"You worry too much." The grizzly's voice was stern and just. She knew he spoke the truth, but could quell her splashing blood. "It's not good for the Cub, Gaia." The Male Grizzly before Gaia, a female with cub near eight months, was her husband, Gerard. He was dark furred, contrasted to his wife's light caramel coat, and very spry. His eyes glowed grey in the moon which hit the deck of their current residence upon the merchant ship named 'The Moore Runner.' They were just leaving port near the island of Solace, headed home to Ursius for their people's spirit festival. Gaia had hoped to leave sooner than they had, but having her in her current state made finding safe arrangements difficult for Gerard. Thankfully, their family friend, Oslow, was leaving for Ursius on his own vessel and his trustworthiness beside his long term care for the family made everything better.
Gaia rested against the wooden rail, staring out into the endless abyss of ocean. "I know," she breathed, "But I don't like sailing. You know this. The cub doesn't like it either. He kicks hard every night we spend aboard a ship, be it your fishing dingy or this old heap." She patted the rail gruffly before turning towards the hatch that lead down below deck. "I haven't slept in days because of him. I'm sure he's just as tired. How much longer, Gerard?" Gerard wished he could soothe his wife beyond reassurance, but he couldn't. They still had near a week aboard 'The Moore Runner.'
"I wish I could advance time, love. We have many days longer. We'll be home for the festival, though. I promise you that."
"And you've yet to break a promise, but I don't care if we make it for the festival. I want our cub to be born where I was. He deserves to have his first memories be of home, not some rolling boat in the middle of the ocean."
"You still have some weeks to go, Gaia."
"You heard what Mother Caroline said. He's ready to be born. The normal term of pregnancy doesn't at all matter after the fifth month." Gerard sighed, wrapping a gentle arm about his wife's frame. He rested a paw atop her swollen belly just to feel a bump from his yet to be born son. In honesty, Gerard didn't care where the cub was born. He simply wanted to see him, more so sooner than later, yet he knew how much the birth being on Ursius mattered to Gaia. He'd do what he could to make it happen. A cool breeze grazed the deck and Gaia found herself wrapping her blue shaw about her shoulders and white dress. Her azure eyes fluttered closed as she nuzzled deep into her husband's fluff.
"We should get below. Perhaps he's calm enough tonight to let us both sleep?" Gaia felt a soft scrape from inside her and laughed.
"I don't think so. He's as edgy as his father." Gerard merely rolled his eyes and hugged Gaia's shoulders, leading her down below deck where a few other passengers were stowed. The Moore Runner was a smaller vessel and couldn't house more than a few. Besides the Crew, there were about five other passengers making the trip to Ursius. One was a white Vixen, older and fidgety with her paws. She wore a grey dress, very worn, and traveled with a younger Vixen of the same color. Their resemblance aroused the idea of them being mother and daughter. Another passenger was a black bear who had introduced himself as 'Blake.' He was a calm and collected young cub who found comfort around Oslow, Gaia, and Gerard. He could strike civilized conversation about a variety of topics and Gaia found herself always interested in his stories. Gerard didn't pay him much attention, but would sit and listen from time to time. Finally, there was a Brown female Shepherd with her little puppy. The mother's name was Sheila and her son was Mike. Mike was only two, but loved to feel Gaia's stomach and wait for the cub to kick or move. He'd squeal and giggle when he did, which always brought a joyful spark to Gaia's eyes. She hoped her son would be that way, loving, energetic, and gleeful.
They proceeded below deck to their small area where a hammock had been set up for Gaia as to ease the tension on her back. On the floor close by was a cot for Gerard so that he was in arms reach of his wife. Gaia gladly climbed into her spot and Gerard slowly into his place by her.
"Not hungry, love?" The sudden question startled Gaia from her thoughts. She held her spoon above her plate of candied yams and carrots, letting it hover there while she day-dreamed. Gaia laughed softly, jabbing the silverware into her meal.
"Oh, sorry Gerard. I was just thinking." Gerard raised a brow.
"About what, love?"
"Many things. Mainly about how, maybe, it would be nice... if our cub was born before the festival. Don't you think it's be wonderful for him to see it all? And then, I was also thinking about... names... We haven't settled on one and I'm so close, Gerard. Why is that?" Gerard put his spoon down and clasped a paw over Gaia's which now rested on the table.
"Nothing suiting has come to us. Many things need to be considered when thinking of names, Gaia. We want his name to suit him, suit the way he looks and the personality he has. It's already been established that he's very restless, like me, but his looks might not agree with any named from my family line."
"Do we have to follow that trend?"
