483 CDLXXXIII. The Little House (1/2)

The interior of the modest house was lit with candles arranged on the shelves that made all the spaces visible: downstairs, there was a large fireplace with a stick that held an empty pot and ready to be used and in front of it, a small wooden table with two stools, on top of which was a basket covered by a cloth.

On the other side was a kind of wooden bathtub containing clean, still steaming water, with spare clothes hanging on the wall next to it.

Climbing small wooden stairs, Dag came upstairs, holding his hand on the axe, ready to pull it out in case that house was a trap to hurt them, but even that space was free and well lit, with a huge bed arranged in the middle of the smaller room and three or four soft furs that made it even softer and welcoming.

When Dag saw the bed, all the exhaustion accumulated during that tiring day poured over his legs, which trembled slightly, as if they were begging him to go to sleep.

”You can come in, there's no one in here” Dag said, shivering down the stairs and smiling at Freydis, curious to witness her reaction to the sight of the bed.

She entered without hesitation and made sure to close the door behind her and Thalos followed her next to her legs.

First, Dag untied his belt and freed himself from the weight of his weapons, leaving them next to the fireplace, hanging from a kind of hook that came out of the wall.

Then, as Freydis looked around and Thalos smelled here and there to try to identify that unknown place and realizing it would be his night shelter, Dag raised the cloth that covered the straw basket on the small table.

A smell of meat and warm bread came out from that basket, entering the nostrils of the young Master, whose pupils dilated by hunger at the sight of all that tasty food.

Several steaks of some very large animal, certainly not a wild boar, were stacked on the right, while other dishes were scattered in the rest of the basket: there was fruit, strange cherry-like berries, two loaves of hot bread, and a clay bottle.

Without hesitation, Dag grabbed the bottle and opened it, resting its mouth under his nose and smelling it.

”Mmmh... it smells good... but this time I was hoping it was mead. I haven't drink mead for a long time, I'm sick of drinking only wine!” he said, closing the bottle and resting it on the table, along with all the other things he pulled out of the basket.

Dag sat at one of the stools, waiting impatiently for Freydis to arrive at the table so she could eat, when she placed her little hands on his shoulders, from behind, drawing his attention.

He raised his head looking behind him and the two lovers kissed in that position, perfectly matching their lips.

”I'll take this” she said after kissing him, gently grabbing the house key that was resting on the table next to the food and walking away with it toward the door.