Swift River one, two, three

Gone Tomorrow

Summer's heat had not yet hit them, but Corinna was sweltering. Standing knee deep in the River, the large and round female panted heavily. Green eyes looked upward, trying to find a cloud in the sky. But the Canadian sky was clear, and it was only common sense that stopped Cori from wading any deeper into the pool. She had been like this for the past couple of days, and more often than not, she could feel the tiny kicks to her stomach, demanding her attention. Experience told her that the time would be soon, and despite her agitation at the lack of shade, she was grateful for being able to stand outside and breathe fresh air. Once she gave birth, her freedom to roam would be greatly reduced - not that she had been roaming anywhere far for some time now.

Lowering her head to drink, the cool water helped parch her throat. But almost instantly, she felt the strain on her bladder. It was an unfortunate side effect, though Swift River's borders had been particularly well marked ever since. Waddling back onto to dry land, she lifted one paw and then another, shaking each one in turn to dry herself. She was too far from the borders to put her need to any good use, so she merely wandered over to a nearby bush. Far too pregnant to lift her leg as she normally would, she settled for squatting. Relieved, Cori rose up, shook herself and began to walk away, thinking that she would go find Indru. More broody than ever, she was constantly nagging at him to help spruce up the newly constructed den. It had been a fine pack event, but there was always more to be done, in her mind.

But before she could howl for him, Cori was halted by a wet feeling on her hindleg. Confused, she dipped her head, peering around her stomach to get a better look. It was an uncomfortable feeling, but almost a release at the same time. Sure enough, there was a small puddle where she had been standing. Immediately, the gray female began to waddle in the direction of the den. Howling as she waddled, she called for Indru. "It's time." Her song was cut short by a violent contraction, one that halted the leader in her tracks and almost forced her to her knees. But she had to keep going. Their den was not too far off, and she did not want to have her cubs born in open territory.

The contractions gradually increased, growing in intensity the longer she walked. By the time the large tree and mangled roots appeared, Corinna was in agony. "INDRU!" She screamed, her normal docile nature nowhere to be found. Throwing herself into the dark howl, the leader collapse in a heap near the back wall, momentarily disoriented from the sudden lack of sunlight. Whining loudly, she burrowed onto her side, scratching with her front legs at the empty air. Her hips had begun to dilate, but she had not yet felt the need to push. Panting, she grimaced as another contraction hit her. It was going to be a long day.

Like last year (and undoubtedly every year to come), Indru worried. His mate's scent, fresh and healthy with the undeniable smell that just spoke cubs, was only strengthening and Indru could tell from experience (from both their previous litter and his mother's many) that the time was very near. Whether it was considered fussing or not Indru had barely left her side, let alone the territory, in the past few days and when her urgent howl broke through the canopies he had barely any distance to travel.

The leader had almost burst into the clearing as her agonised shout of his name escaped her and just as the trees fell away and formed a tight, protective circle around them both he saw her rump disappear into the den, her new permanent home for a while. As soon as she had disappeared to the safety of their carefully constructed den Indru's posture changed and immediately took on a deadly dominance as his eyes stalked the area for any sign of another as his nose scouted out to where his gaze could not fall. No one was nearby, but he would be surprised if her calls would not at the very least make them curious. With a quick, authoritative howl intended only to cover the pack lands Indru made his intentions clear—he wanted no one to approach his vulnerable mate and children.

Once done Indru's posture dropped as quickly as it had come and turned back to his anxious and worried state as he loped towards the entrance of the den, short whines escaping him to reassure Corinna as he approached. When he was mere metres from the den he paused, dropping down to his stomach as he shuffled forward, he was not so naive to think she'd allow him inside but he couldn't help pushing his nose past the den's entrance as his eyes probed anxiously into it's darkened depths. Far from satisfied—but knowing he could do nothing about it—Indru turned and dropped down outside the den, using his considerable bulk to block the entrance to make it as secure as he felt able. Yes, Indru worried, but that would never change.

