“It means put up with it.”
Oskar narrowed his eyes. “There is one other form of transport available.” She wouldn’t like it. If he asked her, she would refuse. Best not to ask her then.
“What way?” she asked dubiously.
“Here. Hold these.” He unslung the bags and handed them to her.
She took them cautiously. “What are you—”
He bent, grabbed her around the waist, and lifted her into his arms. She yelped in surprise.
“Put me down, you idiot!”
“Ye said ye needed transport, did ye not?”
“I...I meant...I didn’t mean...”
He grinned at her embarrassment. “Ye didnae specify which kind of transport. Now hold on tight, we’re going to move a lot quicker this way.” He adjusted his grip on her and began to walk briskly, carrying her in his arms. She didn’t weigh very much and having her in his arms felt somehow...right.
“Put me down this instant!”
“Not a chance. Ye are just going to have to... what’s the phrase? Suck it up.”
Lily’s face turned beet red as Oskar carried her through the snow. She squirmed in his arms, trying to free herself, but Oskar held her securely.
“Oskar, this is absurd! You can’t just carry me like this!”
“Why not? We’ll never get to Edinburgh with ye hobbling along like an old woman, will we?”
Lily huffed. “You really are the most annoying man, you know that?”
Oskar nodded. “Aye, so I’ve been told.”
As they made their way through the snow-covered landscape, Lily’s initial protests gradually faded into silence. She seemed to relax against him, her tense muscles easing as she surrendered to his embrace and she laid her head against his shoulder.
It felt good. It felt ridiculously good, even though his shoulders and back soon began to ache with the strain of carrying her.
Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed it when Lily spoke again, her voice barely a whisper. “Thank you,” she murmured.
He glanced down at her. “For what?”
“For everything,” she replied. “For offering to help when I was too stubborn to ask for it. You’re not what I expected.”
“I’ll choose to take that as a compliment, lass.”
They walked for a few miles until Oskar suddenly spotted a croft in the distance. Smoke curled lazily from the stone chimney, dissipating into the crisp winter air. An old plow horse grazed in a field nearby, its breath forming clouds in the cold air. Oskar felt his heartbeat quicken. Finally, a bit of luck.
As they reached the croft, Oskar carefully set Lily down on her feet, and gave her a reassuring nod before approaching the sturdy wooden door of the house and knocking. Moments later, the door creaked open to reveal an elderly woman, her eyes crinkling in surprise at the sight of them.
“Good day to ye,” Oskar greeted her with a respectful nod.
The elderly woman returned his greeting with a curious look, her gaze flitting from Oskar to Lily and back again. “Good day, travelers. What brings ye to my humble abode on such a chilly day?”
Oskar coughed, casting a quick glance at Lily. “We are in need of a horse to continue our journey. Would ye be willing to sell us yer fine steed there?” He gestured towards the plow horse in the field.
“Fine steed?” the woman snorted. “He’s a fat, lazy old thing is what he is. But he’s the only beast I’ve got.”
“Aye, but one ye willnae need until planting season comes around,” Oskar countered. “For the rest of the winter ye’ll have to keep feeding him and that will cost ye. I can offer ye twice his price and take him off yer hands so not only will ye not have to feed him, but ye can get yerself a new horse come the spring.”
