Chapter 42: Are you saying I'm small?

Koth found that the more time he spent with the men from Messilinger, the more relaxed he became around them. At first glance, they appeared to be farmers and fishermen, but the more time he spent with them, the clearer it became that they were more than that. The way Lokhue admired Irin's sword, the way they moved and worked together—these were no ordinary farmers and fishermen. Koth would have thought this would have made him more suspicious, but in reality, it made him relax. They didn't try to hide who they were; it was more like they had once been warriors, but had now left that life behind them. The group had been nothing but respectful towards him and Irin. It was a new feeling for Koth to be accepted by strangers.

"Koth, could you help me move this?" Irin called out. He looked towards the shelter and cursed to himself. He dropped the fishnet he had been helping to mend and walked to her. He heard the merry laughter from the other men.

"What on Alesseja's green earth do you think you're doing?" he asked her.

"I'm trying to move this rock closer to the fire so I can use it to fry bread on. I could use my magic, but someone would freak out if I did. That's why I called you over—to help me," she explained.

"Why did you even try on your own? You're supposed to relax. Take it easy. Not move stones half your size," he huffed as he picked the sizable stone up and placed it where she pointed.

"I don't know if you're calling me small or the stone big," she complained, causing a new round of laughter from the group of men down by the lake. It was clear they were listening to the conversation.

"I'm not going to answer that," Koth told her.

"Smart move!" Jahones called out to him.

"I'll let it go this time. Thank you for moving the rock," Irin said to Koth, standing on her toes to kiss him. Koth enjoyed it and placed his hand on the small of her back.

"Happy to help," he told her as they drew apart. "Can you now please sit down and relax? We'll be on the road again tomorrow and I would like you to have as much energy as possible," he asked.

"I'll quietly sit here by this nice fire and make bread for the road," she agreed, sitting down on a log they had dragged to the fire a couple of days earlier. Koth sighed and gave up. It was better than her doing something that required more energy. He headed back to the fishing net. In reality, Irin was probably almost fully healed at this point. She had stopped taking naps in the middle of the day and her pale skin had regained its rosy tone. It just gave him a sense of satisfaction to fuss over her.

"Good try, Koth," Lokhue said as he rejoined them. The others laughed.

"The stubborn ones are the ones you want. They'll make your life interesting," Olug told Koth.

"He would know. I don't think he has won an argument since he met Faydala—that's his wife," Jahones said, and they all laughed.

"True," Olug admitted, but the soft smile he wore told Koth he didn't mind in the least.

The day was spent getting ready for the journey back to Messilinger. Koth had offered to let Maximus carry some of the group's packing. As they were on foot, he would walk as well. He planned on making sure Irin rode. It wasn't necessary for her to walk. They had a hearty dinner that Irin had made. She had also been making her flatbreads throughout the day, providing them with a good food source for the road.

"We need to see if we can get more flour when we get to Messilinger or Osegas," Irin said as they were getting ready to sleep. "Or we could use the map flour. I don't know if the map is as useful as we thought," she added.

"We'll get new flour. Let's save the map for now," he told her. They lay down on the bedding, and Koth pulled her into his arms. After their first night sleeping together, he had relaxed. He loved the feeling of having her in his arms, making sure she was safe. Irin snuggled in close, and he felt her relaxing.

"It feels kind of sad to leave this place," Irin whispered.

"I don't know. It's been nice, but I have memories from here that I would rather leave behind," he answered.

"I know what you mean, but this place will always be special to me."

The following morning, they ate a quick breakfast before getting ready. Irin was cleaning out the spruce branches they had used as bedding, and Koth was loading Maximus.

"Why is Maximus carrying everything?" Irin asked as she returned, putting on her sword.

"I thought it would be unfair for our new friends to have to carry everything on their backs when we can use Maximus," Koth explained.

"I agree. I was asking why we are only using Maximus and not Glima," she clarified.

"Because you'll be on her back," he said, holding his breath.

"Why? I can walk."

"I know you can. I also know that you can ride, and that's the better option," he told her.

"I can't ride when everyone else walks," she objected.

"Irin, we don't mind. You have been ill, and your husband is right. Don't feel bad, we won't hold it against you," Lokhue told her. The other men nodded. "And don't think I didn't notice how that sword of yours disappeared when you put it on your back," he added with a wink. Irin smiled at him.

"Don't argue about this," Koth told her, taking her hand to lead her to Glima.

"Fine, but only because I know it will make you worry less. Can I walk part of the way?" she said, mounting the horse.

"We'll talk about it. Maybe if the terrain is good," he said. He felt he could compromise a little as she was kind enough to agree to his plan. Koth took a final look at the shelter and the lake. Irin had been right that the place was special. It was here that he had finally shown her how important she was to him. It was also here he had thought he would lose her. The images of her pale form in deep sleep were something he would be more than happy to forget. Lokhue led the way as they set off. To be on the safe side, and to make sure not to bring trouble to the door of their new friends, Koth used his magic to cover their tracks. Once again, he and Irin were setting out on the road, once again their destination was not what they had planned. He would make sure they got to where they needed to go, and he would do his best to keep Irin safe.