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 Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2018 2:31 pm
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 Instinct told her that she would not leave the den until after the birth. Even as a first time mother, she knew it in her heart and in her bones - her little ones were ready. The red-stone den was prepared for their arrival; a bed of furs had been laid out to keep them comfortable and warm, placed where the shade would protect them from the unrelenting sun - and keep them hidden and safe with their mother.
Walking had become a chore that she would rather avoid, her children were heavy and weighed her down more than she cared to admit. Chau did not know how many she carried, through her size suggested the litter was large. Five, maybe? At times it felt like she was carrying a small army. Oh, but they were strong and healthy; even from inside her womb she knew.
Her little warriors were already duelling each other; twisting and kicking without a moment's rest. A part of her wished they would stop using her insides as a private battleground - but at the same time, she knew she would miss this feeling. She would miss the feel of their beating hearts - as they would miss hers.
Outside her small sanctum; the world kept spinning, the sun kept rising - and the strings of fate kept unravelling within the Outlands. Azzan had been summoned earlier that day and Chau waited patiently, but anxiously, for his return; sat upright and to attention on the bed they had made.
Anxiety bubbled in her stomach as she thought about what news he would return with - but it was off by another strong kick, followed by a shuffle; it made her wince. “Shuush. Your father will be home soon - and you will listen to him if not me. Behave.” She whispered to them; wondering if all mothers did this or if she was going stir crazy?
Her mate had appeared in the doorway whilst the words were still echoing inside the walls. “Azzan?” She turned to face the shadow, her messy red braid stroking her scarred face - light reflecting off of her metallic regalia.
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Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:51 pm
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 The older male was not long for responding, even if he took a moment of silence to himself. Before him was his beautiful mate, heavy with their cubs, expecting any day now. This part of his life had been so absolutely wonderful that he had never expected something of this nature to befall the pride; he should have known. His life had always been in careful balance and he could not find absolute peace and joy without disaster looming on the horizon. It wasn't even that he felt it was his fault - it was everyone's fault for not guarding her closer. Even if they had not known until today that she was with cubs, it stung him. They had failed their duties.
With a frown on his face, he stepped closer enough so that his mate might see him, and did not hesitate before he sat and sank into his bones, pressing his face wordlessly into the crook of her neck. For the space of a few breaths he simply remained that way, shaken and finally allowing himself the right to mourn now that he was in the company of the one soul that he knew would stand by him without fail.
When he finally spoke, his voice broke over the words.
"The Q-queen," he cleared his throat and drew a breath but still did not pull his face away from where it was buried in her dark fur. It made the words muffled but they could not be mistaken with his deep, rumbling voice, "she was attacked, my heart. We may lose her."
The loyalist in his heart was aching.
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Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 4:22 pm
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“What?” The word that escaped her maw was instinctual and laced with worry.
There was no mistaking his words, Chau had heard him clearly - but she did not want to believe them true, something in her blood, in her bones, told her that it was impossible. That he was wrong. Maybe if she had heard it from anyone else she would question it - Not Azzan though. He was a male of few words; every one of them had purpose and every one of them rang true. Her tongue was laced with one thousand questions, all silenced by her shock. Silenced by his weight as he leaned on her like she was a crutch.
In that moment - she was. With or without child, she would carry his burdens across her shoulders if he asked it of her. She would carry the weight of his sorrow - if it stopped him from carrying it alone. He had been along for so long. Her wonderful mate, the pride’s silent guardian.
As much as she wanted to interrogate him, to have him make sense of the situation - she did not want to push him beyond what he was capable of. Her love was as strong as he was loyal; but in that moment he felt frail. His heart was so full of love for his pride; that an attack on the Queen was an attack on the very foundation of his character and beliefs. His soul was on fire, she could smell the ashes.
“We can sit here in silence; if your heart's too heavy for words.” Her voice was soft, like a whisper on the wind, meant only for him. “Or if you need to vent them, spit them out like poison in your gut so it doesn't fester - I will hear them.”
