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How he had known what was about to transpire was beyond him. Perhaps it was the faint sweetness of her smell in his nares, or maybe it was the dormant father inside him that swelled at the mere prospect of new life in his herd. He was their shepherd, and younglings were a blessing, a measure of fertility and love that encompassed the borders of his lands. Regardless, his patrol of the western border had lent him an eye to the hobbling mare beneath the lush greenery of the canopy. She was seen in mere snippets, little flashes of awareness that caught his eye and soon kept it. Brow crinkling in concern, perhaps a minuscule amount of curiosity, the king let his altitude drop to peer down through the branches at the young crafter. It soon became apparent who it was, and by the swell of her belly her hurried pace clearly had a reason.

Eyes going wide in understanding and excitement, Kaj swept down through the ceiling of leaves, letting them snag and caress his feathers in tandem as he landed swiftly. His joints complained but his heart was singing with anticipation. Parelia's pregnancy had not been secret to him, as she had been present when the Falls leaders had visited their borders. Even still, he hung back, wondering where the father was and why he was not present. After a few minutes, Kaj snorted to himself, determined not to leave his faithful crafter alone while she gave birth.

He announced himself with a careful snort, aware that her instincts might well demand he give her far more space. Approaching slowly, he sank to his knees, cooing softly with warm blue eyes. "You're doing great, Parelia," he murmured, alongside a various string of encouragements. It wasn't really his place to do so, more the father's, but there was nobody else to help her in bringing her son or daughter into the world. Majestic golden wings spread to give her some privacy, should any unwelcome herdmates wander into the area.

Moments later, Areli was born.

Kaj's breath stuttered to a halt, eyes wide and smile stretching his pale lips. It was a beautiful experience, and the tiny thing was precious in more ways than one. She seemed so fragile, and he wondered how she could hold within her the power of life and consciousness. He loved her immediately, in the way all leaders did their family of subordinates. Perhaps more so, because he had witnessed her arrival in the world. Gazing at Parelia, he could hardly contain the sudden force of his own excitement. It was as if he was glowing from the inside out, so joyous it nearly hurt.

"She's beautiful," he breathed, turning to stare once more at young Areli. Moving tentatively closer, prepared for the sudden protection of Parelia should it surface, he cooed at the little thing. "You have great things ahead of you, miss Areli. And you will have the might of all the Edge behind you in your endeavors. We will love you as one of our own," he swore, eyes suspiciously moist. His heart was pounding, elation making his feathers tremble delicately. This was why he wanted to be a father. This was why he cherished foals. Parelia had given him the greatest gift, without even meaning to, by allowing him to witness the first breath of her daughter.

@[Kahlua]