The winter frailty clung to the edges of the God's Garden, ice creeping over the stone foundations and climbing up the many wild herbs. The normally pungent scents were dulled by the frost, silenced beneath a blanket of white. Talyssa breathed in deeply, her breath misting in front of her pale blue-grey gaze. Her ivory and matte gold coat a stark against the mostly untouched snow. The stillness of the God's Garden was only broken by her solitary footfalls and the distant rustling of animals seeking refuge against the creeping cold. Her mind was not on the landscape, however, but on finding Quill.

She knew she had been too invested in her studies, that they had come to stay in hearthstone longer than she intended. Her guilt gnawed at her through the cold, the weight of her unrealized distance sitting heavy in her heart. But now, she wanted to reward his patience with her undivided attention.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

It didn't bother Quill to be left to his own devices. That was how he'd spent the majority of his life, after all. At least he knew there Talyssa was; safe with her family in the castle. So much social interaction... that just wasn't his thing. After a while it grated on him and he needed to get out into the world and breathe. That was what he'd been doing with Talyssa found him.

Lately, his thoughts had been consumed with the strange fae from his dreams. Well... she wasn't only from his dreams. They'd seen one another twice, the second time resulting in him saving her life from a bear. The same situation that had led him to meeting and becoming infatuated with Talyssa, actually. He couldn't deny the fact that the draw towards the other woman was intriguing, but he wouldn't leave Talyssa high and dry.

Approaching pawsteps had the big brute turning his head. He'd swept off a big slab of stone and was laying upon it as though it were his very own throne. Seeing Talyssa, Quill pushed his paws into the stone, sitting up and shaking out his thick, braided mane. "Look who finally decided to come outside," he teased lightly.

"Quill Klein"

Talyssa couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his jest, a hint of amusement dancing in her gaze. She made her way towards him, her movements graceful despite the slick layer of ice covering the ground. “I thought I might find you here,” she said, her voice soft against the silence of the garden. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, Your Highness." her voice laced with playful sarcasm as she teased back, a wry smirk tugging at her lips even as her heart clenched with guilt. She came to stand before his stone throne, the pale glow of her ivory and gold coat casting a soft illumination

For a long moment, she simply studied him, taking in the mix of light and dark greys that marked his large, muscular form. The aqua and pale pink eyes which had always fascinated her, held her gaze with a quiet intensity. She stepped closer, a hint of hesitation in her otherwise confident stride. "I've missed you," she confessed, her pale blue-grey gaze held steady on his own. "I've been preoccupied in books and studies … but that's no excuse.”

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Talyssa showed a bit of shame at having neglected him with her attentions and Quill gave a soft shrug from his perch. "You were with family and in your home. It's understandable." Unlike Talyssa, Quill didn't have a home. Nothing to go back to. His family was scattered to the winds. Quill had always thought that this didn't bother him and that he was fine just wandering the world and being alone. As he got older, his view of things seemed to change. He wanted a place to rest comfortably at night. He wanted someone to stand beside him, sleep beside him, build a life with him. Quill wanted a home.

Time away from Talyssa had cooled some of the obsession within the marbled brute. Being so wrapped up within her day in and day out had clouded his mind, making him think of nothing else. He imagined time alone had been beneficial for both of them. She got to breathe and learn and spend time with family and he got to reflect. Back to the days that he'd spent alone out in the wilds with no one to rely on but himself. No one to care for. No place to call home. It had been a sobering realization for Quill. He knew what he wanted.

"What's the plan now?"Quill slid back down to lay on his belly, forelegs crossing as his blush and ice gaze rested upon Talyssa's face. What were her plans? He doubted that they coincided with his own. She had a wanderers spirit and he had exhausted that spirit during his earliest days. He didn't know what this meant for them.

"Quill Klein"

Talyssa took a moment to consider his question, her brow furrowing with thought as she observed the way Quill's eyes seemed to dance with curiosity. “The plan?” She echoed, allowing the words to hang in the chilly air for a moment longer than necessary. A part of her wanted to say that her plan was to study harder, to bury herself in scrolls and ink until she could unravel every mystery of the world before her. Yet another part, the part that craved connection and warmth, whispered something else. “I’ve never been good at plans.” She took a deep breath, the crisp winter air filling her lungs, and let the moment stretch a little longer, trying to gather her thoughts.

After a heartbeat, Talyssa felt the weight of her indecision pressing down as she wiped the snow from a nearby stone with her paw, the cold seeping in as she traced patterns into the white expanse. “Do you know what you want, Quill?” She asked lightly, searching his expression for a glimmer of certainty amidst the uncertainty.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Mm, there was that strange mental wall again. A barrier that had erected itself during their time apart. Talyssa wasn't good at plans and she admitted it. Had you asked him a year ago, Quill would have shared this sentiment. Age had seemed to settle him, however. Now he did have plans. Or at least he had wants.

