Emberwood the black hills, the bad lands, the calloused east

dated for 6/26

‘I have been so stagnant, Cort’ she had said to her brother one day while they were lounging about the willows. 'I simply must get out of here.' and with those simple statements, the two siblings found themselves far and away from the safety of their sanctuary. They had been assigned to deliver gifts and, with such tasks now completed, they turned to head back towards Elysium.  Olive was gravid but not so unwieldily that she could not travel, albeit slowly. She was nearly at the end of her pregnancy, but felt confident that fresh air and the ability to stretch her legs would do her some good. If moving about was what her body craved, then there must be a reason for it, right? Well, she wanted to indulge — but not while alone, and she knew the time with @Cortez would be well spent. 

They walked far, lost in conversations that spanned the entirety of their lives, back to when they were cubs themselves. They gossiped about mother and father, and mused upon their common brother and wondered what it would be like if he were here. The two marveled at the animals and the birds, and the druid listened contently as Cortez wove his stories and vice-versa when Olive dove into song. Whenever she felt the cubs within her womb kick and roll, which they did often, she would stop and place her side against his so that he might glean something from the sensation as well. Ariel loved it when she did that, so why wouldn't Cortez? Together they fished as the big spring trout ran upstream, and made many promises of stargazing every night, but by the time the stars revealed themselves they were both tired and slept soundly, safely nestled next to one another. Before long, they had made it all the way to the emberwood.

The sun was strong and growing strong, and the canopy of the wood provided a nice shelter for them midday. Olive paused, lifting her chin to look at the stitching of leaves and branches above them. It reminded her of the hushed willows, but without those burdensome boughs of branches that swayed in the ever-dulcet breeze, there was so much more room to move. It felt quite expansive. Olive hauled in breath, then exhaled fully. Open.

Then she blinked against the lessened sunlight and looked for Cortez, who stood only a few paces away from her. The woman trotted over, surprisingly light on her feet for a woman so heavy with child, and rested her forehead on his shoulder. Perhaps they could take a break here, refresh themselves within the nearby stream; but they would soon have to turn around and return home. As nice as this all was, the gravid woman did not like pushing her luck. She was thankful to Cortez for taking his time to shepherd his pregnant sister through the world as they knew it, and for not shying away from the task as she figured most of the Seraphim might.

Awakened, the lives within her womb began to stir once more. They did this so often now that it was nearly constant, and as far as Olive was concerned, they were already earthside and fully conscious — but never again in their lives would her children be this close, so she relished the feeling of them inside her. It was divine; a thing blessed by the gods. Her cubs moved and they moved more, and they did not stop moving so Olive decided to give them the attention they were so unceremoniously demanding. She smiled at Cortez as her tummy churned. “Can we sit for a spell?” she questioned, not waiting for an answer before she sat her hips down and cradled her heavy belly upon the earth for a moment’s respite.

mobile so this is probably shite but wanted to get in here <3

the gift-giving had gone without a hitch, even considering olive's advanced pregnancy. it was nice to be out wandering with his sister; he was perfectly content to match her pace, taking things a little slower and soaking in the scenery. they spoke of times gone by, probably, and of faces long remembered but stuck forever in the past. it was healing, wholesome, for the shaktis to travel together in this fashion. 

cortez gave her pale forehead an affectionate lick and nodded at her question, settling alongside her. what can i do, sis? he drawled. you want some food? more comfortable place to relax? his eyes wandered, looking for these things and more within the trees.

After a moment, the pups settled and she looked up towards Cortez. She hadn’t even realized that she had closed her eyes, but for a moment, they had been. “What are you looking at?” she teased, giving the argent man a nip on the cheek. “Haven’t you ever seen a pregnant woman before?” This all was just the cost of doing business when it came to making babies.

