I said goodbye to her down by the river behind our encampment. I stood holding her for what seemed an hour, listening to the rushing waters ring against great, smoothed boulders. Finally, she stood back from me and said, 'You have gained what you sought... King Valamesh. I am so proud of you.' I looked back at my warriors' thousands of brightly colored tents flapping in the morning breeze. And I said, 'I have gained what I sought, yes. But not what I most wanted.' 'And what is that, truly?' 'You know,' I whispered to her. 'You have always known.' 'And you have always had what you most desired,' she said as she took my hand. 'As you always will.' I gripped her warm fingers in mine as I gathered up the courage to say to her: 'I am afraid that I will never see you again.' 'But you will!' she told me with a smile. Then her face fell beautiful and grave. 'You must. The important question is: will I see you again? Will I, Val?' And with that, she kissed my lips with a desperate blaze of passion, as fiery as the rising sun.
