Chapter 35 #3
She gestured toward her own unconventional ensemble, which was comprised of a short leather skirt, a skimpy fur shawl, and an abundance of strategically placed, glittering gold jewelry.
And while Raye could fully appreciate how striking it all looked, it would surely also be cold, especially when travelling or gardening outdoors, and it would undoubtedly raise unnecessary questions in public, too.
“No, dresses are fine, I think,” Raye replied. “As long as it’s something easy to work in, that doesn’t hang in the way?”
She gave a helpless shrug, glancing around at the frankly overwhelming selection of options.
Gods, after so many years of making her own simple dresses, how long had it been since she’d had the privilege of choosing her own ready-made clothes?
But Gaelfr again clamped his hand to her back, and guided her toward the nearest rack of colourful dresses.
“You should look fetching in colours, saeta,” he said firmly. “Just as another bloom in our garden. And” — he smirked, and raised his brows — “we also need a frock you can grow into, ach?”
Raye’s face heated, but her chagrined glance toward Kitty found her already carding through the dresses, her small hands moving with eager familiarity.
“Yes, size fluctuations are so common for us women,” she pointed out, “and our clothes really should support us in accommodating that. Here, how about this style? And what do you think of this colour, and this fabric? I’m sure you’re particular about the fabric, with your weaving? ”
Again, a dress’ fabric wasn’t something Raye had enjoyed the privilege of choosing these past years, but she could admit that this fabric was lovely.
It was a smooth, long-stapled, finely spun wool, dyed a deep green, and the dress itself was constructed more like a robe, with a long black sash that would wrap around the wearer’s waist. It would offer Raye plenty of room to grow into it, just like Gaelfr had said, and curse it, why was she even thinking about this, let alone listening to him?
“This frock looks good, does it not, saeta?” Gaelfr cut in. “Here, try it, and show us.”
He was already plucking at the buttons at the front of Raye’s dress, tugging them apart.
And though she instantly froze, and glanced at Kitty and Rosa and Daisy, they were all smiling approvingly, and Kitty already had her arms full of more richly coloured dresses.
“Yes, do try them on!” she said. “Though there’s a curtain at the back, if you’d be more comfortable there?
And I’m sure you’ll want to consider new underthings, too! ”
Gaelfr brightened at this, and accordingly ushered Raye toward the back of the shop, where there was indeed a large hanging curtain. And once she and Gaelfr had slipped beyond it, he promptly tugged off not only her shabby dress, but also her even shabbier shift beneath, as well.
“Better already,” he purred toward her, with a devious twinkle in his eye, and a proprietary squeeze to her bare breast. “Now allow me to dress you, saeta.”
Raye couldn’t find the will to protest, especially once Gaelfr had carefully wrapped the green dress around her, and took his time fussing with the low-cut neckline, and the sash around her waist. “Ach, this is good,” he told her, as he stood back, surveying her with a critical eye. “Kalfr shall be well pleased, I ken.”
Right. Kalfr. Because of course this was all about Kalfr, just as Raye had suspected. This was about her reflecting well on him, or perhaps even about her showing her capitulation, and her penance. Dressing in a way that would show her off for Kalfr, and please him.
It was perhaps more cause to argue, but she’d committed to this.
She was proving this. And as Gaelfr wrapped her in one costly, beautiful ensemble after another, even bringing in fine underclothes of silk and lace, she could almost — almost — sink into it, into the pleasure and the surreal wonder of it.
Of all these stunning gowns and fabrics, the deep colours, the way the fabric felt against her skin.
And even stronger, the brisk, possessive ease with which Gaelfr touched her and handled her, the way he fussed and fixed the clothing upon her, the way his assessing eyes flickered with approval, or hunger, or even pride.
By the end of it, he’d chosen more than a half-dozen dresses, all sturdy and well suited for daily activity — but all beautifully made, too, in lovely colours, with plenty of room for size fluctuations, just as he’d wished.
He’d also chosen a variety of underthings, some of them shockingly brazen, with silk and ribbons and lace, and a few with furs and orcish patterns, too.
He even picked out hair ribbons, and several pairs of slippers and boots, and a slim leather belt that could hold tools and weapons as needed.
