Oak Tree Bend if you're down

May 29th, 1:45PM, Light drizzle, 50F/10C

All welcome! Not sure who she will let get close but @Kyna, @Sahalie and @Spieden if she's up to it, but you're welcome to try!
Also I will alter if to say Kyna helped dig the den based on how their current thread goes

Aponi had dug her own birthing den this year instead of taking refuge in a small natural cave as she had done with @Kyna the year previously. Far enough to give her older daughter some privacy as well as herself and this coming litter the den was still within eyesight if one stood in the proper position. Slowly but surely she had begun spending her nights within the new den. First just slipping away in the mornings at dawn to spend a couple of hours within it but adding more time throughout the last two weeks. Now she retired within the den whenever she felt like resting which was nearly constantly as of late. Her sides were swollen past proportion and even simple border patrols were exhausting enough she would need to nap after completing them.

The pains had started before the moon had reached the highest point in the sky the night before. First just minor cramping that came and went, uncomfortable but weak enough she managed to sleep for the first few hours. However as the sun began to creep over the horizon and inky black lightened to blue and then purple and finally pink Aponi could sleep no more. She knew what was happening. Heaving herself from her den she had paced before it as the sun began to filter down through the foliage, cringing as her sides clenched.

That had been manageable. However as the sun got higher and higher the pain intensified and the time between shortened until it was nearly constant. There had been times it was horrid enough the silver woman had retched into the nearby bushes until her sides heaved uselessly. She had dragged herself back within the den at this point, gritting her teeth as the world swam around her. Dull claws dug into the dirt as she pushed with everything she had, urging her body to get this process over with.

An hour or so after the sun had reached the highest point in the sky a single pup was delivered. Healthy and female Aponi cleaned her instinctively. Nudging her gently against her teats the pup began to suckle and the mother dropped her head in the first beside the dark body. The others were never delivered and the woman knew this was because of the shape she had been when she had conceived and once more she cursed the white hag. She had never felt any guilt for killing her and this only cemented her feelings of justification. Licking the pup beside her Aponi murmured to her, "You're all mine little Lila." The name had been brewing within her mind the last week or so, a play on Lyall the only thing the father would ever be allowed to give the girl. Anything else would risk ruining her and Aponi would never allow that to happen.

Serach is on a mission to protect all the new moms. :D He probably won't do much except sit there, so feel free to skip him unless somebody interacts with him directly.

When Serach had finally pulled himself from his angsty and anxiety surrounding @Drestig and @Jessie's leaving the Bend, he had been shocked to learn that it was not just @Spieden who had become pregnant this year. Two others had also swelled in their bellies over the past several weeks - Aponi and @Naira. He had not been interacting with his packmates when it had happened, and so he knew little to none about the consequences of the multiple pregnancies except that all three expectant mothers still remained members of the pack. Putting aside any personal shock and concern, the subordinate had put himself to work to ensure that despite the circumstances, all three would be fed and protected when it came time for them to seek shelter in their birthing dens. The pack had done the same for his own mother three different times, and he wanted to do the same to repay the debt.

He had stood vigil outside of Spieden's den by the river bank when he had stumbled upon it by accident, ensuring that no curious creatures with hungry stomaches were tempted by the smell of blood and birth. At some point during his watch, he had determined he would try to do the same for both Naira and Aponi, when their times came as well. So when he smelled the familiar scents of blood and birth, he was quick to drop what he was doing and follow, stopping only to root out the remains of a rabbit from a cache before continuing.

He did not know where the den was, and so he was slow to arrive. Just like with Spieden, he was hesitant to get too close to the den - and he would certainly never try and enter. He had the rabbit though, and there was no way she was coming out. Cautiously, he stepped gingerly towards the den. It's Aponi, he realized, as her individual scent became clear among the others. Dropping to his stomach, he remained a few feet from the den, peering intently into the darkness but seeing nothing. "Aponi?" He called. "It's me - Serach. I'm not going to come in, but I've got food for you." They had never really directly spoken, but in his mission to ensure that all of his packmates were safe and taken care of, he hadn't really stopped to consider how weird it would be that he was here.

Slowly, he inched forward, his ears alert to any sort of response from within the den, whether it be greeting or warning. Although his instincts were screaming at him to stay as far away from the den as possible, he knew he needed to get the rabbit carcass to her - she would be hungry after the birth. Inch by inch, he crawled forward on his stomach. Stopping when he reached the lip of the makeshift den, he set down his offering there, unwilling to go any closer and risking her wrath. Shuffling backwards, he put some space between him and the entrance before rising to his feet. Taking a quick glance around, he moved away and off to the side before settling down on his haunches to wait and stand guard.

