Blacktail Deer Plateau Beyond the veil

By now, Pied was used to the discomfort of pregnancy, yet when she woke in the wee hours of the morning to a sharp, stabbing pain in her abdomen, she knew it wasn't normal. Blinking herself awake, she sat up with a quiet moan, only to find herself alone in the burrow. Kisu, where the hell are you? she thought. Her mate was an early riser and, judging by the faded purple light filtering down from the den's entrance, it was just about dawn. He was likely out hunting or patrolling.

Gingerly, the dappled Xi rose onto all fours and moved toward the short tunnel that led aboveground. A hiss of pain tore loose from her mouth and she slid backward, plopping on the hard, cool ground of the lair. "Well, that's not happening," she muttered to herself, worry coloring her voice. She sucked in a noisy breath when another pain wracked her body and Pied realized with a start, "I'm in labor." These pains were contractions.

Trying not to think about how it was still far too early for her to deliver, Pied circled and lay on her side, whining as the labor progressed. In what seemed only minutes, she felt something small and slippery glide between her legs and she strained forward to lick the freshly-birthed puppy clean and dry. It was very small but healthy and lively... and it was a girl. "Saēna." Nudging the pale blob of fur toward her flank, she then lay back again, panting as she struggled through a fresh wave of contractions.

Perhaps ten minutes later, another pup slipped into the world. Again, Pied bent forward to swipe her tongue over the puppy, its fur darker than the first. This one was a boy and the name Kisu had chosen for a son was, "Pura." She pushed him toward her belly too, where he began to suckle beside his sister. Pied wanted to look more closely at her children, memorizing every little detail of their tiny faces, yet the pain caused her to collapse again, her cheek resting against the earthen floor as her body prepared to deliver another puppy.

An hour passed and Pied felt as if her body was being torn open by fearsome claws. She cried out, writhing there alone in the dim burrow, her hind legs kicking at the near wall. Abruptly, she felt a savage pain slice through her abdomen, followed by a loosening sensation and a gush of blood, which looked black and oily in the gloom. Pied whimpered low in her throat when she leaned forward and saw the enormous puddle pooling at her hindquarters... but no puppy to show for it.

Suddenly, she felt woozy. "Oh, god," she gasped between paling lips. Too much blood...! she thought. She wanted to call out for Kisu or Blue Willow or somebody. Yet the strength had abruptly drained out of her and Pied could barely lift her head now, much less call for help. Even as panic caused her breath to catch in her throat, she sprawled on the den floor, the two pups suckling at her breast and the pool of blood spreading further around her pale, dappled body...

She heard footfalls just outside the den and tried to shout. Only a dry whisper escaped her muzzle. "Please... take them... Hawkeye..." Hopefully whoever it was had heard her. Weakened, the young mother sighed and grew very still, her cheek still flush with the floor. Her vision dimmed even as daylight strengthened beyond the tomb-like den. Before long, Pied's world completely faded to black, though her eyes remained open, staring unseeingly at the den wall.

He left his family slumbering peacefully in the dark and set out at daybreak to perform a quick patrol before hunting down Pied to check on his expecting niece. By the time he tracked her down to her burrow near the rear of the territory, dawn light brightened the sky in the east. He yawned idly as he approached, though his jaws snapped shut with a sudden and loud click when he seemed to hit a wall of scent. Blood, he thought with trepidation.

Creeping closer, Peregrine froze when he heard a small voice issuing from within the lair. "Please... take them... Hawkeye..." He remained very still for a beat, his heart pounding, before abruptly leaping toward the den's mouth and crashing down the narrow tunnel, practically landing on top of Pied's prone body when he landed.

"Pied!" the swarthy Alpha male gasped when he saw her lying on the floor, two damp pups wiggling at her side. There was blood everywhere. "Oh, shit... shit!" he yelled inanely, stepping closer to her and touching his muzzle to the side of her neck. She was warm, yet he felt no pulse. Panicking, he moved his nose in front of hers. No breath. He realized with a start that her eyes were open and staring.

"Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck," he muttered as the realization dawned on him: she was dead. He stared at her face for a moment, then gently prodded her just to be sure. His stomach now in his mouth, he then backpedaled a few feet, blinking in shock at his niece's dead, deflated body.

Then he noticed the two puppies again and Pied's words—her last words—ringing in his ears. "Take them to Hawkeye," he murmured to himself. "Hurry." They would need warmth, care and sustenance immediately.

He grabbed the first puppy, a blueish gray boy, and lifted him. Quickly, Peregrine scurried out of the burrow and paused outside its doorway. He set the newborn puppy gently on the ground, then hesitated before lifting his head and issuing a powerful, distressed howl over the plateau. "I need help at Pied's den! Come immediately!"

Shifting restlessly for a moment, Peregrine deliberated before leaving the small pup near the den's entrance, crashing down inside again, then retrieving the pale female as well and bringing her to the surface. The Alpha male then stood over both newborns, waiting for help to arrive and trying not to let the harsh reality of the situation overwhelm him just yet.

Hope you guys don't mind my post. >_> It doesn't make much sense.

The length of time between her birth and the death of her mother was an infinite, undefined period, but it may as well have been seconds, or thousands of years. Her senses, limited to touch, taste, and the vaguest notion of smell, were incapable of comprehending anything that had happened in the last hour-or-so, or even comprehending how long it had been. The pressure of the birthing canal had been brief and was already forgotten. The kick of her sibling at her side had been brief and was already forgotten. The soothing feel of Pied's tongue on her very small back had been brief and was already forgotten. Everything, every experience, was a brief and then forgotten sensation.

It would be many days before tiny Saēna Virtúte was capable of any comprehension, and many days longer than that before she would commit anything to memory. Every waking day would be a new discovery; none of those around her would become familiar, not for a month or more, not even when her ears could pull toward them and capture their sounds, not even when her eyes fixed on them. Every time she encountered them, she would meet them anew, with no recollection or capacity to remember their previous interactions. This would go on until one day, a switch would flip, and her memory would engage.

Inevitably, the mother who had brought her into this incomprehensible world had been brief and was already forgotten.

From that first instant, Saēna was therefore a blob without emotion, personality, or defining trait. She could neither comprehend nor care about her unfortunate circumstances. Her fur was white, possibly whiter even than her mother's. Her ears and tail were russet, and her tightly shut eyes swathed in the same colour, giving her a strangely bug-eyed appearance even though it would be weeks before her real ones opened. These were the only features that made her unique from any other squalling babe on the planet. She had no personality for others to comment on. She had only these markings, and they were hers alone. She would never know her mother had had similar markings, nor that every look at her would remind her widowed father of his dead wife.

Yes, she was insignificant in every way. The only thing the young babe took note of, without any mind to truly note it but in the same way a sleeping face would twitch at the brush of a feather without conscious thought, was the chill that seeped through the ground. There was no significant warmth emanating off Pied's body, and Pura was much too small as well to offer any comfort. This singular sensation set off a din of whimpering from the spotted babe, though one might have romantically imagined she was crying for her deceased mother's sake. At some point she was lifted from the floor and carried elsewhere, but having no concept of up or down, the babe didn't understand that sensation, and soon it was forgotten.

All she felt was the cold spring air ruffling her far-too-thin fur, and in instinctive response she cried out for saving. She would never know her mother had died here. She would never truly care. She would never know what it felt to lose, would never truly spare a mournful thought for poor Pied, though later life would dictate that she try to. It would always be insincere, for at this present moment, when it had really happened, she neither realized it nor cared about it.

Hai Guys

Blue Willow heard the howl and her heart dropped like a stone. She should have been near the den she should have stayed near them. She took off at a quick fast run her breath coming in gasps as she fought to push herself harder than ever before to get to Pied. Oh gods oh gods. She who did not have a set religion or anything was praying to any and all At least let the pups be okay the pups at least. She made it just as she heard the little squeal from the other pup.

