"Martha above, Pamid, I'm going to be a father!" Borg-Neison waved the letter in his hand excitedly as he spoke to his comrade.
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"Oh, really?" A trace of a smile appeared on the stern knight's rigid face. His light-brown eyes rested on his companion. "Then I must congratulate you properly."
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"Of course."
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Borg-Neison sat down beside his comrade, and together they gazed at the vast Nessander Forest beneath the evening haze. In the setting sun, a chinaberry tree stained bronze stood above the canopy, while a star crow busily built its nest atop the umbrella-shaped crown. Every so often, it paused, its round black eyes watching the two uninvited guests.
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"It's beautiful. Eluin is never tiring to look at, no matter how many times you see it. This is our country."
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"Indeed. It is more comfortable to return to Eluin," the knight replied.
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At the sound of a crow's call, a flock of birds rose from the forest. The thunder of their wings could be heard for several miles. A large animal passed through the woods, and the knight turned around to warn the others behind them.
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But Borg-Neison interrupted him. "Hey, don't change the subject. We've got plenty of time."
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He patted his comrade on the shoulder. "Tell me about yourself. You're still unmarried, right? My goodness, poor old Pamid must be frantic! So? Have you taken a fancy to some lucky girl?"
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The knight glanced at him with an expression as still as an ancient well. "Didn't I already tell you? Until I uncover the whole truth, I'm not considering such things."
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Borg-Neison widened his eyes. "You're making all of us feel ashamed. You know you're the only bachelor left among us. As for me—I have not only