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The sun isn’t even up yet when the rooster crows. Álvaro opens his eyes and squints into the blueish light pouring through the small window. It’s quiet everywhere, the windows of the house across from their barn still dead and all of the animals save for the earliest riser asleep.
The rooster crows again.
“Kill it,” Isco mumbles.
Álvaro laughs. “What?”
“If you love me, you’ll kill that animal.”
Álvaro turns to Isco, who is trying to hide under the blanket. “I don’t think our master would like me killing his best rooster,” he says. “And we need to get up anyway.”
“You have to,” Isco corrects him. “I could still get a good while of sleep if it wasn’t for that bird.”
He’s right, their master rarely needs a horse ready before the sun is up, and Isco can be incredibly quick about feeding the animals and getting a horse ready if need be. On the contrary, Álvaro’s duties begin before sunrise, because fire needs to be started and water needs to be boiled. But getting up is so much easier with Isco, when he can take care of him before he takes care of a stranger’s need.
“I’ll make you breakfast,” Álvaro offers, pulling at the blanket tentatively.
Isco cracks one eye open. “Bread with honey?” he asks.
“There’s still some,” Álvaro nods.
The rooster crows again.
“Shut up, I’m coming!” Isco groans and gets up.
Álvaro smiles. He’s never going to harm the rooster.