{"sf1_id":null,"sf2_id":"nJEwG23m","title":"Ash and Song Chapter Five","author":"Mithrilix","words":2127,"posted_at":"2026-05-21T19:16:49.000Z","tags":["Anthro","Dragon","Dragonborn","Fantasy","Gay","Human","Love","Romance","SFW","Story Progression","Sweet","Village"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/nJEwG23m-ash-and-song-chapter-five","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/nJEwG23m","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"In the quiet village of Grovehollow, a dragonborn warrior named Toryn is trying to learn what it means to stay.  \n  \n Scarred from a life of battle and burdened by the belief that he is meant only for steel and solitude, Toryn never expects kindness—least of all from a soft-spoken human healer with golden hair and hands gentle enough to steady the fiercest flame. Cassius Ordo is shy, earnest, and quietly brave, tending wounds both seen and unseen. When he fusses over Toryn’s injuries with tender insistence, something long locked in the dragonborn’s chest begins to loosen.  \n  \n --  \n  \n My first story on here!  \n  \n I'm mostly aiming for something sweet and fluffy. Perhaps expect spicier stuff in later chapters.","content":"**Cassius** \u0026nbsp;\n\nMorning came gently to\u0026nbsp;Grovehollow.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSoft light filtered through the small window of Cass’s bedroom, pale gold and quiet, accompanied by the distant sounds of the waking village—roosters calling, wagon wheels creaking somewhere down the road, the faint murmur of early voices in the market square.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCassius stirred beneath the blanket.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor a moment, he floated in that hazy place between sleep and waking, warm and comfortable. His body felt heavy with the kind of exhaustion that came after a long day well spent.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen something in his mind tugged.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA small confusion.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass blinked slowly and rolled onto his back.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe ceiling above him came into focus.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis ceiling.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis room.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis bed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass frowned slightly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…huh?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe pushed himself upright, golden hair falling around his shoulders in a loose cascade. It was tangled from sleep and far messier than he usually allowed, strands clinging to his face as he blinked the last of the sleep from his eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe distinctly remembered sitting in the chair.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe remembered talking with Toryn.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe remembered being very tired.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut…\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass looked around the room again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was very much not in the chair.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe was in bed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nProperly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBlanket pulled up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nPillow adjusted.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass blinked again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen he looked down at himself.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis boots had been removed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass froze.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…oh.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nA slow realization crept across his face.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh!”\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks warming slightly as memory filled in the missing pieces.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe\u0026nbsp;hadn’t\u0026nbsp;walked here.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhich meant—\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Toryn carried me.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe words slipped out quietly into the empty room.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass sat there for a moment with that thought.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe image formed easily in his mind.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn\u0026nbsp;lifting\u0026nbsp;him like it was nothing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThose strong arms he had felt around his waist yesterday when he slipped—\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass’s ears turned pink.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…oh\u0026nbsp;gods.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe buried his face briefly in his hands.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHow embarrassing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had fallen asleep in the middle of the room like some overworked apprentice while a guest was still there.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd Toryn had…\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass peeked at the blanket again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nTucked him in.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCarefully.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA soft warmth settled in his chest that had nothing to do with embarrassment.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_That was\u0026nbsp;very kind_\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass swung his legs out of bed and stood, stretching slightly. His muscles protested faintly—another reminder of yesterday’s long hours—but the discomfort was manageable.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe walked into the main room of the cottage.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEverything was\u0026nbsp;tidied.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe medical supplies had\u0026nbsp;been neatly\u0026nbsp;put away.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe basin\u0026nbsp;emptied.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven the kettle had been rinsed and left beside the hearth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass paused in the doorway, looking around.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Toryn…”\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe smiled faintly\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;himself.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn\u0026nbsp;hadn’t\u0026nbsp;just carried him to bed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had quietly finished the work\u0026nbsp;Cass\u0026nbsp;had been too exhausted to complete.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass felt something warm and unfamiliar flutter quietly beneath his ribs.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe moved toward the basin to splash cool water on his face, pushing his hair back as he did.