Noah shifted minorly to Elann’s coming into the tent, his lids cracking enough to see the lantern’s light fade from the interior. Any shadows that were cast about were silenced and the night took the interior of the tent as well. Nearby, Elann shifted into the blankets with little more than a word. He went back to sleep, figuring that if she did not come until the tent until he was already asleep she did not wish to speak to him.

After a dreamless sleep Noah woke up with the chirping birds long before the call to break fast came. His body screamed at him in soreness from yesterday’s event, his arms ached and his wounds had a new flare to him. He worked muscles that lay dormant for a long time. The pain was able to be disregarded for the happiness in knowing he was working his flying muscles, he was allowed to be in the air and sky again. He sat up and looked at Elann to his side, letting out a morning’s breath, yawn, and stretch. His hands came up through the matted down parts of his hair, breathing new life into the curls.

Noah collected his pencils and other utensils and gathered them along the side of his still open journal. He looked over his work from last night, brushing aside some of the loose charcoal dust to clear up the picture. It was still unfinished and he didn’t recall falling asleep while doing it. He decided it would remain that way, incomplete and unsatisfactory. He didn’t have the will or heart to finish it, so he closed the book and gathered his shirt, putting it on over his head before standing up with his utensils and book in tow. He left the tent and passed through the darkness of early morning to the wagons and rapped on the wood of one of the frames.

Aimee poked her head out sleepily, parting the flaps to help her brother in. She watched her brother through barely cracked eyes as he went to the front of the wagon and put away his things. He came to sit beside her, leaning to rest his head on her shoulder for a few moments before rising again. He moved to sit on the edge of the wagon, the side with an open flap and waited for the caravan to wake up.