Chapter 14 | The Stranger's Courting

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The stranger took a bundle out of his cloak

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The stranger took a bundle out of his cloak.


A caribou pelt was carefully tied together with a string. He'd offer it to her, his hidden gaze peering at her gently.

She took it with both hands, looking down at it in fascination. "Is this a gift?" She asked softly, peering up at the stranger. He nodded curtly.

Pulling away the string, she unfolded the pelt to gaze at what it hid.

Dark red and brown beads were tied together to form a necklace, the small tip of an antler tied at its bottom. The piece of jewelry was handmade- but she struggled to imagine him making something so beautiful with his massive hands.

"It's beautiful..." She whispered, grazing her fingertips along the antler piece. It was real.

Looking up at him, he appeared to tense under her gaze. Lily wished, more than anything, that she could see his face. "Why are you giving me this...?" She'd ask, not ungrateful but curious.

"... Lovely women deserve a man that can protect and care for them." He began, lowering his crouch to sit on the ground. He was hunched over but still towering over her smaller frame. "To keep them warm, fed, and safe."
Lily's face lit up red at his indirect compliment. "I made that for you." He rumbled, clenching and unclenching his fists- as if he were fidgeting. "Thank you." She beamed, "That's... that's so generous of you. This makes me so happy."

He watched as she tied the necklace around her neck- letting it hand overtop her cowl so it could be seen.

"You're adorable." She blurted.

He tensed further, breath catching at her sudden compliment. "I'm not adorable." He quickly argued.

"I'm a hunter- I hunted that deer and sawed off that antler with my own two hands." He'd explain, slightly leaning toward her as he did everything to convince her otherwise.

Lily giggled girlishly, smiling brightly. "You're right." She agreed, "... Doesn't stop you from being cute, though." She added.

The cloaked man leaned back and muttered incomprehensibly. It wasn't that hard for her to tell he was getting adorably flustered. Something about seeing a massive man get flustered from her comments empowered her.

Was he trying to show how capable he was? Maybe he wanted to grab her interest.

So far, she has learned that he is absolute husband material.

"What's your name?" She asked eagerly, slightly leaning toward him. He leaned toward her- but quickly pulled himself back after the unconscious action.

"... I-" He stammered, "I can't tell you that."

She frowned, which seemed to upset him. "I'd tell you a fake one, but—" He turned his head to look down. " I don't have the heart to do that."

Oh, god, he was such a sweetheart.

Lily couldn't help but wonder why he felt such conviction and loyalty toward her. This was their third meeting- and he appeared to be slightly clingy. She was beginning to think that they... knew each other. 
Suddenly, his much larger and calloused hands rose. His fingertips grazed her cheeks and jaw before he rested his palms on them. Lily's face got extremely red, the tips of her ears brightening. Her pale skin didn't help hide her flustered nature.

The stranger rumbled with a chuckle, making her heart skip a beat.

"I... I can't describe why," He muttered, taking his hands away from her face- to her dismay, "But I can ease some curiosities."

Her brows raised before furrowing in confusion.


She watched his fingers grasp the hem of his hood.

She watched his fingers grasp the hem of his hood

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