Olive looked for something else for them to talk about — it would have been a fine time for a butterfly to flutter across the scene, or a bird to chirp and grab their attention. There was nothing, only silence, and just like that, she felt her puppies begin to squirm again. The pale shewolf grit her jaw and cut her steward an uncertain look. This time, there was a dull sense of discomfort and tightness around her belly where it hadn’t been before. They were probably just as tired as she was; it was certain that her movements were keeping them awake.

She rose back to standing, a strong smile braced upon her features. “No, let’s just.. Walk around for a minute…” she waited for Cortez to join her and she braced his side, not afraid to use his body as a crutch. Eventually this cramp would pass, and then they would head back, and then they—

Searing pain tore through Olive’s side, as hot as lightning. Almost immediately her knees buckled and her elbows drove into the earth. A hiss emanated from her mouth, out from behind clenched teeth; though the hot pain had only been for a second, the discomfort lingered. She rose back to her feet, looking over her should to the comfort of her brother, shuddering and whispering her next suggestion. “Maybe we should go back—” she didn't know where this proverbial place they would 'go back to' was, maybe Diaspora, maybe Elysium, but it didn't matter because again the pain struck, driving her to knees once more and sucking the breath from her lungs. 

he gave her a sheepish smile at the question, looking away shyly. not one that's my sister, cortez admitted, wagging his tail. it's a lot to get used to, i'll tell you that. i'm usually able to keep it out of mind, but now. . . he didn't tell her that he'd been a little restless, worrying about olive. about all that could go wrong. it wouldn't do any good to share his own fears, not when she likely had her own.

the bard nodded, standing with her with an easy expression upon his face. his brow furrowed, though, when it became quickly apparent that things were not right. olive, in obvious pain. the whisper she gave him sent a bolt of terror through his stomach, and he let her lean on him as much as she needed, only to stop as she fell to the ground with a gasp.

olive, cortez said softly, his own breath stolen away. he knelt down with her, heart hammering in his chest. are they coming now? i don't think we'll be able to make it home. let me—

his pale eyes darted around once more, trying to find a suitable place for a makeshift den. god, this wasn't his area of expertise. where to even begin?! he spied a little notch within the trees, cool and shady, looking as good as any spot for the purpose. he gently pressed his nose to his sister's cheek, nodding toward the venue.

can you get over there? he murmured. c'mon, olive, walk with me. it's okay. i'm here. i'll be here. ought he to summon help? who else in elysium was as seasoned of a midwife as his littermate?

Looking at the ground, Olive felt the hot fingers of fear begin to penetrate her heart for the first time. “Cort, I…” She began take in breathe quickly, erratically, and when she looked up at him, her brother would be able to see a stricken energy had overtaken her soft, jade irises. This was too fast to be labor; and besides, she wasn’t due for another week — maybe more. “S-something’s wrong,” the woman stuttered, her voice nervous and faltering. No matter what this was, it was happening far away from home, and farther away from home they were, the less safe they were. They needed to get back to Elysium, and fast. 

Olive laid fully upon the ground, not sure she wanted to move to the place Cortez had suggested, speaking anxiously to herself. “It’s too early, it’s not supposed to be like this…” then she looked up at Cortez, entirely unsure what to do. At least the intense pain was hadn't come back since the last spasm, but it had been replaced by a duller, ever-present throb.

his sister—his calm, ethereal sister—was going to pieces in front of him, and it brought his own anxiety to the forefront. olive, if the babies are coming, i don't think we can make it home, cortez responded, almost panting between each word. and it wouldn't be good for them to rush back, right? don't you need rest?

he nudged her once more, insistently this time, tremors running through his body like ripples in a pond. we gotta get you out of the open, he said firmly. we have to at least get you to a place where you're safe.

oh, god, who to call for help? lily had her own children, and aliac newly whelped. everyone seemed scattered. del-- ariel? who? who? who could pull them from this quagmire? he began to lose himself in the frantic moment, feeling as though he was disconnected from his body, floating above the ground. his heart hammered hard and fast against his ribcage.

olive, please, cortez pleaded with a whine, trying to coax her toward the alcove.

