King Elk Forest Mechanical Love

Cruor tradition dictates that no male may enter the whelping den, they are, however, allowed to be outside of it ;)

Vex had begun laboring almost a full day ago, and she had retreated to her whelping den, alone. She'd not seen @Jaganatha since she'd told him to call for @Fury when her time came, and, well, it was here now. How long the travel might take her allied warqueen, Vex didn't know for certain.

Her den was deep and wide, sheltered by the massive tree above — @Kevalin had certainly impressed her. It was lined with needles and dried grasses, and various hare pelts lined it, keeping it nice and warm. It was a birthing chamber fit for a Queen, to be sure... and Vex had very nearly wrecked it — she labored and pushed, but nothing came, and she had thrashed and moved about so much that the bedding was scattered and the pelts were dirt-caked.

Vex left the den, panting and moaning, where she began to pace. How long would this take her?

Kevalin stood as still as a sentinel next to the tree. Assuming he had no business near the Queen at this time, he would keep his distance from her. He watched her pace, she was clearly in obvious discomfort. He debated whether or not it was wise to offer assistance. He assumed not, but he had never been known to be wise. He was, after all, the Queen's captive. "Your Highness, might I suggest trying some of the herbs I've brought to ease your discomfort" 

Vex had not touched the herbs laid out beside her whelping den — she eyed them now through narrowed, fiery eyes, scenting them suspiciously. She, being the daughter of a great general, had been trained in war, and not plants. She did recognize one of them: raspberry leaves. The other was unknown to her, green and leafy. Disdainfully, and through teeth clenched from pain, she asked, "What's this? What..." she grunted, bearing down, "What does it do? And what's the raspberry for?"

Traditionally, she would be provided herbs by the resident midwife... but here, she had none, and no women to assist with her birthing. But surely, surely, she was a Queen — a Queen who could break tradition, for who, no, what, could be greater than she? She would be in danger if these whelps did not deliver. Suddenly she wished for @Vivaan, and she panted, "If... if I called for Vivaan, do you think he would come?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wished she had not spoken them; this was not the conversation to have with a captive.

"The raspberry is plentiful as it is used to ease pain during labor." He spoke calmly as she examined the herbs with reasonable suspicion. "The other one is Parsley, but I request you do not use that one for now. It will be used to stop your initial milk flow once your pups feed." 

He chose not to give his opinion on Vivaan. Assuming that mentioning him was an oversight on Vex's part. "Might I suggest a wade in the weir? It could help to cool you down at the least. I may need to search for another herb for you. Kevalin sighed heavily, he supposed he was the only one around for this anyway, so he better get down to business and ask the important questions. "Have you been producing milk?"

Fury's finally here!

It was not an easy trip to make to get to Vex's kingdom, especially where Fury fretted about leaving her daughters for even a short period of time. 

But she knew they were safe. 
Arashi especially would not let any harm come to her kids, and she smiled at the thought of his love, his loyalty to her.

Coming back to the present moment, Fury heard Vex and another talking.
She let out a loud chuff to announce her presence before the Warqueen came to stand just outside Vex's den, offering an acknowledging glance to Kevalin before looking at Vex.

Fury didn't know what exactly to say that would matter in the moment. 
"I came as soon as I could." She decided to say, for it was the truth. She had gotten the message and made for the forest once she was sure Sovereign and Credence would be alright while she was gone.

Vex knew raspberry could not be poisonous; she ate a mouthful almost as soon as the words had left Kevalin's mouth, but how long it would take to kick in, she didn't know. The other she sniffed and snorted at, then looked to the weir as he suggested a swim. It couldn't hurt. She moved towards it, telling him, "No milk. Just... pain." What if her whelps wouldn't come?

Then, a familiar scent washed over her, and she heard Fury's voice. Relief broke over the Cruor Queen's face, and she growled lowly, "These whelps just won't come, Fury... What do I do?" She jerked her head to Kevalin. "He suggested a swim, but... it has been a full day already." She wouldn't admit it, not yet, but she was afraid — albeit, more for her own life than the lives she had helped produce.

Vex voiced her woes, and the Warqueen nodded to her words.
Fury remembered very little about medicine or midwifery, but she would do her best to help. 

"A swim might help, yes. But ultimately, you need to relax, and when you feel a spasm, push as hard as possible. It's like a rhythm of sorts." She offered. It was what she did.

Part of her wanted to go to the Atautiskut wolves and request aid for Vex. 
Maybe that would be a better decision than helping with a clouded memory...
Fury herself had not had very difficult births. How could she effectively help Vex with one?

Still, she'd try.

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The participants have indicated the following reason(s) for this warning: birth things

How was she to relax? Vex stared at Fury blankly for a second, maw agape, and then she shook herself, gritting her teeth. A swim it was. She turned towards the weir, for a moment wishing she had not paired with Vivaan; she did not like this. But, she had to remind herself that she was doing this for the Dominion — for what she was building. This was her sacrifice.

She entered the water — it was cool, and she, far too warm. The water washed over her forelegs, easing her aching joints, and she waded further, until her toes barely brushed the silty ground. It was heaven, for but a moment; another contraction came.

Vex could feel them moving, getting into line. She left the water, panting as she pushed. One left her womb, and as she birthed it there on the shore, it was even more pain, and the mess it brought disgusted her. She wouldn't have this in her den.