The blonde fae asked if he knew what he wanted and the maned giant took a deep breath, brows lifting momentarily. "Yes," he replied simply. "I do believe that I want a home. A place to come back to at the end of the day. Something solid that won't blow away in the wind." Like everything that his family had lost.

Quill sighed and gave a little stretch, toes flexing and claws digging into the stone beneath him. "If you still wish to go adventuring, I won't keep you from it, but I believe I'm going to ask your father to accept me as a member of The Hallows." Mismatched eyes searched the woman's face. He had no idea how she'd feel about his plans.

"Quill Klein"

Talyssa felt her heart sink at Quill's words, a mix of emotions swirling within her. She was happy for him, truly. The idea of Quill finding a place to call home, a sense of belonging, warmed her heart. Yet, she couldn't ignore the pang of sadness that accompanied the realization that their paths were diverging. "A home," she echoed softly, her gaze drifting to the snow-covered landscape beyond. "That's... that's wonderful, Quill.” She paused, finding that mismatched gaze of his one more time. “My father is a good man. The Hallows would be lucky to have you." She managed a small smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Talyssa took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she knew she had to say. "But you're right. I'm not... I'm not done.” Talyssa's voice trailed off as she looked out across the frozen landscape of God's Garden. The herbs and flowers lay dormant under a blanket of snow, waiting for spring's awakening. She felt a similar dormancy within herself - a restlessness, a need to grow that could not be satisfied by staying in one place. "So I guess ... I guess this is goodbye."

The words hung heavy in the air between them, laden with unspoken emotions and shared memories. Talyssa felt a lump form in her throat, but she swallowed it down, determined to face this moment with grace and honesty. "I care for you deeply, Quill," she continued, her voice soft but steady. "And I'm grateful for everything we've shared … just take care of yourself, okay?” She finished, offering him a half-sided grin that masked the storm of emotions roiling inside her, a brave attempt to remain steadfast even as the ground beneath her felt unsteady.

"Talyssa Carpathius"

Quill could see the pained, dejected look in Talyssa's eyes and the brute sighed softly. He didn't want to hurt her but sometimes things changed. She admitted that she wasn't done and the maned man nodded. "I wouldn't expect you to stop your journey because of me," he spoke honestly. Talyssa was a wild spirit and for a while he had been one too. Now he just... wasn't.

Talyssa said her goodbye's and hearing it aloud made Quill grimace. She admitted that she cared for him, which he knew that she did. Another sigh pulled from the brute and he rose, stepping down from his stone perch. Moving towards Talyssa, he easily scooped her into his embrace, holding her against his chest firmly enough to show his care, but gently enough to allow her to pull away if she wished. "I care deeply for you as well, Talyssa Carpathius," he rumbled, his cheek against the top of her head. "I can't wait to hear all about your adventures." He knew that there would be many.

Pulling back enough that he could look down at her, Quill's expression was serious. "If you ever need me, just call. This might be the end of us, but it's not the end of what we are and have been to one another." If she needed him, he'd be there to the best of his ability. A big paw raised to brush over one blonde cheek. "Don't let anyone take advantage of you," he ordered, his voice a little stern. They both knew how she was. She needed to learn to hold her own.

"Quill Klein"

Talyssa melted into Quill's strong embrace, savoring the warmth and security of his closeness around her one last time. She pressed her cheek against his chest, breathing in his familiar scent, a mix of pine and winter air. His words washed over her, a balm to the ache in her heart. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice muffled against his fur. "For everything."

She pulled back slightly to meet his gaze, her own eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The seriousness in his expression made her pause, and she listened intently as he spoke of being there for her if she ever needed him. A soft smile tugged at her lips, and she nodded. "I know. And the same goes for you, Quill. I'll always be here if you need me."

Talyssa leaned into his touch as his paw brushed over her cheek, a shiver running down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold. His stern words about not letting anyone take advantage of her brought a wry chuckle from her throat. "I'll do my best," she promised, a glint of mischief in her pale blue-grey eyes. "But you know me."

Talyssa held Quill's gaze a moment longer before reluctantly stepping back, the cold air rushing in to fill the space between them. She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and offered him a brave smile. “Goodbye, Quill.” With those parting words, Talyssa turned and began to walk away, her ivory and gold coat glinting in the weak winter sunlight filtering through the trees. Each step felt heavy, weighted with the enormity of the choice she was making.

[Exit Talyssa]
"Talyssa Carpathius"