Gone Tomorrow

Panting rapidly, Corinna pawed at the air madly, her whines growing louder and more shrill. She couldn't remember it hurting this much, but the truth was, she remembered very little of her first delivery. Instinct had guided her through that one, and hopefully would do the same here. At least she had the comfort of knowing she was not alone. Despite their argument over his sister, Indru was still here. She heard him, his howl just as demanding as her own had been, warning to keep them all away. And then the light went, as Indru's body blocked the entryway into the den. Plunged into a state of semi-darkness, Cori's confusion was only increased and she shut her eyes.

What happened next, she wouldn't really be able to recall later. One moment, all she could hear were own whines, and then after a sharp feeling of pain, her calls were joined by that of another. The yips and whines were distinctively female, and forcing her eyes open, Corinna peered between her hind legs. Amidst a puddle of liquid and covered in afterbirth was a squealing female pup, protesting her expulsion from her mother's womb. Without thinking, Corinna reached out with her muzzle, licking the pup all over, cleaning her. Sharp teeth cut through the cord that had held her to her mother, but absolutely unwilling to let the newborn go, the second-time mother used her muzzle to push the girl towards her breast. Breathing a momentary sigh of relief as the girl attached herself to Corinna's breath, the leader let her head fall to the ground. Finding Indru's fiery eyes in the darkness, she beat her tail against the floor twice before letting it fall. "A girl." Her voice was a whisper, but it would only confirm what Indru's nose would be able to tell him.

For maybe an hour, that was all the action that happened inside the den. Corinna's contractions faded, no longer as intense as they first were, though still very regular. She had encircled herself around her first born, peering at her with intense curiosity. It was hard to believe that she was so small. The mother couldn't help but smile - had Rihael, Fenru, and Kisla ever once been so small? They must have been, but being able to make the comparison now, it was hard to imagine. Nosing the small creature who had fallen quiet after feeding, Cori ran her pink tongue over the warm body. "I like Aiyana, for a name." She and Indru hadn't discussed names much, but this one had been in the pack of the mother's mind for some time. Looking up to meet his gaze again, she could hold it only briefly before she let loose a low whine as her body shuddered.

Claws digging into the ground once more, Corinna pushed, bringing into the world her fifth cub. Healthy like his sister, he came into the world screaming. Coming to his aid immediately, the boy's mother cleaned him as she had his older sister and guided him to her breast so that he could find comfort there. Nosing them closer together, Corinna let her head fall to the ground again. "Boy." Too exhausted for more words, she let her head fall to the ground again, contented to hear the sounds of the young wolves suckling.

The ordeal of birth would only have to be repeated once more, but not for several hours later. Only then did the final cub of Indru and Corinna Tainn decide to enter the world. Though far later than her siblings, she put up very little protest, and as Corinna nosed her youngest daughter into her breast, she was pleased to feel the small mouth latch onto her quickly. Breathing in deeply, Cori exhaled slowly, trying to mentally search her womb - but she no longer felt the urgency that had come with each of her three. Just as in the years previous, her womb had produced in threes. But that was fine with her. Thoroughly exhausted, the she-wolf curled up around them, her eyes partially closed, though keeping an eye on her mate as he looked on in the den entrance.

The darkness in the den was punctuated by Cori's pained whines and pants and as helpless as Indru felt he knew he could do nothing for her but what he was doing at the moment—Cori would undoubtedly refuse to let him approach any closer like she had before, it was a mothers instinct. The leader responded to her whines with ones of his own to try and reassure her as he kept watch around them, while he could do nothing to help her directly he knew he would not fail in keeping her and their newest children safe.

After what seemed like an age the telltale whines broke through the mixture of their parents—new, unfamiliar, but immediately they evoked feelings of love and protectiveness from the male. Their first of the second litter, and Cori confirmed the gender as Indru had just finished analysing the scents of the newborn cub delicately with his nose. While he knew it was far from over, for a brief moment peace fell in the den and Indru had to battle a powerful yearning to enter and to let his fiery eyes fall upon his newest daughter like he knew Cori's would be. Aiyana, he repeated, hushed and in awe, as he spoke her idea and Indru's voice made it clear he agreed with the name. Their eyes met briefly and Indru grinned, pride overpowering him for his mate and the cub they had made together, but quickly she shuddered and he frowned in sympathy as the process repeated again.