"What trend?"
"Naming cubs after which parent they are most like. What if I'd much rather have a name that isn't in our family histories, but it suits him perfectly?"
"Do you have any such names in mind, love?" Gaia sat in thought for the longest time, picking up her spoon once more and spinning it between her pads. That type of fiddling always helped her thoughts. After a while, she set the object down.
"Maybe Gabriel, or Luis, or..." She stopped, a gentle smile creeping across her muzzle. "Frederick... I think I actually like that one..." Gerard rolled his silver eyes.
"Gods, there was never a name I hated more. Every person I have ever met with the name Frederick has been bitter and ill-tempered." Gaia snarled at him.
"Just coincidence. It's all about life experiences." She stopped and ran her paw over her stomach. "I promise, I'll never let terrible things happen to you, my dear." Gerard sighed, knowing how his wife's heart functioned. When she set her mind and her heart to something, there was no turning her around. This very trip proved just that, not that Gerard needed any convincing after three years of binding to the female grizzly.
"If it's what you want, love." Gaia grinned in victory.
"So, Frederick it is."
"Don't expect me to embrace it." Gaia snarled at him again.
"You better just as you'll embrace HIM." Gerard knew when to back down. There was no getting around Gaia. The male grizzly merely sighed, kissing the female's muzzle before returning to his meal. Gaia held her head high in pride, digging her spoon into the candied yams and swallowing a greedy mouthful. Gerard rolled his eyes and finished what was left on his plate before scooting it away. Gaia followed soon after, finishing her meal in record time. Oslow, a white bear and captain of the vessel, laughed at her new sense of vigor and went to sit in front of the couple.
"Why so prideful, Gaia?" he asked, a thick south-Solace accent staining his tongue. Gaia grinned at him, holding her chin to the clouds.
"I named my cub."
"Really?"
"Yes, to my husbands disdane, his name is Frederick." Oslow slowly shook his head, eyeing Gerard. The male grizzly only shrugged, scraping his claws along the wooden table top. "Where are we right now, Oslow?" The polar bear straitened.
"Well, we shouldn't be far off from Ursian waters, but we still have some days to go before reaching port. Do you think he can wait that long?"
"I hope so," said Gaia, continuously stroking her stomach. Oslow, took up both plates from the table and walked them over to the Chef, who was a young crow, newly appointed to The Moore Runner and going through his ranks. Gaia couldn't remember his name, something along the lines of Cable, or Cade, but it didn't really matter. The boy wasn't a kind young one. He seemed ever bitter and showed great disdane for everyone besides himself and a select few. Oslow was one of those select few as the crow showed a grudging respect for him. He took the plates and tossed them into a bucket of sud to be washed along with the other wares used by the crew and other passengers.
Gaia stood, slowly righting herself and finding quick balance on the rolling ship floor. Before Gerard could even stand to help her, the female was already to the stairs and making her way above deck. Though she hated sailing, Gaia would have much rather been above deck than below. Below was so dingy and smelled of oils. Many of the crew that found refuge there were often stench riddled, adding to the wafting concoction which insulted her muzzle. At least above deck she could see the sky and smell fresh air, albeit salty. When she set paw on deck, her lungs filled with a bundle of light, cool air. It made her smile and even relaxed her as much as it could with her blunt dislike of the ocean. It wasn't really the ocean she disliked, to be honest. She didn't like sailing on it. For looks and swimming, it was a lovely thing, but when it came to small boats trudging through the open waters with little protection aside from a few cannons that would do little against a Man-o-War class, she felt overly exposed and more close to death than she could in a cellar full of gun wielding drunks. The most worrying part of it all was that Man-o-War classes were becoming more and more common among pirates. Be it that they acquire them legally, which was rare, or stole them from their rightful crew, Pirates were getting ahold of these powerful monsters of the seas and that made water travel overly hazardous. Had she not been with cub, Gaia could have braved through the worries, but now she was holding out for more lives than her own. Yes, she worried just as much about Gerard, but Gerard made it clear to her that if it came to it, he'd gladly give up his life to give their son a chance. As much as that moved her, Gaia wouldn't have like it either way. She wanted her son to have a normal life, that meaning that he had a mother and a father.
Gaia leaned over the rail as she had the night before, hoping to catch a glimpse of ocean life just below the glass cover, but the vibrant dwellers below that had been following them lately were nowhere in sight. That was disheartening. "Why aren't you there when I want to see you, friends?" she whispered to the waves. A paw came to rest on her back and Gaia leaned back into Gerard's touch. "The fish aren't following anymore," she sighed. Gerard's ears went flat against his head.
