Second Time Round [Valeria]

[Raksha]

Her pregnancy was a constant reminder of the Kairos brute from seemingly eons ago now that she had a life in Valyn. It also reminded the Eastern Timber wolf of her past pregnancy, of the litter long gone. She had been an irresponsible mother, she knew, but now she knew better. This time, her pups would live a long, happy life. Raksha would rather have died than given that up.

Despite its rough start, Raksha's new life seemed to be going well. She had taken a liking for Valeria's half sister, Saphira. But if she did befriend anyone... But, no, she could not back out now. What would she tell Valeria? "Oh, sorry, but I might kill everyone with my unluckiness and habit of attracting death?" No, leaving to protect the wolves who she had grown somewhat fond of was not an option. But it was not fair! Why was it that everyone around Raksha left? Everyone who she had ever loved... It was so much to hold inside. Maybe, if she grew close enough to someone... You'd end up causing their death before you could tell them, then, she told herself sternly. No, she was not selfish enough to wish death upon someone just to have an outlet for her inner torment.

There was one point in Kamari that Raksha scarcely visited, never really having a reason to inspect the strange area. It seemed that it was rather peaceful there and it would be good to pay a visit if the yellow-eyed wolfess was to remain in Valyn. Maybe she could go there to unwind, to forget for a while.

Black paws carried the Principality towards the place whilst the paws' owner mulled over her future. At the moment, she was the equivalent of a Subordinate in common pack hierarchy. She was not bothered by being lower in the ranks but rather by the fact that she was not doing much. That was the one thing that Raksha was not a fan of with having pups—the fact that she would be essentially unable to serve the pack later on in the pregnancy, having to depend on her peers. It was this helplessness that had killed her mate, let him die right in front of Raksha... But, perhaps, she could plan ahead with the Seraphim for when her pups were born and they were old enough to care for herself. After last time, leaving her precious offspring with someone else was too risky in the dark-furred she-wolf's eyes.

.: OOC :.

Words: 438
Tags: Valeria
Notes: Crappy starter but here it is ^^
Muse: Okay

[Valeria]

As the weeks passed, Valeria's pregnancy grew more and more obvious. As her stomach rounded not much unlike her first pregnancy, she could not help but feel as if there was a glow about her; the alphess was always happiest when surrounded by her family and her young. And although the majority of her last litter opted not to remain with the pack, she felt confident that, in a more neutral environment, her offspring may yet decide to make a life in Valyn. But alas, with the circle of life, she could not neglect her duties as the pack's Seraphim. Instead, she often found herself patrolling the inner lands while leaving the border work to her brothers. It was more secure inside the heart of the pack lands, and although Valeria did not want to admit it, she was far more vulnerable in her current state than she might have liked. So the alphess resigned herself to remain closer to the dens for the remaining month; it would only be a while longer before they could move forward with her plans.

There was so much the Seraphim wished to do with her pack; first and foremost, they were growing in size quite rapidly. Although Galathe's recent departure had been a blow to her ego, the new blood within the pack was integrating itself nicely, and Valeria was never happier than when she was around her sister, Saphira. Ever since the merger of the packs, Zofia had made herself somewhat sparse. She was not certain if it was the uncertainty of the pack's future, or if she was simply lackluster at the idea of being back in their former homelands. Whatever the change, Valeria was somewhat disheartened by the distance she felt between them. But the Seraphim had found a new confidant in her younger sister; though she did not discuss pack business with Saphira as she did with Zofia, it was nice to have another set of ears and a friendly face at the end of the day. The bond between them, at least on Valeria's side, was far stronger than she might have imagined possible after all these years.

But there was more to the pack now than just her blood family. Valeria was often finding herself meeting up with the newer members of the pack to see just how they were fairing in Kamari. In particular, Valeria took an interest in Raksha; word had gotten back to the Seraphim that, due to the Kairos male's behavior, she was heavy with pups as well. But Valeria was not certain how she felt about that. Valeria herself had birthed a litter with a Kairos male, but that was a willing endeavor, and she had sworn to never cross those boundaries again. There was to much animosity between the two packs for Valeria to entertain allowing any of their filth within a hundred yard radius of her. But Raksha had not been given that choice, and while the young she carried were those of a Kairos male, they had no say in who their father was, either. Val could only hope that her offspring and Raksha's could grow together as friends. But that was only if the femme was comfortable around the Seraphim.

