Redhawk Caldera Fly-by-nights from Riverside

It was a quiet night, one that he would have otherwise enjoyed. As he peered skyward, Njal could see the drifting of clouds across the stars; they obscured parts of the sky, but not all of it. The smell of autumn was still new and struggling, and while he would have also enjoyed that at any other time, he was only reminded of the oncoming winter. It was many days away and yet Njal's mind wandered to that future. Would he be here? If he was alive, would he be of use? 

His thoughts were cut short when a voice sprang up beside him. It wasn't loud, but in the quiet of the evening, Njal's unsuspecting ears twitched. Sunny eyes turned first, then his square head, and he looked at Wildfire as if she were an alien. After a second he recognized her, and returned to the present.

"Watching," he murmured, adjusted his weight so his shoulders weren't so tense, and turned back to watching the stars. He didn't want company, but he also didn't want to alienate the girl any further than he'd already (probably) alienated the others. In a somber voice Njal quietly asked, "Do you ever look at the stars?"