Chapter 7
They arrived at Malkor’s workroom to find him folding a stack of garments. The leatherworker had his back to them, but turned at the sound of their footsteps.
“Finished,” he said, gesturing to several bundles wrapped in coarse cloth that he had been working on over the last weeks. “All made for mountain. For you.” He nodded at Aeryn.
“Ye’ve been busy,” Khaeric said, examining the packages. “This is more than I expected.”
Malkor shrugged one shoulder. “Needed proper clothes. Made proper clothes.” He listed items on his fingers. “Leathers. Linen. Furs. Ceremonial. All sturdy.” He studied Aeryn. “Will fit. Cut for movement.”
“Thank you,” Aeryn said, touched by the effort he’d put into the garments. As Malkor gathered the bundles, he paused, his eye catching on the embroidery at her bodice: delicate vines and leaves twining around small mountain flowers, stitched in silver and blue thread. “Ye make?” he asked.
“Yes,” Aeryn said, surprised by his interest. “I did.”
Malkor leaned closer, examining the tiny, precise stitches with a craftsman’s eye. “Good work. Very good. Even stitch. Strong pattern.”
A smile touched Aeryn’s lips. “Thank you. It took me weeks to finish.”
Malkor’s head jerked up, his brow furrowing. “Weeks? For this small piece?”
“Yes,” she said, running her fingers over the embroidery. “The design itself took several days to plan. Then each leaf had to be outlined, filled, and shaded correctly. The hardest part was the mountain flowers and getting the color gradient just right.”
“Maybe...” Malkor paused, glancing at Khaeric before continuing, “Teach me?”
She glanced at Khaeric, who watched the exchange with interest, then back to Malkor. “I… of course,” she said, warmth spreading through her chest. “I’d be happy to teach you.”
Malkor grunted, pleased. “Will prepare. Have threads ready.”
“I’ll bring my needles and some sample patterns,” she said, her mind already sorting through which designs might translate best to leather. “Perhaps we could start with something simple.”
“Good,” Malkor said, smiling, and handed the bundles of clothing to Khaeric.
Khaeric took the bundles from Malkor, tucking them under one arm. “She’ll see ye in a few days,” he said, his free hand at the small of her back as he guided her toward the doorway.
Malkor nodded, already turning back to his workbench, fingers tracing the pattern on a piece of hide as if imagining where embroidery might enhance it.
The corridors felt less foreign than they had a week ago. Aeryn glanced up at Khaeric. “He seemed genuinely interested.”
“Aye. Malkor’s always searchin’ for new ways to honor the craft,” he said. “The clan’s best craftsmen are like that. Hungry for more skill, more technique.”
They passed through wider corridors now. Aeryn recognized certain junctions, certain markings.
“Are we returning to our chambers now?” she asked.
“Aye,” Khaeric said, shifting the bundles in his arms. “I thought ye’d want to unpack and sort through yer new clothing.”
“Aeryn!”
The voice came from behind them, bright and familiar. Aeryn turned to find Essa approaching, the small orcling no longer in her arms.
“Essa,” Aeryn said, warmth coloring her greeting. “It’s good to see you again.”
Essa smiled, her attention flicking to Khaeric before settling back on Aeryn. “I was hoping I might catch you. Some of us are heading to the communal bathing chambers, and I wondered if you’d like to join us?”
Aeryn blinked, momentarily at a loss. A bath? With the woman she’d only just met? “I...” she began, then faltered.
Essa’s smile faltered. “Has Khaeric not told you about the communal bathing chambers?”
Aeryn glanced up at Khaeric, whose expression had gone carefully neutral. “No,” she admitted. “He hasn’t mentioned them.”
“Ah.” Essa’s confusion cleared. “They’re quite lovely, actually. There are separate chambers for men and women, and chambers that are for both.” She gestured down the corridor. “It’s… pleasant. To talk without the men hovering about.” She shot Khaeric a pointed look that held no real malice.
“I should’ve mentioned it,” Khaeric said.
Aeryn offered a small, grateful smile. “Thank you for the invitation, Essa, but Khaeric and I were planning to look through the new clothing that Malkor made. Perhaps another time?”
“Go,” Khaeric said before Essa could respond. “The clothes can wait.”
Aeryn turned to face him, searching his expression for any sign he was simply being polite. “Are you certain? We’d planned—”
“Aye, I’m certain.” He shifted the bundles higher under his arm. “Ye need this, Aeryn. Time wi’ the women, wi’out me standin’ over yer shoulder.” The corner of his mouth lifted. “I’ll take these back to our chambers and sort them. Take yer time.”
