Falcon of the Night

“Elsu,” I say, looking up at the falcon perched above us.

Hearing it out loud causes an unexpected level of emotion to fill my heart. There was always a barrier between Karsa… between Elsu and me because of the kind of life we shared, but it’s gone now. He’ll never fill the hole in my heart that my father’s death left, but the place he occupies is just as large. I’m not about to let him ride away from it after all that we’ve been through together.

“I’m coming with you,” I tell him, jumping up onto the horse next to him before looking again into his eyes.

The smile he returns is uncharacteristically warm, though brief. His eyes then turn down the pathway, which heads further south. The distant mountains shine in the morning light, challenging us to reach them by sunset.

“Then let’s go.”