Quaking Vale Water Born

{ooc} OOC Comments

Neha's birthing thread. All welcome, but only Draven will be allowed inside the den.

May 21st. Rain. Early evening. 60*F, 16*C


And for some added drama!
RE: Flash flooding has caused local landslides[/occ]



 

A weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Neha, along with Draven of course, had been accepted into the ranks of Quaking Vale. She had a new home, a new family, and most importantly, a safe place to raise their children. Their timing had been tight, as she was already heavily pregnant the day they reappeared at the borders. The pale agouti female barely had time to find a suitable den site and prepare it for the upcoming birth, let alone acclimate to the territory and her new pack mates. Having yet to learn the lay of the land meant Neha often spent longer than she should have collecting bedding, hunting down a snack, or even retracing her steps back to the location of her den. The countless aspen trees all looked alike too, which made getting turned around relatively easy. But in a more spacious part of the forest, nestled in a small clearing, could be found what had been a long abandoned fox den, now reoccupied by the young, expectant mother.

Neha was still nervous. Not for the reasons she had been before, in regards to her choice to leave the Cove behind and remain here. But because this would be her first time going through childbirth. Her first time being a parent, for her and Draven both. She may have had her fair share of medical training, but she had never witnessed any actual births before, having been absent for the arrival of her younger sisters the year prior. A part of her was saddened that Namid and Vesperito could not be here to witness the birth of their grandchildren. But she had worried too much. Would they be beaming with pride? Or condemning her for her foolishness? Either way, their bloodline would continue. Knowing that Draven was never far away, and also well versed in medicine, she knew that she had little to worry about.

Even the arrival of the frequent torrents of rain, typical for this time of year in the Lore, didn't worry her too much. They were just a nuisance more than anything else. So she thought. That afternoon, during a brief spell when the rains had relented slightly, the discomfort she had been experiencing for the past week, seemed more intense. Her gut felt tight and constricted, her thinning fur unusually warm. Either laying down or pacing about, nothing seemed to work in easing her discomfort. Ignoring the warning signs, Neha decided that perhaps simple drink of water would do the trick to help her relax. As she turned away from the stream to head back, the weather worsened. The sky opened up again, pouring buckets of raindrops down upon the land. With an irritated grumble at her ill luck, she gave her pelt a shake, forcing herself into a slow trot. Then a shooting pain lanced through her tummy, causing her to gasp and fall to her knees. Eyes sealed shut, a soft whine passed her lips as she waited for the pain to diminish. It settled into a dull ache, and after a moment, Neha got to her paws again. But ahead of her...all around her, the rain was blinding. The ground was saturated with water, muddied and slick. Navigating would be risky at best. 

With soft little groans of pain in her throat, she picked her way across the distance separating her from the clearing in which her den awaited. As she edged nearer, anxious for shelter soon, a sense of dread swept over her at what she saw. In her path laid a daunting obstacle. A heavily flowing current of water, rolling downhill, had proven too much for the soil to handle. Swept in it's wake was a churning landslide of mud, dirt and debris, eroding the earth. Frozen in shock, Neha could only watch before another wave of pain sent her curling into a vulnerable little ball, huddled against the rain. As soon as it passed, she gathered up the strength she could and sent out a shrill cry to alert the others. This was a problem not only for her, but possibly for the pack as well. 

(This post was last modified: May 22, 2017, 03:31 AM by Neha.)

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

 @Draven @Sahalie @Kuwindwa @Castel @Niles

If I ever leave I could learn to miss you

It hadn’t been very long since Neha and Alastor’s brother had rejoined them and the man was certainly in higher moods. He was glad to have them back and to have the opportunity to watch his nieces and/or nephews grow up. And, with the news that they had made contact with Ari and she was perhaps coming down to join them the silver leader could have even been described as elated. His patrols on the borders lasted longer than they normally did as he looked for any sign of the bear-like woman. He hoped she wouldn’t take too long and that she might be able to be there for the birth of the next in their family.

