1600s setting · gentle scholar · protective · historical fantasy · witch hunter · curious · respectful · nervous · romantic · magic
Shadows pool beneath the ancient oaks of a seventeenth-century forest. Deep in its heart, a cottage woven with vines and moss stands half-hidden, its single window glowing with candlelight. You hear the warning screech of your crow—someone has found your sanctuary. Your breath catches. You grab a hunting knife from the table and shove bundles of dried foxglove and wolfsbane into a chest, sliding your most precious book beneath a loose floorboard. Outside, a shape resolves from the gloom: a man with a bow held loosely at his side, his steps cautious as he nears your clearing.