[html]
The birthing thread. Deuce, Styx and Iskata, though perhaps the other two towards the end? 
![[Image: header.jpg]](http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh154/emotasticpickles/header.jpg)
It hurt. That was the first thing she noticed. Spams of pain, one after the other, flashes of pain one after the other. She merely tensed, her eyes looking towards the ceiling. Hel knew that Styx was going to get Deuce, that she was going to be in good hands. She ignored the fear that something would go wrong. Her body was young and strong and she would be holding her pups soon, she and Styx would soon be parents. Her body gave another spasm and one soft whine escaped her. She thought of her mother. Her mother would not be present for her birth even in Asgard. Such things were brushed aside, puppies were given through the power of the All Father. He would ensure a safe start in life.
Hel looked at the window, the clouds rolling in for more rain. She closed her eyes and let herself be washed over by the pain and the fear and the longing to have her mate there. It would be over, very soon she would be all right. Nothing would come between her and motherhood. She imagined strong healthy pups who would fight and learn her trade, while other would follow in Styx's paw prints. She had been away from the pack these last few days, her body preparing for this struggle. Blue eyes opened again and Hel looked this time towards the door, to where Deuce should be very very soon.
[/html]
Deuce arrived as quickly as she could. Her ribs still were terribly sore, but she'd promised she would be there. Just as she'd been there for Naniko's birthing. As she'd been there for Soran so long ago. The Shaman had no problem with being a midwife. She was proud of her skills, and rightfully so. She paused in the doorway, her mis-matched eyes meeting with the blue ones of the warrior. And then she crossed the room.
She pulled a root out of her bag. "Chew on this, Hel. It will ease the pain some, although there's yet to be a birth without some pain. Birthing is easier in the four legged form, actually. No hips to push the child past. I read that in a human's medical book." She gave the warrior a reassuring smile. Her words weren't really meant for anything but to subconciously reassure the woman that there was someone here. It hadn't failed with a patient yet.
She hoped the mother to be would have a healthy litter. Naniko had lost two, and it had saddened the pale woman. No healer likes to see death, especially not the death of one who had yet to live. Deuce palipatated Hel's distended stomach, gauging the strength and duration of the contractions. She smiled calmly. "It won't be long now, my friend." Her voice was tinged lightly with her Irish accent, learned from her adopted father Taliesin.
[/html]
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... corner.jpg) no-repeat;"> http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... _right.jpg) no-repeat top right;">
Styx had read somewhere that men were traditionally sent to boil water during labour. Not really because it was needed, but because it gave them something to do. And while part of him wished he would be sent to needlessly boil water, he didn't want to leave Hel's side either.
Watching from the doorway for a moment or two -- due to that part of him that didn't know what to do -- he then padded inside, going up to Hel. He didn't want to miss this. He had no idea how things were done in Hel's childhood pack (not that she'd ever had a childhood), but they weren't there. They weren't even in his childhood pack. They were in Phoenix Valley, and they would make their own traditions. And one of those traditions, Styx decided, would be that it would be the father's right to be present.
Crouching down next to his mate, Styx reached out and offered her his paw to hold. Not his main paw, of course; he was quite aware of her strength and guessed that he'd lose the use of it for at least the rest of the day. Did it matter? Not really. Not in the face of this.
"I love you, cariad," he said softly. "You're doing so well."
[/html]
[html]
Hel smiled a little when she saw Deuce. She had come to like the other two leaders, the mature Iskata and the flirty Deuce. She had always been slightly aloof, never abusing her role, but holding herself back, as if becoming too friendly would hurt her. She remembered how it had felt with Asmodai, saying goodbye on that stretch of beach and coming clean about what she was. A killer. She chewed on the root and tried to focus on Deuce's words. Shifted form, eh? Or rather shifted for Hel, who had spent all her shifted life like this. I very very rarely shift. I prefer this form. But thank you all the same, Deuce.
She was about to say that it didn't hurt too badly (or maybe she had a higher pain threshold) when he stepped into the light. Hel smiled warmly at her mate, but made no motion for him to come in. If he wanted to, he was more than welcome. Some males disliked the thought of such female issues and stayed well away. Her father was known to go on prolonged hunting trips, trusting the life of his offspring into the hands of the All Father. But Styx it seemed cared for nothing of the sort. His paw, hot and reassuring in hers, became a measure of calm in her distress. Well... not quite distress. Pain, yes. Fear, a little. But not full blown panic.