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis reflection in the small mirror showed slightly flushed cheeks and sleep-soft eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_…he\u0026nbsp;didn’t\u0026nbsp;have to do all that._\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut he\u0026nbsp;had.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass thought back to the\u0026nbsp;previous\u0026nbsp;afternoon.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn\u0026nbsp;helping\u0026nbsp;treat Jarek.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn\u0026nbsp;carrying\u0026nbsp;him home.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn quietly supporting everything Cass had needed without complaint.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass dried his face with a cloth, thoughtful now.\u0026nbsp;\n\nPeople in the village were still getting used to the\u0026nbsp;Dragonborn’s\u0026nbsp;presence.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMany were polite.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSome were wary.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMarcus had certainly been wary.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass remembered the hunter’s warning from the market.\u0026nbsp;\n\n_You trust\u0026nbsp;that Dragonborn\u0026nbsp;too easily._\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass frowned faintly at the thought.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBecause the truth was…\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe did trust\u0026nbsp;him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWithout really knowing why.\u0026nbsp;\n\nPerhaps it\u0026nbsp;was the way Toryn listened when Cass spoke.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr how carefully he\u0026nbsp;had held\u0026nbsp;Jarek’s injured body.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr the fact that when Cass had slipped yesterday—\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe memory flashed again.\u0026nbsp;\n\nStrong arms catching him instantly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHolding him close.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass felt his face warm again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…that was just because I was falling,” he told the empty room quickly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe cleared his throat and shook his head as if dismissing the thought.\u0026nbsp;\n\nStill.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe found himself smiling again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Toryn’s very dependable,” he said aloud.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass stepped outside onto the cottage stoop, breathing in the cool morning air.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe village was already beginning to stir.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSmoke from cooking fires drifted lazily upward, and somewhere down the road someone was laughing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass leaned lightly against the doorframe.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis gaze drifted toward the center of the village.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToward the forge.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe wondered if Toryn had returned to work already.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass clasped his hands loosely together, watching the distant movement of people starting their day.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…I should thank him,” he murmured thoughtfully.\u0026nbsp;\n\nYes.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThat would be\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;polite thing to do.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe nodded once, satisfied with the idea.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen\u0026nbsp;turned back inside to start his morning tea, entirely unaware that the thought of seeing Toryn again had already brightened his mood far more than he realized.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe morning passed quietly after that.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass prepared tinctures near the window while sunlight spilled warmly across the cottage floorboards, turning bundles of drying herbs gold at the edges. Normally the routine soothed him entirely—the steady grinding of roots and leaves, the familiar scents of mint and lavender, the quiet hum of village life outside.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBut today his thoughts wandered.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFrequently.\u0026nbsp;\n\nUnhelpfully.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToward a very large Dragonborn.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass sighed softly as he tied off another bundle of herbs.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You’re being ridiculous,” he informed himself.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe herbs offered no opinion.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass glanced toward the forge through the window\u0026nbsp;again anyway.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe remembered waking in bed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe neatly tidied cottage.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe blanket tucked carefully around him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd then there had been yesterday afternoon itself—Toryn beside him helping treat Jarek with such calm steadiness it had felt as though they had worked together for years.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass’s chest warmed at the thought.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn was… surprisingly gentle.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot soft exactly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere was still something dangerous about him. Something heavy and restrained that lived beneath those emerald eyes. But the danger was controlled. Deliberate.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd with Cass—\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn always seemed careful.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass looked down at the loaf of bread cooling beside the counter.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had not meant to bake extra.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt had simply… happened.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAlong with the roasted vegetables and herb butter wrapped neatly in cloth.\u0026nbsp;\n\nA thank-you, he told himself.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNothing more.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn\u0026nbsp;had helped\u0026nbsp;him yesterday. Carrying Jarek, cleaning the cottage, making certain Cass rested.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIt was only polite.\u0026nbsp;\n\nStill, Cass took perhaps more care than necessary arranging everything neatly into a small basket.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhen he finished, he stood staring at it for a long moment.