The arrival of the healers (ATTN: Zan, Zero, FS and Spazz)

Yellowfang looked with a happy smile at the cute newborns, while she kept the head and neck of the Alphess cool. She enjoyed it to see little ones laying at their mothers belly, so sweet, innocent and harmless. That is till their eyes start to open and soon start walking around. Then you have your paws full to keep them under control and in sight.

Realizing that they haven’t been named yet she looked at the Alpha’s and asked kindly with curiosity in her voice. “Do you have all thought of any names for your children?”

In her old pack, The Gray Timber Wolf Pack, it was normal to give them a name that they would keep for the rest of their lives. But if it was the same for the Swift River Clan, the healeress wasn’t sure of that. AutumnFeather and herself where just accepted and had to get to work, without being informed about all the rules and traditions, excluding that of the healers tradition then. Which shall make her miss things she just had started to get used to from her own pups. Something that Crystalstream and Ocean Storm can enjoy the fullest. For raising them up and teaching them all sort of things. Unless one of her own wants to become a healer. Only that time is still far away.

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The brown white pup didn’t got any reply from his youngest sister, as she ignored him and just moved on until CometFlare stepped in front her. For White it seemed that Nymeria had something in her little mind, that couldn’t get removed till she has accomplished it. The pup looked to the playing siblings and a moment later he shot like an arrow to AuburnSky and jumped on her back, growling and biting playfully.


((It’s ok, NewDawn, no worries, sometimes it is just hard to make a good post, where you can be happy about. Take the time for it. Self was been waiting for Firestorm to reply. Anyway congrats to the couple, seems like the healers couldn’t have arrived on a better time. To Zan; I hope you aren’t forgetting the journey of the healers in the legends section, tis your turn ))

((I haven't forgotten I have just been busy. This weekend expect a post in that thread. ))

((I have not forgotten! So sorry I took so long!))

Nymeria whimpered at the admonition from AuburnSky. She didn't understand it herself, so how could she make him understand where she felt she needed to be? Was it because of the healers, her parents? Or was it because of the alphas? She didn't understand... The poor pup just knew she had to go, and she knew deep down that she wasn't going to be able to make AuburnSky see things her way... She didn't care about the dangers. She just had to be there.

The little pup continued to scoot forward until she felt the warm of the sunlight on her face.

CrystalStream continued to strain as the last pup slowly made its way out into the world. When the question came from the healer, it was all she could do to offer a pained "yeeessssss". She knew she didn't have much strength left in her. It was no wonder, she thought, that wolves gave birth to no more than four pups. The mothers simply didn't have the strength for more than that.

Still, it didn't take long before the final pup finally forced its way into the world, and Alpha CrystalStream collapsed, panting heavily, fighting unconsciousness, but healthy... She turned her eyes up toward OceanStorm. "You name them, my love," she whispered.

AuburnSky sighed and then moved to stand in front of the young pup. "Come on Nymeria. You have to stay here. AutumnFeather and Yellowfang are busy. You can't go visit them right now. Why don't you stay here and then maybe later I will take you to go visit them?" The she-wolf barked. She wanted to keep the ups to one area for now and she had no clue that pups were going to be so difficult when it came to staying put in one place.

-Ocean Storm-
The pale gold alpha stayed near his mate, whispering words of love and encouragement through the birth of the final pup. As the last pup was born and declared a healthy girl, if small; Ocean Storm breathed a small sigh of relief. He nuzzled his mate lovingly, though he didn't say anything; running over the names that he and CrystalStream had talked about.

Looking over their children, the pale alpha smiled at his youngest daughter. "Snowflurry." He looked to the only black pup of the four, with silver markings much like Cold Mountain had once had. "Ocean Stream"

The largest of the litter, a white female with silver markings much like Ocean Storm's own. She would grow be a beautiful adult, of this Ocean Storm had no doubt. Her fur reminded Ocean Storm of the moonlight reflecting off of the ocean surface from his youth. "Moonrunner."

Looking to his eldest, Ocean Storm chuckled at the energy with which he moved. "LightningStrike."

Looking back to CrystalStream, he nuzzled her once more; licking her muzzle. "They're beautiful, CrystalStream." His pale blue eyes turned to the two healers still present in the den. "And you two, thank you for your help."

