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Maude faltered for a moment before looking between Herrick and Eydis.

“Because if he gets too close, he’ll get hurt. Herrick represents all that is good in this godsforsaken world, and I am…not,” Maude said, avoiding eye contact with Eydis.

She was quiet for a moment. Then, she smacked her on the arm again. Maude jumped back and glowered at her new friend.

“You are full of shit, and you know it,” Eydis scolded as she rolled her eyes.

Maude gaped at her before she let out a startled laugh, Eydis following suit quickly.

“Herrick is the only other person who speaks to me like that,” Maude chuckled as they both straightened.

“Well, he may be onto something,” Eydis said, grinning. “It seems to be the only way to get through your thick skull.”

Eydis reached for Maude’s head and gently nudged it as she spoke, forcing another sharp chuckle from Maude. She only shook her head at the woman as the brothers made their way back to where they stood. Herrick had been eyeing her when she had been laughing with Eydis and opened his mouth to speak when Gunnar exited the tavern at the same time, packs laden with food and supplies for their trip.

Herrick quickly relieved Gunnar of some of the packs while Maude did the same, giving herself a reason to avoid looking at Herrick. Gunnar protested but Maude only shushed him. A knowing glint entered Gunnar’s eye, having noticed how she avoided Herrick.

“Hey! Over here!” Liv’s voice came from behind the small tavern.

Rounding the corner of the alleyway, the group stepped into a small open field that backed the small town right before the tree line. In the center stood three horses. Maude stopped dead in her tracks.

“This has to be a joke,” she huffed.

“I’m riding with Gunnar,” Liv said, winking at Maude.

They all split up into their pairs and started loading the packs onto the horses. Maude grabbed Liv by the arm and pulled her aside.

“Switch with me,” she growled.

“Nope,” Liv said flippantly. “I’m forcing you together. Just get over yourselves and spare us all the longing glances, will you? It’s getting old.”

Liv winked and quickly evaded Maude’s further attempts to stop the flighty woman from running off again. Maude watched her walk away with an incredulous look on her face. Moving toward the horse she was to share once more with the General of Rivers, Maude focused on their journey ahead.

“Problem?” he asked, humor in his eyes as his dimple made an appearance.

“Of course not,” Maude grumbled as she pulled herself up onto the horse, not even fighting it when Herrick settled himself behind her again.

The memory of Herrick’s lips on hers threatened to overwhelm her again, so Maude quickly went through a breathing exercise Liv had taught her.

“Just like old times,” Herrick commented, resting his hand on her thigh as if it was an instinct.

“I don’t know if you can call last week ‘old times’,” Maude said, a half-smile appearing on her face.

“Sure I can,” he said, urging the horse forward. “A lifetime has happened since then,minn eldr. You know how to keep a man on his toes.”

Maude smiled at that.

“Yes, well, don’t expect it to get any easier now,” she commented.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said in her ear, voice low.

Maude shivered.

“Down, beast,” she said, the humor leaking into her voice feeling foreign and awkward.

Ahead of her, their friends laughed at her comment. Herrick chuckled behind her as well, the vibrations pleasantly moving through her. Gunnar made a rude comment toward Herrick, who responded in kind, and quickly, they were all laughing.

Maude looked around this small group of people who had ripped her from her sheltered reality and showed her a way to achieve her goals, all while accepting her for her rough edges and sharp tongue.