. "It looks like she got a lot of your mom..." Briar mentioned with another chuckle before leaning back into Artorias again. Gwynevere came over to her with a bit more of the sweetened, herbal paste and a bit of another herb that she was told was to help give her a bit of energy. Briar of course took them without question and got a small drink of water to wash it down in the small reprieve she was given before she continued on to finish this long, toiling labor.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

The new parents were given scant little time to get a breather before Briar's contractions started up for a second time. The next pup was on their way. With Gwynevere coaching and reassuring Briar, Artorias felt much calmer than he would have been without her aid. Gwyn truly was the greatest healer he had ever known—perhaps the greatest in the world—and she did so much for their family and the Hallows. He shared a grateful smile with his sibling, then returned to stroking Briar's side and letting her lean on him for support as she pushed their second child out into the world. All the while he continued to lick the back of her neck and head, whispering sweet words of encouragement for the struggle she was going through for their family. He squeezed his wife's paw all the way through the second birth, and after a painful moment, the Carpathians were rewarded with another squealing puppy cry. Artorias wasted no time, immediately lifting his head and craning his neck to peek at their second born child. Another boy, equal in size to his brother, but wearing a coat of dark blacks and streaked with blue. It was clear which parent he had gotten his coloration from.

"Two sons... Two perfect little boys..." he murmured in wonder as he stared in awe at his children nursing at Briar's belly. The third set of contractions began, and Artorias quietly wondered just how many pups Briar was carrying. He knew large litters ran in her family, but gods be good, they seemed to have blessed both parents with abundant fertility! Artorias held Briar's paw, gritting his teeth through the pain of her cat-like claws digging into the flesh of his forearm as she struggled along, pushing in time with her rippling muscles. After some time and nothing happening, Gwyn began to check Briar and informed them the pup had breached. Artorias felt a pang of panic strike his heart, amber eyes wide with worry. "It's okay, Gwyn will fix it... You're doing great..." he whispered to his wife, nuzzling behind her ear while Gwyn did what she could. It felt like a lifetime before Gwynevere told Briar to continue pushing, his sister working to help free the child, then Art felt his breathing stop as their third child was born. He looked down immediately. Was the pup okay? Had it survived?

"Gwyn...?" Artorias' voice was filled with nervousness as he looked to his sister cleaning their child, waiting to hear her cries. When the pup let out a banshee-like scream louder than either of her brothers, Artorias visibly slumped back in relief. A heavy sigh slipped from his lips while he watched with assuaged eyes as their first daughter was presented to them, black as night like she'd been rolled about in soot from the hearth. Art smiled down at their little girl, smaller than her brothers, but just as big in personality already. "She really did," the dire brute agreed with an emotionally drained chuckle. "Mom's gonna love that when she gets to see her."  Gwynevere began to give Briar some more herbal medicines and supplements, and Art gave his sister another grateful nod. "Thank you, Gwyn." Then to Briar, he nuzzled her cheek and asked, "You're doing amazing. How are you feeling, love?"

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"

Briar leaned a bit into Artorias' affections as he nuzzled her cheek, smiling a tired smile when he asked how she was feeling. "I'm alright..." she replied with a slightly breathless chuckle. "I hope we're close to the end... Or at the very least that the remaining pups take it easy on me..." She was undeniably tired, but the little pups that were now getting their first meal and resting comfortably at her stomach were more than worth every bit of effort that they took to bring into this world. She would go through this a hundred, thousand times if it meant being able to see their perfect, adorable little faces and hear their sweet, squeaky cries. Already it felt like her heart was so full it would burst and she knew that there was still more to add to their new family. Gwynevere's paws moved over her stomach, feeling gently for the remaining pups and after a few moments declared that there were still two on the way. It seemed that their first litter was going to match the size of her own and Artorias' litters after all. She took a breath and nodded with understanding as she readied herself and gathered up her energy to push through to the end.

Her contractions picked up once more, slowly building back to the now familiar pressure and pain that the rippling, contracting muscles caused as they moved the next pup through to join them. The rhythm and pace of things was easy to follow now, at least in the sense that she knew what to expect. Gwyn no longer really needed to coach her through when she needed to push, instead just focusing on encouraging her onward and giving her updates on the progress of the pup she was working hard to birth. It was always toward the end when the pain was at its peak that she squeezed the hardest on Artorias' paw while she clenched her teeth, her eyes squeezing shut against he effort of it while whines and groans escaped her. Luckily their fourth child didn't cause the same issues that their third had and even though there was still plenty of effort needed to bring them into the world, there wasn't nearly as much worry involved. Putting all of her effort into one final push, their next child slid free and she was able to collapse back into Artorias again with a heavy sigh while she panted hard to catch her breath. She would be forever grateful for the fact that Gwynevere was so attentive and so willing to clean up each pup through this whole process. She was certain not all women—or many, if she had to guess—had this kind of care through their briths and she would forever be in debt to her sister-in-law. Their second daughter was placed next to her siblings and Briar grinned when she saw the mix of tans and creams that painted the little girl. While their boys did show some markings similar to hers, they were very much done up in their father's colors. It wasn't until their fourth child that they finally saw any of her earthen-hued coloring. "Your blue and black genes finally met their match..." she joked with a little chuckle, admiring their newest daughter with a loving smile.

There was little time before their final pup began to make their appearance, but in a way Briar was grateful. As powerful as this experience had been and as grateful as she was for the chance to experience it, she was ready to be done. She was tired and in pain and beyond ready to be able to rest and enjoy their new family. But first she needed to struggle through one more birth. That was her motivation as she bore the strain of her final contractions and the pain that this last pup brought. She very quickly realized that the last had decided to take after its brothers in size and she couldn't help but wish that the fifth had come third before she was so exhausted. Each push as she worked to bring this last, large pup into the world began to make her tremble lightly with the effort and strain she was under, hardly even hearing any of Gwyn or Art's encouragements any more as she focused every bit of energy she had left into pushing the pup free. At one point she wondered if she was going to be able to manage, but several screams and one last hard push later it was finally over. She collapsed into Artorias, her head laying on the upper part of his foreleg like a pillow, panting hard to catch her breath and chase away the dizziness she felt in her exhaustion.

Still, when she heard the cries of their third and final daughter a smile still pulled across her features, blinking open her eyes and feeling them fill with overwhelmed, emotional, relieved tears. She was still too tired to lift her head to look at their last pup, but she tipped her head up enough to look at Artorias, a grin pulling at her lips as she looked at the father of her children, her husband, her mate. Together they had made this wonderful, perfect family that she had the distinct honor of saying she brought into this world. Finally she was able to lift her head with a bit of effort and she saw the girl had a blend of her browns with hints of her turquoise and Art's blue along her sides. "She's beautiful... They're all beautiful..." she mused in amazement, having to blink away tears as she looked down at where they were laying at her stomach.

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"