The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 228: Labor is difficult

"Fuck, it’s hard. It’s so fucking hard." The veins on my neck and face bulged so hard my face went red.

"That’s it, there it is. Now push!" the midwife commanded, her voice cutting through my panic.

I tried to push, my body desperately trying to let out the extra lives like I was taking a massive dump.

"Don’t think about anything but how to get them out. Think about the cubs coming out."

That was the only damn thing I was thinking about.

"Fenric!!!"

I screamed, but this alerted the midwife, and she turned to Fenric.

"You need to close her mouth or you’ll lose strength. She needs something to bite on."

They could just find some old parchment but instead, Fenric offered his hand.

I looked at him with my weak eyes, panting and sweating.

"What...?"

"Bite on this, Arinya." He said. "And don’t worry about the pain. I know you’re in so much more pain."

I didn’t ask more, but I didn’t bite on him either. I couldn’t bring myself to.

"Now, give it one more push. They’re ready, even if you aren’t. Give me everything you’ve got!"

I buried my face in the furs, the heat of the fire, and the sweat on my skin making the air feel thick as honey.

At this point, I began thinking about how women were so disrespected even when they had to go through shit like this back in my world. These feet weren’t something the likes of proud and nonsensical men could handle.

And that made me realize why females were so cherished in this world.

Not just because they were females, but because they were blessed by the gods with bringing out life, after passing through a series of hell.

No male could do this. No male could ever understand the pain.

They might see it. They might feel it from the females’ screams and how much in pain they looked, but that was it.

The heaviness, the mood swings, the depression, the anxiety during pregnancy, and then the contractions, the cramps, the tearing during labor... They will never and can never understand it fully because they will never be able to experience this type of pain.

Believe me, it’s worse than having your arm ripped out by a beast.

I pushed, screaming into the blankets, feeling the soul-splitting pressure of the first cub finding its way through.

Suddenly, a thin, high-pitched wail broke through the sounds of the storm.

"The first one is out!" the midwife cheered, holding up a small, wriggling bundle covered in blood, barely having white fur and faint, dark stripes over its body. "It’s a boy!’

Fenric let out a choked sound, his large hand trembling as he held my hand tight.

"Did you hear that? The first one is out!" He pressed his lips against my hand.

The midwife was already handing the infant to the fox girl, Elara, to be wrapped in warmed hides.

"Keep your focus!" She snapped, her eyes locked on mine. "The second one is right behind. One more, Ms."

Noah was tense. So tensed that his tail wouldn’t stay still. He held my other hand, his palms incredibly sweaty and his eyes dilated.

This princess was torturing and he wouldn’t stop gulping.

Then, I felt the build up contraction again. I pushed, harder this time and

With one last, agonizing surge of strength, I pushed, feeling the second cub slip into the midwife’s waiting hands.

The second came out, wailing faintly, just like the first.

It had faint black fur, with a little white stripe, and nothing else to note.

"It’s a girl." The midwife said and handed her over. "Now, let’s not waste time and bring out the last one. You can do it, Ms."

I was tired, exhausted, and weak.

I looked at Fenric, his worry stabbing through my fragile being and then I looked at Noah.

He was more anxious than anyone else.

I could say a word, but all of a sudden, my lips curled, and I chuckled.

Would it be weird if I said I didn’t want to get pregnant anytime soon in the future?

Probably not.

I can’t handle this sort of depression, and pain, and then labor pains too... I love my husbands but if they demand too much, I just might whoop their asses.

And then I looked toward Damar’s silver coils, my vision blurred by tears and fever.

’Wake up,’ I pleaded silently. ’Please, just wake up for this.’

"Don’t give out yet," the midwife said to me. "It’s the last one. Once we have it out, it’ll be over." She said and I nodded.

But as much as I wanted to push, I felt too weak. I couldn’t do it.

Tears sliding down my face sideways.

It was too difficult. My body wouldn’t move.

I don’t have the strength.

"Come now, Ms, you have to do it. You have to push!" The midwife urged me but my body wouldn’t move.

"Arinya," Fenric called, panicking.

"Don’t give up yet. Please." That was Noah, and I looked to see tears in his eyes for the first time ever. "We’ll lose you if you don’t."

I felt it. I felt the weight of his words but I couldn’t.

I just...

All of a sudden, Damar’s coil shifted.

He moved and slid towards me, dropping his head on my stomach.

This...

All of a sudden, strength from who knows where filled me and the contraction grew so much that I couldn’t even stay still if I wanted to.

I pushed, with all my might and all my strength, until the last cub came out into the midwife’s arms and what came after was the placenta.

"Another girl!"

Ah, hah, I... I did it.

I breathed hard and long, relief washing over me.

It was done.

I had given birth to all of them.

"I can rest now, right?" I whispered and Noah swiped the tears off.

"You did great, wife."

Fenric kissed the top of my head. "You can rest now, Arinya. You were wonderful."

I looked at Fenric’s head on my belly, his emerald eyes gazing at me with such warmth and pride. I saw traces of tears in the corner of his eyes and then smiled faintly, closing my eyes to let the final tear slide down.

Even snakes cry.

The winter was long. It was painful and it was tiring.

But no matter how long the winter persists, and how cold the days become... In the end, spring will come and bring new life to all things on land.

[End of Volume two]