The End of the Beginning

[The Warden]

Crane looked out of the den mouth and sighed into the warm air that breezed against her face. Truth to tell, it wasn't so bad hanging around Blood Red Moon. After becoming pregnant by Ryker, she had at first been wary about staying on in his territory. She was, after all, not his mare but his mistress. But it had been well and pregnancy suited her better than she had thought

Twin kicks came hammering at her ribs and her breath caught with the force of them. The little lives inside her were becoming restless. The white witch caught herself with a smile on her face. What was becoming of her? Was motherhood softening her?

No, she decided swiftly. No, her goal was the same. Murder Ryker, take his lands, raise his heirs to do her bidding. Murder the children- She shook her head to clear it of the odd thought. That was the plan though, was it not? Somehow she couldn't remember. Take Ryker and- No, that wasn't right. Raise the lands- No, wrong again! She growled in irritation. Why couldn't she think straight?

Then the first contractions shook her snow white belly and Crane knew what was distracting her. The pups were coming. And they were coming now. She cried out, then instantly wished she hadn't. Crane did not want anyone, not even Ryker, to see her like this.

[Halo]

Ryker hadn’t actually been the one to hear the female’s cries. A wolf, one of his subjects, had been near the den to hear her pain and had quickly tracked the alpha down to alert him that his mistress had seemed troubled, of sorts. Though concerned, the brute doesn’t want to appear overly so and set his pace at a leisure trot across the mountain towards the dens where he had noticed Crane settle in a little while before he had taken his leave. So he sets his pace at a smooth and easy jog, nose twitching as he goes to catch any scents or smells that might alert him ahead of time of the problem.

He draws near and he stops in his tracks. That smell...he’s never smelled it before, but for some reason he knows what it is. His pups are about the be born! He hastens his stride into a run, sliding to a stop in front of the dens. He sniffs around until he finds the one she is staying at and pokes his head inside. “Crane?” he calls.
~Ryker

(OOC: Sorry it sucks.)

[The Warden]

OOC: No, it doesn't

BIC: Crane was in pain. She had endured fights many times before, she thought she was hardened to any physical form of torture.

Boy, was she wrong!

This was agony such as she'd never known before. Despite her best intentions she cried out with every contraction that shook her. She was barely able to string sentences together and when Ryker's dark head appeared before her she could barely answer him coherently. But she made a good try of it.

Uh! Puppies, Ryker, coming! My insides are out, my outsides are in, my entrails are becoming my extrails. They're w- rip... all the p... Ugh! Pain, lots of pain!

[/color]

The wolf screamed again as the first pup appeared. But there was still at least one more. Crane had thought perhaps there would be three, but at this point she hoped that the first was also the last.

No such luck.

Her mouth opened in a soundless cry and her teeth snapped together within a fraction of an inch from Ryker's muzzle. She finally regained her voice and screamed at him.

Go from me!

[/color]

Then another tremor shook her. Crane whimpered in pain and thrashed. There was something wrong, it was too much. She had never birthed pups before and had never even seen it done. But she knew by instinct something was wrong. Her eyes sought Ryker's and she panted a recantation.

No, Ryker, stay please. See to the firstborn.

[Halo]

The male can’t help but to look concerned when she writhes in pain, crawling forward on his belly and just laying there, moral support. He reaches out to touch her but thinks better of it and pulls back, thinking it might bother her more to try soothing her than to just be there. He can’t call forth a whimper for her, but shifts nervously. She snaps close to his muzzle and orders him to go away, but he moves back a few crouching steps and stops. “Crane,” he speaks quietly, trying to comfort her. Ryker is not sure he wants to leave her. “I’m not leaving...”
~Ryker

(OOC: Sorry…)

[The Warden]

Take...the puppy...please Ryker

Crane panted: Even speaking those three words wearied her. Her belly fur rippled with contractions. They came, faster and faster, trying to expel the final pup from her system. Finally the little dog pup fell from his mother and Crane collapsed with a groan.

Still bleeding profusely but no longer in much pain, Crane struggled around until she could see her tiny family. Ryker, the one she had sought to kill and the one who had refused to leave her in her time of turmoil. She licked his muzzle tenderly.

Thank you for staying. It means much to me.

Having said her piece, she turned then to her sons. She felt they were sons, though one could never know until they were at least clean. She bent to them and began to lick the tiny life forms.

They'll need names. Good, strong names. What do you think?

Crane reached out one egg-shaped paw and delicately nudged the second born, slightly smaller puppy, the one she was not taking care of at the moment.

He could be called Alejandro. And his brother could-

It was clear that she had meant to finish the sentence, but suddenly she found she could not speak. Her eyes drifted lazily from the pups to Ryker and finally to the den floor. It was sopping with her blood. She had not noticed before. She noted it now with detatched disinterest. Because she was tired. So tired. So...very...tired...

Slowly, dreamily, Crane lowered her head onto her paws. It rolled to one side and she looked up from a slanted perspective at Ryker's dark face. Concern was written there and it struck her as insanely funny at that moment. But she couldn't laugh. She was too tired. All she wanted to do...was...sleep...

Crane closed her eyes.

And never opened them again.

OOC: In case it wasn't clear, she's bled to death. Your posts are fine, Halo, just fine. Please don't feel bad or apologize.