Redsand Canyon then I heard your heart beating

5/11/2022 and she's ready to pop, Aquene's birthing thread! Just @Qiao @Kallik in particular for now please

The pangs had started the day before, brought with sharp inhales before they settled. She had not left the den. She knew it was coming, and once they had started to draw closer together she had sent her husband to fetch Qiao… it was time. It was time to welcome their children into the world. All the apprehension and worry that had led up to this moment faded within her as she allowed her body to simply take over. Her body had been made for this, and she had to remember that… all said and done, though, she was hoping and praying for a smaller litter than the one that the Matrona had been blessed with.

She had been expecting more terror to grace her body and her mind, worries... but they all faded to the background as instinct seemed to take over. She'd experienced births before, but never from the up close perspective that she had in the moment, feeling everything that the mother did... she wondered briefly if her mother had known she was going to die, if something had felt off or if it had been merely instinct like it felt to her now.
 
She winced as a strong contraction rolled over her. "Чертов ад." The Russian curse quickly fell over her as she drew a deep breath in, however shaky it might be, and then another one out. It felt like days, but was truthfully only a matter of hours from the moment of that first strong contraction before their first child was beginning to make it’s way into the world.

He had not been able to sleep that night, nor had he been able to focus the previous day; Aquene had told him when the first signs of her impending labor had started, and he had not been able to think of anything else. He had stayed close to the den since he had returned, cutting his patrols and training back by more than half; he didn't want to be away if she needed him. 

So when the labor started and she sent him to find Qiao, he wasted no time in tracking the healer down and bringing her to their den. His whole body was tense with anxiety as they made their way back. He would answer questions about Aquene but wouldn't say much else. 

Once they returned, he let the healer go in first. He didn't hear anything inside the den other than his wife, and when he looked inside, he could tell she was deep in her focus. He felt awful for the amount of pain she was probably in, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. 

The soldier would plant himself in the opening of their den until he was needed, keeping anyone else out while his mate was so vulnerable.

upon aquene’s summons, qiao was ready. 

she brought the greenbrier, its contents jangling against her throat. tucked between her thin teeth was a bundle of pelts and a broad, worn stick for aquene to clamp down upon. 

as kallik slowed at the den’s entrance qiao swept past. she listened carefully for aquene’s breathing, counting each breath in metronome. 

by aquene’s head qiao deposited the soft fur and the stick. she spoke softly of what to expect now, questioning aquene on her contraction lengths and how she felt.

 from her greenbrier pouch qiao extracted moss and a fragrant herb of mint and chamomile; her eyes resting upon aquene as she waited for the woman’s contractions to become more frequent.

-insert note about how I feel so incredibly awkward writing birthing parts of birthing threads here-

It was not long before the healer and her husband were arriving, noting the way that Kallik rested protectively at the door of their den while the healer softly explained to her. Though she knew the birthing  process, she was thankful to have a set of trained paws present to guide her through everything. The contractions had started to grow closer and closer together; the woman felt overheated and ached. She took anything that Qiao gave her to assist and made ready use of the stick that she had brought to bite down on, saving it in her memory for when she assisted others with their delivery.
 
She would be blessed with a delivery with no complications. The twins, eager to join the world, would both be positioned properly. Innik would arrive first, the mother quickly licking him clean just as she had seen others do, beginning bloodflow and circulation before he found his way to her stomach. Not long after, the contractions would start again and @Siku would join his brother not long after. The two pale bundles of fur bringing light to her eyes despite the exhaustion that tugged at her. “Kallik.” She cooed out softly to him, calling to him so he might meet their children.

<3

Sounds and scents he wasn't familiar with came from inside the den, intensifying his curiosity and his worry. He knew Aquene trusted Qiao, and so he would too; it was the only way he could assure himself that his wife would be okay. Her story about her mother and about the matrona's birth tortured him from time to time, but he tried his best to remain calm for her sake. It helped that he had a job, something to focus on—keeping Aquene protected. 

He was unsure how long he had been in the entrance of their den when he heard the tiny squeaks that could only come from an infant. His heart started to race. It was more real now than it had been the last two months. They had watched the pups grow within his mate, but now that one was here, he knew he was needed to be a dad. He wished he could go inside and check on Aquene and the child, assure himself that they were fine, but he kept himself glued to the ground where he was keeping guard.

Some time later, he heard the squeals of another pup; from what he could tell there were two so far. He wondered how much longer she would have to endure this. 

It turned out that there would only be two, which was a relief; he couldn't imagine having four like the imperator and matrona. Aquene softly called to him, and he answered immediately by standing and turning to trot inside. 

