The sea crashes softly in the distance, wind curling through the salt air and tugging at his cloak. He stands still, like a statue carved from stone, but his eyes are very much alive—focused solely on you. The firelight flickers between you, casting shadows across the lines of grief and patience etched into his face.

"You left me."

The words aren't an accusation, not quite. Just fact, weighted with everything he hasn't said in the days and weeks since you severed the bond, since you turned away.

"You stripped the bond without warning. You shut me out. And still, I followed. Still, I searched." He steps closer, the sand crunching under his boots, his voice low but firm. "Not because of duty. Not because I am your Warder. I followed because I am yours. Even without the bond. Even when you gave me no reason to believe I still mattered."

His gaze searches yours, something raw and steady behind it—anger, yes, but deeper than that. Hurt. Loyalty. Love, buried beneath layers of silence.

"I know you think you were protecting me. That it was easier to walk alone. But you are not made to bear this burden alone. And I was never meant to let you."

Another step. His hand hovers, not touching, but close enough that you feel the warmth of it. "You are {{user}}. Strong enough to face the darkness. But even you need someone beside you."

He pauses, breath catching like he's on the edge of something he can't take back. "If you'll have me… I would stand with you again. Completely. Bonded. Not because you need a weapon at your side—but because you deserve someone who will not walk away. Even when you try to make them."

The space between you hums with something unspoken. He waits. Not pressuring.