A Bride For A Barbarian

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Aurora watched in silence as he slowly at his breakfast off the plate, looking to be studying the meal she had prepared for him. She wished that he would be quicker though, this wait for his approval was starting to make her worry bubble in her chest. She perked a bit as he spoke, cutting into his meat as he asked her about what else he could do. She was going to answer him seriously until his listed the final thing, bring forth a bright blush to her cheeks. She stuttered for a moment before looking back down at the ground, her hands clenching each other for a moment as she tried to not act shy from his earlier statment.

"W-Well, I-I'm good with cleaning a-a-and sewing...I-I work well with animals....Um...U-um" She seemed to lose her train of thought as she felt his eyes look over her, her arms instinctively moving up a bit as she wrapped them around her waist in a small attempt to prevent his observing. "I-I am also good...with basket weaving..." She finished, her shyness making it hard to think of any other skills she might have.

She hoped that he would not ask her to warm his bed, as he had inquired so boldly there about her skills. She was not that type of girl! She did not have the heart either for that kind of play, she had never been around men very much except for her father. The idea of...of laying with someone was enough to make her blush out of control!
 
Her shyness was so unbelievably entertaining. Garik set down his fork and knife and simply stared at Aurora while the poor girl stumbled over her words. It was entertaining at least to watch her become steadily more flustered until he couldn't help but laugh. His deep chuckle filled the room, as if she had just told him the punchline to a hilarious joke. And when his laughter died down, he scratched at the stubble on his chin and sighed. "Cleaning and sewing is taken care of. But you're a farm girl, right? So we'll put you with the livestock when you're not cooking."

He went back to his food then, stuffing his mouth and chewing like a hungry wolf. After a great gulp of mead, he licked his lips clean and glanced back up at her. She hadn't left? Well, he supposed he hadn't officially dismissed her. "Don't worry. You won't be required to warm anyone's bed but your own," he assured her, smirking a little again.

If he understood correctly, her kind of people saw it fit for a woman to keep her virginity until she were married off to someone that would benefit the family. But was she afraid of shaming her family and herself or just afraid of him? He supposed a barbarian wasn't the ideal lover. Changing her mind could be a fun way to waste his free time.

"Your cooking is good. You can go now," he muttered, waving her away with a sweep of his hand. He went back to his meal then, glancing every so often at the window, reminding himself there was work to be done.
 
Aurora nodded her head a bit when she was told she would take care of animals when she was not cooking. She could do that easily, though she would be doing so on a much larger level than the small amount of live stock that her family owned. The number of horses they had alone was more than their sheep and cows combined...at least after the wold attacks. A small sigh of relief also left her lips when he informed her that she would not be used as a bed warmer for anyone's bed but her own. She already was kicked down to a servant level and at the mercy of a barbarian leader...Last thing she needed to worry about was becoming some mans bed toy or possible becoming with child out of marriage.

His compliment didn't go unnoticed though, even if he slipped it in right before he sent her off. It was good news to hear she had done her job right and she left, a small smiling forming on her face as she did. At least she was starting to win some points in this place. She scurried back to the kitchen, having every intent on reporting what she was told to Evyin. Hopefully she would be able to tell her how to take care of their animals and such. She may have raised animals at her parents farm but that did not mean that the barbarians used the same feed and such as her family did....

She quickened her pace towards the kitchens, wanting to make sure that she would get her new duties done and not have to worry about doing them later in the evening when it was colder.
 
In most towns, a single blacksmith was more than enough to fix and create works of metal. But this was a barbarian tribe where pretty much anyone who was strong enough to wield a sword most definitely owned one. Just one blacksmith wasn't going to get the job done, so there were two: one for weapons, the other for every day necessities like tools and horseshoes. Coincidentally, the tribe's leader and greatest warrior also owned and ran the weapons forge and today was day one of his shift.

Garik's large steps brought him down the main road of the village in a hurry, though he was careful enough to keep from twisting an ankle on the uneven ground. Last night had brought a harsh cold, freezing the mud that had resulted from dirt, snow, and the trampling of feet and hooves and wagon wheels. Now there were cruel, hard ruts in the road that were trying their best to injure pedestrians and animals alike, made worse by the slight rise in temperature and the arrival of falling snow trying to camouflage those dangerous dents in a sheet of white.