More contractions, more pain, but the Queen would not break, no matter how severe it got; she would do this in silence. She bore her first girl, and then a second. The last whelp was the worst of them all, pain-wise. When all whelps had been birthed, she thought she was done... but no, out came the rest of the birth a short time later, and then Vex returned to the weir to cleanse herself of the gore.

And then, there were her puppies... Vex hadn't a maternal bone in her body. She stared at them as they cried for her milk, and yet, they, too, required cleaning. Biting back a shudder, she leaned in to bathe her young, and when all the cruor was gone from them, she brought them one by one to her whelping den.

Four whelps. Tradition dictated that only three were worthy. The last stuck out from his gray and cream siblings; he was pure white, with a pink nose. It unsettled her — had she been cursed with an albino? Vex looked to Fury, gaze uncertain. "Something is wrong with this one."

I'm back but Kevalin is still skippable.

He couldn't help feeling at least a little smug that his suggestion for some time in the weir was heeded. It did seem to help, and quickly. Kevalin had a strong stomach but he was struggling to keep the hare he had snuck for himself down. It was morbid curiosity that had his gaze stuck on the Queen as she struggled through her birth. She tore the earth as each whelp tore out of her. It was bloody disgusting to be perfectly honest, even she herself seemed to want nothing to do with the mess of afterbirth wrapped around each of them. Kevalin watched as she warily eyed her odd pup. Good luck kiddo. He silently told the small boy.

Vidaar crashed to the ground with a thud. He grumbled and wriggled, seeking his mother. Annoyingly enough, his siblings joined him out here too. He writhed indignantly against the cold ground. He was roused from sleep when he was carried inside, here he suckled his mother's milk greedily, trying to shove his siblings out of the way to get as much of the milk for himself as possible before falling asleep once more.

Fury didn't object when Vex decided upon a swim in the nearby lake. 
After all, the Warqueen had extremely limited knowledge in the medical field, and it seemed the man had more knowledge there than she.

Quickly then, she followed Vex to the shoreline and watched her fellow Queen wade, until another contraction came.
And over time, with the Warmaiden still watching over her, there were four pups birthed.
Fury would stay with the newborns until Vex came for the last one, by then which Fury would walk wit her back to her den.

There were four beautiful pups, making Fury offer a genuine smile, like a proud sister.
"You did well, congradultaions." She commented with warmth, then caught the look upon Vex's face seeing the albino-looking boy.
Something is wrong with this one

Fury considered this, and would extend an offer.
"If you don't want the white boy here, I will take him under my wing for you." She kept her tone soft, yet still firm as any royal would.
The Warqueen would need to find a way to produce milk again, or find a willing foster until the boy could wean...
The white giant pushed the thoughts aside for now, awaiting Vex's words.

Fury offered her congratulations, but Vex did not feel this birth was something to celebrate; her children cried and squirmed for her milk, and yet she felt repulsed by their touches. She didn't feel any love for them. The Cruor Queen looked to her allied Warqueen, many questions half-hidden in her orange gaze... but then Fury spoke of taking her lastborn.

Perhaps Vex didn't feel love for her children — that didn't mean she didn't feel possessive of them. They were hers, after all. They were the future of the Dominion, and they would all serve their purpose... but it would be by her decree, and under her own guidance. Her expression hardened, and she answered as calmly as she could manage, "No. No... I... I will keep him. When their eyes open, we will know." And yet, there was the matter of nursing them and tending to them. She was wholly unprepared.

Vex snorted softly. It was time to retreat to her whelping den. She moved her whelps one by one to the den entrance, then told Fury tiredly, "Thank you for coming. I must rest now..." She then nodded once to Kevalin, adding on, "I have him to assist further."

Venere came into the world after waiting what felt like forever. She squirmed as her mother's tongue rasped over her, cleaning her, and after she was searching for milk, bumping into her siblings blindly. Before she could nurse, she was moved, and she spent the next several minutes angrily awaiting her first meal.

His eye's widen when he heard the women's voices. He was keeping his distance but he could still hear their conversation clearly. The stranger had offered to take Vex's odd pup. Kevalin wasn't surprised to see Vex dismiss her company. He was mildly amused to see the Queen turn to him however.

Kevalin's knowledge of herbs kicked back in and he wasted no time in moving forward to speak to her. "Your Highness, Parsley once the pups have stopped nursing. I'll catch you some food and some herbs for resting."

i think it's fury's turn?

The Warqueen immediately knew she had misstepped when she saw Vex's face harden. The controlled tone was a further indicator, but the fellow Monarch said nothing to retaliate as Vex said she would keep him with her.

She only nodded once, acnkowledging.

To the dismissal of company, the Warqueen would dip her head and murmur "Of course." Softly, before turning and departing for her own home.
She would try to reconcile later, but now was not the time. She had already offended Vex and did not mean to stay to worsen that. 

For the sake of their alliance, and whatever friendship might be left.

exit for Fury unless stopped! <3

Closing this here! <3

Fury left. Vex began moving the whelps into the den, and once they were all settled, she grabbed the parsley that Kevalin had left for her. She laid down, and at once she was assaulted by her whelps; they wriggled and fought for the best teat, and she let them suckle, despite how she despised the feeling. Eventually, they would all drop off to sleep, and finally, the Queen could rest.