"Really? That's too bad. I was hoping to get a better look at them today for a painting when we made it Ursius." Gaia could tell that this was not the reason Gerard became grave. She knew her ways around her husband.
"What's the matter? Why have they stopped following? You're a fisherman. You should know," Gaia persisted. Gerard shook his head, leaning over the rail and peer into the glossy aqua below.
"There are many reasons for them to stop following. Predators, recent naval activity. There's no telling. Don't worry over it Gaia, we're-"
"Man-o-War to the starboard side! She's hoisting a black flag!" The look-out blared from his nest atop the main-mast. Oslow rushed on deck and to the right side of the ship. Gaia and Gerard followed, glaring out at the horizon where a Man-o-War had appeared. Even from this distance, Gaia could easily see the great size of her, noting the marvels about a Man-o-War her husband had spoken of many times. Oslow turned to the helmsman, eyeing the labrador cautiously.
"Keep steady! She's might not see us," he warned. Gerard hissed at the remark.
"Are you kidding? We're hoisting the Ursian flag! She's sees us!" The Ursian flag was a bright blue cloth dotted with golden stitched stars in a pattern much representing a paw. The stitching shimmered in sunlight like stars do in the night sky, but that beautiful work didn't always mean well upon mariners. Slowly, Gaia could see the ships form changing on the horizon. She was turning. Weather it was towards them or away, she couldn't tell. The look-out could, though.
"She's after us!"
"Damn it!" Oslow smashed his paw down on the rail. Gaia swore she heard the wood splinter. "Full sail! We're smaller and numble! We might be able to outrun her."
"You'll end up killing us!" Gerard roared, "We're near the reefs! One slip and we'll be grounded and unable to move anywhere. There's no telling these scoundrel's intentions. Wait for the warning shot!"
"Why?"
"If she fires a warning shot, she wishes to board and won't try to damage us. If she doesn't, then she wishes to sink us for sport and we'll know what we're dealing with. You were right, we're numble, and a Man-o-War class needs a clear broadside to sink us. We can avoid that until getting into the Ursian Naval patrol not to far off."
"And what if they wish to board?"
"We try to talk our way out. It's the best we can do. No sails. Wait."
"Whatever you say, but if they board, you're the one talking. Raise the sails! Full stop!" The crew jumped to their posts, taking up and securing the sail in record time, almost that to match the Ursian navy. The secured the rigging then stopped dead where they were, going silent and perking their ears. For long moments, they listened. There was but the rolling of aqua waves long the hull of The Moore Runner. Salty splashes kicked over the rails. Then, there was a sound matching that of thunder. A cannon ball splashed down just ahead of The Moore Runner's bow. Something deep inside Gaia nearly burst. Her heart thumped rapidly against her ribs like it were trying to break free. She tightly gripped Gerard's paw.
"I hope you know what you're doing."
"I hope so, too. Get below, love. Warn the others. Try not to instil panic." Gaia nodded, quickly trotting below deck. Many of the others there were alit with confusion, hearing the man screams from above and noticing the ship's sudden stop.
"Gaia," came Sheila, Mike close at her tail, "What's happening?" Gaia took her paw and lead her over to the other passengers who Gaia persuaded to sit and relax.
"We've just encountered some trouble with local mariners in the area. Oslow and Gerard are going to speak with their Captain and we'll be on our way. For now, we need to stay below deck and out of the way in case male aggression starts to peak." Gaia tried to sound at ease, but that distress in her eyes seemed to give clear indication as to the severity of the situation. They all sat in tense silence, some holding paws and others wringing their own out of nervous habit. Gaia clenched her paws into fists, only able to think of one thing: Frederick. The little cub was moving around an awful lot inside her. Perhaps he sensed his mother's distraught. It was getting to become really uncomfortable, actually. Sheila took hold of Gaia's paw.
"Are you alright, sweetie?" she asked, eyeing Gaia with caution.
"Yes, the cub's just a little antsy," she breathed. Sheila nodded but didn't release the grizzly's paw. Her ears perked to Gaia's every breath, noting that something was, in fact, wrong with her. Or, rather right but not at a good time.
"Gaia, honey."
"Yes?" the Grizzly breathed.
"I think you're close. It won't be long before your water breaks."
"oh, not now..."