She tried to listen to Cortez, she really did, but his words were overshadowed by the enormous pressure she felt gripping her midsection. She nodded along like a good girl, but soon it became clear that her attention was entirely directed towards the inner workings of her body and not towards his words. When she was overtaken with pain, she held her breath — and in the moments between pain, her breathe came fast and quick. “—oh, god…” she choked out, knowing that there was no way she could pick herself up from the ground, nonetheless hike all the way back to Elysium. It was simply too great, and much too fast, and she feared anything additional might worsen their circumstances already.

— and that’s what Olive honestly began to believe, lying there upon the forest floor. These were bad circumstances, really bad. She was not supposed to birth her children this early (if she was going by her past two pregnancies, she carried late and labored easy). This experience was not late, nor easy; instead, pain and discomfort tore through her at irregular intervals and did not feel anything like the experiences from before. She feared something must be very, very wrong.

If she was in the role of midwife, and another poor women had been in her shoes, there were many things that she would have done differently. She would have worked to calm the mother, and instructed her to trust her body’s instincts — ride the waves, don’t fight them. But Olive was not in her mode of professionalism; in fact, in the face of hurting her children, she very quickly lost her sense of decorum. Tears brimming in her eyes, she did not know how to make the ache in her belly stop, so she turned to Cortez and pleaded with him in a voice that edged upon panic.

“I can’t,” she gasped out, tensing all the muscles in her body to lift up to her feet, but the pain within her was too great. “Brother, go get Seabreeze,” she entreated, begging him not to refute her. “She will know what to do.” In reality, Seabreeze probably did not know what to do. They both, as physicians, knew that some things were purely out of their hands — but Seabreeze was her rock, had been when her first baby died, and would always be. If things were to turn sour, Seabreeze needed to be here. There was no other way around it. She begged, desperately.

Taking advantage of a moment where her body was not tensing and cramping, she turned to her stomach and pressed her nose against one of the lives within. “My children, be still… it is not yet time…” she spoke to them, wondering if they could hear. Then she looked back towards Cortez. She didn’t want him to leave, not now — not when something was wrong. She didn't want to face this alone, and he certainly wouldn't get back in time.

i can't, she said, and that's when he knew it was bad. that she couldn't even walk that far. . . his ears folded backwards, eyes darting once more, wanting to fetch seabreeze at once but yet not wanting to leave his sister in this state. what if something happened? she was a sitting duck out here, all by herself. he couldn't leave.

i can't, he echoed her, shaking his head. i won't leave you. not like this. i'll howl for seabreeze, but i'm staying here with you. he tipped his muzzle back but all that escaped his maw was a strangled yelp, so fearful as he was for olive's welfare. he tried again, with the same result. damn it! he spat hoarsely, teeth nearly chattering in fright.

cortez looked back down. olive, sweet olive. it couldn't end like this. not when he'd just found her again. not when things were good. . . i'm not gonna leave, he whispered, choked. he laid down beside her, trying to calm himself. for her sake, at least, if not for his. i'm right here with you. tell me what i can do.

He laid down next to her but she didn’t feel the need to respond to him; he was here, and that’s all that mattered. She stowed her voice in an attempt to stymie this entire thing, and the druid half expected to feel better from simply resting; that it was the travel that had disturbed her body’s serenity so, and now that she was at rest, all stilled. For a while, that was true — the cramps in her abdomen abated and the control of her breath returned. Olive blinked to herself, wondering if it was truly gone, and being so very thankful for it. Maybe everything was going to be okay. 

Maybe, just maybe, she could stand. If she could gather the strength to do that, then certainly all was over and then she would rest and wait for her family to arrive, and with their love and support she would return safely home and birth her children amongst the willows, where they were supposed to be born, when they were supposed to be born. It would all go according her plan, because everything went according to her plan nowadays — it was the only thing ever she counted on. 

