Neverwinter Forest tassel

maybe a @Luhtar? but all welcome!

she had come to discover the rough pastures and was enamored with them at once.

if she had been earlier she might have seen the elk that had make the markings through the pasture. yet now it was empty. it would have been a tracker's delight to follow the paths that had been formed through snow and buried grasses.

she gave it a shot, knowing she was not much of a hunter in action but she could range. she could follow. why not track herds so that she might pass along words in the ears of those who could bring them down?

her head was low, sorting through the frigid snow. so full of winter scents and elk trails that she had little consideration for the rest of the world around her.

bats eyelashes

The cold bit at his exposed scars, but he paid it little attention, his thoughts preoccupied with the quiet hum of the snow-covered world around him.

He wasn’t watching where he was going—not really. His head was low, yellow eyes skimming the uneven terrain for signs of anything worth noting. Which was why he didn’t see her until the moment they collided.

A solid thump echoed in the quiet as his broad frame met hers, the impact jarring enough to pull him from his thoughts. “Ah,” he rumbled, blinking at her in surprise. “Sorry.” He shifted back a step, giving her room, his tail flicking behind him in mild embarrassment.

“I not see you,” he added, yellow eyes scanning her quickly to ensure she was unharmed. “You okay?”

something solid, right into her.

an elk?

a silly, and admittedly rather dumb, first thought to have. her eyes looked up to openly admire the hues of silver, brown and ginger. a large man who filled out his frame in a warm way. not chiseled by sinewy muscles or willowy like herself.

she did not hide that her gaze was not startled, but mesmerized all the same.

já, she finally answered and girlishly took a step back from him. you hunter?

Luhtar’s ears flicked as he watched her steady herself, her lack of alarm both puzzling and oddly calming. He blinked once, slowly, his yellow eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to read her expression. No anger, no scolding. That was... unexpected.

“Good,” he rumbled, his deep voice softening as she confirmed she was unharmed. His broad frame relaxed slightly, though his tail still swayed behind him, a hint of residual awkwardness in his movements.

Her question caught him off guard, and his head tilted slightly, his gaze flicking over her as though trying to piece together why she would ask. “Yes—sometime.” A pause, then a dry smirk tugged at his lips. “But not today. Today, just big wolf not paying attention.”

He rolled his shoulders, shaking off the lingering tension from the unexpected collision, though his gaze remained fixed on her. “What you doing?” he asked, his tone blunt but not unkind. He nodded toward the snow and the churned ground beneath her paws, his curiosity piqued now that he’d recovered from the impact. “You look... busy.”

she's on her worst behavior i'm so sorry

good indeed.

she had not failed to realize there was a warmth in her cheeks. she tried her best to remind herself she had not come out into the world for crushes or watching strong men. however she knew that such...wouldn't hurt, right? if she stayed in forneskja she was bound to look longingly at one or two faces!

she could hear her mother now...

tracking trails. we must be eyes for our hunters, nei? she did not hide the smile playing along her features or the wave of her tail.

maybe you will be big wolf by my side today? guard me from bigger beasts.

im just glad someone is finally appreciating my son

“Big wolf, huh?” he couldn't help but feel moved. Shoulders squaring and wide paws shifting as he moved closer. His broad chest puffed out slightly in exaggerated pride, his tail giving a wag. “Já, maybe I will. Keep you safe. No beast dare mess with you when Luhtar around.”

He fell into step beside her, his strides long and winded. Warm eyes scanned the snowy forest ahead, watching for any movement, though his focus drifted back to her more often than he’d care to admit. There was nothing wrong with looking, he told himself!

“You track,” he added. “I’ll keep watch.” His grin widened just a bit, teasing. "You good tracker, right?"

His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

ylva was not necessarily small, but beside him she felt tiny. with that came an easy sense of protection from his added presence.

no, they will not. she agreed with a continue smile. it only fell from her features when they carried on her path. granted now her attention was split between elk and big wolf. if she caught him looking or glancing, she was coy enough to pretend she did not!

older sisters had taught her many things about...this!

i am hawk in training. she told him now with a shimmering gaze. you know skills of hawks? her voice teased back in return!

he casts her a side long glance, ears perking at her words. he is thoroughly amused by her, such can be examined in the grin upon his face.

it made him appear less man and more boyish, toothy and betraying his youth.

he had recently turned two and grown into his manhood. oftentimes he still felt too big for his mind. he hums a small tune in response.

“skills of hawk… fast, sneaky, sharp.” he responds with a curtsy nod. “i see hawk in you, sure.” his voice is twinged with dry sarcasm, as he takes a few bold steps closer, bumping her thin frame with a strong shoulder.

now, he is more out to distract her than let her work. we see if you impress me. what is name? this man is luhtar of huldfall.

he came in close — her heart thumped wildly. suddenly more befitting doe than hawk. yet such nearness presented opportunity!

she wished to pluck loose fur. much like a nesting bird might do. as if intent on showing him that she could hawk in many ways.

perhaps for a spell! perhaps only for musing. she kept such very, very close to her own heart.

ylva, once of norðurslóða fjöll. arctic mountains! she missed them, the winter cradled her very being it seemed. now forneskja. for she carved out the future for herself now. no longer the youngest daughter in the shadows of older brothers and sisters.

and this woman thinks luhtar talks too much to be hunter.

yet it was clear that she obviously did not mind such.

only they were surely set to lose elk tracks soon. especially if she kept looking to his strong face and not the snowy grounds.

he rumbles softly, yellow eyes full of warmth shifting now to the woman. he looks upon her with mild surprise painting his handsome countenance.

