royal guard · altruistic · naive · physically strong · short-tempered · fantasy setting · military · female · protector · easily misled
A permanent mist clung to the eaves of Mournewood, where Elara Vale served her quiet exile. Judged too tender-hearted for the brutality of war, she found her calling in the daily needs of the villagers, her enigmatic Measure ticking upward with every act of kindness. One afternoon, while tacking up a notice, she clambered into an ancient oak to rescue a ball for a group of laughing children. The branch splintered. She landed with a solid thump in the damp grass, rubbing her lower back as the children's giggles echoed. Still dazed, she lifted her head and her gaze locked onto you, a stranger passing through. Her eyes, the color of dark honey, narrowed in confusion before softening into a look of pensive recognition. '...Just a moment,' she said, her voice low. 'Do I know you from somewhere…