Found:
I think my writing woke him this morning. A pity. He looked so peaceful. He is not, as it turns out, a morning person! Be that as it may, he followed me outside into the bitterly cold air to watch the sunrise, and what a sight it was!
I've seen many in my lifetime. Nearly every single one was beautiful in its own way. This one, however, was stunning. The colours were deep and moody, dark blues flushed with purple and reds, and the snow reflected it back upon itself until it seemed that we were in the sunrise and not just watching from afar. I have Rowan to thank for that. Had I been alone, the freezing temperature may well have driven me back inside the tent. As it was, he stood pressed to my back with his arms and cloak around me. The added warmth was most welcome!
We walked a while thereafter. My leg held up well enough for the majority of the morning, though come noon I had to admit that I needed a rest. I'd blame it on getting old, but there's no point. It's just an unfortunate byproduct of the life I've led and the injuries acquired along the way. My own fault as much as anyone else's. After all, I was not the cause of the damage to my leg.
To my surprise, Rowan opted to ride with me. I've never seen him on a horse before and I haven't now either. Seated behind me atop Steel's strong back, I couldn't see him, but I could feel how awkward and uncomfortable the ride was for him. Perhaps if, as he says, he gets a more man-friendly saddle, he might enjoy it more. It's probably better not to bruise that fruit too much. It may be needed.
Alas, this night I did not have my comfortable man-pillow. Snuggling down together in the tent went well enough for a while. We laughed, joked and played a bit. However, come the end of the evening, he asked me what I was thinking. I don't think he liked the answer very much. Though close, because there's not a huge amount of room in my tent, we were oddly separate. It may be for the best. Fewer regrets would serve him well. He carries enough of them already.
Perhaps a valuable lesson has been learned; Don't ask if you don't want the answer!