Reaching the den mouth a low moan escaped her as she smelled the blood and saw Pied there, she had been so afraid of this. She had tried to skirt around the edges of the truth with Pied, but she had known always known that this could be a result. She looked at Peregrine and asked quietly "Do you want help carrying the pups to Hawkeye?

Kisu had risen early, something he always did. He gave Pied a gentle lick before leaving, doing his best not to wake the sleeping mother-to-be. It seemed to him that she hadn't been sleeping well lately. The male headed out the den with excitement, deciding to find some new spring flowers to bring to his mate.

While walking, Kisu thought impatiently that he wish the pups were here. He pictured females, he pictured males; every marking that would come from himself and Pied were mixed and matched, until he settled on a large litter of rust, grey, and the stark white his wife's fur held. All of them had indigo eyes like the small piece of Pied's orb. Smiling to himself, he continued his search for Pied's gift.

Soon, he happened upon white flowers that seemed to have been dipped in a pink. The sun had risen by now, Kisu taking his time and enjoying the scenery. He snatched a few up, and turned himself to gaily trot back to the den.

A howl cut into the air, and his stomach dropped. He froze in place, eyes focused in the direction of he and Pied's den, as if he had focused hard enough that he would see what was going on. Not a moment later, he darted forward, the taste of flowers leaking into his mouth and a look of desperation in his eyes.

When he arrived, the grey wolf saw the a black she-wolf waiting outside of the den. He moved forward slowly, as if he were walking around land mines. He looked at her with a dreaded curiosity as he lowered himself into the den, completely missing the fact that his young lay next to the female.

His mouth parted, the pale flowers dropping into a pool of blood. "No..." he whispered. Kisu moved forward, ignoring Peregrine, and gasping quietly when he saw Pied's lifeless eyes. He nudged his nose into the side of her face anyway. Then, Kisu did so again. A whimper rose in his throat. Burying his black nose into her throat, golden eyes shut tightly. Kisu lifted his muzzle and howled a song of primal love and sorrow.

A few beats later, he opened his eyes and panicked, looking around rapidly. He jumped up and ran out of the den, only slightly relieved when he saw the two pups, tiny as could be. He ran over to them, nudging them to see if they were alive. "We need to bring them to Hawkeye..." Kisu said quietly, voice grave. He picked up the white one in his mouth, hoping that either the female or Peregrine would follow with the other close behind.

Another wolf materialized quickly and Peregrine felt a measure of relief when he saw Blue Willow's familiar face. In that moment, he randomly thought, She would make a great Beta female. The thought swirled away into the ether as she drew near, astutely ascertained the situation and then asked the Alpha male if he needed help.

"Yes, but let's wait to see if Kisu comes," he replied, his mouth drawing into a grim line when he thought of how the male would feel when he arrived on the scene. His face then went ashen when he appeared a beat later. "Keep them warm," he instructed Blue Willow, then sidestepped the two tiny pups to intercept Kisu.

Yet the male plunged into the burrow and Peregrine could only stand outside, giving him his space and his privacy. His eyes shifted to the dark she-wolf to make sure she was doing her duty, then Peregrine sighed lightly, his head drooping. He couldn't imagine the heartbreak occurring in that den at this very moment.

When Kisu emerged, Peregrine did something unprecedented: he touched his muzzle to the other male's. "I'm sorry for your loss, Kisu." He then nodded quietly. It seemed they were all in complete agreement as to where the pups needed to go, not that there was any question about it.

When Kisu picked up one pup, Peregrine stepped toward the other. "I'll carry him. Come with us so you can make sure they're okay," he said to Blue Willow before bending his head down and plucking up the grayish blue boy. He then swiveled and trotted behind Kisu, the frantic, stricken father leading the way to Peregrine's own den.

