The passage was a place he had only been to in passing before now. His toes sunk into the sand and in that moment he considered the thought of not stopping. He didn't have to. He could leave just as he was sure his family had done over time. Eyes seemed to darken in their blue hue as the storm inside brewed. He was torn. He felt as if he chased after dreams that he could not obtain.

He knew he couldn't go. He couldn't quit on Amaryllis just yet. Not on Renfri and those he had met within. Though his connections were few- he would aim to change that. He found a place in the open as he took a poised seat on his reclined haunches. There was a light snowfall that had begun some minutes prior to his entry to the territory, coating the passage in a blanket of white. He'd wait there, obviously presented to those who may come.

---

I hear the war raging all around me; Somehow I feel like I was born for this

I can taste the fear but I choose courage

code by corvus

It had been some time since she’d gone to the passage, but it was imperative that they built their numbers. That was the main reason she’d ventured out there, but as she neared and caught sight of a familiar form, her pace quickened a bit. The sight of @Henrik here, rather than at her borders had her stomach doing a small flip. They’d not had many opportunities to spend much time together, but she cared for him in much the same way she cared for Orchid, and she wanted to keep him close to her.

Don’t tell me you’re done with me already? She questioned as she neared him, her tone light, but she wasn’t sure she would handle it well if he confirmed. She wanted to go closer to him, to greet him with the kind of familiarity they’d shared when he joined her in the Brook, but the passage was too public, too exposed. If he really was here to find a home away from her, she didn’t want to risk additional rejection in a place where others were likely to witness it.

@Henrik

art by drify & code by daanyen

The single face that he had least expected- (hoped to not see?) arrived first. She was a glorious burst of sunshine that overtook the cloudy, snow-riddled day they truly lived in. Oh, how he cursed the way his heart began to race as she neared. The way the urge to go to her was far stronger than his will to sit still.

He had found himself on his paws before he could stop. He lingered a few steps before he caught himself, which he would cause it to appear as if he wanted to merely close a bit more distance between them. He took note of the way she kept at bay as well. Was it him- or the place? The question gave him hope that it was not him.

"You are hard to keep track of." From one place to another he has already followed. So quickly it was gone before he could even settle. She smelled of her husband again- more strongly than last time, of a home somewhere he had not explored. He feared if he stared too long, his resolve would melt away.


@Renfri

---

I hear the war raging all around me; Somehow I feel like I was born for this

I can taste the fear but I choose courage

code by corvus

He stepped towards her as if it were an instinct, but he did not come close enough. Not as close as he had before. She felt a pang in her chest, knowing she had no official claim over him yet, no right to demand he continue to follow her as much as she wanted to. At his reply, she could only offer a sad smile. I’m sorry for that. My family is not exactly popular here, many wish to drive us out. It hadn’t been her choice to bounce from place to place, but she should have done more to show him that she wanted him to come with her. When she lost, he was the first one to come to her side, and she regretted not asking him to stay at her side then.

Aeistrios took a new home for us in Andal Oasis, where I am Queen again. Our ranks have filled out some, but I would make Gentry there, if you wanted. The words felt awkward and wrong. Too formal, and not at all what she really wanted to offer him. But power was the only language she knew, the only hook she could think to offer to ensure he stayed with her. She was a scarred and crippled thing now, a far cry from the unblemished beauty that had ensnared Aeistrios when she first arrived in these lands. She shifted forward, hating the feeling of uncertainty on what to say next. Her own heart hammered in her chest, wishing they could have been having this conversation in a more private setting.

I can’t promise that we will be in the Oasis forever, but I can promise there will always be a place for you wherever I go, if you want it. She didn’t know if that would be enough, if that was something he would even want, but she had to make sure he knew where she stood. If he wanted it, she would be his as much as she was Aeistrios’.

@Henrik

art by drify & code by daanyen

There is no resentment toward her to be found as she explained. In fact, he wanted to do nothing more than go to her and give her the comfort that he could tell she needed. The formalities that held him in place pained him to an indescribable degree. But alas, she gives the offer of her home once more and a rank at her side. There is a touch of sadness that would reach the corners of his eyes. In a time that almost seemed too long ago to remember- he would have jumped at the offer. He would have taken it and fought his way to something better.

Now, it was a mere gesture to pull him in. One that wasn't even needed. She lingered forward some and he found himself doing the same. Even if the distance was shortened, the space between them still seemed too far.

There are promises that come next. Even though she can not offer him the stability that he craves- she offers herself. He would regard her with his softened gaze. Unable to hold on to any thought before- why had he come here? He could have looked harder. His resolve melted in the silence he had upheld. Paws sifted through the sand the last few feet needed until he could find her. His muzzle would attempt to brush at her cheek. ""I almost fear how badly I want just that."" His voice is a low rumble before he seeks to try and wrap his cranium around her smaller neck to pull her into him. "Take me home again."


@Renfri

---

I hear the war raging all around me; Somehow I feel like I was born for this

I can taste the fear but I choose courage

code by corvus

There was once a time where Renfri would not have cared if he came or went, would not have felt the sinking feeling in her gut when she saw him here, when he kept his distance upon seeing her. She would have sneered, claimed it was his loss, and she would have told herself he didn’t matter. Only now was she realizing that that, too, had been the same insecurity she felt now, only she couldn’t turn a blind eye to the swirling emotions that she’d been forced to confront more often than she would have liked in recent years. Amaryllis had changed her, and she didn’t know yet if it was for better or worse.

She held her breath as she watched his reactions. He was still for too long, giving no indication one way or another if her offer of a rank had been welcome or wanted, no immediate acceptance as he had before. It wasn’t until she offered herself that the tension seemed to break, and she was able to let out a shaky exhale, lifting her head to meet his touch. She allowed him to pull her closer, savoring his words of fear and desire. She leaned into him, closing her eyes for a moment despite how exposed they were. Stepping back after a moment,she gestured towards the Oasis and began to move in that direction, keeping herself at his side, rather than leading the way. There was much left unsaid, but she found herself lacking the words to convey anything else. All she wanted in that moment was to get him home quickly where they could be alone together.

-Exit-
@Henrik

art by drify & code by daanyen

Relief is felt through every inch of his large bulk as she sinks into his embrace. Despite who may see- he needed this informal touch of affection to fully seal his fate. He knew the moment he walked away with her, that there was no coming back. He would tie him ever after in with hers, in one way or another. He may not be her first husband, but he could settle with that. As long as she could.

They parted and he let out a small breath that he hadn't noticed that he had held. Her words caused his cranium to bob in agreement. He would let her direct them, from his side, which delighted him even more.


-exit-
@Renfri

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I hear the war raging all around me; Somehow I feel like I was born for this

I can taste the fear but I choose courage

code by corvus