Firestone Hot Springs rocks

thank u summer for the thread title. set pretty close to nwf
for @Wintersbane sorry it's kinda short!

She'd woken to @Mal's absence, a stinging blow that sends her spiraling in her hormone-addled state. He hadn't mentioned he'd be leaving; maybe if he had, or if Aibreann was in a better state of mind, it wouldn't hurt so much. Right now it feels like abandonment, though, and a betrayal of their agreement with one another.
The anxiety that accompanies those thoughts drives her to the borders again, pacing, and eventually past them. Not far — but when the stench of the hot springs reaches her, she knows she shouldn't be here. That doesn't stop her from continuing, though.

once more, wintersbane wanders. though he doesn't deign to stray too far from the spire and the young boy left abandoned by his mother; wintersbane is drawn from the heavenward spires of his home by the season in its last throes. he's desperate, feeling cheated by what andraste's death had cost him and jealous of the prosperity of his fellow co-leaders during this fruitful season. thoughts are distracted and he only surfaces at the cloying heat of the hot springs, curling the longer wisps of fur at his nape and the tickle of a familiar intoxicating scent. it lures him into the depths of the territory, towards the woman that emits it without care, without caution.

the warrior king of the spire lets out a low chuff to announce his presence to her, hoping she beckons him nearer.

bit of pp to make this a three post thread as agreed <3 archiving!

A chuff draws her attention, and she turns to search for the source, gaze landing on an unfamiliar man. Tall, dark, and handsome in a classic sort of way; not her usual type, but her heat lends a rosy tint to her vision now. All other thoughts vanish from her, and she approaches him slowly, tail swaying gently. Few words are exchanged. Instead, the two get to know one another in a more intimate way — a way that will result in one stealthy little accident in about 9 weeks. For now, the consequences escape Aibreann.