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+--- Thread: Dragoncrest Cliffs Merry ground (/showthread.php?tid=20512)
Merry ground - Wildfire - February 09, 2017
She hadn't been back to the Hyperion tree since the near miss, though Wildfire ventured there this morning, watchful but unwilling to let the unpleasant encounter keep her away forever. She sniffed around the felled tree, finding no sign of his scent, and then padded into the mouth. The she-wolf didn't linger long, just hovered just inside the trunk for a few moments before retreating back to the safety of Drageda.
She killed a rabbit near the outskirts, then carried it back to her own hollow tree. She curled up inside and began to eat, quickly polishing off the fresh meat and then licking the blood from her jowls, chest and paws. Wildfire stepped back outside to stretch out in the winter sunlight when she was finished, resting her weight on her right elbow and peering down at her own flank as if hoping to see a baby bump. She was still as trim and slender as ever. She hadn't experienced morning sickness, frequent urination or any other symptoms of early pregnancy, yet none of this dampened her spirits. Wildfire didn't need any outward signs to know she was with child.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - February 12, 2017
portia had planned on just finding a crevice somewhere in the cavern to give birth in. it was big enough, safe enough, and she would still be by her stores if anything bad were to happen. it just so happened though that, while she was out, she came across a fairly large den. she almost passed it, but backtracked at the scent of dead flesh. she ducked her way into the den and found a small fox family, frozen where they lay. her tail waved happily as she realized what this meant. besides food, this wouldn't be a terrible place to set up shop. she could get @Dio to do the dirty work and make it a bit bigger, maybe, but otherwise it was perfect.
she brought two of the three foxes back, holding them by their tails. when she left to go get the third, she passed wildfire, her tai wagging in a friendly manner as she came closer. "wifi!" she called, noting that the woman was checking her stomach. portia had yet to have any symptoms yet, but she wasn't really worried either way. pups would be nice, but if she somehow escaped this with no little responsibilities clinging to her teats-- she'd be a-okay.
"how do you feel, hun?"
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - February 12, 2017
She couldn't explain, even to herself, the confidence she felt in her own womb. Wildfire didn't bother questioning it, either. With a smile on her face, she gently groomed her abdomen, smoothing her tongue over the fine red hairs that thinned near her belly. She was just about to sit up a little and hike a leg into the air to give her delicate bits a once-over when she heard footsteps and glanced up to see Portia.
Assuming a much more ladylike pose—she sat up on her haunches, black tail curled around her hip like a scarf—the Bandrona positively beamed at the Fisa. "I feel wonderful," she veritably breathed, chestnut eyes sparkling. "How about you?" she asked with genuine interest and delight in her voice, suddenly bounding onto her sprightly feet and moving forward to nudge Portia's neck, then inspect her midsection.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - February 23, 2017
her tail wagged at wifi's comment, noting her emphasis on just how wonderful she was. it was cute, wildfire was so ready for these pups-- and they weren't even a sure thing yet! though, wildfire seemed pretty set on the fact that she was pregnant-- portia wouldn't tell her any different.
"warmer," she teased playfully, her tail waving, "but i'm doing well!" her comment was followed by a dip of the firey woman's head to inspect her midsection, and portia stood still for it. "i haven't showed any signs," she said with a smile, shifting slightly in a shrug. "it's a bit early-- have you had any morning sickness?" she asked genuinely, curious but mostly wondering so she could address anything with herbs.
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - February 23, 2017
There was no outward change in Portia's size, either, which made sense; she only had a few days' head start on the Bandrona. Wildfire withdrew, gaze traveling back up to the woman's face as she reported no noticeable changes in routine yet. She wondered if the medic felt as sure about her own pregnancy as Wildfire did about hers.
