Guardian of Winter Roads

"You are quite welcome, my doe. It seems you are enjoying more than just the flavor of your beverage. May I ask what is on your mind?" Eryi inquired as he sat on the bed.

"My family used to visit my aunt during the holidays when I was quite young. She wasn't really much of a coffee drinker herself, but she loved her tea. There were nights when I'd come downstairs from the guestroom and see her in her living room reading a book and sipping a mug of hot tea. We would talk and more often than not, I'd fall asleep down there. I'd always wake up in the morning back in bed," she recalled.

"That is a treasured memory. It sounds like you have quite a loving family," he replied.

"Yes, they were quite loving. They adored my husband as well who was also... quite loving to me." She hissed out as she looked away while grasping the mug.

Eryi perked his ears at that and tilted his head, both his large paws resting on his knees. "What we did aside, do you truly feel you cannot reconcile with him, Arianna?"

She glared down at her half drank mug of tea, thinking back to that scene before her, the sounds the other female was making, the almost unfamiliar talk that spilled from his maw as he took her. "As my ring is lost to the snow, so is my love for him. What I saw was not my husband... Should I really return to what was simply a pretty lie, Eryi?"

"I question not your dedication to your course, simply put, I wished to ensure you were set in it, not still clouded by the rage or sorrow that came from it." The elk rested a paw on her knee through the heavy blanket.

Arianna took a pull from her mug, looking over at the fire, then back to the elk before her that loomed over her smaller form, a look of calm patience on his face, showing he had no intention of guiding her in this matter, but support what she chose.

"May... I ask a question, Eryi?" Arianna finally spoke out with some hesitation.

"Naturally, ask away, my doe." He showed her that brilliant smile, his blue eyes looking like they sparkled in the firelight of the room.

She swallowed down the lump in her throat, feeling those butterflies return in her belly before she shook it off. "Uh... am I yours? Or is it a fond thing you simply say in the moment?"

"Hmmm... well, we spirits have no real need for possessions, so to call you mine in earnest would seem uncouth. I especially harbor no will to call another my own in such a matter," the buck replied in thought.

"I see... that makes sense, I suppose," Arianna said, an inflection of disappointment in her tone.

He noted her disappointed look and continued, "However, that is not to say I do not-"

"Eryi. Do you tend to have sex with those that you rescue like that?" She asked point-blank.

"No, I cannot say that I do," he answered.

Arianna looked down at her now empty mug and fidgeted a little before shaking her head. "So what is going to happen now? What's going to happen to me? To... us?"

Eryi took his paw and set it on Arianna's chin, guiding her face to meet his own. Looking into her eyes, he gave his answer, "I cannot say what will happen to us, suffice it to say you are quite welcome to stay. I would love nothing more than to be your partner in all things in love and life. I wish to make sweet and cherished memories for us to look back fondly upon and to head into the unknown future with determination."

She dropped the empty mug out of her free paw with a loud gasp, feeling her heart shove right back into her throat. "E-Eryi... did you just... propose to me? I- I'm just a mortal doe, not some goddess!"

"I did. We spirits are accused of falling in love easily, but it is so. The moment you kissed me, in that moment... I fell in love with you, my doe..." He cupped her jaw, staring into her shuddering brown eyes, the small doe trying to process all of this.

Arianna felt her heart leap at the words as she quickly reciprocated them, "Oh my gods... I felt the same! I know it's horrible for me to say it, having denounced my former husband not hours prior... but I don't care! I fell in love with you as soon as I laid eyes upon you... my buck!"

"Then you have your course set before you, and your answer as to what shall become of us..." Eryi calmly spoke as he leaned down, this time pushing the kiss upon her himself. Arianna didn't hesitate to return the kiss, tilting her head to deepen it.

The elk gently pulled the small dear over him, Arianna straddling his leg while pushing her paws under his muzzle, their tongues gently rolling together as his own paws explored her small body.

They heatedly kissed for several moments before he parted from her lips with a loving smile. "If you are to be mine, Arianna... we must consummate our love in the sacred waters of the springs here in the mountains."

