It was as her mother had said, she would know when it was time. She didn’t at first, it was so early in the morning yet that she had risen before the sun, stepping out of the den she had constructed in her home land of Taviora and began pacing around outside. She panted like she was tired or hot though she felt neither despite it being so early before going back into the den and snuggling around her little Scarlett and back to Lucero as well. It wasn’t long that she stood up pacing around again and giving a small growl of frustration at her discomfort that she didn’t quite understand. She didn’t chase Lucero from the den, she wanted his physical presense more than anything else at this time as she worked around trying to figure out what was bothering her so much. She had had uncomfortable nights before, quite a few of them, but since gaining the small Scarlett it had, surprisingly, been easier. This morning though there was no stopping it.

When the first contractions started understanding hit her, as well as a small wince as she felt her whole body slowly start working to bring the lives she and her Knight had created. ”Lu… it’s time.” She said panting slightly before falling back to her bed and curling around her little gossamer Scarlett. It had only been a few days ago now since she and Lucero had found the small girl, put her mother to rest and brought her home. A few days of tender love had brought her fully back to picture perfect health. Now it was time for her to meet any new siblings she would have.

She set to her work her mind feeling foggy as she felt her body fall into the rhythm of pushing and pausing and then pushing again. Zeltzin was worried for a time, she had always heard birthing was very painful, and while it hurt she didn’t feel terrible just yet. Her eyes would close as she would breath panting heavily flicking back now and then in pure inexperience to simply check and see if there were any sign of her first born child before flopping back to the pelt and feather bed and continuing the laborious process.

It was getting harder to push, she could feel something now and the auburn, black and white female finally gave another hard push until she felt relief beyond all else. She was surprised, again she always thought it would be harder, more difficult and painful and while it was hard and she felt pain it wasn’t as terrible as she had expected. She turned then seeing the red sack and within an already squirming child she hesitated no longer to release her, worried that her eldest couldn’t breathe and began cleaning furiously. She was a large pup, very large Zelly thought, in comparing her to Scarlett. She wasn’t larger than her older adoptive sister, but she wasn’t too far off of her either. Zeltzin was surprised she hadn’t been more difficult she didn’t dream her or her smaller framed mate would be capable of such large feats, but his mother and her father she guessed it wasn’t unexpected. She began with the face, tearing the sack near her face and began licking causing several squeals of blissful protest that made the new mother’s heart soar. So far the child was perfect and in good health as well.

When Zeltzin first started she thought her newborn resembled her father more. She sported his red only where her black was, but as she cleaned more and it became apparent she was a child blessed from both lines. Her brown was like her own, and there was a mottling down from the red that was near identical to Zeltzin’s own, she also had her father’s tan as well, she looked like both of them, a child true to both her bloodlines to be sure and a beautiful compliment of their family’s lineages. ”Our first born… Lucero, love, what do you think of the name, Midna for her? Zeltzin asks giving her daughter another loving lick upon the brow before lifting her to place her next to her older sister she felt her latch on and begin feeding greedily only further confirming her perfect health in Zeltzin’s mind. ”Midna… that’s a wonderful name.” She says once Lucero confirms it, smiling at him though she knows there is still more to come.

The contractions had not ended, she pushed again this time it felt even easier to her surprise. The birth so far had no tricks in store for her it seemed and soon after Midna another, fairly smaller child is delivered to her. She was worried, unlike her first daughter the second wasn’t moving at all that she could see. Her heart felt like it had stopped as she leaned around lifting the child from her hind end and placing her between her white legs. Her heart felt like a fleeting birds as she started cleaning starting with the face and licking all around it. She paused giving a few more licks again when finally it seemed her second born stirred. A small soft cry emitted from the child’s maw and relief over flowed the small new mother as she set to cleaning her second born, and she knew last born as well.

She looked fairly similar to her sister, but in different hue and color. A few markings were different though subtly so and like her sister she even had her own mottling. A smile brushed Zelly’s maw as she finished cleaning her soft russet hued child her random lengths of whispy fur not escaping her mother’s notice. She was beautiful, they both were. She was quiet and more settled and calm in nature compared to her elder sister and a fair bit smaller, for now, than her eldest sister Scarlett. Gently she picked up and moved her to join the rest of her sisters making sure she, as the smallest for now, got her own teat before resting her head down. She felt good, exhilarated even and proud. ”Three daughters… you are in for some trouble, my Knight.” She says with a small tired chuckle. ”What shall we name our youngest then?” She says lifting herself up once more to gaze over her three beautiful children all of them looked very much like family, even Scarlett who with ease would pass as a grandchild of Coszcotl.

When he gave her name she couldn’t help but smile, ”Another Zelly then? But Zelda… it feels right, Zelda is a great name.” She lifts her muzzle so that she can reach out and touch Lucero’s own her tail waving lightly behind her she wasn’t too tired and she expected guests soon enough, likely in the form of her siblings and parents and that thought brought another smile to her own maw. ”She was with us today, and she is with them too, they have her eyes, those marks… just like their Grandmother’s. She is with them, Love.” She assured him. Her family believed in such things as spirits. The dead were never really gone they lingered to protect what is left behind and she hopes that these thoughts would ease her Lucero’s mind. Today was a day of happiness, two little princesses had been born to join a third. They were precious, all of them and all their warm lives would be filled with loved for as long as their mother lived.