As the evening grew long, Afi became increasingly intoxicated, along with all the rest of the gathering. When Afi lay his head on the counter, Sylvia nudged him firmly and shooed him upstairs. Herself, she got a few more cherries. Once those were gone, she headed upstairs as well. Afi was lying on the bed like a starfish, snoring loudly. The sounds of feasting and laughing from below did not disturb him. Sighing, Sylvia turned back. She surveyed the party from the stairs. The dancing and singing had subsided, but there was plenty of shouting and shoving still, and many board, card, and dice games were being played. Even and Kjell were busy serving the crowd gambling their pride away. Frida was sitting cross-legged by the bar, absent-mindedly working on a stitching. She seemed perfectly used to the commotion. Sylvia came to her side.

“Any suggestion where I could get away from the noise? I assume the baths are rather popular as well at this time?”

“Oh yea. That is the downside of living in an inn”, Frida laughed. “The baths would definitively offer no escape. Come, let me show you a private spot.”

She set her stitching aside and pulled Sylvia into the kitchen. They walked past large pots of stew, and half-empty crates of fruit. In a broad hallway, Frida opened a hatch in the floor, revealing a ladder leading into the basement. She climbed down into the dark without hesitation. Carefully following her, Sylvia found herself in a cool and damp space, a welcome contrast to the world above. To her relief, the crude stone walls also muffled much of the noise.

Frida left the square of light coming from upper level, and after a moment, a lantern flared up, illuminating the room. All around them, crates and barrels were stacked up. One wall was covered in shelves which bent under the weight of flasks and jars. Sylvia saw jams, preserved fruit, and vegetables of all kinds, and more flasks of wine and spirit than even a Fri party could finish in one night. In a far corner of the storage cellar, furs and blankets lay in a generous pile. Setting the lantern down on the stone floor, Frida tugged the textiles around and settled down. Holding a hand out to Sylvia, Frida steadied her when she sat down. Propping a blanket up between herself and the stone wall, Sylvia leaned back with an audible exhale.

“This is very nice”, she said appreciatively.

“Right?”, Frida grinned. “Where is Afi? Up there partying?”

“He is sleeping off a generous amount of beer”, Sylvia sighed. “I do not understand how he can, with all this commotion.”

Frida laughed heartedly. “Oh, I have seen Balder sleep in the middle of the inn during Midwinter. This is nothing.”

“I find that all too easy to imagine”, Sylvia giggled.

Relaxing back, Frida averted her gaze. “You know, I never apologised. I am sorry that I outed Afi to my mother, but she had to know if he was going to stay here. Think what people would say if she gave him a bed.”

“Yea, I understand that. I do not like it, but I have to face reality. He will never be accepted here. He knows that as well. I think it bothers me more than it bothers him.”

Frida cleared her throat awkwardly. “I know people do not agree, but personally I think it was noble of you to save him.”

“I just repaid my debt”, Sylvia shrugged.

Frida looked back at Sylvia and raised her eyebrows. “Did you?”

“You do not believe in a life for a life?”

“I am not sure. It is a bit simplistic, is it not? I mean, do you know what he as done before? Do you know his entire life story? Who knows how many he has killed before he saved you. Does he really deserve his life after all that, just because he saved one? One life preserved and many lives lost? Is that fair?”

Sylvia considered this for a moment. “So you think I should have let him die?”

“No. I just think that old maxims are not very good teachers. This whole debt and repayment thing is so old-fashioned. You have to keep count all the time. Who did I help? Who did me a favour? How can I repay it? It is a headache. Why can we not simply help each other for the sake of helping? Why does there always have to be something in it for us? Why do we have to keep people on a leash for years, just because they cussed at the wrong person one time? Maybe I am too naive, but it just all seems very childish.”

“Maybe you are right”, Sylvia commented.

“I think you acted noble, as I said”, Frida said. “You saw something in him, and saved him, gave him a chance that no one else would ever give. I think it shows a lot of strength to have mercy, especially considering what happened in your village. It was a horrific sight.”

“It was”, Sylvia agreed.

“You visited, right?”, Frida asked.

Sylvia nodded.

“Did you find what you were looking for there?”

“Not really.”

“I am sorry. I wish we would have been there sooner.”

“Thank you.”

Frida hesitated. She ran her fingers through one of the furs. “Can I ask what happened? Afi brought you back on a sled.”

“I do not want to talk about it.”

“Okay”, Frida nodded.