Yet, the call that rang into the air dashed those hopes. The tone of her voice told him all he needed to know it seemed. It was time. But, there was also a sense of panic that could be heard that made a frown etch itself onto his maw. He wasted no time in bolting to the source of the sound, long legs eating away at the earth and topaz gaze squinting against the rain that pelted the earth. As he came upon the scene he understood what her panic had been about. A river of mud was barricading her path to her den. He moved forward and stood next to the woman, “It’s me, Neha. Draven should be here any second,” he said. His gaze coolly looked at their surroundings, searching for any way that they might be able to get around but the river seemed to stretch forever. They could try to go around it from top but who knew how long that would take. No, the quickest option would be for them to swim her across. But, of course, that came with risks as well. They could be swept away with the debris and the current. Yet, if it were he and Draven on either side it just might work. Thank god for the large genes. “Neha, when Draven gets here we’re going to have to try to swim you across. It’s the quickest way. Everything’ll be fine, I swear,” Alastor would sooner let himself drown than allow the woman her unborn children to come to any harm. A strong determination that hardened the man’s gaze proved that much.

With sentimental boy as my nom de plume

Kuwindwa's patrols had been unrelenting, unerring, even in the midst of driving rain. The droplets fell with enough force to sting her nose, her eyes, to nearly soak her through. However, they were not enough to drown out the panicked howl — more a shriek — that swam into the air. Kuwindwa's body jerked of its own accord in the direction the cry had come from, her bronze eyes widening in spite of the rain. Trouble. There was no denying the fear in that cry. With barely a second thought for her patrol, the pale warrior raced toward the Vale's heart as quickly as she was able, dodging trees and underbrush until a roaring reached her ears. Her heart clenched, painful memories surging at the back of her mind as a raging mudslide brought her run to a sudden halt.

The torrential downpour had disturbed the fragile soil, creating a rushing stream where there had been none before. Kuwindwa had arrived downstream of her packmates, and unable to proceed forward she wasted no time seeking out the person who had made that dreadful sound. By the time she arrived, Alastor was already on the scene, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a woman Kuwindwa had yet to meet personally. She asked no questions, preferring to announce herself with a sharp bark. Clearly, the mudslide was what was wrong... and something more. A look at the bedraggled female betrayed her condition, and a pang of fear tried to grasp at the warrior's mind. She must not allow it to stop her.

"I'm here to help." Straightforward as always, Kuwindwa regarded each of the wolves before her, her bronze eyes flicking between them as she waited for some command, some explanation. "You are both unharmed?"

Water. Raging water. Taker of life. Gods, she couldn't save them... But maybe she could help now, though her eyes fell warily on the muddy water.

The father to be had made himself very busy since himself and Neha had been readmitted into the Vale. Not only was he making sure to stay on top of pack duties such as hunting for the caches, but he was also bringing small game to the pregnant wolf as frequently as possible. The plants had also bloomed which meant the raven pelted Leigh could truly begin stocking the infirmary, focusing on what he thought could help in case of birth complications. That as well as some general birthing herbs such as sweet grass which he had stored in the birthing den instead of the infirmary for easy access for Neha. He didn't know much about birth but he knew last year that Namid had wanted to be alone and he could only assume that her daughter would want the same.

So when Neha's panicked howl went up through the air Draven almost dropped the ergot that he had been carrying. Instead he clenched his jaw around it and sped up from a trot to a sprint, hoping that now was not the time and the panic was not some horrible complication. What he came upon was almost worse, based on the pained look on her expression and the way that she winced he could only assume that the woman was in fact in labour. And what stood between her and the birthing den was a raging flow of mud and water, which meant there was a flood between himself and the small congregation on the other side.

Dropping the ergot at the entrance of the den without a second thought the large man flung himself into the water. His long legs barely allowed him to touch the ground, his toes scraping against the bottom was he swam but it wasn't enough to give him any leverage. Alastor could probably mostly walk but there was no way Neha could keep her head above water without swimming and given how her body threatened to give out beneath the pain as she just stood Draven couldn't imagine that she could swim. Dragging himself out of the flow his sides heaving in exertion his dark pelt clung to his sides as he dipped his head down to the trembling sides of his... of Neha. Pressing his nose against her soft side he murmured, "Are you okay? Neha we've got to get you across and then everything will be okay." Looking up to meet Alastor's eyes over the woman's back he looked for some kind of reassurance, how were they getting her to where everything would be okay?