How much longer, Deuce? Hel wasn't sure how long it should take. Another spasm shot through her body and suddenly, in a rush where her brain disconnected from the way she was squeezing Styx's paw and a low whine escaped her, one small pup was by her legs. At first she blinked, too scared to go on. She glanced at Deuce, the slowly moved, letting go of Styx, just enough to lick the pup clean. It was breathing. It was grey, like her mate. She was about to say something to the Shaman when another contraction hit and two more pups joined their sibling. And it was over. Hel was about to shout her joy when she noticed the last two pups were not breathing. The world seemed to start spinning. The room was too small to breathe in. Why...Why aren't they breathing, Deuce? Her voice sounded small and scared and for the first time in her life, Hel thought she would fall apart completely.
[/html]
[html]
Fusce egestas diam non lacus. Praesent velit nibh, pellentesque facilisis, hendrerit id, imperdiet id, mi. Curabitur pretium placerat felis. In sollicitudin neque.
No sooner had Hel asked how long then the pups began making their appreances. As if hel had delivered before, the pups eased their way out on their own, allowing Deuce to simply watch. One live pup and two smaller still born ones. Deuce barely heard Hel's question as she lifted the first of the two and started rubbing it's chest, clearing it's mouth. She hoped to do soemthing this time, unlike for Naniko's two still born pups. But to her Sorrow, neither pup moved, neither pup drew a breath. She sighed soflty, setting the two still born pups by Hel.
"Sometimes, the body can only sustain a limited number of pups, and will sacrafice the weaker ones to ensure the stronger live." She looked to Hel, sorrow in her eyes. She hated death, hated it violently. "I don't know if it will help you to hear, but my first litter was the same. Dierdre was born alive, but her smaller brother and sister were both stillborn. I am sorry, Hel. There is nothing I can do for either pup." She gave Styx a sad look.
She was grateful that one lived, though. It eased her mind to know the parents would have at least one pup to care for
[/html]
The silver and gold lady had come when needed, to both the birth of her daughter's litter and to Hel's. She knew soon enough that Asphyxia would be bringing Skoll's and her own children into this world and the woman smiled slightly at the thought. She'd been sitting by and watching the group of packmates as they waited for the new lives to join them. She moved closer to Styx and gave the male a small squeeze on his shoulder and a nod, her eyes shinning with the thought of all the excitement to come.
She moved away from the group and perched atop the edge of a dresser, watching the movement in the room as the changes took effect. She knew soon enough that the young would come into this world and have a whole new family and life to look forward to. A distant look had crossed her face as she thought of her own children, all grown up now and moving on with their lives. She sighed softly, her eyes turning to Deuce as she had begun her job of assisting with the delivery.
As time passed her mind wondered towards the past and the future, leaving the present alone with the family about her.
And while time stood still for her it went on for the rest of the world.. Suddenly she found herself looking down upon the small wonders that were entering the world. A soft smile lit her lips as she watched the child introduced it it's mother, the soft grey pelt almost identical to it's father and yet so quickly two more sibling joined the first.. but their arrival was filled with piercing sorrow.
Iskata shook her head, the words of Deuce filling her ears as she followed with her own. "It's never easy Hel.. sometimes there's nothing we can do.. I've lost three.." She'd never really spoken of the children she'd lost before, one from her first litter and the second set of twins from her second. She smiled at the leader before her as she softly said. "Never forget them.. love them all the same.."
[html]
http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... corner.jpg) no-repeat;"> http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk42 ... _right.jpg) no-repeat top right;">
T_T *clings to Styx and Hel and puppies*
Also, post sucks o.o Sorry.
Styx looked up at Iskata and nodded back before turning his attention back to Hel. He hated seeing Hel in pain, and just the fact that she was showing this much...? No.
"How much longer, Deuce?" Hel asked, and he looked to Deuce as well. And then it happened.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Hel twitching, but it was the sudden squeeze of his paw that left him breathless. Biting back a whimper, he smiled down at his mate the best he could.
The first pup had his colouration, and he smiled and reached out with his still healthy hand to touch it. But the arrival of the next -- and the third -- stopped him. Something was wrong, but it wasn't until Hel voiced it that he realized what was wrong. They were too still, too quiet. He watched Deuce pick them up and rub them, poking fingers down their mouths. Part of him wanted to scream at her. What was she doing? And then, when the other half explained that she was trying to help, that angry part was convinced she wasn't doing her best. She should make them breathe, dammit!
The small bodies were put between him and Hel, and his eyes misted over as he watched them not-move. "No," he whispered. This couldn't be true. He was sure it was just a nightmare. He'd certainly smelled enough blood for it to haunt him in dreams like this. The odd tinge to it... it was surely because it was a dream. Because this couldn't happen. It wasn't supposed to happen. Not to them.
Should he run away? Run away from the nightmare? How could he wake up to find Hel still sleeping next to him, so he could reach out to feel the slight movement inside her belly?
But no, he couldn't run away. Dream or not, he couldn't leave Hel in a situation such as this. So he remained where he was, stroking her mane with his good paw, barely daring to brush the body of the first, living pup with his other. What if he broke it?
[/html]
|
