Hearthwood River You Will Be Safe In My Arms

Oksana's arrival is finally here! All are welcome in this thread however only @Lorcan and @Lachesis will be allowed in the den. 
@Aytigin @Otter @Mace @Kisla @Lilya @Aleksei

Weather: Light drizzle, 49 ° F, 10 ° C 
Time: Mid Morning - Early Afternoon             
Inna's den:



Musical Inspiration

Inna awoke with a start unsure of what had woken her until she felt another kick in her stomach. She lifted her head and rested her gaze on her swollen stomach before placing a few licks to her side. It had been like this the past few days with the movement inside her becoming increasingly frequent. She laid her head back down against the furs that lined one side of her den with a sigh. She sensed the time she would finally get to meet the little lives inside of her was drawing nearer with each passing day. Her fiery gaze rested on the mouth of the den expecting to see Lorcan outside but instead they only found the gray of the morning.

The temperature had started to climb over the past days but the weather still wasn't perfect with either rain or drizzle.  That morning was no different. The scent of rain drifted into the den and the sound of a soft drizzle as it fell on the leaves of the foliage and leaf litter around her den. Despite how normal the day seemed something didn't feel right to the young Baranski which brought the words Lachesis had said to her only weeks before to the forefront of her mind.

‘If something was wrong I’m sure you would be able to sense it.’

For the past couple of days she'd felt a constant needed to rearrange the furs in the den but it wasn't like what she felt as she stared out into the forest of her home. She didn't feel hungry or thirsty like she normally would by this time of morning. Despite sensing something wasn't quite right she didn't think she needed to see Lachesis, not yet.  Inna hadn't decided if it was something to worry the healer about when he already had so much. Mid morning came with Inna dozing waiting for Lorcan to appear and that was when it all started for her.  She'd suddenly become uncomfortable but as she moved to find a more comfortable position a sharp pain causing a loud yelp to escape her went through her abdomen and immediately she grew sacred.

Was this normal for her to feel this kind of pain? Is this what Lilya felt before she'd had her stillborn?

Inna moved to the mouth of the den but was stopped by another sharp pain through her abdomen followed by a whine.  She knew she would never make it to Lachesis but Lorcan would be by to check on her.  He would help she knew he would just as he had since they'd worked out their differences.  Inna managed to make it laying back on the furs the young Baranski chose to wait for Lorcan to come. Her breathing had grown labored and the pains more frequent as tears streamed down her cheeks she was so afraid that something would go wrong.

Inna knew without a doubt that her and Lorcan's puppies would be coming into the world very soon. So badly she wanted to call for Lorcan as another wave of pain hit her but she couldn't with too many suspicious ears around. She whined for him to come to her.

(This post was last modified: May 15, 2017, 12:26 AM by Inna.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you.

 

Lorcan had spent the morning curled up outside the entrance to Inna’s birthing den. Despite the light drizzle of rain, which had persisted for several hours now, the agouti male had remained steadfast to his spot in order to keep a close eye on the expectant mother. The healer had grown convinced that she was due any day now, her heaving sides a clear indication that she was coming to the end of her pregnancy, and so for the past few days Lorcan had made sure not to leave her den unattended for too long. The sound of her peaceful breathing had echoed up from within the den, and after taking a moment to make sure that @Inna was indeed blissfully asleep, the subordinate had crept away quietly to go in search of some food to bring back from the caches.

Swiftly unearthing a white hare from the cold store beneath the thinning blanket of snow, the agouti male clamped the meal delicately between his jaws before trotting back in the direction of Inna’s den. He hadn’t been gone for too long and so he fully expected to find the dark female still asleep upon his return. However as he contentedly weaved through the tall sequoia trees which stood between him and the expectant mother, a loud yelp suddenly caught his attention. Recognising her voice immediately, Lorcan gripped the hare tightly and scurried to dash frantically through the remainder of the trees which stretched between them. 

A feeling of dread clenched at his heart as raced towards the dark opening of her den and the dark fur bristled along his back as he caught the whine which echoed against her chamber walls. Slowing to a sudden halt, the hare was tossed haphazardly to one side of the den before Lorcan crouched down to shove his head inside. “Inna! Inna, I’m here! What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is it the pups?!” He whined desperately, golden eyes blinking as he tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness of her birthing chamber. After a moment he caught sight of her face staring back at him and his russet ears pressed back firmly against his skull as he noticed the tears which stained her soft cheeks. Whining again, he shifted down further onto his stomach and shuffled in a bit further into the den, his rear end still exposed to the rain which continued to drizzle outside. 

