Neverwinter Forest There once was songbird, struck songless

sólhárr moved ahead in quiet purpose, his heavy paws crunching softly against the frostbitten earth. he cast a glance over his shoulder, the golden glow of his eyes finding kinusi as she trailed behind, her usual chatter absent for once. her silence wasn’t something he had demanded; it was something the grove itself commanded, its weight pressing down like a thick, unseen fog.

he paused at the edge of the clearing, letting her catch up. the grove stretched before them, ancient and alive, its trees seeming to breathe in time with the faint flicker of ethereal lights that wove between the branches. he did not speak, nor did he guide her further. this place was not his to explain—it was hers to feel, to navigate, to understand.

his ears twitched at the faintest of sounds, a reminder of the grove’s watchful stillness. he gave her a faint nod, a silent gesture of permission. if she wished to roam, to explore, he would let her. the grove would speak to her, if it chose. all he could do was stand sentinel at its edge, a guide to the threshold, but never beyond.

whatever kinusi sought, she would find it—or it would find her.