Here we go!! Please allow @Khali and @Olive to post first. Any others are welcome after that; however, if you do hop in, please keep in mind that I intend to keep this a quickly moving thread. If you hold it up for longer than 24 hours or so, I'm probably going to skip you. No offense intended--just wanna get these kids borned! <3
Forward-dated to tomorrow.
Lily didn't have the benefit of a calendar to let her know when the pups were meant to come. But it felt too long--like some invisible date had came and went, and now she hung in limbo. She paced restlessly near her whelping den for days, eating whatever was brought to her, barely sleeping. Was this how it was all the time? She didn't remember her mother having such trouble.
It was a pleasant, partly-cloudy early afternoon, and Lily started to feel a gurgling in her stomach again. She had been having problems with indigestion; the breakfast this morning seemed no exception. With a groan, she rose to her paws, trying to ignore the cramps. The poop would come, she knew. She just had to walk it out.
Except this particular poop was a painful one, and the blackbird ended up panting and groaning near the brush by the den, eyes and teeth clenched shut against the pain. Ripple after ripple of agony surged through her body, until--ah, sweet relief. Lily turned to examine what hellish feces had wrought such calamity upon her insides, and froze, her face going blank with astonishment.
A whitish-clear sac of flesh, smeared with blood, was on the ground where she had been sitting. With a small cry, Lily surged toward it, tearing the sac with gentle but insistent teeth and revealing a perfect little dark pup. A perfect little not breathing dark pup. Beginning to panic, she licked it, whining, trying to stimulate something. She knew well that not all pups survived, but she hadn't expected. . .
Oh, please, wake up,
she begged, tears beginning to stream down her face. Please, please, wake up.
But after a few minutes more of attempting to rouse the babe, it still did not move, and Lily sat back with a moan in her throat, grieving. It was not long after that before she felt more cramps--which she now recognized as contractions--ripple through her, these more painful than the previous.
Lily managed a strangled cry for her mate and for Olive, a seasoned midwife, before the agony nearly knocked her flat. She crawled into the whelping den, torchlight eyes fixed, haunted, on the corpse of a child that would never see the light of day. Wave after wave of excruciating cramps, and then. . .
Another pup, paler this time. Again, she ripped the sac, and it did not breathe, did not cry out. The process was repeated, the same results were yielded.
"Your babes will die." She remembered, suddenly, the voice of that grotesque hunchbacked young man. Something had been off about him from the start, and now Lily knew he had put some sort of curse on her. She half-sat up, beginning to panic. Was she about to lose her entire first litter of children?
OLIVE!!!
Lily shrieked, her voice ripping through the willows. KHALI!!
Khali was not far from his mate, knowing it had been a while since he found out she was with kid and wouldn’t be too much longer. He rounded a bush and looked for something to bring to her and that’s when he heard a silent cry. Unknowingly it was Lily’s first cry for their first born child who didn’t make it. For a moment he stood there and it went away but as he began to walk again he heard his name from Lily in a panic. Something was wrong and he couldn’t shake the feeling it was because of the pups. So many thoughts rushed to his head.
With a clouded mind he full force ran toward the echo of his voice. All he could think about was, is lily safe? And are the pups okay?. Right now nothing mattered to him just getting to her and helping her anyway he could. As he rolled up to her he saw two pups lifeless on the ground. For now, he was going to Be strong for Lily as he should be because no one should go through it alone. Later he would mourn the loss of his other children, THEIR other children but for now he could only help Lily.
“It’s going to be alright I’m sure Olive is on the way. Is there anything you need right now my love? I want to help” Khali wanted to help but felt so helpless seeing her in pain. He wished that he could take the pain away from her and put it on himself, every pain she had he wished he could grab and make it go away somehow. Khali got a little closer and laid a small kiss on her head, they would get through this together.
I’m going to be a bit slow the next week, but this thread will be my priority ♥ No hard feelings if you skip Olive!
Knowing that Lily’s time was coming close, Olive did not stray far. Still, she gave the nesting mother her room — but the druid was always available and willing to share a calming word or a silly anecdote whenever the young mother desired. Olive was also busy reveling in her own pregnancy, sweet and calm as it was, and she loved the season where she could practice her midwifery so freely.
