He laid on the bank of the water, his arms behind his head, gazing at the sky, with a blanket wrapped about his waist. The moon shone directly on him, and I remember thinking that the moon must find him as lovely as I do, for it always shines down on him in that way. I walked up, looking down at him. He smiled up at me, his dimples showing.

“I brought you sup, it’s cold but good” I said and so he ate and I talked. I told him more about the children, how Emily (our sister) was faring, and Nicky. He said while I was gone he would start repairs to the west. I was pleased. When he finished his food, we sat and shared the mead. Then he looked at me mischievously. “Fly with me” he said. “Always” I replied and we did.

I felt so good to soar. It was like my body had been twisted up and stuffed into human form and was finally free. Free, I thought, free from the ghost of the past, free from the loneliness, free from the pain and hate. We played, we danced, we soared!

Dawn approached, beautifully and as Raven dipped around a hillside, I descended and stepped through the overhang of a willow tree and into Cassidy’s world.