Horizon before dawn

"Yes, just like that, up and down, and don't forget to use your hands. More tongue, too. Spit on it, yes, that's it... good girl, almost there. Keep going."

I was showing Albedo how to properly maintain her spear. She seemed unusually flustered today. We'd done this countless times before, this was nothing new, but today, her cheeks were flushed. Maybe she was just tired, the spear was long and heavy, after all, and required a lot of care.

"Alright, that's good. But be careful, if you stroke it too much, it might bend," I cautioned, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

She let out a long sigh, relieved. "Uff... finally. And no more of that messy stuff on my dress, alright? You know how hard it is to clean."

I looked at her, noticing the synthetic blood splattered on her face. She pouted, wiping it off, but I kept quiet.

"That's synthetic blood, you know. It's designed to be tough to clean off," I said nonchalantly.

She shot me an incredulous look. "I know that, Noir. It's just a pain to get out of fabric. You'd think they could make it less... stubborn."

I chuckled softly. "The spear's made from the finest scraper parts, you can't expect everything to be easy. It's worth it for the quality, though."

Her tone shifted then, serious. She looked up at me, her golden eyes filled with uncertainty.

"With this spear, and all the weapons we've crafted over the years, do you really think I can win the proving?"

I placed my hands on her shoulders, grounding her. "You've already won that proving, Albedo. I have full confidence in you. They don't stand a chance. Just do what you've always done, be yourself, and victory will come."

I smiled and ruffled her hair, feeling a surge of pride. "You've had the best teacher in all the Nora lands."

She smiled back, though it was tinged with sadness. "True. Too bad they won't let you come and watch. Four years, and the matriarchs still don't understand."

I tried to lighten the mood. "It's fine. My proving is next year, and I'll be rooting for you from afar. I can wait. But enough of that, let's go home. I'm starving."

In the last four years, we'd built a modest home near our base. The old ruins we used for the armory were perfect for our work, isolated and secure, but far too cold for year-round living. So we made do with a small, shared house.

As we reached home, she went straight to the kitchen to prepare supper while I sank onto our bed. The house was small, and even with the king-size bed, the nights could still be bitterly cold. It wasn't ideal, but we'd managed.

But things were changing. I was growing older, and Albedo... well, her combat skills weren't the only thing that had matured. She was no longer the young girl who had stumbled into my cave all those years ago. She had grown into a stunning young woman. Her black hair, usually tied in a neat ponytail, now cascaded in waves down her back. Her body had transformed into that of an athlete, lean, strong, and undeniably beautiful. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the dim light of the room, and those yellow eyes of hers were captivating, like twin suns. Every time I looked at her, I was struck by how much she had changed.

As I found myself staring, she caught my gaze and immediately looked away, her face flushing a soft pink. But I could see the smile playing on her lips, and my heart swelled with emotion. We had become so close over the years, but I was still older in ways she didn't quite grasp. Relationships? I had been a loner before, and now I wasn't sure what to do with these growing feelings. So, nothing had happened between us, and now, with her leaving soon, I wasn't sure where we stood.

"Have you decided what you'll ask for your boon?" I asked, trying to steer my thoughts away from the mess of emotions.

She raised an eyebrow, as if the answer was obvious. "Of course. I'm going to be a Seeker."

"You're not getting rid of me, Noir. They may force me to leave home, but they can never take away what we've built together. We'll always have this bond."

She placed a hand on the focus at her side, her voice soft but determined. "And we've already talked about it. We're BOTH going north."

I grinned. "Yes, yes, we're both going north. But you get to take a gate, and I have to climb a mountain. That's not fair."

She laughed, the sound warm and comforting. "You'll be fine. It's just a mountain."

We sat down at the small dining table, eating in silence for a while. The food was simple, but there was something peaceful about this moment, about the two of us, enjoying our last night together before the proving.

'I'm going to miss this,' I thought, my heart heavy. 'I was so lucky when she stumbled into my cave all those years ago. Thank you, All Mothers.'

I helped her make the final adjustments to her gear, ensuring everything was ready for the next day. My heart ached, knowing that after tomorrow, I would be alone again.

"Alright, everything's ready to go. Let's get some rest. You don't want to be late for the proving."

She mumbled something, still a little distracted by the task at hand, and then went to get ready for bed.

"Noir?" she whispered after a moment. "Can you hold me? Just tonight... please?"

I blinked in surprise, but my heart responded before my mind. "I... Can."

I turned around and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice muffled against my chest.

"It's okay," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "You're warm. No trouble at all."

She shifted in my arms, her face resting against my chest. "Don't worry. I'll always be with you, outcast or not."

Her words broke something inside me, and before I knew what I was doing, I cupped her face gently and kissed her, deeply, slowly, as if the kiss was a promise.

When I finally pulled away, I whispered, "You're mine, and I am yours."

She smiled, the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "You're mine, and I am yours."

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