Bumps In The Night [Tala]

[Deleted]

A day had slipped by since the latest Kairos birth. Darkness had descended upon the island. Once again, the squeaks and squeals of new lives sounded from the depths of the cavern to mark the occasion. Datura had not yet paid a visit to the new mother. She hadn’t come immediately following the birth to assess Tala’s health, or to check on the well-being of her newborns. Instead, she had waited, but she was not doing so as an act of kindness, to allow Tala a moment of rest following the birth. Certainly, Tala knew she would come soon. It was her duty to come. The white she-wolf had cause for concern, and Datura was not inclined to show her mercy by making a decision any sooner than she had to. Only Datura had the power to destroy Tala. As the Matriarch, it was she who deemed which females were worthy of the broods bestowed upon them. Motherhood was a privilege.

The cavern was otherwise silent as the mothers and pups slept.  Her own pups were old enough to spend time away from the den. It was nerve-racking to allow them all to stray, but they wore themselves out so thoroughly that they slept through the night, and finally, Datura could find a moment of peace. Datura had spent most of the day watching over the youngest members of Kairos, something she had learned to do discreetly now, since many of the youths were arrogant and careless. Now it was time to meet the pack’s newest arrivals, and the Mexican femme moved through the chilled cavern to find where Tala had settled down to give birth. Already, she knew what waited for her in Tala’s nest, nursing snugly at their mother’s side: two boys and three girls, each as unimpressive as their mother. They were not the giants they could have been, favoring their diminutive mother instead. Of course, their small stature would not keep them from the Agoge. She had delivered them, but they were the sons of Goliath first, and the children of Kairos. It was imperative that Tala understood this, that she could comprehend what was expected of her pups.

There was no such thing as Happily ever after here.

In the far recesses of the cavern, the darkness threatened to swallow her whole. Silently, she approached the den with head carried high and shoulders squared, her façade chillingly devoid of any discernible emotion. Without comment, her fiery eyes searched each pup. There were five in total, as she had been told. Two of the pups were mirror images of each other, copies of Tala in tiny, squirming bodies. A smirk etched along her lips at the sight of the litter of runts. They all looked small, especially compared with Datura’s own litter. Her gaze lingered on a pup that seemed out of place amongst its pale siblings, larger than the rest, with a dark coat marred with scarlet stains that was reminiscent of a bloody gash. He certainly didn’t resemble his mother, but he didn’t look very much like his sire, either – an anomaly of a pup, and almost certainly male.

Her eyes never turned to Tala, still fixed on the infants, even as she addressed her in stark tones:  ”What are their names?”

words: 560

tag: Tala

[Tala]

She was happy. For the first time her life she was truly happy. The coldness of life was warming up to the delicate mother, or so it seemed. Even the emotionless and cold way their father coupled with her to bring them into existence was far from her mind. Five perfect balls of fluff.

But the sound of another approaching made her tense. It wasn't the sound of Kayi, her dear sister who had been here during a couple births and helped Tala recover and even name the darlings. 

No these steps were different. She was proven right when she was greeted with the sight of the one who made her very uncomfortable but she knew she must respect. Datura... 

Light green eyes looked upon the flame licked female who was her superior. Despite that they had children by the same male, Datura was safe in here position as Matriarch and favored mate of Goliath while Tala was just a huntress and momentary toy for the Alpha. 

"Lady Datura." She greeted shyly as she laid on the hard floor suckling her young, but Datura seemed occupied with other thoughts. Looking down to her darlings, Tala waited to be spoken to.

The only utterance was an inquiry of their names. "The eldest boy with the black muzzle is Apollo. The darker boy is Raum. Castalia...I almost lost her...is the eldest girl. Dianthe is the little silver one. Artemis is my dear baby girl, twin to her brother Apollo. Each one is now doing well."

Ending her statement nuzzling a rambunctious Raum who tried to shoulder out one of his sisters from a teat. Tending to the squealing pups for a moment until peace was restored and her attention went back to Datura. 

