Bearclaw Valley [M] Blood, Sweat & Tears

AHHHH YES! :D @Sesi @Nanook @Xan I decided to do it all in one post. :3 So maybe the pups post first. @Kove But feel free to get in here before. @Raziel is welcome too in this thread, though it depends on Kove if he allows Raziel inside. xD I will let you two decide that! Yay tension.

Mature Content Warning

This thread has been marked as mature. By reading and/or participating in this thread, you acknowledge that you are of age or have permission from your parents to do so.

The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: Birth?

Scarlett woke with a start when a painful cramp shot through her body. She had more of those throughout the night. The strong little female had kept most of them quiet. She didn't want to worry Kove. As she woke Scarlett could tell by the angle of the light that fell into the main chamber that it was around midday already. Another cramp hit her, and soon another one following. That is when a moment of panic settled over her. Oh, they were coming! She wasn't ready! Oh no. A soft whimper came of her lips. The soft underground that was the 'bedroom' chamber felt wet under her. Scarlett sniffed the air realizing that her babies were really arriving. She howled for Kove. She would wait for Kove to arrive. That he could see his children being born.

Yet, when another painful cramp hit her Scarlett decided that she wanted them out. How could this be so painful? Everyone always walked about how wonderful it was to have children. Surely she knew about some of the pain... but this was too much pain. The female whimpered. Her instinct told her to push. When the female did a loud cry came from her. This was even more painful than she expected. Scarlett was really torn. She was never having babies every again! She didn't want to experience this horrible pain. Her instinct almost demanded her to push now. Her whole body trembling as she did. She tried to hold her cries but with the next push her cry only grew louder. Her ears popped up in surprise when another cry joined her.

Instantly her red eyes filled with tears. She was a mother! She had a baby. The pale mother had some trouble to reach her newborn with her belly being in the way. The newborn had a pure white coat like hers and cute pink around his nose. Scarlett instantly fell in love with the pup and started to lick him clean. She had a son! A son! Scarlett wanted to push him in the right direction of her belly but another painful cramp shot though her body. The process started all over again. With new courage Scarlett pushed harder than she did before which resulted a light grey pup to be born, close to being as white as her brother. Scarlett instantly started licking the girl. Her mind kept screaming that she had a daughter.

She had a bit of time to lick the female clean and fuzz over the previously born pup. Her warm tongue going over both bodies again. She loved the feeling that she had two babies to just care for and cuddle at all times. Another pain wave shot through her. Though this one felt more difficult for some reason. Her body was probably tired. Scarlett took a breathing pause but was instantly punished for that by a far more painful cramp. She was panting heavily, not realizing that she was crying. The crying was not really specific for any type of emotion since it felt like she was feeling all emotions at once. With a lot of effort Scarlett delivered the third pup. A darker grey than the previous girl. A middle grey that looked darker because the newborn was all wet. Scarlett picked her up and set her between her paws. Finally, done.

She licked the grey girl clean, panting her wet fur dry between her licks. Once she moved the third born girl to her siblings Scarlett tiredly stretched out more on her side. She just wanted to sleep but horror struck when another wave of pain started. "I don't want to anymore. It hurts," she whined to no on in particular. Scarlett let out a loud cry as she started pushing. Four babies?! She expected two, three max. The white queen's body was so tired her pushes were weak. This pup felt bigger than the one previous, but that might also be because she had a small break. The brief pause made her feel more tired. Like her body thought she reached the top and then had to climb an even steeper hill. It took her longer than the other three for this fourth one to be born. Her cries were so loud and they progressed being louder as Scarlett didn't reach out of her instantly after she was born.

With her last strength the female grabbed the plump charcoal pup and started licking her clean just like she did with the others. Though this pup seemed more eager to get food than be cleaned. Scarlett glanced over her four children, going from pure white to charcoal. Scarlett tiredly laid down, her eyes closing, trying to catch her breath. She had been in so much pain that she did not realize who had gotten into the den. All she wanted to do now was rest. This birth had really taken all of her strength being a smaller framed female. Though Scarlett never felt so alive and she was the mother of one son and three daughters.

