Join the club [birthing/open]

[Angel]

Angel was stiff and sore. No need to worry though! No problem so insignificant could bring down her bubbly mood! In fact, she had much to be happy about today – the pups that Bardou had given her had just been born into the world, in a small cave messily dug out from under the roots of a tall dark tree in Lleingas Woods.

Yep, there they were. Six little puppies in total. Instinctively, Angel nudged the ones which seemed to be alive towards her belly, leaving the other two – a tiny white male and a grey female – lying limp where they were. The new mother didn’t feel much regret (if any) at the loss of the two stillborns; the four live ones held all her attention.

And weren’t they cute?! Their tightly shut eyes and fuzzy fur… It just made her want to have more! And wouldn’t everybody in Descai be so proud that she’d successfully given birth to such gorgeous babies?! Their daddy especially... that was, if he had stayed. She hadn’t seen Bardou in a long while now, but wasn’t particularly worried about his fate. Wherever he was, or whatever had happened to him, it must be his fault for leaving her and their unborn pups – he clearly wasn’t her true love if he was going to do such a thing. Her true true love must still be out there somewhere... their paths would cross eventually, Angel was totally sure of it. So, all she could do now, while she waited for the handsome brute of her dreams to arrive, was concentrate on the present, and that meant caring for the little darlings nestled up against her.

But… what was she supposed to do now? Angel tried to think back to the birthing she’d witnessed in Haishin, but, as always, her memory was foggy. All she could recall was that there were lots of wolves in the small cave, one of whom was a rather handsome male… Well, that didn’t appear to be the case here. She was all alone in her den, left to take care of herself, as she had been throughout her pregnancy. It was almost as if the pack wasn’t excited for her pups... No, that was a ridiculous thought! Angel knew for certain that as soon as the wolves of Descai saw these adorable little bundles of fluff they would all be over the moon with joy.

This was going to be wonderful! Her babies would have plenty of friends to play with, with Shayde and Sarin’s litters having recently being born, and Angel herself would always be keen to join in their games! While still maintaining an educational aspect, of course, the four year old giggled to herself. She would teach them how to be hunters and warriors and shamans (even though she could only do the first one with any claim of skill), and one day their names would be known right across Anikira!

Oh, she had to choose the names! “Oh! That's right! Oh! Ummm… uh, this one can be Daeron...” she nudged the black male with her nose. He was larger than the others already; he would grow up into a big strong brute one day. There was another dark-furred pup in the litter, this one smaller, and female. "And you are Kaala." The huntress grinned, proud that she had thought of names for two of the pups all by herself. Now for the others.

Well, that other little female there looked just like a miniature version of her late father, so… Bardou Junior? No, she supposed that wasn’t really a girl’s name… What was a good girl’s name? Ooh, how about… Aurelia? “Aureeelia… Yes, that’s pretty!” The white femme’s tail thumped on the ground behind her happily. “And… and this one is called Rurik,” she proclaimed for the last white male, bending to lick his little head with her warm tongue.

So. That made two boys and two girls.
“Daeron, Kaala, Aurelia, and Rurik,” the new mother announced cheerfully to the cave wall.



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[Deleted]

All seeing eyes. All knowing eyes. Sarin was the gaze of the shadows within Descai. Ultimately the female kept to herself, unless there was a direct reason to associate with any of the other canines. Her pups and the rather unfortunate Lead Warrior were the only ones the femme spoke to on a regular basis. Somehow, she still managed to linger and observe - and she had seen enough to know the ivory huntress was quite near giving birth; however it was not her intentions to stumble across the other femme at such am intimate moment. Paws lightly carried the deep pelted female through the passages, sheltering herself in the underbrush. A violently vibrant gaze her only sign of existence, she moved in such a way to keep careful watch over her own children as well. After all, they needed to be cared for and protected. Sarin had little doubt that there would come a time when something would attempt to rob her of the only lives that needed her. Today, the huntress' scent caressed her nostrils and blindly she followed it. Her mind was consumed with chaos, thinking of all the evil possibilities for the future; until, orbs settled upon the new mother.

