The Nun and King

Chapter 34

My knife works away as I clean the trout, tossing the entrails back into the brook. Behind me, Nik tokes our small fire and Markus works on trimming our horses hooves. Somewhere, Bastain and Uriah scour the woods for game. My fingers make quick work of my catch, and once I'm done I put it in the bucket with the others and grab the final trout. Lucky for us, the babbling waters are teeming with them.

To my left, I hear Nik approach before stopping at the waters edge, fiddling with his trousers before relieving himself.

My nose crinkles. "Do you really have to do that right by me?" I ask, not looking away from my catch. My knife slips easily into its belly, splitting it open. I think stick my fingers inside, removing the giblets.

Nik shrugs. "Better here where no one can step in piss," he replies.

I give a small chuckle and nod. "Aye, I suppose you're right."

He finishes before adjusting himself, then squats down and rinses his hand in the flowing water. "You know, you've been some what of a grump these past few weeks," he states, looking up at me.

Tossing the entrails into the water, I place the fish into the bucket and hand it out towards him. "And you've been a thorn in my side," I retort jokingly. He stands up and takes the bowl, smirking. He then walks towards the fire and begins working on cooking the fish.

I'll admit he's not wrong. Since leaving Claire behind in Riverton, I haven't been a joy to be around. My thoughts have been consumed by her, my father, and our return to Paevia in the coming few days. Tomorrow is our last full day's ride before we arrive back home the day after that. Walking to the brook's edge, I wash my hands free of gore and then my knife before slipping it into my pocket. I then walk over to my bedroll—which lays openly on the grass—and slip off my boots and socks, leaving my feet bare. Since Riverton, we've all but chosen to forgo setting up our usual tents. With the women being gone, there hasn't been much of a reason to put in the effort it takes each day to set them up and take them down.

I examine my toes, notice the dirt under my nails and frown. "Tomorrow we should stop at the Creeping Thyme for a hot bath and a warm bed," I say, referring to the Inn in Ickburgh, a decently sized fishing village. "I'd rather not return home covered in grime."

Markus looks back at me, giving a wicked grin as we works on Uriah's mare. "The Creeping Thyme you say?" he asks, and I already know where this is going.

The Creeping Thyme Inn is one of the most bawdy inn's near Paevia, with the first floor being a large tavern full of fishermen which draws in many prostitutes, which then draws in many passerby's. The second, third, and fourth floor is the rooms of the inn where bath maids roam the halls looking to make coin.

"I got a bath with a happy ending there once. She was a beautiful maid with silky black hair," Markus continues. "It was only my second time with a woman, but she showed me the ropes," he says, wagging his thick dark brows.

Tilt my head back and laugh. "And did she tell you she was a maiden? Tell me, how would a maiden show someone the ropes if she's never laid with a man before?" I ask, laughing again and Nik joins in.

Marku's frowns, "When you put it like that...," he trials off. "Come to think of it she made me pay triple for taking her maidenhood..." This causes us to bellow out in laughter once again.

"What's so funny?" Uriah says, a small turkey is draped over his back. Bastain on the other hand, returns with him empty handed.

Nik fills the two in as he makes quick work of the turkey and soon we all laugh again as Markus scowls. It feels good to laugh with them and takes my mind off of the last few weeks.