I will be your lighthouse
He watched the wind drift past them and shuffle her hair. The strands caught the forest light like spun honey, glowing with an undeniable brilliance. He smiled, content enough to sit here for hours and simply be with her. "Ludo might be the wisest of them all," Iskra murmured. He did not often pay the gods much thought, as they weren't prone to do much the same for him. He found it easy to agree with Ludo's sentiments though, and easier still to admire the champion he'd chosen.
Leaning forward, Iskra propped his elbows on his knees, chin in his hands as he listened, imagining the tales she listed. A smile shaped itself to his face and stayed there, soft and steady. "Your adventures sound much more thrilling," he admitted, exhaling wistfully. To think of all he could have been doing with his time over these years... So much time lost, when he could’ve been... living. "You must come to Halo!" he agreed, sitting up suddenly as the thought of it ignited excitement. "I mean, you're always welcome. The people could certainly use some cheering up. They're good folk, just a bit rough around the edges. The cold does that, I think." He chuckled, picturing the curmudgeonly shopkeepers. "You could host some sled dog racing! Or, there's always snowball fights, of course. Ice skating, sleigh rides, icicle growing—oh! And we have the best hot chocolate, hands down."
He lost himself for a moment, imagining all that could be. All the things they could do—whether with the city or just the two of them. For Ludo. Or just... because. Then he faltered. The words had kept coming, tumbling over one another, until he realized how many pictures he’d painted with her in them. His breath hitched the slightest bit, and he glanced away, suddenly unsure if he’d gone too far. He forgot himself and began dreaming, and it didn't seem fair to assume she'd be there for all of it. "I mean... only if you want to. If those sound like good ideas, or something that fits with what you need to do." When his eyes found hers again, the smile was still there—small and uncertain, but hopeful all the same.
Leaning forward, Iskra propped his elbows on his knees, chin in his hands as he listened, imagining the tales she listed. A smile shaped itself to his face and stayed there, soft and steady. "Your adventures sound much more thrilling," he admitted, exhaling wistfully. To think of all he could have been doing with his time over these years... So much time lost, when he could’ve been... living. "You must come to Halo!" he agreed, sitting up suddenly as the thought of it ignited excitement. "I mean, you're always welcome. The people could certainly use some cheering up. They're good folk, just a bit rough around the edges. The cold does that, I think." He chuckled, picturing the curmudgeonly shopkeepers. "You could host some sled dog racing! Or, there's always snowball fights, of course. Ice skating, sleigh rides, icicle growing—oh! And we have the best hot chocolate, hands down."
He lost himself for a moment, imagining all that could be. All the things they could do—whether with the city or just the two of them. For Ludo. Or just... because. Then he faltered. The words had kept coming, tumbling over one another, until he realized how many pictures he’d painted with her in them. His breath hitched the slightest bit, and he glanced away, suddenly unsure if he’d gone too far. He forgot himself and began dreaming, and it didn't seem fair to assume she'd be there for all of it. "I mean... only if you want to. If those sound like good ideas, or something that fits with what you need to do." When his eyes found hers again, the smile was still there—small and uncertain, but hopeful all the same.
Iskra
