Neverwinter Forest Journeying minds

@Reilly

Luhtar lay sprawled on a patch of damp earth beneath the sheltering limbs of a gnarled old tree. Thick moss cushioned his broad shoulders, and the scent of decaying leaves hovered in the still air.

He’d dozed off easily in the midday quiet, warmth of his den settling over his heavy frame like a comfortable blanket.

A low groan rumbled in his throat as he stirred, hazy dreams slipping away into the silence. With a quiet grunt, he rolled onto his belly and shook out his fur, blinking sleep from his yellow eyes. A wide yawn stretched his jaws, revealing stained teeth and sending a subtle shiver through his stout limbs.

That’s when he heard it—soft yet distinct, the careful crunch of a footstep pressing into distant foliage. Instantly, his ears pricked forward, and he froze mid-yawn.

The crisp chill that clung to her now was a welcome change. Reilly, inexperienced still in her youth with the change of seasons, still found herself reveling in the ways nature adapted around her. With each passing moon cycle, it brought closer to something fresh once more—and soon, winter would blanket the loamy ground much the way brown leaves had.

And then, rebirth would come—the blooming of flowers and unfurling of leaves.

Many seemed unfazed by this, but to the Meadowfair, it was exhilarating.

Her time in the Forest had sparsely begun. The first few days had been acclimation to her new home. Still very much in the exploration stage of adjusting, the pale she-wolf found herself enthralled with the forest beauty as she carefully discovered—unknown to her that her soft paw falls upon fallen leaves might have disrupted another within the haven of his home.

A pale shape caught in the corner of his vision through the greenery. Young and elegant, the wolf moved with a delicateness.

Luhtar rumbled a low chuff—no threat in it, just a simple announcement of himself. He stood half-shadowed by the gnarled tree’s limbs. His yellow eyes narrowed slightly, curious yet cautious.

He did not wish to startle her, though her pawsteps had roused him from a fine nap.

“Hello,”

A chuffing sound—drawing her from thoughts and stirring the woman to pause like a deer in headlights. One ear gave an idle flick as a rumbling voice came to her then—moonlit eyes falling to the darker form she could now partially make out.

The narrowing of the unknown man’s eyes stirred caution in her, but it was nonchalance that maintained her delicate features as the pixie-like she-wolf gave a cant of her slender muzzle. “Hello,” she returned, gaze tracing over the man’s features before drifting to look at the proud tree in which he remained nestled.

Usually, she was not one to stumble upon words or find herself at a loss. But uncertainty lingered within her breast—unsure whether or not those haunting eyes and partial glare were about to proffer fang upon her as well. “Have I disturbed you?” The tip of her tail curled—almost feline in her observation.

He looked at the girl through narrowed yellow eyes. A pixie-like figure with a feline grace.

“No disturb,” he rumbled, blunt. He shifted his weight, stepping further out from the shadow of the tree, his broad frame catching what little light filtered through the canopy. “Just not expect company.”

“You lost?” he asked. It wasn’t an accusation, just a straightforward question. She didn't seem to know where she was going.