Another painful gasp left Nakato breathless as she made her way back to her den. Spring had come, though stubborn clumps of snow still clung to the ground, and with it came the aspect of new life. Soon, young yips and barks would be echoing throughout the hills of Asteraia… of course, that is if Nakato wasn’t in serious trouble for keeping her pregnancy a secret. But she didn’t think too long on that subject. The pain in her womb was too much and she knew it was time. The cubs were ready to enter the world whether their mother was ready or not. Panting heavily, the druid trotted closer to her home. As she entered, the powerful scent of herbs filled her nose and gave her a sense of comfort. She stumbled through the mess and found what she needed, valerian roots found bunched together in the Susil Crags. The herb would help her with the pain, but not dull her sense so she could focus on her children.

Once the slightly acidic herb was ingested, Nakato moved to the back of the den and sat on her makeshift nest of leaves and feathers. Once there, she waited. Every few minutes, a contraction would come and cause her to yelp and whine, then go leaving her panting and struggling to stay cohesive. An hour later, she went into labor. The first pup was eager and came out quickly. Her squeals and whines made Nakato’s heart flutter and she moved to gaze upon her first born daughter. Her fur was a beautiful white mixed with a subtle hint of silver hiding underneath. She was small, very small which worried the druid. If she was this small, what would the other look like? Trying not to think too much about it, the new mother went to work examining her pup and was relieved to find all her extremities intact. The bob-tailed wolf had never known the joys of having a fluffy tail all her own, but it seemed her daughter would. Nudging the little one closer to her teat, Nakato watched her small child drink hungrily, happy she seemed to be perfectly healthy, other than her small size.

After having time to lick the first born clean, another contraction came and she was in pain once again. This pup was different. It was bigger than it’s sister and harder to push out. Several times, the druid had to stand up and move around the den in the hopes that it would convince the child to come out faster. Finally, after the last, painful push, a darker pup came out, whimpering loudly. Sore and tired, Nakato looked at the bigger pup and realized why her sister had been so small. The greedy little bundle had taken all she could from her sister and grown nearly twice her size. With a chuckle, Mom licked her darker pup and realized she, too, was a girl. Sisters, one of light and one of dark. Surely this was a sign and though they were too young for her to see their auras just yet, she was sure that her children were meant for greatness.

Watching them eat, she thought long and hard about what to call them. Only the best for her daughters! “You are the oldest, and yet the smallest, but do not worry, my child. I will name you Jakuta, goddess of storms and lightning. And you, my child of the night, shall always watch over your sister and though you are younger, you shall always fight bravely. I name you Athena, goddess of courage and wisdom.” They were beautiful and they were hers. A new feeling washed over her like a tidal wave. Nakato was no longer just a healer. She was a mother and with that came a bond stronger than any she had had before. Before her pack, before her Mistress, before herself, came her children. So long as she drew breath, no one was going to hurt them. Though she desperately wanted to sleep, the druid wrapped herself around the cubs and kept her eyes open, watching the entrance of the den while her daughters slept soundly. Should any come, she would be ready.