There were the smallest buds of spring arriving all over the hushed willows, and Olive tended to her garden regularly, wishing to give her nursery the best start possible. She sowed and sprouted medicinal herbs as well as flowers simply for their beauty, and every so often she would move a seedling or two to their sanctuary’s rose garden so that small pops of random colored flowers amongst the sea of crimson velvet might one day delight her and Lily and Sunny’s children.
Lily cried her name and, not immediately recognizing the panic in her voice, Olive assumed that her labor had started and she was being summoned for the event in the scared way that all new mother do. With a smile on her face she dropped her current task, picked up a few of her newest medicines and made her way over to the blackbird’s whelping den. Khali was already there, and Olive realized her assumption had not been too far off — but the circumstances were much more sad. Slower now, she walked over to the laboring woman and pressed her nose against each of the two pups. dead.
Olive exhaled deeply. “Oh, sweetheart.” Her voice was soft, trying to keep Lily and Khali calm [the latter of which was as centered as ever]. “It is the price we, as women, pay for the children we do have. They might never breathe, but we do not stop loving them.” She did not want to touch the woman without asking, so she comforted with words. “The others will make it all worth it. I promise.” She picked up a few of her herbs delicately and set them down next to Lily. The spring’s earliest chamomile. “Chew this,” she instructed, hoping the fear and the worry wouldn’t poison this experience for Lily. It really did happen to most women, but that did not diminish the pain the loss created.
no worries dear! <3
Khali arrived first, and while she was grateful for her mate's company, he wasn't a midwife. Still, she leaned into his touch, for some reason or another lacking the normal aggression that marked new mothers. Maybe it was because she had already given up, with two pups dead in front of her? If there was nothing to protect, then why bristle?
Just stay with me,
Lily blubbered, trembling like a leaf in autumn. I--
She was racked with another contraction and dipped her head, groaning, only for Olive to arrive on the scene seconds later. The sylph's sweet voice filled the air, a balm to her broken heart, and herbs were placed before her. Without hesitation, she gulped them down, wondering what intestinal price she'd pay for the calming tendencies they'd offer.
The pain just kept increasing; it was relentless, and she laid down, sobbing, trying to imagine herself anywhere else but this. A blinding set of contractions, then, and Khali and Olive blurred in her vision. . .and then relief, as another babe left her body.
Lily turned, utterly fearful, using teeth gentle as anything to tear the sac and begin to clean the pup--which promptly began to wail. She burst into fresh tears, murmuring wordless endearments to the child and laving the tissues of an old world from its perfect newborn flesh. A girl, fiery cream like Khali. @Lana,
she whispered, her friend's face coming suddenly to mind. With Olive's help, she nestled the little pup close to her belly, heaving a sigh of relief the suckling began.
Oh, Khali, we have a little girl,
Lily bawled, pressing her forehead against his nearby form. There was only a short respite before the ripples started again, but it was easier, now--as if the chamomile had started to work. A feeling of serenity had come over her, a connection to the ground beneath her, and the daughter at her teat.
Soon, a second squalling child was born: a pale boy who struck her as unfamiliar thus far, but whom she would later name @Ziggy, after the first sounds the lad would make. He was ushered close to Lana, and the storm clouds that had closed in around her began to clear. It would be all right. The hunchback had been wrong.
Lily turned to the pair assembled with an exhausted but exuberant smile that could rival the sun for its brightness. . .and a dull ache in her womb suggested that there was more to come.
Lana had been the perfect child in the womb. Never kicking and never really moving too much so that her mother could have allll the energy to deal with her as she came into the world. Lana waited each day her patience was wearing down, this place was getting uncomfortable but still she didn’t stir or make fuss.
As she entered the world the creamy pup was not happy. As Lily cleaned her all she could do was wail in rebellion. She did not want to be touched nor did she want to be pushed to suckle. No matter how bad she wanted to not suckle the sweet scent drew her in like no other. Lana latched down and when the sweet substance hit her mouth a soft muffled coo had left her, letting her mother know that for now she was content. Slowly she suckled and eventually fell asleep from the warmth that was radiating off her mom.
Eventually another warm but small thing had touched her, awakening her from her beauty sleep. A curdling whine escaped her, a protest against being woken up. All she wanted to do was take a nap!
Khali obeyed his mate and laid beside her, every so often giving a loving nuzzle as he felt she needed one. “Whatever you need I’m here” he whispered to her as she began to have another pup. His heart pumped a bit faster, these were there pups and he was so excited to see how they grew up. As scared as he was he kept calm for Lily who was doing the birthing.
