The sun hung low on the horizon, casting a golden light over the ruined castle and the valley beyond. Galena and I stood at the edge of the drawbridge, gazing out at the road ahead. The silence between us wasn't strained, but it wasn't easy either.
"We did it," I said, though my voice lacked the triumph it should have carried.
"Yes, we did." Galena's tone was calm, almost distant.
The dragon was dead, and its crystal shards lay buried beneath the castle's rubble. The world should have felt lighter, freer, yet the weight of what came next pressed heavily on us.
"What will you do now?" I asked, breaking the stillness.
Galena turned her gaze to the distant hills, where the first stars of evening were beginning to glimmer. "The world is still broken. The dragon was only part of the darkness spreading across these lands. I need to... no, we need to ensure it doesn't rise again."
I nodded, though the thought of another battle, another quest, made my knees weak. "So where will you go?"
She hesitated. "To the Whispering Marshes. The mages there have knowledge - ancient knowledge - that might help prevent another calamity. But it's a dangerous journey, and..." Her voice faltered as she looked at me.
"And what?" I pressed gently.
She smiled faintly. "And I don't think it's a path for you."
I should have been offended, but I wasn't. Galena was right. The magic that coursed through her veins gave her the strength to walk into the unknown. I, on the other hand, was just a man with a sword, weary from battles I barely survived.
"And you?" she asked, tilting her head. "Where will you go?"
I thought for a moment, letting the question settle. "There are villages nearby that need help rebuilding after the dragon's terror. I'm no mage, but I can swing a hammer or defend a farmer's field. That's where I belong - among the people."
Her expression softened. "You've always been selfless."
"Not always," I replied with a chuckle. "But I think it's time I tried to be."
For a long moment, we stood in silence, the weight of our decision hanging between us. Finally, I broke the tension.
"This is goodbye, then," I said, though the words felt bitter in my mouth.
"For now," she corrected. "Our paths might separate, but the bond we've forged - " She placed a hand over her heart. "It doesn't break so easily."
Her words warmed me, but they didn't make it any easier. I reached into my pack and pulled out the silver pendant I had taken from the dragon's lair. It was small, etched with a swirling design that reminded me of her magic.
"Here," I said, pressing it into her hand. "To remember me by."
Galena laughed softly, though tears shimmered in her eyes. "As if I could ever forget you." She unclasped the simple, woven bracelet from her wrist and tied it around mine. "A fair trade, don't you think?"
I held the bracelet tightly, the rough fibers grounding me. "Thank you."
She nodded, and for a moment, it felt like we might stay here forever, caught in the glow of shared memories and unspoken words. But then Galena turned toward the path leading east, her silhouette framed by the fading light.
"I'll see you again," she said, her voice resolute. "When the world is ready."
"I'll hold you to that," I replied.
And then she was gone, her figure growing smaller with each step until it vanished into the distance.
I turned toward the road west, where the smoke from distant chimneys promised warmth and life. As I walked, the bracelet on my wrist felt like an anchor, a reminder that even though we were apart, Galena's spirit walked beside me.