“It’s okay, Inna, don’t panic. I’m right here..” He whispered, trying his best to sound calm even as his heart beat anxiously against his chest. He stretched his muzzle forwards to gently lick away the salty tears which wet her cheeks. 

Healer demonstration 1/3

(This post was last modified: May 14, 2017, 09:53 AM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

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

There was a change in the air. Mace could sense it, as could likely every other member of the Hearthwood pack. While he hadn't had much of an opportunity to acquaint himself with the pack members or the pups born into it, he did know Inna. On a drizzly day in the Hearthwood territory, something seemed different, and it drew Mace inexorably toward the raven-haired Baranski's homestead.

They were familiar with one another, and friendly perhaps, but not friends yet. So when he drew near the den site, he remained on the fringes. His lip curled and his muzzle wrinkled at the sight of a rump sticking out of the hole in the ground that was not Aytigin's, but he reminded himself a woman in labour was ten times the fighter any fit wolf was. If Inna didn't want whoever that was there, then surely they'd be out in the melting snow licking beads of blood from their lip by now.

Keen on keeping his promise to serve as a protector for her children, Mace seated himself beneath the shade of the trees some ways off, well within eyesight and earshot of the den but not close enough to prompt discomfort, he hoped. He was stalwart as he straightened his back and prepared to stand by should Maksim's dark-furred daughter require anything of him. All the while, the Attaya wondered where @Aytigin was. He was her mate, wasn't he? He cast about himself for any sign of the other dark man, and wondered if Ayti's defiance of Lachesis' role had gone more poorly than Mace realized for the father to not be the first one present at his own cubs' birth.

gorgeous set by kydnt

healer dem 1/3

After the birth of his children Lachesis stayed close to the dens, his paws never straying too far. He kept a watchful eye on both his co-lead and his mate/spouse/whatever, ensuring that both mothers were recovering without any issue. There was still one more litter that Hearthwood was expecting. With each day that passed XIX began to grow more worried (if that was even possible) as he anticipated the arrival of Inna’s children. She had isolated herself from the pack for most of pregnancy for she feared that Lachesis and the rest of the pack were angry with her. The ghost had been disappointed in the beginning—perhaps even a little mad—but those feelings had diminished quickly, concern taking their place. Although she had broken pack law Lachesis would never want to see her expelled from Hearthwood to raise her first litter as a lone wolf. There would be plenty of new mouths to feed this spring, but the river wolves were survivors; they would make it work.

He had been restless most of the night, unable to succumb to the night. In the early morning light he had excused himself from Lilya’s den, for he preferred her presence to the company of the herbs in his own den, and sought out the comfort of the river. Normally he would have retreated south, venturing to the shores of Lake Worry, but he did not want to risk travelling away from Heathwood. The raven Baranski’s stomach could not swell anymore than it already had—her due date was fast approaching and XIX would never forgive himself if he was not present.

Lachesis remained where he was as the sun settled in the sky, bringing a soft drizzle of rain with it. His pale fur was damp as he finally pulled away from the river’s edge, his long legs dragging him toward the sparrow’s den. However, something pulled him away, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. He did not know how he knew, or what had caused the change of direction, but the ghost quickly darted into his den, grabbing the last bundle of herbs that was set aside for the three Hearthwood mothers. Without delay the alabaster healer sprinted through the trees, closing the distance between himself and the Baranski’s secluded den.

Upon arrival he noted the dark presence of Mace, the river’s newest addition. He dipped his head in greeting before his chartreuse gaze focused on Lorcán’s tawny rump hanging out of Inna’s den. He sidled up next to the den, a gentle white announcing his approach, as he placed the herbs neatly on the ground, nudging them toward the former Whitestone wolf. Alumroot for the pain (or potential bleeding, though he prayed it was not needed for that), sweet grass for afterbirth care and stimulation of milk, and a few stalks of lavender hyssop to sooth her anxiety. His hindquarters collapsed onto the ground as his head buzzed, thoughts racing. He hoped that Inna would not have to endure the same pain as Lilya and deliver a stillborn. Another whine escaped him, loud enough for the raven to hear. XIX had promised he would be there when she gave birth and help her in any way possible to make the experience as easy as possible. 

