Chapter 23: The darker side

“I’m thinking of heading into town today,” Koth told Irin a couple of days after their sledging adventure. The snow had settled, and he had been out scouting the conditions. He was fairly confident Maximus would be able to get through the snow; if not, he could use magic.

“Sounds like a good idea, I will go with you,” Irin agreed. Koth stopped what he was doing.

“What?” he asked, wondering why she had a constant need to put herself in danger.

“I want to get some things from town,” she said.

“Write a list, and I will get them for you,” he told her.

“Why can’t I just come with you?” she asked, watching him intently. Koth took a deep breath. There were a number of reasons, he thought. He didn’t want her to have to ride all the way into town and back again without a proper winter cloak. He didn’t want to expose her to the people in the town. They had been polite every time he had gone, but there had also been an underlying hostility. Then there were all the dangers. If the roads were passable again, there could be hostile people coming. He would feel better if she stayed at the house, but he had a feeling she wouldn’t appreciate that answer.

“It’s best if one of us is close to… to home, just in case,” he told her.

“So you can stay, and I can go into town,” she said. He groaned.

“That would not be advisable. No husband would let his wife travel alone all the way to town, not even in good conditions,” he pointed out.

“I am going. So you have two options: stay here and guard the house, or come with me.”

“Fine. I’ll come with you,” he surrendered.

“I’m happy that was your decision. Let’s eat and then head out. The days are getting shorter, and it would be nice to get back before it gets dark,” she said. He agreed, noticing that she looked happy. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“I will go first; Maximus has longer legs and will create a path for Glima,” Koth told her after they had saddled the horses. It looked like Irin would object, but then she looked at Maximus and then at Glima.

“That is fair,” she agreed.

“Let me know if you get too cold or need to turn back,” he said as they set off.

“Don’t worry about me. I can keep warm if needed. You have travelled this road more times than I have. Let me know if I need to be aware of something.” Koth made sure they moved at a moderate pace, checking for hidden ice or other dangers. They didn’t talk, and the world was silent too. The snow muted the sounds, leaving only the steadfast sound of the horses making their way through it. Steam rose from their mouths. Koth had to admit Irin had a valid point. The landscape looked beautiful covered in the white snow. Everything looked rounded and sparkled. He turned around and saw that his plan had worked. Maximus was ploughing a small path for Glima, and Irin was looking around with a huge smile on her face. Maybe this was a good idea, he thought. It took them almost an hour longer than usual to get to the town. Koth remembered why he didn’t like snow. On the streets in the town, the snow was no longer white but brown, as the continued trampling had mixed it with the mud underneath. It was just wet and dirty. He steered them towards the tavern, where there was a pole to tie horses to. He hurried down from Maximus to help Irin down, reminding himself that they were supposed to be a married couple. Some of the people passing by greeted them. Koth offered Irin his arm after he had made sure the horses were secure.

“I’ll go to the town hall; that’s where all the post ends up,” he told her.

“Okay, just drop me off at the shop, and you can come by when you are done. I can start getting some things, and then we can do the household shopping,” she said.

“Why don’t you come with me? It would be safer to stick together,” he suggested. She smiled at him.

“Do you really think there is a threat in this village—sorry, town—that I can’t face?” she asked.

“You never know,” he said.

“I will be fine, and you will hear if I need help. I have every confidence that you will come to my rescue.” He sighed. It looked like he wasn’t going to win any arguments today.

“Fine,” he conceded. When they got to the shop, Irin gestured for him to bend down, and Koth obliged. She gave him a kiss on his cheek, and Koth’s mind went blank.

“I’ll see you in a bit, honey,” she told him, smiling as she turned around and walked into the shop. Koth stood for a while, staring at the door. This playing house was gnawing at the thin barrier of self-restraint Koth stubbornly held in place. He was happy they only needed it when they went into town. When they were at home, things were easier—not easy, but easier. He walked into the town hall and up to the desk.

“Koth, hello there,” the mayor called to him.

“Mayor Keir, how are you doing?” Koth asked.

“Fine, fine. Come to see about the mail?” the mayor asked.

“Indeed I have, and Irin wanted to get a couple of things from the shop,” Koth answered.

“Oh, your lovely wife is with you today? I haven’t seen her since you arrived. Is she doing better?”

“Yes, thank you. My wife loves the snow; her energy went up considerably when it arrived,” Koth told him. The mayor chuckled.

“Women. They have the strangest ideas. I’m happy she is doing better, and I believe we do have a letter for you,” the Mayor told him. Koth’s heart skipped a beat. He waited while the clerk looked through a bundle of letters, trying to make small talk with the mayor. All he wanted to do was grab the letters from the slow man sorting through them, find the reply from Irin’s father, and run to her and bring her home. There was no way they would read the letter while still in town.

“Here we go,” the clerk finally said, holding out a letter addressed to Irin.

“Thank you,” Koth said as he took it, not wanting to seem too eager. “I’d best be off back to the shop and find my wife,” he told the mayor.

“Yes, let me walk with you,” the mayor agreed. Koth wanted to say no but couldn’t find a good reason to. Instead, he fell into step with the mayor, and they continued to talk as they walked. The mayor was curious about the state of the outside world; not much news found its way into the sleepy town. They were almost at the shop when a man stepped out of it. Koth recognised him as Arind, a local hunter with a bad temperament. Koth had tried to stay out of his way when he was in town, not only because of his temper but also because Koth had a feeling the hunter didn’t like having him in the village. It turned out his instincts had been correct.