A sense of embarrassment cascaded across the shaman; although, this was in her rank description so the other female could not technically lash out at her. After all, wasn't it safer to have the medic around to inspect the pups for possible health issues - assuming Angel even requested such a thing. With a metal growl the female fully revealed herself from the underbrush, a rather stoic expression upon her features. She recalled the mixture of emotions she had felt when her litter was born; perhaps this femme was feeling the same, or worse? A least some of the puppies she had carried were the Alpha's; although poor Atlas' father was from a neighboring pack. "Congratulations," she spoke respectfully, extending a very slight nod to the other canine. The shaman wondered if it was right to extend a pleasant opinion of the names she had given the pups, it likely was not her place. When it came to unnecessary small talk she tended to fail at it significantly. Sarin knew how to do little recreational conversation when it did not benefit her in some way. That would be her next skill to perfect, maybe then the others would find her less psychotic. She was the crazy creature that planted poisons in the outskirts of the territory to prevent trespassers. It was simply to benefit the family; although few seemed to believe so.

Tilting her head curiously to the side, she let her green optics scan the mother and newborns lightly. Nothing appeared to be wrong with any of them, which she thanked the heavens for. Although she was a shaman, Sarin rather despised caring for those that did not do the same for her. Alas, she would do so if it was necessary; anything to further prove her worth and abilities to those around her. "How are you feeling? Do they all appear healthy to you, from my brief glance I saw nothing wrong with your pups." The Mackenzie Valley creature struggled to keep the conversation light and distant; after all, she doubted that Angel wanted her company for long anyways. This female had never spoken to her before, what was the reason to start now? It was by accident that she had stumbled across this situation, hardly having paid attention to the other scents infiltrating her nostrils. It was one of Sarin's few mistakes, but she could play it off as a carefully calculated intention. If the ivory female wanted to be left alone, then she would happily trot away.

[Angel]

Angel’s tail thumped on the ground behind her as the dark silhouette of a wolf came into view at the entrance to her little make-shift den. Her first visitor! Hmm… what was that she wolf’s name? …Sandy? Sabriel? Sara? Sarin? Sarin! Yes, that was it! “Hi Sarin!” She called out, as if the two were well acquainted friends. In reality, she vaguely recognised the shaman; she’d seen her perhaps once or twice before, but hadn’t yet had the chance to hold a proper conversation with her. But that didn’t matter! They were meeting now, weren’t they? Maybe she could make another new friend! Sarin had pups too; they could chat, and share parenting tips together, and babysit each other’s children, and, and, and… oh, it would be so much fun!

“Why, thank you!” The pure white female yipped in reply to Sarin’s congratulations. “This one’s called Aurelia, and this one’s Rurik, and this is Daeron, and the other one is Kaala,” she introduced the shaman to her four pups one by one, even though Sarin had likely already heard the names already as she approached the small den. Couldn’t hurt hearing them a second time though, could it? Angel’s crystal blue eyes sparkled as she watched the dark-furred she wolf, head tilting slightly to the side as the other began to speak.

“Yes, I’m feeling great! And, of course there’s nothing wrong with them! Just look at them, they’re gorgeous!” Angel beamed with delight. Her babies were absolutely perfect; she could see nothing at all wrong with them, and probably never would, even if they grew up to be the vilest creatures to roam the planet. The mother’s love for her little darlings had already overwhelmed her heart, and she knew that she would adore them for ever and ever. Although… it didn’t really make much of a difference, as she couldn’t see the bad in anyone anyway.

“Hey Sarin, when do you think Mister Alpha will come and see them?” She was so excited for the rest of Descai to admire her puppies; the thought didn’t even cross her mind that they might not be interested at all in her offspring. Who their father was didn’t matter to her, so it must not matter to the rest of the pack either. Her pups were just as special as the ones from the alpha’s litters, she was sure of it. Just look at them! How could anyone not fall in love with the adorable little darlings?



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