Rhine

The wind from the fields carried the scent of fresh hay and freedom. She sat on an old stone by the well, watching him unsaddle his horse. He, Rain, had changed. A scar on his cheek, broader shoulders, and a calmness in his eyes that hadn't been there before.

"You're taking longer than my father did," she teased, hiding a smile behind her mug of water.

"The horse, unlike some people, doesn't interrupt an old friend," he replied, stepping closer. He sat down beside her on the grass, resting his head on her lap. They had only done that as children.

She ran her fingers through his hair, feeling him exhale the exhaustion of long years.

"The war is over," he whispered, gazing at the sky. "I'm back."

"I know," she answered softly. "I waited."

In the distance, a bell tolled for the evening meal. And they just sat there—the daughter of an impoverished nobleman and a former wandering knight. They no longer had anywhere to rush. The world, at last, had become their shared home.