And so the mackenzie valley femme found herself wandering out after the eastern timber wolf. It had not been difficult to locate her scent trail; she still carried a bit of the outsider smell that distinguished her from the family. Valeria padded quietly off toward the old human ruins, curious what would have brought the femme out this way. Although it was quite the enigma, thinking that humans had ever been here, Kalus's Point was somewhat iconic in that it symbolized that they were free of the two-legged beasts. It was here that Valeria found her newest charge lurking.

"Raksha," she called out to the smaller wolf, a half-smile crossing her golden lips as she examined the femme. "I suppose some congratulations are in order," she mused softly, her golden eyes watching Raksha's yellow counterparts curiously to see what reaction the statement invoked. While Valeria held pups with the utmost respect, she was never certain how others viewed their offspring. Even though she bore a litter the previous season, it had always seemed to Valeria that Athena had been resentful of the toll the litter took on her body. She was far more distant after the birth of her pups, and Val could not help but be fearful that that would happen to others as well. 


Word Count: 769 words
Tags: Raksha
Notes: So yeah.... I found my muse.

[Raksha]

"Raksha," a feminine voice called out of the blue. It startled the Principality, and, hormones kicking in, she got instinctively defensive. Whirling around rather ungracefully due to a swollen belly, panicked yellow orbs searched for danger. As much as she hated it, Raksha would have to keep herself safe if her pups were to be okay. She felt so helpless, unable to sacrifice herself for her pups for they would go down with her in this state. However, once the female had focused more, she realised that it was her Seraphim, Valeria, who had approached her. Embarrassment burned hot beneath her skin, the expectant mother ashamed of jumping to conclusions. But she could not take risks... Better safe than sorry... Her pups could not die again. Never. "I suppose some congratulations are in order," Valeria continued.

Congratulations. Yes... It was customary to congratulate expectant mothers on their pregnancy. Truly, Raksha's pregnancy did not deserve a congratulation in her opinion; she had been foolish and stupid, carrying bastard children yet again. Not to say that she did not already love these unborn pups with her entire heart, but pups deserved to be raised with two parents and they did not deserve to be products of rape. Looking at the alphess' own large abdomen, the smaller fae replied.

"Thank you, Seraphim. Sorry for my defensiveness earlier... Must be the hormones. It seems that I ought to congratulate you, as well. If you don't mind my asking, who is the father?"

In a slightly happier mindset, excitement filled Raksha. There would be pups! Pups that were not her own. In her old pack, after her first litter's untimely death, pups had been her only source of happiness in the melancholy limbo that had overtaken her entire life. She could pretend that they were her own, live in her own kind of denial. And this time, she was a whole lot happier than last time. As well as that, it seemed that her own litter, biological, actual litter, would have company growing up. The two females seemed at similar stages in their pregnancies so, hopefully, they could be raised together—that was, of course, if the leader would allow the royalty to mingle with the lesser pups.

.: OOC :.

Words: 400
Tags: Valeria
Notes: Preggers Raksha ^.^
Muse: Good

[Valeria]

Valeria could only nod in acknowledgement to Raksha's words. It was clear that, in her prior state, the femme was in no condition to be socializing. Val could certainly understand her uneasiness and overall defensive attitude. After all, she was not exactly fleeing because she felt like a nice afternoon run through the woods. "I do not believe an apology is necessary, Raksha. I trust things are calming down for you around here?" she asked gently, her golden eyes watching the smaller wolf carefully. Ever since the birth of her first litter, Valeria had developed an overwhelming maternal sense to her actions. Even though she knew Raksha was not her offspring, her innate need to protect those she cared about was undying. And now, it extended to the eastern timber femme and the pups she carried within her.

However, Valeria was moderately shocked at Raksha's inquiry into her pup's lineage. In all the times she had led Valyn, no one had ever taken the time to ask about her offspring's paternity, and yet it was such a casual question from one who was not yet familiar with everyone in the pack. For all the smaller femme knew, her mate was lurking around the dens. A knowing smirk crossed the Seraphim's golden lips as she almost giggled. "I do not ask names. I simply find those who will provide Valyn with the most beneficial of offspring. I mate for the future of our pack, not for love." 

