[IC] Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

[EliteCommander]

"Well, I remember a lot of sleeping, and a lot of eating. I...think we're almost out of meat. That probably means we'll have to stop and hunt before we get to Stormhold, unfortunately." Ahnasha commented to Fendros. While Meesei and a few of the others started packing up their belongings, Ahnasha sat up against the tree and beckoned for Fendros to sit beside her. It wasn't as if they could leave without Kaleeth, so they had time.

"So, we could become parents any day now, it seems. Unless it happens today, it doesn't look like the child will be a Senche. More likely, it's going to be a Cathay, or Cathay-raht. Like I explained before, both of those are humanoid. One is big, the other is really big. They're all born the same size though, thank Hircine. I don't think i could handle anything bigger than that. Whatever it ends up being though...it's not looking good for us getting to Stormhold in time. We might have to do this ourselves." She said in a worried tone.

[Muttonhawk]

"For now, I'm just glad that you're safe," Fendros said, relieved to hear that the night went by without incident. He sat himself down next to Ahnasha as directed, put an arm around her and leaned his head against hers, showing the fatigue in both of them. As Ahnasha spoke about the variety of Khajiit they would expect, Fendros put his free hand over her stomach and waited to see if he could feel a kick. "All we can to is try to get to Stormhold as quickly as possible. We will probably have to get a midwife straight to you rather than get taught anything." Fendros took a short breath and his time became a little more optimistic, "Barring that, well, it's not as if there's no hope. We have supplies and magic enough that the chances of anything going wrong will be...lower, at least."

Fendros felt a nudge from Ahnasha's stomach and he smiled. He turned his head slightly towards Ahnasha's face and took on a less serious tone. "You know, all this time, I can't remember if I ever asked you. Would you rather raise a Senche, Cathay, or Cathay-raht? I don't mind, but that's because it's all different to me, I'm a Dunmer. But what about you?"

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha had thought about what Fendros asked before, and it was not an easy question to answer. The various forms of Khajiit were radically different, and while she was worried that she wasn't qualified to raise any of them, she did have somewhat of a pragmatic view on which would be easiest on both of them. Of course, she would love her child no matter what it ended up being. That much was ingrained into her mind as a mother.

"Well, I suppose it would be easier to raise the forms most like me, since I am obviously familiar with myself. Unfortunately, there is no chance of this child being born as a Suthay-raht. If I had to pick one form...that would be hard. A Cathay would be closer to a Suthay-raht like myself. They do tend to be larger, but not too much larger than we are. On the other hand, as a Cathay-raht, our child would be a strong, powerful individual. I believe we saw one back in Vos, so you know how big they can get. I know that can create its own challenges, especially in civilizations outside Elsweyr, but for our lifestyle, out in the wilds, it would be an advantage that would make for an easier life. I don't know if I can decide between the two, I just...I am hoping that it doesn't happen today. If it does, it would be a Senche and...I know you said you would love our child no matter what, but I know you wouldn't be comfortable with that." Ahnasha answered.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros looked forward and squinted his eyes slightly in thought, then responded slowly. "I think I would find a way to accept it if that happened." Despite Fendros' reassurance, the more he thought about having a horse-sized quadruped as a child, the less comfortable he felt about it. Perhaps now, when they were this close, he was able to imagine just how difficult it would be to relate to it. He decided that it wouldn't be useful to speculate on such things of which he had little to no knowledge and put the thought to the back of his mind. In his thoughts, Fendros didn't realise that he had let his expression become slightly worried and suddenly smiled again to dismiss it. "In any case, it's in the hands of fate now."

As his smile faded again, Fendros thought momentarily about gathering his belongings to get ready to move. However, being tired as he was and how nice it was to be close to Ahnasha despite the humid heat, he decided to stay around for longer and closed his eyes. If Kaleeth wasn't back yet, there was no point in rushing to leave. It was barely a few moments before Fendros found something else to worry about. "You mentioned that multiple births are common with Khajiit. How common exactly?" He wasn't too worried about this particular thought at this stage, but he was still curious. Meesei probably would have detected if there were twins by now anyway.