(This post was last modified: May 16, 2017, 02:42 PM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you

Aytigin had been spending time with Inna whenever possible, though he had not been glued to her side. He couldn't help but be concerned about his younger friend. The black-furred girl was doing this by herself, as far as the chocolate man knew, though she certainly had Lorcan and himself to help out. It wasn't the same as having the actual father following her every move, digging her den, getting her food, and supporting her throughout her pregnancy.

Inna's sides were quite swollen lately, and she looked ready to pop. Ayti had seen enough pregnant women to know when one was due, and she was ready any day now. So he wasn't surprised when he approached her den to see that she had a handful of visitors, with Lachesis and Lorcan both in and near the entrance. They both knew plants, so he wasn't surprised that they were helping out.

The rain made it easy to grab an already-soaked piece of moss to bring to the entrance, approaching Lorcan's side on the opposite to Lachesis. He nosed his offering of a drink toward the tawny male for him to give to the raven-colored girl inside, then stepped backward to plop down on one side of the den, near enough to the entrance to hear his friend breathing.

"You've got this, Inna!" he encouraged gently, his tone soft. He was very willing to risk getting his muzzle nipped by either men for getting so close. He wasn't the father, or anything, but he wasn't sticking his nose into the den, and wasn't crowding anyone, so he figured his presence would be alright for the time being.

It was then that the chocolate man noticed Mace standing in the clearing, as well, and offered him a soft smile and wag of his tail. While he was worried, the birth of pups was always a celebration, in Aytigin's eyes. Inna was healthy, and she had a network of other wolves around to help her if the need arose, including two healers right beside her. She'd be okay, Ayti was certain.

For days she'd been preparing herself for this moment when she would bring her children into the world. She had thought she was ready to finally rest her gaze on their tiny little faces with their eyes and ears closed.  It was as if they weren't quite ready to face the world but they couldn't stay inside her any longer. As she lay there on her side her breathing heavy and slow watching the entrance of the den she realized she wasn't ready. She wanted to greet her children it was time she knew it but the overwhelming fear that something would go wrong  was there. She knew she couldn't experience what Lilya had and she couldn't bare the thought of Lorcan going through that.

No amount of rearranging the den could prepare her for that or the waves of pain the went through her body. With each wave came another whine, the fear she felt bringing tears forward to stream down her face.  Her fiery gaze only leaving the mouth of the den to lift her head and check her swollen abdomen to make sure everything was okay. Still she couldn't really know when she couldn't see what was going on inside her

She’d just laid her head back upon the furs when Lorcan appeared at the mouth of the den.  Inna reached out to him with her forepaws as he spoke. “I think they're coming,” she told him quietly, “And I’m scared Lorcan,” she admitted sure he would know what she meant. Since their time in the place they had named Fireglow Grove he’d been there for her and he was there now just as he'd promised.  As she looked into his golden gaze she was happy he was there to experience the birth of their puppies with her.

She watched as he came further into the den his words calming her some, “Just like you promised,” she whispered back as his tongue went out to lick the tears from her cheeks.  Her eyes closed as she felt another wave of pain accompanied by tightening in her hindquarters. Once it passed she opened her eyes once more as whine from outside the den greeted her ears and a small smile appeared on her ebony features, “Lachesis,” she said loud enough for the pale healer to hear her. He too had come just like he had promised.  It wasn't long after she heard another voice that she recognized to be Ayti's enter the den, “Ayti made it too,” she said to Lorcan just before another wave of pain and tightening went through her and after she took a deep breath. “Is Mace here? My mother?” She asked in an effort to keep the thoughts of what could go wrong at Bay.

(This post was last modified: May 16, 2017, 04:26 AM by Inna.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you.

 

“I think they're coming.”

His heart froze in his chest and his golden eyes widened as he struggled to catch his breath. “Th-they are?” Came his quiet question, white brows furrowing just a little as if he didn’t quite believe what he was hearing. He blinked, before suddenly picking his tail up of the ground to wave it excitedly behind him. “I mean..” He began, a smile beginning to pull at the corners of his charcoal lips as he tried to correct himself and summon more enthusiasm to his voice. 

"I’m scared Lorcan.” 

