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Word Count→500+ :: Shaw and Alaine. Shaw first for a couple posts, then Alaine! Here come the babies!! BTW just to make sure it is clear, the thread starts out in the afternoon but by the time Orin sits in the snow it is evening.
The mother-to-be was restless. She felt like this the entire day, and for half of the day prior. Something was wrong; Orin wished she could crawl right out of her skin! Maybe then this itch, this restlessness, would go away! The woman did her best to keep busy, to keep her mind off of her body's betrayal. She was becoming used to peculiar occurrences like these, her body had felt like an alien thing for the last two months – all throughout her pregnancy. But this time her discomfort advanced quickly, becoming too severe to disregard within a matter of hours. It was when she began to feel nauseous and hot that she finally sent word to her friend in Cour des Miracles.
Unfortunately, courier was a slow system these days. Not only did she have to wait for the courier to travel the distance to the Court (that is, if they decided to be honest and actually complete the task given), but she had to wait for Alaine to collect herself and cover the distance, too. That is, if Alaine would come. She would come, right? She had to. Orin needed her.
It's too hot in this damn book store! Orin thought, her mood darkening by the minute. She was anxious and there was little she could do about it. If anyone stopped by she would send them away. She did not want anyone to know there was something wrong, she did not even want to see anyone's stupid face! With a scoff, Orin jerked out of her chair and lumbered to the front door. The insufferable heat was worse than the possibility of seeing anyone but Alaine, so she yanked the door open and stepped outside.
The cold, frosty air hit her like a brick wall. Anyone else might have been overcome by the chill, but the biting air did not affect Orin, except maybe to annoy her because it did not cool her down enough. There was no one in Thornbury's shopping square, odd for the early afternoon, but all the better. Without any distractions she could keep a better look out for Alaine. It was not long until the ivory wolfess was pacing on her porch... and then leaning against the banister... and then picking at the paint... and then grumbling angrily... Hours passed and the cold night set upon Cercatori D'Arte, but still Orin did not give up her vigil (really, she could not bare the thought of going back inside, into that horribly hot store).
With a heavy sigh Orin's gaze flicked to the snow at the base of the porch, and suddenly the white powder looked so inviting that she could not dismiss the opportunity. Descending the steps, Orin found a nice soft mound of snow settled against her bookstore, and there she flopped down into it. A moment more and she was digging in it, piling it up all around her like a snowy cocoon. It was just so hot, and the snow was so cool...
Table made by Kiki! Image credit here.
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WC: 331 OOC: SQUEEEEE!!
Shawchert’s day had been quite different. He had been working on other houses and he’d caught some food for his fiancé and some for Orin as well, and he knew how she liked her food cooked, so when he got the chance he cooked up the meal and found himself heading across the street to give Orin her meal. He knew she could take care of herself, but this was his way of saying he still cared for her, and he was there for her, and the pups. He was almost there when he saw someone as white as the snow digging in it. The slight pink of her fading locks and tail made Shawchert see who it was, though it was dark out. He wondered what on earth the woman could be doing? Moving to her he spoke.
Orin? Are you alright?
He asked, the steaming food was held in his hand. He had no idea what she was feeling right now and if he did he’d understand his hot steaming pile of food would not be regarded well. Right now he knew there was something wrong… and his mind jumped to the puppies, was there something wrong with them? Was she miscarrying like Sky did? Well this behavior wasn’t what Sky had exhibited when she had her pups. Shaw moved closer.
Is it the pups? Do you need me to get someone?
He asked in a hurried voice, his hands still holding the plate of meat, as he moved closer to her. Yes he was worried, he’d put her in this situation, and he would hate himself if something happened to either the pups or the white woman who was digging. Right now he had no idea what to do, other than stand there and wait for her answer. Maybe the food was a good idea, it could calm her down… at least that was his thought at that moment and was sure to laugh at himself for that later on.
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Word Count→300+ :: Hormone rage! BWHAAHAHA!
“What?” Preoccupied as she was, Orin failed to notice Shawchert's approach until he spoke up, and now that he had she jerked a dagger gaze at the unwitting man before her. When she turned to him her face was dark, eyes half lidded and laced with an unexpected rage. Not only did she not want to be bothered, but she especially didn't want any male... no, especially not this male anywhere near her right now! A visceral growl rumbled in her throat, a noise that would have been better suited to her lupus form.
