Chapter Eighty-two

Libelle stood by her personal wagon and loaded her purchases from the market into the back of it with the help of the driver. They made idle conversation with the trading caravan while she waited for Gaalin and Eskil to return. She'd had success at the market and had found food that would last for several weeks as well as many other ingredients. She had even found bottles of imported wine and purchased an entire crate as she contemplated where she would hide the delectable tasting alcohol.

"Libelle!" a feminine voice cried out.

She looked up, spinning around to find out who had called her.

"Libelle! Libelle, over here!"

She turned towards the gates and saw the three young girls she had rescued; Vigdis, Ingrid, and Brynhild. All three of them were waving at her frantically, and as soon as they realized they had her attention, the trio ran down the stone path towards her. The young girls ran straight into her chest, knocking the air from her lungs and almost her feet from the ground. She smiled, lightly stroking their hair back as they wailed in her arms.

"Dragon slayer," a familiar baritone voice snickered. "We leave you alone for a few hours, and you make three young girls cry. You're so cruel."

Libelle and the girls turned around and found Eskil standing behind them. Gaalin was standing beside him with an annoyed expression, holding a large pack filled with clothing. Looking Eskil up and down in his new attire, Libelle swallowed hard and tried to hide her flushing cheeks while he stared back at her with a knowing expression.

Despite Gaalin's argumentative self, he had chosen appropriate attire for the winged warrior. His tattered clothes had been replaced with fine black leather pants, a fitted cotton shirt, and a heavy leather jacket that reached his knees. The attire was fitting of a lord and a warrior. The leather pants were sewn together with intricate detail and fitted with a matching trio of belts that a sword would typically be sheathed on. The pants and belts had detailed metal working on them, and the buckles and clasps were shiny and new.

The tailor had fitted the cotton shirt for him so the material pulled taut over his chest, and the deep cut of the material at the neck gifted her with sight of his lightly haired chest. He had either failed to clasp the buttons or purposely left them open for her. The black leather coat seemed heavy, yet warm and protective from the harsh winds that the land brought. With the same craftsmanship, the leather had fine stitching and metal pieces decoratively placed over it.

Eskil looked like a well-dressed and attractive lord from the dark lands. He smiled wider at her once she had looked him over, and it was then she realized that even his hair had been cut. No longer hidden beneath the cloak, his hair neatly framed his masculine face. The long tendrils no longer reached the middle of his shoulders, but still long enough to tease the collar of the jacket. His horns were no longer hidden.

Gaalin stormed up to her and threw the sack into the wagon. "This bastard is going to cost us a fortune!"

Surprised, she looked at her retainer. "Why?"

"He refused everything! Simple trousers, wool shirts, almost everything that was cost efficient! If it wasn't expensive, he wouldn't wear it!" He waved his hand at Eskil. "You do not want to know how much that flashy coat was!"

Eskil was smiling proudly, his fiendish side showing. "Only because it came from your coin purse, grey skin."

The young girls all laughed and rushed up to Eskil to fawn over him. He stared at them with surprise, then back at Libelle who hid her chuckle before talking with Gaalin as he continued his tantrum.

"My lord, you look so different to the last time we saw you!" Vigdis exclaimed.

"Yes, you do! You are much more attractive now!" Ingrid smiled while twirling her light blonde hair.

Brynhild nodded in agreement, but still timid and hurt, she didn't speak to him.

They hurriedly gave him compliments as his ego filled up like a balloon. "My lord!" Ingrid and Vigdis said at once. "You must join us for the celebration tonight!"

Eskil began to speak, but Libelle interrupted him. "What celebration?" she asked.

"Oh, we heard there is a grand event in the square! It sounds like it will be so much fun, please join us!" Ingrid said happily.

"Oh yes, please do!" Vigdis said, this time twirling her hair and swaying her hips at Eskil.

He looked at Libelle again, this time as if he were suddenly frightened of the young girls. She snickered at him.

"Perhaps we can attend," she said with a light smile.

"My lady!" Gaalin said with surprise. "You never—"

Her silent glare made him cease his words, he cleared his throat and nodded politely to the girls. "I suppose we shall see you there."

The girls squealed, jumping up and down before voicing their excitement to Eskil who still stood rigid like a statue.

Gaalin turned towards Libelle. "My lady, who are those three?"

She grimaced. "Ah yes...I forgot to tell you didn't I? Eh-hem."

She explained how Eskil and she were ambushed by bandits in their sleep, and how she had rescued the girls, aided them in their travel to Edinburgh, and even allowed them to enter her property within the city. Gaalin felt faint, how could she have been so generous? To three children! He turned to them, interrupting their one-sided conversation with Eskil.

"Lasses, how old are you?"

Ingrid turned and offered him a dimpled smile. "Vigdis just turned nineteen, and Brynhild is nearing fifteen. I am sixteen, my name is Ingrid."

Gaalin turned back to Libelle to raise another argument, but she held up here finger to him. "Driver, please take our supplies back home. The farm boy there will help you unpack everything. While you're there, feel free to warm yourself by the fire, have a meal and feed your horse in the stables."

"Thank you, miss!" The elderly man smiled at her, waved with his hat and ushered his horse forward, lurching the wagon into motion.

She looked at Gaalin. "You're welcome to join us, or you can return home. Either way, I plan to attend the festivities."

Gaalin watched as she walked away, her hips swaying slightly in her blue dress. She smiled at the girls as Brynhild and Vigdis took one of her hands in theirs and walked back towards the city gates. Eskil silently followed, shaking off his surprise at the girls' advances. Ingrid paused for a moment, still smiling at Gaalin and twisting her fingers into her yellow wool dress.

"Are you coming as well, Lord Gaalin?" she asked.

He shrugged, nodded, and then followed the blonde-haired girl back towards the gates.