Larksong Grotto by starlight

always so distracted and caught up by his whims and his muses, all he sees before he's being shoved against frozen ground is a blur of white. crashing against the earth with a wheeze-turned-yelp, his heart hammers wildly against his narrow chest.

a rapid, heavy rhythm that seems to skip a solid few beats as he stares—shellshocked—up at the girl. and oh, does it feel like a romantic tale he's sang all too many times before. a pale beauty that—if he were standing—surely would have made his knees feel weak. 

just like that, it's not fear that makes his heart stutter. it's pure raw, shy nerves. eyes the size of planets as he stares up at her with what foolishly might be awe. 

he's breathless, and he isn't sure if it's because of her beauty or if she'd knocked all the wind from his lungs. 

"oh, um—" he laughs. nervous because pretty girls have always made him so incredibly fucking nervous.

"i mean no harm! was just traveling. i-i'm a bard. y'know, people who sing and explore and—" he's rambling. but he can't help it!

 he's learned many things in his year spent traveling the world...but no one has taught him how to deal with a beautiful girl who looks like she wants to kill you.