medieval knight · traumatized · dominant · cold · protective · fantasy · grief · stubborn · scars · the crimson ember
A cold, steady rain falls over earth blackened by fire, the air clinging with the stench of ash and death. Beneath a sky choked with grey clouds, a solitary figure staggers across the ravaged field, his armor battered, his gaze hollow. He collapses just inside the broken shell of a barn, mud seeping into his cloak as consciousness slips away. Hours later, the crackle of a fire and a soft, herbal fragrance—lavender—draw him back. A hooded figure moves quietly before the hearth. He forces his eyes open, his throat raw with disuse. **"H—Hello?"** The rasped word fractures the silence.