“You’re not from around here.”
It wasn’t so much of a question, and more of a statement. Her voice was rather melodic and, surprisingly, void of the usual fear and distrust he encountered. If anything, he thought he could hear traces of amusement and curiosity in it.
“Cat got your tongue, big guy? Did I catch you trying to sneak away from the celebration?”
The woman laughed a bright, bell-like laugh, and Kraghtol realized he had stood frozen in place for a few solid seconds now. He let out his breath before answering. Well, trying to answer.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… I just noticed the music and I…”
The woman laughed again and cut him off.
“Let’s try that again. I am Liva. Nice to meet you. Perhaps you want to share your name as well?”
Shewinked, which confused Kraghtol even more. That was decidedly not how people usually reacted to him.
“Kragh,” he rumbled, his coarse voice a stark contrast to Liva’s clear and light one.
“Kragh. Sounds unusual. I like it. Now,Kragh, judging by your backpack and the fact that I don’t know your face, you’re not fromCaemdir. It would be terribly inhospitable not to invite you to our feast on the night of the equinox.”
Without asking for further permission, she took his hand and led him to an empty part of the food-laden tables, away from the main festivities. Her hand felt so small and delicate that, for a moment, he was worried he might break her bones just by holding it. The light was brighter here, which enabled Kraghtol to make out more than just Liva’s silhouette. She was objectively beautiful, he decided. Her dark hair was straight and long, framing a petite face with a perpetual cheeky expression. Her fingers were slender and well-manicured, and her light clothing highlighted the curvy body underneath more than concealing it. He quickly looked up at her face again, not wanting to get accused of stealing inappropriate glances. Luckily, Liva didn’t seem to mind.
“Interesting. Seems like there is a whole unusual man behind the unusual name. I can’t say I’ve ever met someone like you before. Come on. Don’t just stand there. Sit down and grab a bite to eat. You certainly seem hungry. Tell me, where are you from?”
Her words surrounded Kraghtol like a whirlwind, mimicking the thousands of doubts in his own head. Still, he decided to go with it. She wasn’t necessarily wrong, too: Hewashungry, even after his dinner, and the food on the table looked just delicious. Before long, he found himself chewing on sweetened bread and apple pie while trying to answer all of Liva’s seemingly endless questions. It was easy to avoid the embarrassing parts of his past, since Liva mainly concentrated on shallow topics, asking more about the daily life in Mistpine than Kraghtol’s struggles. She did, however, know how to comment onhis accomplishments or features in a positive way that Kraghtol was entirely unaccustomed to. Aside from Merrick, he had rarely received compliments, but Liva didn’t seem to run out of opportunities to flatter him for his strength or cunning.
It was a novel experience for Kraghtol, but he didn’t question it until after some time, he felt her hand on his thigh suddenly and flinched.
“So… do you already have a place to stay tonight?” Liva asked him in her innocent and sweet voice, making no effort to remove her hand. Suddenly, it all made sense to him, and he felt blood rushing to his head. She wasn’t just making conversation; she was flirting.
“Oh.Oh. Yes, I… I’m sleeping outside. Sorry.”
He tried to push her hand away gently, but she just laughed.
“Oh, come on, big guy. It’s the night of the equinox. Surely you don’t want to sleep on moss and stone when you could wrap those powerful arms around me tonight?”
She lowered her voice and almost whispered now as she added: “Nobody needs to know. You’re far away from home and it’s a celebration night.”
While speaking, she had taken his hand that he had just used to free his thigh and guided it to her hip, no doubt in an inviting and intimate gesture, but Kraghtol pulled it back quickly.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Liva, but I can’t. Sorry.”
This whole thing was becoming more and more embarrassing for Kraghtol, and he just hoped she would take the rejection well. But apparently, Liva was not yet ready to give up.
“But why? It could be the perfect night. Just the two of us, under the moonlight… Am I not pretty enough?”
“I appreciate the offer, really.”
Kraghtol basically squirmed in his seat now.
“And it’s not that you are not pretty, I guess, but I just don’tseewomen that way and…”
There was a moment of surprised silence before Liva let go of his hand and burst out laughing suddenly.
“Just my luck of the hollow, really! A mysterious traveler appears on the night of the equinox, the perfect customer, and he turns out to be a man’s man.”
She didn’t really seem to be saddened by this revelation, though. If anything, she came across even more authentic than before, which left Kraghtol in utter confusion. Then, one word bubbled up in the cauldron of his head.
“Wait, customer? You mean you’re a…”