When they arrived, Peregrine sped up to pass Kisu and moved into the den's mouth. He set the puppy down near Hawkeye's feet and looked her in the face. "Pied died giving birth. I'm so sorry. Her last wish was for you to take her pups." Peregrine nudged Pied's tiny son closer to his mate and larger, healthier daughters, then turned and made room for Kisu to bring forth the pale female pup.

"Blue Willow's here to check on them and make sure they're all right," he said to no one in particular, his voice firm but soft. "They're very small," he observed, his dusky eyes roving over Ty and O.J., then the new additions. The difference in size was crazy to Peregrine, considering they'd been born less than a week apart. "They must be premature. But you'll give them a fighting chance," he said to Hawkeye, smiling mirthlessly.

ooc

---

She was the new kid on the block and, as such, did what she could to avoid going near the dens that smelled of puppies or pregnancy, other than making quick deposits to the cache near the alphas’ den. Today was no exception. The Pi was on the other side of the territory searching for more to catch to add to the alphas’ cache.

Sabriyah was trailing a scent she’d picked up when she suddenly stopped. Thrusting her ears forward, she listened to the distressing howl that sounded through the territory. Turning away from the animal she’d been tracking, she found herself heading in the direction of the howl, unsure of what was going on.

As she neared, her upright ears slicked backward, fitting tightly against her head. The smell of death, and birth, was strong. It was almost overpowering. The Pi was hesitant, unsure of if she should go forward, but the desire to help in some way was so much stronger than her hesitancy. With her head low, tail lowered against her hind legs, and her ears tight against her crown, she moved forward, stopping a little bit away. ”What can I do to help?” she inquired, quietly, so as to not upset anyone.

Hawkeye was used to the suckling by now, and was able to rest while the pups intermittently fed and slept. At this moment, though, her eyes were fix upon the far wall of the den. The black female sighed, wishing that Pied, or someone, would visit her. The Alpha was a roamer and an adventurer at heart, and being stuck in a hole all day being drained of milk was boring and exhausting her mentally.

When Peregrine entered though, her tailed flopped happily until she could make out a small object in his mouth; then, Peregrine told her of Pied's last wishes. Kisu came in as well, dropping off another pup, just as tiny as the first. She looked at Kisu a moment, then back to Peregrine, nodding at the words he had just shared and mourning in silence.

Pura felt like an under-cooked bun.

It was not a comparison he would think to make in all the long and unknown years that stretched out ahead of him. Not just because his infantile mind was ten holes short of a sieve, or because he would grow up to be unimaginative - that would come with time. It was just unlikely that baked goods would feature in his upbringing in any way.

But it was the best comparison. He lacked the crisp edges of something fully baked, and the center was still a bit doughy. Like his sister, Pura was small, a freckled, blue-grey parcel of ill-defined features and small, twitchy movements that he had no real control over. They had left the oven too early, and the immediate effects of that were obvious; Ty and O.J. were vast, gluttonous titans next to specks of fluff, but their presence sparked an innate competitiveness in the tiny Virtúte pup. In the very first fight of his life, he flailed ineffectually at Hawkeye's belly, too small and too new to latch on, but trying his very damnedest to do it. Warmth egged him on - from Hawkeye, from her pups, from Saēna's tiny little body, and the wolves that breathed ghosts into the air outside.

Somewhere else, the body of his dead mother grew colder.

If i need to delete this I will it seems like theres replies everywhere lol I hope it's okay to post out of line?

Blue Willow stepped forward softly so as to not disturb the others. She carefully picked up the other two pups, but tried to not touch them too much as they were so new and small. She looked over them and though they were small especially Saena they were in fine health. Laying them down and laying a soft muzzle next to Hawkeye for a moment to let her know she felt for her, she stood and quickly exited so as to let them sleep. Peregrine, they are fine though small. However, I will need to know if they cannot suckle correctly or if they develop any coughs or the like, especially Saena. She is by far the smallest and she may have a hard road ahead of her, she may even be behind the others and smaller than them too. We will just have to watch them. That was all she could really tell him for now, the little ones were far to small that was the truth.

