A New Adventure

[DragonSong]

River nodded, panting, and Elise murmured, "Everything will be fine," to them both as he left.

Outside the room, the pack had clustered near the main hearth, both trying to give River space and also wanting to be close in case they were needed--and just excited to be near when the babies were born. Lake noticed Kahroan's exit first and stood from his armchair, crossing to him. The others looked over, whispering and beaming, but they'd been through this often enough to know not to crowd the new father.

"Oh, Kah." Lake smiled at the baby, then at him. "He's gorgeous."

There was suddenly a noise from the birthing room; through all her labor pains, River had been more prone to grunts of effort than actual noises of pain, but that--that was a scream. Lake suddenly froze, eyes snapping to the door.

Elise was in the doorway, voice clipped and strained, trying to remain calm. "Nora, I need you in here."

The mage jumped to her feet and ducked inside. Before Kahroan could follow, Elise held a hand out to him and said in a tone that brooked no argument, "Stay," before she disappeared back into the room.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan gave Lake a terrified look as he backed away from the doorway. "Oh gods... something's wrong..." His breathing quickened, and his pulse raced with worry.

[DragonSong]

"Easy, easy, lad." Lake put one hand on his shoulder, the other moving to help support the baby Kahroan held automatically, with an ease that came from practice as much as instinct. "Elise and Nora know what they're doing. Whatever's happened, they'll set it right."

Quietly, trying to be unobtrusive, Sky had begun ushering the rest of the pack outdoors; this was the sort of thing that might require more privacy than they were used to.

More muffled noises from the birthing room, another strained sound from River, softer but more pained this time, and then quiet.

Far, far too quiet.

Slowly, Elise emerged from the room. Though she was cleaning her hands, they had clearly been bloodied. Voice shaking a bit, she told them, "The--the second baby was breach. She's not...she's not breathing..."

Lake's hand on Kahroan's shoulder tightened. "She--"

Elise shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know, Nora's trying, but there isn't much time..."

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan felt his heart sink. Part of him wanted to barge in, but he knew he'd just be in the way. Even more so, he didn't know if he could bear watching his brand new daughter die. "I... don't know what to do..."

He prayed to his gods that the baby survived; it was all he could think of.

[DragonSong]

"Sit," Lake urged gently, steering him toward a small chair in the hall. "I'll take him," he offered, carefully lifting Kahroan's newborn son from his arms. "We just...have to hope."

The silence seemed to ring on for hours, but it was really only a handful of heartbeats. Then there was a choked, gasping sob--River--and a high, thin wail--the baby.

"Oh, thank the stars." Elise, who had up until then been doing quite a good job of keeping herself stoic, sank to the floor with a quiet sob of her own.

It took a few more minutes, but finally Nora emerged, tired but smiling, and immediately moved to lay a hand on Kahroan's shoulder. "They're both exhausted," she told him, "and I should check on the baby every hour the rest of the night. But you can go in now."

Inside the room, River had been moved onto clean sheets, her whole body curved around the tiny form of her daughter in the center of the bed. She had one hand on the baby's chest, watching the steady rise and fall with all the intensity of the most strenuous hunt, that relieved sob having been swallowed back into hiccupping little breaths and the occasional streak of tears that she tried to blink away.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan hurried to his mate's side, choking back relieved tears of his own. "You had us scared, little lady," he managed to say between sniffs as he stroked his daughter's cheek.

He smiled softly at River. "She's beautiful..."

[DragonSong]

River nodded, throat too tight to speak properly at first. "Already a troublemaker, this one," she managed in a feeble attempt at a joke, then she was crying in earnest and curling tighter around the baby, cupping one hand around her tiny face and delicately kissing her brow, which was crowned with the same small nubs her brother had.

"Gods, when she didn't start crying, I--" She swallowed thickly. "I've never been so scared in my life..."

The baby whimpered and wriggled, then grabbed for her father's finger and held tight. River smiled shakily and moved to give him space on the bed. "How's our boy?" she asked quietly.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan smiled impossibly wide when his daughter squeezed his finger. He reluctantly pulled his finger free so that he could sit with them. "Our boy is fine. He's with Lake right now," he answered gently.

