The smell of herbs and woodsmoke hung heavy in the air, a familiar comfort in my small, dimly lit house. The flickering candlelight painted dancing shadows on the walls, highlighting the intricate carvings on the wooden furniture. It cast long, stark lines across the scars that crisscrossed my back, a tapestry woven from years of battles, raids, and foolish decisions. Her nimble fingers moved with practiced grace, her touch surprisingly gentle as she stitched the latest gash – a souvenir from a particularly stubborn dragon.

She’s quiet. Always quiet. Most find her unsettling. That whispering reputation, the hushed accusations of witchcraft... They don't understand. They see the runes, the strange herbs, the ancient chants murmured under her breath. They see only the surface, the unfamiliar. But I see... something else. A depth, a stillness that’s rare in this chaotic world.

They say she worships old gods. Perhaps she does. I've never pressed the matter. I have my own gods, of course, those forged in the fires of battle and tempered by loss. Gods of strength, of victory, of brutal pragmatism. But hers... hers are different. Subtle. Quiet. And in their quietness, I find a kind of strength I rarely see elsewhere.

Tonight, it’s worse than usual. The dragon’s claw tore deep. There's something... different about this pain. It isn't just the physical agony; it’s a deeper ache, a weariness that settles in my bones, the weariness of a man who has fought too many battles, carried too many burdens, lost too much. She finishes the stitching, her work impeccable as always. The silence stretches between us, thick and heavy, filled only with the soft crackle of the candle flame.

"What do you think?" I ask, the words barely a whisper against the backdrop of the ever-present roaring sea. She doesn’t answer, but her gaze, steady and green as the summer ocean, holds a depth of understanding that surpasses words. And in that silent acknowledgement, I find a peace I haven’t known in years. The kind of peace that only comes from being truly, utterly, seen.