[EliteCommander]

"Well, among Khajiit, it is pretty much to be expected. I wouldn't say single births are rare or anything, they still probably make up more than half of births, but, well, the other half is twins, triplets, and so on. Now, when the father isn't Khajiit, that can make it more complicated. I'm not an expert on this or anything, but I think which race the father is will affect it differently. With a human father, multiple births would still be fairly common, but not like normal. With you being a Dunmer, I doubt it is very likely at all. Dunmer women can only have a few children in their lifetimes, right? I personally don't think I've ever heard of Dunmer twins, though I'm sure it has happened. If I had to guess, I would say the likelyhood of twins would be small, but still a possibility." Ahnasha explained. She really wasn't sure if everything she was saying was factually accurate, she was just making educated guesses based on her experiences. Besides, she would probably know by now if she was carrying twins.

Kaleeth returned only a few minutes later, more quickly than they were expecting. As luck would have it, her beast spirit had stuck to the same river, so she was able to swim back in about the same time as it took to get there. The intensity of her first full moon made her silent once more to everyone except Janius, though it was more due to shock than anything and would likely pass in time. Most of the pack, save Ahnasha, had to then finish up packing their belongings. If they wanted to have even a chance of getting to Stormhold in time, they needed to move quickly, something that Ahnasha was decidedly terrible at currently. As they were about to leave, Ahnasha approached Fendros once more, this time with more of a saddened expression. "I guess it's back to traveling, and me inevitably holding the rest of you up. I'm surprised Meesei hasn't insisted on the others carrying me yet. I've been useless at every other task, and now it seems I can't even walk right."

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros took Ahnasha's hand as they set off. To her question he smiled slightly and shook his head. She frequently discouraged herself like this, despite her obvious and justified disadvantage. "Hah, carrying you? That's an idea." Fendros said jokingly. Behind the veneer, Fendros actually gave Ahnasha's idea some serious consideration, but he didn't want to upset her. He decided to switch to a friendly but firm tone, "Ahnasha, be fair. You've not lost your skills, you've just got a weight on your front for the near future." He looked at her directly, "And you've made a circular argument for yourself as well. The reason we have to get to Stormhold at such a pace is because you're so close to giving birth, don't think we're judging you." He glanced his eyes forward for a moment, "Think of it...as a challenge. And the conditions of the challenge include this handicap. I believe you can do it."

As soon as Janius spotted Kaleeth heading back to camp, he had approached her and given her a hug. He could tell from her expression that last night was tough. Seeing as they were leaving nearly immediately, Janius had to delay talking to her until they had both retrieved their belongings and began walking. In this time he didn't hear Kaleeth say a single word. He decided to walk beside her when they began to move. "How did you go last night? Do you remember much?"

[EliteCommander]

Ahnasha smiled and put her arm around Fendros as they started to walk. . "Always trying to encourage me, aren't you? Can't you just let me sulk in peace?" She joked. Even she had to stop and admit she was being too hard on herself at times, but regardless, she still did not like the idea of being weak. She had hated it ever since her pregnancy had started influencing her mobility, she hated it now, and she would continue to hate it until the day she died. She was just not the kind of person who could deal with inactivity and inaction, and she had been putting up with months of it. Of course, that would all be ending soon.

Kaleeth had been silent while she gathered up her belongings and put on her armor. She did not much like to wear it in camp, but she never liked to move anywhere without it. She only spoke up when Janius questioned her, and even then, she was quiet and kept her head held low. "It was...scary. The beast, I've never felt it so strong. I remember some of it, but other parts are just...black. I don't like that feeling. I don't like that it can take over my mind so much that I don't even remember what I did. I...I'll be fine, though. I just didn't expect it. You said it will get better, and...I trust you."

