A familiar - and very welcome - voice purred up beside him, and he turned to grin down at the petite woman with the extraordinary beauty. "Rexanna," he greeted happily, "it's good to see you again! I could always use the company of a friend." He glanced to the Wheel as they approached it, his smile softening at the bright and cheerful glow that surrounded it from all the candles already upon it.
"Did you do this last night?" he asked, reaching out his candle to light it from the wick of one already burning. Idly, he began to walk around the Wheel, looking for an open place to set his candle along its rim and spokes. "For those lost during Long Night, and for those still alive." He turned to give Rexanna a softer smile than he usually wore, sincere and oddly open, that smoothed some of the years from his eyes. "Last night I lit a candle for the future, celebrating life. Tonight... tonight is for the past." He turned his head away, but his quiet voice still carried clearly. "Thanks to you, I did not lose as many on Long Night as some. But I have been reminded since coming here that there are those I left behind on my world who I have lost the ability to reconcile with, to apologize to... to ever see again. So. Tonight I light a candle to my past, and those I lost before Long Night, as well as during it." He exhaled slowly, coming to a pause beside a break in the circle of light, where three candles had burned down to stubs and guttered out.
"Did you lose anyone to the Night? I am sorry I didn't ask sooner."
"Did you do this last night?" he asked, reaching out his candle to light it from the wick of one already burning. Idly, he began to walk around the Wheel, looking for an open place to set his candle along its rim and spokes. "For those lost during Long Night, and for those still alive." He turned to give Rexanna a softer smile than he usually wore, sincere and oddly open, that smoothed some of the years from his eyes. "Last night I lit a candle for the future, celebrating life. Tonight... tonight is for the past." He turned his head away, but his quiet voice still carried clearly. "Thanks to you, I did not lose as many on Long Night as some. But I have been reminded since coming here that there are those I left behind on my world who I have lost the ability to reconcile with, to apologize to... to ever see again. So. Tonight I light a candle to my past, and those I lost before Long Night, as well as during it." He exhaled slowly, coming to a pause beside a break in the circle of light, where three candles had burned down to stubs and guttered out.
"Did you lose anyone to the Night? I am sorry I didn't ask sooner."
