Neverwinter Forest soothe

the words are sharp. not cruel, but tense. wary. raedwulf reads it in the man's face, the way his body stiffens, the flick of his tail. he does not press further. his own ears tip back. the edge in cicero's voice makes him pause.
wer, he says again, quieter now. þū eart.
he steps back, just slightly. gives the space asked for—not with words, but with tone. he lifts a paw and touches his own chest. ic næbbe irre. he mutters. ic ācsige ānlīce.
a short pause, then—
ic ne ācsige eft.
his head bows slightly, just enough to mark respect, before he turns. not in shame or retreat—just distance. space, for now. but he does look back, loitering, as if wanting for cicero to stop him and ask him to stay. false hope, perhaps? foolish hope, he thinks. raedwulf has no interest in men. he thinks it is deceitful that this one is so feminine and... attractive! it frustrates the saxon deeply.