Lion Head Mesa Lachtára

The sound of her laugh filled his heart with joy.

Arsenio exhaled a breath through his nose. The end was touched with the hint of a laugh that danced along his lips. He could have remained that way with her forever.

The sound of a voice drew his ear. He felt Tamar pull from him. She returned for only a moment and blessed the man with a kiss. The guard felt his heart thud. He lingered on the image of her face, the glimmer of light in the soft brown of her eyes. The air was sucked from his lungs just before she turned from him and slipped back toward the heart of the territory.

Arsenio remained in the empty orchard until his limbs were too cold to withstand it. Only then did he return to the rest of Akashingo.