The idea of conceiving from love was such a foreign concept to the alphess that the idea that her pups' father could even be around for them was blasphemous. But Raksha could not have known Valeria's personal convictions, nor did she expect her to adhere to them. Val had her own ideas about the world, and ever since the pack merger she was far more open-minded to the whims and cares of others. While this may have meant giving up some ground on her initial pack values, it was certainly playing out in her favor. The pack was swelling by the very day, and two femmes and their impending litters were just the beginning of another generation in Valyn. Already, their members were working together.

"I suppose with the changes around here, I will be more busy than I expected. Particularly more so than with my last pregnancy," she confessed to the new member of the pack. Valeria was uncertain how she was going to juggle the pups and maintaining the pack. After all, there were many things she would need to accomplish in order for Valyn to advance on Acerbus. The limitations of having new pups was far more daunting than the birth of her eldest litter, for now there was more at stake. They had lost their home once before, and Valeria had every intention to take back what was rightfully Descai's, and by association, Valyn's. The plans swirled through her mind constantly, and yet the physical limitations, along with the fact she would be nursing her litter for several months to come, put a damper on those plans. The future would wait for no one, herself included.


Word Count: 535 words
Tags: Raksha
Notes: Not fantastic, but not terribad either.

[Raksha]

As always, Valeria was kind and friendly with Raksha. It reminded her of her relationship with Aden—they had bonded over a bad time and had always felt close, even if the Eastern Timber wolf held a more formal respect towards her alphess and even if one relationship was romantic and the other not so. The Seraphim then asked if things were settling down for Rak. It was rather heart-warming, how her leader worried about her wellbeing. It was a new concept to the Principality; in her natal pack, all relations with the Alpha had been formal and pack-oriented, perhaps with the exception of his mate and immediate family. But from what she had heard from other Valyn members, the black-and-gold wolfess standing before her seemed to be rather friendly with all of her pack members. Valyn was becoming more than just a refuge from Kairos or hostile males to the cream-marked she-wolf; it was becoming a home, a family of sorts. She had never had a family before.

"Things are going wonderful for me after the rough start. Your pack has been lovely and welcoming to me and it has gone beyond what I was expecting when I first joined. Life has never really been kind to me before I came to Valyn but it seems that I am getting a second chance," Raksha replied sincerely, making sure that her words sounded like she meant them, because she did mean them.

Valeria's next words, however, shocked the smaller femme somewhat. True, in her last pack, the Alpha had chosen the female with the best genes and had mated without love, but she had been in the pack and they had known each others' names! The best way to raise pups was with two parents—then there was balance. Maybe that's why your first litter died, she couldn't help but comment wryly and self-deprecatingly.

Raksha's Seraphim then spoke of changes and the yellow-eyed fae assumed that she spoke of the Valyn-Descai merge—the one that she had asked Saphira about. A faint smile appeared on the apparently more sentimental of the pair, the small wolf thinking of how everyone in Valyn seemed so kind and warm and friendly. Well... Perhaps Ciar did not meet those, but he definitely was not cold or hostile, was he?

However, when Valeria spoke of her last pregnancy, black ears perked up in interest. "This is your second time?" Raksha enquired, trying to be not as prying as last time since that had obviously elicited a surprised response from Valeria. "It's mine too. My... My last one, they're gone. My brother killed them."

She had never admitted this to another living soul never in her life. In her past pack, she had just told everyone that her pups had disappeared—better than telling them that she had let them die, right? That she had failed everyone she loved—failed her parents by not giving them grandchildren, failed her mate by letting his pups die... Over just a short period of time, everything she held dear had been destroyed. She had been so alone then, so truly alone... But now, she was in Valyn, with a new start. This time, she would not mess up.

.: OOC :.

Words: 578
Tags: Valeria
Notes: Sorry for the wait! I am so behind on replies lol
Muse: Great

[Valeria]

Valeria found herself listening patiently as Raksha recounted her new life here in Valyn. Though Val did not know everyone in the pack as well as she might have liked, it warmed her heart that Raksha was finding the pack to be a place of comfort rather than fear. Though they had abandoned many of their more radical ideals, Valeria still heavily stood by her thoughts that females were to be revered and treated fairly. Though that did not necessarily mean males were the scum of the earth, it did mean that they deserved far more respect than many of the other packs afforded them. It was because of this that Valeria was happy to hear that she was acclimating well. A new pack was always a difficult transition, but Valeria had never actually gone through the process of joining another's already established pack.

