Red Fern Forest [m] i can feel your heart through the static

Rhaegara birthing thread! Pack members allowed, only Riven allowed inside the den

She had never felt a pain like this before. It rolled through her, and she knew it was time. She had stolen away to the den she had chosen to birth in. She had let out a call for Riven, trusting the young healer to be able to help her through the process. She expected that others would remain outside of the den while she endured this process and this pain. She could do this. She had been attempting to mentally prepare herself for this, though she knew truthfully that nothing could prepare her for this. This was pain, and pain with a purpose, but pain nonetheless.

Pain was just weakness leaving the body, right?

She knew Saga was due to ‘pop’ any day as well, so she hoped that Riven was prepared for both of them, though she had no doubt the young and enjoyable healer would be nothing but prepared. She trusted him just as she trusted everyone else. “It hurts.” She whined in a low groan to herself, figuring she ought to get the whining out before anyone got there. She had tears in her eyes, and she was fighting to control her breathing, hoping that would help.

Riven did not feel particularly prepared. Sure, he had the herbs he needed, and he'd helped deliver pups before, last year, but he was a little anxious about doing it alone. He knew that both Rhaegara and Saga were due any day now, and the young healer was stressed about it. There would soon be a swarm of puppies for the pack to care for, and Riv was excited for it. Now there was just the small issue of getting them out into the world.

Ergot, for excessive bleeding. Sweetgrass for the afterbirth. Pineapple weed for the fatigue.

The blond perked his ears at the sound of his name being called - he'd set up a sort of stash of herbs at the midway point between Rhaegara's and Saga's dens, unsure which of the two would give birth first. Quickly, he gathered a pawful of each type of herb and set off at a quick jog toward Rhae's den, setting the herbs down just outside and dropping to his stomach at the mouth. His tail swished across the ground behind him, and his ears pressed back in concern at the sight of tears in the woman's eyes.

"Hi there, mama," he greeted softly, tilting his head to the side. "Do you mind if I come in?" He didn't think she would, but it was always better to ask first. He'd rather not be bitten if he could help it, but he wanted to comfort the new mother, and make sure she felt secure and safe during the whole process.

There was a sense of relief when she caught that scent, and then she heard his voice and the relief radiated more. “Yes, please.” He was a healer and she was downright terrified at this point in time, even if she was far too proud to admit that out loud. She panted lightly as another wave of pain coursed through her, and she squeezed her eyes tight shut. “What do I do? What do I do?” She wished there had been some kind of lesson from her mother to prepare her for this like there had been for pretty much every other scenario in her life, but this time she was on her own… and she didn’t like being on her own. For the first time since she had found out that she was pregnant, she wished that the father were hear, if only so she could bite his paw off for the pain he was causing her.

Pain with a purpose. Bundle of joy. She tried to remind herself of that. “How long? How long does it take?” She knew nothing about this, but surely he did. He was a healer after all. She had to trust that he knew what he was doing and that he was well versed in these topics because it was the only way she might get through this with a shred of sanity. She was usually calm under pressure, but this was a far different kind of pressure.

Well if you wanted honesty that's all you had to say

The call that rang out across the territory was specifically for Riven, but the intent couldn’t be mistaken. It seemed Rhaegara would be the first of the two pregnant females in their ranks to give birth, and as both her leader and her friend he felt a duty to be there for it. Even if only for moral support. The burly Macieo took off at a trot in the direction that he knew the Rayvne Guardian had set up her birthing den. He didn’t rush, knowing that he couldn’t be much help anyways, though it didn’t stop the bit of nervousness that spread through his limbs making him pick up his pace a little. She was in good paws, he reminded himself. Though young, Riven had proven himself time and time again to be a perfectly capable healer. He had all the faith in the world in him.

Arriving on scene, the man could see their healer’s blonde rump sticking out of the entrance. A small smirk tilted onto his lips and he let out a deep chuff to let both know he’d arrived. Then, as unceremonious as ever, he let out a grunt as he flopped onto the ground with a thump signaling that he’d be there to keep watch and keep company.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider 

Riven scooted into the den, brows drawing up in concern - he’d never seen the woman like this before, and the panic written on her face worried him. The healer curled up next to her, as close as he could manage in the tight area, and pressed his nose against her cheek. There wasn’t much he could do here, but he could offer comfort - normally that would be reserved for the father of the pups, but Riv doubted that he was here, so the healer was the next best option.

“You breathe deeply, in and out,” he explained slowly, demonstrating what he meant by slowly inhaling and exhaling. “It’s going to hurt, and I wish I could help with that, but I can’t do anything until the pups are out. That’s all up to you.”

He looked down at her swollen sides and watched them ripple with contractions. “You're going to feel a lot of pressure, but you’ve got to listen to your body. When it feels like you need to push, you push,” he explained, recalling the words his teacher had used to coach new mothers last spring. “There’s going to be some blood, but it shouldn’t be anything to worry about - I’ve got stuff to help with everything that comes after. The first part is up to you, but I’m gonna be right here the whole time.” It was a little unorthodox, but Riv wasn’t going to let himself feel weird about it. If this was what Rhaegara needed, it was what she was going to get.

She trusted the healer. He would never do anything to bring her or anyone else harm and she knew that, so when he told her to breathe in and out, she copied his motions, closing her eyes as she felt the tension push down against her. Another contraction was coming – she could feel it. It was going to hurt, and he couldn’t do anything about it until she pushed the pups out. She needed to listen to her body. Could she even trust her body? A shiver shot down her spine and she braced herself for what was coming next.

Her jaw clenched and she bore down against it, pushing hard as she labored through the pain. Blood was normal, and she shouldn’t worry about anything other than getting these pups out of her. It didn’t take long before her darling little girl was expelled and Rhaegara was acting on instinct to nudge her closer to her belly, seeking to protect her and provide her with warmth. It was all she could do, and it felt like what she had been born to do in that moment.

The pain stopped with it, and with that came a sigh of relief, letting her head rest against her paws as she caught her breathe.