nathaniel paced before the den he’d carved out for his sons, taking four massive strides one way before turning sharply and taking four more the opposite direction. he’d been assigned his task - to care for hecate in the aftermath of her birthing - and it filled the man with an anxious sort of energy. nathaniel was not the sort you’d expect to become a healer, quite the opposite, actually, but after spending so long feeling helpless while caring for ansel, he’d decided to never feel such a way again. thus, his path had begun.

the problem was - he didn’t know the first thing about healing. he’d done his best with ansel, taking the extra measures needed to keep him fed and ease the harsh weeze of his breathing in whatever way he could, but that wasn’t knowledge of herbs or bones or illnesses. he was not the best candidate for helping a mother go through birthing.

fire eyes closed slowly as he stopped, mocha head shaking slowly. a uncertain howl rang out and nathaniel’s head snapped up, ears pricked. he was not sure of who hecate was, but the uncertainty in the woman’s voice made him decide that it was at least worth a shot to go. lengthy legs picked up an easy gallop and he forced the gnawing anxiety at his ribs to settle. it did not take him long to find the den, the putrid scent of childbirth giving her position away. the large man was uncertain of whether he should announce his presence but determined it would be best, especially when dealing with a birthing mother who’d never met him before. as such, he gave a soft woof to alert her to his presence before turning away from the den.

settling onto his haunches, nathaniel decided to play guard for the young lady - should some beast get too curious, he was better than nothing. pricked ears caught the faint sound of yelps from the den and the man’s lips curled upwards at the edges. the noises of newborns continued to rise, mostly faint, from the den and he found himself elated by the sound. noise meant that the pups were okay, right? there was a grunt and a call for someone specific - not himself, certainly - and so the man rose and took a few long steps to peer into the den. the woman, sweaty but with four squirming forms at her teats, was asleep. nathaniel watched the rise and fall of her ribcage for a moment before turning and retreating to his previous position. her mate was surely on the way and he would wait for the male’s arrival before taking further action to help the new parents.