Neverwinter Forest let me love you

Birth thread! @Kieran and puppies should post first, then @Scimitar and/or @Eshe after that. There will be a public greeting thread later on. :)

The early morning light trickled into the den, stirring the woman from her light slumber. Hunger had gnawed at her insides, but Kieran and Scimitar were both quite doting in their offerings to her. So while she had been hungry, Kaskara hadn't starved like her husband or brother, or the rest of the pack for that matter. Eshe received some food, as well, when it was found. The two women were pregnant and shared the burden of starving their family for the sake of the children they carried.

Her stomach had ached these last few days, and this morning as she stirred, something changed. Warmth spread through her belly and back, and a watery substance rushed from her, soaking her fur in liquid warmth. Kaskara's eyes snapped open and she cried out, shifting from her side to her paws as quickly as her rotund body would allow. As she finally got to her feet, her body cramped. She huddled in on herself, wondering if she was dying or if something was wrong. But after a few moments of rippling pain, something slipped from her belly, and she turned to take a look at her first child. Her tongue lolled out and she licked it free of its sac, motioning breath into its lungs. 

As it gasped and cried, Kaskara cradled it close and gazed upon her first child, a daughter. @Szabala. Kas smiled and nuzzled her child, placing it close to her belly. She was a grey child, and her heart swelled with love at the sight of her. But her work was not yet done, for her body rippled again, and many minutes later another child came into the world. She ministered it just as she had the first, and found a chocolate son waiting for her. @Rian. She cried out in happiness, cradling the second child to her and the first.

The pain that followed was nearly unbearable. Kaskara's body doubled over, and the pain shot through her entire being as not one, but two children slipped free from her. @Eimear and @Dublin. They were twins, she realized as she turned to them, pain hazing her thoughts. Their color was lighter than the others, a creamy tan that would surely change a they grew. But Kaskara didn't care about their coloring - it was their tiny perfection that captured her heart. She cleaned them swiftly, and after many minutes of no more pain, she realized she was done birthing children. Four in total, and all seemingly strong and healthy, despite the starvation of the past weeks. They latched onto her teats, and she sighed contentedly as milk flowed from her into them, nourishing the children of her heart. 

After napping, she woke with a start, and smiled down at her children again. Then she turned her head toward the den's mouth, and called out for her husband. Come, my love. Meet your children.

Dublin was confused. Where was he? Why was it so...cold? Where was the comforting warmth that he had gotten used to? He could feel something warm nearby, so he snuggled up in it. He didn't know that it was his mother's fur, because he couldn't see or hear. He whined a little, wanting a bit of attention.

sorry it's so short! I'm so excited!

So excited! <3

The tiny body finally came into consciousness at the feeling of a warm tongue against her dampened fur. She could not see nor hear and at first, she was quite frightened. Where was she? What was happening? But the continuous strokes of that tongue soothed her and she let out a tiny, pleasureful whimper. Immediatly, Szabala felt a connection to whoever this was. This was the person who would protect her right? She was gently scooted over towards the warmth of the belly, and the puppy cuddled up into the fur. 

Out of instinct, she found a teat and latched a tiny mouth to it, her quiet whimperings now gone. She placed her forepaws upon her mother as if to will the milk to flow into her mouth faster. For some reason, she was famished! Soon, she felt the pressence of her sibling next to her, then two more. She didn't yet know the meaning of siblings, but they did seem important to her. Her stubby little body affected her movements and as the puppy struggled for milk, she began to kick Rian. Finally, she reached the perfect postition and relaxed against her mother's soft fur, letting the milk flow to her belly, both warming her up and filling her stomach.

Kieran had been hutning far and wide even though he hated to be away from Kaskara. The mahoghany male thought of the days to come and his heart grew heavy. They had children to raise not just his own, but Scimitar too, and they would not lose any if the two males had anything to do with it. It was with a burdened heart Kieran had left Kaskara despite knowning that her time was near. As he came nearer the den with the meager meal he had been able to find a plump bird, the den smelled different. He smelled blood and milk and fur. Without a second thought he pushed his way into the den and stared at the four nursing pups at his wife's belly.