She had never seen him so wounded - and in turn could not relate to the anguish in his heart, it was a mourning she had yet to endure in her short life. As thankful as she was to not know the sting, she would have endured it if it meant she knew how to soothe him. She leant her weight into him, closing her eyes so she could breath his scent and focus instead of the warm that his strong frame radiated.
“What do you need from me in this moment, love?” Anything, she would give him anything. |
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:07 am
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Truth be told, Azzan was not sure what he needed from his mate at that moment. Her presence and her quiet fortitude of a certainty, but what else could she do? He knew what would be coming for them in the next few days, what he would be asked to do, and he no longer found the pride and joy at the idea of a looming war. When he was a single Claw, unbound to another soul with none to rely upon him apart from his pride, he would have relished the chance to shed blood and die with honor.
Now he had a wife and her belly was full of cubs, Scions of Taka yet to be born.
He sighed and shifted so that he could lie down, curling himself gently against the side of her body and pressing the flat of his cheek against her swollen belly. He could feel the squirming of the little ones, they were growing more and more active with every passing day and it seemed that now they might be born while he was away at war.
Would he see them?
"I would only like to see our cubs before I have to head to war but that is just a wish, there is not much you can do for that."
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2018 9:11 am
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Chau shifted as he moved, lifting a paw so she might rest it on his opposing cheek and press his face against her swollen stomach. The cubs knew he was there; she had felt them react to his voice, react to his presence time and time again. They wanted to meet him - as much as he wanted to met them. She almost put the thought into words - but instead her jaws clenched shut as a wave of pain shot up her sternum and settled in her chest. Their squirming always caused mild discomfort, but this time the pain almost had her calling out. A grimace came over her face and a low growl settled in her throat, lightly her claws stuck into his fur as she fought back the urge to fall over herself.
The contraction that shot through her muscles was so strong he would have felt it rumble against his face, as he would have felt the way she curled over herself to try and bare it. It was not the first time this had happened today, and the intervals between them were becoming less and less. “I can’t do this without you.” She smiled, trying to hide the pain from her face, so she would not add worry to his already heavy heart.
She did not want to tell him that she was scared; that throughout this pregnancy she could not help but think about the fate of her mother. Katiti had tried to comfort her; told her that if ill fortune was to befall Chau she would have seen it - but the Soul had not seen the fate of the Queen. The news stoked the embers of her nightmares, and it caused her breath to stick in her chest. “Throughout my travels, I have encountered some dark deities, my love. I have witnessed Prides that live in fear of the vengeful spirits that lord of them. Your Ancestors, they are amongst the most honourable, the most merciful I have ever encountered.” Chau had not been raised with the faith her mate had, so she never talked about it in case she sounded disingenuous. Though now, she was starting to understand - she was starting to believe.
“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you - to deserve the gifts they have given us. But if they could be so kind to a rogue like me; I refuse to believe they would let you, their most faithful son, leave without seeing your cubs.” It was not even a thought she cared to entertain. She took a deep breath then, holding him closer to her so she might stable herself. “Will you lay with me now? I need you by my side.” The dark lioness was moving before he had a chance to speak, lowering herself gently to her side so she could spread across the furs that lined the floor of their den.
Her body rose and feel with deep breathes, silver eyes closing as she tried to get as comfortable as she could given the situation. She was scared; but she would not admit it out loud. The threat of war was looming - and in its shadow her cubs would enter the world. ”Though, they did not bring me the snow I asked for. A step too far, maybe but - I wanted you to see it, just once.” |
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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 9:28 am
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At first, he mistook the convulsion in her swollen belly to be one of the cubs kicking at him - it had happened before. Only, on those occasions she had laughed and whispered how much they adored him already. Today, she greeted him with claws in his fur and a growl on her tongue that was not at all a hopeful, happy mother. It sparked surprise and panic within his own gut but then her words fell upon him, coaxing him with the faith she rarely held in his ancestors, and he knew that she was right. Even if she still was not quite ready to believe that they would guide her through this, she reminded him that they would none-the-less.
