Chapter 8
8
FRIDA
A fter Rune sketched a new version of the fence, he showed me to the room where I’d ‘live’ for the foreseeable future. The shuttered windows were flung wide, and the midday sun cast the timber floor in yellow. A small bed with a straw mattress was tucked into the corner, where a towel had been set on the patchwork quilt.
An oil lamp perched on the bedside table, along with a stack of leather-bound books, covers worn and faded, as if they’d been loved well. The ivy from the main room spilled through the cracks in the walls here, too. Some sprouted purple buds, emitting a sweet scent that made my bones hum with a sense of… right .
For a moment, I stood there in the middle of the room with my eyes closed and head tipped back. I breathed it all in, letting the scents of the wilderness wash over me and banish the tension in my body. Despite everything—despite being trapped in a house with a mark who had a handsome face and a toe-curling laugh—at least I had the forest. If it all became too much to bear, I could walk outside and get lost in the trees for a while. I could run and hide in the uppermost branches, waiting for Louisa’s ship to return so I could sail away from this mess.
Of course, that would mean returning to the city of Vilmar and all that went with it. The guild and its suffocating walls, Erik’s demands, my father’s disappointment. I sat hard on the mattress, feeling lost. I didn’t know how I was going to do what I’d come here to do. And if I didn’t do it, I had no idea how I’d face going back.
Sighing, I opened my pack and unloaded all my belongings. There wasn’t much that would be useful here. Just a few changes of clothes, a waterskin, some arrowheads, a comb, and my bedroll. I tucked it all away in a single drawer, though I left the bedroll and waterskin in my pack, along with a few strips of jerky, just in case I needed to get out of here fast.
A soft knock sounded on the door. “Frida? Do you need anything? I wasn’t sure if you wanted to bathe before we headed into the village…”
I perked up a bit at that. After wearing my cloak out in the heat, my leathers were sticking to my skin, and I hadn’t given my hair a good wash in days. I crossed the room and pulled open the door. Rune hovered on the other side of it, fisted hand raised, like he was readying himself to knock again. He cleared his throat, and his hand dropped to his side.
“Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you heard me,” he said.
“I would love a bath,” I said brightly.
“I don’t have one,” he said regretfully, “but there’s a waterfall a short walk away. We’ve got time, if you want to use it.”
“Sure, that’d be great, thanks.” And perhaps I could get a few moments alone to poke around the woods for dragon evidence.
Rune waited by the door while I grabbed the towel and a change of clothes—a simple linen tunic dyed a dark green and a pair of brown trousers. I didn’t have anything nicer. When I’d packed, it wasn’t like I’d expected to spend an evening drinking and dancing…which would be tough to navigate. I’d vowed to abstain from both those things, not that I agreed with the guild about it. Still, I’d made the vow, and I knew my father would expect me to keep it.
Nevermind. I’d worry about it later. I padded out the door and followed Rune outside. I expected him to point me in the general direction of the falls so that I could have a few moments alone. But no, he started walking down the path right by my side.
“I’m sure I can find my way,” I said, pointing ahead. “It’s just down this path, I’m guessing?”
“I’d hate for you to get lost on your first day,” he said gruffly.
I frowned. “Honestly. I’m not as hopeless as you think I am.”
“Oh, I don’t think you’re hopeless at all, Frida.” His lips quirked. “Except when it comes to drawing a fence.”
Without thinking, I swatted his arm. And as soon as my fingers grazed his warm skin, brushing across his taut biceps, everything in me tensed. I yanked back my hand, my cheeks heating. His eyes darted to my waist, then to my hand. His expression was intensely unreadable, and I couldn’t tell if he was annoyed I’d touched him or if he was just surprised.
I tried to pretend like nothing had happened. “It’s not my fault you can’t recognize true talent when you see it. That fence I drew? It’s art.”
He chuckled again—that low, delicious sound I’d heard back in the workshop. It had caught me off guard then, and it caught me off guard now, too. His smiles were as intermittent as the clouds on this clear sky day, and laughter was even more of a rarity. It was such a lovely sound.