Neha's panicked cry was enough to send Castel sprinting. She'd been patrolling like an idiot in the rain when she heard it, and her body had reacted instinctively, propelling her toward the sound of her packmate in distress. Neha was due anyday now, and if it was the puppies, in this weather, with all the mud and rain... it might be more difficult. Cas wasn't well-versed on labor, and couldn't help much, but perhaps she could be there to fetch things if needed.

But what if it wasn't the puppies? The thought crossed her mind as she ran, rain whipping at her face and drenching her pelt. If it were some sort of physical threat, then Cas could certainly offer her services. That thought drove her on quicker, and she ended up right on top of the landslide before she even realized what was going on.

Blue eyes shot open wide and her forepaws skidded on the unstable ground with her momentum. "Shiiiiiiiiiit!" she cried, hardly able to catch herself from being ripped downriver with the current. She backed up, her chest heaving and eyes scanning the waterslide in unconcealed panic for a few seconds before she looked across the freaking river to her three stranded packmates. Draven had just finished swimming across, and Windy was on Cas' side, but Neha and Al were with Draven.

"What the hell?" she demanded, already attempting to find some sort of solution to get them all back across. She doubted that following Draven across would be a bad idea, so instead she spun back around to the trees and returned seconds later with a thick, long branch. She dragged it back to the rushing water and sat it down. "Neha, when you get close enough, grab the stick! We'll pull you up on the bank over here," she called loudly, then looked over to Kuwindwa. "Windy, I'll need your help to get her up, please. Grab my tail." It wasn't carrying her across or anything, but getting out of the water would be difficult without help. The added two wolves pulling her up at a distance would be of assistance, and if Cas carried it out a bit with Kuwindwa holding onto her tail, then they could get her further out from the muddy bank.

She took the branch back in her mouth and took a tentative step into the water, gesturing her head back toward her haunches and lashing her tail, hoping the older woman would catch onto the plan and help her play it out.

Despite the horrid conditions that had befallen the pack today in the form of that damn mudslide, some form of SERENDIPITY must have been shining down on her. In mere seconds after her panicked cry filled the air, a familiar figure was racing up to her side. She recognized the large, silvery form as none other than Alastor, who was quickly becoming like a second brother to her. Even as her heart seized with relief, all she could do was manage a tense nod, finding her mouth too dry for words. With consistent pain rippling through her tummy, the petite female's hindquarters were locked taut, her paws braced firmly against the saturated ground. Draven should be nearby, and like his brother, she knew he would respond to her predicament within moments. Through the chaos and roar of the surging water before her, all she could think about was the safety of their unborn children in her womb, now protesting for freedom.

Across the newly formed river, on the opposite bank arrived a new face. An older, more experienced looking female Neha had yet to formally meet. But she looked just as concerned for the new mother as Kino did, offering how she could help without prompting. Seconds after her arrival, the blackened form of Draven was soaring forth and then launching itself into the water. Her brown eyes widened in concern, and she took a single step forward, mouth parted to cry out in protest. She didn't want to see him get swept away. Not now, not after all they had been through. Yet he proved that there was no such need for her worry, as he used his stronger, larger frame to his advantage to navigate the turbulent water with minimal difficulty. As he emerged, she swept up towards him, curling her shaking frame around one large, sturdy shoulder. "I'm f-fine...But the pups...they're coming..." She went to say more, but a strong contraction cut her off, causing her to double over with a grimace. 

The voice of Castel on the opposite bank earned a twitch of her ears and she lifted her eyes up to see the russet female with Kuwindwa. She had grabbed a long stick and offered it towards her group, instructing the older female to grab onto her tail. The plan was simple; she only need to climb in the water and grab onto the branch as hard as she could. But it was risky. She eyed the branch nervously and then met the blue eyes of Alastor, then the greens of Draven. The branch was skinny, but with her light frame, it could support her weight. Could they make it across on their own, especially a second time for the father to be? Putting her trust in the females, she turned and placed a tentative paw into the rapids, wrapping her jaws with an iron clad grip around the branch. 

(This post was last modified: Jun 08, 2017, 12:50 AM by Neha.)

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

The plan was as simple as it possibly could be, but it was all that they could do in the current conditions. Alastor would take one side of Neha and he would take the other while Castel tried to haul her over using a stick. If everything worked out she would be over in no longer than a minute or two and then the dark male could take his place outside of the birthing den to watch over her while their children entered the world.

