Let's Try Something New {aw} }{ bee birthing ...

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

What the fuck? No one had told me it would feel like this. No one said I would want to rip these things from my midsection when the time was near? The pain…I felt ready to explode. I wobbled up the twenty foot slope to Esson’s large oak tree. In the buttress roots I managed to weave my body through I found shelter from the rain. That was what these new instincts told me; being thrown out into the cold rain would kill my children. It had been a few days, perhaps even a week, since the Twenty-Seven had given me the means to love these creatures, and I had become quite good at reading the new urges. I ate more because they were hungry. I drank more because they were thirsty. I actually look life easy because I cared that swaying around bothered them. Part of me was annoyed tremendously by the changes, but the new emotional side was quite pleased with my ability to adapt. Hell, I had always been able to adapt to change well, I didn’t need emotions for that.

The rabbits poked their curious heads out into the rain from their warren. I could feel their gaze more so than see it. The pain was like electricity shooting through every nerve in my tired form, thus blurring my usually razor-sharp vision. I had never been one for acknowledging pain before, and I knew that this nauseous electricity was not the worse I had ever felt, but it being burden with the new found hormones seemed to weight me down. I responded to my urges by bellowing out an agony-stricken howl. Instinct had spoken for my children once more—I was here in Esson for a reason. With love comes fear. I did not want these children to die—there was an obligation to them forcing me to seek the help of another. Esson was a good place to come, for I knew that Kunabee would not act harshly towards me, despite who I was. Besides, even if by some far off chance she did not like me being here, all I had to say was Mahal was my nephew and she would be put at ease. I could not harm a friend of my Mahal’s, and Kunabee was one of his very best.

Ah, but it was Vice I sought after. The woman was compassionate and sharp. She would help me deliver these children and perhaps I could make her adopt them. If not here, then I will try for Carska. But for now, all I could do was lie in my root-made shelter and moan in my agony, hoping Vice was keen enough to hear my howl through the thunder and rain. Then I had to cross my claws that she would be able to follow the smell of the blood as the first child came into the world. A little boy that looked too much like me for me not to smile despite it all. The second child was a female, and had a curious coat of charcoal streaked with silver. The third beast was male and looked far too much like that odd man that had seeded these mutts. The final was an off white colored male, and his scent spoke of death. The whole process took no more than ten minutes, which judging by Carska’s birthing, was rather good. I could feel my body void of energy and I quickly used a paw to slide the still child closer to my jaws. In a few slow snaps of my teeth, there was no more than a couple dribbles of the stillborn’s blood left and a scattering of fur near my maw. I dragged the other three closer and began to wearily lick the blood from each of their bodies, and instinct saying my warmth and the roughness of my tongue was vital for these children.

My eyes drooped as I groomed them and in a matter of seconds my head was wrapped around to hold the three squirming vermin to my stomach and I was asleep.

[Kunabee]

Kunabee

I heard the screaming first. Howling. My ears pressed back, but I ran. Falomi or not, I was always going to help those in need. And I saw... a giant Falomi when I arrived.
A giant Falomi tangled in roots, with... puppies. One of them was whimpering around, suckling, whimpering, suckling, back and forth. The mother seemed to be asleep. I scrambled over, and was horrified. I was small. The mother could eat me in a single bite and I'd be gone, poof, like that. I shoved down my fear and bopped the mother on the nose.
"Wake up, tired one. Your children aren't safe yet," I told her, turning my attentions to the children. They seemed clean, so I then let my nose lead me to rabbits. While it wasn't near enough for the big Falomi, I hoped I could catch several for her. It was about all I can do.
I managed to get down a little into the burrow after some time, a rabbit in my teeth. It was difficult to pull the thing up, despite my small size. Finally I managed, and moved the rabbit near her.
I took a moment to look at the pups. They were huge. The biggest pups I'd ever seen. The biggest anything I'd ever seen except for other Falomi.
"Why is everyone so damn big," I muttered to myself, heading off a little ways to catch rabbits.

[Bhu ♥ Irwin]

I wasn't far behind Kunabee. Howls of pain could not be ignored, even if I was skeptical. Perhaps I was giving myself too much credit. I had seen Kuna run after the sound from off in the distance. If I was being honest with myself, I would have ignored this howl--perhaps even did everything I could to avoid it. Folami were smart animals, much smarter than should be allowed in a creature so untamably evil, this could easily be a trick from my pack. They had found Vice and I at the human's command, and they knew our leader would come to whomever called. They knew, in turn, this would bring Vice and I over to them. I would not give into this trap--except there Jazz went right by my nose. I lashed out to grab a hold of her tail from where I lay in the mud but narrowly missed. Jazz had seen my attempt to catch her and taken this as a challenge, which is was. One thing I had learned with my time with Jazz, however, is she will always face a challenge and give it all her worth--she sped up to top speed.