“Is that supposed to be some kind of sick joke!” She held nothing back. She shouted at the top of her lungs and didn't care if everyone else in the whole entire pack heard! “'Are you okay?' Do I look ok to you? I'm burying myself in the snow, for fucks sake! And it's all your fucking fault... Ow! See! No, I don't need you to do shit, you've done enough!” Orin suddenly summoned the words the sailors had taught her when she was on the ship that delivered her to Nova Scotia. She spread her arms and looked down at the mound of snow she had built around her. Shawchert was coming closer... was he going to ruin her work?
“Hey hey hey!” She held up a warning hand. “Get back! Don't you dare touch this, I need it to stay cool. In fact, all this snow? See it? It's mine. DON'T TOUCH IT! Get off of it! Get off of it now!” The hysterical Luperci got to her feet in that awkward way of pregnant women, then grabbed a handful of snow and began packing it tight. That was when the rich aroma of the cooked meat wafted through the air about her, and she paused for a moment to look at the plate in his hand. No! “What the? A cooked meal, Shawchert, really? Don't you have any brains? It's too fucking hot to eat a cooked meal!” As though to contradict her, a frigid breeze toyed through Thornbury. Orin failed to notice the cold.
“Ugh!” She snorted in disgust and let the packed snowball in her hand fly. “Didn't you hear me? I said get off my snow!” She grabbed another and flung it, and suddenly she was an erratic, snowball pitching machine.
Table made by Kiki! Image credit here.
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WC: 307 OOC: Yes I don’t see him leaving her entirely, but I will only be a creeper, continue on, he’s too scared to come out of hiding!!!
Shawchert didn’t expect what Orin was about to do so when she started yelling at him he stood dumbfounded, his progress to her stopped entirely and he was staring at her as though she had gone crazy. The first thing that did go through his mind that she was going crazy, and he saw as she said the snow was hers, that he needed to go, and as she said this she was packing the snow. He watched her wide eyed about tell her he’d cooked her something, and then she seemed even MORE angry, his heart leapt as she yelled at him for it being too hot!! What was wrong with her? It was absolutely freezing out here? He couldn’t guess much of what was happening with her because suddenly her first snowball came, and it hit the plate of food and made it topple out of his hands. Never had he seen a wolf act like this so what was he suppose to do? He couldn’t do anything as she started throwing the snow his way pelting him over and over with the white fluff until he finally ran away, though he made himself stay within a few meters he wasn’t sure what he was suppose to do with the crazy wolf who was pregnant with his children. He was scared for them… if she was this crazy what would happen to them when they were born? Then remembering how Sky acted the color drained from his face. He stayed out of eyeshot but he was next to Orin’s house breathing hard and unsure if he should get Sky or not. She’d gone out for the day so he didn’t know where to find the medic. So he stayed where he was in hopes that soon enough she would be willing to let him help.
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Word Count→400+ :: Alaine, we are ready for joo!
The snowballs kept flying even as Shawchert turned and fled from her hormonal rage. She felt the overwhelming urge to chase him down but managed to stave off the urge, no matter how darkly fun and satisfying it would be. She was beginning to feel the first of many rolling pains in her midsection and body and had not the strength nor energy to pursue the poor, unsuspecting father. She suspected he may have just slipped off and was hiding nearby, and this bothered her, but she decided to leave it alone. Orin turned to go back to her mound of snow, stopped, and turned around again. She did not want to leave that meat behind, no matter how much its presence offended her originally. She found it sprinkled with snow, grabbed the cut, and then returned to her mound of snow.
It took her a while to settle back into her spot, and she shuffled constantly like she couldn't get comfortable. She placed the meat cut in the snow and buried it with a few handfuls, hoping to cool it off so she would find it edible. Again she began digging in the snow, just to make a mound of it around her and pack it up. If she kept going she might just encase herself in an igloo! But Orin only packed it a few inches high around her and stopped. With a heavy sigh she leaned back against the post of the porch and cast her eyes to the sky, and then closed them. She was pretty sure that this restlessness would kill her.