She nodded her head as she hugged tightly to him, pushing her muzzle under his, wanting to have his scent all over her, feeling the overwhelming adoration of this spirit for her. "Of course, my buck... my Eryi... I am yours!"

--♥--

Arianna was elated to agree to be Eryi's bride, but she didn't think things would be progressing quite this quickly. Then again, he did mention spirits fall in love quickly, perhaps this was a normal course of things.

"So, this is okay? We're just gonna uh... go get married, like right now? I dated my ex-husband for nearly three years before we wed." She offered the elk a small grin while standing before the mouth of the cave, her paw in his.

Eryi lifted his chin as he spoke out proudly, "We have already affirmed our love for one another and desire to be joined in such a union, there is no need to delay things. I've already informed my mother of things and she awaits at the sacred springs to perform the rights."

Her ears perked at that as she quickly looked herself over. She was already standing buck naked before a raging blizzard, but the thought of his mother seeing her in such a way gave her more pause. "Wait, we're nude and just going to stand before your uh... mother?"

The elk quizically tilted his head at her. "You mortals put such odd fanciful ideas upon clothing. Did your own mother not birth you, bathe you? How often did she see you skyclad, Arianna?"

"Sure but not after I became an-" She was cut off as he jerked his head up to attention, as if focused.

"It seems she grows impatient, let us be off, lest I draw her ire, my love." He squeezed her paw and took a step forward. Arianna felt her muzzle clench as he pulled her out into a raging snowstorm without a stitch of clothing on to protect her.

Their hooves hit the snow with a crunch and she winced instinctively, but then realized she felt fine, not warm or cold, just a comfortable neutral temperature, despite feeling the wind blow her hair about rather intensely.

Eryi gave her a nod. "So long as you remain touching me, you will be safe from the elements, now let us be off."

"O-Okay, my love!" She called out as they both took a step, then she felt the whole world blur around her as if that single step had been twenty. It was an indescribable sensation for her, each step didn't care about terrain or obstacles. At one point she was even on a cliffside looking down into the whirling maelstrom of snow.

After only a few moments of travel, they were at their destination. Looking upon the base of a sheer cliff that disappeared into the snow fog, Arianna could see clouds of steam rising. Walking towards the spring, the sounds of rushing water running into a carved-out ravine started to fill her ears.

The spring was surrounded by a small grove of pine trees as if attempting to hide it from the view of casual observers, despite it being deep in the mountains. She approached curiously with her love letting her lead the way, small floating orbs of red and green began to flicker into view with each step she made. Small flames sprang to life as she advanced, illuminating a path toward the spring, itself. The storm seemed to be sparing this intimate area from its wrath as the snow floated among the orbs of light, giving a serene quality, much like a settling snowglobe, with just occasional flakes drifting between the flames.

Arianna took in the scene in wonderment, trying to observe all the magical detail. She reached out to touch an orb, just to see it disappear and reappear nearby. Never before had she witnessed something so magical, yet seemingly natural. This whole scene would have made her run in fear yesterday, yet after everything she'd been through, it was more curious than frightening.

"I, I don't know what to say. I didn't know a world like this could exist," she whispered, eyes wide with wonder at the surroundings.

"This world has always existed, only those who have a true love for nature could hope to glimpse into it," He spoke matter-of-factly.

As they approached the spring, a figure stood, silhouetted by the steam. As the vapors floated by, they provided windows to see a regal, female antelope, adorned in a robe of green with gold trim. She had pure white fur and her wavy platinum hair cascaded to the small of her back. Her mere presence held power enough to inspire awe and reverence as she turned to look at Arianna with her striking blue eyes.

Arianna lifted her ears, realizing the antelope sported hair and eyes that looked just like Eryi's. It was clear despite their different species, the features were there to show their lineage.

The antelope gave the two of them an annoyed look before she shifted her gaze to Eryi. "My son, why have you arrived at your own ceremony without garments upon you and your would-be wife?"

Eryi parted his maw to speak but Arianna called out first, "Wait- are you saying the whole skyclad thing isn't normal?"

The goddess before her gave an approving look to the small deer as if she liked she was willing to speak to her with so little hesitation. Her blue eyes shifted to her son, then back to Arianna as she spoke with clear amusement in her voice, "Clothing is of course not required in our day-to-day, but yes, of course, we would dress for occasions such as this or appearing before our followers."

