Aeran and Dorian
Dorian stretched hugely on the back of his huge bay stallion, Kren, several weeks later. The moonlight glinted off the buckles on his leather jacket.His dog, Bojangles, a great black husky-like beast, trotted easily at the side of the stallion.
Dorian smiled as they crested the final ridge. Aeran was already waiting for him. She was sitting on a large rock, the moonlight falling just-so to make her look ethereal. Dorian urged Kren into a canter and the bay beast thundered down the hill before Dorian pulled him to a stop. Aeran looked up with a smile, "Hello."
Dorian slid off Kren's back and sat on the rock beside Aeran, "Hello." He paused for a moment, "I've... got some back news," Dorian whispered.
Aeran frowned and put a hand on Dorian's elbow, "You haven't been drafted, have you?"
Dorian shook his head, "No, not yet. My father... has arranged a marriage for me."
"What?" Aeran exclaimed, "He can't do that!" The girl was surprised to find tears gather unbidden in her eyes -- she always had complete control over them, "He can't do that..."
Dorian sighed and looked over at Bojangles, running in and out of trees. "He can. And he has."
Aeran flopped against Dorian's side, "But..."
"It's not like we'll never see each other again."
"No, but-"
Dorian looked up and into Aeran's eyes, "I--" Dorian paused and Aeran lifter herself off Dorian's shoulder. "I... have to go," Darion suddenly shoved himself off the rock and onto Kren in one swift movement.
Then he was galloping back up the crest and Aeran was left standing alone and tears spilled from her eyes as she realized: she was in love.