((okay okay, maybe that it is just me for losing the waiting patience, sorry.Uhm, Firestorm, its CometFlare that spoke to Nymeria))

Yellowfang saw it on the body of CrystalStream, that the fourth and last pup had drained her physically and took a thristle leaf, placed a poppy seed and a few juniper berries on it. She then offered the leaf with seeds and berries for Alphess, motioning to CrystalStream to eat it all, while Autumn Feather cleaned the tiny female.

The healeress looked with her yellow eyes at the newborns, as the last one crawled against their mothers stomach in the search for food and warmth. It was for her an emotional sight and could just keep her emotions in control, as she listened to the names that Ocean Storm called. Each of them equally beautiful that suits the pups.

Yellowfang closed her eyes briefly, nodding silently in agreement to what the Alpha male told his mate. Then begun to gather the unused herbs to bring them to the storage room, she looked up the Alpha, nodding kindly and spoke softly with a happy smile: “You’re very welcome Alpha Ocean Storm. But the real hard work did your mate, CrystalStream. Let us clean up a few things and we leave you two alone for a while, but she needs to rest also. Feel free to stay here for the night.” And began to bring the unused herbs to the store room.

Nymeria wasn't interested in anything the adults had to say. She had to be in that den. Something drew her there as a river being drawn toward the ocean. Some part of her sensed that was where she was supposed to be. She whimpered and laid down, apparently not consoled in the slightest.

CrystalStream in the meantime had nearly passed out. The healers would need to observe her after such a difficult birth, but given that the pups were all fine, it was likely she would be too. She managed to open her eyes and look up at both of the healers. "Thankyou to you both," she whispered, "You will both make wonderful additions to our Clan... Ocean Storm, will you please see to it that they're properly... marked and adorned?"

"Thank you to you both,""You will both make wonderful additions to our Clan... Ocean Storm, will you please see to it that they're properly... marked and adorned?"

OceanStorm looked from the healers to his mate as he was broken from being enamored with his small children. The pale gold alpha chuckled lightly, a deep sound that rumbled in his chest.

"Yes love, I will. But I think now is not quite the time to worry about that for the moment. You rest, we will spend some time, and AutumnFeather and Yellowfang can become accustomed to their new home."

The large wolf knew CrystalStream would probably get up his butt for not doing it immediately, then and there; but OceanStorm was trying to think of everyone involved. The two healers had literally just arrived and assisted in the birth of a litter of pups while having their own separated from them, in a brand new place with tons of wolves that they didn't know. CrystalStream was exhausted, OceanStorm knew; and he wanted to spend time with his children. (Could you blame him?)

Maybe it was the fact that he was older than CrystalStream that he was so immensely enamored with his children, or the fact that he knew he'd never have this chance again in his age. Being aged two years older than CrystalStream, he knew he'd pass first; and every moment with his family was precious to him, something he wanted to soak up.

Given the reasons, could one blame him?

AutumnFeather dipped his head in thanks from the gratitude that emitted from the two Alphas. "No problem. Its the least we can do for letting you allow our pups and ourselves into your pack." AutumnFeather barked at OceanStorm before he moved his gaze to Yellowfang. He wonder what she was thinking of now that they had a bit of time to think over the events of the day.
AutumnFeather was both sad and happy, as well as, excited about today's events. He knew that having to give up his pups was going to be hard for both the present and the future. But being so readily accepted by the Alphas of that pack was a happy moment, next to helping the she-wolf give birth.

AutumnFeather was snapped out of his daze when he suddenly heard Yellowfang's voice. "Yes, we should go outside for a bit. Maybe we can see more of our new home, together." AutumnFeather barked as he turned to leave the den. He thought about what she had asked. Did I do something wrong when I took our pup back to AuburnSky?
Once they were outside he turned around to look at her. His voice was quiet as he looked at Yellowfang and barked."Do you think I was wrong to take our pup back? I thought it was for the best. Believe me I hated having to take her back when she wanted to stay."He calmly stared at Yellowfang, but behind that calmness he felt sad and unhappy. Be he knew he had to stay strong for both him and Yellowfang as well as for their pups.

(I edited my post)

((Here is the large part I had posted on 16 may starting with a first a new part then the old with addons.))