After a moment she opened her eyes abruptly and started looking around, as though looking to see if Shawchert was sneaking back up on her. Not today, buddy, she thought. I'm not in the mood. But he wasn't within sight, and she realized it was just her being edgy.
She laid her head back and stared up at the night sky. Where was Alaine? She would be here, right? Suddenly another wave of that rolling pain overcame her again. It started as a nauseous feeling in her gut and then spread and intensified. It was not so terrible that she had to cry out, but she did breath deeply with the pain, trying to alleviate it. Soon enough it went away. Orin rested her hands on her stomach and kept her eyes closed. Alaine would come, she just had to have faith.
Table made by Kiki! Image credit here.
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Word Count → 5+ :: table © sie
It had been an unremarkable day thus far.
Her children, for the most part, had been sleeping off the winter chill in the small nest that the Winters woman had built in her chamber of the Chien Hotel. As time progressed, they would acquire little beds of their own, but for now the three fuzzballs seemed content to share the bodily warmth of one another.
The knowledge that other packmates were babysitting was what allowed the woman to go about her regular duties - She had spent a good hour or two infront of the kitchen stove, bubbling broths and the like and bottling them in small glass jars which she kept in the creaky, rotting wooden cupboard at the back of the room. Tired of remaining indoors, she had wandered absently out the front of the hotel, and was pruning away the dead branches of the rosebush when the courier found her.
The Luperci was panting as he issued his message, and Alaine's response was immediate. She tore back into the Hotel, gathering blankets and bits and bobs, stuffing rags and poultices and clinking glad bottles into the worn leather satchel that served as her healing bag. Quick words were given to the mated pair who often babysat her children, and then she was gone, printing through the snow to the stables.
Nana was in her stall, and it did not take long for the Apothecary to saddle her up. Cursing in Gaelic at the buckles that teased her frozen fingers, she finally managed to get all the equipment on the rotund mare, who had sensed her mistress' apparent seriousness and was shifting her weight from hoof to hoof. Bundling blankets and strapping them to the saddle, as well as pouring the odd assortment of healing equipment from her arms into the saddlebags, Alaine then tugged sharply on the reins and led the docile mare from the stable out into the fresh, crisp air.
She mounted quickly, thankful for the amount of time she had spent on horseback recently. Alaine was no expert in the saddle, but her mediocre skills provided a way to edge the lazy mare into a jaunty canter. They were off!
Through the woods, through the flatlands. Through swells of deep snow and across rocky tundra. It was an effort to keep the placid mare to her pace, and a few times they slowed to a walk so that both horse and rider could catch their breath. However, excitement was coursing through Alaine's veins, as well as the pressing sense of professional urgency. Orin's time had come, and she required assistance.
It was not long before the peaked rooftops of CdA came into view. With a sharp inhale, Alaine leaned low over Nana's withers, and the heavy mare broke into a thunderous gallop. Her huge dinnerplate hooves kicked up large flurries of snow in their wake, jets of hot breath swelling from the equine's flared nostrils. From afar, emerald eyes could make out the pink-tinged form of her friend, although the white of her pelt blended seamlessly with the white of the snow she had dug into.
Slowing to a canter, then a trot, Alaine pulled Nana up sharply in front of the bookstore. The mare whinnied crossly, but Alaine had already dismounted even before the moving mountain had come to a complete stop. "Orin! What on earth are you-" Leaving the reigns dangling in front of the blowing horse, the lithe Apothecary darted forward to her prone friend, observing her now with practiced and professional emerald eyes. A sharp white smile spread across her nymph-like maw. "Orin, you are in labour; We must get you back inside. Oh, don't you argue - I know you must be hot, but your children will freeze if they are born out here." She moved to help the woman to her feet, if she would allow it, and then glanced about. "And where is the father? If you'll not allow him inside, then he could at least tend to Nana, and bring equipment should I require it."
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Word Count→700+
The wolfess stayed as she was for a long time, with her face cast toward the sky and her eyes closed. Occasionally she would shift and wriggle in her discomfort, but mostly she just stayed in that spot. There was a moment where she considered eating the meat – it surely would have cooled off enough by now – but then another contraction rolled through her body and she decided she did not want to even think about eating. Finally she heard the sound of the heavy hooves as Nana plodded through Thornbury. Orin's eyes shot open, and she peered across the square to see a mounted angel galloping through the clouds towards her!