Time to stand, and prove to herself that everything would be okay. There was a dull ache that emanated from her loins that nowhere near matched the intensity of before, so she gingerly gathered her legs together underneath her and, though the attack had left her weak, managed to rise up to an unsteady height. She smiled to herself, relieved and certain this meant something good — she almost lifted her voice to the winds to cancel out whatever strangled call Cortez had made, but then a wet sensation between her legs cause her to look back. She was shocked at what she saw. He delicate thighs began to quake as the fear returned a thousandfold. A weak whine emanated from her throat, but her body remained frozen at that spot, in that very pose — trembling, weakened limbs splayed out, barely keeping her standing.

Blood; crimson red, staining her porcelain fur like a hunt in the snow.

they lay for a while, silently, cortez murmuring words of comfort to his sister every so often. things began to seem. . .better. olive's face grew less agonized, and the weight upon them—like a heavy, humid day—began to ease. he was wary, waiting for it all to go belly-up. but olive was a seasoned midwife, and when she rose to her paws and smiled, he did as well.

it would be okay. they'd get back to the willows, go to seabreeze. the pups would be born. everything—

the whine cut his thoughts short; at the same time, the iron-tang of blood tickled his nostrils. his countenance grew horrified once more as he saw scarlet billow out over her pelt, between her legs. he felt suddenly nauseous, and ducked his head, retching a little, fear and shock and helplessness overwhelming him all at once.

i think you should lay down again, cortez suggested quietly, and then pivoted to vomit up the remains of a lunch long forgotten with the day's troubles.

When Cortez vomited, Olive was only half-paying attention. It was as if she could see him, but she also saw right through him — her eyes stared, unseeingly. Against his wishes, she tried to take a step closer, but the movement threw her equilibrium for a loop and she swayed upon three legs for an interminable moment. Then all the strength left her and she fell to the earth, crumpled and barely-there, like a piece of tissue paper upon the bathroom floor. 

The impact jarred her body and she let out a small whimper, curling into herself pathetically as she was racked with another cramp, more pain — lying there, she did not stop her body from reacting with little twitches and pulses, barely holding on as the waves disoriented her. When it too had passed, she lay there, panting. Fresh blood spilled from her loins, but in the wake of her body’s attempt to tear itself apart, it was barely felt or noticed.

“Cort,” she bleated weakly, struggling to lift her head. “i — i don’t want to die…”

he stared at his puke for a long time before the muffled impact of flesh upon earth caught his attention, and he wheeled to see olive trembling and convulsing, more blood coming. shuddering himself, cortez knelt once more beside her, curling closer to his sister than he had been in a while. how long had it been, since they'd been so connected? at their mother's teat? or before that, even, before memories started—within the womb?

i won't let you die, he whispered, his voice fervent. it was a promise he couldn't make, but damn it, he'd make it anyway. he wasn't about to see his sister slip away before his eyes. not in the prime of her life. i'm not gonna let you die, olive shakti. you're gonna stay right here with me and. . .and these kids are gonna come, and it'll be wonderful.

he laid down and pulled her nearer to him, trying to keep the scent of blood out of mind. even mama earth struggles, cortez murmured. earthquakes, volcanoes, thunderstorms and blizzards. but the flowers always come, always. she pulls through and you will, too. again, another promise he couldn't make. he didn't really know what he was talking about at this point, only that he wanted to quell the fear within her—bring some peace to a situation fraught with terror.

Thank God that Cortez was here. He was like a balm to her soul, which hurt so very much at that moment. He gave her all the words that she gave to other wolves, and just like the other wolves had, she found it hard to believe. She nodded anyways. “H-hold me,” she breathed into his neck, shielding her eyes from the sights of the world around her. It was too much, but now he was here, and because of that, he was all she needed.

Now it was not just random pain, but it actually felt as if things were happening; like the forces of nature were churning away at her body, and even though she didn’t understand it — Olive was very much still under the impression that she was far from her due date, and things like this did not happen to her — it was happening anyways. This couldn’t be the birth of her children. It just couldn’t be, but here she was, feeling an impulse to push that what stronger than anything she had felt in her life. It was as if she needed to push more than she needed to breathe, so she kept her inhale locked within and hiked up her leg and struggled alongside the supernatural forces at work here.

