The baby's first cry echoed through the cabin.
It was a thin, reedy sound, high and clear and impossibly alive. It cut through the chaos of the birth, through Lena's exhausted sobs and Kael's terrified breathing and Caspian's whispered prayers. It was the sound of a new life entering the world, of a new story beginning, of everything they had fought for finally bearing fruit.
Lena held her against her chest, trembling with exhaustion and joy. The baby was small, smaller than she had expected, with a tuft of dark hair and tiny fingers that curled and uncurled like sea anemones. Her skin was pink and new, and her eyes were closed against the brightness of the world.
Kael pressed close, his golden eyes wet with tears that spilled down his cheeks. He reached out one finger and touched the b