"No," she answered with an accompanying shake of her head, "but I know I'm carrying. A mother's intuition?" she quipped with a swish of her tail. "I've been nesting," she shared in the next breath, motioning with her head toward the hollow tree nearby. "Come check this out," she said, leading Portia over to her makeshift den and then standing aside to let the other she-wolf inspect it.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - February 23, 2017
portia nodded. "let me know if you do... i'm sure i can find something to ease it," she told her with a smile. at the redheads next comment, portia's tail began to wave. "really?" she asked with a bright tone, "i found something suitable, i think." her last comment was tacked on sort of slowly, wondering if she should even bother just yet. wildfire seemed sure that she was pregnant, but portia was not sure just yet and was not a fan of doing extra heavy-work that didn't relate specifically to plants.
but she nodded, happy to follow the other to see her future whelping den, her tail still wagging. the fisa gave it a quick look over before her green gaze fell back to wildfire. "how quaint!" she said in a light purr, her ears pricked, "it looks cozy!" she stepped forward to stick her head into the opening, her tail steadying as she sniffed it carefully. it smelled safe (for a moment she worried about spores growing inside) and so she pulled back to look at wildfire again.
"i don't know if you've given it much thought, hun, but are you going to let heda in for the birth?" she asked, her head cocking. she herself had already decided that dio would be kicked out-- mostly because she didn't want him to see her look so disheveled. he could come in when she'd groomed both herself and her babies up. wildfire might not care so much about what she looked like as she did, but all mothers varied.
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - February 24, 2017
She smiled proudly when Portia praised her choice of den. "I'd like to see yours too, if you don't mind showing me," she expressed when the Fisa rejoined her outside the door. "Is it somewhere here in the forest? I know it would probably be safer to give birth in the caves but... I can't imagine being stuck underground for weeks on end. I also don't want to raise pups in near total darkness." Wildfire hummed.
When asked about the commander's role when it came time to whelp, Wildfire immediately answered, "Of course." She blinked, then paused with a slight tilt of her head. "Why wouldn't I?" She hadn't actually give it any thought until just now. But the Bandrona could not think of any reason to bar Thuringwethil from witnessing the miracle of birth and being there from the pups' very first breaths. "Is there some reason she shouldn't be there?" she fretted, wondering if perhaps there was a medical reason she should isolate herself.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - February 28, 2017
portia smiled. "sure," she purred, "it's not much and will be pretty dark... i feel you there hun, but it feels right for me... you know?" wildfire would understand, she seemed to have this whole maternal instinct down pat already. she shook her fur out before doing a quick little half-step-bounce forward for her friend to follow.
"of course not, it won't affect your health," she responded reassuringly, noting the slight worry in wildfire's voice. "i was a midwife in my birth pack-- and occasionally when my temporary packs needed one. the birthing place is usually just small and adding more full sized wolves was just cramped, and if the mate started to worry too much it was just some added stress that usually upset the mother... so she'd usually end up kicking them out," she explained (or possibly rambled). she then shrugged, smiled, and added "it's personal preference, really."
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - February 28, 2017
She nodded quickly, hoping she hadn't insulted Portia's choice in whelping dens. But she didn't get a chance to find out because the medicine woman didn't linger on the topic. She addressed Wildfire's questions about her mate's attendance at the birth. The Bandrona considered the words, which made a fair bit of sense. The tree was big enough to accommodate both she-wolves plus a brood of reasonable size—otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen it—but it made sense that she might require more space during the actual birthing process.
"I don't even know what Thur—Heda wants to do," Wildfire confessed. "I'll have to ask her. I'd like her to be there or at least very close by." She hummed thoughtfully again, then felt a slight uptick in her pulse as she suddenly found herself thinking about giving birth and all it entailed. "Did the she-wolves you helped—did you give them medication of any kind? Or did they just do it all naturally?" she wondered.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - March 06, 2017
her friend responded by saying that she would talk to thuringwethil about it, but was still convinced she would stay close-by. portia didn't argue, she didn't know what would happen. for all she knew, wildfire would be calm and understanding during labor, and wouldn't snap her mate out of the den. the fisa could not say the same for herself.
"well," she hummed thoughtfully, her tail flicking as she padded (rather bouncily) towards her den, "there isn't much i can do for pain. i've stored some chamomile specifically for us both, but that'll mostly just relax the muscles. it'll be more comfortable, but i can't stop the contractions from doing what they're supposed to do." it was a dry joke-- she wasn't sure wildfire would think it was too funny, but it was true. childbirth was painful and tiresome, and there was little she could do to help that. "and then i have some raspberry leaves. that helps to make sure everything runs smoothly," she added with a soft shrug, "most mothers take the herbs, but i have had one or two stubborn mothers refuse. their children turned out just fine."