As she cleaned off the baby he watched and let a smile grow on his face as the little one whined. The whine was all he needed as it was music to his ears. She said the name they had agreed upon before and he lit up. The precious bean was so pure. As Lily laid her forehead upon him he gently laid a kiss on her head. “Shes beautiful, like her mother.” He said and looked up at Olive who was there to monitor his mate. He thanked her silently as Olive had been there for Lily’s so much.
Khali watched as another was born, a pale little boy, he was excited to see a male born. Someone who can keep his bloodline going like all males intend. There was tragedy here yes, but all the man could think was that it lead to something more beautiful and cherished than the darkness they thought had engulfed them. He wondered how many others would come before there were no more.
Watching a mother birth her children was always a sight to behold, and this one truthfully did not go much different than most — crying, dread, the mother wondering what she ever did to deserve such a fate — but that moment when the mother met her firstborn child, that’s what it was all about. After that, it was all over; the struggle, the pain. It was a hit of oxytocin that Olive received even though she herself was not giving birth, it was that strong, and it existed here and now between Lily and her little girl. Olive saw that sparkle, that glimmer of hope, simple and beautiful, as clear as day.
Olive ooh-ed and aww-ed from afar, allowing the new mother and father a close proximity to the magic. There were the moments that could not be returned. The effect of new motherhood — or was it chamomile? — was writ across the faces of both Lily and Khali and Olive reveled in it. This is exactly why she became a midwife.
With a new air of calmness Lily surrendered the entrance of her second child and, already an expert, she nudged him to her teat beside his sister. Olive beamed with pride at the young blackbird and her dutiful lover. They both deserved this, they so did. Though Olive suspected all was not over, she moved closer slowly and gave the pups a visual inspection. She would not touch the babes without the mother’s consent, and there really was no need to put that on Lily right now — from her assessment, both babes appeared healthy, breathing and suckling fine and strong. “Lily,” she cooed. “Look at your babies! They are healthy and simply exquisite.”
She couldn't have asked for better companions during her labor. Sooner or later, probably, @Seabreeze came around as well, and the scene became even more wonderful. Before she could rest on her laurels, more contractions came, insistent. There were more. Lily didn't quite know what to think.
But with a little help from all her friends, she finally birthed the last of her litter, a slender dark boy she knew instinctively was her Cam. He was quieter than the others, allowing her ministrations with hardly a peep—in horror, at first, she had thought him dead.
At some point, the trio of babes were at her belly, the placenta had been birthed, and the chamomile was in full force. Her eyes narrowed to contented slits, Lily lay back, head cradled near where Khali was. She stared intermittently between the wolves gathered, lost for words. Pretty soon, the pups had taken their fill and were fast asleep.
Your babes will die. He hadn't said all of them, though.
She would mourn her two lost little ones when she had been given the chance to sleep and think on it. Her heart could only handle so much at a time, and right now, all its energy was focused on Lana, Ziggy, and Cam. She was dirty, smelly, and utterly exhausted—and happier than she had ever been.
As she was giving birth his attention was on no one else. Khali monitored her as she gave birth to their last child, he looked like his mother a pure black boy. His heart skipped a beat as it was bitter sweet to have 3 healthy beautiful children with the love of his life. All he could think about was the memories he would make with his family in the months to come. Khali smiled at Lily and gave her a small kiss after she laid back toward him. “You did it my love” he whispered peering over at the little ones suckling.
He definitely knew it would be an adventure but it was worth every second of it. He was sure that watching his kids grow up would be the best accomplishment in the world.
casually sliding another response in here for mastery purposes
Olive was simply pleased when Seabreeze joined — they gazed at each other adoringly as Lily began to pass another pup, having gone through this experience with each other twice already, but quickly directed their attentions back to Lily. All went smoothly, and then she had three puppies suckling at her belly. No more, no less. It was perfect.
“We’ll give you all your space,” she said softly, not wishing to disturb the picture-perfect family. They needed space, and now that Lily and the pups were safe. “I will return later with some other medicine for you. Just to help your body adjust to being a mother.” she wasn’t exactly sure which herbs in her garden would suit this purpose, but she hoped the stars and her finely-tuned intuition would help her guide the way. Then Seabreeze and she departed, and reveled in the happiness of Elysium producing its first litter (!!!)