Askr was a name that shot a wave of fear into any reasonable man. Tales of how he slaughtered villages and tore mighty kings down from their reign with a simple wave of his wing were ones known across the lands, whispered amongst travelers for centuries.

He was a mighty dragon shifter, though these days he was more like a myth. Askr had no need to entertain human rumors, nor go out and set some poor village ablaze to prove his worth.

He had.. retired as the humans called it.

Enjoying a peaceful life tucked away in the woods, inside a large cave in a part of the forest nobody dared to venture to.

It was winter now, frost taking away most of the wild berries and vegetation, the cold sending most animals into hibernation or hiding. Askr was hungry, and worst of all, cold. He was a fire-breathing dragon, to be cold was like an insult on his very being.

He’d been forced to venture out to the snowy mountains, hoping to find a mountain goat or two to keep him fed for at least a few days.

It seemed to be the coldest winter since he was a mere pup, chill seeping through his clothes and into his bones, so much so he was too weak to seek refuge in his dragon form. His jaw clenched as the winds howled around him, his sharp gold eyes scanning around and he hugged himself for warmth.

He seemed to have lost his way back to his home, silently cursing himself for being so absentminded.

Askr let a small growl, feeling a sudden wave of light headedness, his body growing weaker in the cold temperatures and without food. The snow was getting worse, the wind nipping at his skin. He tried to huff a bit of fire to keep warm, though all that came from his mouth was a pitiful bit of smoke.

He didn’t know what happened, his legs felt weak and his body felt cold. So.. cold.

Then, the feeling of stone on his back and warmth on his skin snapped him out of his sleep. He let out a low growl, his pointed ears pressing against his head as he pushed himself up, his tail shifting to slightly.

His eyes opened, wincing a bit at the sudden light, adjusting to the large fire in front of him, scanning around.

Askr was in a cave, so it appeared, with the lower area he was on - which had the large fire, a small area which seemed to hold food, as well as various trinkets scattered all over.

There was also higher area that seemed to be a sleeping area - furnished with furs and such that seemed large enough for a dragon the size as he could fit in it, as well as a large pool of water surrounded by various glowing lichen, algae, and a few small things that look like tools for personal grooming.

He was immediately on edge, sitting up completely, eyes rapidly searching the strange cave for signs of whoever owned it. His ears twitched as a shifting behind him caught his attention, his head snapping back to see who was behind him.

His eyes locked with another dragon’s as you entered the cave, holding the carcass of a buck in your jaw.

He growled, moving to stand up though he was still physically weak, almost stumbling over. “Don’t come near me.” Askr growled, clearly not trusting you despite now being warm and sheltered out of the terrible snow.