14. Aegir
Chapter fourteen
Aegir
IN WHICH OLD FRIENDS ARE FOR MOCKING YOU
I f taking her to Berggeheimnis was any indication, Aegir could quickly become addicted to the feeling of introducing Elspeth to new things. Her eyes darted around, as if cataloging everything, but unable to do so quickly enough to absorb it all. Emotions flitted across her face faster than he could track. One second she was smiling, the next she’d look confused, drawing her brows together, only to raise them in the most adorable expression of realization he’d ever seen.
Though she had no idea where they were going, and ostensibly where Aegir was leading her, she tugged him through the streets. Elspeth was the most animated he’d ever seen her, something about this experience had unlocked a part of her that had been hidden.
With gentle nudges, Aegir was able to direct her toward the Western edge of the massive cavern, and the district that housed most of the ambassadors from other duchies. 1
Along the way, they passed through a series of markets, each one themed around a different trade or product. Elspeth seemed intrigued but confused by the wide array of fabrics and styles offered in the garment district, but lit up like a bonfire when they passed through those areas dedicated to crafting.
“Do you see how fine this filigree is?” she gasped in the metalworks.
"I don’t think I’ve seen a blue this vibrant in pigment before,” was her exclamation on the street lined with pottery shops.
He knew Catrin had a studio somewhere within, but they’d get there perhaps the following day. As Elspeth looked around the city wide-eyed, Aegir was pleased to realize that the arts district was slightly out of the way. The rest would remain a surprise until he could take her. Just as they left more business-oriented denizens, shopkeepers began packing up for the day.
The lamplighters, or dousers as they were known in Berggeheimnis, came around with long sticks tipped with crystals. They touched their crystals to some of the larger crystals littered through the town, initiating a reaction that would temporarily dim the light they produced, though it would wear off slowly in the wee hours of the morning.
They passed by small parks, with carpets of moss blanketing the ground and small children giggling happily. Instead of trees, the park was lined with massive ferns and mushrooms, large enough to shelter under for some privacy. In the center of each was a statue dedicated to legendary heroes. 2
As they neared Cat and Torsten’s house, Aegir pulled Elspeth into a small alcove.
“Are we there?” She asked, looking around.
"No, love, I just thought you’d want to look more yourself when you met my friends.”
"Oh,” she said. “These are important friends then?” Elspeth bit her lip, eyes following his fingers where they reached for her braid.
With gentle fingers, Aegir loosened the braids holding her eyebrow whiskers in place, teasing them out with minimal damage to the rest of her hair.
As soon as they were free, Elspeth wiggled them, “I suppose I didn’t realize how constricted they were! That feels so good.”
She closed her eyes, and Aegir couldn’t help but kiss her. She looked so soft and at ease, he wanted to be a part of the moment—wanted her to associate that feeling with his lips on hers.
Though she initially seemed surprised by the feeling, Elspeth quickly opened for him, drawing his tongue into her mouth with a sucking motion that made his cock jump to attention. Tapping his lunula, Aegir diverted the extra blood flow, forcing it back to flaccid. He was not about to greet his friends and their children with a hard-on.
Elspeth ran a hand up his neck and twined her fingers through his hair. Sweet Lady, she knew just how to undo him. The drag of her touch gave him shivers, and he loved the proprietary way she tightened her grip on him.
Sucking on her bottom lip, Aegir pulled back, pleased to see her eyes dilated and cheeks flushed. “Come, we’re nearly there, and I don’t know about you, but I could use a meal and bath.”
Practically crumpling at his mention of a bath, Elspeth nodded. “Could I ever!”
With a kiss on her forehead, Aegir led Elspeth around the corner and up a set of stairs built into the wall of the cavern. The short flight brought them to his friends' doorstep, and within seconds of rapping on the door, Aegir could hear the raucous laughs of their children.
After a minute, Torsten opened the door, the large orc smiling broadly when he recognized Aegir. Though he was no small fellow, Aegir was still shorter than his friend, who, like most orcs, surpassed most with the exception of ogres and giants. 3 When Torsten smiled, the tusks on either side of his mouth pulled his lips around them, showing off the bands of metal that encircled them.