 

It had felt like little lives had been popping up like spring rabbits in the past few weeks to the pale Lagina yearling. Everywhere he turned there were new little pups to be taken care of and den-ridden and cranky mothers to be fed. Sometimes he wondered who was more exhausted; the pack-mates who were taking care of them or the mothers themselves. Still, they did what they could with what they had. It was a curious thing really, birth that was. It was the first time the boy had ever been around to partially witness the experience, but already he knew he was glad he was born a boy and not a girl. Watching the women walk with such big stomachs and then hearing the pain they went through to deliver the new lives was enough to make him sure of that.

Venturing from cache to cache, Kino had happened across the scent that had become all too familiar with him. Birth. It seemed that Aponi, Kyna’s mother, had finally delivered her pup and if his memory served him right that she was the last and final of the females to do so. How many she had added to their growing abundance and squealing midgets he had no clue, but he knew he might as well go and check on her. Turning he made his way to her den, finding that the white male known as Serach had already gotten there. Taking a place across from him, the ex-prince sat down. “Know how she’s doing?” he asked, topaz gaze sweeping toward the entrance curiously.

At first no one came and that was alright. It gave her time to coax her daughter into suckling and catch a much needed few minutes of sleep before having any visitors. But then she woke up and she was still alone. Her stomach gurgled unhappily and a sense of dread was building within her. It was not raising the pup alone that bothered her but that they had no protection in this very moment. The den was deep within the territory so they should be safe from other wolves but any vermin could wander within enticed by the scent of birth.

It set her on edge. At the sound of foot falls the silver tail curled protectively over the newborn and her lip curled in warning, snarl ready in her throat if whoever was out there pushed too far. However the feet stopped and instead the scent of rabbit filled her senses and the voice that accompanied it was Serach. While they had never had any kind of conversation deeper than passing greetings his very presence did something to settle her nerves.

As the slain prey appeared at the mouth of the den Aponi stretched her neck out to retrieve it without jostling Lila. Pulling it in towards herself she had to restrain herself from devouring the entire thing without a word. Instead she looked back towards the pale face that peered in at her and an exhausted smile flit across her features, "Thank you Serach, will...will you stay for a while?" Her pride flared unhappily at asking for help but the Aquila knew she couldn't stay in the den unprotected. At this moment her instincts to care for her pup was stronger than any pride she had ever felt for herself.

There were more pawsteps past Serach's frame and the silver ears strained forward. They sounded heavy enough to be Kyna and for a moment hope rose within her, had the blonde girl come to greet her sister? However when it was the male voice that reached her the silver audits swivelled backwards in disappointment. Furrowing her brow she called, "Alastor? Have you seen Kyna?" Along with Sahalie they formed a trio and Aponi often saw them traveling through the territory together. Perhaps if the silver yearling asked her daughter to come the Argyris might oblige, it was only appropriate she came to greet her kin.

no idea who is after me? @Serach? also kyna welcome to jump in whenever cause i know you're soop soop busy ace<3

None of the ladies had advertised their birth, but the girl arrived none the less like she had recieved some annoucement. She came with much less bitterness than she had brought with her to the birth of her brothers and sister's out of that woman's womb. Kyna's mother was an interesting woman that Sahalie did not particularly understand, and the girl wished to be there at the very least to show the same support she had given to the least-loved member of Oak Tree Bend. She hoped that @Kyna would be here, if only to make the experience a little less awkward, but when she arrived she found that Serach (a stable of labor apparently) and Alastor had already arrived. The scent of rabbit and afterbirth wafted from the hole.

She could hear the soft voice of the grey woman asking for her daughter. Before her friend could speak Sahalie broke in, "I haven't seen her, m'am, but-- I'll call her." A summoning rose from her dark throat, and the girl prayed that the relationship between Kyna and Aponi was not so strained as the relationship between Sahalie and her own step-mother. "She'll come," the girl assured, "Rest."

"But first you'll have to tell us all the name," her voice was soft and warm. There was only one cry coming up from the den instead  of two or three. Which was good: there were so many mouths to feed as it was. This girl stood a better chance being the only one.

Watching the shift in the darkness, Serach's eyes adjusted and he made out Aponi's pale form as she leaned forward, accepting his offering. He could see the faintest twist in her mouth as he thanked him. He opened his mouth to respond, but she was quick to followup with a request that he stay. Nodding his head, he smiled back at her, his eyes leaving her face to venture down to the pup hidden beneath her protective tail. "Of course I'll stay. Just call if you need anything else," he told her before shuffling away from the mouth of the den so he could take up his sentinel post as he had promised Aponi.

