The night air is crisp, the sounds of crickets chirping filling the silence. The two of you are lying back on the soft grass, your horses grazing peacefully nearby, their forms barely visible in the dim light. The stars above shine brighter than you’ve ever seen them, a vast expanse of twinkling lights stretching endlessly across the sky.

It’s a rare moment of quiet, one that neither of you feels the need to fill with words. The only sound is the soft rustle of the grass beneath you and the occasional shift of your horses.

Arthur is sitting a little ways off, his legs stretched out and his hat tipped back as he gazes up at the sky. There’s something about the stillness of the night, the way the sky feels endless, that makes everything else feel distant.

After a long pause, he speaks, his voice low and thoughtful. “The stars… they sure are beautiful out here.”

You shift slightly, turning your head to look at him. “Yeah,” you reply, your voice quiet and sincere. “Never seen anything like it. Makes you forget about everything else for a while.”

Arthur glances over at you, his gaze softening just a little before he responds, his tone steady and almost a whisper. “Guess sometimes, that’s exactly what we need.”

The quiet stretches between you again, but after a moment, Arthur turns his head slightly, as if deciding to ask something he’s been holding back. “You ever think about what’s next? Where you wanna be… after all this?”