Arrow Lake Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water

Birth thread! Set for just before dawn on 4/3
@Stigmata @Mahler
I assume Stig and Mahler would be close by and/or checking on her often in the few days before she goes into labor, so feel free to pp whatever in that regard.

The grouping of large rocks near the base of the mountain had proven to be the perfect place for a temporary den. Taki had only needed to do some moderate digging to make it big enough to allow for her to share the space comfortably with her children and the few wolves she would allow to visit them over the next few weeks. She was grateful there had not been too much work needed to prepare the den; she was very round and very uncomfortable, and energy hadn't come in very large amounts for the northerner lately. She already felt fiercely territorial over the spot and her children, and she knew she wouldn't be very eager to let many inside the den with her aside from the two men she trusted more than most wolves in her life. 

She hadn't wandered far from her dug out space over the last few days, instinct telling her that it was almost time. Along with instinct, the cramps that had been only occasional throughout the later stages of her pregnancy had started to increase in frequency and intensity, making her feel like her body was getting ready for the arrival of the pups. So when she woke in the darkness of the den to the most awful pain she had ever felt in her life, she wasn't really surprised. There was a vast difference in knowing that something will be painful and actually feeling the pain, and she was honestly not as prepared for the feeling as she thought she would be; that didn't surprise her either, and if she weren't so busy focusing on breathing through the intense cramping, she would have rolled her eyes at herself for being so naive. 

The pain subsided after what felt like hours but was probably only a minute or two, and she sank to the ground, panting and waiting for the pain to return. She was only allowed a few minutes of relief before the hurting began again. She felt the tightening creep down the sides of her abdomen and squeeze painfully. Taki got back to her feet and started to pace back and forth; the movement didn't make her feel any better, but she couldn't be still while she hurt so much, and at least the walking helped give her something to focus on as she waited for the contraction to pass. This pattern continued until there was really no time between each session of painful cramping, and then came the urge to push. At this point everything hurt, and with one more hard push, came the passage of her first born into the world. Taki immediately pushed any residual discomfort from her mind to tend to the newborn. Within seconds, she had the pup cleaned, his squeaking cries echoing out from the den as she gently picked him up and set him next to her abdomen. She felt him rooting around before finally latching on, his cries quickly replaced by the soft nursing sounds. She watched him, amazed that he was here and alive and that she had made him. She knew there was more pain to come but for now, she rested and protectively watched over her son while she waited.

*shoves this into my timeline*

his heart was both heavy and light. takiyok was close to whelping, and while he wished to grant the woman space, he stayed close as he was able, visiting her often in the past handful of days. and yet he was disturbed by the influx of wolves so close to diaspora's core claim, though their leader seemed a calm sort. what could be done? he doubted that his kill-brother would enjoy their proximity; he himself did not like it. but what good would conflict do now, when soon three of their number would be unable to fight?
unable to sleep, the gargoyle rose and traversed the hollows 'round the lake until he came first to an herbal cache, then to takiyok's den. setting down his things, he paused to call her, but his ears gathered instead the sounds of birth, the winterwhite's laboured breathing.
so stubborn! of course she had not called for help, had set about doing this alone, and in relative silence. mahler supposed he could not chide her, for takiyok had always been a private person; he scratched at her door and entered, drawing the bundle of herbs with him. as his eyes adjusted to the light, the shadowpriest beheld the fierce tightening of her sides, and soon a small dark shape was birthed into the world.
pushing away the smile of pleasure that rose to his lips, mahler cleared his throat, not wanting to be rounded upon by her fierce teeth before he had a chance to truly announce himself. "takiyok," he murmured as the woman swept the whelp to her breast. "lean on me, ja? it is all right that you do not hold all your pain inside," the man added, moving gingerly in the darkness to where his presence might be felt.

<3

She had been too preoccupied with the overwhelming abundance of pain and then with cleaning her firstborn to hear Mahler's scratching at the den door or notice him come in. It wasn't until she had settled down with the newborn and heard her name that she looked to him. She didn't stop him from coming near but glanced away at his comment, gratefully leaning into him once he had found his place next to her. Dealing with things on her own had just been her way for so long that she hadn't really thought to alert anyone when the pain started. She was glad for the support though, and she felt better knowing he was here to help if something was wrong with one of the children. Taki was quiet against him during the reprieve, her breathing evening out a little as she watched her son nurse. He was large, of course, given his sizable parents, and she was afraid they would all be just a large, something she would be proud of later but now, the thought of birthing more big puppies only made her cringe. 


