He awakens to the shimmering garnet light of smoldering coals. The faint tinge of smoke upon the air, mixed with the faintly spicy scent of their entwined bodies, brings him back to the very beginning. To that fateful night in Outland, surrounded by the gruff protectiveness of the Mok’Nathal tribe. A resigned drifter and an earnest lieutenant willing to follow him to the painful corners of his past; to the shattered land of the lost Ranger-Captain, demonic lies, survival of the fittest and jaded Scryers.There they would build a sacred trust, forged beside a simple campfire and written in ardent whispers on the nether-threaded sky.
Kissing her shoulder he shifts, sitting up to watch the cinders thoughtfully. Dark brown hair...
The Ranger Lord rose, brushing snow from his cloak as he made his way toward the cabin. It was an effort to do so calmly with nerves rattled as they were, yet he put one foot in front of the other, concentrating upon his breath to keep his muscles from tightening and thereby heightening the vague sense of anxiety he wrestled with. Upon reaching the doorway, he took in the carvings and knotwork whittled with care over the years. Each curve and spiral, each snarling face and graceful frond of fern, brought him back to the present moment and a state of expectant readiness. With an exhale he pushed open the heavy oaken door and uttered the only word that was worthy to break his concentration.
“Neri…?”
Despite stating it softly, her...
The calm evening shifted and the wind picked up, frigidly buffeting
the stalwart stone structure. Fortunately, dwarven craftsmen know their
trade well and thus the inside was cozy and warm.
Elaeryn reclined in deep thought, sipping at a glass of whisky as he enjoyed the warmth and glow of a crackling fire. The drink was watered down these days; the Ranger-Lord found that, ensconced in the wilderness, he had less need of substance to induce relaxation. Around him were scattered a few cherished gifts: the results of he and Neri’s little Winter Veil exchange. A new blank journal for her to record her naturalist information; the beveled highball glass from which he currently drank; a pie with two slices missing; fresh salted...