A soft smile graced his face and he licked Kaskara's face over and over again and then nudged the sleeping little ones, perfect as the day was long. He'd find their names for later. For now he just wnated to revel in their adorableness.

leanaí beag foirfe.

He slid from the den mouth and howled out his over joy to the world.

Everything was perfect; the world was warm and dark, and in it she floated without a single shred of knowledge over what was to come. The pinch came and she ignored it. It was a feeling she had experienced before when the others moved through the fluid space of the universe. But this feeling was different. It was uncomfortable because of how new it felt, and she did not like the newness. Before long the world began to ripple, to pull, to push, and though the girl was unaware of exactly what this was, she felt a fear of it. The absence of the others was keenly felt in the next few moments, before she too came out of her beloved world of warmth and simplicity — and everything changed.

She hit the ground; this solid thing which was not warm or comfortable. There was a familiar wet warmth across her face as something tended to her, and once the birthing sac had been removed, the girl felt the chill of the air and the sensation of cold, being new, unwelcome, and the first real sense of irritation she had felt sinch the pinch, made her cry out with indignation. Once her mouth opened she tasted the air, and learned of movement. Understanding would be slow to arrive for the child, yet her brain fired off signals and her body reacted; her tiny feet wiggled, her head lifted and dropped, and she writhed in the dirt even while being repositioned. Once she found the new warmth, this textured thing so unlike the free and endless comfort of the first world, she felt a little better.

The feeling of her siblings moving about next to her were felt but not wholly processed; and the little one naturally sought a teat in among the coarse hairs of her mother's belly, finding a greater warmth there than ever before. It filled her, and so she drank heartily, wedging herself among the other leanaí who had freshly arrived.

also very excited! also, lmao poor rian getting kicked already. ;p

For two months he'd been little more than a being within his mother's womb — and it'd been wholly contenting. Within his mother's womb, nestled snugly between his siblings he had not known anything but darkness and warmth, not hunger, not pain. A perfect life for a fetus that knew nothing else. Sleeping as he'd been in his sac the violent tremors of Kaskara's womb around him jostled the infant awake, to a semblance of consciousness, and then there was space. Rian stretched out in the new-found space, only to be startled when the tremors rocked his world again and this time it was he that was birthed into the world. His death and rebirth had been quick: and he cried out at the strange and foreign sensation of his mother's tongue against him, cleaning him of the sac. It wasn't exactly unpleasant — her tongue was warm and gentle against his drenched fur and blind, deaf and senseless other than the sensation of feeling he had no idea what was happening.

He was ushered to the side of his mother's belly, pushed against the other blob. A soft shiver rippled through Rian as he drank in the warmth of his mother, drawing an instinctual comfort from her presence. His stomach gurgled with rumbles, something Rian would come to know as hunger. Instinct took over and the young O'Malley son didn't fight it as he sought a teat, first making contact with Szabala's head, making a soft “ick” noise as he blindly poked around before successfully finding a teat and began to suckle, the warm, sweet, rich milk of his mother sliding down his throat as he drank, greedily, having no intention of ceasing until he was sated.

He was disturbed only when another contraction trembled through his mother, and two other bodies joined him and Szabala, before he relocated his teat and continued to suckle, scooting about for a moment before kicks to his side from Szabala forced him to get comfortable though only after letting out a discontented noise at her before he resumed his meal, this time, hopefully, without interruptions.

Dublin sucked contentedly on his mother's teat. It was warm, and the milk was better than anything he'd ever had before. He was pleased, and he moved his tiny puppy body around, trying to get a better feel of this new world. He tripped over his feet, let out a small discomforted noise, and went back to drinking his mother's milk.
Dublin enjoyed the feeling of his siblings' bodies near him, keeping him warm along with his mother. He disliked the cold ground on his feet, wondering why everything wasn't warm and comfortable. Dublin stumbled again, this time getting away from his mother because he was full.

No posting order! :)

Kieran soon joined her and his voice, trembling and soft as it was, spoke to her. Perfect little babies. Kas grinned widely, though exhaustion tugged at the corners of her mouth, and returned Kieran's kisses. Then he moved from her to call out to the world, and she turned her attention to her babes. Two girls, two boys. The world's perfection shrunk into their tiny bodies. She knew she would love them, but nothing compared to the unerring love she felt swell her breast. The babes jostled among each other, fighting for their spot at her teats, until they all settled into their natural order.