The womb was the only home she had ever known and now was the time for her to head out into the real world, the world where she would truly live. Everything seemed normal as first, she kicked and squirmed and her siblings kicked and squirmed too. Then the only world she had ever known was torn apart. Well...not technically, but to the newborn girl, it felt like it. When her mother attempted to push her out, Nanook attempted to resist.

She did her best, she really did, but she arrived into this strange unknown world nonetheless. The moment air entered her lungs, Nanook opened her tiny jaws and uttered an ear piercing screech, announcing her presence for all the world to hear. After that, her cries became feebler and softer, but she still continued to yelp even when the rough warm tongue of her mother licked her dry and clean.

Suddenly, she was pushed into a thick wall of warm fur with squirming warm bodies beside her. Instinctively, Nanook latched her mouth around her mother's teat and began suckling, the warm milk sliding down her throat and filling her belly. Mostly, she ignored the bodies beside her but if they came too close, she shoved them aggressively away.

Desna liked her little bubble where she didn't have to do much. Not that she could have any sense of like and dislike being a newborn, but she was content so far her emotions go. Yet lately this cool space was getting smaller and smaller! She wanted more room, and often kicked the closer bodies for more space. The dark pup noticed something abnormal, the wall were contracting like saying that they wanted her out. Desna was not really that much into going out of his comfortable space, mind you. She had all the room since the others had gone away. She was boss and she liked it here so she would stay.

Although the plump newborn could hardly fight against her mother's powers. The space around her got even tighter and once she landed it was colder. She wanted to go back. Desna screamed loudly, protesting that she was evicted from her home. Her cries soothed when something warm made her dry and.. warm? Though the girl's little nose scented something she wanted. Her plump body wiggled forward and latched onto a teat. She eagerly began suckling until she got a shove from the body next to her. Desna only moved closer to the nipple. This one was hers!

I have no idea what I'm doing!

Whoever said birth was a beautiful thing is a goddamn liar or blind and deaf.  Possibly both.  Birth was a horrifying ordeal filled with shrieks, screams, and nasty bodily fluids.  Gross-tastic. And if being gross wasn't enough, the act of being born utterly terrifying.  Her entire perception of the world had changed as the second-born found herself on the cold ground with a wet plop.  She breathed, and even that terrifyingly new.  

But luckily for Sesi, being the incoherent little lump of fur she was, she was absolutely shameless.  She faced the world with unabashed curiosity, and though she couldn't see or hear, she had begun to squirm her way through the den in exploration. Instinct took hold as she tried to squirm in the direction of her mother, but somehow she had gotten herself flipped and had begun to squirm in the opposite direction of her mother's cleaning licks and towards the den's exit, like the little explorer she was.

Life was good. Well, life inside of the womb was good. The boy had everything he needed in there. Warmth, nutrients, and space—at first, anyways. Though he possessed no concept of time passing by, the little albino had definitely noticed the shrinking of his home. Him growing was never an option, it was the home's fault. His home was shrinking, pushing those other little beings closer to him, which annoyed the little boy quite a bit. Their sudden closeness to him didn't annoy him nearly as much as the movement had. Later on in life, perhaps he would hear of his own birth and learn that the motions he was feeling were known as contractions, attempting to get him out of his home. At first, he didn't want it. The little whelp didn't want to leave the only space he'd ever known, and yet somehow he knew he wouldn't have a choice. His mother's body, though small, was much stronger than his tiny self, after all. Plus, he had the others moving against him, almost as if they were trying to force him out. That was something he didn't like at all. Had he been able, he probably would have shoved them back, but that wasn't how things worked. It wasn't even really the others' fault, this time. It was his mother who was at fault—or, to be more precise, her body. It was trying to push them all out, and it just so happened little Xan was the closest to the exit.

He'd continued to try and fight against it, but it was useless. It didn't take much longer after he ceased his resistance to be forced into the world. Though the air was warmer than what it could have been, in paled in comparison to the womb. As the sack was being cleaned away, allowing for him to take his first breath, the boy let out a little cry to voice that he was against the new home. He continued to whine, ignoring the new warmth that surrounding him, up until the point he noticed that there was a new feeling in him. He didn't know what it was, having never really experienced hunger in the womb, but he did know that there was a soft scent that called to his little nose. It drew him towards it on instinct, and he then proceeded to latch onto a teat a began suckling. It was warm and nice, and he was actually enjoying himself, but that enjoyment didn't last long. Soon, he was joined by the bodies of others, each new presence annoying him more and more. They were taking up the space, and even tried to get in his way once or twice. The nerve of them! Alexander had fought back, of course, determined to keep his place and his teat.