Arianna clicked her tongue and nodded before Eryi finally spoke out, "My apologies, I just wanted to enjoy seeing my doe's beauty a while longer."

The antelope scoffed at that and then rolled her eyes. "You have time enough for that, now quickly change into your ceremonial-" She huffed and shifted a paw to her hip. "You know what? Here, I'll remove the hesitation for you to don your own robes!"

Just as the words finished, Arianna gave a little shocked gasp as she realized she was clad in an ornate robe similar to the antelopes, only of soft pink and gold. The robe was surprisingly light in weight, despite seeming to be much heavier by its appearance. The material held an almost sensual quality as it rubbed against her fur.

Arianna looked over to her betrothed to see his own ornate robes form suddenly on his figure, deep hues of blue and gold but looking similar in style, though distinctly more masculine than her own set.

"There... now I may call forth the other guests." The antelope sighed as she paced a few steps toward the spring.

"Guests?" Arianna asked with surprise in her voice.

"Of course, my soon-to-be daughter. One of the greater winter spirits finally takes a wife, on the day of the yule festival to boot? Of course, it would be an affront to the other spirits were they not invited, yes?" The antelope tilted her head curiously.

Eryi hesitantly spoke out, "I was originally thinking I and my doe would have a private ceremony moth-"

"Adaptability is not just a useful trait for the mortals, my son." That was all the antelope said as she poked her nose up, then just like that, Arianna felt the presence of several other beings around her. Even her mundane mind could easily feel the pull from so much divine power all around.

Sure enough, there were deities or spirits of all walks standing about near the flames. She could practically feel their various traits, such as the seasonal spirits, the one clearly governing wealth, another of love. She couldn't understand how she could discern this, perhaps she had been tainted as it were from laying with Eryi. Their species varied as greatly as their powers, feline, canine, and even what she assumed was a dragon, though she didn't know such a species existed.

Eryi's mother didn't wait on the doe to fully grasp the situation before she spoke out with authority, "Honored guests, I thank you for attending my son's union with my soon-to-be daughter." A small humble sound of applause filled the air but the scene remained very respected as if none wished to outshine her and her elk.

The soft glow of red and green light provided an atmosphere of intimacy, despite the numerous guests. Arianna and Eryi approached the antelope, ready to declare their vows to each other as husband and wife.

"We are all gathered here on this sacred day of Yule, to join these two spirits as one. They have pledged their love to one another and now wish to sanctify their union," she announced.

The goddess looked at her directly as she opened a paw, flourishing it over those in attendance. "Arianna, you have all these who have come to bear witness to your dedication to my son. Will you remain dutiful to him in this new life? Will you sacrifice everything for him?"

The words settled on her very soul, this wasn't the kind of vow she'd made with her former husband, she could feel the weight the antelope's words held, the very gravity of the question actually making the whole area feel colder for a moment.

She looked to Eryi, both their paws clasping as she stared into his crystal blue eyes, feeling no hesitation as she kept looking upon him without even looking back at the antelope. "I am already his, I always was. Everything for him, now and in the future. I could only hope my duty to him will be enough. I could hope my sacrifice for him will be worthy."

She lifted her muzzle to Arianna's words, the small doe feeling the power that had come forth with her vows, even feeling the impressed attitudes of all the other spirits before her that bared witness.

"And you, my son... Eryi of the winter seasons, the spirit of Yule. You have reigned in this position alone for so long, will you truly be satisfied sharing your life and power with this doe?" She asked, her voice taking on a level of concern as she spoke the words.

"I would not be satisfied. To be satisfied would not do justice to the love I feel for my doe. Cherishing her with all my love for all the ages to come would be a reward, in of itself," Eryi responded, confidently.

His mother parted her maw to speak, but Arianna interrupted, "Wait- Why did you sound concerned just now?" She asked, feeling butterflies swarming in her stomach over her elk's earnest words of love.

The antelope lifted her chin slightly while looking down on the small doe. "A union between a greater spirit and mortal has some tithes that must be made, but it matters little in this moment. His words and yours have already sealed your fates together, anything further is just formality. It has already come to pass."

