After he calmed himself, Tariel sat quietly for almost an hour before speaking to Avtandil again.

“You must leave now. The time for you to meet Tinatin is nearly past. If you do not return, she will think you are lost and weep bitterly. Do not add this to my burden. Go to your sun, for I made your way the best I can in sharing my tale, though I took no pleasure in doing so. I will manage myself as God sees fit. Perhaps, if my prayers are heard, I will die.”

Considering the weight of the dark words his friend spoke, Avtandil took him by the hands, looking at him intently before responding.

“In truth, I do not know how I will leave you here. When I think of home, tears spring to my eyes. I cannot imagine any road I might take which would not lead back to you, for who can forsake his own brother? Yet I must say more than this, though it may be unpleasant to your ears.”

“Your talk of dying is foolish. It cuts into the soul of Asmath, and it will not bring comfort to the rose of your heart. How will she survive without you? Who else will save her? To die is to do nothing. Death is the final accomplishment of the lowest creature in the world. Would you make her a gift of your failure?”

“All your life, you have done what no one else could, but now, where have your power and faith departed to? What sort of hero turns back from the last steps of his journey? You love Nestan with fires more intense than any sun, so I say it is time for you to live. Stop looking to death, for it is the easy way out. Living is the most difficult thing any man can do for another.”

“What physician does not call on another doctor to aid him when he is ill, however renowned his skill? This is true of everything in life, for one person often knows what is better for the other. I am no different in this with my care for you. Where before only Asmath advised you, now I am here too. My heart bleeds no less than yours, and this lets me understand you like no other.”

“You must listen now, not once, or ten times, but rather a hundred. Keep my words in your mind until they become a litany to you, for you cannot do well for yourself like this. Trust me, and we will overcome this tragedy together. I will not abandon you or lightly depart, however heartsick you may be.”

“‘Like me, you are a Knight. You came into the world as a warrior, and it is how you will die. But men like us are measured by the sum of their words and actions, which is why I need your solemn vow to remain here until I return. If you promise this, I will never forsake you. My place will be by your side, and God willing, we will find your rose together. Assure me of this, or I can never leave.”

Tariel held tighter to his friend’s hands, his voice shaking with emotion as he responded.

“I do not understand how you came to care so deeply for me, but your departure is also difficult for me. Still, I find hope for my love and myself in you. You are like a nightingale to a rose. Though I am wilted and faded, still you remain by my side. Do not imagine I could forget you, whatever may happen. You will be on my mind every day, and I will pray to see you again before my life is spent.”

“‘When you return, the sadness of your absence will dissolve, and I will rejoice. I will not flee into the fields, for when I am in your presence, my sorrow is gone like a bird on the wind.”

Then two Knights promised neither would forget the other in time of need. They cut their hands, binding their oath in blood, and swearing before God on all they loved. Avtandil swore to come back before the end of the next season, and Tariel agreed to wait for him.

They sat together the rest of the night, sharing stories and wisdom with one another until the sky lightened. Though he wished to linger, Avtandil had more than one vow to keep. His parting words were short and choked with emotion.

“Now I must go to my own sun, but I will not forsake you. I will tell her your story and confirm her love of me. When this is done, I will be back, and whether it takes one year or a hundred, we will roam the earth together until we find Nestan. Wherever she may be, or whoever holds her, none will stand against us.”

Separated by the necessity of their obligations, they kissed the cheeks of one another and turned away. Each carrying his own sorrow as the other left. Tariel returned to the cave, and Avtandil prepared to ride out.

Asmath came to the edge of the clearing as he readied himself to leave, weeping as she knelt before him. Lacing her fingers together, she begged a promise from him to come back soon or see her faded like a violet. He turned at her words, reaching down and grasping her hands in his.

“I will think of nothing in the space of my absence other than the two of you. Before the next season finishes, I will return. In this time, do not let him wander elsewhere, and do not fear I will abandon my vows. If I have not returned before then, be sure a great malady has befallen me.”

Then he kissed her on the forehead and mounted his horse, tears cascading down his cheeks as he rode away. Once more, he crossed through the rushes and into the plains beyond. Though the road home was long, this time, he traveled with a clear purpose. He would share news of the Knight in the Panther Skin with Tinatin and then return to the caves. Together he and Tariel would find Nestan or die in the attempt.

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