"I am glad to hear that you are adjusting well," she remarked honestly. Had she heard otherwise, the Seraphim likely would have been shocked, but there was still plenty that needed to be sorted out before Valyn was stable. The influx of new members had come at either an incredibly inopportune time or an excellent one; the alphess had yet to decide which was true. It would create a better bridge between her birth pack and her established pack, but that did not mean there would not be kinks through the process. Raksha, Phoenix, Evani, and Ciar would be the ones who hung in the balance if anything went south between the two packs. Though the chances of dissenters grew less and less with each day, it did not eradicate the fact that it could still happen. There was much uncertainty in her life, and it would be good for her to find stability before the arrival of her pups.

As Raksha commented about this being her section litter, Valeria nodded her head affirmatively. But Raksha's next sentence absolutely broke her heart. "That is horrible," the Seraphim hissed with sympathy in her eyes. "My sons... and my other daughter. I do not know what has become of them. Hal and Levi were last in our previous pack lands... the lands that were assaulted by their half-brother and his pack mates in Kairos. I do not know if they are dead or alive. They could be living with those monsters, for all I know," she breathed, the anger seeping into her voice at the very thought. It was no secret now that her children were sired by the Kairos Emperor, but Valeria could not help but regret her decision. Perhaps had she not taken such actions, they would still have resided in the jungle. But on the opposite side, there was a possibility that, had they not been of the same blood, the pack would have been obliterated. The swarms of Kairos had overwhelmed them in the dens, yet several of them managed to get away, mostly unharmed. 

Valeria found herself relating with the smaller femme in many ways. Though they were vastly different in size and stature, they were similar in many ways. They had experienced loss, and at the paws of someone who never should have crossed those boundaries as well. "This place... Valyn is truly a family. I would sooner skin my own brother than allow anything to happen to your pups or mine," she vowed to Raksha, her golden eyes firm as she held Raksha's gaze. "The past is behind us. We can only look forward to the future now."


Word Count: 591 words
Tags: Raksha
Notes: Posty post post.

[Raksha]

Revealing that she had sons and another daughter, the Seraphim told Raksha more about what the older female had only heard rumours of. News had spread quite rapidly that Kal'dyne had been taken over by Kairos, but nothing other than that had touched the yellow-eyed femme's ears until Valeria had spoken of it. Hal and Levi... Those must be the names of two of her pups. Rak knew that she had a daughter in Valyn so that left one more... Who could they be? Were they dead and Valeria did not want to talk about it? Perhaps a traitor. It really was not the Principality's place to ask.

Another surprising statement was that Valeria's litter had half brothers in Kairos. So... So her previous litter had a Kairos sire? And their half brother had led an attack on Kal'dyne? So their half brother would have to have been rather high up in Kairos' ranks if they had led the assault.

What broke the mother's heart was, however, that Valeria did not know whether they were alive or dead. At least Raksha knew, at least she could mourn her loss... Valeria could not even do that, not be able to watch her sons and daughters grow into the next generation's strength if they were alive and unable to grieve for her offspring had they been killed in the brutality of the attack. Perhaps, if Raksha had left her birth pack sooner... And had joined Valyn when they were in Kal'dyne... Innocent lives could have been saved... After all, at the time, her pups had been dead—she had no reason to stay...

Why was it that every bad thing that happened could have been prevented by Raksha, that everything could be traced back to her? It felt as if she was carrying the weight of the entire continent's burdens, responsible for everything that occurred upon Anikira and perhaps even beyond. After all, Ciar...

"I'm so sorry about your litter, Valeria," Rak murmured softly. The words could have been of mutual condolence, but there was a hint of underlying guilt in her voice; the expectant mother's statement had not just been a sentence intended to comfort her Seraphim but also as a somewhat apology, perhaps not to Valeria necessarily but to lift the weight of things from the petite fae's shoulders.