And finally, once Raye was fully dressed in one of her lovely new ensembles, Gaelfr urged her back out into the aisles, so they could join the other women in choosing some new clothes for Svein and Kalfr together, too.
An activity that turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable, especially given Gaelfr’s remarkably refined tastes, and the way he listened with unusual attentiveness to Raye’s preferences, too.
And then, as they made their way back down another aisle toward the front of the shop again, they passed… yarn. Weaving yarn, bound on multiple large, wooden spools, in a variety of weights and colours.
Raye jolted to a halt before the display, and reached out a careful finger to brush against the nearest coloured spool of yarn. It was silk, quality, finespun silk, and where had they gotten this, how had it gotten here, into Orc Mountain?
“Oh, do you like that yarn?” Kitty asked brightly. “We have an excellent supplier in the north, and they’ve been sending us a new selection each month. Very reasonably priced, too.”
Raye only half-heard Kitty speaking, as she was far too preoccupied with the yarn, with all the rich colours and textures. Gods, it had been so long since she’d woven anything with colours, but this red would be stunning in a tapestry, especially together with the gold, and…
“Raye is a skilled weaver of tapestries,” cut in Gaelfr’s distant voice behind her, and in her strange frozen state, it sounded almost… proud. “What are your favourites, saeta?”
Raye belatedly blinked at him, her hand still stroking the gold yarn, and Gaelfr curtly nodded toward it. “We will take this, then,” he told Kitty. “And mayhap the red and blue, also.”
What? Raye stared at Gaelfr, her heart suddenly thumping so loud that she entirely missed Kitty’s answer. But it sounded affirmative, as if Gaelfr could really purchase this, now, today — and Raye belatedly clutched his arm, and shook her head.
“But — you’re already spending so much, Gael,” she hissed. “And I don’t even have anything to weave it on right now, so —”
But Kitty cheerfully interjected once again, and waved them over into the next aisle.
To where — Raye almost tripped this time — there was a large, solid tabletop loom, made of what looked to be new gleaming maple.
It was far too small for the kind of simple, broad fabrics she usually wove these days, but it was the perfect size for something smaller. For a tapestry.
Gaelfr was already nodding and gesturing Kitty toward it, but Raye caught his arm, gripping it tight.
“You can’t, Gael,” she breathed, hushed, almost pleading.
“This, or the yarn. I have nowhere to put it at my cottage, and it would take me weeks to weave even a small piece. And, I’m sure Kalfr doesn’t want it taking up space at his byrgi.
Remember when we were talking to Olarr, when he —”
She couldn’t finish it, glancing sideways to where Kitty was politely pretending not to listen, and finally Gaelfr harrumphed, and waved toward the yarn. “We will only take the gold, then,” he told Kitty. “Does this shop also offer dispatch? For tomorrow, mayhap, to Kalfr’s byrgi?”
Raye should have argued more, especially when Kitty cheerfully obliged, and helped them carry the yarn up to the counter. To where Rosa and Daisy had already stacked multiple piles of the other goods Gaelfr wanted to purchase, in such shocking quantities that Raye felt faint looking at it all.
“You’re sure about this, Gael?” she whispered, still clutching at his arm, but he only patted her hand, and began counting out large, heavy gold coins onto the counter.
And if Raye wasn’t mistaken, there was an undeniable hint of pride, or even relief, softening his eyes and mouth.
As if it meant something to him, to be able to exchange his long, lonely work in the south into something tangible, something valuable, for his kin.
But perhaps it meant something to Raye, too. And once they’d finished the arrangements for delivery, and thoroughly thanked Kitty for her help, Raye found herself leaning into Gaelfr, still clutching his arm, as they followed Rosa and Daisy back into the corridor again.
“Thank you, Gael,” she murmured toward him. “That was — very generous of you, to offer us such gifts.”
And again, that was relief in Gaelfr’s eyes, or even gratitude, as his hand covered hers on his arm, and gave a gentle squeeze. “Ach, it was naught,” he replied, gruff. “It is what any good Bautul ought to do for his kin.”
Raye’s smile back toward him felt alarmingly grateful, too, and she kept holding his arm while they followed Rosa and Daisy through the corridors, into a new section of the mountain they hadn’t yet seen.
And the further they went, the more the distinct sounds of grunts and shouts rose through the air around them.