The title suggests courage, yet the image depicts a warrior at his most vulnerable. A paladin kneeling in reverent prayer on a battlefield, calling upon divine intervention. He is a figure who has set down his strength, as the removed gauntlet illustrates more literally. His bare talons are in direct touch with the rosary he clutches so intently, so that he may reach a closer connection with his faith. The dauntlessness is less found in the armor, or the willingness to engage in battle, but more so in the readiness to be exposed. Just as clergymen are bound to their lord, so are falcon typically trained in discipline to hunt for their master. A mirror between falconry and the symbol of a paladin crusader.

The piece began with a photographic reference of a falcon inspecting its closed claw, which is what ultimately reminded me of someone kneeling in prayer. The figure and surrounding scene are drawn in an experimental mix of styles. Most notably the chaotic nature of the shading, which consists of continuous pencil strokes, laid down without lifting the pencil until the work could be considered finished. The deepest shadows were outlines in ink for contracts, while the airbrushed colors of the background hint at a rising sun, just as the angelic theming is meant to a return of hope.