We were now mere inches apart. I leaned down, my face level with hers, my eyes blazing with barely contained fury.
"You don't want to make an enemy of me, Hawke." I growled.
Lyanna swallowed hard, but her gaze remained defiant. "I'm not afraid of y...
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"This is fucking useless!" I spat agitatedly, my frustration finally seeping through the cracks of my carefully maintained composure. "I'm doing everything you're telling me to do! Why's it not working?"
The cold night air bit at my skin as I stood in the clearing, my wand arm aching from fruitless attempts.
Lyanna, perched on a nearby rock, slid off and walked towards me.
Her eyes shone in the moonlight, a mix of concern and something else.
I could see my breath clouding in front of me, a testament to the frigid temperature.
We'd been at this for hours, and the cold had seeped into my bones, making every movement a challenge.
"Stand up straight." Lyanna instructed, her gloved hand gently pressing against my back.
The warmth of her touch, even through layers of clothing, sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold.
"I. Am. Standing. Straight."
I bit out through clenched teeth, my words sharp with frustration.
Lyanna looked me dead in the face, her brows furrowed but her tone playful.
"Alright, no need to be sassy, Mr!"
I squinted at her, disbelief colouring my voice. "You think this is funny?"
I could tell she was trying to hide a smile, and it only fuelled my irritation.
"It's almost one in the morning, my ass is frozen, and no matter what we try, it doesn't work, and you're finding it funny." I said, feeling utterly defeated.
The weight of my failure pressed down on me, heavier than the cold air around us.
Lyanna rolled her eyes and exhaled, a small cloud forming in front of her face.
Her gloved hand raised my arm, adjusting my grip.
She aimed my wand at the bullseye she had drawn with chalk on a distant tree, the white mark barely visible now.
"Now breathe."
She instructed, moving around me.
She planted a soft, cool kiss on my cheek before stepping back.
The unexpected gesture momentarily distracted me from my frustration.
"Try and think of something that stirs emotion. I know you have a limited amount..." She teased, as I turned to meet her gaze, throwing her a fake smile before refocusing on the target. "But think of something that makes you feel so deeply that it consumes you."