"Kitten, come see what the cat dragged in!” His friend called out before pulling him inside for a hug. It had been months, but their friendship had always been one of easy camaraderie. They clapped each other on the back, immediately resuming their old game, each trying to smack the other harder, until Aegir tapped his lunula and strengthened his blows. His last clap earned an “oof” from his larger friend, signaling the end of their game.
“Fairly sure you cheated that time, ya damned guppy.”
"I might’ve—" Aegir cut off as he was attacked by three small half orcs, which was to say, not very small at all. Halsten and Ursule were eight now, and were of a height with Elspeth. Behind them, little Bjorn toddled on bare feet, his chubby fingers already reaching for Aegir.
“Gir, Gir, Gir,” the little one chanted.
“Aegir, look, I’ve my first hunting trophy!” Halsten called, pointing to a hooked claw piercing his left lobe.
Aegir leaned down to scoop up Bjorn. “Looks quite smart! What did you get?”
"Mountain lion!" Halsten said, his hands flying about as he spoke. "He’d been injured and Papa said he’d die a slow death otherwise.”
"Papa?” Aegir mouthed to Torsten as he clapped Halsten on the back. His friend beamed and nodded. If Aegir wasn’t mistaken, his friend’s chest also puffed up.
“You did the right thing then, good on you. Now, where’s that troublesome sister of yours?” Aegir asked, feigning looking around for Ursule.
"I’m right here!” She giggled, tugging on his jacket.
"Surely not! You’re halfway to being a young lady, Ursule is a wee hellion of a girl.”
"I’ve got you tricked then!” She said, a shy smile on her cheeks. The twins wrapped his legs in a hug and Bjorn toyed with his earrings.
“Didn’t expect to see you so soon,” Torsten said, his eyes tracing to Elspeth and raising a brow in question.
"Yes, well, we ran into a spot of trouble and needed more up to date information. This is Elspeth.” He waved her forward and Torsten held out his hand to shake hers. "It seems I’ve accidentally mated her, so unless she can find a way out of it, she’s stuck with me.”
Torsten nodded and dipped his head low over Elspeth’s hand, a gesture she seemed confused by, but Aegir knew to be a dwarven sign of respect for a female in one’s family. Aegir pressed his lips together as emotion surged in his chest.
“Elspeth, it’s my honor,” Torsten said. “Please accept both my congratulations and my condolences.”
Elspeth giggled. “Thank you. Perhaps I am lucky, so I’ll take your congratulations.”
Giddiness suffused Aegir and he was hard pressed to hide an elated smile.
"Oh, give it time and you may want my condolences too,” Torsten quipped. "And these are my children, Halsten, Ursule, and wee Bjorn, there.”
"It’s so lovely to meet you all,” Elspeth said, squatting as if to get on their level momentarily before apparently realizing the elder two nearly matched her height. “I’ve heard so much about you!”
The twins released his legs to make their introductions to her.
“I hope he’s said good things about us!” Ursule said, curtsying prettily as Halsten cut a smart bow. Apparently time as a dignitary’s children had taught them some social niceties.
“Only the loveliest!”
"I’m so happy Aegir brought you," Ursule said, blushing.
Warm arms pulled Aegir from watching Elspeth with the children.
"You’ve never brought anyone here,” Catrin whispered in his ear as she pulled him down to her height and into a hug.
"Indeed I have not,” he replied. He knew the evasive answer would annoy her. Cat’s hugs always felt like home and he couldn’t help it; it immediately put him into sibling teasing mode.
“Well, it feels like a big deal.” She let go of him, smiling wide at Elspeth. “Welcome! I’m Catrin, so nice to meet you! Get out of the way you two, it’s my turn.”
Catrin’s arms wrapped around Elspeth, clearly enjoying being slightly taller than someone for once. Elspeth looked at him over Cat’s shoulder, her eyes were wide and a little watery.
“Thank you—for the warm welcome.” Elspeth’s voice was a little shaky, but her lips turned up at the corners.
