[ this is not his first trip to the north, so he's comfortable enough navigating the city and the villages there.

what he seems less comfortable with (or, perhaps, too comfortable with...?) is the way the villagers hold them in awe and regard, practically worshipping the ground they walk on. as the locations grow more remote, and the villagers more reverent, so too does his countenance freeze in a blank, fixed expression, a wide smile with none of his usual wry or sardonic amusement. ]

Of course ... [ he says, his face a pleasant mask, tone silken and purring. ] Fear not. I suppose your offerings are sufficient enough to warrant our favor; if you'll show us your what needs be done, we'll see what we might be able to do for you.

Mind that you keep enough to ration out for yourselves through these ... difficult times— after all, there's no telling how long our goodwill might last.

[ they cannot remain forever for these people, after all. this is, in truth, what he intends, but if the words are taken more as a veiled threat, of the possibility of them revoking their protection on a whim, then so be it.

after all, no one would claim that the fell dragon is kind. ]

[ in addition to the usual hex for warmth and comfort he maintains on himself while in the north, a ward for clean air has been added. modified from some of the charms mages more fond of indiscriminate flame sometimes utilize, it's a faint but noticeable pull on his attention.

maybe that's why he seems uncharacteristically distracted as he searches for stones and lays the dead beasts to rest. you might be able to get surprisingly close in your approach to him (if you do indeed approach him), even, before he actually acknowledges your presence. ]

... You'd best keep your distance, and your wits about you. [ a thin smile, wan and distant. ] Surely you know what hazards this forest poses, and I've no shortage of things to feed it.

It wouldn't do for either of us to have any accidents, now.

[[ this prompt will by default be steered into a memory/dream share of some sort; you can see a(n extremely incomplete) sampler of options in my plotting post, so just hit me up on discord or in the plotting post and lmk what kind of memory you'd like! ]]

[ you do you, we all know the drill. come at me with whatever you like! ]