Page 39 of Winter's Scorching Kisses
“Everyone should know the basics of survival. Perhaps we’ll even be able to teach you how to hunt.” Mathar suggested, a gleam entering his eyes that she wasn’t able to decipher.
Now it was her turn to snort at him. “Like that would ever happen.” She rolled her eyes. She was a lady, and she knew maybe one lady back at court who knew how to hunt.
“All it requires is practice, nothing more.” He encouraged her.
“I think it might be best if I start with the basics and work my way from there.”
He nodded. “Perhaps this ‘kidnapping’ as you say might work to your benefit. You might learn some new skills from this that might benefit you later on in life. This way you’ll be less dependent on others.”
“Perhaps.” She acted uninterested but was actually eager for this new look on life. It would be interesting to know something that other ladies at court had no clue how to do.
“I need to pack up the tent. Bring my horse over here, won’t you?” Mathar then turned and headed over to the tent without actually seeing if she would.
She rolled her eyes. He was probably used to working alone or as the commander of men. It would explain a lot. He was used to giving orders and having them obeyed.
Adorra strolled over to the horse the fur still wrapped tightly around her shoulders. The stallion’s head shot up as she neared, and he snorted at her.
“Don’t you give me any trouble.” She muttered to the horse who knickered at her.
She reached out and rubbed a hand down his velvety nose. Then she reached over to the branch his reins were tied to and unwrapped them, before leading the horse over to where Mathar was finishing up with the tent.
“You left me alone with a horse right there. Why?”
Mathar shrugged as he continued to work. “If you love your sister as much as you claim, then you wouldn’t just leave her here withhorribleice giants.”
True.
“Still. I could’ve thought about going back and gathering an armed mob.”
“But you’re smarter than that.” He reasoned. Again he was tossing her another compliment. “Your people can’t spare anyone now that the war between them and the rock giants has heated up.” He shook his head. “And now that your people are sparking a war with the fire giants, they wouldn’t be able to spare a single man on one lone woman.”
“Why haven’t the ice giants joined in yet?” It was a question she’d always wondered. She figured they would help other giants in a war, yet they hadn’t.
“Why would we want to join a war?” Mathar scoffed with a small snort as his eyebrows drew down over his eyes. “We don’t want to see any of our people come to harm.”
It was a good reason.
“So, no matter what happens, the ice giants will remain hidden in their treacherous mountains?”
“Exactly.”
Adorra did wonder which way the war would end up going. The rock giants were still pushing their way through Arcaern territory, and she worried her people weren’t equipped to push back for much longer. This war might end up being shorter than any of them could imagine.
Mathar finished bundling up the tent, lugged it over to his horse, and tied it down on his saddle. He took the reins from her, mounted up, and then bent over the side of the horse and wrapped his hands around her waist.
Her breath hitched in her chest as the heat from his hands burned through the layers of her dress. Mathar appeared to feel nothing as he swung her up in front of him. Once she sat firmly before him, she finally let out the breath she held.
With a flick of the reins, they were off, the harsh cold air beating against her face until her nose went numb.
They were well on their way, and Adorra found herself entranced by the scenery flashing by them as the stallion thundered through the emerald green pine trees. She clung to her fur, careful not to let it go lest she lose it with the wind whipping past them. She wasn’t entirely sure how many extra furs Mathar was carrying around with him, so this one was precious.
Tall pine trees towered over them, watching silently as they galloped past. Their branches waved as they whizzed by as if ushering them onwards. When the snow began to fall, she watched as the ground and shrubbery began to be covered by a steady layer of falling snow. She knew they were getting further into the mountains and closer to where the ice giants called home.
A shiver spread through her.
“Are you cold?” Mathar leaned towards her ear, his warm breath fanning out over the rib of her ear.
And she shivered again, this time it wasn’t about the cold but all about the handsome ice giant sitting so close behind her. The handsome ice giant that was clouding her mind and causing her to forget the hatred that’d been drilled into her towards giants.
