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After he’s done, Aurdyn turns to me and tugs the blanket around my shoulders, wrapping it tight. “Better?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.
My heart melts at the concern in his gaze. “Better,” I agree, offering him a faint smile.
If not for his arrogance and impatience with the Dwarves, I’d be inclined to think his attentiveness is so sweet. But when he flashes a warning glare at Orin again, I cannot help but roll my eyes again.
“I will return soon,” his voice rumbles through the house before he steps back outside into the raging blizzard.
The Dwarves turn toward me, eyes wide. Moira nudges her husband and instructs him to check on their children and then walks to my side. Her expression is one of pity. “Are—are you all right, dear?”
“Yes, I’m much more comfortable now.” I give her a warm smile. “Thank you for allowing us to stay.”
“Of course,” she says, her voice strained, and I wince inwardly. It’s not as if they really had a choice in the matter. “You are welcome to stay as long as you wish,” she says, but her expression tells me otherwise.
She’s afraid, and rightly so. After the way Aurdyn acted, I would probably be terrified if I were them too.
“He—” I start but stop, trying to think of something that might reassure her that they are safe. “Aurdyn is not as bad as he seems.”
“He’s a Dragon,” she whispers. “They care not for any but their own.”
“Aurdyn is… different,” I reassure her. “I promise you, he will not harm you or your family.”
She nods, but doubt is easily read in her features as she wrings her hands in her dress. She moves to the small bed in the corner and places a fur blanket on top, doing her best to fluff a very flat and pitiful pillow. “You are welcome to sleep in our bed,” she says. “And we will stay with the children in the next room.”
She gestures to a partition in the far corner. “There is a bath behind there if you’d like. It should still be warm. I’d meant to bathe the children this night, but they refused.” She shakes her head in admonishment. “I’d scolded them and sent them to bed just before you arrived.”
A bath sounds wonderful, so I do not argue. I make my way behind the partition and strip out of my clothes. When I enter the water it is tepid at best, but better than nothing, so I bathe quickly. When I am done, she hands me a towel and an oversized tunic. “Wear this while I look for something you can sleep in.”
When I come out from behind the partition, she opens a small cabinet and pulls out a long sleeping gown. She also unfolds a thick leather, fur-lined dress tunic and pants, a heavy fur cloak, and holds them up to me, eyeing me critically. “I think I can make some adjustments so these will fit you better.”
“I cannot possibly accept these,”I tell her. “It’s too much.”
“Nonsense.” She waves a dismissive hand. “The cold is especially brutal this season. You’ll need extra clothing for wherever you are going, my dear.”
I open my mouth to protest, but the front door bursts open, slamming against the wall. Aurdyn’s expression is fierce in the firelight as he steps inside, carrying a—I’m not exactly sure what it was as it’s already been skinned and roasted, but it smells delicious. A strong wind whips through the cottage, swirling thick flakes of snow before he kicks the door closed behind him.
Without a word, he stalks to the kitchen area and drops the thick slab of meat on the counter. “The rest of the stag is outside, buried in the snow to keep it cold and to cover the scent from predators.”
The smell of roasted venison wafts through the air and my stomach begins to growl. Aurdyn quickly carves several pieces off with his claws and arranges them on a plate and brings it to me, along with a glass of water.
Moira and Orin stare in shock as he kneels at my side and pushes the plate into my hands. “Eat,” he commands. “You need to keep up your strength.”
The door to the children’s bedroom opens again and two small but curious sets of eyes widen as they look at us. “Is he truly a—”
“Back to bed, children,” Moira snaps.
“But we’re hungry,” a small voice says.
“Now,” she says sternly. “I mean it.”
My heart clenches for them. Judging from the food they offered us, who knows when the last time was that they had a good meal? “Perhaps they could have a bit before bed,” I offer.
Orin’s head whips to us. “You would share?” he asks, a desperate edge in his voice.
Aurdyn’s eyes narrow and a low growl rumbles in his chest, but I quickly nudge him with my elbow, stopping him abruptly before I smile sweetly at Orin. “Of course.”
His nervous gaze shifts to Aurdyn.
Aurdyn grumbles and I give him a pointed look.