The ghost had been out, hunting down a rabbit when the howl rang through the air. He recognized it as belonging to Scarlett, but the meaning behind it was unknown. The sound seemed urgent, though, and so he allowed the rabbit to live for once and turned to head back towards the den his mate resided in. Kove moved as quickly as he could, not wanting to leave her waiting for too long. Though he'd promised food before leaving, the sight that filled his eyes as he entered the den made him forget his earlier mission entirely. There his lover was, delivering their children. He wasn't entirely sure how to react, or how she would react, so he approached cautiously, moving onto his stomach as he did so. Before he did so, however, he'd needed to nudge a certain little wanderer back in the direction of her mother's body. The motion was a gentle one, using only his nose to do so, and he didn't let up until the whelp was back where she was suppose to be. He's arrived just in time to see the births of the last two, though watching was a bit... disturbing, you could say. It was weird, watching his children enter the world. Especially since they looked so gross at first. For a moment, he was concerned as to whether or not they were okay, having never witnessed a birth before or been told of what happened during them. As they were licked clean by Scarlett, and he could see each little furry body, he realized nothing was wrong. They were all alright and healthy looking, to his eyes, their colours ranging from the paleness of snow to the darkened grey of a storm cloud. Already, he loved each of them, even though they'd only just entered the world. He was happy for their arrival, as the gentle wagging of his tail most likely showed, and he gave the crimson-eyed female a kiss on the cheek once the last one was out, cleaned, and suckling away.

“We're parents now,” he pointed out. Though it was quite obvious of their newly acquired titles, it still felt good to say it. To let it be known and put out there. They were parents. They were actually parents, with four little furballs to look after. He laid his head down by Scarlett's, a smile never leaving his face, and he kept his gaze on the squirming bodies of the newborns. He could tell the woman was tired, and who wouldn't be? If he had to push four potatoes out of his body—well, first he would have a lot of questions for everyone of his family members—he'd be pretty tired, too. “How are you feeling?” the Inuit questioned quietly, not wishing to risk disturbing the whelps. Though hearing was not yet something they possessed, the vibrations of one's voice if spoken too loud would surely be enough to bother them. Or at least that was what he believed. He kept his ears perked, too, both to make sure nothing too loud tried to approach, and to make sure he would know if anyone tried to come near the den. The moment was not one he wished to share with anyone besides Scarlett and their children. No one else had the right to be there.

The pups have no posting order really :3 If you want to post you can! :D (Since Kove and Scarlett are talking names :'D)

Scarlett was surprised how weird it felt to have the pups nursing from her, but it didn't take long until it gave her a content and pleased feeling. All four were drinking the milk they needed badly to grow stronger. Scarlett had only gotten a few glimpses of them. She wanted to look at her beautiful babies but she was just so tired. She had her eyes closed and just let all emotions swirl through he body. She was still aching all over. Her muscles protesting every movement. It was to be expected. Kove's gentle voice reached her ears, and his kiss did her some good. A tired smiled tugged on her maw. She carefully nosed back at him, holding her eyes still somewhat closed. Her eyelids were more droopily hanging. "We are. I'm so glad you are here," she whispered back. Scarlett would feel horrible if she would know about the little wanderer, luckily she had Kove laying down close to her and probably blocking the entrance.

"I'm so tired," she spoke and closed her eyes once more. "I'm still hurting a bit, but, I am so happy. So, so happy,' Scarlett spoke with a smile. She was thirsty too, and she felt dirty. But she wasn't going to leave her pups already. She couldn't. Plus she would probably too tired to even get up now. Slowly she opened her eyes again and looked over the little balls of fluff. They all looked so healthy, especially how eager they all were to feed. Scarlett was close to crying in happiness that she hadn't failed with carrying their babies. She started licking over them again, her body curling more around them so they had nothing but warm fur to snuggle against. She then turned her head to Kove. "You've got one son and three daughters," she whispered. "Do you have any nice names for them? Like.. names where you are from?"