Nevertheless Garik made it to the smithy in one piece, shaking snow from his hair like a dog having come in from the rain. It might have been winter but just two steps into the shelter of the forge was enough to make anyone feel like it was summer. The smith he had come to relieve wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his arm and set down the axe head he'd just finished sharpening, pushing himself to his feet to greet Garik with a smile and a pat. Then the man gathered his belongings and set out, followed by Garik's gaze. For a moment, the barbarian stared out at the barn just a stone's throw away and found himself thinking of that girl. She'd be arriving sooner or later for her turn to feed and care for the animals.

The realization that he had been thinking of this woman nearly constantly since her arrival had Garik feeling a little disgruntled. So he shook his head and her right out of it and set to work, shrugging off the wolf fur coat that covered his broad and bare upper half, setting it aside where it wouldn't fall victim to flying embers. Soon, the pinging sound of metal on metal filled the afternoon air, though as the day wore on, the snow began to fall heavier, muffling most of the village sounds.

Meanwhile, the women in the kitchen were singing while they worked to prepare the evening meal. Their voices were harmonious as was their movements of plucking feathers from a large bird.

"I wish I was on yonder hill. Tis there I'd sit and cry my fill, until every tear would turn a mill," Thaya sang, her voice soft and high as if comforting a child.

"I'll sell my rod, I'll sell my reel. I'll sell my only spinning wheel, to buy my love a sword of steel," Evyin added in a more solid, lower tone. And together the women continued the song, at least until Evyin noticed Aurora. "Nothing for you to help with, child. You've done well with the master's morning meal," she said with a smile, turning back to her work. "Did he give you any other chores?"
 
Aurora stayed silent for the most part as the women sang, waiting for them to finish or for them to notice her, which ever came first. When she was finally noticed she smiled a bit, nodding her head in understanding as she was told that she was not needed.

"He told be to take care of the animals today. I do have a few questions about that though, as I am not sure how you take care of your animals. I mean, not every farmer feeds their pigs the same slop right?" She joked lightly, seeming to feel much more comfortable around the kind women than Garik. "Anyway, I just was wondering if everything is there in the barn for the animals, such as food and such...Also, he did not specify anything so I was wondering if when he said take care of them he also meant to clean out their pens and such."

As she said this she removed her cooking apron and set on a hook near the door where she had seen other aprons hanging there before. She figured it would be a good place to leave it for now, just in case she was needed as soon as she finished her chores with the animals. It would save her time if she did not have to spend much time in her room. She waited for Evyin to speak and hopefully answer her questions so that she could get going and head to the barn. She didn't want Garik to think she was dawdling on purpose or anything.
 
"Unfortunately, child, we don't take care of the animals. We only cook them," Evyin chuckled in reply. "You'll want to ask that old bat in the barn how to take care of the animals. He'll be your boss when it comes to that." She paused in her task, turning her gaze toward a scraps bucket near the end of the island counter. "Best take that with you when you go, and try not to hit the man with it."

'The old bat' as Evyin had described him was a twig of a man and without a doubt hard on the eyes. He was possibly grumpier than Garik and thrice the pervert. Sighing a little as she watched Aurora go, Evying couldn't help but worry a little. A girl like that was a little too subdued for her own good. She was about to learn that living unharrassed in this tribe would require a bit of bite and definitely some claws...

The barn, located across from the nearest smithy was alive with the chatter of animals of all kinds, some of which the simple village girl had probably never seen before. And the ugliest one of them all was 'Old Man' Kesher, at that moment shoveling manure into a wheelbarrow and grumbling half coherent words about sending a woman to do a man's job. But once he got a good look at his new aide, he paused in his labor and gave a lopsided grin, making no attempt to hide just what he was staring at. "Pretty lady like you shouldn't be playing with the pigs. But oh, you've done this before?" he said, gesturing with a boney finger at Aurora's hands. "Those are the hands of a hard worker. A woman after my own heart." And he licked his lips, grinning again and showing off his yellow stained teeth, some of which were clearly missing.
 
