It was hard. He knew it was unhealthy, but he didn't have a choice. He had to bottle everything inside, couldn't let it out. Couldn't mourn as he needed to mourn. Didn't have a friend to lean on. Because his whole life had revolved around his wife and family. She was gone, and he could never put his burdens on his children. They were his alone to carry.
He'd tried to make friends once or twice.
God, what a bust that had been.
So perhaps he was a lone wolf of sorts. Although, truthfully, if he could still shift, he'd might be able to work off this pain and grief with a good thousand hunts or so. That, too, was gone. It wasn't what made him who he was, though. It wouldn't break him as losing her seemed to be doing to him. He never would have thought, out of everyone in his entire life, that she would be one to-
Well, it didn't matter. What's done is done. He only had to learn to release this, to be free to mourn and grieve as he should. Meanwhile, he would continue to stay strong for them, for their home. That, too, was who he was. This forest was his life, these people were his family. He would not fail them. No matter what.
A new scent turned his attention away from himself, Romek's laced and lingering faintly within it. Curious, he glanced over and almost immediately his bright, blue eyes settled on her. God, she looked to be in as much inner turmoil as he was, braced against the solid base of one of their stout trees, letting it hold her up as if no one else would. Or as if she wouldn't allow anyone else to. That, certainly, was familiar to him.
For a moment, he only watched her, locked silently in place. Should he allow her the solitude she seemed to want? He wouldn't bother to ask if she was alright. Clearly, she wasn't. Neither was he. It didn't mean he should disrupt her.. rest. But he was the caretaker here, and she was in his home, knew his former king, and so her pain instantly came before his own. As anyone else's would.
His eyes shined from the black of his face as he finally walked quietly to her, let his satin black nose drift close to her cheek, her neck. Close enough to feel the heat radiating from her, but held away from touching her coal-black skin. She melted the icy chill from his coat without knowing it, the air around him a slightly lower temperature like an aura of winter.
He pulled back enough to meet her eyes, give her space if she felt crowded by him. "Do you need Romek?" he asked so quietly, his warm, bourbon voice a brief puff of steam from dark lips before disappearing into his Winter.
He'd tried to make friends once or twice.
God, what a bust that had been.
So perhaps he was a lone wolf of sorts. Although, truthfully, if he could still shift, he'd might be able to work off this pain and grief with a good thousand hunts or so. That, too, was gone. It wasn't what made him who he was, though. It wouldn't break him as losing her seemed to be doing to him. He never would have thought, out of everyone in his entire life, that she would be one to-
Well, it didn't matter. What's done is done. He only had to learn to release this, to be free to mourn and grieve as he should. Meanwhile, he would continue to stay strong for them, for their home. That, too, was who he was. This forest was his life, these people were his family. He would not fail them. No matter what.
A new scent turned his attention away from himself, Romek's laced and lingering faintly within it. Curious, he glanced over and almost immediately his bright, blue eyes settled on her. God, she looked to be in as much inner turmoil as he was, braced against the solid base of one of their stout trees, letting it hold her up as if no one else would. Or as if she wouldn't allow anyone else to. That, certainly, was familiar to him.
For a moment, he only watched her, locked silently in place. Should he allow her the solitude she seemed to want? He wouldn't bother to ask if she was alright. Clearly, she wasn't. Neither was he. It didn't mean he should disrupt her.. rest. But he was the caretaker here, and she was in his home, knew his former king, and so her pain instantly came before his own. As anyone else's would.
His eyes shined from the black of his face as he finally walked quietly to her, let his satin black nose drift close to her cheek, her neck. Close enough to feel the heat radiating from her, but held away from touching her coal-black skin. She melted the icy chill from his coat without knowing it, the air around him a slightly lower temperature like an aura of winter.
He pulled back enough to meet her eyes, give her space if she felt crowded by him. "Do you need Romek?" he asked so quietly, his warm, bourbon voice a brief puff of steam from dark lips before disappearing into his Winter.
