Desert

He couldn't put into words how happy it made him when Jordan announced she was going to live with him in the Desert permanently. She had been his best friend growing up and she only grew prettier with age. Akello felt like the luckiest stallion in the world. And when she approached him last Fall, his heart was in his throat. A father? He couldn't imagine it. He'd watched his own father for years but never felt like he was quite up to the task. Could he handle that kind of responsibility? What if he was horrible at it? It wasn't like he could just take it back or change his mind. His nerves got to him, but in the end, Akello was entranced by Jordan and before his very eyes, she grew round with his foal. She was even prettier, in his opinion.

He often wondered if Jordan missed her home life at her former herd, but she seemed to enoy herself in the dunes of the Desert, too. One night, he noticed Jordan wandering off and though he wanted to follow, he remembered his father telling him sometimes mares wanted to be alone when they gave birth. So he gave her space and held his ground, fighting every urge to go after her and make sure she was okay. When the night turned into days, he grew worried though and started to pace. He ended up following her trail and was able to put eyes on her and a small figure with her from far away. He wanted to go to them, but then his nerves kicked in again. What if she didn't come to him because she didn't want him in the foal's life? What if she doubted he could be a good father, too? What if she didn't care about him anymore?

The doubts chewed away at the stallion and he ended up slinking back to the herd with his tail low. It came as a surprise to him when he heard the call one day, recognizing her familiar voice. Jordan! The stallion was quick to answer her call and galloped across the dunes to meet her. When he saw the foal at her side, he slowed up, not wanting to spook the child. Lowering his head and flaring his nostrils, he could smell both her and a faint scent of himself on the foal. Pride burst to life in his chest and he felt his heart constrict with a new kind of love. Love for his child. His first child. Akello let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he stopped before her and nickered softly, his eyes softening with affection as he looked from her to the colt. "He's gorgeous, Jordan. Did everything go alright? Do you need anything?" His brows furrowed in concern.