As he settled down onto his haunches, he was immediately alerted to the sound of footsteps and he was back up on his feet, ears twisted forward and tail raised in an aggressive posture. Watching Alastor approach, he waited until the younger wolf settled down across from him and was safely away from the den before relaxing his own stance and settling down to his haunches again. "She seems fine," he said, his eyes shifting to the den entrance as Aponi called out - also alerted to Alastor's presence. She wanted Kyna, but Serach could offer her no help in that department. He was observant to know that Sahalie had established her own minipack within the whole, of which her agemates were the key members.

Speak of the devil, he thought as he watched Sahalie emerge. Unlike with Alastor he did not display any aggression, but rather greeted her with a quiet smile. He had been there when Sahalie had been born, and had remained a stable figure throughout her young life - he knew her well enough to know that she posed no harm to Aponi and the fragile newborn. Remaining quiet, he turned his attention back to the surrounding wood, ready and waiting to respond should somebody other than Kyna or another Bend wolf emerge from the trees.

 

Kino hadn’t spoken to Serach before specifically, but instead perhaps a nod or so in greeting from both had been given in passing. Still, he wasn’t quite sure it warranted the partially aggressive stance that the male projected toward him as he came to the scene. He kept his stance neutral to this, noticing the relaxation in the man’s posture as he settled himself. Did he really think that lowly of him? That he was going to go for Aponi and the pup when they were so vulnerable? The malicious part of the Lagina boy whispered that he perhaps had a right to think that. After all, clearly he was a monster. He could prove him right, prove them all right…but Kino shoved these thoughts from his mind like the poison they were. No, that wasn’t him anymore. Those thoughts were him.

"She seems fine," he said sparsely, and the pale boy nodded, “That’s good.” Not long after, the lady of the hour herself’s voice reached out of the den apparently looking for him. His auds swiveled toward her voice, catching her question. His jaws opened to speak, but suddenly there was a presence next to him and he looked down to see Hal and hear her answer for him. Immediately taking over the situation, he let his friend run the show without having to utter a word himself as usual.

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

This will be the last round! :) Whoever posts last feel free to fade

Serach smiled at her and for some reason it gave Aponi some kind of reassurance. She didn't know the man well or really much at all but his pure brute strength would be enough to ward off unwanted visitors. Her small smile grew and she nodded back her thanks before he retreated back from the den and the sound of Sahalie's voice drifted in. The summoning howl that followed rose into the air and the mother couldn't bring herself to hope that her older daughter would actually arrive. She had long ago learned that hoping on the actions of others would leave you disappointed and vulnerable.

The suggestion of rest seemed to run parallel with her already drooping lids. The act of birth was exhausting and despite her short nap Aponi was still wiped from the physical exertion that had occurred just hours earlier. Pulling the pup closer into her fur once more she felt content for the time being just to absorb the quiet moment. Then Sahalie spoke once more and the silver woman raised her head once more realizing she hadn't in fact given her newest daughter a proper introduction. Looking down at the dark bundle nestled into her soft belly fur she called loud enough for them to hear, "Her name is Lila, Lila Aquila." Curling back up around the pup she could no longer fight off the sleep that wanted to take her and fell into an easy slumber.

   

The call had come at one of the poorest possible times – out on a short hunt for a small meal, Kyna was well and beyond pack grounds.  The only thing that could have been worse was if she was out of earshot, or caught in a deep slumber.  No matter how close the groundhog was, the pale female was forced to abandon hours of hard work and turnabout, lopping through the forest to the source of Sahalie’s voice.  There was an urgent note to it, so the yearling did not waste any time as she moved.

Despite her haste and the cut of her path, the fallen princess arrived much later than she should have.  The girl quietly berated herself for wandering so far away when Aponi was so heavy, liable to pop at any possible moment.  What if their other packmates hadn’t been around?  What if something had gone wrong?  Things weren’t all buttercups and dragonflies for the pair of mother and daughter, but they had been attempting, at least.

Kyna crept forward, careful not to disturb any of the others as she peered into the darkness of her mother’s den.  Mother’s and – sibling’s den.  The girl made a low noise, ears falling back as she took her dutiful spot nearby.  She was too late.  Aponi was already asleep.

If nothing else, she would simply guard the entrance until her dam was rousted once more.

Resources by freepik.com, table by Kydnt

(This post was last modified: Jun 28, 2016, 05:11 PM by Kyna.)

A wild dissertation appears!