Neverwinter Forest [m] My baby don't cry

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@Solharr had been kind to let her stay, but Eydis did not yet know for how long she would remain.

The dens had truly been dug out with care, each sturdy and homely. Eydis had chosen the one the best fit her preferences, collecting moss, flowers, and grass for her nest before she put herself to sleep. It was a rest she had needed desperately, for the woman had not slept in quite some time. Often restless, too caught up in her own troubles to drift off it was a miracle that here she was able to do so with ease.

But often Eydis found that when she shut her eyes, all she saw was them. A kind dream in the beginning, a relief to see them plump and suckling as they once had, but it never lasted. Her mind would not know peace.

She would see the change in each puppy as it was switched out, how quickly they grew ill, how soon they would reject her teat and grow thin. They were not her children, they had not been then and they could not be now. Her babies had been happy and hungry, each pudgier than the last.

She felt as each grew cold, as her mate took them from her side to dispose of the little body for he feared it would only spread the disease faster. She heard herself as she wailed, left on her own.

Eydis awoke with a start, her breath heavy with fear. Eyes wide, she looked around the den that she now called her own. Looking to her side, she nearly expected them to be next to her. As though it had all been a bad dream.

sólhárr stood in the den’s entrance, a faint shadow cast across his face as he watched her stir from sleep, the look of lingering distress clear in her eyes. he saw the way her chest rose and fell, her gaze searching, haunted by something he knew only she could see. he’d known the weight of troubled dreams himself, the kind that clung like mist in the early dawn.

without a word, he padded closer, lowering his head to gently nudge her shoulder, a warm, grounding touch meant to remind her of where she was—here, in forneskja, in the safety of their dens. his gaze softened as he met her eyes, and then he tilted his head toward the woods beyond.

come, he murmured, his voice steady and warm. the morning is cool, the air fresh. good hunting weather.

he waited for her to gather herself, patient as stone, letting her find her footing. we’ll take something down together, he added, a small smile tugging at his mouth.

for now, he’d be the steady presence she could lean on, guiding her back to the here and now—where only the hunt mattered, and the rest could be left behind, if only for a little while.

Solharr was there as she shook herself awake. Lingering in the entrance, speaking to her in a gentle tone that cleared her mind, sparing it from the images of cruel and unforgiving death.

A careful nod, she lifted herself from her nest. Hunting sounded good. A chance to dig her teeth into something, a chance to be productive. She would put herself to good use, so as to not be left alone with her thoughts once again.

"Let's go, then. I will follow your lead." He did not ask of her troubles, and so she would not speak of them. That was the way she liked it.

She thought to ask him about them, to find out if he had seen them. But it could wait. Eydis could handle her search on her own.

sólhárr nodded, his gaze warm as he watched her rise, shaking the last remnants of sleep from her fur. he could see the shadow of her troubles still lingering in her eyes, but he respected her unspoken wish to leave them undisturbed, at least for now. instead, he offered a steady presence, a purpose to fill the silence, and turned toward the woodland with her by his side.

they moved quietly through the forest, sólhárr leading them along well-worn trails and weaving through thickets where the morning light trickled through. his nose worked the air, picking up on the mingled scents of prey nearby, keeping his senses sharp for something different—something other than the deer that roamed plentifully this season.

soon enough, his pace slowed, and he nodded toward a clearing up ahead. there, beneath the canopy, a lone boar rooted at the base of an ancient tree, its back turned to them as it dug into the earth. sólhárr’s eyes glinted with satisfaction; this was no easy prey, but it was worthy of their combined strength. he glanced at eydís, an unspoken question in his gaze, offering her the thrill of the challenge.

a good start, he murmured, voice low. strong, stubborn, and sharp-tusked—just as a hunter would like. a prize for his elska, no doubt. it would be a kill in her honor. 

what would you do, veiðikona?

It had been some time since Eydis took on such a challenge. Once she had been quite the talented huntress, but her skill had faded some time ago. There was little hunting to do when you were on your own.

In silence she watched the boar, the rounded creature snuffling through the dirt. She felt a pang of fear as she stared at it's tusks, her mind only going to the worst. It was pushed back, her worries failing to show.

She would not appear afraid, she would not appear weak. Her home was here now, and she could not afford to lose her home again.

Wordless and unthinking, she shot from the foliage to latch to the boar, her strike successful. She was aggressive, grip unyielding and strong as paws were lifted to dig claws into the squealing creatures back.

The boar, understandably, was on the defense - legs kicking, tusks swinging. Not yet did it reach Eydis. She would not be made a fool of.

Rolling for this in the server! Attack: 8 Defense: 7

sólhárr’s eyes sharpened as he watched eydís move, her lithe form launching from the cover of foliage with a speed that belied her quiet fear. his heart surged with pride as she latched onto the boar, claws sinking deep, her grip unyielding. in that moment, he saw the huntress she once was, a fierce spirit awakened by the promise of home and the need to prove herself. she belonged here.

without hesitation, sólhárr surged forward, using the momentary distraction eydís provided to close the distance. he circled low, avoiding the thrashing tusks, and with calculated precision, lunged for the boar’s side.

his teeth found purchase just behind the shoulder, sinking deep into muscle and sinew, locking the creature in place with the force of his weight.

the boar bucked beneath them, squealing in desperation, its wild movements powerful but beginning to falter under their combined assault.

it would be eydís' turn to assist him, all so as long she does not get pierced.

a: 3, d:1

a: 8, d: 8

Eyes locking onto her hunting partner, her latch was released for only a moment before grabbing a back leg. She would pull, rip if she could, knocking the boar off-balance.

