The truth was that he couldn’t see through her – not really – but maybe it was the old sorrow in him that recognized itself in her; younger, fresher, haunting the edges of her mouth even as she smiled. It’s not so bad. You’re numb before too long. The way she said it made him tilt his head, damp forelock falling away from his gaze. It was a warm night, and the tranquil waters felt comfortable enough to him – yet while Leander couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was about her, he found himself wondering whether she was all right.
“Numb? That’s not a good sign,” he replied, his brow creased a little. Before he could go on, the mare had interjected her name followed by a question that made him give a quick shake of his head. “You’re not,” he returned swiftly, noticing how it might’ve appeared that way. “I’m not really headed in any particular direction – not tonight, anyway.” Hearing himself say so felt oddly sobering. The years he’d spent in relentless pursuit of his parents’ homeland had culminated upon his arrival to Beqanna; yet only now does he realize that the sense of urgency which had been his constant companion throughout his travels had simply fallen away.
Refocusing his gaze, the cobwebs of memory are swept from his brown eyes as he smiled in a friendly gesture. “Eilidh, I’m Leander.” The stars reflected by the river seemed to make her pelt shimmer. “You sure you don’t need to warm up a little?” Only a few seconds went by before he caught how that might sound and reflexively blurted, “I mean, out of the water – without me. Well, I’d be here – if you want the company, that is – platonically speaking.” Fearing his well-meaning concern had been entirely misconstrued, Leander hastened to cast a wiry grin her way and thought it best if he just stopped speaking altogether.
take a bullet to the heart just to keep you safe; like a dream in my arms but i’m wide awake