The Eastern Timber female could find herself agreeing to Valeria's statement about Valyn being truly a family, and not because the alphess seemed to have a lot of half siblings in the pack. It was extremely tight-knit despite its considerable numbers and that there were wolves from all over within the pack's borders. It seemed that Raksha had found a place where she was not only accepted but was fitting in as if she had found one big family to join, and she could not relate more to the Seraphim's words about the past being behind them.

"I'll help with the pups. They will be my first priority unless if you order me to do differently. You will watch your litter grow up this time, I promise you, Seraphim."

.: OOC :.

Words: 550
Tags: Valeria
Notes: Sorry for the wait! My Raksha muse sort of died for a few days
Muse: Uhh random muse spurt? Lol

[Valeria]

If there was something that Valeria never wanted, it was to be pitied. Though Raksha did not say anything to her, the Seraphim could practically feel it seeping out of her eyes, and that made the Mackenzie Valley femme feel sick to her stomach. She hated to feel weak, yet here she was mourning her pups that she did not even know they were dead. For all she knew, all three of the others were safe and sound. Arya had gone missing quite some time ago, and Val had never known if she had left willingly or the terrors of the world got ahold of her. She was completely in the dark on both Levi and Hal, and that was the worst part about it. She would never know unless they turned up in Valyn once more. But her sons knew nothing of her birth pack, and it was unlikely they would seek out Descai or their territory. Valkyrie had tagged along and made it here safely, but she had not been separated from Valeria and Zofia. It was good that she had at least one of her children here, but there was a constant pit in her stomach at the thought that her children could be dead. A mother should never outlive her children.

As Raksha offered her sympathies, Valeria could only nod, not trusting her voice. She did not want to appear weak here, but this was a touchy subject for her. She missed her children every day, and she would give anything to bring them back home. As Raksha offered her assistance with the pups, she could not help but smile, however weak it might have been. "Thank you, Raksha. As much as I love my sisters, Angel is the only one other than you and I that know what it is to be a mother," she murmured calmly. Though Raksha had lost her litter, somehow she knew the femme would be trustworthy and a good caretaker for her children. "It would be nice to be able to attend to pack business without worrying that my pups are not watched over." 

In truth, Valeria knew that her offspring would never be left unattended, but having someone dedicated to watching over them, along with her own pups, made Valeria feel far more at ease. There was not enough time until the arrival of her litter to make many more plans, but Valeria had quite the scheme for after they arrived. She would be training her warriors, and soon, they would be marching in to war. Valeria would fulfill her father's dying wish, and she would finally feel worthy to lead her birth pack.


Word Count: 446 words
Tags: Raksha
Notes: I don't really feel well, so sorry if this is a bit sluggish feeling.

[Raksha]

As the words of promise escaped Raksha's lips, thoughts of failure clouded her mind. What if she let Valeria down? The Seraphim trusted her packmate to care for her pups and letting who ran the pack down would be terrible... Yes, she had learnt a lesson from last time, at a great cost as well, but that did not make her an expert on parenting. What if something happened to the pups? What would happen then? It was always a possibility. There were the strongest warriors and the most talented mothers, but even they could not make it impossible for harm to come upon pups—to come upon anyone. And besides, what if Raksha's unluckiness carried over to Valyn? Would she bring harm upon her loved ones here just as she had in her old pack?

The thought of such events brought on the feeling of hopelessness that had plagued the mother after the deaths of her first litter. It felt as if things could not change, that she was helpless, that whatever ill fate wished upon her loved ones would never be subject to change. But it did not feel as bad as last time, less intense, not so terrible; things were not as hopeless as before. There was hope, of a future, of a family, of success, and that was here, in Valyn. And although that hope seemed dwarfed by the misfortunes of the past, it was there and always would be and, hopefully, would grow with time.

"Don't worry, Seraphim. You will never have to worry about your pups when you are doing pack duties," Raksha promised.

What a wonderful thing, to have one's pack duty to care for pups. It seemed more like a pastime hobby than a job to the expectant mother—something to lose oneself in, a luxury for the privileged. Yet Raksha had just been assigned the role of looking after youth, of catering to their various needs. She had been given it as a job, as something to busy herself with and something to value above all else. It seemed that here, her duty was not to hunt or to fight or to heal, but rather to do what she loved, and that was to raise young. Valyn seemed to be the best thing to have occurred to the yellow-eyed Eastern Timber wolf within her troublesome lifetime, one good thing among the many unfortunate events.