She wished to maim the swine, to see the spirit flow from it's eyes and into the ground beneath them. The satisfaction of a kill, the sweet taste of meat and the rough of bone - it was what she needed here and now.

What a funny creature it was. The way it thrashed, Eydis wondered if the boar had something to live for, someone to return to.

But such is life. Every creature lives to eat, and every creature lives to be ate.

The boars blood had began to spatter on the grass below, squealing as the leg was pulled and twisted in ways the were purely unnatural. Though not yet dead, it was surely injured.

he watched eydís pull the boar off balance, her fierce grip and relentless focus a testament to her skill and hunger. the beast thrashed, blood spraying across the grass, its desperate squeals filling the air. he saw the flicker of life fading in its wild eyes, its spirit wavering, and he knew their moment had come.

moving swiftly, sólhárr surged forward, taking advantage of the creature’s weakened state. with precision, he angled himself beneath its head, jaws parting to sink his teeth into the vulnerable spot just below its throat. his bite was sharp, unyielding, and with a powerful twist, he sliced through, severing the last threads of its life.

as the boar’s body stilled beneath them, sólhárr released his grip, catching his breath as he met eydís’s gaze. he gave a slight nod, respect evident in his eyes, acknowledging her part in their successful hunt.

a good kill, he murmured, a note of approval in his rough tone. you handled yourself well, veiðikona.

a: 4; d:3

The creature fell, dying just as many other's had before it. Eydis felt a twinge of dissatisfaction, releasing her grip. The boar was dead, and yet she did not feel finished here.

Solharr's praises reached her, pulling her attention. Carefully she thought over the hunt, looking for something she could praise in return. It was only polite. You are slow, Solharr. Calculated, was the word that would have been more appropriate. It was what she had intended.

Staring for a moment longer, she then returned to the leg she had previously injured. Pulling, tugging, the 'pop' and 'crack' of bones soon came, Eydis taking the leg for herself. It would be something for her to chew on later, and something for her to eat now.

he let out a low chuckle at her words, the rough sound echoing with amusement. slow, am i? he repeated, shaking his head with a smirk. i call it patience, eydís. sometimes, letting the prey wear itself out is half the battle.

as she pulled the leg from the boar with a satisfying crack, sólhárr’s gaze softened slightly, an old reverence settling over his expression. as we take from the land, we pray in return, he murmured, his tone shifting to something almost sacred. the hunt provides, but it’s a balance—what we take, we honor, and what we hunt, we respect.

he lowered his head in a brief, silent acknowledgment of the boar’s spirit, then looked back at her with a hint of warmth. megi það fylla kviðina okkar og gefa okkur styrk, svo að við heiðrum líf þess með okkar eigin.

That is what I said, is it not? Her voice was somewhat muffled, a brow raising. But Solharr did not remain on the topic for long, and so she would not continue to speak of it.

She watched as he spoke of spirits, eyes firmly locked on him. It was not something she understood, but she supposed it to be a good sentiment. He was an odd man, one who spoke as though he was wise beyond his years. Eydis was not yet sure what to make of it.

It bothered her that she felt spoken down to, and yet she did not know that to truly be his intention. He spoke with warmth and did not push her to express what she did not wish to share, and yet he could simply be oblivious.

The conclusion drawn was simply that Solharr was a leader. Eydis was his subordinate. They were not equals, and she did not expect to be treated as such. He was doing his job, and so she would do hers.

hárkonungr noted the flicker in eydis’s gaze, her careful consideration of his words. he sensed her distance, the reserved way she kept her thoughts to herself. he let her take the leg she’d claimed, offering her a slight nod as he set his own teeth into the neck of the boar. she was fierce, with a fire that ran deep, but he didn’t mind if she kept part of herself guarded. it was the way of strong-willed souls, and he could respect it.

we’ll take the rest back to forneskja, he said, a subtle warmth threading through his voice as he hauled the heavy carcass beside her. my elska will know what to make of it—pelts, braids, the tusks… it’ll be put to good use. he glanced at her with the faintest glint of a smile, wondering how she’d respond to seeing his commitment to build this place up, to make it a true home for those who’d join him.

as they moved forward, sólhárr gave her a sidelong look, his tone shifting, curious. and you, eydis—what is it you’d like to do?do you want to fight, scout, hunt, teach? he left the question open, without expectation or demand. this was her choice to make.

@Callyope for mention

She remained silent as he spoke of his love, of the use the boar would be put to. Her expression remained cold and impenetrable, unthinking and unclear. His smile was not returned.

Eydis thought it admirable that he sought to forge a home in the forest, to give comfort to those who wished to join him here. In that sense she supposed him to be a good man. There was a piece of her that hoped that one day, she too would feel as though she had become a part of the forest.

His question left her puzzled, her eyes only now looking to meet his. I do what needs to be done. A wolf that had only every lived in family packs, Eydis was yet to understand the concept of individual roles.

A singular job, that was something she would need to think on.

sólhárr nodded, noting the way her expression remained distant, the weight of his words seemingly met with guarded silence. he respected her reticence, recognizing the mind of someone still finding her place. though she hadn’t returned his warmth, her presence held its own strength—an iron resolve that he knew could forge a home here if she willed it.

for now, doing what needs to be done is enough. he paused, casting a glance back toward the heart of the forest. my elska, she is building a circle, a sacred space for the women of forneskja. if that path calls to you, you need speak with her.

with a shift of his weight, sólhárr gripped the boar, beginning the heavy task of dragging it back toward their dens. but can come in time, he added over his shoulder. he signaled for her to follow him back to the depths of the forest.

fade here?