Raven's Watch [m] α

faust’s growl resonated low and deep, barely restrained, his green eyes darkening as he watched the brute manhandle her. every muscle in his frame screamed to lunge, to tear and rip, but the gods whispered restraint into his ear—a test, a cruel one, but a test nonetheless.

the demand was made, and though rage coiled like a serpent within him, faust forced himself to turn. his paws struck the snow with a brutal rhythm, faster than he had moved before, the cold air biting at his lungs as he surged back toward the carcass. the goat was heavy, fat with milk, and his muscles burned as he hauled it onto his shoulders. his breath misted in heavy clouds, every step a prayer to the gods that she remained unharmed.

when he returned, the scene was unchanged—ayovi held like a prize, her figure dwarfed by the brute’s grasp. faust dropped the goat with a heavy thud between them, the sound echoing sharply in the still air. his gaze never left hers, his chest heaving as he tried to gauge her state.

his jaws tightened, but he spoke no words, his body taut as a bowstring as he awaited the next move, praying silently that his offering had not come too late.