Okay, Orin admitted, that was a little dramatic, even for her. Still a smile spread from ear to ear as the graceful apothecary slipped off of her mount and, without breaking stride, hurried over to her. Excited, she clapped her hands together once, then held her arms up to Alaine, though she was reluctant to do the work to get herself off the ground and out of the snow.
Alaine had the same confounded look that Shawchert had when he discovered the Tundra girl sitting in the snow, but Alaine knew better, and the look of 'have you lost your mind??' quickly melted into a compassionate smile of understanding. Unfortunately, completely naive to the business of having children, Orin knew nothing about the terminology Alaine used. “Labor? I don't think so. I think I'm about to have the pups.”
She was grateful for Alaine's help, and accepted it in getting herself off of the ground and standing, but as she straightened another wave overcame her and she bent over slightly. Her hand moved to her stomach as though she could alleviate the pain, though she could not. They had gotten stronger since she first settled herself in the snow. She gritted her teeth for a second, but though it was stronger, it was still short, and soon the wave passed.
She stood up straight and looked at Alaine pleadingly. “Oh my god, but it's just so hot inside. I don't even know how it got that way, I don't even have a fireplace. Are you sure? They're full wolves, you know, I think they can handle a little snow.” She almost sounded a little indignant, though she never would be rude to Alaine. But really, the little ones were half Tundra wolf, for the moon's sake! They should be alright. But Orin trusted Alaine completely, and at her insistance, she began walking towards the stairs to go inside.
“Oh, him,” she grumbled darkly when Alaine mentioned the father. “I just got done chasing him off. But knowing his nosy ass-” that was some of the sailor jargon she had learned “-he's probably just stalking me around the corner or something.” She waved her hand in Shawchert's general direction. “He went off that way.”
Orin climbed the stairs, careful to hold onto the banister as she went. Then, once on the porch, she looked in Shawchert's direction and could have sworn she saw a tell tale shadow. At this, she laughed heartily, then shook her head and, in a tone that implied she knew she was acting crazy, said, “Shawchert, it's okay... Alaine says I'm done with the snow.” This was a joke, and she laughed as she said it. “I'm sorry I said 'shit' and 'fuck' and 'don't you have any brains?'” She spared a glance at Alaine, wondering if her friend would diagnose her a loony.
Her golden eyes returned to the shadow – or at least, the shadow she thought might be Shawchert, but could have been anything – and she waited a moment to see if the man would come back. While she waited, she spoke to Alaine, “I was completely unprepared up until a couple days ago. Then all of a sudden I had this urge and I got the whole store cleaned up, and the floor cleared. I want to keep them downstairs – no way do I want to be climbing stairs in the next few weeks.” Her hands idly moved to her round belly. “I made a bed... Well, it's kind of more than a bed... on the floor that's ten times more comfortable than my cot upstairs. I don't know what else I'll need, though.” She was slightly worried until she looked at the mare that milled around the yard, saddlebags apparently packed with provisions. She hoped that it was all the things Alaine needed.
Table made by Kiki! Image credit here.
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Word Count → 5+ :: table © sie
The woman seemed childishly gleeful that Alaine had arrived, her sullen mood slipping away in spite of the aches that the Apothecary knew (and could empathise with, twice over) would be rocking her bulged frame at the moment. She chatted at the Apothecary, who was much too concerned with helping her sizable bulk out of the snow and up the stairs to pay much attention to it. Alaine knew her friend well enough to recognise that her grumblings were only offered out of discomfort, and that whatever the healer said was best for her, she would eventually succumb to. The ivory and pale coral-pink woman seemed to have a strange respect for Alaine's profession that many others lacked, and for this, the smaller collie-woman was glad. She certainly didn't want to have to wrestle her good friend into the house.
