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Description
He looked over at the girl standing silently next to him, and marvelled at what he saw.  She was gazing up at the stars rapturously, the starlight making her dark skin glow.  Or maybe that was just the calm happiness that seemed to radiate out from her.  Sometime during the trek, her thick, black hair had escaped from whatever elaborate confines she'd designed for it this time, and was now falling about her shoulders.  Somehow the more natural look fit the moment, and he smiled at thought, knowing that she would never agree.  They only reason she had never hacked her hair short like Alia's was because the two of them had begged her a number of times not to.  Just then, she noticed his scrutiny and turned her deep, bark-colored eyes from the sky above down to his face questioningly.  He just changed his half-amused smile to a warmer one and glanced up at the stars.  "Is this what you wanted to show me?" he asked her, the smile in his voice as much as on his face.

She nodded quietly, a little secret smile playing out upon her own lips.  "I thought you might like it," she told him softly.

He looked up at the stars again, trying to see what she wanted him to see.  "But I've seen the stars a million times, Denali..." he said, a small tinge of confusion coming out.

Her smile widened into a soft grin.  "Yes, but never like this.  I know that you haven't.  I've watched you.  You'll dance by moonlight with Alia and me, and you'll work as hard as needed under the stars.  I've even seen you contemplating them a few times.  But you never just look and wonder and see where your mind goes.  You never just...see them."

A little frown of concentration appeared on his face.

"Don't concentrate."

He forced his mind to ease, and he looked back up at the sky.  A million stars winked down at him, and it was very beautiful...but he still didn't see what she did.  "Denali..."

She took ahold of his hand and squeezed.  "I know.  How about..." she trailed off contemplatively.  Then she glanced down at their joined hands and a spark lit up in her eyes.  She pulled his hand up and then, when he glanced at her questioningly, his hand limp in the air, she commanded, "Point."

He pointed.  "What..?"

"I see a kingdom," she started, cutting him off, "A kingdom made of seashells and diamonds.  Each star is a light glimmering through one of its thousands of windows.  Each light is a candle that some person is holding as they go about their lives.  It's beautiful, and it can be seen from miles away...  What do you see?"

The gentle smile he'd taken up as she spoken of her made-up land in a dreamy sort of voice evaporated at her question.  "I see...stars..." he admitted.

To his surprise, she just laughed.  "I thought you might..." she told him.  She looked out along to where he was still pointing.  "Just...let your mind go.  Yes, they're stars...but what else are they?"

He was quiet for a long while, just looking up at the little pinpoints of lighting and pondering.  "Rain," he finally murmured.  "It's like bright drops of rain that will never fall to hit us..."  He let his arm fall and looked to Denali for confirmation.

She was looking up at the stars again like they were the most radiant thing she could think of.  Somehow, though, Adon preferred to just watch her.

Description
He looked over at the girl standing silently next to him, and marvelled at what he saw.  She was gazing up at the stars rapturously, the starlight making her dark skin glow.  Or maybe that was just the calm happiness that seemed to radiate out from her.  Sometime during the trek, her thick, black hair had escaped from whatever elaborate confines she'd designed for it this time, and was now falling about her shoulders.  Somehow the more natural look fit the moment, and he smiled at thought, knowing that she would never agree.  They only reason she had never hacked her hair short like Alia's was because the two of them had begged her a number of times not to.  Just then, she noticed his scrutiny and turned her deep, bark-colored eyes from the sky above down to his face questioningly.  He just changed his half-amused smile to a warmer one and glanced up at the stars.  "Is this what you wanted to show me?" he asked her, the smile in his voice as much as on his face.

She nodded quietly, a little secret smile playing out upon her own lips.  "I thought you might like it," she told him softly.

He looked up at the stars again, trying to see what she wanted him to see.  "But I've seen the stars a million times, Denali..." he said, a small tinge of confusion coming out.

Her smile widened into a soft grin.  "Yes, but never like this.  I know that you haven't.  I've watched you.  You'll dance by moonlight with Alia and me, and you'll work as hard as needed under the stars.  I've even seen you contemplating them a few times.  But you never just look and wonder and see where your mind goes.  You never just...see them."

A little frown of concentration appeared on his face.

"Don't concentrate."

He forced his mind to ease, and he looked back up at the sky.  A million stars winked down at him, and it was very beautiful...but he still didn't see what she did.  "Denali..."

She took ahold of his hand and squeezed.  "I know.  How about..." she trailed off contemplatively.  Then she glanced down at their joined hands and a spark lit up in her eyes.  She pulled his hand up and then, when he glanced at her questioningly, his hand limp in the air, she commanded, "Point."

He pointed.  "What..?"

"I see a kingdom," she started, cutting him off, "A kingdom made of seashells and diamonds.  Each star is a light glimmering through one of its thousands of windows.  Each light is a candle that some person is holding as they go about their lives.  It's beautiful, and it can be seen from miles away...  What do you see?"

The gentle smile he'd taken up as she spoken of her made-up land in a dreamy sort of voice evaporated at her question.  "I see...stars..." he admitted.

To his surprise, she just laughed.  "I thought you might..." she told him.  She looked out along to where he was still pointing.  "Just...let your mind go.  Yes, they're stars...but what else are they?"

He was quiet for a long while, just looking up at the little pinpoints of lighting and pondering.  "Rain," he finally murmured.  "It's like bright drops of rain that will never fall to hit us..."  He let his arm fall and looked to Denali for confirmation.

She was looking up at the stars again like they were the most radiant thing she could think of.  Somehow, though, Adon preferred to just watch her.