Her Deal with a Dragon

Chapter 5

Harin's plucked eyebrows shot up and she lowered her voice. "As in-?" she made a crude gesture with her hands and I shot a nervous glance to where Brosey was shamelessly eavesdropping on us as he polished the spotless bar. It wasn't like he could ruin my reputation any further, so I nodded.

Harin's red lips parted in shock. Then a grin split her mouth.

"Finally found a good suitor, you picky wench?!" she whisper-shouted, shaking my arm.

I looked away as my cheeks reddened further. "I need you to teach me the womanly charms." I said emphatically, almost gagging on the words.

A mischievous chuckle escaped her and she grinned. "Vania the Virgin is finally getting laid!" she chortled, pulling me into a bear hug. "Of course I will tell you everything I know! But first-" she pushed me back to look at me and wiggled her eyebrows. "Who's the lucky guy?"

I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face. "Well, I don't actually know his name, it's just-"

Harin's expression lit with comprehension and her face fell.

"Oh. I see." She lowered her hands to grip mine. "I'm so sorry Vani. I wish-" she shook her head. "Well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. But are you sure? You might never be able to marry..."

I let out a harsh laugh. "As if I could! My chance of marrying well is non-existent, and I would rather sell my body and get something out of it than marry someone who makes me miserable. Well, more miserable."

Harin nodded, and agreed with a sigh.

"Well, I suppose setting the mood is a good place to start."

We talked late into the night, and Brosey let me wash dishes instead of kicking me out for loitering. As I was leaving, Harin gave me a jar of oats and some milk, as I had mentioned that was my excuse for coming into town. When I got back home, Ruelle was still awake, banking the coals. She took one look at the oats and milk and swallowed down whatever questions she had wanted to ask.

Over the course of the next few days, I would get up early, check the traps and snares, then spend the afternoons at the tavern with Harin.

At night, I would come home late, sometimes empty handed and other times with some leftovers. I could see Ruelle struggling not to ask questions and I appreciated it.

Day after day, Harin imparted her extensive knowledge about carnal acts, and I listened carefully to every word. Brosey's brows drew closer and closer together every time he stopped to eavesdrop and eventually, he quit listening altogether. He also stopped complaining about my presence and even let me help in the kitchen in exchange for leftover meat buns and bread.

A week later, Harin declared that there was nothing more she could tell me, and took me up to her room to find what she called, 'a suitable wrapping'.

The gown was a dusty rose color and made of a fine, light cloth. It was too small for Harin, so she insisted I take it.

Just as I was about to leave Brosey stopped me, holding out a cloth-covered basket without looking at me.

"Tell your mother I said hello, and I hope she is well."

I took the bundle and thanked him as warmly as I could manage before heading home.

I opened it just outside town and found a large loaf of bread, a lump of butter wrapped in cloth, a large crock with stew and a wedge of cheese.

There was a note inside that read,

You're too young to be doing Harin's sort of work. Your mother would be devastated if she knew. I can't hire you, and there isn't much else I can do, but there are other ways. You just need to keep your hopes up.

I crumpled the note in my fist and fought down the urge to take the food back and tell him that he and those like him were the reason I was even considering it. That he wasn't the only one who had some stupid excuse for not wanting to hire me. If any one of them would give me work, my family wouldn't be facing down starvation.

But I couldn't do that. We needed every bit of help we could get. Even if it came as a pity gift.

I stashed the dress between some rocks just before the house, then hurried on. I got home just as Gelta was arriving from the direction of the fort. He was coated in mud to his knees and he carried a basket on his back that looked to be somewhat heavy.

He grinned and waved, his eyes falling to the basket hanging on my arm. I stuffed the note into my pocket and grinned back.

"Good haul tonight!" I called and he trotted over to fall in step with me.

"It smells good." he said, eyes glued to the basket.

I lifted the cloth to give him a peek and his eyes widened.

"We all eat tonight." I said firmly.

He nodded and wiped the back of his hand against his mouth.

"Good, cause I'm starving."

We stomped inside to find that dinner had already been prepared and mostly eaten.

I plunked the basket down and began emptying it. "That old fart at the tavern sent his compliments, mother." I said as I placed the jar of hearty stew down.

Ruelle poked her head out from the loft where she and Mirian were getting ready to sleep and I waved them down.

"We're having stew with bread and butter tonight. We can save the cheese for tomorrow."

I caught Ruelle's eye and we exchanged a look. She was concerned. Probably worried about indulgences and whatever it had cost me.

I gave her my most confident, hopeful smile and she relaxed slightly.

Then she was climbing down the ladder to help set the table again.

We sat around the table longer than usual. Mother made tea from mint I had gathered in the summer. The real tea was safely hidden somewhere by Ruelle.

After the last drop of stew was gone the the last crumb licked from each plate, Gelta opened his basket to reveal it stuffed with cloth.

"The garrison wives all made new clothes for their families and threw out the old ones. I asked, and they gave them to me."

He produced three coats large enough to dwarf me, and a few smaller, child-sizes garments.

There was a thick shawl with some mouse damage and several knit scarves and ruined mittens. We all agreed to divide things up in the morning and retired for the night after cleaning up.

It was the first time we had all gone to bed with a full belly in longer than I cared to remember. Gelta, Ruelle and I only ate one or two meals a day. Ruelle and Gelta took breakfast while I was out checking the traps. Ruelle would eat lunch with me, then skip the evening meal while Gelta and I ate. We always ate sparingly and made sure Kestrel, Mirian and mother ate their fill.

But tonight, I wanted to believe that what I was about to do would change things. Make them better, somehow.

I drifted off just a little lighter than I had in months. Just maybe, I could turn this around.

I woke up earlier than usual in the morning and took my plate from the cupboard. Before Gelta and I had come home, Ruelle made us plates with a leg of rabbit, half a potato and a small serving of stewed greens.

I devoured it greedily and silently before heading for the door with my basket.

I thought about taking one of the coats, but I didn't want to wake anyone up.

Shivering, I made my way through my trapping route and was disappointed to find that there were only two fish and no other game. I strung the fish on a string and hung them from the front porch where Ruelle would see them when she got up. Then I went to get my dress. It was covered in frost, but I wrapped it around my shoulders anyway, letting it stave off some of the cold as I turned my steps toward the mountain.