the shots now, Hildy?" And he made great ado about pulling her hair to the side and kissing her loudly on the neck.
Chapter 8
When a hardheaded woman meets a hardheaded man…
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
"What?" Hilda turned to Torolf as he came up and sat down at the high table beside her. She had been avoiding him all day since he'd embarrassed her by taking her to ground, then kissing her neck in front of one and all. But her blood turned cold at the prospect of his leaving already. "Where do you go?"
"Norstead. I need to see for myself what's going on."
"I have told you all there is to know."
"Intelligence is perishable. What was true last year… last month… may not be true today."
"I can see the wisdom of your words. Still, 'tis insanity for you to go into their midst. You will be recognized."
"I know how to disguise myself, to blend in."
"Will you go alone?"
He nodded. "Best that way."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Two days… maybe three."
"I have a bad feeling about this." She wrung her hands in her lap, wanting to tell him to forget about Steinolf. They had survived here these five years.
Mayhap the brute would never bother them. Almost immediately, she recognized her foolishness. Steinolf would come eventually, no doubt about it. "What about Amberstead?"
He tapped his fingertips on the table. "I'll try to go there, as well. If I have time… if I'm able."
She thought a second before declaring, "I will go with you."
"You… will… not!"
"Yea, I will."
"You would only slow me down."
"I can be fast."
"I move silently… like a shadow."
"I can move softly."
"I would be worrying about protecting you all the time."
"Well, do not. My fate is my own, not your responsibility."
"Aaarrgh!" he said, pulling at his hair.
"Does that mean I can come?"
"Hell, no!"
"Be reasonable. It behooves you to accept my help."
"How?" he scoffed.
"I know secret tunnels leading into Amberstead. And I might be able to show you some of the hiding places in the hills for both of our peoples."
That got his attention. "You didn't tell me that you knew where some of them were hiding. And you never mentioned any tunnels when we were tasking our mission this morning."
She shrugged. "Some secrets are meant to be kept till trust is assured."
"You don't trust me?"
She declined to answer.
"Sonofabitch!"
"No need to curse!"
"Oh, I think there is. You're blackmailing me."
She smiled sweetly, not entirely sure what blackmailing meant. "What time shall we leave?"
He let out a whooshy exhale of surrender. "First light."
"Heed me well, knave. If you leave without me, I will just follow. In fact, I will bring Stig with me, and he can tup your leg the whole time."
He swore again. "I'll probably kiss you again."
What a pathetic attempt to put her off! "You could try."
He grinned. "Is that a challenge, Hildy?"
She decided the wisest course was not to answer. "Shall I dress as a man?"
"Yes."
"Should I cut off my hair?"
"Please don't."
"Huh?"
"There's no need to cut your hair. Just braid it tight and tuck it in a head covering of some kind."
"I know. I have a leather helmet here somewhere."
"Good. And wear pants… braies."
She nodded.
"Make sure they're not too tight. I don't want to be drooling over your sweet ass all day."
He thinks my arse is sweet? How… disgusting! "You are revolting."
"You can always stay here."
"It will take more than you ogling my backside to deter me."
"Dirty your face and teeth. Then go hug a goat or something so you smell like you did when I first got here. Then I won't want to kiss you again."
She bared her teeth at him.
He smiled at her.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice…
It was pitch-black outside when Hilda awakened.
In truth, she had slept only fitfully in the only separate bedchamber at The Sanctuary. This small amount of privacy was her only indulgence these past five years. The room had been used by her grandmother on the rare occasion when she'd traveled to
Chapter 8
When a hardheaded woman meets a hardheaded man…
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
"What?" Hilda turned to Torolf as he came up and sat down at the high table beside her. She had been avoiding him all day since he'd embarrassed her by taking her to ground, then kissing her neck in front of one and all. But her blood turned cold at the prospect of his leaving already. "Where do you go?"
"Norstead. I need to see for myself what's going on."
"I have told you all there is to know."
"Intelligence is perishable. What was true last year… last month… may not be true today."
"I can see the wisdom of your words. Still, 'tis insanity for you to go into their midst. You will be recognized."
"I know how to disguise myself, to blend in."
"Will you go alone?"
He nodded. "Best that way."
"How long will you be gone?"
"Two days… maybe three."
"I have a bad feeling about this." She wrung her hands in her lap, wanting to tell him to forget about Steinolf. They had survived here these five years.
Mayhap the brute would never bother them. Almost immediately, she recognized her foolishness. Steinolf would come eventually, no doubt about it. "What about Amberstead?"
He tapped his fingertips on the table. "I'll try to go there, as well. If I have time… if I'm able."
She thought a second before declaring, "I will go with you."
"You… will… not!"
"Yea, I will."
"You would only slow me down."
"I can be fast."
"I move silently… like a shadow."
"I can move softly."
"I would be worrying about protecting you all the time."
"Well, do not. My fate is my own, not your responsibility."
"Aaarrgh!" he said, pulling at his hair.
"Does that mean I can come?"
"Hell, no!"
"Be reasonable. It behooves you to accept my help."
"How?" he scoffed.
"I know secret tunnels leading into Amberstead. And I might be able to show you some of the hiding places in the hills for both of our peoples."
That got his attention. "You didn't tell me that you knew where some of them were hiding. And you never mentioned any tunnels when we were tasking our mission this morning."
She shrugged. "Some secrets are meant to be kept till trust is assured."
"You don't trust me?"
She declined to answer.
"Sonofabitch!"
"No need to curse!"
"Oh, I think there is. You're blackmailing me."
She smiled sweetly, not entirely sure what blackmailing meant. "What time shall we leave?"
He let out a whooshy exhale of surrender. "First light."
"Heed me well, knave. If you leave without me, I will just follow. In fact, I will bring Stig with me, and he can tup your leg the whole time."
He swore again. "I'll probably kiss you again."
What a pathetic attempt to put her off! "You could try."
He grinned. "Is that a challenge, Hildy?"
She decided the wisest course was not to answer. "Shall I dress as a man?"
"Yes."
"Should I cut off my hair?"
"Please don't."
"Huh?"
"There's no need to cut your hair. Just braid it tight and tuck it in a head covering of some kind."
"I know. I have a leather helmet here somewhere."
"Good. And wear pants… braies."
She nodded.
"Make sure they're not too tight. I don't want to be drooling over your sweet ass all day."
He thinks my arse is sweet? How… disgusting! "You are revolting."
"You can always stay here."
"It will take more than you ogling my backside to deter me."
"Dirty your face and teeth. Then go hug a goat or something so you smell like you did when I first got here. Then I won't want to kiss you again."
She bared her teeth at him.
He smiled at her.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice…
It was pitch-black outside when Hilda awakened.
In truth, she had slept only fitfully in the only separate bedchamber at The Sanctuary. This small amount of privacy was her only indulgence these past five years. The room had been used by her grandmother on the rare occasion when she'd traveled to
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