Catrin ushered them inside to a sumptuously decorated living room. Though the house was built in a dwarven fashion, carved into the mountainside, the interior was decorated in an eclectic style that reflected their family’s varied heritage. Near the fireplace, a collection of pillows in orcish patterns sat in a pile, ready to be pulled out. 4 Closer to the center of the room, four chairs, clearly built by Catrin’s brother Berne, were draped with blankets showcasing the vibrant colors of her sister-in-law’s island homeland. While nothing specifically depicted anything of Movereath, the other continent that housed the Compact of Nations, the signs were there for those that knew the style.
With a sigh, Aegir dropped his pack near the doorway and helped Elspeth with hers. Taking the chair closest to their bags, Aegir was instantly surrounded by children once more.
“Can I help you?” he teased.
"Aegir!” Ursule scolded. “You know you have presents for us!”
"Do I?” he asked.
"You always have presents!” Halsten said. Little Bjorn nodded emphatically and tugged on Aegir's shirt.
"Well, yes, but this trip was quite sudden, it wasn’t planned and I just didn’t have time—"
"But I did!” Elspeth leaned over to dig through his pack, and while he loved seeing her in the clothing he’d picked out for her, he acknowledged that it covered more of her glorious ass than he’d have liked.
The children cheered and Elspeth beamed as she dispersed the gifts. This was a much better scenario. Seeing his family react to her in such a warm way gave him a bright pinch in his chest. She giggled and showed the children different aspects of their surprises and when he looked over, Catrin was seated in Torsten’s lap, both of them smirking knowingly back at him. Torsten winked at him and Aegir rolled his eyes.
Smug bastard.
Only a few years ago, Aegir had complained about the two of them and how annoying they’d been during a trip on his ship. Torsten had countered that he’d be just as annoying when he met his mate. Clearly they’d decided the time had come and planned on gloating.
After giving them ample time to ooh and ahh, Torsten lifted his wife and gently set her in the chair. “All right, all right,” he said, “give the lady some room.”
He waved his hands around, shooing his children from the living room horizontally into their playroom next door. They’d still be visible, but it would offer the adults a modicum of privacy to talk.
“So then, what brings you to Berggeheimnis all of a sudden?” Cat asked.
Torsten fussed at the fire, pouring hot water from a kettle into cups for tea. To him, raised in Sanctuary, the question of tea wasn’t even posed, it was what was done.
"It’s quite the story,” Aegir said, settling back in the comfortable chair, preparing to tell the tale.
"Aegir bit me, accidentally bonded me, and now he’s helping me find my brother, and figure out if we are stuck like this.”
Well, that about summarized it.
Torsten let out a raucous laugh, still facing away from them. “You’re telling me Aegir got leg shackled by accident?”
"Seems so,” Aegir answered.
"I’m sorry, are we simply going to ignore the part where he bit her?” Catrin interjected, arms flailing about.
"She’s a selkie, so I thought she was a seal. A very lost, very sick, very erratic seal at that.” Aegir said, spying Elspeth giggling behind her hand out of the corner of his eye.
"An orca and a seal? That’s rich!” Torsten bellowed. It was a wonder he wasn’t making a mess of the tea with the way he was carrying on.
"Lost?” Catrin prompted, fishing for information despite her husband’s laughter.
“I was quite a ways from home.” Elspeth left it at that and Aegir found himself quietly pleased that she’d not divulged the reason to his friends before he’d had the full tale from her. It’s not that he didn’t want them to know per se, he just wanted to be the person she felt most comfortable with.
"We’ve reason to believe her brother has been forcibly bonded to a Navigator, likely the one that oversees the northeast Wirrmeer. We mean to find him and free him.”
“And to see if there’s any way to break the bond, the only way I know of is death…” Elspeth trailed off.
"Which, while perfectly acceptable in the case of the officer, I’d prefer to keep my life intact.”
Catrin looked between them, absently accepting a cup of tea from Torsten. “You mean to break it? Yours, I mean.”