[Muttonhawk]

With a brief and amused grin, Fendros put an arm over Ahnasha's shoulder in return. He would have bet that by this time in two weeks, Ahnasha would probably be back to outrunning everyone again. While they walked, Fendros looked to Janius and Kaleeth for a moment and he resumed looking slightly worried. He had been so distracted thinking about Ahnasha that he had forgotten about Kaleeth. It had to be tough to go through one's first full moon alone.

Janius curled his lips momentarily and he kept his eyes to the ground while they walked, mirroring her demeanour. It was in knowing guilt rather than fear. "Unfortunately...during full moons, it will always be somewhat beyond your control. The best any of us can do at such times is stay away from other people and try to predict what our beast spirits are going to do." He raised his head and turned his tone to be more encouraging, "For other times, though, it will get better. As it happens, apart from your first transformation, last night was probably the worst that it will ever be for you."

It was normal for Kaleeth to be left shaken by her first full moon. It was really just bad luck that she had to experience it so soon after being turned. With some extra practice, meditation and instruction, she might have been better prepared. Although, Janius shuddered to think what might have happened last night if Kaleeth was forced to stay in her village.

[EliteCommander]

The next two days of travel were quicker than before, but still nowhere near fast. They moved beyond the full moons and therefore the possibility of Ahnasha's child becoming a Senche, but that hardly erased all concerns from her mind. The birth itself was fast approaching and could start at any moment. As they walked through the swamp, she felt wrong in many ways, though oddly enough, she felt more energetic and could breathe more easily. Her feet and joints were constantly sore, to the point that she used up Sabine's treatments faster than she could gather the ingredients. Since she had eaten so much during her transformation, the pack had no choice but to stop and hunt in the middle of the first day of travel. It wasn't too lengthy of a distraction, but it was a distraction nonetheless. When the pack stopped in camp on the second night, the weather was fair, and would hopefully remain so for the duration of the next day. By this point, Stormhold was close enough that they would arrive before nightfall the next day.

Ahnasha did not awaken peacefully the next morning. It was early, before the sun had even risen, and she felt wrong in about every way. She felt a pain in her abdomen unlike any she had felt before. She sat up breathing rapidly and looking around in a panic. When she noticed that she felt more wet than she expected, even in the marsh, she knew immediately what was happening. Frantically, she looked to Fendros beside her, grabbed his shoulders, and started shaking him violently. "Fendros! Get Meesei! Get Sabine and her potions, get...everyone and everything! NOW!!"

[Muttonhawk]

Being awoken so suddenly caused Fendros to grab at his scabbard reflexively. When the reality of the situation processed in his mind, he found little comfort in the fact that they weren't under attack. He frantically sprung to his feet after cursing under his breath, then went straight for the nearest member of the pack, happening upon Sabine. He knelt down and shook her by the shoulders. "Sabine, wake up! Quickly!" A mildly annoyed groan was all Sabine had time to respond with before Fendros moved on to Meesei. After rubbing her eyes and sitting up, Sabine went wide eyed with realisation and moved to action herself, gathering remedies and materials as she had been told to be ready to do.

Fendros woke up Meesei similarly, but by this point, the noise being made was waking everyone up. Fendros cursed his luck that they weren't able to get to Stormhold in time for the labour, especially as the panicked preparations were not done with any qualified assumption for what exactly to do. But childbirth was a natural process, right? They might be able to do this on their own. Hopefully nothing would go wrong.

Without question, Fendros helped however he could, but there was a point where all he could do was sit by Ahnasha, hold her hand and reassure her. Emotions were high throughout the entire morning.

In an effort to try and be helpful, Janius spoke quickly while standing nearby. "Kaleeth and I could make a run for the city to get a midwife. Kaleeth speaks Jel, it would be easy."

"No time! We're too far from the city." Fendros snapped in response.

Janius seemed unfazed by Fendros' knee-jerk reaction. "It's better than us doing nothing. How long will the birth be?"

"I..." Fendros dipped his head and exhaled impatiently, "I don't know." Noticing again just how unqualified he was for this, Fendros looked to Meesei with some desperation. She was busy, but perhaps she had the clarity of mind to make that decision.