Aurora nodded her head a bit, understanding that the women might not have been near the animals. She had only asked just in case they knew anything at all that might help her. At the mention of an old bat though she became vary curious, what kind of person would she be working with down there at the barn? She did not think about it for long though before grabbing the buckets as told and heading out to do her chores, only pausing to stop at her room and put on her cloak. At a steady pace she made her way down towards the barn, slipping onto her bottom a few times as she hit some ice or slipped into a tricky ditch that the mud had formed. Luckily, she made it there without spilling the slop or twisting her ankle.

Upon her arrival, she peaked into the barn, buckets in hand and her cheeks and nose a rosy red from the cold. She was surprised to see so many animals for a barbarian tribe, some being ones she had never seen at all as well! Then again, considering how much just a small group of men could eat, it was no surprise that they horded their animals so expertly. One animal was particularly ugly...oh wait...that wasn't an animal. The man currently shoveling manure was not at all handsome and a small part of her questioned if he was even a barbarian with how lanky he looked.

"U-Um...Thank you." She said slowly, his rather flirtatious words not going unnoticed by the young woman. Something told her that this one was going to be even worse than Garik. "I'll do by best so I hope I won't slow you down." She said to him simply as she set down the slop buckets near her feet before standing up again.

"So...What is my first task?"
 
A promise to work hard was hardly meaningful to someone like Kesher who believed that only barbarian women were even capable of hard work. He grunted in reply, returning to his task of shoveling. "That slop you brought with you goes to the pigs," he finally answered after a few long seconds of debating on whether or not to actually let her do anything. He trusted she knew where the pigs were, considering he'd heard all about her little dip in the muck. Pausing a moment, he grinned at the thought of her embarrassed face. She had probably needed a bath after that... And off his mind wandered, imagining all sorts of dirty things involving pour Aurora while a bit of drool escaped down the corner of his mouth.

The shovel he'd been leaning on slipped and he jerked back to reality, smoothly picking up his chore again as if nothing had happened. "When you're done, you'll help me collect the eggs in the chicken coop," Kesher called to Aurora, as he finished shoveling. He moved deeper into the barn, washing his hands in a water basin set on a little work bench cluttered with tools. Then he made his way to the pigs' pen to see how his helping hand was faring, only to stop short at the sight of her bent over at one of the troughs. A sleezy grin crept up onto his face as he gazed at the image of her dress draped over her posterior. What lovely hips she had and, oh, how they beckoned to him and dared him to reach out and touch.

Of course a chauvinist like Kesher wouldn't even think twice about the woman's feelings and so he stepped close to her and plopped a hand square on her bottom, making sure not to forget to give it a more-than-friendly squeeze.
 
Aurora simply nodded her head at the mention of the slop, picking it up once more before she wandered over to the pen. She was a little hesitant to get close at first, mostly because the last time she was there she had taken a nasty spill into that slurry of mud and other unpleasantries. However, after insuring herself some serious footing, she was able to go about her task of dumping the slop into the troughs as the large hogs trotted over with loud snorts and whines.

Even for such messy creatures, they were surprisingly cute in a way...then again, she had only helped with pigs once in her time as a farmers daughter, during a plentiful summer when a neighbor's pigs had one to many piglets and they were giving them away. He was a good pet...And a better ham dinner later that year in the fall. She did not speak when he mentioned the egg collecting, that was nothing new to her at all. Her hands had more than a few peck marks from times past. Once the slop was all poured, she stayed bent to give a small piggy a pet, the larger ones to busy eating to care. At this time though she was unaware that Kesher had moved behind her...

"Hello there little guy...I bet you'll grow into one big piggieEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" Came the sudden surprised scream as a firm hand grabbed onto her behind and groped it lewdly.

She was up in an instant, standing straight as a pole as she jumped up and turned around with flushed cheeks. Her hands had turned to rest upon her behind, as if holding it to protect it from more grabby hands. She looked up at Kesher, suddenly lost for words as she tried to think of something to say...However, she was no barbarian woman, she had no snappy comments to give him.
 
Aurora's reaction was not at all what Kesher had been expecting. A punch maybe, or at the very least a sharp word or two, but for the girl to scream like that... He jumped in surprise, blinking a few times before a grin that could only be described as 'uncouth' spread across his face. Heartbeat slowing, he advanced on Aurora a few steps, enough to smell the soap from her hair.