"It’s important to me that she has the option,” Aegir said definitively. He spoke so quickly Elspeth didn't have the opportunity to speak. While it was true he wanted her to have the option, he wasn’t certain he wanted to hear her admit to wanting it broken. He had time yet, he could convince her to let it remain, or perhaps to forge a new one after. One of her own choice.
For him, it seemed he’d already made his choice. Everything about Elspeth seemed to fit, and while he’d thrown away the idea of a mate long ago, she’d not only rekindled it, but solidified it around her. He didn’t want a mate, he wanted her, and only her. He didn’t care if it was due to the bond, the past days with her had been the happiest of his life and he’d not give it up by his choice.
“Well, your reasoning for coming here seems plain,” Torsten said, handing Aegir a cup.
"Aye, Calida’s due in tomorrow, and we can see what we have in the library about the bond.” Catrin nodded. 5 “But, all that is a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, we’ll have a nice meal, get you cleaned and rested. A mind always works better that way. Elspeth, if you’ll come with me, I can show you where you can freshen up.”
Elspeth looked at Aegir, a question in her eyes, and he nodded, reassuring her. They took their cups with them, and Catrin grabbed Elspeth’s pack from the floor and swept them out of the room.
Torsten sat and Aegir pointedly avoided meeting his friend’s eye until he was certain the women were well away.
"Noticed you didn’t mention your thoughts on the bond,” Torsten said. He sipped his tea and raised his brows over his cup.
"Oh leave off, Tor.”
"It’s just an observation.”
"One which you’ve no doubt drawn conclusions about.”
"Perhaps, you could always prove me wrong.”
Aegir sat back in his chair with a sigh. “Not likely.”
Torsten raised his cup in a salute. “Welcome to the pathetic sods club. We might be pathetic, but we’re happy as hell.”
"Never thought I’d join your ranks, to be honest. Thought it was an exclusive club, reserved for those who deserved it.”
"Gods, no! Just a load of poor idiots who bumbled into the women perfect enough to see how well we’d fit is all.”
"So it stays like this then?” Aegir asked. “You’re still so happy.”
"Yes and no.” Torsten pursued his lips in thought. “It changes. Deepens and grows over time.”
"Doesn’t sound so pathetic then.”
"No, it’s the best club there is to be honest. Nothing better.”
The tea was a blend from home—Berne’s own blend if he wasn’t mistaken.
Catrin’s brother Berne was the founding member of the “Pathetic Sods Club,” and Aegir had truly never seen a man happier to settle into married life. 6
Aegir couldn’t see himself settling down to blend tea or build chairs, but perhaps that wasn’t what Elspeth needed. Perhaps his siren needed something more exciting, travel and adventure, a way to fight back against the people who’d wronged her. The ability to return home when she needed, but in another community who’d know her separate from the trauma she’s undergone. From what little she’d said about her home, he got the impression her experiences would likely remain at the forefront of her people’s minds.
No, Elspeth didn’t need a picture of domesticity, she needed freedom, which Aegir could give her in spades.
As he thought of it further, he realized that her talent for art might actually come in handy, not only for their current quest, but moving forward as well. If he hadn’t missed his guess she’d have an excellent hand at forgery.
He might not be what most folks needed in a partner, but by some chance of fate, perhaps he was exactly what she needed.
1. At this time, the duchies were largely still organized by the territories set by the Pathian Empire. As the rebels desired their own form of government, they named these same territories duchies, with a Duke named in secret for each.
2. My favorite of these is a gorgeous statue of the healer Morgan le Fay, who is often characterized by the Empire as a wicked, jealous, cruel sorceress.
3. It should be noted that this is largely a generalization, there are actually plenty of people who grow taller than your average orc, namely trolls, giants, and ogres
4. Perhaps I am the only one who cares, but when I first saw a fireplace in an underground city, I was concerned. In case you have the same worries, I am happy to inform you that these fireplaces are connected by a system of flues that vent outside.
5. Unlike Torsten or the children, Catrin has quite a strong accent when speaking Pathian, as she had no exposure to the language until they moved to Berggeheimnis.
6. I was disappointed to find that there is not an actual club, they only joke.