[EliteCommander]

Meesei had been preparing herself for the possibility of a birth in the wilds for the past few days, so when she was awoken in early morning, she knew what was required of her. She went to Ahnasha and without saying a word started to prepare the area around her with blankets and a surplus of potions. Many of the others seemed anxious to the point of panic, and rightfully so. None of them really knew what was going to happen, and that was a frightening thought. Some wanted to see if they could get to Stormhold in time to bring someone back to help, and while they could do so in a day, it would take many hours. They were not likely to have that much time, though it was possible.

Meesei resolved herself to not add to the panic, but instead to simply focus all of her attention on Ahnasha's health. She may not have been trained to deal with the Khajiit labor process, but she was still a healer. She could examine a wound and tell in seconds if it would be life threatening. There was no doubt that the energies of Ahnasha's body would be thrown into disarray by this experience. Indeed, Meesei could already feel the physical distress and could see blood, but she wasn't dying, that much was certain.

"Here, for the pain." Meesei said in a calm, soft voice, offering Ahnasha one of Sabine's potions. She drank the entire contents of the vessel in seconds, just before another contraction sent pain shooting through her body. Meanwhile, Meesei noticed Fendros looking at her, so she answered his unspoken question in the same peaceful tone. "I will look after her health. Just sit beside her, take her hand, and be there for her."

[Muttonhawk]

Right. Fendros believed he could do that. He could focus on that. He nodded feverishly, then faced Ahnasha with worry laced over his face. He took her hand in both of his and tried to speak. "Ahna, I don't know how any of this will turn out, and I don't know what else I can do, but I know you are strong. We're all here to see this through. Just keep going, okay?" Fendros spoke quickly and without much thought. By Ahnasha's scrunch-eyed expression, he didn't even know if she was listening.

In light of what was said, Janius conceded to step back and watch on from the sidelines, biting down on the joint of his index finger in worry and supporting his arm in his other hand. It was difficult to watch Ahnasha in such pain, but there wasn't much he could do. More to distract himself rather than trying to bring levity, Janius leaned his head towards Kaleeth while his eyes looked on. "I think Argonian eggs might be a better method after all." He said in a more serious tone than he intended.

After another contraction, any remaining curiosity Janius had left was replaced by the feeling that he was out of place. He turned and sat down by the campfire, stoking the flames with his side facing the main event so he could glance over occasionally. He didn't know, maybe he would be asked to heat some- "Janius!"

Janius entire body jolted as his head snapped to face Sabine. Her stealth hadn't suffered in any way, it seemed. Her face was wide-eyed, like it usually was before the ritual, but now it was more justified. Before Janius had another moment to do anything, Sabine pushed a small metal cauldron into his hands. "Heat water!" She said into his face with a volume he wasn't accustomed to by her. Assuming she needed it for a potion or something, Janius took it unquestioningly and obliged.

[EliteCommander]

The process of labor was not easy, no one expected it to be, but the pack eventually settled into a rhythm that at least seemed efficient. They made sure Ahnasha had a supply of potions to help numb the pain during the worst parts, though they were careful not to overuse them, as that would leave her without them during the delivery itself. At all other times, Meesei did her best to numb her pain without exhausting herself. It wasn't perfect, but they did everything they knew how to do to keep her comfortable.

With how stressful the situation was, it was difficult to tell how much time had passed, but it felt like hours. Ahnasha had never screamed so much at once, though due to the potions, the pain wasn't quite as intense as some of the injuries she had sustained in the past. The worst aspect of it was that it just never seemed to end. It was the most drawn out form of suffering she had ever experienced, and hopefully ever would experience. Over time, her contractions grew closer and closer, becoming more intense until eventually the time was upon her.

It was almost difficult to tell when the delivery was approaching, given that the contractions grew gradually in frequency, but once Meesei felt the child's energies moving downward, there was no mistaking it.

