Galdorion

      He comes to me with shadows in his eyes. We sit with our backs to a stone statue, facing out over the river, but Galdorion's eyes are distant, looking at something I cannot see. His conversation is hesitant, his smile as brittle as glass. It is as though a cloud has passed across the sun, although the dawn still seems as bright as ever. We have walked these paths before – I know what is coming almost before Galdorion opens his mouth to tell me. I sit silently, listening, hoping he cannot see the dismay in my face.

     The sun shines warm on the water, determined not to abandon its grip on the summer sky just yet. I sit with my bare feet just brushing the light waves that set the docks to creaking, and the small boats bobbing placidly about. The small dock-cat sits pressed beside my legs, paws folded possessively over a piece of fish she has stolen. I run one hand rhythmically through her fur, feeling the rumbling vibrations of her purr as she stretches out more lazily, content to sit in the sun and be loved.

"Everything I have, and everything I am, is yours."

       Soft strains of music float across the bridge. The stars dance through the ripples of the lake, bathing the sanctuary in silvered light. I take a deep breath, feeling the nerves and excitement that flutter in the pit of my stomach like tiny trapped birds. To my side, Galdorion fidgets anxiously. He is close enough to reach out and touch, but I do not move. We are both stood still, waiting.