There was an awkward silence. Sylvia made sure to break it before it ruined the moment. “This is nice. A perfect hiding place”, she said cheerfully.

“And a truly beautiful woman to hide with”, Frida smiled.

Sylvia’s lips curved up as well. “Thank you.”

Frida leaned toward her. “Are you alright?”

“Yea”, Sylvia nodded. “I am fine for now. Thank you for offering me some calm.”

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Frida eyed her from head to toe. “I am glad I could help.”

“I do not mean to pry, but may I ask?”

“Please, ask away”, Frida encouraged. “You have already established that we do not owe each other any answers to curious questions. If I do not want to talk about it, I will let you know.”

“The two men who work here, Even and Kjell, which one is your father?”, Sylvia wondered.

“Both of them, and none of them”, Frida shrugged. “Neither one of them had a hand in making me, if that is what you are after, but both of them helped to raise me.”

“I see. I was just curious. I noticed they both wear a ring just like your mother’s”, Sylvia almost apologised.

“Yea. I am happy Mother found such lovely men after my father died. She kept saying she would never love again, but look at her now”, Frida smiled.

Sylvia smiled as well. “It is nice to see people loving freely.”

“I feel like there is a story here”, Frida inquired.

Sylvia merely shrugged in answer.

“Also something you do not want to talk about?”

“Something that would certainly ruin the mood”, Sylvia replied playfully.

Frida watched Sylvia for a long moment. Then she came a little closer and leaned forward. Sylvia met her eyes. She felt Frida's presence brush up against her, warm and eager. Frida smiled and tilted her head. Sylvia sat perfectly still.

“You are not interested in women, are you?”

“What gave you that idea?”, Sylvia laughed.

“Or not interested in me at least.”

“Frida, you are gorgeous.”, Sylvia proclaimed.

“But?”

“I just…have not really been looking before, I guess. I was preoccupied.”

“How about you look now?”, Frida suggested.

“You are involved with Yri, right?”

“I am, but we do not hold it over each other’s head.”

Taking the invitation, Sylvia turned entirely toward Frida and looked, observing the smile playing on her lips, and the mischief dancing in her beautiful brown eyes. “You are gorgeous. Your hair is thick and shining and your cheeks are plump and healthy. I know for a fact that you are also very strong. A woman to be reckoned with, that much is sure.”

Frida smiled brighter still. “You have a way with words.”

“So I have been told.” Sylvia licked her lips and searched her memory for a suitable passage. “No lips have ever made my soul tremble quite the way that your lips do. The sweet caress of your fingers lingers on my skin. Set me ablaze in the cold of night. Love of mine—”

“The moonlight in your eyes shimmers like clearest crystal. On this last summer’s night, hold me, keep me, as you did in the coldest days of winter”, Frida continued for her.

“You read?”, Sylvia asked.

“Only recipes. Yri told it to me.”

Frida sat up on her knees and undid her belt. She pulled her dress over her head, revealing muscular shoulders and a soft belly. Sylvia let her eyes wander over the expanse of skin, slowly exploring Frida’s enticing curves.

“Truly beautiful.”

Frida came closer again. Leaning toward Sylvia, she reached out and stroked her fingers over Sylvia’s shoulder. Slowly, she traced down to the broad belt around Sylvia’s waist, and began unclasping it. Sylvia held perfectly still.

“Is this okay?”, Frida asked as she pulled the belt free.

“More than”, Sylvia nodded.

Frida ran her hands under the tunic, pushing it up. She closed the distance between them and pressed a tender kiss to Sylvia's lips. Urging her hands up further, she felt over Sylvia’s breasts. Sylvia inhaled sharply.

Pulling back ever so little, Frida met her eyes. “Are you sure?”

A sigh left Sylvia. “I am sorry. It really is. I do really enjoy your touch. It is just that a lot has happened, and I find it difficult to relax. Even now, the tension will not leave my shoulders.”

“I understand”, Frida nodded. “Does that mean you want to stop?”

“Absolutely not”, Sylvia said. Placing a hand on Frida’s wrist, she urged the warm hand firmer against her chest. She closed her eyes and quoted, “One more time, kill the night that shackles me. Spark the dormant fire inside of my chest. Bring it back to life with your tender touch and help me glow with the sun at dawn. Caress my skin and delve into me. Let me feel you. Let me feel me.”

“This is why I have a thing for singers and scribes”, Frida teased, before covering Sylvia's mouth with her own.