With a deep, rumbling sigh, he shifted so that she could move onto her side - was it to get more comfortable? He doubted it. From the way her entire belly had gone rigid, he knew that there was to be little comfort found no matter how she tried to lay.
"They will watch over us both," he said gently as he shifted, rolling closer to her so that she might take comfort in the warmth of his body as it pressed along her own. Then, slowly, he lowered his face back down so his cheek rested against her belly - it was an action both for her and the little ones. They, too, must have been worried as this began. He could have claimed that he was not worried, that he knew the ancestors would protect them, but he had been raised to know that the ancestors did what was best for them. Ashiki and her little ones were proof enough of that.
"We will see the snow, once they are born, my heart. I will make sure we find it again for you." His words rumbled low in his throat, a gentle tremor against her swollen stomach. "And I promise I will stay here until they arrive but," he hesitated, flipping his tail, "I would feel better if you would let me send for my mother before it is too late."
He was not a male that needed his mom at every step of the way but now, with both of them so inexperienced in the ways of life, he thought that Chau might find the comfort in her presence.
"But it is up to you, Chau, tell me what you need."
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Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2018 10:20 am
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”I am sorry everything is happening on the same night - It is a lot.” Her mate must have a whirlwind of emotions spirling in his chest; though others misunderstood his quiet fortitude for coldness - she knew him better.
Chau did not know if she would be more comfortable passing around the den or curling up into a tight ball. In truth, she new there was very little comfort to be found until it was over. During her pregnancy she had heard many stories, mostly from mothers who were reminiscing on the birth of their children. Many had told her it was the best day of their lives - that the process was beautiful. Chau would respectfully disagree, this already felt terrible - like her body was wanting to tear itself apart. The dark lioness winced, trying to steady her breathing as she pain began to fade.
The waves were still quite a while apart. It was not time just yet - but soon. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the weight of her mate’s skull against her stomach, and the comfort it offered. Azzan had been her rock through this process, his words, his warmth - always there to anchor her heart when she was scared, lending her his strength to lean on.
Then he mentioned Mjrn; and her silver eyes opened, her head lifting to she might look at him. It was obvious that Mjrn had already earned a special place in Chau’s heart, the two had spent a lot of time together since the wedding, teaching her all the things that her own mother couldn't. It would make sense to send for her now, even if the last thing she wanted was to be left alone.
“If your sister is with her - I do not mind.” Mjrn and her daughter spent a lot of time with each other, if it was not Chau at her side - then it was usually Ta. “But, I would be grateful if you were swift. Please.” Even though she did not feel like it, she laughed then, knowing she no longer held any control over the situation - and not wanting him to worry any more than he already was.
She could survive a few moments alone - close her eyes and count down from one-hundred. |
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2019 10:52 am
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"It's not your fault," he murmured against her taut belly, doing his damnedest to retain his calm demeanor so that it did not upset her unnecessarily. All he wanted to do was bolt to his mother or a healer, find anyone that might be here to ease the passing of his children in this world. In truth, he did not know if it was to comfort himself or his mate at this point. Both, probably. "The ancestors have an odd way of giving us what we need."
He could fight an army, go toe to toe with the scariest warrior on a battlefield, but when it came to this he suddenly felt young and foolish. It was strange how he could feel so very much like an adult in one regard and in another simply wanted to find his mother and beg for her to tell him what to do. Experience was truly what marked wisdom, not age, and even as a graying Claw he could admit that there were some lessons he had yet to learn.
It was a small blessing that she was not too proud to let him seek Mjrn out. He knew that they had grown close over the last few months but, too, he knew that his mate was stubborn and bullheaded female at the best of times. He was on his feet in a breath as she spoke, knowing that he should leave quickly before she changed her mind. He did pause, however, so that he could lean his forehead into hers for just a moment.
"I will find her, my heart, and we will tackle this night together. I promise."
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