Noah was enjoying his meal in silence, recovering from the strain on both his mental and physical capabilities given he was still wounded. Even now, his movements were restricted as he slowly brought each chunk of meat to his mouth. The clouds continued to move onward and it was becoming hard to see them as they passed overhead. They were headed in the way of Zeltiva, he thought, having come in from Syliras and the ocean the castle city sat on. The cloud cover fell away to reveal the tranquil and shining night as the moon, Leth, shone down on the world. The stars twinkled beside the spherical nightlight, aiding in the twilight glimmer that overtook the world in its silence after the storm.

Noah heard Elann moving behind him, figuring it was her since his sister looked as if she would be fast asleep soon. He turned his head, looking over his shoulder, and spotted Elann draping Aimee’s furry form in a blanket, something that the wolf probably drew deep comfort from because she would remain warm. Noah looked forward again after that, noting Elann going towards the front of the wagon. In the next moment, as he ate, he felt her presence come up to his side. He turned to look at her, scanning over her nude body with whispering quizzicality. He would’ve pointed out the obvious but his mouth was full as he was chewing.

She didn’t say anything, simply showing him a look after pushing her hair forward. Noah looked out of the wagon again, placing the last few pieces of meat into his mouth in time with his fingers. His mind quietly reeled in consideration for Elann’s bare actions and exposed showing. It didn’t mind him, but he had assumed it bothered her very much. They were visible out of the back of the wagon, and though no one was wandering around the camp, someone could decide they needed to walk around at any moment. What if they were particularly nosy, he thought. Would Elann be bothered? She seemed to hardly be able to stand being naked in the hotsprings of Syliras even though everyone around her lacked clothing to either an extreme or approaching an extreme degree.

Noah looked down onto his plate when his fingers seemed to grasp air and not the meat he was expecting. It was gone and he was finished. All that remained were the sauces the meal had produced, mixed with the small amount of rainwater that managed to get into the dish. Given there was some room in front of him between himself and the edge of the wagon, he leaned forward unhurriedly and set the plate down, listening to it lightly sound as smoothed wood hit the plank of the wagon’s floor. He licked his fingers afterwards, turning to look at Elann again in the moonlight.

He brought his hand down to rest over hers, the chill of the back of her hand shocking his palm. Noah was serenely appreciative of her efforts, understanding it was taxing on her to be bare there with him. She might’ve thought herself exposed though, whereas he didn’t, for both him and her. He couldn’t understand entirely why most of society seemed to shun the embracing of themselves. He was, in a way, thankful for Elann’s actions, just silently so.

Noah looked at the moon, recalling the small saying he had told Elann, the Fratava expression of love for calling their lover their moon in comparison to Syna and Leth, two gods in love. In the thought, his resting hand shifted more into a grasping hold.