I return to reality, gaping. It’s not him, of course. It’s the rainbow. I breathe deep. Okay, maybe I should sneak my way down. Wait for him to finish so I can bathe. Just as I decide on leaving, he turns to the shore, wading out. Every step he takes lifts his body farther from the water.
By every social standard, I should turn around. Women should not be lusting for men like some rabid dogs. But my blood is boiling. Such an intimate moment—Ari relaxed in the river. I can’t look away.
The man is standing naked, wiping his face with a linen cloth. My cheeks flush as my eyes greedily lap up Ari’s body. A tingling sensation trickles down my sides. I fight the impulse to step forward. It’s been too long since I had some fun with Narve—that’s why. Or it’s the rainbow making the whole moment feel enchanted. One of those two. It’s not Ari. Ari the humiliator. The crow.
But seriously, what is this man chiseled out of? Vidar and Asbjorn are monsters, massive men with muscles everywhere. But with Ari, the muscles look almost unnatural on his slender frame. He could have been shaped in the image of Thor. It lookslike some deformity. A deformity all women would dream of enjoying. Never would I have guessed such compact power hid under that leather.
What did his mother feed him? Troll tongue? The Midgard Wyrm? Idunn’s apples? It’s hard to imagine.
I breathe out a heavy stream of hot air, trying to temper the warmth beneath my belly button. And the vibration below that. Today, I have seen three people naked. Two of them involuntarily, but this moment… this has been my choice. I call Ari a pervert, but look at me now. I’m the one with the weird ideas.
Okay, it’s time to move. It’s time to?—
“It’s rude to spy!”
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
I bolt down the hill full speed, keeping my head low. Ari saw me. He saw me!
That mangy bastard.
That mangy gorgeous bastard.
I’ll never hear the end of this.
CHAPTER 29
How long have I been hiding in the woods? No clue, but my stomach is rumbling and the sun is setting. So that’s an indicator. A knot pulses in my gut as I approach the camp. Ari will make a poem about this, I’m sure. Folk will love it. He will call me a frilla, a wanton woman. A sex-crazed wanton woman.
Being a stone’s throw from the camp, I stop and consider turning around, disappearing, never returning. At least I wouldn’t be a slave. A wanton sex-crazed slave. Head for the hills. Who cares what happens to my people? Who’s to say Sigurd will exact revenge on them? He seems decent enough.
My doubts are dispelled when the scent of Ari’s stew hits my nostrils. He’s probably cooked again, using the leftovers from last night. So good. The fat, the browned carrots and meat, the spice. The best. I will starve if I flee. I will freeze. Ari will knowwhy I left. He will laugh. I exhale a long-contained breath as I advance. Be strong, Kilda.
What a tragedy. A disgrace. How will I look Ari in the eyes? What honor can a maiden hold when?—
“There you are,” Ylvin shouts.
I’m not even in sight yet, being hidden behind Ylvin’s lavvu. I didn’t make much noise. How does she know I’ve arrived? Okay, brave smile. No problem. Let’s do this. I turn the corner.
“Happy blessings, guys,” I say, instantly regretting it. A formal greeting with “guys” tacked on. So forced.
“Blessings,” replies Elof without raising his face from his steaming bowl of stew. Seeing him shovel meat into his mouth makes me salivate. I must be really hungry.
“Eat slower, darling,” says Ylvin to her husband. “You’ll burn your tongue eating like a troll.”
My eyes find the reason for my discomfort. The bastard skald. The crow. He says nothing, just locks his eyes onto mine with a secretive grin. Bastard.
“Eat Kilda, you must be starving,” insists Ylvin. “Your friend made an even better stew than yesterday. Truly grand.”
My friend? My enemy more like. Ari is smug in general, but by the gods, I’ve never seen him look so self-satisfied. He looks like he single-handedly defeated the Midgard Wyrm. Like he ripped apart the jaws of Fenrir, the world-ending wolf. Ylvin doesn’t have her horny, wolfish grin, so I’m assuming he hasn’t told them what happened. A small victory.
“I could eat a bear,” I chirp sweetly, pretending like nothing. Behind our hosts’ backs, I shoot Ari a furious look. The only space is on the same log as the bastard. My cheeks are probably hotter than the fire crackling between them. I fetch my bowl and fill it with a monstrous portion of Ari’s magic. He pisses me off, but the man can cook. It’s undeniable.
“Where have you been all day?” asks Ylvin. “I had a lesson planned.”
“I was, uh, practicing being myself. Like you said.”
“Ah, very good. What did you discover?”
