“It’s a gift, not a trade.”
“My ass! Tell me what you want for the pants.”
“Try a smile.”
I shake my head as I move behind the tree. Cocky bastard.
“No peeking!” I shout.
“I can see anything from anywhere, like Heimdall,” he says with humor.
Heimdall indeed. God of foresight. More like god of shitty poems.
I undo my brooches, letting my wool dress fall to the ground. My underdress is lifted by the breeze, sending cool air up my legs to my stomach. A delight. Already my mood lightens. Keeping my shirt on, bare from the waist down, I hurriedly pull on the pants.
So good. Perfect fit. I begin tying the strings.
Try a smile. What a joke. He wants me to be in his debt, wants me to be grateful. I’ll show him a smile. I’ll show him a foot up his ass, rather.
Try a smile.
What a cocky crow bastard.
CHAPTER 23
“Shall I carry the dress for you?” asks Ari.
“Just keep going,” I reply, panting.
The woolen dress is heavy, but I’m not complaining. Not out loud, anyway. Wemustbe there soon. We’re almost at the end of the woods, where the higher levels of the mountains become sparse with vegetation. No more fir trees, only birch surrounds us. Surely the Volva would have set up camp within the shelter of the forest.
“Are you sure it’s this way?” I manage to huff out.
“Uh, not really. I was expecting us to have found the camp by now.”
By the gods, here I am following this man, and he has no clue where we’re headed. He seems so confident in his movement and speech that he had me fooled. I’m dying to take a break, restfor a minute. But giving Ari the pleasure of me asking to stop? No chance.
“Let’s rest for a second,” he says, like an answer to my prayers.
“If you insist,” I reply, laying down my dress and backpack. I sit on a rock, breathing deep and hanging my head between my knees. My legs ache, heavy as wet wool. The mountain sure is steeper than it looks from afar. I had pictured strolling up soft slopes as I absorbed the beauty of nature. Instead, our ascent has been a grueling task. No time for looking at birds and plants or enjoying the view.
“I’ll be right back.” Ari walks a few paces.
He pisses against a tree, unbothered. Bastard. So fortunate, he can just untie the cord and whip it out, relieving himself with ease. I need to pull down my pants fully over my rump, keeping focus so I don’t stain my new leather.
“You could have gone a little farther,” I shout at his back.
“Sorry.”
I raise my gaze, observing my environment. Above me is the massive waterfall, roaring down the cliffside. The Volva won’t be farther up, I’m sure. It’s probably downhill. A plume of smoke catches my eye. Not far—just down a little and to the side.
“There it is!” I say, laughing.
“It’s rude to laugh. I didn’t mean for you to see it.”
I shake my head at his ridiculous joke.
“Not that, fool. Over there!”