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - March 07, 2017
The Bandrona fell into step alongside her companion as Portia presumably led the way toward her den of choice. She pricked her ears, her heart still fluttering a little nervously in her chest over the whole idea of childbirth. She bit her lip when Portia said she couldn't do much for the pain, which was chief among Wildfire's concerns, naturally. But if generations of she-wolves before her could do it, then so could she. She even contemplated trying to do it all without any kind of medical intervention.
Swallowing a little dryly, Wildfire wondered, "About how long does labor and delivery last?" The Fisa hadn't experienced it herself yet but surely she would have gleaned this knowledge working as a midwife.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - March 07, 2017
"well," portia began, pausing as she stepped over a fallen branch, "most females are in labor anywhere from 2-5 hours." it was a bit lengthy, and though the pros usually outweighed the cons, it was still a long and uncomfortable (if not painful) process. it was one of the reasons portia herself was so meh about the whole pregnancy topic. she of course wouldn't mind them, having children with dio made her feel so much closer to him, but the process of pregnancy and childbirth and childcare just sort of... well, it took some of the sparkle.
finally, the fisa spotted the old den, nosing her friend's shoulder. "there!" she exclaimed, padding over to it with a wave of her tail. it was exactly how she left it, and exactly what anyone would expect-- a dark den dug underground. it was nothing special. "it still sort of reeks of fox..." she muttered, ears flattening, "but i'm going to plant some lavender outside to help." then, with a breathy gasp, she ducked inside and pulled out the last fox, almost completely forgetting about it. she dropped it beside them, giving a dainty sniff. "i think the cold got them," she explained with a shrug.
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - March 07, 2017
It was more than Wildfire would prefer but honestly less than she had expected. She had more questions but she stayed her tongue momentarily as they arrived at Portia's den. She had half-expected to be led to an offshoot of the caverns but this was a literal foxhole. Wildfire watched as Portia actually pulled out a dead body, brows lifting in mild amusement. She liked the idea of planting flowers and made a note to ask the Fisa if she could borrow some seeds to decorate her own space, just for the sake of it.
"It's a really nice spot, Portia," the Bandrona surmised after a look around. She thrust her head inside and wrinkled her nose at the pungent smell before withdrawing. "Why are foxes so stinky?" she quipped before backpedaling, settling on her haunches and firing off a callback to their previous subject: "Do the pups come out all at once or one by one?" As the words left her mouth, she felt a slight flush of embarrassment because it sounded more than a little stupid.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - March 10, 2017
"well," portia said, giving the question a few heartbeats of genuine thought, "the lord had to compensate for making them so damn sneaky." she stared at the creature a few heartbeats longer, wrinkling her nose. nothing more to be done, she supposed.
her gaze flicked back up to wifi, tail waving. "one by one... i'm hoping i just have to deal with one," she shared freely. one little baby was all she needed-- she could spoil it rotten, not have to deal with fifteen others. it'd be less work to get out of her too. though, she remembered something thuringwethil had told her a little bit ago, and hesitated. "er-- two," she corrected, remembering something about leadership and taking the kids away... or something... "two would be enough for me," she repeated, more confidently.
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - March 10, 2017
Before she could stop herself, Wildfire quirked a brow at the mention of the lord. But she quickly smoothed out her expression and pressed her lips together. They parted again a moment later, a vaguely puzzled look floating across her face when Portia asserted that she wanted one, no, two pups at most.
"Really?" she asked, head tilted with genuine interest and curiosity. "I think I'd like four or five, especially if they don't come out simultaneously." She huffed a laugh. "My parents had big litters, so the chances are good." Her tail swished as she contemplated how wonderful it would be, surrounded by so many little ones.