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen sighed again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…I’m bringing lunch to a blacksmith,” he muttered. “That’s normal.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCompletely normal.\u0026nbsp;\n\nIgnoring the warmth in his face, Cass gathered the basket and set off toward the village.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe forge came into view quickly, thick smoke rising from its chimney while the sharp ring of hammer against steel echoed through Grovehollow.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass slowed instinctively.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis feet stopped several paces from the open forge doors.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe sound alone tightened something unpleasant in his stomach.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSteel.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHeat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe memory came unwanted as always—raised voices, shattered furniture, blood on floorboards, the flash of a blade.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass inhaled slowly through his nose.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe knew the forge was safe.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaster Hallik was kind.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo one inside would hurt him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd still—\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe remained outside.\u0026nbsp;\n\nClose enough to peer toward the open doorway, but not enough to enter.\u0026nbsp;\n\nInside, several workers moved through the haze of heat and sparks.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd towering among them—\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass’s breath caught faintly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn stood near the central anvil, sleeves rolled back, broad arms flexing as he worked heated metal beneath the hammer. Firelight gleamed against crimson scales and the black markings along his chest and throat.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGods.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass had never truly watched him work before.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn moved with startling precision for someone so large. Controlled power. Each strike deliberate.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBeautiful, a traitorous part of Cass’s mind supplied\u0026nbsp;immediately.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass flushed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen Toryn suddenly stilled.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe hammer lowered slightly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis head turned.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDirectly toward the door.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToward Cass.\u0026nbsp;\n\nEven across the forge, those emerald eyes found him instantly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass blinked in surprise.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn’s expression shifted almost\u0026nbsp;immediately\u0026nbsp;from focus to startled confusion.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen something softer.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass lifted the basket slightly in\u0026nbsp;awkward\u0026nbsp;greeting.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe Dragonborn handed the hammer off to another worker without taking his eyes off Cass and crossed the forge floor immediately.\u0026nbsp;\n\n\u0026nbsp;\n\n**Toryn** \u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn caught his scent\u0026nbsp;before he saw him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nLavender first.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen\u0026nbsp;honey.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd beneath both, something softer that belonged uniquely to\u0026nbsp;one\u0026nbsp;particular human.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe scent cut through smoke, hot iron, and sweat instantly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn looked up before\u0026nbsp;he consciously\u0026nbsp;realized he was doing it.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd there he was.\u0026nbsp;\n\nStanding just beyond the forge entrance with sunlight spilling around him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGolden hair\u0026nbsp;loose\u0026nbsp;again today.\u0026nbsp;\n\nBasket in hand.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn nearly missed his next breath.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe forge suddenly felt far too hot.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“What’s got into you?” one of the apprentices muttered as\u0026nbsp;Toryn abruptly\u0026nbsp;stopped mid-swing.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn ignored him entirely.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCassius\u0026nbsp;was here.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAt the forge.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe realization hit him squarely in the chest.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe crossed the room before he could think too much about it,\u0026nbsp;pulse\u0026nbsp;suddenly strange beneath his scales.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass smiled when he approached.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSmall.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWarm.\u0026nbsp;\n\nDangerous to Toryn’s sanity.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Hello,” Cass said softly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn stared at him for half a second too long.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“…hello.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass lifted the basket slightly again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I brought you lunch.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn blinked.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You… what?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass’s cheeks pinkened faintly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“As thanks for yesterday,” he explained quickly. “You helped a great deal, and I realized this morning you probably wouldn’t stop working long enough to eat properly unless someone reminded you.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn felt something in his chest ache so hard it bordered on\u0026nbsp;painful.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNo one had ever brought him food before.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot because they wished to.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNot because they cared whether he had eaten.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass shifted slightly under the\u0026nbsp;Dragonborn’s\u0026nbsp;silence.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I hope that’s alright,” he added.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn realized he had not responded.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Yes,” he said immediately. Too quickly. “Yes. It is.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass smiled again, relieved.