Arianna widened her eyes at that and started to speak once again, but Eryi clenched her paws with his own, drawing her focus back to him. "Rest easy, my wife. It truly is nothing so worrying, let us go wade into the sacred waters to finish the ceremony."

The doe's heart fluttered at his words, "my wife." Never before had such words carried the weight they did. The years to come, the memory of this moment they would cherish as each others' soulmates. The words carried meaning she never thought would be so dear to her.

Looking into the elk's blue eyes, she whispered in astonishment, "your wife, my husband."

"That's right, you and I shall share our lives together from this moment on to eternity," Eryi whispered back to his bride.

Arianna reached up to kiss her new husband deeply but not too much so, taking care to respect their guests. As they kissed, she began pulling Eryi towards the sacred spring to finish the ceremony.

"Well, normally the kiss is had within the sacred waters, but I suppose it's acceptable enough." The antelope spoke out as the couple slowly waded into the steamy waters of the mountain spring.

Eryi pushed his paw to Arianna's muzzle, cupping it as he moved to kiss her once more in a slow purposeful one. A small humble round of clapping filled the air from the guests as the antelope gave another nod.

"Very well, we shall now adjourn and leave you two to your honeymoon as it were." The goddess cracked a grin at the elk and doe as they looked upon her in their now mostly wet robes. "Have fun you two..." She called out in a surprisingly playful tone as when she vanished, so did the garments they wore, leaving them 'skyclad' before one another along with the realization that all the guests were gone now as well.

"Ah... are you happy now, my wi-" Eryi gave a gasp as Arianna threw her arms around his neck, practically leaping into his arms, water splashing all about as he held her, their muzzles crushing together in a frantic kiss the doe started.

Her tongue met his, both her paws tangling into his golden locks of hair, the deer happily kissing her new divine husband, pride and love swelling in her chest as their tongues rolled together.

Feeling her naked body pressed against his, Eryi moaned as the two kissed with a mix of love and lust. The steam rose all around, providing a canopy that isolated them from the outer world. The only sounds were the sloshing of the water as they moved their foot-hooves, the rushing of the waterfall, and the moans they elicited as they kissed deeply.

Arianna flicked her tongue a few more times, then giggled as Eryi gripped her hips and took a seat in the springs, pulling his new wife right down to his lap. She sighed blissfully as the elk tilted his head, dragging his tongue along her throat, the doe dutifully tilting her muzzle, baring her throat for her new husband. "Truly I am yours now, my Eryi?"

"You are mine as I am yours if you would truly have me," Eryi responded, smiling into the doe's eyes. His length sprang to life at the sight of his beautiful bride, her ample breasts just above the water line as she sat in his lap. He could smell her scent, indicating she was ready and willing to complete their union.

"You are so eager, my buck... of course, I will have you, I'm here and we are... married now, are we not?" The doe moved her paws to push along his strong sizeable muscles, claws digging into Eryi's chest as she looked up at him adoringly. He felt her petals push to the underside of his length, grinding there, teasing herself as much as him, water gently splashing about while her breasts swayed to her movements.

The elk teased the doe, lightly brushing his tip on her pearl. Watching her face, he began to apply more pressure, before holding back. Even though he was eager to be inside his wife, he also knew time was on their side. He wanted to build up as much anticipation before he gave all of his love.

Arianna clenched her teeth, gripping his chest as her hips worked with his own, feeling him skillfully push and work her spot, the small doe's tongue peeking out as she panted, getting closer and closer. Her ears folded and she gave a protesting whimper when he halted his pace, her own hips still moving, shifting and rubbing intently against his throbbing length. "Ha... don't stop, don't tease me, husband."

"Apologies, my wife. I merely wished to build anticipation," Eryi responded to his wife's request. Taking his tip, he slowly pushed against her petals, feeling them envelop him as her body began taking him in. The heat he felt from her was more than enough invitation as he brought her smaller body down. The elk savored the moment of pushing deep inside his new wife before she came fully to rest in his lap. Her tongue showed slightly as the water splashed around the couple to her buck eagerly beginning to move his hips.