Used to Everything

Horse Lords help me, but
I mourned when Roald died,
cried for Liam Ironarm,
hurled the book across the room
when I thought that
Numair was lost forever,
blinked back tears
when Kit's ma gave her life
to save others.

I have always taken it hard
when my favorites die,
but you get used to everything,
even death, and I
have read these books so often
that only a tightness
pulls at my chest when they pass on.

But Lord Rikash,
when you fell from the sky,
struck rock and slid,
it was my heart that broke
and still breaks,
and for you, I let the tears fall
again and again.
It is as Daine said –
until I lost you,
I did not know you were my friend.