Page 31 of A Winter Admire
They bought some nuts and walked as they ate, Sinoe’s gaze taking in the little wooden huts, and people celebrating. At Sinoe’s urging, they stopped at one of the firepits scattered around.
“Stand closer to the fire.” Sinoe nudged Edwin towards the crackling heat. Standing behind him, Sinoe wrapped his arms around Edwin. “I don’t want you to get cold.”
Edwin remembered what Sinoe had said the night before about keeping him warm as long as Edwin wanted him to. He knew Sinoe admired him and cared for him, but did he mean that he wanted to be with Edwin forever? Because that was what Edwin wanted.
“Sinoe! Edwin!”
Edwin turned to see three oreads approaching. Immediately, Edwin recognised Sinoe’s cousins, the twins, but he didn’t recognise the third oread with them.
“Edwin, you remember Yael and Yurem,” Sinoe said. “And this is Lutoth. Lutoth, this is my Edwin.”
“YourEdwin,is it?” Yael said. The twins shared a look, amusement twinkling in their dark-grey eyes.
“Yes. My Edwin,” Sinoe said, staring straight at his cousins as he squeezed Edwin tightly against his chest.
“Point taken,” Yael said.
“Careful, cousin, you wouldn’t want to look like you’re being possessive,” Yurem said with a laugh.
Edwin didn’t mind. He snuggled into Sinoe’s embrace. He kind of liked Sinoe being possessive of him.
“Have you seen Ori?” Sinoe asked, ignoring his cousins’ comments.
“He was here earlier, but he disappeared with the potter.” Yael smirked.
“They seemed to be leaving in quite a hurry,” Yurem said.
“Edwin, why is that big man feeding that reindeer?” Lutoth asked, clearly not interested in Yael and Yurem’s observations.
Edwin glanced to see where Lutoth was looking. “That’s Ulrich, the blacksmith, with his reindeer, Ethel.”
“Ethel?”
“Ulrich saved her when she was a calf,” Edwin said. “She was starving. He looked after her, and then she wouldn’t leave him.”
“Interesting,” Lutoth said, watching Ulrich feed Ethel some oats from his coat pocket.
Edwin spotted Sero, the village baker. He had his arm Aryn. Sero saw them and made his way over.
Sero, it turned out, already knew Sinoe and the other oreads. And was even related to Lutoth. Sero then introduced the others to Aryn. “He’s from Bordertown but will be living in Ores with me.” He smiled at Aryn, affection clear in his eyes. Aryn gazed back at Sero with the same glowing adoration.
“Are you enjoying the festivities, Aryn?” Edwin asked.
“I am. I even helped with Sero’s Solstice baking. Although, I’m not a very good baker.”
“Oh! You haven’t tried the Solstice baked goods,” Edwin said to Sinoe.
“You have to try them. Sero’s baking is amazing,” Aryn said, beaming at Sero, who looked pleased at the compliments. Or perhaps it was just that Aryn was looking at him with love in his eyes.
“I’ll go buy us some,” Edwin said to Sinoe. “I’ll be right back.”
Edwin darted towards the stall run by Mila and Rhorton, Sero’s parents. He was almost there when Ulir stepped in his way, Torin a little behind him.
“Who gave you a Solstice gift?” Ulir sneered at the wrin flower as if it was personally insulting him.
Edwin bristled. He’d been having such a good day. Why couldn’t Ulir and Torin just leave him be? “Why do you care?” Edwin blurted.
For a second, Ulir looked taken aback. Usually, Edwin just took their abuse, but today he’d had enough.
