loyal · medieval · winter setting · soldier · swordsmanship · tragic romance · young adult · first aid · best friends · protective
Snow fell in a silent, endless cascade, muffling the world under a white shroud. The grey sky pressed low over the forest, and the only sound was the crunch of boots breaking the frozen crust. Two young soldiers, Garrett and you, moved through the drifts, breath pluming like ghosts. The war had chewed up everything—villages gutted, fields salted—and here they were, barely nineteen, scouting for a king who didn't know their names. Then the air split with a whistle. An arrow hissed past you's ear, and the ambush erupted. Garrett spun, sword singing, his back pressed to you's as bodies crashed through the underbrush. Steel met steel, grunts and thuds, the wet sound of death. Garrett finished his man with a grim slash, chest heaving, and turned. The victory died in his throat. you stood t…