.: OOC :.

Words: 414
Tags: Valeria
Notes: Sorry for the crappy reply :/ If you didn't want for this to go anywhere else we could end this after two or so more replies?
Muse: Not the best

[Valeria]

The Seraphim had experienced many things in her life, but she could not help but feel overjoyed at the fact that Raksha accepted the responsibility of caring for the young. Valeria would have a significant weight lifted from her shoulders this season if she were able to leave her litter in the capable paws of another mother within the pack. It was part of what had led to the downfall of Valyn within their jungle home. While she was taxed with caring for her pups, the scent markers of their borders had grown weak, and Kairos had seized the opportunity and struck without a second thought. She would not allow that to happen again, and with Raksha dedicated to watching over their litters, she would be able to maintain the pack's duties. Their spread out nature over last breeding season meant that Valeria never had the opportunity to ask one of her sisters to watch over her litter. Instead, they had scattered across the territory, making private dens. It was not until most of the vessels were more than three months old that she finally was introduced to the new pack members, and even still her own daughter had been the only one to remain.

But Valyn was different now. They were more organized and better protected. Bringing the males into the pack were added assurance that patrols would continue and the pack would not grow stagnant. It did not bode well for the femme that Kairos scum still wandered the lands west of their territory, but she intended to remedy that soon enough. The members of that hell forsaken pack would soon face the wrath of two packs that had been slighted merged into one. Both Descai and Valyn had more than enough reason to have issues with the pack of giants, and with more added to their numbers their chances of success were far greater. She would do right by her father and reclaim her birthright. Acerbus belonged to Valyn, and those who sullied its grounds would hold it no longer.

"I appreciate your willingness to help, Raksha," the Seraphim praised the young mother with a smile. "I do believe I best attend my brother's hunt, for this will be a good chance for me to see the others in action. Feel free to make yourself comfortable in the dens, or tag along if you choose." She could not help but be pleased with the outcome of their conversation. She could see the delight in Raksha's features as well, so it was good to know she had made the right choice for her new pack member. "They will be here before we know it, and I am glad that we are prepared."


Word Count: 457 words
Tags: Raksha
Notes: If you want to maybe do one more post and call it at that? I'd be okay with that.

[Raksha]

Every worry and doubt that had resided in Raksha's mind ceased at that moment. Valyn had become more than just a sanctuary for the mottled femme—the matriarchal pack had provided her with happiness, not simply content. She had a job to do within it, one that she loved; in it, she felt useful and happy with her rank at the same time. Caring for the pups was not something done to please her parents but rather a voluntary notion, done to please everyone including Raksha herself.

Smiling at the Seraphim, the yellow-eyed fae replied, "You're very much welcome, Valeria. I'm glad that I am able to help." And it was not only the alphess' pups that she was helping. She would be able to dedicate her time to raising her own pups, to care for them in a far more secure environment than her last litter had been raised in. They would be able to befriend Valeria's litter, an experienced supervisor to ensure that everything went smoothly between them. Perhaps the forced litter was a small blessing in disguise—indeed it still had not been okay for the Kairos brute to rape Rak, but there would always be good in bad, wouldn't there? Light in darkness, love in hatred. Even in the most dire situations, there always seemed to be an upside, no matter how minor, and in the most joyous of occasions, there always seemed to be a downside. There was balance. The upside for Raksha would be the resulting bundles of joy in her womb, and the downside was, of course, the forceful nature of their conception.

Deciding that, in her pregnant state, hunting would not be the wisest idea, the expectant mother ducked her head in goodbye to the larger she-wolf and made her way to On-aldirr Crevice, still needing to sort out her bedding arrangement. Indeed they would be prepared and they would live a far better life than their unfortunate predecessors, for the second-time mothers had both learned lessons from experience. They were wiser now, and, united, would bring the best of life to their future offspring.

.: OOC :.

Words: 368
Tags: Valeria
Notes: THIS IS TERRIBLE I'M SORRY D= Anyway, thead done! Now I am no longer clogging up a thread slot for you haha
Muse: Not great