“Oh, yes. Ramsey often chatters with me. Last night, we literally stayed up all night talking about who was better for Fiona, Gaerth, or Ulof.”
Arwin giggles louder, doubling over and grabbing her belly.
Speaking of Ramsey…
I lift my arm. “How do I smell?”
“Didn’t you bathe earlier?”
“Yes, but do you smell anything?”
She sniffs, wiggling her nose. “Did you use the men’s soap?”
“Yesssss…”
She gags. “Why would you do that?”
“Just tell me if I smell like anything other than soap.”
“No.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief. “Good.”
“I wouldn’t say that. You smelt better after survival training, when you were all sweaty.”
I decide not to tell her I agree with her.
“So, it’s dye day?” she asks, looking at my purple and green fingers.
“Yes, it’s one of the reasons I came to find you.”
Arwin sighs. “And here I thought we were friends.”
“Exactly, and friends help each other.”
“What do you need?”
“I’ve mixed a few dyes, but I hadn’t realized I needed more of those orange flowers you found for me.”
“Would you like to grab some now?”
“If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate it. I was hoping to be done with it all before Ramsey came back tonight.”
We walk just outside the village, a couple of feet past the treeline.
Arwin gestures to a bush where several tiny orange flowers bloom from purple stems. “There they are.”
I extend my basket out to her. “Can you pick them for me?”
Her brow pinches. “Why don’t you?”
“I don’t want to work up a sweat.”
“I don’t either.”
“But I really don’t want to.”
“I fail to see why that’s my problem.”