So she had indeed bathed.

Kesher's grin increased and he took another step closer, openly and quite obviously smelling her hair from the way he leaned even closer still and closed his eyes. "You're an energetic girl, aren't ya? If you're good, I could consider making you my wife," he purred, voice cracking in places and thus ruining any appeal in those words, if there'd even been any to begin with! "How's about I sample the goods, hm?"

Closer now, backing her up, if not with that disgusting look upon his face then his lack of hygiene. He ran his tongue across his rotten teeth and reached out to paw at poor Aurora's breast.
 
Aurora was frozen, Kesher's expression both shocking and unnerving. He had done that on purpose! And from the way that he was smiling she had no trouble believing that he'd try again. She had thought that maybe this place wasn't so bad, that maybe the worst she would get would be that fall into the pig pen...But she had been wrong. To be...be touched by this man so openly, him having no regret or even any manners to say sorry or act like a gentleman...The urge to bathe suddenly hit her full force.

She flinched back as he moved closer, her face paling as he loudly smelled her hair. Her cheeks tinged the slightest green when he spoke of her becoming his wife. She was not planning on joining the tribe, especially not with such a grubby pervert of a man like the want standing in front of her. With each step he took she stepped back, dooming herself as she was pinned against one of the stable walls. Shaking nervously she sudden blushed at his request, her eyes soon darting to watch his hand reach out towards her.

"n-n-n-NO!" She said suddenly, a hand darting out and giving his a harsh slap.

Maybe it wasn't so bad being as small as she was, it allowed her to escape. Without a second thought she dashed out from around him, grabbing her cloak off the barn floor and dashing towards the exit. If he had time to molest her then he certainly didn't need her help! She didn't even care if Garik yelled at her about this, she was not going to allow this to happen!
 
Ah, rejection was nothing new to that old pervert, though he couldn't for the life of him figure out why no woman wanted him. So when Aurora shouted at him and slapped his hand away, he growled with frustration and advanced again. However, that woman was ridiculously fast and nimble, slithering away from him before he even had a chance to really realize he'd failed to trap her.

Spinning around, Kesher reached out to grab at Aurora, at anything to slow her down be it skirt or hair. But he was old and slow and the muck was thick from the cold. He lost his balance, arms flailing, shouting in surprise, and plopped face first into the mixture of mud and less appealing things.

And while Kesher was busy involuntarily swimming in the pigs' pen, Garik had stepped outside of the forge, partly for a break but also because he'd heard some shouting. He was standing out in the frigid air, pelted by snow, the flakes quickly melting on the hot skin of his bare chest. Sweat trickled from his nape to the small of his back, or perhaps it was melted snow. Either way, he'd been overheating in that forge and now he was starting to feel much bette--

Garik glanced down as something, or rather, someone bumped into him. He had to admit that bumping him was at times like trying to move a wall made of stone or at the least a very sturdy tree.

Eyebrow arching, the mighty warrior and part time blacksmith lightly gripped that 'someone' by the shoulders and stepped back. "Aurora? Where are you going in such a hurry?" Had she already been chased off by that dirty old man?

Garik bit back a laugh.
 
Aurora only heard the meaty slap as she bolted out of the stables, holding up her dress high enough to allow her to run without any trouble. She did not stop at all, still running as she looked over her shoulder to make sure he didn't follow her. In that case she would make every attempt she could to get back to the kitchens and hide behind Evyin. If anyone could protect her from men it was her, the funny part being that even when pregnant that woman could intimidate quite well. However, it seemed that she would not be blessed with luck twice that day.

Just as she turned her head back to her path she slammed into someone, though it was more close to a brick wall than anything else. Before she could stumbled back though she felt large hands on her shoulders, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to shake out the shock that the collision had caused. When she finally realized it was Garik she blushed and started to stutter, mostly because she was having difficulty explaining what had happened. After all, she had never been treated that way before, then again, most of the men in the village in the valley were kept on tight leashes by lovers or mothers, depending on their age.

"I...He...I was working! And then he touched me...I screamed...Then...then I-I jumped and he moved closer...I tried, i tried to keep but he...then he reached...I ran..and...and..." She seemed to be distressed, the events a little more than her innocent mind could bear, she was constantly looking over her shoulder, seemingly nervous and wanting to get away as fast as possible.
 
