Neverwinter Forest a whole new world

@Scimitar

The sun was just beginning to rise as they broke into the Teekon wilderness again and, more specifically, Neverwinter Forest. The taupe Eshe had been distracted nearly all their journey as she walked beside her mate, not behind or around or near but directly next to him, shoulder to shoulder. Eshe could not believe the way her life had turned out, and she could not be happier for it. But she was sensitive to his situation as well; he and Bazi had a family, and she would not forget that, or them. Eshe adored the cubs, and though her heart had once hurt to know they had existed—that Scimitar had not just a mate, but a family—the bruise had faded. Eshe had come to love each Frostfur, except for Bazi herself due to petty jealousy and the way Scimitar himself seemed to behave when the woman effected him.

Eshe had kept as well away as she possibly could when Scimitar informed her of the situation, but could not depart from him again entirely. Once he had told him of his life, Eshe had accepted it and spoke nothing of her obvious affections again. Though there was no questioning where her heart was, Eshe was a good subordinate. When she and Scimitar managed to have some time to themselves, there was that obvious tension between them—the kind that meant her feelings were not unrequited—that confused Eshe. It was deliciously unbearable, and she felt terrible for it. But not once did she try to pull him from Bazi, in case there was a time amends could be made. Eshe loved Scimitar, and so she did not even attempt to compete or compel him to be by her side so long as he and Bazi tried to make things right.

The day came when Bazi went into heat. Eshe knew that by default she too would go into heat if she lingered, and feared that she was in it when she confronted Scimitar, the way he looked at her and the way she burned for him. Inexperienced as she was Eshe could not have been certain, but she could not refuse her feelings any more: they fell from her tongue, and then she requested to be allowed to leave the Ridge until the (assumed) heat ended. Upon her return, Eshe was made aware that she was not alone in the way she felt.

Every single day as they journeyed this Winter, Eshe thought of the tide turning in her favor. Bazi had chased them away, consent enough for them to begin their courtship. And in no time at all, she was Eshe Frostfur.

Nothing made her so happy as Scimitar himself seemed to. And now her purpose was renewed! Eshe could not help but peer at him then, as lovestruck now as she was the very first day she had seen him. She felt she might throw up her heart at his feet as it rose in her throat, and Eshe could not withhold the smile. Her emotion came from her in waves, and when she turned her head, there before her stood another that she loved from the first:

Tall pinetrees of thick girth, weighted down by winters snow. The merciless onslaught of white against green only served the place in a positive fashion, and Eshe audibly gasped. She did not even know she stopped in her tracks to gaze at the place, framed perfectly in red and yellow as the sun glowed around it, its rays thrusting through the clouds. Scimitar! She breathed, as though he could not see it. She stared at Neverwinter Forest, the very place they had been looking for.

If Scimitar had learned anything about himself over the past few months, it was that he was a weak man. Eshe had come upon their borders ta the Ridge, and while he had known it would have been better for both herself and Bazi had he turned her away, he had been unable to. Instead, he stole the bits of happiness he could – like a soul sucker. His children had bared the brunt of this as well – they made him endlessly happy, and yet he had been ousted from their life now – and he couldn’t even blame the ivory she-wolf who had done so... just himself.
 
Even worse was the guilt that came upon him when he dared to feel happy at the turn of events – the ones that allowed him to finally be at the side of the silver woman. His custom was silence – but it had been even more so during their travels.
 
If Scimitar had failed at his past life, the best thing moving forward he could do would be to make Eshe happy – to be the man she deserved, rather than the man he had been.
 
They finally came to the place they had sought out. Neverwinter Forest had been a place his heart had pined for so long now, and once more he stood at the brink of it. Eshe adored it upon first sight – this he could tell by the way the light shone from her very eyes. She was everything good in life – she deserved so much more. Sidling up beside her, the large man tipped his muzzle down, preening at her ears. “We will keep going if you want – our next home is your choice.”

As his deep baritones penetrated the peculiarly muffled world, Eshe looked to him in wonderment. He was the best thing in her world, she felt; she hadn't any idea that he had condemned himself for anything, she only sought to make this creature as happy as he had made her. They had both been fairly miserable when things could not be doled out and reciprocated to one another but in their being ousted, all this had changed. Eshe had the best of every world, she felt. And she would give him every bit of her. She marveled at his eyes and the way they twinkled past twilight, and could not help but hope that their sons and daughters each were given such lovely eyes. They were treasured jewels, and each time she was able to look into them she felt an unconquerable thrill run through her.

Ah, what had he said?

Eshe blinked. She had fallen into a cliche and gotten ridiculously lost in his eyes. But as she at last understood what it was he had said, Eshe pressed her wet nose against his temple. If that is the case, then I believe we are here, she replied easily, looking back into the forest. It was beautiful, the stuff of dreams. It was a place fit for a queen, something she had never thought herself capable of being... but in meeting Scimitar, her ambition had begun to rear its head. She had proverbially placed a pillow over it to suffocate it, but much like her love it seemed to survive her abusive assault.

In any case, it seemed to exist even then as she thought of making this place theirs. She took another step closer to the forest, wondering at the newest role she would take on. Leader. It would be a real test of character; what sort of alpha would she herself be?

