Ashes to Stardust | Sihtric Kjartansson

Chapter 11: The Daffodil

Heavy inspo from ya fav FW character for this one. enjoy ❤️

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We arrive at a small stone cottage on the outer border of Tettenhall soon after. As Moon comes to a slow halt where the black stallion has already been positioned, my ribs and bones threaten to crumble from within me as a result of my compromising position–belly side down across the horse's saddle. Sihtric has rented a small lodging in the back of the village to avoid who, exactly, I am not sure, but he certainly doesn't want anyone knowing we are amongst them. The distance does little to relieve the fear of being followed, and the horrific memory of Kåre's severed head bleeding into the rotten floor.

Graciously swinging his leg and dismounting the mare, Sihtric's hands move to grip my hips and pull me from the back of the horse but I slide too quickly, my body limp and unable to hold its weight, causing Sihtric to stumble backward with the momentum and propelling us both down to the ground.

I pant, sprawled on top of Sihtric as he laughs horsley. "Don't!" I snarl into his face. "Ever." I push his rock hard shoulders, "Do that again!" He stops laughing so I push harder. "You said I should trust you! Then you use me like a pawn. If this is your idea of fun then I'm done! Done." Despite the dampness of the grass, his body is warm beneath me and I'm unsure if I've ever realised just how much bigger he is until our bodies are flush. Too close... much, much too close.

He cocks his head at me "Fair enough. But I was trying to help you."

I shove off of him, dirt and mud crunching under my feet as I back away. He hoists himself up onto his elbows leisurely, the muscles of his arms flexing with each movement as he watches with a mocking grin on his lips. I wait until he uncoils back to his feet, brushing dirt off of himself.

"I am going to bathe this shit off of me. And I swear to the gods Sihtric if you so much as breathe in my direction when I get out I will make you regret it for the rest of your pathetic life."

He raises his hands in a mock surrender, and I turn on my heel toward the cottage on the outer edge of the village. Dim candle light flickers across the stone walls, the warm embrace enveloping and calming my seething anger ever so slightly. Everything in the lodging is crammed into one room yet it does not feel overwhelming or stuffy or small, instead just cozy. A hearth crackles low and gently to my left with an inviting navy blue sofa nestled in front. A small, practically unusable kitchen sits in an alcove to my right. And at the back, a wide bed with four wooden posters settles in front of a paned window, layered with fluffy pillows and blankets of varied animal skins and furs.

I pass by all of the worn furnishings and make my way into the bathing chamber. The stone walls are plain and simple and cold, offering little decoration and barely enough space to turn around. It is the bath, however, that settles my burning fury and provides the most welcoming site I have seen in days. I close the door behind me, shutting out the warm light and comfort from the hearth to be embraced instead by solitude. Despite being small and cramped, it feels as though I have entered into a sanctuary–a place to relax and feel at ease and try my hardest to forget the last few hours of my miserable existence.

Scalding water burns my flesh as I hesitantly lower myself sending tendrils of steam rising and swirling into the air. Washing off the dirt and grime and shame that has accumulated onto my skin, I rinse little, glistening droplets over myself and watch as they slide away into delicate ripples that fade into the water. Fingers trembling, I reach for the bar of soap, its fragrance a delicate blend of floral and citrus notes and scrub vigorously, desperate to rid myself of the lingering memory of Sihtric's gentle touch—the brush of his fingertips against my knee, my thigh, my waist, my ribs, my neck, my breasts...and shake my head rapidly at the thought of his full lips caressing my skin. I close my eyes, willing myself to forget. To banish him entirely from my mind.