His eyes found her first as he checked her over—she seemed okay, tired, but okay; he felt a weight lift from his chest, and he could breath a little easier. He looked next to the two pups tucked against her stomach. They ate ravenously. He was amazed at how small they were—so small and vulnerable. He knew right then that he would give his life to keep them safe. 

Aquene, he murmured as he moved to her to nuzzle her cheek. Twins. They're so small, he told her, unable to get over it. The imperator's children were small too, but it somehow meant more with his own. Kallik settled near her head, purposely blocking his family from the entrance. He reached over and gently nosed each pup. Sons, he said with a small, proud smile. Two sons. Two future soldiers to train. 

He kissed Aquene's cheek and then pressed his head to hers. I love you, he murmured. His heart was so full it might burst.

just as he had in the womb, siku found himself outmatched.

his brother the first to arrive, the first to feast, the first to be seen.

siku was merely an addition in his wake. a closing act to the main show.

an eerie silence settled over him as he feasted alongside brother. the warmth of mother familiar in every way and yet strangely new all the same. there were others too, but he was too young to have perception of them.

all he knew was the smell of milk and herbs.

both of it enough for him to eventually fall into a slumber.

so sorry for holding this up <3

two exquisitely beautiful children.

aquene had whelped splendidly, and now was her hour of triumph. one child suckled -- the other rested against the spent sides of its dam. qiao collected her stick and her peltskin, relieved she had not needed to call upon any of its contents.

aquene called softly for kallik. qiao exited the den, giving the new parents their much deserved privacy.

The new mother did not even see the other healer slip out of the den, too enraptured with the sight of her own children as she suddenly understood a mother’s love in an entirely new way. She even missed the way her husband looked her over to ensure her own safety, her eyes glued to the two pale forms pulled to her chest. It was only at the soft murmur that her gaze came up, a joyful smile and tears in her eyes as he nuzzled her cheek.
 
“They’re perfect.” She whispered back, admiring the two future healers. She was not certain she could ever let her son’s charge into combat… she hardly survived her husband doing it even if Mereo had yet to see a war… how was she supposed to let their children do the same? She had time to answer these questions. They would not be ripped from her breast for training.
 
He murmured again and she rested her head against his as he pressed it against her. “I love you too… I love our family with my whole heart.” It was terrifying, but she had never felt more ready for something in her entire life. It felt like she could conquer anything.

Nanuq came quietly into the world, with only a little cry to announce himself.

He fed for a short while, blanketed in the comforting smells of mother and herbs and the strangely familiar tang of afterbirth. The allure of these was stronger than milk, lulling the lazy firstborn to sleep in no time at all; by the time his twin arrived and began to suckle next to him, he was already conked out.

They are, he agreed when she said the twins were perfect. So are you. It was not an exaggeration or something said in the moment; she was perfect. He loved her so much that the feeling gripped his entire being. He would literally do anything for Aquene, and now for their sons. 

When she spoke again, he pressed his forehead against hers. Our family, she had said and he wasn't prepared for how deeply he would feel those words. There was nothing he wouldn't do to keep them safe; he would give his life without a second of thought. It was all too much for him to put into words, too intense to really comprehend; he was never very good with this emotional stuff, though he worked hard on it for his wife. 

He kissed her cheek and nuzzled her, completely lost in the moment. No words were needed.

She supposed he wouldn’t be able to resist trying to slip a compliment to her into his agreement, a soft smile though there was a hint of disbelief in her eyes to show that she still didn’t quite believe that she was perfect. How could she be, when she had made so many mistakes in the past? What about the mistakes she was bound to make as a mother? What if she ruined their children so horribly?

"We need to name them." She stated as the tired ebbed in her tone.
 
He kissed her cheek and nuzzled her. She held their twins close as she let her head rest against him. The waves of exhaustion started to pan over her. Words did not allow her to communicate, instead the faintest noise of a soft snore came over her that could assure her husband that nothing was amiss, she was simply exhausted from the laborious process of delivering children.

Yes, we do, he agreed when she stated they should name the newborns. He had a couple names in mind, one in particular. He was eager to share it with her. She rested against him and he kissed and nuzzled her for a few moments, lost in thought. 

He was about to speak when he heard her soft snores. He chuckled quietly and kissed her again. He wasn't about to wake her up after all she had just done; she deserved as much rest as she wanted, and he would ensure that she got it. They could name the twins when she was more rested; there was plenty of time. 

He would keep her close as she slept, his gaze glued to the twins as they ate or slept. He was proud of his family, all his previous reservations about being a father momentarily forgotten; it was easy when his heart was so full of love. Eventually, sleep would steal him too, and this time it would be without nightmares.