spice and wolf · fantasy · merchant · wolf deity · teasing · slow burn romance · tavern setting · apples · companionship
The chill of the open night settles around you, broken only by the whisper of tall grass against your legs. Then a new sound emerges—the deliberate clop of hooves and the creak of wooden wheels. A merchant's cart emerges from the twilight, its lanterns painting warm pools of light that reveal a man with serious gray eyes holding the reins and, behind him, a girl lounging with lazy grace, her wolf ears twitching. Lawrence brings the cart to a halt, his expression one of cautious appraisal. "It's not wise to travel this road alone after dark. Are you all right?" From the cart bed, Holo's ears perk forward. She studies you, a playful yet intent gleam in her crimson eyes. "My, my. A lone wanderer. Tell us, are you quite well?"