Sirin smiled and squeezed the boy’s hand. “I think that will do fine! Would you bring it by tomorrow, along with a guardian? I am still settling in, so I am afraid I am a bit out of sorts just now.”
Sigfinn shook her hand enthusiastically and dove into the canal with a wave. Sirin turned back to Berne with an adorable frown.
“He is the cutest and damn charming, too!” she said, flinging her hand over her heart and tucking herself into Berne’s side.
Berne pulled her into a hug, amazed at howeasyeverything felt already. It likely helped that Sirin was very comfortable with physical affection. He tilted to look down at her. Her cheeks were flushed, making her seem to glow in the sunlight. Sweat-dampened strands framed her face as she smiled at him before rising on toes to kiss his nose.
“Do I need to worry about losing yeh to a wee fish boy?” he joked.
Sirin nudged him with her shoulder and scoffed. “He’s much too young... now if there is a fish Daddy around here…” she teased, raising her brows and pretending to look around.
Berne swatted her lightly on her voluptuous ass, following it with a squeeze. “There are not, I am afraid. All of the fish Daddies, as yeh say, have fled the area. There are reports of predatory southern women in the village,” he said gravely. “And such women need things like bears to keep ’em in line, so it is. They’d walk all over a poor wee fish Daddy.” Berne pretended to scoff as Sirin collapsed against him, giggling. “Yeh laugh, but it’s mydutyto protect the people of this village from dangerous outsiders who might exploit them!”
Sirin gasped, grabbing onto him and looking comically around. “Where? We’ve got to get you out of here; if they are looking for attractive men, you are in danger!”
“Ach, I’ll have yeh know, I have sacrificed myself to one such woman, in hopes we can stem the tide,” he said. Sirin nodded back up at him, a smirk sneaking through her attempts at a serious expression.
“Truly sir, you are the most selfless guard in all of Sanctuary,” she whispered, as if in awe.
Berne laughed. “Most selfish, more like! Oh no, help! I’m stuck with a beautiful woman! My life is well and truly over,” he teased before bending to kiss her properly. He slipped his tongue between her lips and the bright taste of berries burst on his tongue. He was selfish, but he was happy to be so. He could already see how she would fit in here, how much life and thirst for knowledge she would bring to them all. As he moved to deepen the kiss, he felt familiar small hands grasp at fistfuls of his pants.
“Stop goggin her Uncy!” said Ursule’s voice from behind him.
“It’shoggin, ‘Suley,“ Ingrid corrected from the other side.
Berne pulled back from their kiss and cleared his throat. “Sirin, I would like to introduce yeh to the most important little girls in my world. This is Ursule,” he said, turning to the side so Sirin could see the girls. “And that there is Ingrid, my nieces.”
Sirin gasped, as he suspected she would. The girls were half-orc, so while they had the same white hair as he and their mother, their skin was a pale mossy green, and their ears were delicately pointed. He pressed his lips together, attempting to hide his amusement; the girls’ dresses were covered in mud from the waist down, and their hair was full of twigs and leaves.
“I thought we was the most important girls, not the most importantlittlegirls!“ Ingrid said, crossing her arms.
“Well, girls, yeh see, when yeh have a mate, they have to be your favoritebigperson, but you’ll always be my little favorites. Now, can yeh do your nice introductions, please?”
The girls nodded, though Ingrid looked a bit grumpy, and held out their tiny hands to shake Sirin’s.
“It really is lovely to meet you,” she said. “And I havenofavorite girls at the moment. Would you two be interested in the job?”
The girls giggled as he spotted Catrin behind them, tying up their rowboat. She jogged over, waving to Sirin. “It’s nice to meet you! I came by yesterday, but yeh were asleep. I’m Catrin,” she said with a wave. “ I was hoping yeh both might consider joining us for supper tonight. Mom and Dad can come too, so yeh can meet all of us!” Catrin looked at Sirin hopefully.
“If we don’t have any other plans…—“ Sirin looked at Berne.
“No, we don’t. What should we bring?” he asked, though he mouthed “Honey cakes,” at the same moment she said it aloud.
They chatted with Catrin and the girls for a while, but Berne stiffened when he spotted Gunna approaching. Catrin raised her eyebrows cheekily. “Oh, gosh, I just remembered we need to go talk to Mrs. Swensen about her order! Look at the time, have a great day yeh lovebirds!” she said.
Berne frowned as she scurried away, herding the girls before her as they blew kisses around her legs. He turned to Sirin to reassure her. With Gunna walking straight for them, Sirin was sure to feel nervous. Instead, when he looked down at her, Sirin’s eyes were alight with glee and she was smiling maniacally.
“Are yeh alright?” he asked under his breath. “Yeh look a wee bit deranged. I know Gunna can be intimidating but—“
“Berne, dear,” Sirin whispered between the clenched teeth of her smile, “this woman couldn’t scare me if she tried. Don’t worry about me. I love this shit. Your job is to keep a straight face and look supportive. Deal?”
“Uh, if yeh say so,” he answered skeptically. Berne was positively fascinated with his new mate. She was constantly surprising him and he chuckled at the thought he had felt he’d known her after watching her for a week. Something told him he wouldn’t really know her for years.
“Ah, here is our hasty bear and his wily researcher,” Gunna said as she approached. She held her thin hands clasped in front of her, her head snapping between them with sharp movements.
“Hello, Head Councillor, lovely day, isn’t it? How can we help you? Berne has been showing me around your lovely village,” Sirin said.
“Indeed,” Gunna replied. “I have come to inform yeh that yeh can expect instruction daily from just after noon until five o’clock. We expect yeh to complete the entire curriculum for our schooling system, and only once it’s done will you'll be assigned a workspace.2Further, the council will schedule a meeting where we can discuss the direction of your research and guidelines for any writings yeh complete.”