Stuttering and stammering and definitely flustered. This woman just continued to be all the more amusing. There Aurora was, trying desperately to explain the very situation responsible for her distressed state. And here Garik was, struggling just as much to keep from laughing at her plight. But from the little bit she did get out, he was able to piece together the story and come to the conclusion that putting her with that old fart was definitely a bad idea.

She looked distracted, as if she was afraid Kesher would sneak up behind her. Did she really think Garik would allow that? He'd only put her with that pervert in an attempt to toughen her up a little. Maybe her skin was still as soft as ever but at least she was a little less ignorant about men now.

"Calm down, girl," the barbarian voiced in what was probably the softest tone he could muster. No sense in teasing her now, not when she was this upset. "It will be fine. He will be punished. Strike that chore from your list. I will put you to use somewhere else." Somewhere with men a little more refined. Not a hell of a lot more, but at least the rest of Garik's men knew when and when not to have explorative paws.

Looking at her closely now, Garik was able to tell just how long she'd been outside. The snow that fell heavier and thicker with each passing moment was collecting in her hair, on her shoulders, her cheeks and nose red only a little from embarrassment. "Come on. There is a storm on the way and you look like you're half-frozen already," he said, lips forming a line of disapproval. "Can't have you getting sick."

Wrapping a strong arm around her shoulders, Garik led Aurora into the smithy, both of them kissed by heat the moment they stepped inside. Over to a stool he led her, sat her down with a gentle push on her shoulders, then stood back to inspect her. Nodding as he silently made a decision, he grabbed up his wolf fur and wrapped it around her slender shoulders, holding for a moment to better study her face.

Plain. Very plain indeed. But something about the look in her eyes, about her quiet demeanor... Different than the women here. She was far too modest, too humble. Hearing her worth from her own mouth was like pulling teeth. A person like this would have been ignored by a sometimes lazy man like himself. He should be uninterested and yet he couldn't stop wondering. He needed to know. Were there parts of her that she kept locked away and buried deep under her manners and soft heart? Parts of her that were wild and stubborn and reckless? Or was she only what she appeared to be - gentle, easily manipulated, behaved with a dash of timid?

Grunting with dissatisfaction about where his thoughts had wandered yet again, Garik let go of Aurora's shoulders and turn toward the forge to continue his work. Soon the clanging of metal rang out, his strong arms and back flexing as he hammered away at the cherry colored blade on the anvil.
 
Aurora calmed a bit after her stuttering episode, her lips staying closed as he told her to calm down and mentioned that Kesher would be punished later on. It was some comfort but it didn't help with her jumpiness, who was to say that the other men in this place did not have hands that were just as grabby? Well, so far she had not seen any evidence of that so she held some hope for the attitude of other men around here...though any hope for Kesher was lost the moment he spoke to her like that.

As he looked her over she wiped the collecting snow from her hair, her face so red that she might look like she had a cold. It did not help either that she had been running through the snow without her cloak on, she had only grabbed it and held it tightly to herself, though pausing to putting it on would have certainly doomed her to more than just that passing touch the old man gave her behind and she was glad she didn't find out what it would have been. She seemed to blink in surprise when he started to pull her into his work place, mentioning that he didn't want her getting sick. For a second she thought that was nice of him...until she remembered she was a worker, she'd be useless if she was stuck on bed rest.

She was hit with wonderful warmth the moment she stepped inside, her cheeks feeling like ice now that she was out of the snow. They burned a little as she was slowly warmed up, her body no longer shivering at least. Before she could think of anything to say she was pushed down into a chair, a small 'oof' slipping out in the process. She then was wrapped in a heavy fur, her body becoming all the more warm.

As he looked down at her she glanced up at him, watching him curiously for a second before he pulled back and moved on to his work. Had be been studying her? Certainly she was not that interesting to look upon. Aurora was plain in every sense of the word and she was hardly adventurous enough to make up for her looks. Then again, when living in such a closed of village all your life, you either went two ways. One path you left and traveled the world fighting any dangers, the other path you stayed where you were believing that the world outside was dangerous. It was rather obvious the path she chose.

