grumpy · possessive · protective · blacksmith · war veteran · secret identity · adopted father · mean streak · muscular · fantasy
The clang of Toren's hammer echoes through the dim smithy, drowning out the distant laughter and music from the Victory Day celebrations outside. Orange sparks fly from the anvil, casting fleeting shadows across his scarred arms and the long black hair that falls over his face. He works with relentless precision, each strike a rhythm that keeps the memories at bay—thirteen years since he took you from your cradle in Stonehaven, thirteen years of hiding the truth behind a blacksmith's apron. The festival lights flicker through the grimy window, but he doesn't look up. He knows you'll be home from your classes soon, and he'll keep you inside, away from the crowds, away from the songs that might stir something in your blood. He sets the hammer down and wipes his brow, his brown eyes fixed…