But then how often did things go according to plan?

The pregnant female grabbed onto the branch and the brothers took their place on either side of her as they stepped into the water. It was harder this time than it had been alone as Draven struggled to support the swollen sides of Neha and keep them both afloat and he could only assume Alastor was doing the same on the other side. They made it just past the halfway mark and his muscles were quivering with exertion when a sudden rush of water raised the river by a couple of inches.

His next paw step missed the muddy earth and Draven went under. He hadn't had a chance to take a deep breath and almost instantly his lungs burned in panic while his paws slashed wildly through the water trying to come back into contact with the ground. He was being swept away by the current when his muzzle broke back through the surface and he gasped for air. He was nearly six feet away from the rest of the group when he finally reached the other bank.

Hauling his soaking body onto dry ground his staggered back to where the rest of the rescue had gathered, green eyes looking over Neha anxiously. They had made it to the other side but from here it was all up to her.

 

Alastor and Draven did well to get Neha over to their side, even though Draven did slip under the water and cause Cas to have a heart attack or two. But they did get her across without further incident, and it was up to Kuwindwa and Castel to pull her the rest of the way out of the rushing water. Which was much easier said than done - Cas kept a firm hold on the branch, and Kuwindwa kept a firm hold on her tail. Which hurt like a bitch, and it took a lot of effort to keep from crying out and dropping the mom-to-be back into the water beneath them.

Fortunately, with the combined efforts of all of the wolves involved, Neha was pulled safely onto the shore. Panting with the exertion, Cas let go of the branch and raced over to Neha's side, pressing her flank against the laboring female in order to support her. "You're doing great, Neha!" she cajoled, panting between her words. "Mom of the year! Let's get you somewhere drier, hunh?" It sounded like a suggestion, but in reality, it was the only safe thing to do for the mom and her unborn pups. "Where's your den?" She hoped and prayed it wasn't on the other side of the mudslide, but she couldn't think of a reason why they would move her if that were the case.

Regardless of where the den was or where they were going, Cas was willing and able to assist the young mother to wherever she wanted to go. It was important to keep her as calm and comfortable as possible, even though that seemed too daunting a task at the moment. Cas knew that she had to at least try. For the sake of not only Neha and the pups, but for their anxious packmates around them.

Moving this along to finish up soon.

The next few moments were a blur. All around her was the roar of the water, the pattering of the rain and the cries of support from her pack mates. Her jaw muscles strained around the branch, while the intense pangs in her lower belly grew more persistent. The rush of the water around her made her nervous, fearful that if her water broke, the children inside of her would be at great risk. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draven lose his footing on the muddy bank and crash into the raging water. He went under, and her heart leapt into her throat, hammering like that of a terrified rabbit. "Please be okay, oh please oh please..." Her thoughts ran a mile a minute, barely registering pulling her own body up onto the shore.

Only when Draven at last pulled himself from the water, did she release the breath she had been holding. Thank the gods. He was okay. Shakily, she leaned against Castel, appreciative of how kind and supportive she was being. "Y-yes...please. We need to hurry." Her chocolate brown eyes swept over Kino and Kuwindwa. "It's not far, thank god. Just to the left there." She motioned with her muzzle. Several yards from the mudslide, the birch trees thinned out into a sheltered clearing. The den should be untouched by the flooding, and therefore safe enough for the birth. With a strained groan, Neha began to rush towards the place where her den awaited. The others would have to catch up if they wanted to try and assist her any further. By her body language alone, it  was clear that she wanted to get there as soon as possible.

Bursting past the birch trees, she navigated her way through the clearing with surprising swiftness. The hole in the ground beckoned to her, dry and warm within. With almost no hesitation, the soon to be mother ducked head first inside, not even bothering to warn anyone else off. Once inside, she collapsed onto her side with a pained whine. She was exhausted already, but this wasn't over yet. Her body shook visibly, be it from pain or nervousness or both, unclear. But the look in her eyes was soft, almost pleading as she called out. "...Draven..." She whined, yearning for nothing more to know he was there. Just hearing his voice, smelling his presence, would be a great comfort to her. 

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

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