in the safe recesses of the blackthorn den, chickadee strained and cried and whimpered, tended to by @Maia, @Eljay, bridget, and @Kivaluk. she knew of the women's circle among the moon wolves, but this was so great a pain and so vast a trial that she only wanted these ones close.
it was hard, having begun almost a day ago. first she had walked, complaining, then she had taken to swimming the lake when the back pains began.
and when chickadee had clambered roundly onto the muddy shores, her own waters had broken there, and she had cried out in great surprise. and then her contractions had begun in earnest, great horrible pains which sank her to the earth in wide-eyed shock and confusion at how horribly a body could rend.
by evening she knew, and by nightfall she had stalled, teeth clenched as body refused to progress any further.
midnight brought with it a long and cleansing rain which soaked the trees and daubed the flowers with pools of glowing light beneath the stars; at last she relaxed and slept in fitful grasps of dreamscape.
just before dawn, @Eagle was born, a body clad in soft colors of dark ash and river clays. "eagle eljay," chickadee whispered, as tears poured down her face, released from some place within her.
as the sun grew over the horizon, @Crane followed, a child of stone dust and sable. "crane maia," she named this one, looking at the boy with exhausted love that washed over her a second time, just as strongly.
when at last dawn broke in watery golden radiance, @Cardinal arrived, a tiny girl clad almost completely in the autumn shades which accented her father. "cardinal sakhmet," the young mother whispered, experiencing a pang for the woman she did not think she would ever meet. but this paled beneath the cascade of adoration for the daughter, her only daughter, her first.
no more children came, and she was free to lie back among the loving care of brecheliant, eagerly motioning kivaluk to her side with a soft laugh. "look! they're all so gorgeous, babe."