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGods.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn accepted the basket carefully, claws unusually mindful of crushing anything.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWarmth still lingered through the cloth.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You made this?”\u0026nbsp;he\u0026nbsp;asked quietly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass nodded.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Mostly this morning.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn opened the cloth slightly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFresh bread.\u0026nbsp;\n\nRoasted vegetables.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHerb butter.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSomething inside him melted completely.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You should not have,” he murmured.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I wanted to.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn looked up sharply at that.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass seemed not to notice what those words did to him.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOr\u0026nbsp;perhaps he\u0026nbsp;noticed a little this\u0026nbsp;time, because\u0026nbsp;his own cheeks colored slightly afterward.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe forge noises faded strangely into the background.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn became aware of several workers pretending not to stare.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaster Hallik openly staring.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe old dwarf’s beard twitched suspiciously like he was hiding amusement.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn ignored all of them.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass shifted awkwardly near the doorway, still unwilling to step fully inside.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn noticed\u0026nbsp;immediately.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis gaze flicked briefly toward the weapons hanging along the forge walls.\u0026nbsp;\n\nUnderstanding settled quietly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWithout comment, Toryn stepped slightly closer to the entrance instead, blocking more of the interior from view with his broad frame.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass\u0026nbsp;visibly\u0026nbsp;relaxed.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThe subtle trust of that nearly undid Toryn entirely.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You came all this way just to bring me lunch?” Toryn asked.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass blinked.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Well… yes.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn stared at him helplessly for a moment.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen, before courage could fail him entirely, he spoke again.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Cassius.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass looked up.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn’s throat suddenly felt too tight.\u0026nbsp;\n\nGods above, he had faced commanders with steadier nerves than this.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“If…” he began carefully, “when my work is finished tonight…”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass waited patiently.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn forced the words out.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“May I come by your cottage?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass’s expression softened instantly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Of course.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nRelief hit Toryn with embarrassing force.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I\u0026nbsp;uhm...\u0026nbsp;noticed,” he continued quickly before he lost momentum, “some things around the cottage that could use repair.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass tilted his head slightly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Repair?”\u0026nbsp;\n\n“The back fence leans,” Toryn said. “And your window latch is loose. The steps near the garden are beginning to rot.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass stared at him in surprise.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“You noticed all that?”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn hesitated.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHe had noticed far more than that.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I notice things about places I…” His voice roughened slightly. “…care about.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass went very still.\u0026nbsp;\n\nFor one dangerous moment, Toryn thought\u0026nbsp;perhaps he\u0026nbsp;had said too much.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen Cass smiled.\u0026nbsp;\n\nSoft and warm enough to make Toryn’s pulse stumble.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Well,” Cass said gently, “I would appreciate the help very much.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn felt absurdly victorious.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Good.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass glanced toward the forge again, unease briefly returning\u0026nbsp;at\u0026nbsp;the sounds of steel.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I should let you get back to work,” he said.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn nodded reluctantly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass began stepping backward down the path.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen\u0026nbsp;paused.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Oh—and eat before it gets cold.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn looked down at the basket in his hands.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThen back at the healer standing in sunlight.\u0026nbsp;\n\nHis chest ached with something fierce and tender.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“I will,” he promised quietly.\u0026nbsp;\n\nCass smiled one last time before turning toward the village road.\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn watched him go until golden hair disappeared beyond the trees.\u0026nbsp;\n\nOnly then did he look down again at the basket in his hands.\u0026nbsp;\n\nMaster Hallik appeared beside him with entirely too much amusement in his eyes.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Well now,” the dwarf grunted. “Looks like\u0026nbsp;someone’s\u0026nbsp;trying\u0026nbsp;to\u0026nbsp;court\u0026nbsp;you proper.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nToryn’s tail nearly knocked\u0026nbsp;over a barrel\u0026nbsp;behind him.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“He is not.”\u0026nbsp;\n\nHallik snorted loudly.\u0026nbsp;\n\n“Aye. And\u0026nbsp;I’m\u0026nbsp;an elf princess.”\u0026nbsp;","series":{"name":"Ash and Song","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/naOO7PXe-ash-and-song-chapter-four.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/ek5KYLQn-ash-and-song-chapter-six.json"}}