I'll tell you a story before it tells itself.

The time was near, Quicksilver knew. His trips from @Reiko's whelping chamber had shortened considerably in the past week, venturing out only when his mate wished for privacy or to seek something that might aid in easing her discomfort. The pregnancy had been difficult for her, and it'd felt so long. Sometimes the guilt made him reluctant to make attempt for a second letter should they make that decision in future.

The druid had hoped they'd have settled elsewhere by the time of their pups' arrival, but the Empress had been reluctant to venture too far. He understood - she'd suffered such terrible sickness that she'd barely been able to bask in the bliss of being newlywed. Still, Quicksilver was thankful for the security of Skelmir's Pass while Shiroshika healed from the battle of the Everfrost, and more so for the proximity of Vanderfell.

Returning from a successful fishing trip in the lowlands, the silverwhite held a rainbow trout firm between his teeth. He knew Reiko appreciated their white meat, and was hopeful that she'd be brightened by his efforts to catch her favoured snack. When he poked his head into the cave to greet his beloved, however, there seemed to be something off about her - a tension in the air that he couldn't explain but was reminded of Ira's labour just the month before. Quicksilver paused and lowered the fish to his paws, powder blue eyes searching for Reiko's features. “Is-” his tail stirred in an anxious twitch at his hocks, “is it time?”


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Leaving the den was out of the question these days. Her paws were far too sore to carry her, and this time... it was okay. Unlike the last, she didn't push past that need to wander somewhere safer to deliver. Somewhere away from the dangers of home as this time, home was safe. Their "home" was made up of a temporary land, but the members within their walls made all the difference. @Antares was ever watchful, @Gyrfalcon though they shared a dark past, the two women had quickly bonded... and "Ruelle" was quickly becoming a new friend. Some among many others helped keep a certain air of peace while the woman struggled in her pregnancy.

The pain grew with an uneasy squirming which had her toss and turn in the den, trying fruitlessly to get comfortable.

It was only once before did she feel the same, and it was unmistakable. They were coming any second now. Pushing the furs lining the den and pawing until they were all in a heap, a single plush bed of which she'd curl around as her body began to do what came naturally. Quicksilver's voice was barely audible through the pulsating pain that ran up her spine, but as she turned hr head to answer him with a nod, she smiled. There was no fear, but a genuine excitement despite the difficulties.

Even if she was perhaps not built to be a mother, to carry and deliver life - it wasn't something she would ever regret.

---

time skip

---

One more than the last, she counted, though the litter was still relatively small - perhaps for the best. With a satisfied sigh, she wasn't certain how long the ordeal was... The warmth in the skies could be seen but the knowledge of time hadn't quite clicked yet... hours had passed like minutes, and only now did her breathing slow to a steady pace. “My love... how are they?” Were they still breathing? Eating? Since last she checked? Since last they were brought to the overly stuffed bed of furs to keep them warm and away from the cold, unforgiving stone below, kept warm by a plush tail dropped over their tiny bodies.

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Reiko turned her gaze to seek his, and her nod confirmed his suspicion. Quicksilver, both nervous and excited for the latest shift that would shape their lives, beamed right back. The Empress did not dismiss him in favour of privacy, allowing him to remain so that he might provide the comfort and assistance she required. Despite having served as Vanderfell's midwife for over a year, he'd never been so involved through a she-wolf's labour. Ira, private with the whelping of her own litters, had made it clear that she'd greet even her mate with fangs should he stick stick nose too close to her chamber - so he definitely felt a little anxious that the snowflower might regard him in the same manner.

Each wolfess was vastly different, he knew, and as Reiko began to contract the silverwhite's fear turned toward the wellbeing of his new family. A baby crowned, the first son, whose fur was white as snow when his mother cleaned him of afterbirth; his cries were like music to the medic's ears. Quicksilver could barely contain his joy and his tail thumped eagerly among the furs of the den floor as he carefully, gingerly touched the very tip of his nose to the newborn's down-soft back.

Next, a baby of platinum. His heart skipped a merry beat on realising that a girl was to be among he and Reiko's brood, for he'd secretly hoped there would be a daughter. He stared at her for a long time after she entered the world, basking in the glow of fatherhood before the time came to welcome the third and last of his children.

Another boy, with a velvet pelt of ash and dust in the palest shades. As lovely and delicate as his brother and sister before him! Quicksilver emitted a soft whine, emotion tightening his throat as he observed Reiko lovingly tended to their cubs despite the strain of her labour. He sought her tired blue eyes and mustered a watery smile, pride in the gleam of his irises. She asked a question of him, granted an opportunity to be doctor before parent, and the druid arched his neck to examine each baby carefully.

“They are perfect,” he told her, for they were the most beautiful things he'd ever seen, “you have done so well, I-” Quicksilver felt his breath hitch, and he reached to press his lips to the dove's pale cheek. He was so overwhelmed, “I love you, Reiko.”


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When it was all over, the firstborn of Shiroshika's royal pair was nestled snugly alongside littermates at his mother's side. He cooed contently, even when his fat little body was poked and prodded and examined. He accidentally bumped his oversized head against someone else's as he was released, but it was swiftly forgotten as a sweet-scented source of nourishment and comfort was located. Jaws parted wide, he latched firmly and drank deep, tiny paws paddling either side of his chosen teat to better free the milk into his eager maw.


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Concern grew for the safety of the newest born under her care. The struggles of birth should be hers and hers alone to struggle with and the puppies should simply learn to exist and feed on their first moments alive. The rest would be on their parents to give with abundance.

They're perfect, those words set free all the anxieties that were held within. Nuzzling into his touch, she was thankful that this time all had gone well. No one to worry about. No threat looming over hers and their lives, but a sense of peace. Even Kuhn was not a part of the equation, to think he or Valmua would come barging into their territory to cause trouble was not something to concern herself with right now.

Just the sound of crickets and newborn whelps suckling and snoring.

“I love you too, Quicksilver.” She'd say softly in his cheek before resting again. Setting her head back down on the ground and letting herself rest for a moment while the children ate their fill and would eventually slip away into a deep sleep as well.

---

End?

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Birth, he knew, was a very personal thing. While some she-wolves struggled, some could see it through swiftly and with ease. Quicksilver could see how Reiko's body tired through the labour but, despite the hours of labour and exhaustion, still her concern lay with the newborns she'd bore.

She was meant to be a mother. The role came so naturally to her and Quicksilver felt such appreciation and joy that it was her who would share this wild journey with him.

The still time was what followed, the quiet hours in which they would all bond and learn from one another. Quicksilver took it all in, content to lay close and watch over while his beloved rested. Eventually the cubs settled enough to submit to sleep and still the druid looked on, his own tired eyes lingering with affection over each pale dorsal. They were his, he told himself over and over in the safety of his own mind, and he vowed then that he would do everything in his power to ensure their lives were filled with love and light.

Later, he and Reiko would bless them with names of their own, but for a while he was happy simply to take in the warmth and sounds that surrounded him.


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