24 December 2003, pencil, 29.5x20cm, no references

"As they clasped hands, it dawned on him they might not meet again for a long, long time, if ever.  His kindred spirit...  Their fellowship had given them united strength, and a fierce courage that would hold sway, no matter the odds. They both knew that beyond this they would ride into the arena as combatants; gladiators in a struggle far greater than they could ever have imagined. But for now, as they stood simply as comrades, he looked into his friend's familiar eyes and revelled in their kinship, capturing in memory a moment he knew would be lost in time... The calm would soon be torn apart, the storm was about to unleash its fury... "