She grit her teeth and leaned her upper body into the solid form of the man behind her, drawing strength from him being there. Knowing that he was there to protect her, Olive felt capable of fulling turning inward in order to work with her body’s impulses — but they were so fast and difficult to read that by the time she realized a contraction had hit, the dizzying and disorientating effect was almost over. It was all just a red-hot searing, all over, all the time. Her efforts were ineffective, and she was struggling at best.

A deep, undulating moan rang out from somewhere deep within her, unable to be controlled. The druid shut her eyes and laid her frail head upon Cortez's forelegs, taking a brief respite between contractions. "It’s not working…” she moaned quietly. She was tiring quickly, and the pain was too great. The amount of blood scared her, as well as the idea that this could all be for naught. What babes survived being born a week and a half early? She didn’t want to fail her children — she didn’t want to fail Cortez. Stigmata. She didn’t want to fail Seabreeze and Delight, and the wolves of Elysium who loved her.

Her breathes came shallow, weak. Maybe if she just laid here, her body could do all the work, and her mind could rest. She was just so, very tired… 

it was strange to hold her through the contractions. almost as if he were giving birth himself, save without the pain. but in the absence of pain was fear, and it lanced his heart; the emotional turmoil cortez was mired in was nearly physical. he held her, though, and continued to hold her. feeling life ripple through her body.

mother earth, he whispered. gaia. she's ripped apart day after day, ravaged by the forces of nature, and she still gives us beauty. olive, i ran into a woman once whose time came early. she had a midwife with her, but she was so scared.

he'd never forget her eyes, those golden, round eyes—so suffused with fear. she was young and fresh and unblemished. the pups came without warning.

but she made it—and you will, too. the midwife told her what i'm telling you. it was messy and bloody and frightening. . .but when the morning broke, she was a mother. and so will you be, he almost added, except olive was already a mother. she should be old hat at this by now. this must be far beyond the norm, for his sister to be so terrified.

he rocked her, slowly, trying to keep his breathing deep and steady. you have to keep pushing, he urged her softly. i'm sure they're almost here.

She was roused back into austere wakefulness at Cortez’s anecdotal behest and and thrown back into the world of pain and sickness and misfortunate — why she had to face this any longer, she didn’t know. Just behind the haze of unconsciousness, the frail woman lay, waiting to slip further into this relief. But the contractions continued incrementally, on their own, and the frustrated shewolf once again felt the actual desire and impulse to push. It seemed as though everything was right there, and if she did not reach out and grab it now, it might slip away from her forever.

The woman summoned all her strength and will, curling into herself with newfound determination to bring her children to life. She gritting her teeth and emitted noises that would make even the rainforest’s chattiest monkeys look up and stare. The placid woman transformed into a shedevil, with one sole purpose: to bring these children to life, and survive the process of doing so — but if she must die, then she at the very least she must not take her babes with her. She yelled her children into existence, pushing her forelegs so hard into the earth that she even lifted her chest off the ground an inch. She fought her children into existence, screamed them into existence. She channeled the strength of her own mother, her grandmother, any woman that was apart of the collective conscious, into the sole experience of birthing these cubs.

— and then, when the first child left her body, Olive found no issue in summoning to strength to reach her head down and examine the child. It was a male, of average size and silver pelage. He was alive. He was perfect.  “Oh, my child,”  she cried, cheeks wet with tears of both desperation and joy, and she pulled the small being between her forearms. She pressed her face into him, and felt him squirm against her muzzle. Here, there was life, where she was so certain there would be none. Olive cleaned the small boy with an eager tongue, so eternally pleased to be holding a healthy, squalling baby and not a corpse. The druid looked up at Cortez, beaming.