The gray and white wolfess came back to gather the rest of the herbs to store it away when she heard a thank you whisper from the Crystalstream and that they are accepted as clan-members, Yellowfang gave a respectful bow with her head. It was indeed no problem as her mate stated as it is their duty. “Yes it is. Thank you very much once again that our family is allowed to stay, and you should rest now.” Told Yellowfang to the Alphess kindly with a slight hint towards authority in her voice in the last part of her sentence, as she and her pups are now in the care of the Healers.

Yellowfang gathered the remaining herbs and was about to take the them to store room when AutumnFeather whispered into her ear. She nodded silently a ‘yes’ “Just let me finish this and I see you outside. Ok?” She whispered back and padded quietly to the stocking room. After the herbs where cleaned up, she took carefully the stick between her teeth and carried it carefully without poking or hitting someone with it out of the den. Just outside the den, she dropped the stick to the side, saw her mate waiting for her and trot to him.

Walking a short distance from the den, Yellowfang shook out her fur from head to tail and looked at her mate puzzled. “Autumn Feather, why did you brought Nymeria to her AuburnSky? I know that this is not the right time and place to have any pups hanging around when one is in labor. But still…” She said on her normal tone, but softer and trailed off at the end as she didn’t know what to say anymore as she was searching for words.

Followed by a heavy sigh as the emotions took control over the healer as she hung her head with ears low and partly closed her eyes. There came also a few thoughts and feelings up. A feeling that there was something about that pup of theirs. A thing she couldn’t really place yet. Why had she followed their parents and not the other siblings?
And there was also another thing more on personal ground. That she, as a mother, couldn’t raise up their own children. While all the others in the pack can, but not that of a healer. A part of her could understand it, but not the mother part, as she carried them inside her for sixty-three days, birthed them and fed them. That was just too hard for her to let go in an instance. Call it a mothers instinct. She couldn’t just turn that off. But if she wanted to stay here, she knew that she would need to shut that off, or lock tightly away, so that it can’t interfere with her work and that no other pack member would find out that the has children.

Her body trembled as she thought about that, for losing something but gaining a new pack and a larger family in the future.
This was the other side of Yellowfang then the strong female from a couple of hours ago at the border, who didn’t showed any emotion for needing to give up something to be allowed. Possible for that the thoughts of that didn’t had really sunk in at that time but now it had. For all with that of the birth of four new pups, which made her realize the huge sacrifice she / they made.

(Fixed my post. ^^ Sorry it took so long)

CrystalStream wanted to chide OceanStorm, but the best she could manage was to glare at him briefly. Her anger didn't last though. She knew she couldn't begrudge a father the chance to spend time with his children... they belonged to him every bit as much as they did her. She managed to shift her body so that she could begin to lick the one closest to her front haunches clean before she finally laid back and closed her eyes.

"So long as it gets done," she breathed. She knew this would likely be the only litter she and OceanStorm had, but it didn't matter. It meant Father's legacy would live on... her birth father's, and her adoptive father's. That alone was enough... it made them more important than perhaps even OceanStorm realized.

Nymeria in the meanwhile would not be satisfied. She managed to get up onto her feet again and started crawling toward the healers' den, hoping that AuburnSky wouldn't discover her again.

She looked at AutumnFeather with a mixed feeling, “I wouldn’t say that my dear, that it was wrong for what you did. It’s only that I had told her that she was allowed to stay and watch it by your side. I think also that the Alpha’s wanted it that she would be brought back” Barked Yellowfang softly in reply after a pause, so that she could get a grip on herself and to look strong. Her voice was mixed with sadness and calmness while she tried to sound strong.

The she-wolf felt silent again, listening to the sound of their surroundings. There were a few birds singing, a slight breeze through leaves and tree branches. Her thoughts returned to Nymeria, “I wonder why she did followed us in the first place. Her interest is similar to someone I know.” Said the healeress thoughtfully with a few flicks of her grey-white tail..

In the same time elsewhere in the pack, White and Shadow where growing tired of playing in the den. That was seen and heard by their large squeaking yawns. The two male pups curled up against the side of their mother and nuzzled briefly with their nose her furry chest.

AutumnFeather smiled slightly at Yellowfang's comment about their daughter. "That is true. I do sometimes seem to think I know best. Sorry. Next time something like this happens I will let them stay. That is if there is a next time." AutumnFeather barked, his tone going fro being light hearted to sad. He knew it was best if the pups were not allowed to know who their parents are and that them living with the young she-wolf was the best option they could have hoped for if they had to be separated.