Tilting her head, Sylvia parted her lips to allow Frida inside. She tasted of honey and beer. While Sylvia had little use for alcohol, the taste was ever inviting. Humming, she darted her tongue out for more. Frida tangled a hand into her hair in response, deepening their kiss. She eased Sylvia onto her back and slipped a leg between Sylvia’s. Pressing down, she got a happy groan.

Sylvia’s hands finally caught on, finding Frida’s body and softly tracing up to her breasts. Sylvia pushed her knee up between Frida's legs to tease back. A wide smile spread over Frida’s lips. She sat up and took a hold of Sylvia’s trousers, tugging them down her legs along with her underwear. Blocked by the boots, she laughed. Sylvia snorted in amusement as well. She sat up to unlace them. Once she was naked, she lay back and let Frida feast her eyes.

“You are beautiful as well. You are like night, but I doubt you need help lighting a fire. Still, if I can add kindling and see you burn brighter, I will.”

“Now that is tantalising”, Sylvia teased.

Frida chuckled. She rid herself of her underwear and then crawled back over Sylvia. Sitting between Sylvia’s legs, Frida ran her hands up the slender thighs. “You look delicious.”

Giggling, Sylvia tilted her head up. “Want a bite?”

“If you like that.”

Sylvia nodded in encouragement. Leaning down, Frida licked along her neck. Then she scraped her teeth over the skin. Sylvia shuddered. She tangled a hand into Frida’s hair, urging her on. Frida caught some of the sensitive skin between her teeth. Sealing her lips against it, she sucked, and Sylvia’s hips left the blanket.

“Yes”, she hissed. “Again.”

Frida licked the tawny skin. She tilted her head to reach a little higher, and bit and sucked again, right behind Sylvia’s ear. Sylvia squirmed under her, and the hand in her hair tightened its grip. She licked over the second spot, and then scooted down, hastily trailing kisses along Sylvia’s chest and stomach. Urging the slender legs apart, she went right for the price, pressing her tongue between Sylvia’s folds.

Sylvia grabbed a hold of the blanket, and curled her other hand into fur. She could feel Frida’s warm tongue travel up and flick over her clitoris. Groaning, she rolled her hips. “Fingers.”

Frida complied. She sucked a finger into her mouth to wet it, before easing it into Sylvia’s body. She curled her finger and pressed her other hand down over Sylvia’s pubic bone. Seeing Sylvia’s mouth open in pleasure, she smirked. Dipping her head anew, she trailed her tongue over the erect clitoris.

Sylvia moaned an encouragement. She looked down to meet Frida’s eyes. Joy and mischief were written all over Frida’s face. Easing a second finger into Sylvia’s body, Frida sucked on her clitoris and Sylvia’s eyes fluttered shut. Moving one hand to her breast, she squeezed it. She rolled her hips against the pleasing fingers and tongue. She enjoyed Frida’s attention to the fullest. Sweat pearled on her skin and her body wound taunt. Moaning, she stretched her free arm over her head and arched her back up. She took a deep breath and held it. Tensing her legs, she reached for release. Feeling it at the tip of her fingers, she took a deep breath and groaned aloud. Curling forward, she gasped for air amongst the crashing waves of her orgasm. When her body became too sensitive, she urged Frida away. Splayed out over the blankets and furs, she drew for breath.

Frida giggled happily. “I take it you enjoyed yourself.”

“You think?”

Sitting up, Sylvia wrapped her arms around Frida’s shoulders. She threaded her fingers through brown hair again, and pressed her lips against Frida’s neck, kissing softly between deep breaths.

Frida chuckled. “That tickles.”

“You are ticklish?”

Frida met her eyes and gave her a stern look. “You would not dare.”

Sylvia held her hands up demonstratively. “Never.”

Smirking, Frida pressed her nose against Sylvia’s. She tilted her head and kissed Sylvia slowly, tenderly. She let it last, moving her lips against Sylvia’s. When she pulled back, Sylvia licked her lips. She could feel the kiss tingle against her lips just as Frida’s touch still lingered on her vulva.

“You are amazing.”

“I know”, Frida grinned.

Sylvia huffed a laugh. “Confident”, she complimented.

“There is a reason all the women swoon”, Frida jested.

“Even Yri”, Sylvia teased.

“Especially Yri”, Frida grinned.

She leaned back on the furs and blankets. Eyes half lidded, she pushed her chest out and let her head fall back, presenting herself like an erotic painting in the dim light of the lantern.

A bright smile on her lips, Sylvia took the bait.