The mention of her babydaddy was obviously a rather volatile one. Orin spat such descriptions that the colliewoman had never before heard, and thoroughly amused in spite of herself, Alaine managed to limit her reply to a curiously raised brow. When the pair reached the porch, Orin stopped to look for the said male, and because she had the current power of a rhino the shorter colliewoman had not option but to stop also, her emerald gaze skimming the white world beyond for wherever it was that the ivory wolfess saw her previous lover. Seeing nothing but suspicious shadows, the healer shook her head slightly, waiting for Orin to finish her blustering and rather crude words before catching the female's eye and offering her a bemused eye-roll. It seemed that hormones had taken a far more direct route within Orin's system than it had within many other soon-to-be-mothers, but Alaine was not surprised. Her pink-dashed friend was incapable of missing an opportunity to be suitably dramatic, and it was one of the qualities that the cream healer found so endearing.
While Orin chatted, the Apothecary midwife listened absently, her emerald eyes trained on Nana and the wealth of healing equipment she carried. Alaine was not worried on her walking off - the mare was far too lazy for such a thing, and seemed content resting hip-shot where she was. Returning her attentions to the other female, she nodded gently, wanting to reassure the ivory wolfess that everything she was experiencing was natural. "You are a nest-maker, mo cara. It is very common - I was, too." Orin had yet to see her children, but Alaine shared a secret smile with the other female, joyful with the knowledge that soon her pups would be able to meet the woman unofficially deemed as their godparent. The healer had given it a lot of thought recently, and should she no longer be able to care for them, she could think only of how much her children would gain from being with the ivory wolfess. It was a concept she wished to discuss with Orin, but obviously, at a later date.
"How about we head in to this 'bed' then, hmm? If the heat makes you uncomfortable, I will wet some rages to cool you down." It was important that the tundra wolf not overheat, although the temperature itself was dipping towards cool. There must have been plenty of adrenaline stored in her system for such a rise in temperature, for she did not look otherwise feverish or ill. With gentle coaxing, she aimed to lure Orin back to her nest, where she could set up her gear and prepare for the arrival of the pups. Glancing back over her shoulder at the frosty world beyond, the Gaelic maiden paused for a moment, before raising her accented tone to shout, "If you would be so kind as to tether my mare, and gather the equipment stored in her saddlebags? I will require it all. You may leave it at the entrance of the room." Her tone was curt and commanding, but not irritably so - this was her area of expertise, and the father would do well to follow through with her requests.
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Word Count → 5+ :: table © sie
She was immensely thankful when the woman finally relinquished her death-grip on the porch banister, and allowed the Apothecary to shepherd her inside. On a good day, Orin would easily outmuscle the slender collie woman, but today of all days she had the stubborn sticking ability of Nana herself. Without her willing, not amount of tugging on Alaine's behalf would have moved the woman an inch.
But it seemed, with all her hormonal imbalance, Orin was also well connected to the instincts that had begun to seep into her conscious thought. The process of birthing was very primitive, and from experience Alaine knew that nesters were far likely to experience suitable urges than any other female. As the strange duo hobbled back inside, one crippled by the small contractions that were rippling through her abdominal muscles and one crippled by her desire to make the other as comfortable as possible, the ivory wolfess began to talk again. Alaine knew better than to laugh aloud at her stilted words, for they were surely genuine - But the timing of her choice for maternal chatter couldn't have been more comical. Attempting to withdraw the amusement from her tone, she answered lightly, "They are all well, Miss - No doubt you'll be meeting them soon. I will not take no for an answer." The colliewoman smiled lightly to show that she was joking, one arms slipping about the woman's hunched shoulders to help support her.
Having finally reached the eclectic gathering of soft materials that Alaine recognised instantly as the nest, she helped lower Orin's swollen frame down into the softness, her emerald eyes quickly assessing the area to ensure that it was safe for the mother and her soon-to-be children. She nodded, pleased with the ivory wolfess, for she had indeed childproofed the area to a certain degree of OCD.
Her next words startled the woman slightly, for she recognised the note of distress within the woman's beautiful yellow-gold eyes. "Don't you worry now, honey. I can hear him at the back door." It was a lie, but she smiled blandly, not wanting for the snow-hued lady to stress any more than she already was. Emerald eyes lifted in way of the entrance of the shop, but were quickly returned to the form of the woman, now panting through her gritted teeth at the pains momentarily stole her voice. Her levels of alarm were rising, and when her water broke, it seemed the lady was completely ignorant as to the process her body was going through. This surprised Alaine somewhat - Her friend was studious almost to the point of a hermit, with her nose constantly buried in those 'books' in search of fresh knowledge.
