He chuckled under his breath. “Stick with me, princess. I’ll keep you warm.”
I ignored the “princess” comment and leaned further into his embrace. The rock of the road and the comforting warmth lulled me into an unexpected sleep.
My eyes flew open when the carriage wheels dropped into a particularly jarring hole.
My heart rate rocketed in my chest for a moment before it settled and I realized where I was: in the cramped carriage, tucked in Tandor’s embrace, rolling into the mountain city of Rockward.
Frost clung to my eyelashes in icy crystals.
Rockward sprawled in front of us like a painting—impossibly picturesque and beautiful. I scrubbed my eyes with my fists to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
Awe bled through me.
The town was nestled into a small mountain valley, cradled on all sides by snow-capped peaks. The road leading to the city was sloped, and the path overlooked everything.
The buildings looked as small as bugs from a distance. Tiny log cabins were dotted sporadically. Some clustered in groups, some seemed to be miles away. The central town was more packed together. Lingering snow dusted every surface—I could tell it hardly melted here.
The dual suns sank toward the horizon, preparing to slip away for the night. The sky was painted a mesmerizing red color.
Tandor’s body heat kept me from feeling the brunt of the cold, but as soon as I straightened and leaned away from him to get a better look, the cold seeped straight into my bones. I immediately leaned back into the orc again, uncaring of whether I should or shouldn’t. His arms grasping the reins tightened around me.
“Holy fucking shit,” I mumbled through chattering teeth, staring at the scene spread out in front of us.
Tandor snorted. His head dipped slightly so his chin settled on top of my head. “You have such a way with words.”
I nudged him in the stomach. “I’m just saying. It’s stunning.”
“Yeah. It really is,” he murmured appreciatively. He tugged on the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt so we could enjoy the scene for a moment longer.
It really was breathtaking. The way light glinted off the ice, fracturing into tiny rainbows. The way the mountain peaks stretched so high, so far off into the distance that I couldn’t tell where they ended.
Even the air smelled icy and cold, in a pleasant sort of way. It stung my nose but settled with a crisp almost sweetness. Like snow and fresh hay, with a hint of pine.
Hex crawled up onto my shoulder and stretched. They might have been nearly frozen, but they wanted a peek at the scenery too. I curled my hand around them to offer some warmth. I knew how much it sucked being cold, and being a liquid (sort of), theywould probably freeze solid if we weren’t careful. Even if they were made of magic.
Hex snapped at me for a moment, but then softened, leaning into my touch.
For some reason, that made me feel strangely accomplished. Almost… warm.
Damn familiar was making me go soft.
An owl hooted in the distance. I wondered what it was trying to communicate. Was it hunting, claiming its territory, or simply calling out to see if another would respond?
After long, peaceful moments, the carriage descended into Rockward. Daisy moved as slow as a snail—every step was a massive effort. The carriage creaked and rattled.
Rockward didn’t have a central inn. Instead, visiting guests could rent a cottage to stay in, or a tent. The portable tented structures were extremely popular due to their ease and convenience. The structures could be placed on top of the rock without the need for any digging into the mountain surface. They were set on wooden platforms, with tarped walls and large central fireplaces.
Heating enchantments were particularly popular in the mountain regions, for obvious reasons. I brewed many of them for my traveling customers.
We left the carriage at the stables and ushered the horse into the surprisingly warm barn. She wandered in slowly, her head drooping in relief, almost low enough to brush the ground. I patted her on the rump as she passed. “Cheer up, girl. We’ll be heading home soon.” I could’ve sworn that her head sank even lower as she neighed quietly.
It was becoming normal, settling my things into a new space with Tandor. Comfortable. We left our newly purchased items in the carriage (after bribing the stableboy to protect them) and dragged our packs into a surprisingly roomy tent.
We hadn’t even bothered asking for two separate rooms—we told each other it was to save silvers, because we already shared a room together for multiple nights, a few more wouldn’t hurt anyone.
And secretly, I just liked being around him.
I glanced surreptitiously over my shoulder to find Tandor leaning his hands onto the bed, testing the strength of it. He nodded to himself, looking satisfied as the fluffy surface bounced back under his weight. I suppressed a smile.