My love, she called out softly, wanting her husband near. Let us name them. She looked at the children and thought about the names they'd discussed, and found that some of them were a perfect fit. The boys, Rian. Dublin. She touched each with her nose, christening them, before glancing at Kieran. Would he want to give them their middle names, or else name the girls? There had been a few choices in their discussions, and now that she knew them, she knew their names would reflect their parent's hopes and dreams for them.

Once more Rian let the feeling of content wash over him, almost as good as it'd been in the womb ...but not quite. It wasn't the world he'd known before, but the babe didn't understand that, didn't that the world he'd known within his mother's womb was since lost to him and not a place he would ever return to. He didn't realize that the blind senses would not last forever: that someday he would become something so much more than the mewling infant he was on this natal day. For now, however, this darkness and strange, new sensations was all that he knew, but the barrage of them, unfortunately for the dark pelted boy, was yet to come. The rapid succession was yet to truly begin for him and his siblings. Dublin began to move then, wiggling away from him, cool air writhing in the empty space the second boy left in his absence. Instinctively, Rian scooted closer to the fourth — Eimear, seeking the girl's warmth, as much as he sought to share his body heat with her. He ceased his suckling the moment he felt something wet and cool touch his back but resumed quick enough as he recovered from the strange feeling, unable to hear but he felt the vibrations of his mother as she spoke his name though the vibration held no meaning as his mother had christened him Rian. He suckling slowed until he ceased it all together, a small yawn escaping his tiny maw as drowsiness began to settle in.

lol She's feisty! <3

Warmth and content washed over Szabala like a soothing wave, but it all left once Rian scooted away from her. She bellowed a cry of protest. Now both her sides were cold! She did not know where he bother had gone, but she did know that her mother brought her warmth too. She pushed herself into Kaskara's belly as mush as possible, surrounding herself with warmth and belly fur. Now all she had to get rid of was the hard, uncomfotable surface bellow her. She wiggled her stubby body as she attempted to climb her mother, but it was simply too hard. She let out another chuff of frustration as the grey girl sunk back to the ground. She ventured blindly around her mother's belly before finding another teat. She let the warm milk slide down her throat and warm her insides before sleepiness took ahold of her. All that moving around, it made her so tired. A large yawn escaped her small mouth and her struggles and movements stilled for a while. Her breathing slowed to normal, and soft snores came from her. 

A long moment passed before the girl stirred again, this time wriggling around to find a better position for herself among her mom's fur. She did not know where her other sibling were, but right now she was content with being close to Kaskara. Eventually, the puppy slipped back into a light slumber.

Everything was moving! The warm stayed there, she drank it in, but there was pressure from either side and Eimear briefly unlatched from Kaskara to squawk and squeak as her siblings moved about. It was not a nice feeling at all, and she protested it with the little chirps, until her mouth found its way back to a teat and she was filled with warm again. Beside her nestled the little Rian, although she did not know it, and they basked in one another's company. Eimear flailed a little as she tried to get comfortable, but without any fine motor skills, she likely pummeled at Kaskara's belly and kicked at her siblings.

Dublin squeaked when Eimear kicked him, unaware of what it was. He felt a warm feeling run through him when his mother christened him, although he had no idea what was going on. Dublin was tired, and started whimpering to let someone know.
Dublin didn't know much, but he knew the softness of the fur, and that he liked it. He lay down beside his mother, stumbling a little bit. He disliked walking, this new feeling that he had never felt, even if he barely moved two steps away from his mother. Dublin let out a tiny yawn.

Kieran slid back into the den and settled around his wife and children. He lay his head on his paws and watched as she touched them and named the boys, he studied them and then spoke softly. Waaat if oi gie de boys middle names, an' name de birds an' yer gie dem middle names.


Kieran grew quiet and felt his eyes mist over at the name of Rian bestowed on one of his boys. His father's name. He studied all of them and then spoke softly. Rian Damascus O'Malley an' Dublin Keris O'Malley. Nigh for de birds. Szabela an' Eimear?

