Neverwinter Forest and what love we get, we have to pay for

for @Reed ♥

arturo prayed at lotte's alter until he could pray no more, until he had no more words for his beloved, departed wife. he begged her forgiveness until he ran out of ways to beg for that, too and when he left the strath he did not necessarily feel any more relieved. neither, though, did he feel less relieved so perhaps that was something. it was easy to claim he could move on when he knew in the very marrow of his bones that he would never truly move on from lotte ansbjørn. she may have left her corporeal form and left her children as the only physical evidence of her existence but her imprint upon his heart, upon his very soul was not something that could be removed. not now. not five years from now. arturo'd always believed he would live a long life and now he thinks that living long has become his curse. if he was doomed to remain upon this god-forsaken world then he might as well make the best of it by doing what it is he does the very best: exerting control and pilfering information with charisma as the silver spoon he'd been born with in his mouth was always meant to do.

his tour will end here before he returns to the coast. he is not sure what draws him to it over and over — aside from the fact that perhaps on the coast the good memories are strong enough to outweigh the bad ones that will continuously haunt him. for now, he seeks temporarily refuge in the thick evergreen pines that stand as proud and old sentries in neverwinter forest, moving through the snow dusted foliage in search of a fresh water source.