“I’ll make sure to hang it in a place of honor back at the house,” he said. “It can go near the hearth, where everyone who visits can see it.”
“Above the hearth. Where it will most likely catch fire.”
That chuckle rumbled in his chest again. “Can’t say I’d be sorry to see it go up in flames.”
I shook my head, annoyed but amused at the same time. Because I couldn’t pretend like I didn’t want to throw the sketch into the fire myself. An oddly companionable silence descended upon us as we navigated the path. Soon the rush of falling water drowned out the sounds of the birds, insects, and critters scurrying across the fallen leaves.
A clearing yawned before us, sunlight streaming in through a break in the canopy. I slowed to a stop and gasped. A sheet of crystal water poured over the side of a small cliff, though it was more of a ledge that cut into the side of a gently sloping hill. The water frothed where the falls hit the pond, but it was so still and peaceful—and such a brilliant gleaming blue—beyond it. Tufts of wildflowers were scattered along the edge, their yellow bulbs reflected along the surface.
“Absolutely incredible,” I breathed.
I felt Rune’s eyes on my face, so I turned to look up at him. He was studying me, again with that esoteric expression.
“What?” I asked him.
“Do you always do that? Every time you see something?”
I searched his gaze. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You seem to find wonder in everything. The dwarves’ farm, my workshop, this waterfall.”
“That’s because there is a lot of wonder in it.” I shrugged. “It’s so beautiful compared to the city.”
He stilled. “I thought you said you lived in a cottage in the woods.”
Fuck . I’d let that one slip out, too distracted by the charm of this place.
“I was just answering your question. You asked me if I find beauty in everything, and I don’t. The city is so drab and dull to me. That’s why I didn’t live there.”
I needed to put an end to this conversation before I let something else slip. Best way to do that? The ultimate distraction. So I started peeling off my leathers, right there in front of him.
Rune saw at once what I was doing. With an awkward throat clear, he turned and put his back to me. “You could have given me a warning.”
“What’s the problem?” I asked as I tossed my arm bracer to the ground. “You’ve never seen a naked woman before?”
“Of course I have. I’m normally the one doing the clothes-removal, though.”
“Turn around and help me then,” I said with a grin.
“I’m sorry?”
“You heard me.”
Rune shifted on his feet. “You’re asking me to undress you?”
I laughed, toeing off my boots. “I’m just messing with you, Rune.”
Except…looking at the taut muscles of his back, visible even beneath his cream tunic, I didn’t think him throwing me around would be an entirely unpleasant experience. I hadn’t been intimate with many people. Over the years, there’d been one elven man and a couple of women—both humans—but none of them had ever sparked a fire in me the way I’d always yearned for. Enjoyable? Sure. Passionate and romantic? Eh.
When I was younger, I dreamed of meeting someone who would sweep me off my feet and stand beside me in the middle of a storm. Who’d walk with me even into the darkest of places. Who’d do absolutely anything just to see me smile. Now that I was older, I worried love like that didn’t exist. That the romance stories I’d read could only ever be fictional.
A moment of silence passed between us before Rune asked, “Is this payback for what I said about your sketch?”
A shot of laughter tore from my throat. “No, payback would be shoving you into the pond fully clothed. So maybe I should do just that.” But as soon as I’d said it, my laughter died and a lump of hot coal sat heavily on my chest. “Oh. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean…”
He turned his head, just slightly, so he still didn’t see me half-dressed. “It’s all right. Most people forget, since it’s not something most have to worry about.”
Orcs were born with a skin condition that caused sensitivity to fresh water. They were severely allergic, and it formed angry welts. Rain and lake water like this could cause it, though salt seemed to dull the issue. Back in Fafnir, the city of the orcs, the clouds only rained salt water. I’d only met a few orcs over the years, but they all had this condition. Most didn’t like to talk about it. I’d really put my foot in my mouth this time.
“I really am sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be.” He shrugged, then a wry grin spread across his face. “It’s what I am. Just like a ‘terrible artist’ is what you are.”
