Page 35 of A Winter Courtship
Lutoth grabbed the rag by the bed and did a quick clean before collapsing on the bed beside Ulrich. Ulrich pulled Lutoth against his chest and tugged the blanket over them. After a couple of moments, Lutoth’s breathing deepened as sleep dragged him under.
Ulrich smiled, listening to Lutoth’s light snores.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But he couldn’t. Worry crept inside his mind. A worry that had bothered him every night since visiting the valley. Ulrich hadn’t been able to forget what had happened there.
One moment, Lutoth had been talking.
Then the wind blew.
Lutoth stopped speaking mid-sentence. His whole demeanour changed in an instant. It was like the wind called to him, and from where Ulrich stood, Lutoth looked like he wanted to answer its call.
Whatever Lutoth had felt was powerful.
Could Ulrich compete with that?
Originally, Ulrich had believed Lutoth when he said he would stay. After all, Lutoth said he would stay, so why would Ulrich doubt him? But after seeing what he had, it was harder to ignore the doubts that stirred inside him.
He’d hoped to put himself at ease by getting Lutoth to open up about his mother, his upbringing, and the feelings he had when the wind blew. Perhaps if Ulrich understood it better, it would unnerve him less. But every time Ulrich tried to find out more, Lutoth became agitated and defensive, stumbling over his words. His normal composure and confidence disappeared. So Ulrich had stopped asking questions.
And then there was Fifior. It had shocked Ulrich to see Lutoth’s father in his heartbroken state. Ulrich hadn’t considered the oread might still be in love with Lutoth’s mother after all these years. He’d assumed the oread would have moved on.
And from what Fifior had said, Aulea and Fifior had once been very much in love.
But that hadn’t stopped her from leaving.
That alone turned Ulrich’s blood to ice.
Was that Ulrich’s future? Would he suffer the same fate as Fifior? In years to come, would Ulrich stare at the Solstice gifts Lutoth had lovingly bestowed on Ulrich, unable to throw away the only reminder of the love he had experienced years ago?
His arms tightened around Lutoth. Ulrich cared for Lutoth. He was falling in love with him. Just the idea of losing him sent sharp, stabbing pains through his chest. But what if the howl of the wind proved too strong for Lutoth to resist?
He closed his eyes, trying to calm the doubts spiralling and multiplying inside him.
Lutoth said he’d stay, and I trust Lutoth.
Lutoth said he’d stay, and I trust Lutoth.
Lutoth said he’d stay, and I trust Lutoth.
But no matter how many times he repeated the words to himself, he still couldn’t stop the fear that he would end up just like Fifior, heartbroken and alone, surrounded by memories of a past love.
ChapterTwenty-Two
Ulrich pulled on his breeches as they prepared to leave the cabin. Ethel stood staring at the door, waiting for it to open.
“Shouldn’t we have decorated the cabin?” Lutoth asked. “It’s less than one week to the Solstice.”
“Do you want to?” Ulrich asked.
“I thought it an Ores tradition for everyone to make their cabin all festive.” Lutoth opened the door, and Ethel trotted out.
“I don’t usually decorate since, it’s just me and Ethel,” Ulrich said, buttoning up his coat as he exited the cabin. He watched Ethel prancing through the snow, tossing her head with joy. “But it might be nice. We can collect some greenery as we walk.”
Maybe he could even make some mulled wine. He’d been told it was simple enough.
“Don’t forget your Solstice gift,” Lutoth said.
That morning, Lutoth had given Ulrich Solstice berries and white flowers, wrapped in red ribbon. Small quartz stones had been sewn into the ribbon. A pin attached to the back allowed Ulrich to wear it.
