Languishing the Night

The reeds outside swayed, swept by a breeze that I couldn't feel. The candles never wavered so it wasn't just me. The two mountains known locally as the Two Sisters stood high and dark against the star-filled night sky.

“Why do we still wait? It's dark enough.” Yoshe asked mopping his brow with a long sleeve already stained dark with sweat.

“Don't worry about it. Everything's accounted for.” Or at least I hoped it was.

“You keep your your plans too hidden. Sometimes I think that . . . “ Yoshe let the thought linger in the darkened air between us before changing the subject. “It's unusually hot, neh?”

I grunted in agreement. “The longer we wait, the more the night cools.”

A light winked into existence and flashed twice.

"Never mind, we're moving now." I said.

Yoshe rose to his feet and yawned. Joints popped in his arms and back as he stretched out. "Good, I was getting sleepy."

"Your blade never sleeps."

"My blade never sleeps," he agreed.

I snuffed out the candles and, embracing the night, we left.