"Be ready, the child is coming now." Meesei said, still maintaining a calm tone. Ahnasha did not doubt for a second that Meesei was correct, as the pain from her contractions intensified beyond what the potions and Meesei's magic could help. Looking up into Fendros' eyes, she let out a pained scream and clenched his hand almost to the point of crushing it.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros stopped to give Meesei a quick glance. Given how long the labour had been so far, he assumed that the crescendo they were riding was coming to an end with what she said. This was good. He looked down at Ahnasha and received her look. He smiled as he knew the torture would soon be over. With more confidence, he encouraged her further. "Just a little longer, Ahna. You've made it this far. Just a little longer! You can do it!"

In Ahnasha's next scream she found a new power in her already previously vice-like grip. Fendros had to resist the urge to join in the screaming. He felt as if his middle finger bones were going to burst from his skin. In order to resist his fingers getting dislocated, he had to squeeze Ahnasha's hand in return. "Just a little longer, Ahna!"

[EliteCommander]

From a completely objective perspective, the birth itself was absolutely disgusting, despite it often being described as a "beautiful" experience. There was screaming, crying, and a lot of blood and other bodily fluids. Being that everyone present were lycans who were accustomed to tearing apart creatures with their bare hands, it wasn't quite as repulsive as it otherwise would have been, but even so, many in the pack had a hard time watching. Even Meesei would have preferred not to watch, if it were not for the fact that she was serving a vital role. She tried her best to reduce the pain, but mostly, she was making sure nothing happened that would risk the life of Ahnasha or their child.

By the end of it, Meesei held in her arms a small Khajiit infant, a baby boy. His fur was covered in blood and Hircine knows what else, he was screaming at the top of its tiny lungs, an he appeared generally repulsive, but to Ahnasha and Fendros, that was not likely to matter. This tiny humanoid kitten was their son; Meesei could only imagine how they felt. Or at least, she could imagine how Fendros felt. Ahnasha looked to be in a daze from what she had been through, though Meesei was able to confirm that there was nothing wrong with her health. As a result, Meesei held out her arms towards Fendros, offering him the chance to hold his son.

[Muttonhawk]

Fendros could only look on as a shape left Ahnasha's body in a rather grotesque manner. He wasn't sure he could take much more of it all, until there was choked screech that caused a heated sensation to brush over his skull and down his spine. He became completely silent and hung his mouth open almost as wide as his eyes had become. He looked at the creature in Meesei's hands and was dumbstruck. He found enough of his faculties to reach out and take the squirming cub in his arms and held it close to his chest.

It didn't seem to make sense at all, but not in a bad way. Fendros could simply never have prepared himself to lay his eyes upon him. Especially after the stress of the last few hours. Fendros could hardly breathe as the baby held its toothless mouth open and cried. It was small. Far smaller than Fendros could imagine. It's little eyes were wrenched shut and its ears pressed against its head in protest. The fact that it was quite clearly Khajiit didn't change the feeling of holding his own offspring for the first time. All these months had finally brought their child to the world, and it was utterly overwhelming. Fendros' vision blurred when he blinked as he realised that he was shedding a tear. Realising he had to breathe, Fendros took a deep breath and looked over to Ahnasha. He had no words, he simply held the creature to Ahnasha's chest and smiled at her in sad happiness.

Sabine herself would have admitted that she was put off by the whole experience as well, but the atmosphere had decidedly changed once the baby cried. Her mouth started to twitch into a smile as she saw it. All of a sudden, a wave of fatigue hit her, but she couldn't take her eyes off the child. It was so small, filthy and helpless, but it was so endearingly cute that all the memories of what happened to get it into the world seemed to be gently brushed to the back of her mind. Janius, having noticed the change as well, approached to see the outcome and was similarly affected. Never had gaining a new member of the pack been such an ordeal.

Fendros lowered himself to lie down next to Ahnasha and looked at their son, putting one arm around the child. He spoke softly, "Ahna, we have a son."

[EliteCommander]

"A son." Ahnasha echoed, still partially incapacitated from her ordeal. The daze she was in meant she was still staring straight up at the clouds as the aching and pain in her body started to dissipate. She did, however, glance for a moment over to the cub in his arms and gave a light smile. Meanwhile, Meesei started removing the filthy blankets from underneath Ahnasha and replacing them with clean ones. Ahnasha herself also could stand to be cleaned up, but she needed to take a few moments to recover.

