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Post by Nivian on Jan 7, 2014 22:34:43 GMT -3
Niv had spent the last few months growing. Growing bigger around her middle and growing heavier from the weight of the pups that were also growing. She was used to the feeling, and it didn't bother her or hinder her in doing her calling. She got slower as time passed, and her walk turned to a waddle, but she endured and was even thrilled by it. Her babies were getting big, and active, and in the last couple of weeks they began to kick, and kick hard. Occasionally it was painful, but it never lasted long.
The birth, however, was a different story. It hurt, and badly. She might hold back the cries, but the pain still took hold in the form of contractions that squeezed, working to push each puppy from her body. Each birth was followed by a few minutes of reprieve, for which she was grateful. In the end, five puppies lay in the curve of her belly, tiny mouths and paws working to fill tiny tummies. Niv lay back and sighed as the two Healers in attendance left the cave to pass on the news to Merlin- who she had ordered out when it became obvious she was ready to give birth. She hadn't wanted him hovering around, pestering her with questions while she was in pain. With the event over, she welcomed him back to look upon their five new children.
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Wise Elder
51 posts in 120 moons
Wise Wolves
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Post by Merlin on Jan 15, 2014 2:38:02 GMT -3
Merlin knew not to pace or think about it. He'd already gone through two litters before this one, so it wasn't so hard, but instead he found himself worrying. Not about Niv. She was strong, an excellent mother. No. He was worried about his pups. Though he didn't look much different than the day he arrived, the same size and the same coat, he'd aged. Moons, years. He was almost ten years old. Which was quite a feat for wild canines. Sure the Wise Wolves lived longer than most anyways, but ten to twelve was the age they naturally began passing on. He knew from experience that smaller dogs tended to live longer for some reason, but the thought still nagged in the back of his mind.
What if he wasn't around for much longer? What if he didn't get to watch all his pups grow up? Would he get to watch Kay, Laudie, Lance, Guin or Elain have their own? They were still Wise Pups, though it was clear Laudie would be able to pass for a Wise Wolf soon. Would he live to see these pups make it through their wise pup training? He paused his thoughts as one of the wise wolves prodded him, jolting him from his thought. No words exchanged, he knew she was ready for him. He's pups.
As he stepped back into the cave, he marveled at the wee things. Unlike their previous litter which had greatly ranged in size, from Kay who was one of the largest pups he'd ever seen, to Laudie who was so small she was thought be a runt at first, a third the size of her oldest brother. These pups though, were all strong healthy sizes. They wouldn't be as small as their older sister, nor as larger as Kay, but they would still grow to be much larger than he. Five, again. A large number, but a good round number in his opinion. He nudged his mate affectionately. "You did brilliant, I see."
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Post by Nivian on Jan 25, 2014 23:40:36 GMT -3
Eyes closed, Niv still heard when Merlin approached, his paws padding over stone toward her and the five new pups that were tucked in the curve of her belly. She took a breath, forced herself to rouse, and looked over at him. She saw the wonder on his face; it matched the wonder she felt herself. She smiled at him, accepted his nudge and licked him lightly on his muzzle. "It went well. Experience helps. Five, Merlin. How lucky are we? Such a nice big number for our last litter." For it would be their last, Niv knew for sure.
Neither of them were young, and Niv was just on the verge of not being able to have any more. This pregnancy had caught her by surprise, but she had accepted and welcomed it. After all, she had looked forward to a last litter, since her last had grown and moved away. She missed being able to throw herself into caring for pups, and she looked forward to doing it one last time. "Are our other children about?" she asked her mate.
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Wise Elder
51 posts in 120 moons
Wise Wolves
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Post by Merlin on Feb 9, 2014 3:32:30 GMT -3
 Merlin wasn't much of a sentimental being, but there was a sort of joy and sense of fulfillment seeing your mate stare with that long, loving, and content gaze at your pups. As he stared at the five, two girls and three boys, he remembered their last litter with two boys and three girls. The differences were amazing really. Kay had been huge and Laudine had been so small, they'd been worried if she'd make it, but all five of these were the same healthy size. None would be as small as he or Laudie, nor as big as Kay or their mother. Shaking his head at her question he settled down beside her so he could admire their little ones. "Have you thought of any names for them?" he asked some what hesitantly. In the weeks before the birth Niv had expressed her disdain for all of their children following the same Arthurian naming pattern, but Merlin didn't see a problem nor understood why after two large litters, they should stop now. TAG: NivianWORDS: 170NOTES: BABIES EVERYWHEREEEE |
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Post by Nivian on Jun 1, 2014 16:39:59 GMT -3
Niv blinked at Merlin as he settled down by her, his eyes on the five pups at her belly. She was glad for his presence; sure she could raise them on their own, but she would rather him here to help, to teach them as he had taught their other pups in writing and reading. A skill that most might consider unnecessary, but she and he would raise these youngsters as they chose. She wondered if one or more of them would take after her and her own rank of Healer. That would be nice, teaching them everything she knew.
She wondered where the rest were. Did they know she'd birthed the pups, or had they gone about their usual duties with the intent to see them later? Lowering her head to one paw, Nivian sighed, her eyes still on Merlin. "I haven't yet. I thought you would want to be part of the process. I have a few suggestions, but I wanted your input before I decided for sure. And I know how fond you are of your books and the legends. Do you have any names in mind?"
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Wise Elder
51 posts in 120 moons
Wise Wolves
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Post by Merlin on Jun 4, 2014 18:44:04 GMT -3
Well, plenty of names came to mind, but Niv had already gave him a talk about not wanting to name the entire litter after his stories. "Well, there's Percival, and Lunette, and Caelia... We could name one Lucius, after your brother."He looked to his mate, wondering what other names she would have in mind. "Just, whatever you do I refuse any of them to be named Snowball or something equally ridiculous." He said this in a joking manner, knowing his mate would never do something so ludicrous. TAG: NivianWORDS: 105NOTES: I'M SORRY IT'S SO SHORT |
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Post by Nivian on Jun 20, 2014 19:00:12 GMT -3
A nod as he spoke, going over the names in her mind as Merlin listed them. "Those are good names. With three boys and two girls, those work nicely." She gazed over the chubby bodies lined up at her belly and reached down to nuzzle the girls. "Lunette and Caelia. I like those." An amused glance at him as he continued, resisting the urge to tease because she knew how he hated it. "Don't worry, love. No ridiculous names for our pups. And I'm sure Lucius would be thrilled to share his name with a nephew." Lying her head on a paw, she gazed at him silently for a moment. "I have a name too. I would like for one of them to be named Rivian. What do you think?"
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Wise Elder
51 posts in 120 moons
Wise Wolves
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Post by Merlin on Jun 20, 2014 19:21:23 GMT -3
This right here, was why he loved her. She shared her approval with him and he wagged his tail once, twice. Their pups were small, and he wondered if any of them would be as small as Laudine, or as large as Kay. Perhaps they'd be in the middle as his first litter had been. No matter their size he'd love them all equally. The name she suggested wasn't a name he would have thought of, but he liked that it sounded like her own name. He would be more than happy to name one of their sons Rivian. "Will we actually call him Rivian, or just shorten it to Riv? He asked with a slight tease, reminding her of her own dislike for her full name. "Who shall get which name, then?" He asked, turning his full attention to the pus that lay at her side. |
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