She fell quiet for a few beats, then in a low voice, said, "Can I ask something that's possibly even dumber? And probably a little TMI..." Wildfire barely gave Portia a chance to respond before asking, "Will giving birth totally destroy—my bits?" It was something she wished she could have asked her mother, though that possibility was gone now. She gnawed at her bottom lip as she peered at the Fisa, her cheeks feeling a little hot.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - March 11, 2017
"a pup for each limb," she commented with a light giggle, "i couldn't do it-- mama needs at least two free feet." she rocked a bit on her feet, like she was emphasizing it, but she really just looked a bit silly. "but i hope you're blessed with a whole bundle of squirmy babies, hun," she added, giving her friend a soft lick on the shoulder. she'd be fine with just little couple-- that was all she needed.
wifi's next question caught her off guard because, well, she didn't know. portia stared at the other for a moment before her eyebrows furrowed and she turned her head to stared more intensely at the ground in thought. "you know, i've never stuck around a pack long enough after a birth to really find out," she told her honestly. when she was younger and a more 'permanent' midwife, no one really cared to tell her about the more uncomfortable side-effects of childbirth. and when she was traveling, she mostly just helped a mother through labor, and then peaced out. she was sort of stumped. "i'm gonna say you'll be fine, wolves have plenty of litters after their first... and are plenty active," she added, raising an eyebrow and letting out a playful growl.
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - March 13, 2017
Wildfire felt a flicker of worry when Portia reacted with uncertainty. That didn't bode well, though the Fisa calmly pointed out that many she-wolves went on to live normally and even bear more children. A low breath whooshed out of the Bandrona as she nodded her head jerkily. She tried to remember whether her mother had experienced any issues after giving birth to her younger brothers. But she had been too young—and that had been so long ago—that Wildfire couldn't remember.
Suddenly, a freezing cold sensation took root in her chest and spread through her bloodstream like icicles. "My mother," she choked out suddenly, her voice failing her so that she couldn't complete her sentence. How could she have forgotten about the particular circumstances of Fox's death? She had been so caught up in the sense of loss, Wildfire hadn't taken the time to look at it with an objective lens.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - March 14, 2017
"your mother?" portia echoed quietly, concerned. wildfire seemed to get drastically worse after that comment-- which scared her, since she felt she'd done a decent job keeping her nerves down about the whole childbirth thing. worried, the fisa stepped closer and nudged her friend below the chin, her tail wagging slowly and lowly at her haunches. "it'll be okay, hun, you'll be fine. your babies will turn out just fine," she said reassuringly. she couldn't remember anything about wildfire's mother-- though she was almost positive the other had mentioned her once or twice. hopefully wifi would calm down, nerves weren't so great for the babies.
RE: Merry ground - Wildfire - March 14, 2017
"Your mother?" Portia echoed, worry in her voice as she gave Wildfire a comforting nudge. The Bandrona just nodded mutely, unable to find her voice for a moment before finally saying, "She died giving birth to my younger siblings at the beginning of the year." She had processed through her grief and loss by now, yet she felt a surge of fear that she could share in her mother's fate. Was that kind of thing hereditary in some way?
She swallowed again and again, trying to push down the sudden and overwhelming feeling of terror. Portia's soothing voice and reassurances helped and Wildfire shot her a grateful look. "They'll be okay," she repeated softly, trying to reclaim some of her earlier joy. There was no way of knowing what might happen when the day came and worrying about it wouldn't do her any good. Besides, Portia would be somewhere near at hand, if anything did go amiss...
It took her a few more moments to fully recover from the brief episode of panic, which ended with a giant, gusty breath. "Thanks, Portia," Wildfire murmured, feeling a little sheepish for bringing down the room. "Think I'm gonna head back to the den, get some rest while I still can... I'll see you later." She nudged the medicine woman's cheek, then turned and padded back to her redwood tree, chanting, Your babies will turn out just fine, with every footstep.
RE: Merry ground - Portia - March 15, 2017
portia was unsure what to say, and instead offered another lick to her chin and a soft whine to show her compassion. she didn't really care much for her mother-- and even now knew nothing about her whereabouts. she assumed she was still alive and kicking, pressuring her sisters to be nothing but a pretty face. she didn't know the circumstances in which wildfire's mother passed-- she could've been old, or sick, or maybe she didn't have a proper medic around. regardless, portia had nothing to offer the bandrona except her own physical support.
"you'll all be okay," she repeated with a gentle smile. wildfire said her goodbye and padded off, leaving the fisa to watch her go. she waited until wildfire was safely in the distance before she grabbed hold of the last remaining fox and began to drag it to the nearest cache.