 “Praise the gods,”  she gasped, turning the little boy which she cradled in her forearms so that her brother might see. The little boy was mostly light, with ashen markings that would fade and smooth with age. Unable to fully process the unabated joy that she was experiencing, she buried her face against the perpetually strong form of Cortez, and held @Sundance close. Perhaps she had actually died, and gone to heaven — well, if this was heaven, then she was totally satisfied with her eternal sentence.

When he sucked in life's first breath into his newly inflated lungs, it was released in the strong cry that his mother longed to hear. Tiny jaws parted wide to wail his offense at being forced into the unknown and being so roughly handled. Something poked and prodded at his little face, smoothed across his ashen dorsal, and he attempted to writhe away fearfully from every gesture.

Finally, the boy who was to be named Sundance's yowls quietened to soft mewling. Entirely unaware of the emotion brought forth by his arrival, he simply scooted close to his dam - tiny nose trailing the length of a pallid forelimb in search of her warmth and comfort.

he was almost tempted to scream along with her, their mingled voices carrying into the trees. as it was, cortez merely gritted his teeth, holding her tight, muttering quiet reassurances. it was the messiest, most calamitous thing he'd ever been privy to— it was beautiful. savagely so. and when the boy was born squalling, his eyes burned with tears as well; he pressed his nose to the crown of his sister's head.

little shakti boy, cortez whispered, the pale form going fuzzy as his vision blurred. he blinked, grinning. nephew. god, he's beautiful, olive. of course he is. no child of his sister's womb could possibly be anything less.

he wondered if this was it, or if there were more to come. sure, additional children would be a blessing, but this sole babe was boon enough for him. healthy, and olive as well. he, too, could die happily here, surrounded by blood and birth and wolves that had his heart.

She was only allowed a few moments respite before her body began to seize again, but she faced it now with a new confidence — she could do this, her body could do this, and this would not be the death of her. Several deep breathes steadied her nerves, ready to face whatever pain that lay ahead for the sake of rest of her litter. However, Sundance had paved an easy road for his two younger brothers, and all Olive seemingly had to do was give several gentle pushes, and the other two were also born. She reached down and brought @Reif and @Atwood forward, cleansing them with extreme pleasure.

Then she held her bouquet of cubs, a myriad of colors from silver to tan to chocolate, close to her breast and she looked up at Cortez with an expression of pure surprise. “Oh my god,” she muttered to herself, absolutely astonished at what had just happened. It had all happened so fast that she barely had time to blink. One moment she had been exploring with her brother, and the next she was writhing upon the ground in pain, and now she was laying in a random wood, her children squalling in her arms. “Oh my god,” she repeated as she looked up at him, eyes wide with wonder, wishing he was able to explain to her all of the things that had just happened. Just like that, she was made a mother anew. Who would have ever thought now, at this moment, so far from the safety of Elysium?

today was a big day, not that that was a good thing in the slightest. he liked it here, here was warm, here was safe, here was dark, here was quiet, here was good. but here was also no longer happy to let them rent away happily, it seemed they were about to be evicted. he did agree though that the place was getting pretty cramped which gave reif the perfect idea- if he could just shove his siblings out instead then there'd be loads of room for him and he could stay. very logical, yes? so alas when the bustling of their home grew more excited- were they seriously excited to leave this little haven? reif retreated against nature's tug, nestling further into the darkness, as if it could protect him from what was to come.

sundance was first to depart and reif wasted no time in pushing little stubby paws against his butt on his way out in an effort to both free up some space and push himself further away from whatever terrifying thing was trying to steal him away from his 'here'. however it will come as quite a shock to hear but reif was wrong with his thoughts, even after helping shove his siblings away- his landlord was determined to evict him and his little lump of a body made its first contact with the world. the first emotion the little boy would be blessed with was; full scale PANIC!! the grass was spiky, the air was sharp and intrusive on his little lungs and it was cold. why why why did he have to endure this cruelty? and so such thoughts were expressed in an indignant wail although it would be heard as little more than pitiful mewling.

