Neverwinter Forest on a black throne reigns upright

Want to close this one up and have a new one? ♥

Cypress’ mouth stretched itself into a grin that wavered unsteadily at the corners, but he egged his cousin on nonetheless. “Now this, Rian,” he said, long legs carrying him easily across the mess of crushed ice and muddy slush. He gripped one of the mire’s saplings and rocked his weight back, shaking his head wildly back and forth as if his intention was to wring the life out of it. When it splintered and cracked, leaving him with bitter bark between his teeth, he stepped back and spat it out. Cypress’ version of “play” was twisted and destructive, but it helped ease some of the brittle tension that seemed to have taken up permanent residence within his steely musculature. “Try, Rian,” he urged his cousin, his tail whipping against his hocks. Despite his greater height, his carriage naturally fell into a position below the O’Malley’s.