“norðurslóða fjöll?” he asks almost from shock. he is receptive to her. his tail hitches into a faster wag now, like a brush eager to paint them both in their splendor. he knows now this woman hails from the same lands as both he and hárkonungr—she may as well be kin!

well, he hoped not. he did not want her to be kin, for she was far too pretty. now that he thinks about it, there were not many pretty women in his family. so they are okay, for sure...

"ylva far from home.” his gaze softens and his head tilts. "norðurslóða fjöll is mountains away, with huldfall and vetrfjörðr. why leave?"

next, he is insulted by her comment but he laughs instead, perhaps proving her right. “luhtar no talk too much. luhtar smart, keep track. you just not listen! eyes on snow, hawk-woman.”

she blushed at first!

then worried that maybe one of her sisters had caught his eye first. that her first crush (uh-oh) away from home might already be squashed.

hawks do not stay in nest forever. she decided that she could still be confident and composed before him. even if she worried that he knew her for reasons she did not enjoy. consumed by the jealousy and envy that only a younger sibling knew in the shade of their older ones.

i cannot have my eyes on snow! you keep — keep making me...look!

laughter, warm and smooth like honey, poured free from her without second thought.

luhtar’s tail wagged harder and his amusement spills over into rumbling chuckles. her laughter infects him, bright and warm, and it softened something in him—beyond what was normal. he tipped his head to the side, watching her with a crooked grin.

“hawk will always blame wolf. typical.” his voice comes as a tease and he is bold to reach forth and press a cold nose to the scruff of her throat. “luhtar cannot help. is face so distracting, maybe?” his grin widened at that.

boldly, he trots forth and cuts the woman off. forget the elk. their future was not so prospective in hunting them anyhow. he huffs and stops, planting thick paws firm in the snow, puffing out a strong, barrel chest before her.

"think hawk likes looking too much. work not get done today."

distracting was not the word she would have used. yet she is only all smiles for his continued enthusiasm and the seamless way he played along.

he was not yet a soldier or hunter hardened by the world, she thought. or he was and he had just simply had an appetite for pretty company. she flattered herself, perhaps, but it was the kind of thinking that kept her afloat.

yet she was not prepared for whatever charming move this was. his presence so near and then suddenly he is before her. a sturdy wall of stone and ice, only it is this man and his brilliant northern hues. she wished to reach out to him, to trace the shade of his large figure.

instead she only halted and peered up into his face.

and i think wolf likes it, too. she dared to turn this back on him! maybe wolf knows hawk is prettiest bird of north lands, hm?

and in this, she might trap him if he disagreed!

his wagging tail betrayed the warmth blooming in his chest at her words. for all his teasing bravado, there was no denying her words had hit their mark.

his tail wagged a little slower, his shoulders loosening slightly as he tipped his head toward her, the grin playing at his lips turning gentler, almost bashful.

“ja, maybe hawk prettiest. but maybe wolf biased.” he murmurs warmly.

then, with a teasing flick of his tail, he took a small step closer, leaning in just slightly. “and what does hawk think? hawk like wolf?”

she could work with biased. it played in her favor, no? not that she did this to only have his eye. she rather liked the humor he brought with him.

very much. her answer confident and decided on easily.

however she leaned in to invade his personal space now. aimed to place a kiss to his chin. a little peck, truly! just something light, something to leave him yearning for more she hoped!

it was not too uncommon where she had come from. some of the greater elders might have found it unbecoming. yet she knew it was all with good intent.

luhtar froze the moment her warmth touched his chin. surprise took hold of his face. a warm flush burning to life like a roaring wildfire beneath the plush of his thick cheeks. such a kiss rendered him momentarily speechless, his teasing demeanor faltering for a brief heartbeat. his heart thumped like a bird seeking to free itself of its cage.

his tail began wagging again—slower this time, as if nervous. for he is nervous. quite nervous! some time since he has engaged in a manner as this one with a lady. luhtar forgets how to behave for several beats, gawking at her as if she had just lost her tail.

his tail twitches into a faster wag between his haunches.

his head lowers, chin pushing into the thick ruff of fur upon his shoulders. bashfully. his eyes seek to look her in the gaze but he instead looks about her face, too nervous to look her in the eyes, a smile warming his expression. he feels boyish now. but it does not make him angry. luhtar knows that it is not-not manly to feel such things.

hawk make wolf forget how to speak. he laughs warmly, before turning, pitching feet into a playful trot. wishing for her to come with. he bounds through the snow like a young pup, a warm laugh rattling the timbre of his voice.

for a moment, she thinks she's really gone and done it now.

his silence and his stare. she felt an apology growing on the tip of her tongue. maybe she should have dared to learn more about this man first before she kissed him. like maybe if he had a wife.

how easy it was to tumble down such lines of thinking!

she could have wept when wolf finally wags a bit faster, speaks hopeful words. the relief she felt lowered her racing pulse. only for a moment. it rose again with a fiery greatness when he is off. trotting away in a manner that seemed so carefree and sweet. she could not resist the temptation to follow — and to show off a bit.

with her thinness came a speed and she meant to place herself in front of his path now.