"Gods... this is going to be our most wonderful and terrifying adventure yet. Isn't it?"

[DragonSong]

"Yeah." River sighed and drew their daughter in closer to her chest, reaching out with her other hand to take Kahroan's. "Yeah, I think it is..."

There was a very gentle rap on the door, then Lake slowly pushed it open, still cradling their firstborn in one arm. "I don't mean to interrupt," he murmured, "But I thought it might be best to give the four of you some time."

River managed to push herself up enough to smile at him and nod. "Thanks, Dad."

"Of course, pup." He bent to lay the baby he held next to his sister, then kissed the top of River's head before giving Kahroan a nod and backing out of the room again.

[MadEmperor]

Kah took her hand with a tender squeeze. Looking down at his children—gods, his children—he was overcome by tears of joy. "They're perfect." He sniffed. "Just... perfect. I can't believe we made something so perfect."

[DragonSong]

"They are," River agreed quietly. She looked up at her mate with a soft smile and reached out to run her thumb over his cheek, catching a tear. Looking down at the twins again, her smile widened as their son yawned and squirmed into his sister, which earned a tiny frown and a puppyish huff.

"They need names," she murmured. They had discussed ideas before, but hadn't actually settled on anything.

[MadEmperor]

Kah rumbled thoughtfully, gazing down at his son and daughter with more love in his heart than he had ever felt. "What do you think of Hau and Mahina? They do translate to the sort of names the packs use."

[DragonSong]

"Frost and Moon," River murmured thoughtfully; she had learned a few snatches of Yoreiqi from her mate, and he had told her the translations of some the name ideas when they were first discussing it.

She smiled, teaching the bridge of Hau's nose with one fingertip. "Firstborn, first sign of winter," she mused, then stroked Mahina's cheek. "Y'know, we don't usually pray to any set gods—we pray to the sky, the stars, the moon. And I do think the moon was watching over this little one tonight."

She kissed both infants' heads, then looked up at Kahroan with a smile. "I think they're perfect names."

[MadEmperor]

"Did I ever tell you what Kahroan means?" he asked, letting Hau squeeze his finger. The boy had a strong grip already. These two were going to be a handful.

[DragonSong]

"I don't think so," River replied, smiling as she watched them. Hau started fussing properly and she leaned over to pick him up, guessing that he was hungry. "Mind taking Mahina?"

She settled Hau against her chest and tipped her head at him. "So? What does Kahroan mean?"

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan picked up Mahina and gently cradled her in his arms. Tearing his eyes away from her, he looked over at River. "It roughly means 'child of cool waters,' which, now that I think about it, was more apt than my mother could have known."

[DragonSong]

River chuckled a bit and nodded. "It is at that."

Shifting a bit, she settled herself with one shoulder pressed against her mate's, their son cradled in her arms and their daughter in Kahroan's.

"I—"

She swallowed, the let her head rest against his shoulder and murmured, "I spent so long thinking I would never have a chance at—at something like this..."

[MadEmperor]

Kah leaned into her, rumbling contentedly. He couldn't imagine being anywhere else. "I'm beyond glad that I could be the one to help you prove yourself wrong."

[DragonSong]

River smiled and leaned back into her mate, happy and tired.

She had a feeling that was going to be her new normal for quite a while.

(Continued from here)

Three months later


It was nearing the twins' bedtime when they received the second message from Hana by her strange talking-fireball method. River was distracted trying to wrangle Mahina into her sleeping clothes, and didn't seem to notice the little orb of blue fire bouncing cheerful just outside the window of their bedroom.

[MadEmperor]

Kahroan spotted it as he came into the room, with Hau already asleep in his arms. "Psst," he whispered, pointing to the window. "Want me to go out to get that?"

It was hard enough to get the two gremlins to sleep the first time. The last thing he wanted was to start over. Parenting was exhausting.