Neverwinter Forest light years

:x

Eshe had been absent from much of Neverwinter's going ons. Her pregnancy was more difficult than any ought to be, and so she had needed to step down; she could heed nothing but her own situation. Since seeing the pale witch of Donnelaith, she had experienced hardly any pain at all; though Eshe remembered the cryptic words, she thought seldom of them. She had told Scimitar of her supernatural experience, and since seeing the witch doctor by chance... the pain was not at all there.

That did not mean things became easier for her, however. She hungered, and still the pickings were quite slim. All brought to her what they could and for that she was thankful. But Eshe worried for her survival. With the pain gone, she feared less for the survival of her babes. 'Save them,' she had urged the white woman—Eshe was painfully aware, now, she had made no mention of herself.

Rarely did she leave the whelping den. It was situated perfectly nearby a stream, and as Eshe moved to drink after awakening from a nap, she felt a wholly different sort of pain tear at her abdomen. A little thrill ran through her; a mothers intuitive knowing told her, this is it! And so with a warning howl that surely all could here for @Scimitar Eshe moved into the whelping den. She knew she would not be leaving this place--not for a long time--and so before slipping inside, she peered to the outside world. She locked eyes with a strong looking buck, and had little time to contemplate that as another pain seized her.

Eshe entered the den.

She labored for hours upon hours, too. Nothin' worth havin' is ever easy, she reminded herself, nodding firmly. And then she'd grit her teeth and let out moans that were more whale than wolf in nature. Honey, you up there??? Honey?? Eshe was pacing left and right, and in circles. She'd lay only to rise again. Well don't come in here!!! Any minute now, I'm tellin' you!!!



No amount of panting or heaving or pushing helped. The pain was simply inexplicable. Any pushing yielded in literal crap, and Eshe moaned and groaned about that. The scene wasn't a pretty one. She wasn't patient anymore. WELL? WHAT'RE Y'ALL WAITIN' FOR? COME ON OUT, she snapped at her rear-end, her ever-chipper nature chipped down to its very core. She was soaked in sweat, and that motherly glow was now a motherly glower.

Wait, that was something! She felt something shift, and heard a little splashing or something... her water had broken! Oh!!!! Not much longer now Scimitar!!!! I don't think!!!



It was happening, now. Truly. But what she felt wasn't good. Didn't feel right at all. She bled, firstly; then she was laying, and wasn't sure what the hell to do at all. There was infinite pain, and her body did not respond as it ought to of. She wasn't on automatic, she was on manual, and she was belatedly aware she needed to push --

What came from her was still. It didn't move. And there was a lot of blood--instinctively, Eshe drew it toward her, lapped away at the sac, but when she tore the thing free of its home it still did nothing. It didn't look quite right, either. Very small. Like a little bean. This little bean had caused her great pain, and as she stared at it, she realized this little bean was not alive. Desperation struck--the first thing she had brought was death???--and she continued to coax at the babe between her forelegs. It would have been a boy. But her boy was dead. She didn't know quite what to do, so she nosed it near her teats that had swollen but likely had little to offer. There was hardly any time to think about what she'd done, either, because in no time--

something else had come from her. In the meantime, really. Perhaps even seconds after. She hadn't even felt it. She guffawed at the bloodied thing that lay there in its sack and urged it toward her. Eshe tore it free gently, lapped at it, but knew. Knew she had failed not once, but twice. Knew that her cubs were born dead. Dejectedly, Eshe lowered her head to the earth. Her efforts, all of them, for nothing. Her little ones that had listened to her ramble endlessly, and heard stories of she and their father, ...they were dead. They rest against her abdomen, and she knew she ought to say something to her mate... but could not say a thing. She hurt all over, she felt empty. She needed a long sleep; needed to talk to Scimitar.

No babies, baby... she began to cry, softly, to herself; but surely if Scimitar was there, he would hear her cries, as she did not seek to muffle them.

Her heart ached. Her body ached. Her teats even ached. The pain coursed through her in painful waves as she mourned; she prayed, then, too. Prayed to the white witch. That magic, it could not have meant nothing! It could not have --

The greatest pain of all caused her to rise. She stood and let out a surprised yelp and lay right back down--something big was happening! She didn't fight it, and she felt her body respond on its own this time. Eshe panted heavily, pushed and pushed, and this time she was swift as she brought it to her, cleaned it... it was breathing. Tiny baby sweet little breaths. It was beautiful. Not so beautiful as the creature from the otherworld, but surely the most beautiful living thing on this earth. She cleansed it thoroughly, heard its loud signs of life, and saw it was a boy. Her little boy. Darlin', my little sweet darlin', my angel brought to me by angels. I love you--hey, don't fuss, now, I know what you want, sweet one, and she drew it toward her belly where it could latch on and sup. It felt wrong to place it near the cold bean siblings, and so she moved them away. One son. One sweet little son. And that was all she ever wanted, really. Just one. She peered at it, the little wriggly jellybean, admired it.

Pain again. Terrible pain. Terribly great. She knew what it meant now, knew that --

Was it possible, to black out during ones birth? It felt like it. Felt like she might have transcended one plane and gone to the next. She watched this birth, she didn't feel it. Not at all. She saw another son, saw her body laying still as she procured it... and knew she had to get back. Nope, wasn't right to just disappear. Not yet. Not yet.

And then she was cleaning up the cub. A second son. She smiled at him, nosed him to her belly so he wouldn't cry, but stared. To her boys, her darling boys, she murmured, You are so very loved... before she closed her eyes again, feeling nothing but her happiness. She thought of the full and happy life she had lived, and how it had all brought her to this moment. She had lost so much; but she found meaning and purpose, now, and would live and die for it.