Hearthwood River life slips through the back door and carves you out (m)

Inna couldn't imagine what Lilya was feeling and she didn't want to ever have to find out. She didn't want Lorcan to have to go through what Lachesis was going through either. She could see it in her mind the sms scene that was before her now and all it did was scare her. Could she bring her pups into the world knowing the possibility that one or more of them might not live. That it would be her fault if they didn't and she would be the reason Lorcan had lost his children, could she live with herself if that happened. She wanted to stay and support Lachesis, he was so important to her and she didn't like seeing him go through this. She knew he had to be hurting and he already had so much pain in his life, had already lost his children to their wandering paws he didn't need to lose another.

She sought Lorcan for comfort, just knowing he was there helped her to know she wasn't alone in this. She felt him embrace her tighter hiding her eyes from what was happening before them. Her fiery gaze met his golden one and she saw the same emotions she felt mirrored in them. She brushed her muzzle against his cheek before leaning into the comfort he was trying to give her once more. She couldn't express what she was feeling then but she wanted to share it with him and hoped he would share what he was feeling with her.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when Ayti left the clearing. Inna wanted to believe everything thing would be okay for her pups but the fear that it wouldn't have gotten it's grip on her and didn't want to let go. She finally looked up to Lorcan when she felt him nudge her muzzle. He spoke of them not being able to do anything more, that they could go or stay. Inna looked once more at the den and knew Lorcan was right. They need to leave Lachesis and Lilya do their mourning in private.

“I want to say for Lachesis but I think it's best we go. I can check up on him later after he's had sometime.” With that said Inna rose to her feet and gave the den one last look before she slipped off into the forest with Lorcan at her side.

Her eyes and gaze shifted away from her son, breaking away from the sadness and guilt surrounding her for just a minute or perhaps because exhaustion was sapping away at her from the trials of the birth that she no longer had the energy to focus on the despair associated with the tragic death. Lavender? The name was perfect, and she simply nodded with a soft smile, smiling at the life that they had created, and the life that had survived to see the light of day. She nosed the pale firstborn softly, licking her head softly before turning her attention to their other daughter.

She was an agouti, just like her mother. Just out of the womb and she already seemed restless, most of the whimpering still coming from her maw rather than that of her sister’s. She thought about names for a minute, taking her time and picking it out very carefully. “Lilliana?” She suggested as her eyes flashed back up at their father… her, well, whatever the hell they were. “Lavender and Lilliana Stark?” The Valrorys name was cursed to endless tragedy and always had been – perhaps his name would bring them more luck than her name had ever brought her.

The scents of Lorcán and Inna began to diminish shortly after Aytigin’s departure, leaving the new parents to deal with both their grief and excitement. He was thankful they had made an appearance, offering their silent support as they stood guard, but he had not expected them to linger much longer. Not after the stench of death filled the air.

His gaze fell to the newborns between them, his expression immediately softening. While their son would never get to experience the wonders of Relic Lore their two daughters would. He would do everything possible to ensure they survived and persevered. It was what river wolves were known for; surviving.

His tail thumped against the ground at her silent approval before he turned his attention to the agouti bundle of fur—the daughter that would most likely mirror her mother’s looks. XIX could already tell that the second-born was going to be a handful, for small noises still emitted from her body once she finished drinking her fill of milk. He snorted in amusement at the tuft of fur, his ears sweeping to the side as Lilya broke the silence with a suggestion. Lilliana. With a low hum of approval it was Lachesis’ turn to nod, his peridots finally falling onto the blue-eyed sparrow. “Perfect.” Despair still tugged at his heart but he could not hold onto it. Not when he had two healthy daughters to take care of. Everything happened for a reason—even if it was awful and unfair, there was a reason behind it.

Truthfully he had been surprised by her acceptance of the Stark name. If she had wanted them to carry her own surname Lachesis would not have protested. He had no claim over the sparrow—they were something but not anything. He knew, however, that Lilya was not fond of her past, or anything to do with it. It made sense if she did not want to burden her children with a name that only carried more misery and grief.

They would bury their son in the ethos once the air had settled and the pain had numbed. Not completely, but enough to function. Until then, the new family would enjoy the presence of the living and celebrate what they had accomplished, for the good always outweighed the bad. Even if it did not seem possible.

Fade.