Aurora's eye wandered over to Garik for a moment as he went about his work. Now that he was working, he seemed a little more...relateable to say the least. He was just like any other hard worker, doing his job for whatever pay he would receive. It was at this moment she noticed how strong he actually was. The fur he usually wore hid most of his back and upper arms but without it, he could easily snap a man in half just from what it appeared he could do.

She looked away from him and more towards the sword now, her eyes observing his work more than looking at him. She had never seen this before, she only knew the basics of what a blacksmith did. It was rather impressive how they could mold steel into tools and weapons that were strong. Not wanting to bother him she stopped herself from saying anything and moved her gaze around the work area, taking in the forge and the other tools that were either done or needing to be finished.
 
Fairly soon sweat had returned to his skin in beads, though Garik didn't seem to mind at all as he continued his work. It was something he was used to though he would definitely bathe later on. Hard, physical work was the life of a barbarian and so natural and everyday that they hardly viewed it as actual "work". But even manual labor veterans like him had the need for breaks, so he paused to stretch out his back muscles and rest his arms, turning his gaze toward the stool where he'd left Aurora.

She was still there, and his surprise showed on his face. Her reason for staying could have been one of many and Garik was just a little tired of studying her and trying to understand how her mind worked. He'd done enough of that for one day. "You're free to leave," he mumbled and brought his water canteen up to his lips for a drink. "The storm is bad right now, though," he added, gaze flicking to the swirling sheet of white clawing and battering the huts and buildings outside.

"But if you stay..." He lifted a hand and gestured for the girl to approach him. A gentle grip on her elbow as he led her over to the anvil, then he pulled a blade from the fire and pushed the mallet into her hand. After that, he moved around her until he stood behind, chest lightly pressed to her back with little breathing room.

"Like this," he muttered in her ear, his scruffy jawline grazing her smooth cheek ever so lightly as he leaned forward to wrap a large hand around the fist that gripped the mallet. Slowly he brought their hands down, showing her where to hit the blade, pausing a moment just to make sure she understood...

And to judge the softness of her body against his.

But then he pulled away, shifting to the side to keep the blade steady and give her room to swing. "Harder now. Go on."
 
Aurora sat there for the longest time, her eyes wandering around the shop and looking over all the tools and weapons. She found herself oddly fascinated by it all, how stone and raw metals were turned into such precise and strong items that her people often took for credit until they were broken and had to be replaced. She had no idea he even knew how to do this, then again, he also only ever gave off the impression of a leader, not a worker. She did not look at him until he spoke, telling her she could leave.

Her gaze then fell on the entrance, a sheet of white greeting her. Though she did not want to go out in that, she'd rather face the cold than another barbarian man approaching her negatively. She slipped from the stool and set the fur on top of it, about to put on her cloak before he seemed to change his mind. It seemed that even he noticed the level of storm that was happening. She gave him a curious look as he gestured for her to move to him, the girl placing her cloak down on top of his fur as she wandered over.

Before she could think she was tugged over to anvil, a hot sword form being pulled out of the furnace and being placed on the anvil, a hammer soon shoved into her hands as she blinked in surprise. Then she froze, his body pressing against her back as he trapped her against the anvil. One of his large hands covered her fist on the mallet and slowly hammered on the metal, pausing enough for her to see where he hit. He was...showing her how? It was a strange idea, but if he wished for her to help, she would do so. However, it was hard not to blush as he seemed to press into her longer than needed, their cheeks rubbing a bit which caused his stubble to scratch her face.

When she was freed, she set the hammer down to the side, quickly rolling up her sleeves so they would not be in the way. The last thing she needed was to set her clothing on fire or burn them. With that done she picked up the hammer with two hands and lifted it, bringing it down as hard as she could. Granted, she wasn't terribly strong, but when she tried, she seemed to be able to do some damage...though nothing that could impress him all that much, certainly.
 
The determination of this woman to do her best might have tired another onlooker. It might have made them wonder about just where she stored all of this energy of hers. Garik however was pleased that Aurora was showing signs of fitting in well in her new and temporary home. She just needed to find her voice he thought and a frown clearly showed on his face. Kesher was a weak, pathetic little man who was only still here in the tribe because he did his job well. If it had been any other man, Aurora wouldn't have gotten away. And depending on how wild the man, she could very well have been raped.

