Sunbeam Lair singulus

germanicus flicked his eyes over the foliage she observed but only to give his gaze a task. he knew not their names or uses. meadow spoke of hope and the imperator felt the guttering of that ember in his spirit. 

he doused it with conscious thought.

"i have learned to be pragmatic. now it suggests i will not see them again and that i must be prepared for that possibility." it was tactics. simple tactics and yet it gave him nothing in which he might find comfort. he felt exposed and was annoyed at himself for speaking at all.

but regret too was not part of this.

"a battle's outcome is often known before the beginning." a soldier made his peace with that reality. why could a husband not do the same?