The man was also happy he was there. If he'd stayed with his birth pack for any longer than he had, he could have ended up missing the birth of his children. Knowing how he felt now, he knew he would have regretted that had it happened for the rest of his life. It was his first litter, both with his lover and of all time. Never had he been sure he would ever be a father, despite how much his family had insisted upon it. It was not uncommon to want a family bloodline to continue on, growing stronger and stronger with each generation, but never had he believed he'd actually settle down with someone. Exploration and journeys had called to him all his life, even when he was the size of his children currently. Never had he thought he'd find someone he loved enough to not only settle down with, but also start a family with. Now that it'd happened, though, he could imagine his life being any other way. “I'm glad I made it here, too,” he voiced, careful to keep his voice low. Not being there was almost unthinkable. He didn't want to think about what could have happened had he not been there to witness the birth of his children. Well, technically, he'd missed the birth of two of them, but that was only because they were oh-so eager to get out. He'd run fast, but it wasn't quick enough, apparently. Still, it felt nice to have witnessed at least half of the litter coming into the world. It filled him with a good feeling, but that feeling was sure to waver as the whelps grew older. He didn't know it just yet, but they were bound to go through the trouble-filled phased all kids went through.

“Do you want to rest?” Kove questioned, not wanting for her to push herself too hard. She'd just given birth, so he understood if all she wanted to do was sleep. “I can make sure no one escapes while you rest if you're too tired.” It was the least he could do, and really all he could do. The male could not feed the children or anything like that, but he could keep any wanderers of the bunch from escaping. Though, for the moment, they seemed too preoccupied by suckling to do much else. When names were brought up, he gave the albino a glance, before turning back to look at the children. He hadn't really thought of too many names, but a few still lingered around in his head. Names he'd heard his parents toss around, as well as others of his birth pack. Each one had a meaning all on it's own, but each one sounded as pleasant as the last. His eyes lingered on each individual whelp, observing them and the small actions they'd do. “I have a few in mind,” he finally said, having thought them over in his head as he'd watched their children squirming about. “Nanook, for one.” It was a name he'd always liked, and though it was often given to more males than females, he knew it could be given to either gender. “Nanook is the master of the bears—the name literally meaning 'polar bear'. I use to enjoy hearing stories about him from my grandmother. I think the name would be perfect for one of our daughters.” Once again, his gaze moved to look at Scarlett, interested in seeing her reaction to the name. It was fitting, really. Though they did not have a polar bear in their valley, or anywhere in the Wilds from what he knew, it would still be nice to have a 'bear master', so to say, around. Kove was sure Arthur would just love that.

What a little bugger. I love him already, aha.

The little boy was just minding his own business, suckling away at the teat he'd claimed, when a new presence made itself known. The feeling of the ground moving slightly with steps disturbed him, causing Xan to release his teat for a moment so he could yell out his protests. He'd just come into the world, so others should be considerate of him. Later on, he would learn that the new presence was his father, the one he would look up to and learn from as he grew, but for the time being the new male was just a disturbance. Alexander was glad when the movement stopped, his head seeming to nod in acceptance as he was given his peace one more—in reality, though, the movement of his head was nothing more than some bobbing motion, happening only because he didn't quite have the strength to hold his head up completely yet. It took a lot of effort, and in the end he'd decided it wasn't worth it. With a huff, the troublemaker-to-be turned back to the teat he'd been previously suckling on and continued to fill his stomach. Though not necessary, he used his tiny paws to shove at anyone—or anything—close to him, just to let them know that he was the better child; a truly debatable topic. There were so many things the boy could not yet do, but already his mind was starting to piece together what he could and should. One of those things being to, of course, keep anyone and everyone away from his teat. It was his, and they couldn't have it.

SO CUTE!!

Scarlett was indeed very tired but that didn't stop her from wanting to name her kids. The mother wanted to have a name to which to refer to. Even though Scarlett had a very nice reality check about birth and romanticizing that. But she wouldn't think that one of her kids might die before they got accustomed to his or her's name. Scarlett placed her head on the ground, lifting it made her tired. She placed her cheek against the pup that was closest to her. The dark female. "Thank you, but I doubt that they can really escape," she hummed. Scarlett made sure to have a bit of a step down towards the main chamber, and then they had to find an exit. She doubted that any newborn could crawl that far without passing out. But who knows right? "I will rest after they have names," She hummed.