More hours passed and as the young girl rested peacefully by her mothers side Indru could here and see Cori was far from feeling the same. But once more it came to an end and another cub tumbled from Cori's womb ready to meet the world and eagerly Indru drank in the scent that came with him—distinctly Cori's, but smelling of an individual scent of their own he immediately adored, it was a boy this time and Indru's heart swelled. His mates head dropped in exhaustion but Indru couldn't pull his gaze away from the tiny glimpses he could make out of his children, Torrel, he whispered, his mind full of thoughts of Triell as he suggested a similar namesake for their newest boy. If the boy was to grow up to be even half of Triell Indru knew he would be a wolf to be proud of.

Their third, and it seemed to him final, cub came much later but Indru barely noticed that he had been sitting without movement for so long, his eyes were still fixed on this small portion of his family as he watched them contentedly, desperate to meet them. The next was a girl too and Indru smiled as he noted their cub gender ratio had swapped from their previous year, two girls this time and a solitary boy. Rissa, the leader whispered his suggestion again and though he didn't know why, the name just felt right to him. Patiently he waited for Cori's response, only being able to imagine her exhaustion, as his eyes continued to be enraptured by the newest additions to the Tainn family.

OOC: I think this will be the last for me. <3

Gone Tomorrow

The pain was rough, every female leader in Relic Lore would soon come to understand that if they had not already. Even though this was her second litter, Corinna was certainly not immune to that particular aspect of the ordeal. But laying there now, looking down at her nursing cubs, the pain hardly mattered. She had nodded in agreement with Indru's choice of names. Aiyana, Torrel, and Rissa, their newest additions to the Tainn family. A smile had graced her lips, immediately catching the similarity to Triell's name - though it was Aiyana, who took after him in terms of appearance. She was far darker in color than her siblings, and while that might not be a permanent fixture, Corinna liked it and hoped that it stayed as the youngest daughter grew up.

Settling back, the River leader tried to get as comfortable as she was able, though she was careful to avoid squishing the newborns in her efforts to adjust her position. Satisfied, she let her head fall back against the dirt, a content sigh escaping her lips. A few weak beats of her tail signaled to Indru her pride in their accomplishment - a healthy litter that she had not even been sure would have happened. But they had come through for one another, and no doubt the rest of the pack would soon arrive, and they could all bask in the pride that was the newest litter. Thoroughly exhausted, Corinna made no effort to hide the yawn that came next. Settled in, she allowed her green eyes to close, taking refuge in the dark. They would be safe, with Indru standing guard outside, and it was time for her to join her cubs in sleep.

(This post was last modified: Jun 15, 2012, 02:48 PM by Indru.)

After a while, like everything must, time passed and it quietened in the den. Tension Indru hadn't realised his muscles were under left his body and they throbbed from the sudden relief he had given them. His ears twitched softly as they drank in the soft, small noises from the depths of the darkness of the den—the mewls and whines of his children, Corinna's soft breaths and they were a comfort like nothing else. Again their children had come in threes, and again they had each survived one of their greatest challenges.

Gently Indru rested his chin on the ground, hunching his large shoulders around his neck as he allowed himself to gently shuffle forward, not enough to invade the space Corinna would require for a while but enough that he could allow his nose to deeply catch the scent of his newest cubs uninterrupted. Briefly his eyes flickered shut and a smile curled his muzzle as he exhaled peacefully—things between he and Corinna wouldn't always be easy, recent experiences had shown him as much, but it was times like these that he knew they would always be worth it.

Soon the tell-tale signs of slumber within the den reached him and another soft smile escaped him, it was a well deserved sleep (for all of them) and Corinna trusting him enough to keep them all safe was not something he'd take lightly. Quietly, so not to wake them, he pulled his head from the den and remained vigilant, sphinx-like, as he watched the land surrounding them with only the interruptions of the beating heart—his own, and, his own in another's ribcage.

(This post was last modified: Jun 19, 2012, 03:48 PM by Indru.)