Red Fern Forest Where the red ferns grow [M]

Two months of hell were finally coming to fruition when the contractions began in Incus’ stomach. From day one she’d cursed her foolishness and pondered over why she’d been the one punished and not her elder sister who’d also floozed around. She wasn’t ready to be a mother, she knew that. She knew it with every fiber in her being, but there hadn’t been anything she could do about it. She didn’t feel any motherly affection for her unborn pups, but she didn’t hate them either. They hadn’t asked to come into being like this, especially not to her, so she’d steeled herself to be whatever kind of parental figure she ended up as.

But god did it hurt.

She laid gasping in a den she’d hurriedly carved out at the roots of an oak, partially hidden by the bright red ferns that covered the area. A grunt of pain exited her maw as her silver sides rippled and she clenched her teeth to avoid calling out in pain. Never before had she wanted her Mama and Papa more than in that moment as tears pricked her golden gaze.

(This post was last modified: May 31, 2021, 10:38 PM by Incus.)

Rhaegara loved her daughter with everything she was… but after three weeks confined to a den, she also embraced the moments when she could slip away to stretch her legs. She had left Enera under Saga and Huddy’s watchful eyes with their brood to take a moment for herself, perhaps do some light hunting and return with something for her daughter and the other pups to play with… she had been not too far from the territory when she smelt it. It was familiar, almost hauntingly so, and she was drawn to it with a morbid curiosity.

There it was. She traced the scent to her, her head tilting to the side. “Hello?” The question fell softly. “I’m not going to hurt you… I want to help.” She cautioned while still remaining a healthy distance from the den. “I… I know what you’re feeling. I have a little girl, three weeks old… I can help.” She remembered the scent of the herbs that Riven used, and she knew there were some in the area. She could and would help if the woman let her.