Meesei wanted to get the child cleaned up quickly, so she took the time to soak one of their furs in the nearest river for the task. Among lycans, even an infant was immune to most disease, so it would be perfectly safe. She returned to the new parents after a few minutes and offered the blanket to Fendros. "Here, you can use this to clean him up." She explained before quickly stepping back to allow the pair time together. By this point, Ahnasha had recovered enough that she was now sitting up and completely aware of her surroundings.

Ahnasha was still coming to terms with the idea that she had a son. She had been carrying him, they had talked about it constantly over the past few months, but now he was here, right in front of her. Like all Khajiit newborns, he was small and had not yet started growing into the form he would eventually take. Like herself, he had light brown fur. There were no markings on his body, though they could still form over time.The child had been crying since the moment it was born, and was still crying as Fendros was cleaning him off. She finally turned her gaze away from the child's face and to Fendros'. "Let me hold him." She said simply.

[Muttonhawk]

After spending a short time wiping most of the fluids from the child's fur, Fendros was able to wrap it loosely in another clean blanket. He had dealt with the umbilical cord, as he knew at least that much about birth that Meesei may not have. When Ahnasha asked to hold the baby, Fendros looked up at her with a smile and obliged, carefully passing him into her arms again. As if finding his mother's heartbeat familiar, the child began to quieten while up against Ahnasha.

"You did well, Ahna," Fendros said quietly, putting an arm around her and kissing the side of her sweat-drenched head. He looked down at the child again and started to recollect. "It was...Rhazii, right? If it was a boy?"

[EliteCommander]

In stark contrast to the pained screams she had let out only minutes ago, Ahnasha gave the widest smile upon taking her son into her arms. On instinct, she bought him up to her breast to allow him to nurse, which quieted him almost immediately. His tiny form seemed exceptionally cute to her, especially now that he was cleaned up. The pregnancy, all the weakness and pain she had been through, was now over, and a new chapter was beginning in her life, as well as Fendros'. It was going to be a great responsibility to raise him, on top of their responsibilities to the pack. She did not know what was going to happen, but there was no going back, and looking at her son now, there was no way anyone could convince her to even if it was possible.

"Yes, Rhazii. Our son Rhazii. Just look at him; he is so...adorable doesn't begin to describe it. Right now, I feel...terrible, but I also feel great. Holding him in my arms is just...great." Ahnasha said, rubbing Rhazii's back gently.

[Muttonhawk]

Thoroughly exhausted by the labour, most of the pack was somewhat glad to sleep for the last fraction of the night. Even though Fendros too was sleepy, he stayed up to watch over Rhazii while Ahnasha rested and spent the time sewing up a sling to carry him. Ahnasha would probably still be too weak to travel for at least the next day, or at least he thought, but a lot of other thoughts ran through his mind about the future. He was ready and willing to be a father at this point, but previous worries came back anew. Rhazii would be carried through a daedric war, possibly hunters, all sorts of dangers. Recalling such things brought his memories back several months into the past, and it was then that he realised just how much he had changed. He remembered when he was more bitter about being a werewolf. He wanted to cure himself at some point, but now he had almost forgotten. He wanted to talk to Hircine about whatever his grand plan was that required Fendros in his ranks. That was pushed to the side as well. His mind flashed back to his old family, at least he still barely remembered their faces. They probably wouldn't recognise him by now, even in such a relatively short time. Whatever the future had in store for Fendros, he knew that it wouldn't be like anything before.

It wasn't even two hours before the blue light of the morning sun started to outline the area around the camp, eventually turning orange and getting brighter. Fendros didn't wake Ahnasha, but awoke the others to check if they still wanted to get up with the sunrise. While they got breakfast, there was a sort of uncertainty that hung over the pack for a short while. They were all too tired to put it into words until Janius managed it. "So, what happens now? We stock up at Stormhold, but what then?"