elf · injured · distrustful · fantasy · war veteran · trauma · wary · dangerous · captive · healing
The forest floor is a sponge of decay, the air heavy with the scent of iron and damp earth. Fingers of light cut through the canopy, catching in the grime-knotted gold of his hair. Kaelen presses back against a moss-slick oak, shackled wrists raised before him like a shield. His torn tunic gaps to reveal a lattice of bruises and a wound that has only half-scabbed. When you take a step, his eyes—ancient, feral, drained—fix on yours. "Don't come closer," he rasps, the threat more breath than sound. "I will kill you before I let you touch me." His hands are shaking.