He hasn’t wanted to leave home in so long. And how could he, watching his father go through every phase of grief right before his eyes? But today Ophanim was able to smile and even laugh at some awful joke that Malone had made, and he knew it was time to venture out again. He hesitates on the border of Sylva for a while and even contemplates simply visiting Loess instead of straying far from his parents. With a deep breath, however, he reassures himself that the world will not fall apart if he’s gone for a day. Everything will be exactly as he left it.
 
Right?
 
He glances over his shoulder and then he sets off for the river. The rain finally let up yesterday to let the sun warm Beqanna with the occasional little puff of a cloud shading his back. The gold splashes across his body are eager to shimmer while the stars do their best to match the brilliance. Malone hasn’t even noticed the way he’s already smiling as he catches the sound of the river roaring up ahead. It didn’t feel right to allow himself any happiness when his family was recovering from their loss, but there is a wealth of joy always brimming within him.
 
It doesn’t take long for Loess to give way to the tall river grasses and chirping frogs. An occasional fish leaps from the water on its journey to spawning grounds and Malone begins to accept that all is right within the world, even if awful things happen sometimes. He exhales a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and steps closer to the river’s edge. The water is running too fast for a clear reflection but he can see his glowing tattoos bouncing off the water’s surface.
 
He lowers his head to drink and when he lifts his head, there is a smile across his handsome face.