Greatwater Lake wrapped them in "I don't owe you a damn thing"

Donovan smiles brightly at her compliment of his good leadership. Even though she knows little to nothing of him. Still, a for effort in making his ego inflate — it works by the way. He’s excited when she comes to lay by him, cuddling into his side and the slightest wave of a curled tail reveals his true feelings.

Her warmth chases his own as they curl up beside one another. He chuckles softly at her telling him not to laugh. Only to quickly go serious and fulfill her request with a polite. “Okay, I won’t.”

She continues, speaking of love — something he knew once. He had it in the grasp of his hand only for it to be snatched away by the cruelty of betrayal — mutiny. He doesn’t know what to truly say. He feels for her for her loss of children and a husband, but he tried not to relate it to his own experience. It makes his mood go bitter much too fast. 

He hides it well, or perhaps he doesn’t. Still his words are soft. “I believe it’s possible for everyone to find that. I had a love as well. It ended poorly. Surprisingly not by me either.” The laugh he gives is almost bitter, yet he knows she didn’t mean to bring back old memories when he’s sure she too had some of her own. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, darling.” He hums almost sweetly, lying his chin down on his paws.

She felt her ears flatten against her skull in eympathy, features softening though he couldn't see the tender expression. Perhaps they did not know each other well yet but she felt oddly attached to the man - a notion she didn't care to ponder in her rare defiant mood - and felt his pain as her own in that connection of spurned love. 

"An'..ye too.." the fae managed to get out around a huge yawn, so splitting it set her muscles to trembling in its ferocity. 

Her coat was drying and the damp warmth of him against her side was soothing. The druid didn't consider the consequences or weigh the risks. Naturally, she curled closer around his side and brushed her cheek against his back as a deep sigh left her. 

Her lids grew heavy and fluttered, tail wrapping around her hocks as she began to fall asleep.

Donovan feels her stare on him as he explains a rather depressing moment of his previous life. Sasha. His old love. A bitch. He tries not to get irritated. He keeps his voice soft. Paying attention to the wispy wolf-dog beside him. She offers her own wish for him to find love. He almost laughs. He wouldn’t be letting that happen to him anytime soon. He supposes time can only tell when such a realization will dawn on him; the fact that he loves someone.

He hums back tiredly in acknowledgment. A small tilting of his maw to her and a quick flick of his eyes as she settling closer to him and rests a chin on his back. He could lay like this for a while. So resting a chin on his paws once more, he too begins falling asleep. Mind drifting off almost instantly. He wouldn’t soon forget this she-wolf.