Why was she here? Tala heard that she had the power to take children from a mother she deemed unfit to raise the pups. Is that what she came here for? Tala knew there was no love between the females and frankly, she was quite nervous around her whenever they see closer.


@datura

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She made no comment on the choices of names, overtly uninterested though she had asked. Her golden eyes revealed no semblance of sympathy for the pup almost lost at birth, and no hint of approval as she stared down at the tiny, squirming pups for another long, lingering moment. Wordlessly, a single cream-colored paw reached out toward the pup identified as Raum, who appeared to be the only one who showed any promise. He seemed small, even compared to Datura’s own dainty paw as she pulled Raum closer to her own form, away from the rest of the litter. With a squeal of protest, the dark pup rolled backwards, further from Tala, away from his even smaller siblings. Blindly, the infant nosed his way back to his mother’s side, shoving sisters aside heedlessly in search of food

Finally, her steely gaze shifted upward to the new mother. She was only good for hunting, and now, she couldn’t even do that. Datura still could not fathom why Goliath would choose something like this to bear his offspring.

Her voice was hushed, but stern. ”The boys will be weaned as soon as it is possible. I will let you know when that time has come.” She offered no explanation, for Tala was not entitled to receive one. If she had a touch of intelligence in her, Tala would understand: Goliath’s sons were expected to be strong, and Tala was not a strong wolf. Her own pups had mostly weaned themselves, anxious as they were to taste meat and do what the grown-ups were doing. Given who she was speaking to, however, Datura knew she had to limit Tala’s influence on the boys. She would probably suckle her young until they were a year old, if she was allowed to. But that was simply not the case. They were Tala’s children secondly, but Goliath’s children first. Because of this, Datura had a responsibility to keep an eye on them – and their mother, enfeebled by a miserable life and dismal future.

”As for the females…” Again she spoke, a smile finally beginning to spread across her muzzle as the words parted her maw. ”We will always need hunters in Kairos. Beyond Ina’mos, we may require daughters of our Emperor to form alliances. Your girls could help to secure coalitions.” This idea was not likely to thrill Tala, but that was why her pups existed – not to be coddled and spoiled, but to fight for their pack, to make sacrifices, as their mother had.

All for the good of the pack. Nothing else mattered.  Not Tala's feelings, nor her wishes.  These pups belonged to Kairos.

Datura didn’t turn around to leave just yet, carefully studying Tala’s visage as she offered her final statement, one that the timid fae had no right to argue against. ”The hunting party will be missing you, Tala. You must return to them soon. I will personally keep watch over your little ones, along with Zohartze.”

words : 517
tags : Tala ALSO Raum, Apollo, Artemis, Dianthe, Castalia
ooc : I tagged all the pups so they can see how they are all involved, and what Datura plans to do with the boys!

[Tala]

She didn't want to be under the golden gaze of Datura  ya have was in no position to ask her to leave. Her lower rank and shy nature surely made this even more uncomfortable. Some other female might actually take things into her own paws and try to intimidate or at least stand up to her but that was not in Tala to do so.

The way Datura spoke of the little ones was as if they didn't even live  to mere pawns for her own use. As much as it hurt Tala to hear the emotionless deeming of their fates...at least she was allowed to keep them close. She may as well have to wean them next week if Datura saw it fit, but she would fill that week with absolute love to them. 

A shiver went up her spine when the Matriarch of Kairos said her daughter might be traded for alliances. Looking down at her three precious gems, she worried if Goliath would even care if they were treated with respect as his offspring in such a transaction if such a nightmare for her would ever come about. Or would he not care? After all he obviously had many others, admittedly more like him. 

Then the final blow on her strong of words. Datura would have a part on raising them as the silent Tala would be sent back to work. Her chest tightened and even felt a bit ill at the idea of this female, whom Tala had done nothing to provoke but seemed her very existence  was a burden to the colorful Matriarch, would actually have a part on raising her five children. Perhaps she could find this Zohartze and placate her to take good care of them. But of she was a good friend of Datura that may not be as easy as it first seemed.  But there was hope and that was all Tala had. 

@datura
OOC: Super duper sorry it took me forever to reply.