You're fine, Danni! Actually, I'm going to breach post order too because Perry's gonna nab Sabriyah (and Kisu too, if he wants to be there) to go bury Pied.

His wife took the news in silence. Peregrine peered at her concernedly, yet there were more pressing matters... not to mention the wolves now gathering just outside the den. So as to prevent Hawkeye from becoming overwhelmed by everything, he positioned himself in front of the den and addressed the milling wolves in a deep, authoritative voice.

"Thank-you, Blue Willow. If you don't mind staying close by, in case Hawkeye needs your help..." His eyes flicked to Sabriyah. "Come with me," he answered her simply. Finally, he turned to Kisu, a soft look of grief on his face. "I'm really sorry, man. You can stay here with Hawkeye and the pups or come with me. I'm going to give Pied a proper burial." He paused, then added, "And of course you're welcome to stay with us indefinitely," in the hope that it would give the male some measure of comfort.

Motioning for Sabriyah (and Kisu, if he wanted) to follow him, Peregrine departed from his den, heading back to the burrow where Pied's lonely body lay. When he arrived, he went inside alone and emerged with her body a few moments later, trying his best not to jostle it. Without a word, he indicated an open patch of grass on the nearby hillock and they began to dig.

It took an hour or two, all told, and by the time Pied was buried and covered over with earth, Peregrine trembled with grief and exertion. He wished his niece a silent goodbye, exchanged a brief glance with whomever still lingered, then departed swiftly to reunite with his newly-expanded family back at his den.

Kisu stared at the ground quietly and nodded to Peregrine's words. "I'll just stay here and make sure the pups are okay..." It seemed to be such a grand effort to talk in this moment. He was trying to cope, but everything was overwhelming; this was his second mate to die, and he wasn't even present to say good-bye, and his two pups were born. He would have time to grieve later, but now he was worried about his children. After he received the okay for him to enter, he and Hawkeye lay there in silence as the pups went from wiggling and suckling to sleep almost instantaneously, then back to drinking milk.

She stirred a while later, warm sunlight kissing her eyelids. Her eyes fluttered open and, much to her surprise, Pied discovered a third and fourth pup nestled beneath her chin like small, soft pillows. She blinked and lifted her head, gazing down at them in silent wonder. They were both boys, one large and white with piebald pattern similar to her own, the other smaller and reddish, like his father.

When her eyes eventually lifted, Pied gasped. She was in the middle of the sunlit woods. Trying to gather her bearings, she stood slowly, the pups cradled gently against her spotted forepaws. Her brow furrowed, wondering at her inexplicable location and the lack of pain, and she started again when she spotted her father's apparition standing nearby. At nearly the same moment, she heard an anguished howl in the distance and she flinched very slightly. It sounded as if it came from a million miles away.

"It's time to go, Pied. You and your pups will come with me," Brooklyn said in his familiar deep timbre, his face and voice tinged with stoic sadness as he regarded her. He paused, then said very gently, "The larger one there, he became lodged in the birth canal. And the little one, well, he never had a chance." He paused, his eyes brimming compassionately. "All three of you passed away, Piebald." He stepped closer to her and reached out, offering a comforting nuzzle.

Pied blinked when his muzzle touched the side of her neck. It felt warm, which never happened with a ghost. She blinked in the direction of the distant sounds of distress, then her eyes lowered to the squirming bundles lying at her paws. Whatever worry or grief she might have felt at her passing and that of her sons' receded swiftly, like shadows beneath the sun. There was no pain, no fear and no worry in the afterlife. Mercifully, she knew only contentment and acceptance of her fate.

Pied bent down, her jaws closing gingerly around the smaller puppy, and she lifted him. Her eyes met Brooklyn's before he mimicked her actions with the larger pup. Her sire then fell into step beside her and they began to walk away into the woods. Before they went too far, Pied stopped, set her small son down again and said, "Goodbye, Kisu, Saēna and Pura. All of my love." The piebald she-wolf then plucked up her dead son again and the four of them walked together beyond the veil.