Her due date was swiftly approaching. I wasn’t entirely sure the exact day or time that our child would enter this world—but if Ktulu’s mood was an indicator surely our foal was due at any moment. Her sides bulged to their limit; hinting upon a decent sized foal, or perhaps even twins. A father’s heart could skip when thinking about double trouble, (we of course didn’t have to bear the full weight.) The accusing glares that would surely arise if such ideas be uttered aloud made even the stupidest of Stallions keep their traps shut.

Truthfully I found the whole process of pregnancy rather beautiful to behold, and I didn’t spare the chance of sharing that quiet love with Ktulu. Showing by actions, not words that she was as flawless in my eyes as the purest of spirits. My admiration in her strength only grew with each passing day—I didn’t pity this process, instead it seemed almost basely instinctive to take the sidelines and support her however that I could.

Hints on this journey’s end were subtle at first. The clues became more recognizable during the last few weeks—she came to the border less and less, until finally I had to enter the Foothills to see her on a semi regular basis. Saying that crossing territories went against the grain was a mild statement, it was unsettling each time I had to step into another fellows land. My mate and her sister had given their blessing to my crossings for the sake of this pregnancy, but still…it felt awkward.

In a way. I had two families, both of which was loved with a whole heart.
Who would have guessed that the fated hour that my first blood linked child was to be born would come on an average Joe morning? I had woken early, energized from having spent the past few suns getting caught up on some chores around the desert before requesting a day to travel. With our morning sun just starting to crest the horizon, I take to the sky. It can’t be put into words how flying makes a heart shine bright, or how joyfully it was to fly to my temptress with a crisp northern breeze stroking each feather.

The sun was high by the time I made it to Ktulu’s border, one landing later and I was trotting across the boundary with that same nagging feeling that I had just done something horribly wrong. It didn’t take long before those emotions were put on a backburner though, after a short while of walking I realized that my lady wasn’t in her usual spots. Quick enough my senses honed onto her scent, the sweet musk that used to remind me of proud pines and mountains—now tasted of wild wheat and earth.

Down a worn beaten trail I plowed quietly on, following her fragrance until the path widened into a secluded glade. My eyes caught sight of a shaded figure, darkly colored and slightly thinner than my lady had been last I saw. What my pools saw next caused a tender heart to grow still—solid for a moment, then it melt into a puddle of pure affection. Unwittingly I had stopped moving altogether, my legs seemed locked into place between the glade and what lay behind.

A gangly cherub lay at her feet. Body dipped in the same dark coals as her dam, and glimmering in the patched sunlight I noticed gold riding up a shoulder. Finally I mustered my brain together and unthawed second’s after the freeze. Another child lingered in the area, curiously approaching my mate and newborn baby. I pushed forward, heading toward them as well. Had I not been currently aimed for meeting the newest addition to my growing flock I might have let my gaze linger on the other unusual child—allowed my eyes to trace the unusual patterns along her spine.

Instead, my lips widened into a gentle smile. Slowing I beamed at our child, realizing from the scent that it was a filly who had been brought into this world. My firstborn daughter. Her legs resembled the striping that Ktulu worn, only instead of white they had been dipped in the same gold that coated my daggers. My element had woven into the very design of her being, wingtips and even the blaze across her delicate face golden. Though the eyes, dipped the same as her mother. Bright red.

“Such a perfect filly,” I murmured softly, completely amazed by how astoundingly beautiful this sweet spirit was. My head lowers to breathe in her sweet baby essence, “As her mother is.” My gaze rises to meet the woman I love, muzzle extends over our child to brush along Ktulu.