My head was spinning, ever spinning. The pain echoed in my head, radiating in waves from my pelvis up. I was weak. Mainly due to the exhausting nature that had been running through my body the past few weeks. As the pups grew, I had weakened. Not enough to the point of not taking care of myself, but to the point of sometimes not being able to move for hours at a time. But today, the fatigue hit like a ton of bricks. It had began late last night. The second night I had the den all to myself. Cadeyrn and Berwyn had found one on the other side of the creek. Berwyn had slept outside my den last night, but tonight, the temps had dropped and he had gone back to the new den, to help keep the pups warm. It was strange, knowing that all of my siblings had babies. Well, Berwyn didn't but he treated the others like they were his. Off track. Anyway. The rain had started at sunset, and I had built enough up at the mouth of the den a few days ago that the water was flowing away from the den, rather than trying to flow into the den. I had a feeling that it would be flooding in the next few days, and I was not looking forward to that.

I had fallen asleep, only to be awoken by a sharp and insentient pain in my lower back. The pain radiated, going higher, and starting to work its way back down. Each new pain started high, squeezing and constricting on its way down. The pups were coming. I scrambled a bit, heading towards the mouth of the den, only to let loose a call through the thundering rain, for Royce. Should he hear me? No idea. The rain was coming down in waves now, and I didn't know if anyone would hear me over the rain.

The pains started coming in more frequent patterns, a few on, a few minutes off. I would take a few small cat naps in the space of time when the contractions paused. My breathing labored, heart racing. My satchel was in here with me, but I didn't want to dig into it at this time. I'd wait, until I really needed it.

An hour had passed, and the urge to push overwhelmed me. A few minutes later, the first child arrived. She was tawny and brown, many different shades. Small, but not so fragile that she wouldn't make it. She squealed, rooting around at my belly, searching for nourishment as I cleaned her off slowly. The pains continued, and for a while, they were weak enough to where I could ignore them and tend to my first child. She was perfect--simple, and while she may be small, I had a feeling she'd have a mighty spirit.

It wasn't long after her that the pains turned into another overwhelming urge to push. This child...Took much much more effort to bring earthside. I don't know how long I strained and pushed, pleading that the child make it's way earthside. When the second child finally arrived, I laid my head down, drawing in deep ragged breaths that were shaking my whole frame. But when I looked at the child, he stole even more of my breath away, for on his back, was the same red saddle my father had. I let out a shaky breath as I began to clean him. His body was a patchwork session of greys, in such a graceful image. He didn't make as much noise as his sister, but made some as he rooted his way towards where his sister was nursing.

My break this time was not as long lasting as between the first two pups. These pains began sharper and stronger, much faster than before. I felt as if my breath was being stolen from my chest as I worked to bring the pup to my side. How many more was I going to be bringing into the world? I was out of it by then, and even if Royce had heard my call earlier and made it, I doubt I would have even noticed him at this point.

The effort to bring the child to me was about the same as the last pup, but when he arrived, he was an opposite of the two I had at my teats. He was dark; the browns that made up the majority of his look were deep and rich, complimented with a soft tawny face in certain areas. He was brawny--That was for sure. He'd be close to his brother in size, I surmised. Although, he seemed a little slimmer than the first boy. But that could be my imagination talking at this point.

The pains gave me a break for a while, and while my mind began to clear, I guessed it had been at least six plus hours of active pushing, and that was an exhausting idea. I let my head flop to the side as I tried to slow my heart beat. But the pains quickly came once more. But they weren't as strong, nor was the pushing as arduous. This last child came easily into the world, and when I began to clean her, I noticed she was opposite in color of the boys, more alike the first--the only other girl. Made up more of a tawny base, she was accented with dark rich browns. They'd make a lovely set, when they grew, that much I knew for sure.

I tucked her closer, watching the pups root around, and nurse. And it was then my head dropped, they were cleaned, nursing, and with that, I began to see the black spots dance in front of my eyes. I was exhausted--More than that, and began to pass out. The sun had just began to peek over the mountain, as the black took over my eyesight.