His eyes stole across the familiar forest, drinking in the sight. It had felt like a lifetime ago that he had been in these woods with Luka, Viinturuth and Chakra. If he had stayed, would the forest had thrived under his guard? What would his life had been like then? It was likely he would not have the kids he did today – Bazi and he would never have crossed paths.. and it was likely the same with Eshe. His gaze dropped down to her, her own eyes fixated upon the forest and he felt a surge of happiness flicker through him, if even for a stolen moment. He had made the very same promise to Bazi once – he had settled her upon a mountain in hopes to patch together their crumbling relationship.. she had resented him regardless, and in time, he her.
 
This felt different. It had to be different.
 
He didn’t deserve her – that thought would strike him again and again. It was hard to regret his second litter, but if he had known her feelings were still there, despite his attempt to fix his marriage, would he and Bazi have mated again? He did not know – but somehow he felt life would have been even more different had they not.
 
“Then we’re home,” he offered, allowing a small smile to press upon his ivory muzzle before sweeping down and giving her a gentle nudge. “We will build our home here.”

Eshe's faith was in this man before her, and as he proclaimed that this would be where they built their home, her tail waved behind her. He had told her of Neverwinter Forest; a strange name as it stood there in the winter before them... but then, she was not sure if this was the place. Do you know where this is? She asked him. She could only guess! But if so, it was exactly as he had succinctly described it to her. Coniferous trees as far as the eye could see. With the soft, powdery snow upon it the place truly looked like something out of a fairy tale.

She nosed him gently, butterflies dancing within her stomach at the touch he had given her. Mine, she thought, a little bit bewildered by the thought, all mine. Her eyes seemed to glow in the light of the risen sun, and she could not help but grin at him. This was their second step together; for she had taken his name, going from Endore to Frostfur, and now they would have their home together here! Eshe could not help but cover him in a flurry of adoring kisses, then, no restraint behind the action now that she was his and he was hers. For all their time together beforehand she had to practice such a thing; it was strange to be able to do this, now, but then she was a liberated woman now, tethered only to Scimitar. She loved his children, but did not pretend to be their mother; she was also certain not to boast her new place at their fathers side if she felt their eyes, not at all arrogant in her place there. Her goal, now, was to make him as happy as he made her.

She questioned the area, and his eyes drifted from her to steal a glance around once more. “Neverwinter Forest,” he offered, knowing she had her suspicions of where they finally stood. She brushed him in kisses, and his tail swept through the air with contentment. Theirs was a stolen moment together for now – the others lingering back to explore other areas, and placing a kiss upon the top of her crown, the large wolf swept forward, his shoulder brushing hers tenderly.

He made to coax her even further in to the coniferous forest. It truly was a sight in the winter – and he held no doubts that their home here would be secure. Of course, they would need to scout the nearby areas – last time he had set foot upon this forest, a pack had lingered practically on top of it – though the scents from then had long faded. But that was not to say they were in the clear just yet.

His nose dipped down to see if he could catch scent of any others – though his eyes would continuously dart to his mate to see how she was doing.

I knew it, she breathed excitedly, brows lifting as he revealed to her what she had once assumed and now knew for certain. She was easy to urge forward, and she did so disregarding the peaceful quiet of the atmosphere, bounding forward three times to stand ahead of him, watching as the snow she sent asunder settle beside her in spite of it being displaced. It's beautiful! The most beautiful place I have ever seen, she breathed, looking back at him and grinning. Her expression spoke her thoughts as her tail flourished over her hindquarters: And it's ours!

For all that had happened, his old dreams were coming back to life. She sought to make them come true, each and every one. She was young, and even if she had missed one heat she felt he had many years left in him yet to father more children by her, and even if they only ever had one—or never had any at all—she felt her life was completed with him by her side. Anything else to discover was certainly here, in the Teekon Wilds, where they had begun in happiness.

She followed his example and sniffed the air but as of yet noted nothing. Satisfied with her very brief investigation, Eshe turned to move back toward him. Want to show me around, tall-dark-and-handsome? Favorite places? Romantic getaways? She wiggled her brows playfully at him, moving to nip at his chin. She wanted to know this land as intimately as he did, and was eager to do so.

Her thoughts fluttered in the direction of puppies, while his drifted to making her happy while maintaining the peace with his own children. Even at his age, now wisened to the world, he felt shy of the topic, and so he did not broach it -- instead, he would live in the moment.
 
Nudging her gently as she announced her excitement, the wolf began to lead her through the forest, casting her a wry grin. "Let's explore together -- I need to piece my memory back," he spoke, his own tone a gentle murmur. Years had passed -- he was sure there had been much change, though he would also be pleasantly surprised at what had remained the same.

"Let's find our own romantic getaway," he chuckled, knowing that if there had been any in the past, he had failed t see him during his single days.

Eshe grinned at her mate, nodding her head and delivering a sweet 'kay, wanting very much so to explore the territory with him. In his piecing back together his memory, she'd start to gain her own memories. She was eager to share everything here with him, and was ready to build memories here alongside the man. The forest would be theirs.

As far as finding their own romantic getaway? Eshe wiggled toward him, lips peeled back in a grin that betrayed her excitement. More things to make their own, here. She was truly excited to find those getaways. They scarcely had the time to be intimate with all that had transpired, but that did not define their love or lessen it any. The innocent Eshe hardly thought of that, too, as she thought of these potential romantic getaways. Simply a place of quiet to share between them was all she desired.

Eshe nosed his shoulder to urge him forward. She'd soon know the woods as well as he did, but for now she was happy to let him lead the way and show her anything he did recall. Surely he was nostalgic for Neverwinter and eager to get into its depths.