Page 4 of Sorcery, Swords & Scones (Tales from the Tavern #2)
Four
“Are you sure I’m doing this right?” Sass eyed the snarl of yellow yarn in her lap and then the neat square Val had knitted.
She was sitting in Val’s usual chair by the hearth, where the crackling fire had burned down to a smoldering mound that spit out the infrequent spark.
The rest of the patrons were long gone, and Vaskel had mysteriously vanished from behind the bar.
Only the occasional sound of clattering dishes emerged from the kitchen, a sign that Lira was still cleaning up.
She and Val hadn’t been at it for long, but it was clear that Sass was not a natural. Not that she didn’t want to learn to knit, but most of her interest lay in the blonde guardsman and not in scarf-making. Still, Sass was sure she could have made a better showing if she hadn’t been so distracted.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself,” Val said. “It took me a while to learn.”
Sass looked up and caught the flash of amusement in Val’s eyes. “I doubt that.”
Val put one of her large hands over Sass’s smaller one and squeezed. “Even the most skilled knitters started with the first loop. You can’t become a master of anything without being awful at it first.”
Well, that was true. Sass hadn’t been skilled at axe-throwing with her first toss. In fact, she’d almost taken off her grandmother’s foot.
Sass let her gaze lock onto Val’s hand covering hers, and all thoughts of knitting flew out the window. Maybe this hadn’t been such a bad plan, after all. Not that she’d intended to be so bad at yarnwork, but she couldn’t argue with the results.
The slam of a door made them both jump, and Val jerked her hand off Sass’s, moving it instinctively to the hilt of her sword. When no one came in the main door, both women released long breaths and nervous laughs.
“It must have been the kitchen door.” Sass shot a frown toward the back, even though Lira could hardly register her annoyance.
Val took in the empty great room. “Are we the only ones left? I must have lost track of time.”
Sass opened her mouth to argue that it wasn’t so late, but a yawn came out instead. She slapped one hand over her mouth, but it was too late. Val was already grinning.
“That means I’ve definitely overstayed my welcome.”
“Not at all,” Sass insisted as Val tucked her knitting needles and yarn in the basket by the side of her chair.
“I think this was a good first lesson, but I really should get some sleep. I’m on duty tomorrow morning.”
Sass reluctantly stood and dropped her knot of yarn.
She’d hoped that the pretense of a knitting lesson would make it easier to tell Val how she felt about her, and Sass was sure there had been a moment between them, but what if Val thought it was nothing but a lesson?
What if the heat in Val’s gaze had only been the warmth of friendship?
“Thanks for taking the time to teach me,” Sass said, forcing herself to keep her smile neutral .
Val rested a hand on the dwarf’s shoulder and gave it a brief squeeze. “I’m always happy to bring another knitter into the fold.”
Well, that didn’t sound romantic.
Sass mustered a smile. “I don’t think we can call me a knitter yet.”
Val assessed the tangle of yarn in the basket. “Maybe not.” She winked at Sass. “That just means you need more lessons.”
Wait, did Val mean lessons orlessons? Sass had never considered herself thick, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out if Val’s smiles were merely friendly or if they meant something more.
Val gave her quilted chest armor a tug and tossed her blonde waves off her shoulder. “Tomorrow? Same time, same place?”
Sass let relief wash over her that Val wanted to see more of her. That was a good sign, wasn’t it? “Aye. You can find me right here keeping the fire warm and the ale cold.”
As soon as the words had left her lips, she stifled a groan. Why had she said that? Of course, she’d be here. She was here every day. She lived here. Why did being around Val make her sound like a simpering idiot?
At least Val hadn’t seemed to notice. Or if she had, she didn’t look at Sass like the dwarf had sprouted a second head.
“See you tomorrow, then.”
Sass walked Val to the door and waved her off into the night.
She lingered in the doorway for a moment, breathing in the cool night air and listening to the chirping of the insects and the gurgling of the nearby stream.
Once Val had melted into the darkness, she stepped back inside the tavern and closed the heavy door behind her.
For a first date that wasn’t actually a date, that could have gone worse.
Of course, she still wasn’t sure if Val liked her in the way she liked Val.
Lira assured her that Val did, but how could Sass trust the same woman who had taken so long to realize that Korl was into her?
The orc had literally built Lira a stove, and she still hadn’t been sure .
But what if Lira was right? It was easier to see things when they weren’t happening to you.
“Am I just as clueless as she was?” Sass whispered to herself. That wasn’t a pleasant thought since Sass prided herself on her well-honed dwarf instincts.
With a shake of her head, Sass turned and towed the errant benches and chairs back under the wooden tables, humming her favorite sea shanty to herself.
When a flutter of movement in the corner caught her eye, she stiffened, her hands curling around the top of a chair.
Her knuckles went white as a figure materialized from the shadows in the corner.
Sass held her breath as the dwarf pushed back his hood to reveal the bushy brows, hooked nose, and black pointed beard she knew so well.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time, Sass.”