She wasn't allowed much of a break before a fresh wave of hurt spread from her sides and down her still-round abdomen. She sat up, looking to the first pup apologetically as she jostled him some with her quick movement. She had little time to feel sorry for disturbing him--the contraction saw to it that she thought of nothing else than how much it hurt. She closed her eyes against the feeling, her entire body tensing as she waited for it to pass. When finally it did, she released a harsh breath, her sides heaving from the exertion of wading through the pain. When the waves began to start and end closer together, she wanted to get up and pace but even in pain, the idea of leaving her first child alone on the ground made her quickly change her mind, so she pushed up against Mahler instead as the pattern continued. When it came time to push again, she did-- over and over, each time somehow gathering the strength to repeat the agonizing motion. Finally, her second child was born, a soft whine escaping her with her final push. Again, Taki cleaned the pup, relief washing over her as the child began to cry out. It was another boy, only this one was all white where her first born's white coat was interrupted by a smudging of black on his neck and down his back. She pulled her second son close to her and settled back down to rest while she could. She was already pretty tired, the second puppy not coming quite as easily as the first one, and she was pretty sure she wasn't done yet. She tried not to think too much about repeating the whole process yet again, and instead she gave Mahler a grateful expression before looking back down to the two nursing newborns. She had been prepared to do this on her own, but she was growing ever more appreciative for the Kapitän's presence and support. 

But then the pain started again, much sooner than she was expecting. She wasn't quite recovered from the birth of her second child, but she knew she had little say in the matter. She sat back up, exhaustion and anguish filling her expression as she waited for the pain to subside. As each space between contractions grew smaller and smaller, Taki's energy grew more and more depleted. But, leaning against Mahler, she persevered, riding the wave of pain each time it came and went. And when the urge to push came again, she again found the strength to do as her body instructed. After a few hard pushes, a grunt of pain moved from her chest almost beyond her conscious control, and then her third child was born. Ignoring the exhaustion, she moved to clean the pup--a girl this time and pure white just like the second. Of course her daughter would be tenacious from day one, demanding to be born before she had even recovered from the birth of her second son. Once the three of them were nursing, Taki collapsed back to the ground. She was so tired and the thought of going through the pain again was almost too much to bear, but she knew she would if she had to. She rested her head on her paws, drawing all she could from the moment of calm. Her tired gaze rested on Mahler again, but she couldn't muster up the energy to say anything.

the general had worn himself ragged trying to keep an eye on every new face in the vicinity - feeling that the only way he could fully trust these newcomers was if he watched them take their every breath. his over-protectiveness motivated him to scour through each night for any creeps or spies, and by now he and mahler had become efficient enough in their rounds that if takiyok's den ever went unguarded, it wouldn't be that way for long. this behavior would dissipate after the birth of his children, but this was a high-stress time for all parties involved, and the way things were turning out simply couldn't be helped.

nothing so far had come up truly awry, and that night turned up much of the same. but by the time he had returned from his nocturnal patrol, blood had been spilled inside of his treasured den.

freshly alarmed, stigmata rushed to the smoothed denmouth in a crouch, rumbling anxiously as he tried to determine from his vantage point what was happening. he met a hard lilac stare in the darkness first, and an edge of relief took roost in the hound's thoughts as it registered instantly who was there. mahler. the shadowpriest's presence here felt more welcome than his own, he thought, so he made no move to join them or otherwise take his kapitan's place. instead he lay on the doorstep, and whined quietly for the ailing takiyok - eager to know she was alright and swallowing the hard knowledge that he could do nothing to relieve her.

baby daddy is skippable! he'll just be kinda outside like:

oh — he held her through the pains, and takiyok leant upon him with a vulnerablity he had not seen in the pionier before. she was stoic, silent when most other she-wolves would have wailed, her birthing pains fierce and unrelenting. sensing she struggled with the second child, the gargoyle glanced between her legs, noting the widening sac that emerged there and watching it to ensure the pup was not stuck between the bones of her pelvis.
another pale boy, this one lightly decorated. he used his broad paw to gather the pair closer as agonies gripped takiyok again, gazing down at her and crooning a few words of encouragement in a language she would not recognize.
finally, three, and the last a daughter. the trio nursed at takiyok's belly, and for a time, peace settled in the den. the new mother was silent, her utter exhaustion apparent, and mahler loomed over her to investigate the newborns a moment before movement outside the den caught his eye,
stigmata; their gazes met, and then the ironstar settled. wondering why the father of these ones did not enter the den, mahler decided it did not matter. today he was not a leader, but a midwife, and sensed that takiyok might have yet another tribulation to endure. and so he remained as he was, telling the woman that she had done well and that her children were healthy and ravenous.

In the much needed moments of quiet, she stole glances at the three healthy, nursing children, smiling a little at Mahler's words of praise. She, too, was drawn to the movement at the den opening, tensing a little before realizing it was Stigmata. Her tail sluggishly thumped against the ground a few times in response to his presence. She also wondered why he remained outside, but she was too tired to dwell much on it as she rested her head on her paws once more. She was beginning to think she might be done. She was sore and exhausted, but the pain had not returned yet, and she hoped that meant this part was over. Almost immediately after the thought had crossed her mind, the now familiar squeezing pain moved down her sides and across her abdomen again. Taki lifted her head, closing her eyes as her breathing quickened in response to the hurting. The pain passed, and she released a harsh breath. She wasn't sure she had the energy to do this again, but she didn't really have a choice. Tapping into some hidden energy store not even she knew she had, she managed to sit up again as the pain returned. She leaned against Mahler once more as the waves came and went, each time closer together. She knew it would soon be time for the even more painful act of pushing. 