His smile dropped and his brows furrowed deeply in concern, his tail falling limp behind his exposed rump again. “N-no no no, don’t be scared. I’m right here with you, see?” He responded, his voice growing a touch quieter as he tried to compose himself and come across much calmer than he actually was. “Just like you promised..” His smile returned to his charcoal lips then before he nodded. “Just like I promised…” He echoed back, his tail beginning to sweep affectionately atop the thin layer snow which blanketed the outside world. He lent in then, to again lick at her stained cheek before he moved his warm tongue up to her forehead, where he instinctively placed long soothing strokes – much like his own mother used to do to him – in an attempt to calm her down. 

As much as the soon-to-be father tried to calm her with his smoothing licks, he could not prevent her from feeling the discomfort of her contractions as they sent waves of pain through her young body. It was only then as he stared across at her through the darkness of the den, watching as her eyes clenched shut, that he realised he’d come totally unprepared. Golden eyes widened again briefly and then his brows furrowed as he inwardly cursed himself for not stopping by the medicinal den upon his return to her. For a second he contemplated leaving her without, but then his sense returned to him and he knew that he could not let her suffer the torment of birth without some kind of medicinal pain relief. 

Shuffling back tentatively, the agouti male began to slowly exit from the den, his rear end wriggling as he tried to pull himself out from the narrow tunnel. “I’m sorry, Inna. I just need to go and get the pla–” His apology was cut off as a gentle whine echoed through the den from behind him. Dark nostrils flared, unable to see who had approached, he relied on scent to identify the visitor. Inna’s voice called out at the very moment their leader’s scent hit his nose, quickly confirming it to indeed be Lachesis. Backing out quickly from the den, his tail tucked between his legs and his russet ears pressed back submissively against his head as he glanced up to the large white male – unsure of the leader’s intentions. 

Golden eyes met the pale yellow-green gaze of Lachesis, before his nose beckoned his eyes to fall lower. Spotting the small pile of plants on the ground, Lorcan’s tail quickly unfurled from between his legs and wagged gratefully behind him. His chest heaved as he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Perfectly timed, sir. Thank you.” He smiled, offering the leader a nod of his head, before he dropped his head again to delicately nose through the various plants that the white male had provided. The lavender and the sweet grass he immediately recognised, the alumroot, however, was new to him. He glanced back up to Lachesis, a single white brow raised in question, as he directed a forepaw delicately towards the root. “What’s this?” He asked quietly.

A few moments later, as he was still looking to @Lachesis for an answer, Lorcan spotted the large dark figure of @Aytigin approach them. Golden eyes quickly narrowed in on the piece of soaked moss which was clenched between his teeth and with a small smile and a nod, he accepted his offering as the male nosed it towards him. “Thank you.” Lorcan said softly, acknowledging his thoughtfulness, as he gave another wave of his tail. The dark male offered his own words of encouragement to @Inna before he moved away, which caused the expectant mother’s voice to echo up from inside the den. 

Glancing back inside the den, Lorcan quickly gathered up the plants and the wet moss delicately between his teeth before he stepped forwards to approach the entrance of the den. Before he could crouch down low enough, however, Inna’s voice echoed up again – this time with a question. Pausing, Lorcan glanced around him and soon spotted the second dark figure of @Mace which lingered beneath the shade of the trees nearby. The male did not recognise him, but he offered a small nod to the wolf none-the-less as he finally acknowledged his silent presence. Finally shuffling back down into the den to get back to attending Inna, Lorcan carefully placed his collection of plants and wet moss in front of her before answering her question. “Mace? The large dark male with blue eyes sat out there?” He asked, having not officially met the wolf before, he was unfamiliar with his name.

His attention then returned to the plants, purposefully ignoring the question about her mother. She was already in enough distress and knowing that her mother was not yet present would do little to help the situation. “Lachesis brought you these.” He nudged the plants gently towards her with the tip of his nose. “Take them, they should help keep you calm and relieve some of the pain..” He explained, before he next looked towards the wet moss. “And Aytigin brought you this..” He said with a smile, touching his nose to it also.  

With everything she needed now set in place, except from perhaps the comforting presence of Kisla, Lorcan took a deep breath to compose himself. Right now he needed to act like a healer and remain calm, even whilst the soon-to-be parent inside of him grew more anxious with every heartbeat. “Now, Inna, you just need to concentrate.” He said, trying to remain professional, his voice quiet and calm. “If you feel like you need to push, do it, okay?” He assured her, golden eyes gazing into her gaze of deep orange before he whispered again, this time his voice more personal and affectionate. “You’ve got me and Lachesis here. You’ll be fine..” He hoped.

