09-17-2008, 10:52 AM
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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.
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.