Stepping up to the plate, the colliewoman rose to a stand, her small hands fisted on her hips in an authoritative manner. "Orin, you just calm down. This is perfectly healthy - Your body is behaving just as it should." Dea, she thought, May it continue to. Emerald gaze gave the woman a pointed stare that said control yourself, we are prepared for this, before she spoke again. "Now, you just concentrate on your breathings - In and out, in and out - while I gather by belongings. Shant be long." With that, she dashed to the front, and almost stumbled over her equipment in the doorway. It seemed the babydaddy had indeed been productive, and whether that was due to the dragon of a woman he had impregnated or not, Alaine did not know. Noting Nana tied securely to a stump out front, she loaded her arms with the belongings, and rushed back in to Orin's side.
Smiling reassuringly at the laboring woman, Alaine set out her equipment - Her satchel full of bottle clinked merrily as it was set on the ground, but she hoped she would not need it, for it was full of painkillers and the like. There was an old flask full of previously boiled water, and some clean rags bundled in one of the saddlebags. The Apothecary withdrew them now, and wetting one of the rags, began to sponge Orin's head with it. "You just sit tight - wont be long now, mo cara... Spread your knees, that's the way..." It was time to see if nature would take its course, or whether the healer would have to intervene.
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Word Count → 5+ :: POOPIES <3 thread almost finished? PP alaine leaving on nana if you want to close it with your next post.
It did not take long. Orin was strong in boy and spirit, and Dea had blessed her with a short labour. The boy came first - He was big and strong, and quickly sucked air into his lungs. After checking his airways for congestion, Alaine rubbed him dry in one of the plush towels she had brought and handed him to the sweating ivory wolfess. Although her face was still strained with pain, her beautiful yellow eyes shone with the purest of joys. There was no going back - Her life had changed forever. She was a mother now.
The girl came next. She was quick but silent, and for a dreadful moment Alaine thought she was stillborn. Then, life flared, and the Apothecary was quick to clear her mouth and clean her little body. Although blind, both pups were quick to recognise their mother - The boy wriggled in her arms, mewing silently from his little maw. The girl was silent, but alive. The healer studied her a moment in silence, not wanting to disrupt the magical moment between mother and offspring, where the connection that would last the rest of their lives was made. She would have to provide some instructions to Orin, to keep the girlchild healthy. Perhaps, she could give her some-
Before she could fully register what the ivory woman had been saying, her voice cut off sharply, and instantly Alaine returned to her task. The third and final pup, smallest of them all, came out late but healthy. After a quick towel-dry, she too was wriggling with contentment in Orin's full embrace. To the new mother's question, the healer allowed herself to smile, for she felt no ache in her heart as she had with many other births. In motherhood, she shared Orin's joy. "They are all well," came the knowledgeable voice, soft and lyrical and soothing, "The second girl will require caution, for she will be more prone to illness than the other two. But they are all well, and beautiful, too. Oh, Orin," The gentle smile broke into a dazzling grin. This was Alaine's favourite aspect of her job.
She listened intently as the woman listed her names. They were all good names - Not names of her ancestry, but good names regardless. "Titania, Demetrius, and Juliet. Beautiful." She enjoyed the way they rolled, accented, off her tongue. Thick cream and ivory plume beat softly against the floor behind the woman's slender frame.
To the latter question, Alaine gently began to prod at vague places of Orin's lower abdomen, before nodding. "It is done." She gave the mother and her children a final once-over, and seemingly satisfied with their health, began to pack up her gear. The clinking of un-opened bottles in her healer's satchel was a grateful sound. As she neatly stowed items away, the healer spoke gently, "For the weaker girlchild... Juliet. You will need to make sure the boychild does not get more milk than her, for he will certainly be pushier when it comes to feeding. Keep her warm and dry until her eyes open - Do not bathe her, not even in warm water, until then, unless it is with your tongue. If she gets ill, call for me immediately; As with the other two, of course." Finally packed, Alaine stood, and smiled warmly down at the small family before her. "You will be a good mother, Orin. Beannachd Dia dhuit, and may Morrigan watch over your children." When she got back to the Chien Hotel, she would cut her palm and bleed for Orin's pups, and bless them in the name of the Goddess.
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