he had to go back! stubby legs would rotate his pale body as he wriggled like a little worm towards heat, yes yes heat was good. however rather than finding him back where he began his nose simply bumped off solid warmth? well desperate times call for desperate measures so with little whimpers he'd simply suck up to this heat source. yet with nature's gentle guiding hand his little mouth came across a teat and would suddenly find something worth living for as warm milk sloshed into his greedy little mouth. at that all other thoughts would be completely abandoned as a sudden roaring appetite awakened within him and suddenly all that mattered was consuming as much of this heavenly liquid as possible.

it was the blood that first drew him in, as it does to all carnivorous beings. stigmata had missed the strife that came before, but he was unwittingly present for the goodness that came after. for the new light that had been brought into this dim, shrouded world.

oh, my child, he heard her cry - fawning over something he could not possibly see from his radius - and the sudden sound of her voice stayed his approach. she couldn't be here. surely she was tucked away in the willows; safe and surrounded by teeth... but it only took a single glance to know it was her. tucked beside only a single pair of jaws to guard her precious life, and he didn't think it was nearly enough.

her return to labor further kept him at bay, and the two shakti's combined preoccupation with the birth left him a shadow unnoticed in the middle distance. he did not try to approach until things appeared to calm once more; and even then, he stood a ways back and chuffed, lowering his dark crown respectfully as he met the blossomed mother's everlasting jade eyes.

skipping atwood and cortez with permission :) so basically don’t worry about posting order, just go for it

At last, the new mother felt a sense of calmness return to her body and soul. With three pups in her arms, Olive knew this tumultuous experience of becoming a mother thrice was coming to a close. She only ever had broods of three, and here it was again, proving that the universe did have a small sense of humor after all. The pale druid continued to stare at the three children squalling in her arms, letting her mind swim for a moment — but her body ached, and she laid her head across Cortez’s forearms, black nose pointed towards her babies. They were already active, three little boys, and they instinctively reached and called out to be fed. She would help them along in a moment, but for just these thirty seconds, she wanted to rest. 

Honestly, she wasn’t even sure that her milk had come in, seeing as it was a week and a half before they were due; but that was a problem to face in their near future. Now was time to languish in the fact that she was still alive, and all her babies were alive, and they truly did not seem any worse for wear.

Olive breathed heavily, listening to Cortez and his wonderful voice commemorate the moment the way that Cortez did best — with beautiful words and lovely sentiments. Eventually the heaving of her chest stilled. She felt weak in a way she had never experiences before, though she no longer felt as though she was going to die. It would be a little while before she could move to Elysium, she figured; as unideal as that fact was. But, that too was a matter for the future. Now, she wanted to look at her boys again.

With Cortez’s assistance, she lifted herself to her elbows. She strained to lift her head, but when she did, her gaze immediately fell upon him. Olive froze, forgetting almost everything she had just experienced, so eternally grateful was she that Stigmata was here as well. Her immediate feeling was that of safety, for as noble and strong as her brother was, he was only one wolf [and Stigmata was a man especially fearsome]. The second was of surprise: the druid had almost managed to convince herself, along with both her wives, that her children were that of Ariel’s, and of Elysium, but it was something she would never be certain of. It was a secret that she would take to her grave. 

The third emotion she felt was pleasure, as if this was a reward the gods had bestowed upon her for a job well done. How lovely was it that the General got to meet his son — or, sons? 

 “Stigmata—” she welcomed weakly, blinking her moon-ivy eyes heavily. She felt her brother sense beside her, possibly ready for this birth to go 100% wrong [everything up to this point had only gone like 70% wrong]. He radiated a tense, apprehensive energy, as if he wasn’t sure if he needed to jump into action; but her brother was like she, a lover and not a fighter, so she was quick to try to soothe him.