Scarlett didn't know a lot about Kove's common tongue but she really liked the Northern names. She instantly liked the name Nanook. "I like that name. The third pup was really feisty like a .. icebear," she hummed. Never really seen one in her life but she pictured them white and super big so she couldn't be far off. She didn't even knew the proper naming since her brain wasn't really thinking that much. "So she could be named that. I really like Alexander as a name too. I heard a story once about a great wolf named Alexander. I just, liked the name. Xan for short, doesn't that sound super though and handsome?," she smiled a bit. Her chin still resting on the ground, wanting to give her babies all the warmth. Her red eyes looked fondly at Kove. She was so happy having the little balls cutely squealing and squirming.

Desna kept eagerly drinking from this amazing milkbar until she was super full. The darkest pup then decided to snuggle against the warm body and against the teat so it would always be hers. Around her something warm laid against her side. The pup moved to lay against this warmth which ended up being her mother's cheek. Her dark fur heavily contrasting with that of her mother. A soft and sleepy sigh came from the female. Yet before she could really go to sleep she got a kick from someone. Instantly she let out a loud cry in protest, trying to push back. This was her amazing spot.

The little girl then snuggled back against her former spot, and soon passed out, not even noticing any other pushes because her brain just decided that she needed a well deserved rest after all that happened.

A few times, she had been rudely shoved away from the teat by one of her various siblings but she quickly and rudely attempted to kick the bodies beside her as she regained her treat. No one would stand in her way, not when she was still hungry and very much awake (for now). Then suddenly, as if she didn't already enough trouble with the annoying bodies, a new presence made itself known, the presence that she would soon know as her father.

Nanook stopped gulping down milk for a second to utter a few utterly annoying ear piercing screeches before pawing her mother's belly rather roughly (as roughly as a newborn could) and began suckling once more, filling her stomach with as much fluid as possible. And while she might have just arrived into this world, Nanook had already found a purpose which was to keep everyone away from her teat and if she had to resort to puppy violence, then so be it.

short cameo :)

Raziel had been guarding the Valley entrance when the howl rang through the air, it was Scarlett's voice but she did not call for him, but for their formerly absent leader and her mate. It sounded urgent, so the Roman assumed that the birthing had started, or perhaps it was over and she had lost a child or was dying, he would prefer the former. But if it was the latter, she wouldn't have only called for her husband, she would have called for him, the healer as well. So he decided to stay away for now and check on the den entrance later, after his guarding duties was over. After all, she hadn't called for him but for Kove, and although he might not really like the man, he respected the couple all the same and so he decided not to come charging rudely into the scene like he did last time.

But he was not a patient man and he wanted to check on them to see if they were alright. But before going to the den, Raziel grabbed several freshly killed rabbits by their scruff along with a hind leg of a deer they had caught on a pack hunt and began slowly trotting to the den which the couple shared.  The Roman padded forward as silently as he could, ears thrust forward, but all he caught was the soft murmurs of familiar voices and occasionally, the squeals of pups. involuntarily, a smile curved up his lips, Scarlett was safe, Kove was safe, the pups were safe. All was well.

Raziel did not go into the den, for he did not know if the new father would allow him in. If he was the father of the newborn children, he would not let the Inuit in either. It was simply the way of things. He took no offense to it though, instead left the prey he retrieved by the den entrance and quietly left.

The woman seemed determined to name the children, and stayed up despite, very clearly, being tired. He could say nothing about it, though. The Inuit was just as eager to find names for their children, to give them something that would always belong to them. He wondered, briefly, is his own father had felt the same way when his older siblings were born, and also when he and his littermates were born. The question had not needed an answer in the past, and now it was much too late to receive one. Even if he took another trip away, neither of his parents would be waiting for him. They'd died already, sadly, having left the world before being able to meet a single grandchild. Kove hoped that his own life would not be claimed so soon, and that he would be able to always be there for his children—just as his grandparents had done for him. The trip down memory lane was lead down a different path when Scarlett mentioned having doubts about any of the whelps being able to escape. While it would definitely be a highly difficult task, he wasn't so sure it was entirely impossible. Though he could not remember, he'd heard stories of his sister and himself always trying to escape. From the moment they were born, they'd been deemed escape artists—or so the stories went, anyways. Who knew if it was an exaggeration or not, though. “Then we shouldn't take long to name them,” he suddenly said. It was not because he wanted to get it over with, but because he wanted for Scarlett to be able to rest. She deserved as much sleep as she wanted after going through the ordeal of giving birth. Seriously, he'd nearly gotten exhausted just watching her go through it, so it had to have had an even larger effect on her small body.