Aeryn hesitated. “All right,” she mumbled. “Thank you.”
His hand brushed against her arm, a brief touch that sent warmth through her chest. Then he turned and strode down the corridor, the bundles tucked under his arm, his long black hair swaying with each step.
Essa’s smile broadened. “Wonderful. Come, the others should already be gathering.” She led Aeryn down several corridors before arriving at the women’s only bathing chamber.
Steam rose in thick clouds as Aeryn followed Essa through the arched entrance.
The heat wrapped around her immediately, damp and heavy, clinging to her skin.
Several women already occupied the space, some submerged to their shoulders, others perched on the smooth stone edges with their feet dangling in the water. Conversation hummed through the chamber, punctuated by occasional laughter that echoed off the high ceiling.
Essa moved to one of the stone benches along the wall and began unlacing her bodice. She pulled the garment over her head and folded it neatly beside her.
Aeryn stood frozen near the entrance, her fingers clutching at the fabric of her own dress. The heat pressed against her skin; her dress felt heavy and constricting. She should remove it. She couldn’t remove it.
Essa glanced over her shoulder as she worked at the ties of her skirt.
Her expression softened when she caught sight of Aeryn still fully clothed by the doorway.
“It’s hard at first,” she said, her voice carrying above the gentle splash of water and murmured conversations.
“Getting used to being comfortable without clothing. I remember my first time here. I swear, I stood at the entrance for at least five minutes before I could bring myself to undress.”
The admission helped a little. Aeryn’s fingers found the laces at her bodice, working them loose with movements that felt clumsy.
The fabric parted, and she drew a deeper breath as the constriction eased.
She pulled the dress over her head, folding it with trembling hands.
Her shift came next, the thin linen pooling at her feet.
Essa had already moved to the water’s edge, descending the carved steps into the pool, sinking to her shoulders with a contented sigh, her dark hair spreading across the surface.
Aeryn crossed her arms over her breasts as she descended into the pool, lowering herself until the water reached her shoulders and settling against smooth stone.
Essa moved closer. “Better?”
“Yes,” Aeryn admitted.
A ripple disturbed the water near the far edge of the pool. Aeryn turned to see a woman wading toward them. Her olive-toned skin gleamed with moisture, and dark, wavy hair clung to her shoulders and neck. She was tall, even in the water, her frame curved in ways that drew the eye.
The woman’s gaze found Essa first, then moved to Aeryn. “Essa,” the woman said with a smile, “I see you convinced the princess to join us.”
“Aeryn, this is Odelina. She’s mated to Torven of Clan Kairn,” Essa said.
Torven. The pillar. The woman whose legs had wrapped around her partner’s waist while Aeryn sat frozen on the dais, face burning, unable to look away.
“The bonding feast was magnificent,” Odelina said as she settled beside Essa. “A beautiful celebration. The energy, the joy. Some of the best feasts are the bonding ceremonies. I haven’t enjoyed myself that much in months.”
Aeryn’s mouth moved before her mind could catch up. “Yes, I noticed you were particularly... enthusiastic in your enjoyment.”
Odelina’s eyebrows lifted, and Essa’s head turned toward Aeryn with an expression of surprise.
Aeryn’s hand flew to her mouth. “I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, her voice muffled behind her palm. “That was—I shouldn’t have—”
Odelina’s laugh cut through her stammering apology. The sound echoed off the high ceiling, drawing curious glances from the other women scattered throughout the pool. “No need to apologize, Princess. I was very enthusiastic.”
Essa’s voice joined in with a soft laugh.
“I was mortified the first time I witnessed it,” she admitted, glancing between Odelina and Aeryn.
“Gorrak had brought me to a feast not long after I arrived. I’d barely adjusted to communal bathing when suddenly there were couples.
..” She trailed off, gesturing with one hand.
“Everywhere. Against walls, in alcoves. I didn’t know where to look. ”
“How did you manage?” Aeryn asked, grateful for Essa’s admission that she, too, had struggled with this aspect of mountain life.
“Poorly, at first.” Essa’s smile turned rueful. “I spent half the night staring at my plate, my face so hot I thought I might combust.”
“And now?” Aeryn asked, watching Essa’s expression shift in the steaming light.
“Now I’ve learned to simply... exist in it.” Essa’s shoulders lifted in a small shrug, water sliding off the curves of her arms. “The orcs don’t attach shame to pleasure. They celebrate it. Once I understood that, it became easier to be present without judgment.”