This pup turned out to be the most difficult to deliver so far, made even harder by the fact that she was very quickly losing steam. Taki pushed harder and longer than she had needed to with the first three, and she began to worry that something was wrong. Panic crossed her face, replacing the exhaustion and agony that had surely been there before. She had no way of knowing if this was normal. Again she pushed, a whine slipping from her as she fought to bring her child into the world where it was meant to be. She paused to catch her breath for only a few seconds and one more long, hard push would finally deliver her fourth. She thought she might cry from relief. A bit sluggishly, she moved to clean the bear of a puppy, freeing him a little more slowly than she had the pups before him. She managed fine, though, and his cries soon filled the den. Taki brought him close to her, marveling at how large he was, and once she was sure he was nursing and that the others seemed fine still, she fell back to the ground, her breathing still fast as she attempted to recover from the arduous delivery. After a few minutes, she lifted her head from the ground to rest in on her front paws again so that she could watch the four of them as she waited, praying that she was finally done.

true to what he had thought, the pains seized takiyok again, and this time the man's ears swept forward as she strained. pulling away from the labouring woman with a brief word, mahler positioned himself lower, watching as the child moved through her pelvis and was not immediately born. there were too many cases of this, where the pup lodged between the delicate bones, killing both self and mother — he would not allow the winterwhite to become a statistic.
heavy jaws would have nipped behind the tiny slick scruff and helped the large child to be born, had not takiyok expelled him with a final push and a gush of fluids. she would bleed more from this, mahler thought, inspecting her briefly before pressing his muzzle against her side, seeking the ongoing ripple of contractions. 
for now, there were none, and so he riffled through the herbs he had brought, emerging with raspberry leaves, which he quickly chewed into a mash and delivered to takiyok. "for the pain," he murmured, wanting to give her poppy but knowing it would make her fall too deeply into slumber, affect the flow of her milk. she could not be allowed to rest heavily while she bled. "i vill be back," he murmured, on a whim nudging her cheek before slipping from the den.
with the weary air of a visiting doktor closing the snap upon his traveling satchel, mahler regarded the ironstar somberly. "four children," came his low murmur. "the birthing vas hard on her. little bearcubs, all of them. but they live, and so does she. vill you bring some moss vith vater?" he inquired, tiredness settling into the hollows 'round his eyes. he did not want to leave takiyok, not now, but water would replenish her strength, and when @Stigmata had returned, the gargoyle would leave them to bond with their new children alone.

SORRY for the wait! I spaced and didn't realize it was my turn.

When it seemed she was done, at least for now, she felt Mahler leave her side, eyes opening as he returned with a plant he explained was for pain as he mashed it between his teeth. She took it when offered, too tired to even care about how it tasted and glad to have some relief. She gave him a weak, reassuring smile as the Kapitän promised his return and touched her cheek, eyes drifting closed once more as she watched him exit the den where Stigmata was waiting. 

In the quiet, she could hear the comforting sounds of the four lives she had just arduously brought into the world. Taki slid her head from her paws to lie it next the pile of newborns so that she was protectively curled around them. She released a contented sigh as she waited for the men to return, hoping that their father would be just as proud of them as she already was.

four children!

stigmata raced along a paw-beaten trail, blindly running on the midwife's errand, while mahler's words of good news filled him with a potent energy as he went.

they live!

he was quite unskilled in the delicacies of caretaking, but pride had him overlooking his own ineptitude in the matter. he couldn't think of much else than four living pups, and his excitement drove away what insecurities might have had the general fumbling about his task. he gathered (and damaged) as much moss as he could carry and let them soak in the shallows of a stream.

and so does she.

emotion welled up inside his chest and expelled from him in a sudden burst of billowing howls - singing his praises towards takiyok's feat, and announcing to diaspora that new life had been born unto their stead. as his cries died away, he quickly gathered the water-laden moss and returned to the new mother's densite in a pace likened to godspeed.

though neither takiyok nor mahler had understood his unwillingness to enter the birthing den, he might later be able to explain that it was simply a matter of how he had been raised: that mothers of the legion allowed no wolf within their birthing den, and it could be weeks before even the father would be permitted to see his children. even then, fathers weren't largely involved in the upbringing of their own children, and up to this point stigmata had always considered himself more of a prized breeder than an actual father...

only time would tell if that would change; but for now he delivered what was asked of him, and returned to his post at the lip of takiyok's whelping den as if automated to that position. almost exclusively, he looked at her - the exhausted child-bearer - his furrowed expression brimming with intense worry and fascination as his kill-brother tended to her with a diligence he felt incapable of. all the while his ears strained forward to hear the muffled squeaks and squirms of the four large whelps at her belly.

the sound of good omens, and better things to come.