Kove was happy when he heard that his lover liked the name, and even pointed out which puppy it would fit the best. He smiled amusingly when she referred to a polar bear as an 'ice bear', momentarily forgetting that she had probably never seen one before. He'd hardly even seen them, save for maybe once or twice, and he'd come from much farther up North than she. They were solitary creatures, like all bears, and often kept away from any place that the strange two-legged animals roamed. A smart choice, really. “Nanook it is, then,” the ghost said, more or less making the name a final thing. Two more names popped into his head soon after, but he waited for Scarlett to speak before voicing his thoughts. The name she suggested, one for the male of the litter, was nothing like that of the wolves from his birth pack. Then again, neither was his or his brothers' names. It sounded unique to him, as he'd never even heard of a wolf named Alexander, and the story behind it was bound to be a good one. Perhaps even a story that would push the child to be his very best as he aged. So, the male gave a gentle nod of his head, a smile never leaving his face for even a second. “That sounds like a very nice name,” he commented. “A perfect name for our son.” He hoped it would fit him as the boy aged, but little did Kove know that his son was bound to be a trouble maker, rather than some supreme wolf hailing from greatness.

For a moment, Kove's attention was drawn away from his little family, his head turning to look towards the den's entrance as his ears pressed forward. He'd heard a noise, one that was quiet, but still loud enough for him to be able to pick it up. It had sounded like steps, as if someone was walking towards the den, but no one tried to come in—which he was glad for. A quick sniff to the air revealed who it was, as well as the carcasses that had been left outside. The male's stubbornness kicked in slightly, as he kept himself from going to retrieve the bodies. He would go out once the children were named so he could bring back something fresh, as he felt his lover deserved nothing less. Once the steps had faded away, signalling the other male had left, the Inuit man returned his attention to Scarlett, giving her a soft smile as he did so. He pointed his nose towards the darkest of the children, the large female snuggling close to her mother's face. “Desna,” the pale wolf said simply, before giving a grin to the albino. “It means 'boss', and from what I've seen so far, I do not believe any other name would fit her as well as that one.” It was funny, so far, watching the movements of the little girl. He had a feeling she would be the one to try and take charge once she was old enough, but he hoped for everyone's sakes that she wouldn't be too demanding. Finally, he looked to the other little girl, the escapee, and the last to be named. Though her fur was not pale like her brother's, she seemed soft. Almost like a blanket of fresh snow, which caused the final name to come to his mind. “And how about Sesi, for our other little girl?” If any of his relatives were to ever visit, they would certainly be confused at first, given the name and appearance not matching up, but he was sure they would understand the reasoning behind her name. “The name means 'snow'.” She seemed like a blanket of the soft powder, but even the softest of snows could hide ice beneath it.

Short! But Scarlett was mainly tired. XD

Scarlett smiled tiredly. She loved all those names Kove suggested. One ear was always turned towards her babies. Desna seemed about right, loving how the pup was curled against her, passed out happily with a full stomach. It seemed that the girl wanted his warm body surrounding her. Scarlett still listened to Kove and his name suggestions. Too tired to open her eyes she just hummed in approval. Yes, Sesi was definitely a cute name too. Her four babies were just perfect. Scarlett decided that this was definitely worth the pain. Now she understood why everyone said that it was so wonderful. Seeing her children's faces for the first time was definitely worth it. "Alexander, Sesi, Nanook and Desna," Scarlett repeated. "Perfect names."

Scarlett felt herself finally give into her tiredness. She already had her eyes closed but now her body seemed to follow her into a well needed rest. Scarlett knew Kove was here to watch over her and their children. Their beautiful children. Scarlett still couldn't really believe that she was a mother. After those years of wanting a mate with a family she finally had what she wished. Her perfect little family. Kove was instantly forgiven for his longer absence since Scarlett had the feeling that he would be an amazing father for their pups. Scarlett then passed out, getting her rest after a painful birthing.