Page 6 of A Tale of Mirth & Magic

“Look, I’m sleeping out in a dark forest with someone I just met. I mean, sleeping near someone I just met,” she clarified with a little smirk. “Not the most comfortable position for a woman to be in, alone. I need to know some more about you.”

I instantly felt like a jackass. Too caught up in the notion of keeping her safe, I hadn’t even thought about how she’d feel stranded here in the wilderness with me, a huge quiet man she barely knew.

A stranger. No one even really knew she was out here.

I’d gotten so used to her overconfidence that it never crossed my mind.

She might be terrified under that smirk.

Granted, she didn’t look terrified, as she yawned, adjusting the long, sharp metal pin in her auburn hair into a more comfortable spot for sleeping.

Nevertheless, my mas and sisters would be furious with me if they knew how oblivious I’d been.

I was quiet by nature. As I grew up, surrounded by mostly humans, dwarves, halflings, and other similarly fragile creatures, I learned to move and speak carefully around others.

My family and neighbors were used to me, of course.

They never blinked twice at my size, strength, and deep voice.

But despite how worldly and accepting most folks thought they were, it just took one slight mistake—letting irritation show on my face, say, or bumping into someone accidentally—before I got those inevitable looks of fear, discomfort, or distress shot at me. I hated those moments.

So, I was constantly on my guard. I had to be. Always aware of my body, and loath to draw attention to myself. In my experience, most people aren’t too eager to get to know me either. It was for the best.

But that wasn’t a good enough excuse here, with Elikki, when she was telling me she needed reassurance. I could practically see Ma Wren shaking her head at me, expression fond but stern.

“That’s true. I should have realized.” I met Elikki’s eyes in the firelight, apologetic.

“I’m from Nepu, a village west of here. A few friends, no partner.

” I coughed, then continued. “I spend most of my time with my sisters. There’s three of them—Telen, Sassura, and Monty.

Or my mas. Or I’m working.” That’s enough sharing, surely?

“Hmm. Interesting. And what do you do?”

“Bookkeeping, mostly. I handle the accounts for Ma Reese. One of my mothers. She’s an armorer, runs a weapons repair and customization business. Specializes in swords and knives.”

“That’s really nice. You, working with your ma.”

I snorted. “Sometimes. She can be a lot. Big personality.” I lay back flat on the ground and crossed my arms behind my head, suddenly missing home. Which was ridiculous since it had been only two days.

Elikki drifted over to her bedroll and began spreading it out a few feet away from me. Reaching to her pack for something, she found the blanket.

“What… Is this yours?” she asked.

“You can borrow it,” I said. “If you want. It’ll get chillier in the night.”

“Then won’t you need it?”

“No. I don’t feel the cold much,” I said, meeting her eyes.

“Thanks,” she said in a strange voice.

After placing a few more branches on our small fire, Elikki settled cross-legged onto her bedroll and spread my blanket over her legs. She held out her hands, letting the flames warm them, as she said, “So… know any good ghost stories?”

“Ghost stories?”

“Yeah, you know—tales about spooky spirits, murderous monsters. Things that go bump in the night.” Elikki wiggled her fingers in what I assume she thought was a menacing way. I couldn’t help smiling a little, and she contorted her face into a creepy mask in return.

“Aren’t things unsettling enough, sleeping out here in unknown woods, without intentionally trying to scare ourselves more?” I asked.

She dropped the face she was making and turned to me fully.

In a mock-serious voice, she said, “Oh, Barra. Are you scared, sweetling? Don’t worry.

I’ll protect you from any big baddies that come sniffing around in the night.

Unless they sneak close and drag you away before I can wake up, of course… ”

“Of course,” I said dryly.

“Maybe I should scooch my bedroll a bit closer… just to be safe, you know?”

Elikki had a mischievous glint in her eyes that made the back of my neck prickle with heat.

Before she could move nearer, I cleared my throat and threw out, “You’re fine there.

I mean, elves have the best hearing, right?

And seem to have quick reflexes, judging by how you took care of that man today. I think we’ll be fine.”

At the mention of Felsith, Elikki’s expression darkened a bit, and she shifted her gaze to the flickering campfire.

Goddess damn it all. Why did I bring that up?

The possibility of him or the constables tracking us down here suddenly seemed a bit too real, and I forced myself not to scan the dark tree line around us.

Leaning closer to the fire’s comforting warmth, I scrambled for something else to say.

“Your magic seems so powerful. How did you learn to control it?”

Elikki let out a slightly hollow laugh. “I didn’t. I’ve never been very good with my magic, actually.” She threw a twig on the flames, making small sparks fly.

Somehow, I’d misstepped again. “But what you did at the market, with the bracelet… and all of the other jewelry… I’m no expert, but that sort of thing takes skill.”

