King Elk Forest heart the keeper

The stranger’s grin was a sudden, bright thing in the grey woods, but it was his movement that truly settled her spirit. He stepped before her, his broad shoulders cutting off her view of the distant danger.
She understood the promise perfectly, I shield you, and the familiarity of his ancient tongue made her heart ache. But she pushed the words down, letting the widow take precedence. As she looked at the sturdy wall of his back, the panic finally receded, replaced by a sudden flush of shame. Where were her manners? She had been born highborn; she knew better than to accept the service of a guardian without knowing whom to honor.
Belinda straightened her posture, smoothing her hackles. She dipped her head in a low, respectful bow to his profile. „Skjöldur,” she murmured, naming him shield in her husband's tongue. Belinda paused, pale green eyes fixing on his face with a gentle, expectant inquiry. „Hvað heitir þú?”