Healer demonstration 2/3

(This post was last modified: May 17, 2017, 08:24 AM by Lorcan.)

# P O R C A N

sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise

how much they need to fall back together

It wasn't long before the males of the pack began to congregate on the den-site. First came the bleached leader with a bundle of something in his jaws. Mace was unfamiliar with the art of the healing and couldn't have named those herbs if he tried, even with hints, but he could tell they were important for what was to come. A part of his mind wandered to Inna and the possibility that this could end poorly for her regardless of her care. It had happened once in the Bloodbreakers. A woman had perished before her children even made it into the world, straining to push but finding no relief for her pain until finally something gave out and she took her last breath. He shook his head mildly to dispel the memory and clenched his jaw in hope that was not to be the sweet Baranski's fate.

He nodded back to Lachesis, sober and quiet and submissive as he watched the Arctic wolf approach the den. At last, Aytigin arrived, offering a cheer for Inna that pulled Mace's lips up into a hopeful smile. Yes, she had this, and now that her mate was present she would surely be fine. Strangely, it was the tawny wolf that continued to attend her in the den entrance rather than Ayti. Mace swept to his feet and took several prowling steps forward, standing by to intervene should anything become uncomfortable, but ultimately he was the stranger here. He didn't know the situation.

His assumptions went as follows: Lorcan was a midwife of some sort. Lachesis was clearly a medic. Aytigin was the father, but deferred to Lorcan as the more knowledgeable of the men. No doubt as soon as Inna came out the other side with her pups at her belly, Lorcan would retreat and Aytigin would take his place. Mace sighed lightly and seated himself once more, closer now but still a ways away from the other men, and glanced around for signs of a woman's arrival. There were none; that was a strange thing, for where he'd been, the women were the ones who attended the whelping mother. Maybe there simply weren't many females besides the ones that had already given birth.

His ears perked up at the hushed sound of his name from the den and he craned his neck forward, but maintained his respectful distance. I'm here, he assured deeply, trying to strike a balance between calling out and keeping his voice down such that he wasn't sure his words would even be heard within the den. Nevertheless, he was there, standing sentry in the event someone unwelcome arrived. Not, he thought suddenly, that he would ever know the difference, as new as he was to the Baranski family pack.

gorgeous set by kydnt

feel free to skip me the next round <3 @Aytigin
healer dem 2/3

Considering three of the four females in the pack had been expecting litters this spring it did not surprise the ghost that only males were present, offering their support to the raven Baranski. He did wonder where Lekalta was, for he had not seen her since the birth of her younger siblings. A frown creased his pale features at the thought. It seemed odd that she was not here to welcome her nieces and/or nephews into the world. Aleksei spent most of his time with his mother, guarding the den from intruders and tending to the older Baranski. The river king knew that Inna and her brother were not on the best of terms once he discovered that she was pregnant, so he did not expect the agouti to make an appearance. He did, however, hope that once Aleksei saw his sister’s children that the bitterness would eventually fade away.

Shortly after his own arrival Aytigin sauntered into the clearing, a water-logged chunk of moss hanging from his jaws. He gave the ebony wolf the same greeting he had given Mace—a sharp nod—as he watched the subordinate plop down on the other side of Inna’s den, words of encouragement dripping from his tongue. While he did not approve how close the large male was to the den it was not Lachesis’ place to dismiss him, despite their ranks. Aytigin had done a lot to help the raven when she isolated herself from the rest of the pack; he deserved to be present.

The ghost gave a soft woof when he heard his name call out from the depths of Inna’s den, his lips curling slightly. Just as he was about to respond the tawny healer scrambled backwards out of the den, his chartreuse gaze meeting pools of gold as his tail thumped against the ground. Perfectly timed, sir. He returned the nod and watched as the pale agouti nosed through the herbs, pausing once he reached the root. “Alumroot,” he answered swiftly, nose canted to the side, “used to relieve pain and stop bleeding.” It did not feel right being on the outside of the den, but he was more leader than healer—it made sense for Lorcán to be present for the birth of Inna’s children. XIX could poke his head inside once the ordeal was over, for he did not want to crowd the young raven. “I am here if you need me—both of you,” he added, speaking a little louder than before so Inna could hear him, before he shuffled backward to give the mother and healer some space. 

(This post was last modified: May 17, 2017, 05:12 AM by Lachesis.)

stick with those who stick with you