He would have to teach her a lesson as well about being far too trusting.

But plotting her lesson would have to come later. Right now, the barbarian was content to let her work on the blade for as long as she could muster the strength. Then he took over again, once in a while casting glances to the storm. It seemed as though it wasn't about to let up. In fact, the wind howled and threatened to toss anything that wasn't secured to the ground. Being trapped in the smithy was concerning, but not for fear of freezing to death. It was the lack of food. One day without it was no problem at all. Two days was annoying. Three days would make him cranky. Four days without food was no stranger to him, though he'd rather not purposely experience it. A storm could last for days up here on the mountain and he also had Aurora with him.

So he began shutting the forge down, a long process especially after finishing his current project. But finally, when he felt the smithy would be safe to leave unsupervised, he told the girl to put her cloak back on, wrapping his wolf fur around her as an extra measure. And when they stepped out into the storm they were instantly battered with frigid air and sharp pellets of snow and ice. It felt more like a sandstorm, the way it scratched at his bare skin.

The wind was strong, and Garik secured an arm around the back of Aurora's waist, one large hand holding her hip and curling her toward him. Even with his strength, the wind was difficult to combat and his steps were slow as he brought them eventually to the safety of the fortress.
 
Aurora did her best for as long as she could, able to last for even long that she had believed. She let him finish, her eyes wandering to the storm outside for a moment before looking back to the forge. It was terrible out there, she'd be blown away quite easily if she lost her footing at all. Back in the village, the storms were much calmer, only a simple snow fall that would blanket the ground. She had no idea that just up in the mountains the barbarian people would be facing this type of storm.

No wonder they were so rough.

She started to wonder how long the storm would last, knowing that in the valley snow fall could last for days...She could hardly imagine sitting through a storm like this for one night, let alone as many days as some storms she had sat through. However, it seemed that Garik had no intention of just sitting around, and once he was done he began to shut the forge down. Even when closed the place was blazing hot, but it would not last for very long. She looked to him as he told her to put on her cloak, Aurora doing so before he put his fur on her as well.

After stepping into the storm, Aurora was almost knocked onto her behind, the wind so strong it causing her dress to flutter wildly in the air. It took all her effort to hold it down! Thankfully, Garik kept a hold on her, and pulled her close, preventing her from falling over. The trip was easily twice as long and three times as difficult but they managed to return to the fort in one piece, each freezing even though Aurora had bee given his fur. The only cure would be a very hot bath for the both of them.

"Gods...I had no idea the storms could get like that." She mumbled mostly to herself as she tried to dust the shards of ice off of her face and hair.
 
Yes, Garik was certainly cold. The evidence was not the color of his lips, nor even a shiver! The tell-tale signs that even barbarians grew cold from time to time lay on his chest where the skin hadn't been able to keep warm enough to melt the snow and ice. Instead the powder had collected there and now he looked as if he had a full chest of hair the color only the oldest and wisest of men should have. Lifting a hand, he brushed the snow from his skin and shook the residue from his fingertips. "We usually have one or two every winter," he imformed the girl, replying to her little comment about the weather. "We'll be stuck inside for at least a day."

This meant boredom on his part. With no workshop to spend hours in and little to no company here in the fortress, Garik would quickly find himself with nothing to do but annoy the women. Perhaps he'd play with a servant or two~ Oh, and there was also his little lesson to teach to Aurora. He was looking forward to that, actually.

Snow free but rather waterlogged as they stood in the main hall, Garik pointed at the fur the girl wore and then to wooden drying rack by the fireplace. "Put it there. Yours too," he ordered.

In his high-backed chair he sat, bent over at the waist to lazily untie the animal hide lacing on the side of his boots, loosening the thick material hugging his shins enough to slip his feet free. While he worked on that task, his gaze flicked upward at Aurora and as he studied her, he took note of her dress and how the bottom half was covered in ice and snow and muck, Garik was guessing, from the pigs' pen. "Your tunic as well, before you track mud and water everywhere." Something like that would invoke the wrath of Evyin and when it came to messes, men were always blamed regardless of guilt or innocence.

Besides, listening to a woman complain was undesirable.
 
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