“If you think I’m being modest, I’m not.

I don’t think I have a humble bone in my body,” she said with a light snort that I found oddly charming.

“I’ve always had trouble controlling my power.

It comes in these rushes when I get worked up.

But otherwise, it just doesn’t… obey me properly.

It never has, even after lots of training.

Though you saw what I can do when I get angry, so don’t get any bright ideas.

” She shot me a quick smile so that I knew she was joking.

“Well, it was still quite impressive,” I said tentatively.

“Thanks. Most of the time, I can only do small metal magic. Though it does come in handy in my jewelry making, I will say that.” She glanced at me again, then said, “Would you like to see?”

“As long as I get to keep all of my limbs intact, absolutely.”

Elikki rolled her eyes and tugged one of the thick metal bangles off her left arm.

Then she bent forward to thrust it into the fire, hand and all.

I yelped and threw myself toward her without thinking, grabbing her arm back from the flames.

Flipping her small hand over and over frantically, I found only smooth, slightly warm skin. Elikki started laughing and I stared.

“I’m sorry! I’m not laughing at you! You just look so worried .”

“I was! Shit, you could have warned me, Elikki!” I willed my heart to stop racing and took in a large gulp of air, trying to breathe normally.

She was fine. The flames hadn’t burned her.

And now that I realized this was part of her magic, a flush of embarrassment started to travel up my neck to my cheeks at the way I’d overreacted.

Her gray eyes flashed when I said her name. She put her other hand over mine where it still held hers. “You’re right. It’s just like second nature to me, and I forgot. It was very sweet of you to try and save me, though.”

Her slanted mouth, half mocking and half sincere, drew me in, and I suddenly realized how close we were. I had lunged toward her from my bedroll in my haste and was kneeling, crouched so near that I could feel the heat of her, see the dance of flickering light in her irises.

Elikki began to brush the top of my hand with soft fingertips, featherlight strokes that stole my breath for the second time in the span of a minute.

She didn’t move closer, but I found that I couldn’t move away.

“So very sweet,” she said quietly, with a contemplative breath that crossed the space between us.

I felt myself leaning forward toward Elikki, her eyes widening slightly in wicked delight before a loud pop!

sounded from the fire next to us as a piece of wood cracked.

Blinking, I moved backward quickly, retreating to my bedroll.

After a few beats, she picked up the bangle from where it had fallen and waved it at me.

“Okay, fair warning this time. I’m going to put it in the fire again.”

I nodded, avoiding her gaze, and she stuck her hand back into the dying flames.

Once the bangle started to glow with heat, she pulled it back out and grabbed the sharp metal stick that held her waves of hair up.

Focused intently on the bangle, she began to carve something into it as she said, “This handy—pun intended—trick saves me a lot of hassle when I’m working on pieces.

I promise it doesn’t hurt, just tickles a bit.

I can also usually heat and cool metal without too much work, though some types are more temperamental than others.

And most metal will sort of… let me know when it’s hot enough.

Or if it’s displeased in its shape and wants to be, say, a cuff earring instead.

It’s a bit hard to explain. But see? Convenient to be impervious to fire when my livelihood revolves around working closely with it. ”

She finished carving and held the bangle up with a flourish. A bold little B was engraved into it, with a neat curlicue near the bottom. The metal cooled from burning red to gray pewter in her hand as I watched.

“ B for Barra. Nice, right?” Elikki slipped it back onto her wrist, where it jangled musically against the others. “I can also do simple magical runes, but that takes much more work. And I’m still a bit tired from earlier. Guess I’ll have to impress you with that another time.”

“That’s incredible. Just—so incredible. My ma and sister will be green-eyed with jealousy when I tell them. They’d love to have that kind of skill, working in the forge,” I said. “But you should have done an E . It’s your bracelet.”

“Ahh, but then how would I remember this strange day and the equally strange and lovely man I met?” she said with a wink.

Tongue-tied, I felt a flush creeping up my neck yet again.

“We should get some sleep,” I found myself saying. “You said you’re tired. It’s been a long day for both of us.” I spread out fully on my bedroll again, trying to take deep breaths without her hearing them.

After a moment, she said, “I suppose you’re right. Good night, Barra.”

“Good night.”

Elikki yawned, stretching hugely, arms reaching up to the dark sky.

Her large breasts pressed against thin linen.

At some point earlier she’d taken off the red corset and just wore her cream undershirt now; soft full curves filled my vision.

I could see the hard nubs of her nipples through the fabric as she loosened up her arms and back.

They looked chilly. I should hold them, warm them up.

Tug that shirt down and take them into my hot mouth, one after the other…

I quickly rolled over, facing away from her. Closed my eyes. I heard her tamp down the fire and then whisper, “And good night, Pebble” as she settled onto her bedroll.

This was going to be a long evening.