ne's

me blurred as I slowly pieced toge

ep descended upon me in fragmented bouts. Each time I closed my eyes, I could still hear Ka

steps marching toward me, no chairs scraping across the floor in a fit of frustration. The air held no t

to the demands I was used to face. I was offered sustenance

d me like a te

.. diso

a silence that wasn't

cared for without the need to apol

o one had aske

en the

e broad stone windowsill, my legs tucked beneath me, gazing out

ble mingling of pine, smoke, and the sharp tang of steel. Insti

emained

as if he was a statue carved from the same stone as the window frame, u

finally broke the quiet, his voi

lance at him. "Wher

olumes, a weighty a

ining a respectful distance between us. This wasn't fear that fue

ess, words bec

child's, and pointed toward the expansive woods dotted with snow.

t, the firelight briefly highlighting the rugged angles

," I replied. "It d

ideways toward me.

ngered between us,

ly: "Are y

physical state with its lingering cuts and bruises, nor just the ache of my wolf from a bo

, a tremor threading thro

a shared truth. "That's

esponse. "I'm not used t

s expression - a reflection of empathy devoid of pity, as though he cou

r chair by the fire instead, his presence a silent anch

ite falling outside the window. I couldn't assign a number to our shared silence - mi

comfort unfurled between us. His presence fel

and each breath deepened, fin

fe

a

y shifted, rising to stir the embers. He approached the hearth with a decisive grac

offered a lifeline: "You don't have to

minating his resolve. He didn't pressure me with his gaze, didn't angle his body t

uiet, surprising even mysel

head slightly, hi

e the bloodline for leadership. That I wasn't strong enough to lead beside him. That

between us after I spoke, he

ply: "He'

struck a chord deep within me,

inued, a resolute fire sparking in his eyes

th an inexplicable longing. "Isn't

ice firm yet gentle. "Th

expected truth, grapplin

his gaze unwavering. "It's not. You stayed in a place where you were unwanted. You smiled for a pack that watched you be m

d, emotions roi

s weakness?" he

s threatening to spil

d again. "That's survi

olding slipped from my

r spoken those

ever seen m

even

eces. He was redefining them as strong, illuminating the

e wove itself tightly around me,

l, wrapped in one of the soft wool blankets left for me, the fire cra

d through the stilln

nce more, silhouette framed

he held somethi

asked gently, conce

ling the restlessnes

handed me a heartfelt gift - a leather-bo

ply, the sincerity evident in his tone

ffering, a rush of war

ostentatious

tament that someone cared eno

as I realized the dept