The Man-o-War floated into position alongside The Moore Runner and the crew aboard it attached the still lines to the smaller ship's deck railing. In moments, crew members from the Man-o-War dove onto the smaller deck and brandished gold plated flint locks and muskets. Most of them were either Foxes or Dogs with the exception of a few lizards, one lynx, and a black bear. Most of them were uniformed unknowingly, wearing nothing special to indicate high rank. The captain wasn't among them. "Get everyone on top deck now!" barked the Lynx, flashing a pistol at Oslow. He wore a red sash around his waist and navy trousers. His fur was a light grey with black stripes and spots about his thin body. "You daft? I said, get everyone on deck!"
"Where's your Captain?" Gerard was being bold in asking this, but he needed to negotiate with the one giving orders. The Lynx moved the Pistol to aim at the Grizzly.
"Who's to say I'm not the Captain?"
"Hardly even a laugh. You don't have the decoration nor the scars to be a Captain, let alone one to commandeer a Man-o-War. We'll do as you ask, but I just wish to speak to the Captain."
"You want to see how capable I am, fluffy?" He pressed the pad of his paw to the trigger and went to fire, but before a round left the gun, the Lynx's wrist was yanked up, firing the lead ball into the air. He who had a hold of the boy's wrist was a Pirate, very aged, but far from elderly. He was an almost crimson fox with a white belly, visible under his holster straps and long coat. The tip of his tail was also white along with his muzzle. The bright eyes which shone under his cap were green, glowing luminously. He stood up to his full height, about as tall as Gerard if not for the cap.
"This gentleman makes a polite request and you aim to shoot him without even considering it?" he asked, voice cold and smooth. He turned his muzzle to breath into the face of the Lynx. "This," he barked, yanking the boy's wrist, "Is why you do not rise in rank, kitten! Stand down and return to the ship!" He released him and the youngling scurried back to their vessel, the snickers and jeers of the crew following him the entire way. The Captain, as it seemed, looked at Gerard and removed his black hat, revealing white-tipped ears, his left badly damaged by what looked like gunfire. "Now, why don't you get everyone on deck and we'll talk, hmm?" Gerard nodded and looked to Oslow who opened the grate and trotted down the stairs. "What is your name, Ursian?" asked the Captain.
"Gerard Fazbear."
"I'm Captain Leopold Fox. What is your destination?"
"Ursius for the Soul Festival." Leopold nodded, holding his paws behind his back, asking no other questions. They waited a little while longer before Oslow returned. The look on his muzzle was grave. "What is it?" asked Gerard. Oslow gulped.
"It's your wife. She's gone into labor."
"What?!" Gerard hissed through his teeth. "Now?!"
"Yes, now! Her water broke just moments ago."
"What is it? Is there a problem, gentlmen?" asked the Captain, approaching the two of them. Gerard smallowed hard, looking the Fox in the eyes.
"You see, I came aboard this ship with my wife who is with cub. She's eight months along and I'm afraid she's gone into labor." The Captain's eyes softened deeply, ears falling in some form of defeat. He turned to his crew and waved one paw. With strange looks all around, they turned and slowly climbed back aboard their own ship. He turned back to Gerard.
"Is she below deck?"
"Yes sir."
"Let me see her." The command made Gerard's stomach plummet. His breath hitch in his throat and all he could utter was a soft squeak. "I don't intend on hurting her. I just want to see... I have a Vixen, you see, on the island Lenaus. She's far along with a kit by my blood, so I am as well a father to be. If you just let me see her, I'll let you on your way, nothing taken, no one harmed." Gerard stood for but a moment before answering with a shaken nod. They took the Captain down to the lowest deck where a circle had formed around Gaia. Gerard broke through the Circle with Leopold close behind, to sit at his Wife's side. He was passed strange looks, but the Fox managed to find a good place to watch. Oslow moved around so that he was at Gaia's feet. The female was already lain out and breathing heavily.
"Get me a blanket!"
He was so beautiful. He had his father's fur and my eyes, and according to Oslow, a strong set of lungs. He bleated and cried so loud that poor little Mike even started crying. When I took him into my arms, the way he nuzzled into me made my heart flutter like one million butterflies. he clung to me with his tiny claws. The way his paws were too big for him made me giggle. Everything about him was so beautiful. I cried. Gerard cried. I swear that even Oslow shed a tear for that little cub. How could we not? Hours of labor and pain finally producing my little miracle. All I could do for so long was rock him in my arms and kiss his soft muzzle. When I finally let Gerard hold him, he couldn't hold it in any longer. He let loose a wave of sobs, cries of joy and he held our cub in his arms. Little Frederick grabbed at his father's nose and chest scruff, whining a little before getting comfortable in his arms. After that, he simply went to sleep, breathing quietly in lull from Gerard's heart-beat. There was never a moment in my life more beautiful than that. There are hardly words to describe that which I felt.
Good luck, sweetie.