Redhawk Caldera It was all worth it

If Killdeer hadn't stationed himself close by the whelping den, he might have missed it altogether. As it was, Amalia's first yelp summoned him quickly, and although he stayed at a respectful distance from the event, he could still hear and smell it.

One child, he thought, with a smile. Then after a while, another, he assumed, judging by the sounds.

Once things had quieted in the den, he approached slowly and quietly. 

Hey, 'Mal, Killdeer murmured, nose barely piercing the threshhold of his family's little home. Are you all okay? What can I do?

He had not been around for Sialuk giving birth. He began to register the sight of his mate and two wet, wriggling babes, and tears welled in his eyes, rolling freely down his cheeks.