Swiftcurrent Creek You'll be in my heart [Birthing thread]

Backdated to yesterday because the power was cut off - For the papi @Koji and the bebs @Eilonwy and @Kubo - anyone, feel free the post a cameo when the babies are born, though Chusi won't allow anyone but Koji, @Arrille and @Durnehviir near them for now :)

The further swelling of her belly was expected, of course, but it didn't make life easy. Even finding her whelping den some days ago had gone pretty roughly but she was finally alone and in the dark and she loved it. She let Koji come and visit and tried her best to be friendly to anyone who came by but she usually didn't respond to anyone all that much. Her due date was nearing, that much was clear, and nervous butterflies (as well as the occasional kick from her children) fluttered around in her swollen oven.

It begun with a cramp, which wasn't so uncommon, but this one felt important. She moved her body around in the den, trying to find a position that would make the pain go away, but after an hour or so it had only gotten worse. She was panicking - was there something wrong with her babies? Or did they want to come out already? She yelped for help, hoping Koji was near, but there was not much to do except letting time do everything for her.

An instinct told her to start pushing, if they wanted to come out now then so be it. If they didn't, well, then this was good practice. It hurt more than she had expected and it didn't help that, for now, no one was near enough to comfort her (not that she would let them in her den during the whole process). After half an hour or so of breathing and pushing and being in pain she felt something shift to the opening. She nosed around in the liquids that had come with the first puppy's head, whining as she pushed the body out as well. The pain stopped for just a moment, giving her time to clean her firstborn and place it near her teats before it all started over again.

The second child was less difficult. It felt smaller and more fragile and she wasn't sure if that was right. Despite the pain, she examined the smaller child as it also slid out of her with more ease than its sibling. She nosed it and licked it and eventually the second born did start breathing. To her surprise, the pain ebbed away then and she was left with two squealing babes near her belly and a general mess between her hind legs.

She observed them with a loving smile, tired from the journey and yet this was only the beginning for them all. She turned her firstborn around gently, noting it was male. @Kubo ... She whispered to herself, wanting to give the two "working titles" for the time being. Hopefully they would stick (oh, who was she kidding, these were hers so they were hers to name). After making the boy comfortable again she turned to what seemed to be a bit of the runt of the litter. She turned also the second born around and she was pleased to see it was a female this time. @Eilonwy - now 'bout tha? She kissed both on the head before addressing their father who was hopefully near; Ya can come 'n look now...