My mouth dropped open, and I swept the towel from the ground and threw it at his back. It hit him with a soft hiss , then gently tumbled to the ground again.
“Careful,” he warned. “Two can play at this game. Keep that up, and I’ll leave you here to fend for yourself without the damn towel.”
“Nope, you’re just bluffing. The last thing you want to do is leave me unattended.”
“And why is that, Frida, hmm?”
I didn’t answer. We were beginning to tiptoe too close to a subject I wanted to avoid—me, why I was here, and why he was suspicious of me. So I quietly removed the rest of my clothes, walked across the soft grass, and eased over the lip of the pond. As soon as the cool water enveloped my aching body, a hiss of relief spilled from my lips. I might have even moaned.
“That good, eh?” Rune asked. He’d returned to standing with his back very resolutely turned toward me, facing the direction we’d come. His powerful form was backlit by the sun, enhancing the shape of his broad shoulders. I found myself staring at him, and started to look away—but then didn’t. He couldn’t see me. He’d never have to know I was enjoying the view.
“Are you really going to stand there the whole time I’m bathing?” I asked.
“You’ll be done soon, won’t you? Might as well wait.”
He really wasn’t going to go away. All day, he’d left me alone for no more than a moment or two at a time. It was clear he was keeping an eye on me, likely to make sure I didn’t unearth the secrets he’d buried around this island.
An idea sprouted in my mind. Perhaps if he got a little sloshed tonight, he’d sleep like a fallen redwood log and I could sneak out of the house to investigate. It meant another night of too-little-rest, but this was what I’d come here for. It wasn’t a holiday.
After I’d washed my hair and scrubbed my skin with the bar of soap Rune had given me, I hauled myself up and over the lip of the pond. Water cascaded down my chest, leaving droplets glistening on the verdant grass. Rune waited silently as I towelled off, and tension practically thrummed in his body. A fist clenched by his side, and his back muscles looked even more taut than they had before.
I glanced around, wondering what had set him off. Was the dragon lurking nearby? Was he worried I’d spot the beast?
“Do you hear that?” I asked, wringing my hair with the towel.
“You dripping everywhere? Yes.”
“No, it’s a rustling noise, like something’s out there in the forest. Something big.”
I held my breath, waiting for a reaction. He turned toward me, frowning. And then his gaze landed on my chest. I sucked in a breath, heat flooding my face and neck. The warm humid air still caressed my bare skin, peaking my nipples. My very bare nipples. I’d yet to dress, and I had the towel wrapped around my hair.
“Shit. Fuck.” But he didn’t turn. He stood there—as if frozen—for a long, fraught moment, his eyes locked on my breasts, before clearing his throat. He swallowed, then cast his eyes to the ground. “I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have looked. Sorry.”
“I don’t mind. It’s just some skin.” But my whole body felt feverish. I was even sweating a little again, and I’d only just climbed out of the pond. Quickly, I finished drying my hair and threw on the clothes I’d brought with me. To be certain, I checked my breasts were covered, and then I cleared my throat. “I’m done now.”
He lifted his gaze. There was a flush to his cheeks. “I suppose we should make our way to Oakwater now.”
Nothing in his voice held a hint of excitement for the evening.
“Are you sure you still want to go?” I asked.
A curious expression stole across his face. Then he nodded firmly. “Absolutely. This is your first night on the Floating Forest. We need to make it a memorable one for you.”
“Technically, it’s my second night. I spent my first one inside a tree.” I smiled.
“All the more reason to make this one as good as it can be,” he replied.
“If I’m being honest, I didn’t mind the tree. It was quite cozy in there.”
“Hmm.” He held out his arm, so I could slide my hand into the crook of his elbow. “ If you’re being honest? Now, tell me, Frida, why wouldn’t you be?”
“No reason, Rune.” I tucked my hand into his arm. “No reason at all.”
I swore the sky rumbled in response, like the Old God of Thunder heard my lie and wanted to strike me down with the most painful bolt of lightning. And if I was being honest, I would say I’d probably deserve it.