 “Brother, all is well,” the woman said, glancing at Cortez beside her.   “He is…” Her gaze then fell to the ground, then looked up at Stigmata from behind a line of thick lashes.  “…of Diaspora.” That he was, but to these three cubs — she noted as she looked down at them mewling to find a teat — he was so much more.

the third to enter their brave new world, atwood's birth is not particularly remarkable. easily he slips out, a small, runted child, the finery of his coat hidden by viscera that paints him a deep ruddy brown. instinct opens his mouth, his first few breaths a series of plaintive squeaks. but instinct -- and mother's grasp -- pulls him within suckling range and as soon as he's latched onto her belly, he settles down, oblivious to the other small bodies beside him.

last from me!

two more boys followed the first, doubling and then tripling the shaktis' joy. cortez was so utterly spent from happiness and worry that he almost didn't notice the approach of the gray man. only the change of atmosphere, the added tension, drew his attention, and he lifted his head, a snarl bubbling in his throat.

brother, all is well, olive said, and he believed her. . .but still. the guy was too close, much too close to his sister and nephews. he rose to his paws, a little shaky, moving to stand protectively over the quartet and staring at stigmata, his gaze questioning.

should we send him to elysium, so he can give them the news? he asked olive, though not ripping his eyes from the stranger (to him, anyway). they'll be worried about us, olive. worried about you, i should say. should let them know everything's okay.

and he sure as hell wasn't going and leaving his sister to this random man. no matter how well she knew him. no matter how good his intentions were.

cortez had just entered hell and then walked right out into heaven. he wasn't in a mood to be tested.

though olive tried to soothe her comrade, the handsome slip of a wolf took position to shield her from him, and stigmata tensed slightly to prevent an arrogant ripple from traveling along his spine. he was not adequate protection, the general's thoughts conjured first - before reason followed a close second. if this male was willing to stand against him, of all terrors, then he would suffice until the other birds of elysium could come fluttering in.

he took a step back. "i shall fetch them at once," he agreed succinctly, looking down to meet olive's eye for the tenderest of seconds. i will be back for you.

when he looked back towards her brother, his gaze was hard as steel, and though he said no words, it was implied that there would be a steep price for not protecting her adequately. he swung abruptly towards the willows and launched powerfully into a full gallop; speeding to retrieve olive's kin. he would stop only twice on the way to meet them, and both times it was to send up a distress call towards the peacekeeper's claim - announcing the wayward birth, and his position to lead them there.

last from me as well! it can be assumed/noted that though he wouldn't offer to physically help afterwards, stig would (distantly) escort them all back to elysium as the pups get transferred :)

closing here ♥ welcome babies!

Olive really hadn’t considered what might happen after her babies were born — the fact that they had been born at all was still an astonishing fact, to her. For several serious moments, she had been quite convinced that she and her babies were going to die, and what would poor Seabreeze and Ariel, already prone to melancholy, be in the wake of all their deaths? 

But now that her three boys, warm and full of life, suckled heartily at her belly, and she could feel her milk become stimulated and rush to flow… it dawned on her that there indeed would be an afterwards, and it needed to be dealt with immediately. Thankfully, if she could have chosen any two others to aid her on this journey, it would have been Stigmata and her dearest brother. Cortez remedied the problem easily, by sending the General to Elysium to fetch the Seraphim who would then shepherd the new family to safety. Though it was the only option that made sense, and Olive knew that only Stigmata would complete this task in the way that it needed to be completed, she felt her heart lurch at the thought of sending him away. Not only did she feel overly exposed with only one guardian, as valiant as he was, but she wished for Stigmata to have the chance to meet her children. Their children.

Olive met his gaze and held it, almost as would a supplicant who begged him to please hurry. There was no telling what might happen with a new mother and her babes, smelling fresh of blood and birth, out in the open. Stigmata had found her pretty quickly, but he had probably been stalking her like he always was. However, Olive was filled with renewed confidence that all would fine. Everything had been fine up to this point, hadn’t it? The druid pressed her nose against each of her three boys in turn, the leaned against Cortez and released tense breath. Wow, just… wow.