More or less a cameo. Don't wait for me in this thread. <3 Failed hunt roll here

He had come upon a rabbit – it was almost unfortunate, as his lumbering size and slower pace had proved impossible to catch it, and the hare had darted off from sight and winding away. So determined to catch it, the agouti wolf had followed after it, his nose to the ground as he trailed the creature. It was fruitless however, and as the hours passed, his chance grew even slimmer.
 
Dismal at the missed opportunity, the wolf had trailed closer to the den Kaskara and Kieran had chosen for their young. The scent of birth was heavy on the air, and with a flash of protectiveness, in case any other predators might be desperate enough to satiate their own hunger, the large wolf rested himself outside their den, ignoring the gentle whispers of the couple within as they greeted their family for the first name and named them.

Kaskara smiled at her husband, her heart growing exponentially as she basked in her children's glory. They were beautiful and so perfect, and she was proud to have made them. She listened to Kieran as he named their sons, and she smiled again, nudging each in turn. Eimear Kalis. She kissed the little girl on her head, loving the name immediately. Then she turned to the other. Szabala Maire. 

The wind brought with it a scent of her brother, and she smiled yet again. Soon enough he would meet his nieces and nephews, but for now she was glad he was keeping watch. Despite the hunger that gnawed at her belly, she knew she and the pups would be safe with him watching over them.

Szabala stirred from her slumber when something brushed across her downy fur. It was probably her mother's muzzle as she christened her Szabala, but she was too young to know any of that. She yawned and rested her head against Kaskara's belly, comforted by the soft rise  and fall of her belly.

Suddenly, she felt a weird sensation rock her body. Her stomach seemed to twist and she cried out in frustration. Sometimes, new things weren't all that pleasant. Soon enough, she would begin to recognize this as a hungry belly, but all she could do right now was to  slither out of her mother's thick belly fur and find a teat as fast as she can. So she did. The tiny Queen latched her mouth around it and began to let more of that warm whatever it was slide down her throat. She didn't need her siblings at her side right now, for the milk warmed up her insides. Her forepaws found their way to either side of the teat as if to will the milk to come faster. Slowly but surely, the sensation in her stomach died down and eventually stopped. Glad that she had found a solution to this horrible problem, Szabala thought that she'd reward herself with a nap. She unlatched herself from Kaskara and curled up in a ball. Her breathing slowed to a calm rate and a snore escaped her maw a couple times -- she was a snorer. Eventually, the tiny girl was in a deep sleep.

Eshe knew Kaskara's time had come in a strangely implicit way, and she kept away due to the instinct of it. Something told her that when her own time came, and certainly she knew it was a when now, she'd want the same. Eshe did tip her head upward to howl a warm congratulations and ignored the hunger gnawing at her own belly. She looked at her abdomen and blinked at it, wondering at the life within, wondering if they were alright. But if Kaskara's brood had made it... surely there was hope for her own!

The newborn felt a nudge upon her head and cooed vigorously, her little face lifting from the tangled belly fur of her mother. She did not know what had touched her; Eimear lived in a dark and silent world at this point, but curiously roamed with her little nose, seeking whatever strangeness lay in wait for her. Upon losing balance, she tumbled against Dublin and peeped uselessly.

Last post from me!

The world might have been stripped of all greenery, but Kaskara's heart bloomed with love and life. She heard and smelled Scimitar nearby, and even heard Eshe's call of congratulations. Kas smiled warmly and snuggled in near her children, making sure each was near a teat and suckling before she herself laid down to rest. Kieran, come, she beckoned softly, wanting her husband nearby to lend his warmth and strength. They would need all the strength they could muster in the coming weeks.

Szabala only stirred a couple more times. She was tired. It had been a long day for her. Coming into the word was absolutely and completely exshausting! She mewled a single cry of frustration that she couldn't rid this hardness beneath her, but eventually, she settled back into the darkness. Darkness. It was the one of her favorite places to go now that she'd entered the world. Everything around her was moving, shifting, changing. The darkness was the only place that stayed to same. With a long sigh, her soft snoring started up again as she frolicked in her darkness. 

My last post! Can't wait for what is to come.