Clammering to my feet and I raced after the lioness. She had the advantage here--her body still quite low to the ground so she could keep from sliding in this mud better than I could. I had to slow my face or I would tumble and slide through the terrain, thus losing any hope of catching her. Problem was, she was a fast girl--my slowing down even slightly made her the faster in this race. I barked aggressivly, a harsh warning to the girl, but it went ignored. Surprise, surprise. I decided then that all I could do was protect her from the pack's attack, since I would not be catching her to avoid it all together. I hoped Vice and Ashley had missed our little squabble and run off--I did not need them to follow us into harm's way. Especially not Vice, who had as much a target on her skull as I did.

I came upon the scene just as Kunabee spoke of everyone being so large. The wolfess tangled among the roots lifted her head groggily and blinked several times at us all before laying her look upon her litter. She moved a slow paw to the squirming male that whimpered between drinks of milk. "Daniel, take this one, please. That noise, it rips right through me." I, out of obedient instinct, arched forward to grab a hold of the puppy, before freezing only inches away from this woman. It knew my name. I pulled away quickly and eyed it nervously. That was all the proof needed to condemn this dog. I would not help a member of the pack. She would harm Vice, and my little Jazz. Kunabee, too. No, I did not care that this woman just had children, I would not let my family be harmed.

"No no, silly mother, it wants you to snuggle it. It is cold. Like this!" Jazz moved forward quickly, pushing the puppy to a spot locked between her and this purple hued woman. She nudged it with feminine gentleness towards it's food source, though keeping it warm between them. "It is mighty cold and the ground is wet." I was frozen in my shock as Jazz threw her voice to whereveer Kunabee now was. "Alpha, we should move the children to camp. We have drier shelter there. Vice will probably be here any second. She can carry one, Daniel can carry one, and me and Ashley can share one." She looked to the stranger now, a dominant expression on her face. "You are too weak from birthing to carry one. You might drop it."

[/b] The stranger seemed fine with this, her mind floating elsewhere, ears having perked at Vice's name.

"Ah, yes, Vice...where is she?" She turned to me as she asked this, eyes demanding. I only stared back, eyes narrowed in a mistrusting heat. I was tense, crouched slightly in a hidden need to lunge at her. She knew my name and she knew Vice. Shit. Shit. Shit. "Ah, and thank you for the rabbit, Kunabee. My stillborne was not enough to kill off the pangs." She pulled the rabbit closer now and began to eat, ears angled towards me, waiting for my answer that I would never give.[/justify][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[Kunabee]

Kunabee

Seems I was not alone. I poked my head out, grinning at Daniel and Jazz, before returning to rabbits. I listened, and while I listened I got another rabbit. At Jazz's suggestion, I smacked myself with a paw.
"Of course! Thanks, Jazz. Seems I'm not very good at dealing with births." I smiled at her, and then looked at Denerbe. "You ate your stillborne? I'm disturbed. And pleasantly surprised you didn't eat all your children." I then smacked myself again. Children, Kunabee, there were children here. Idiot, they can hear you.
"You know what, let's pretend I haven't said a word," I then promptly declared, before glancing over at Daniel. Hmm, he seemed upset. I came over to him, nudging him gently.
"I don't think Denerbe will eat or hurt anyone until she's ready to leave," I told him quietly, "She's dangerous, but she's not aiming to specifically hurt anyone. I tend to talk a little too much to my friends." I looked a little sheepish.
I had pretty much told Mahal everything, and I regularly told him all about Esson and everyone. And he, in turn, told Carska, Daiade - whoever. Which means, of course, it would leak to Denerbe eventually. Whether Mahal told her, or someone else did - yeah, everyone would bound to know aaallll about little Esson.
But only because I was so talkative. There was no reconnaissance work involved. Esson was (mostly) safe and only getting safer. I thought with pride on the members of this little family, smiling to myself. Then I shook my head.
"Well, to camp we go!" I grinned at Jazz, wanting to let her know how proud and thankful I was that she was able to take control in this situation. In this situation, that is - not in any other. Well, not always.
I promptly nudged a little Falomi baby. "I can help too," I told her, "I'd feel bad not helping carry one. We can go as soon as Vice gets here."
Ahh, silly Kuna, being so distracted...