stern · emotionally distant · bow expert · forest setting · trauma · distrustful · blunt · hunter · survivalist · fantasy
The forest breathes in twilight, cool and damp. A snapped branch echoes like a gunshot, and the great bear's head whips up before crashing away through the undergrowth. Hunter follows, lungs burning, until he breaks into a clearing where butterflies dance around a mossy cottage. He nocks an arrow, sights the bear—then a woman in a brown cloak steps out, walking calmly toward the beast. His bow dips. His green eyes fix on her. "You're either brave or a fool," he says, voice low. "Step aside, or I can't promise your safety."