AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Wynthea
A knock at the door followed by a creak of hinges and a jaunty greeting alerted me to someone – a woman – entering the room.
I sat up straighter and twisted in the water, smiling and waving at a tall, curvy orc woman with a shaved head and pierced eyebrows and ears. She clomped into the room in large black boots. Tight brown leggings clung to her strong thighs, and a sleeveless yellow tunic nipped in at her waist, accentuated with a wide leather belt.
“Bless you, is that dinner? Thank you so much. I’m Wynthea,” I gushed. The bath had left me happier and more relaxed than I’d felt in years. And the possibility of food was only making things even better.
“I’m Hildfree!” she said. She strode over to the bath and plonked the bowl down on the wooden table beside me. I’d removed my cloak and bag from that spot, so there was room now.
“Thank you, Hildfree,” I said again. “Also, I hope that wasn’t any trouble. I told Sigwulf I would come down and get it myself.”
Hildfree grabbed a nearby wooden chair – more like a throne, based on its size – and dragged it over to the side of the bath.
“No trouble at all!” she said warmly. I decided instantly that I liked her.
Her tusks glinted in the firelight as she spoke. “Besides, I had to come see for myself who’s got Sigwulf in such a tizzy.”
My eyebrows jumped up to my hairline.
“A tizzy? What does that mean?” Panic turned my stomach upside down, and I suddenly feared that I wouldn’t be able to eat even a bite of the amazing-smelling stew Hildfree had brought.
“Oh, don’t look like that. I’m glad to see the master all riled up. It just doesn’t happen often. So, I had to come meet you for myself.” She narrowed her moss-green eyes, peering at my face through the steam.
“I think I know why he’s out of sorts,” I said with a sigh. “It’s because there was a mix-up with the Matchers Guild. He requested an assistant but instead they sent him… Well, me.”
“And who, exactly, are ‘well, you,’ besides Wynthea?” she asked. “What sort of match were you sent here for?”
I wanted to dissolve right into the bath. Maybe then I’d escape my embarrassment.
“A marriage match.”
“Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting that!” she said after a long pause. “So, you weren’t meant to be his assistant?”
“No,” I said. “But I’m going to work so hard! I won’t get in the way and I’ll learn whatever I need to. I’m so grateful for this opportunity!”
Hildfree stared at me in utter astonishment. Unlike Sigwulf, her face was expressive and easy to read.
“Are you telling me that you were not the employee Sigwulf ordered, that you don’t have the skills or the qualifications to do the job he wants, and he kept you here anyway?”
Her words felt scathing, though I didn’t think she intended them that way. She just looked and sounded so absolutely gobsmacked. Like my being here made no sense.
It probably doesn’t make any sense. I don’t belong here.
“And not only that, but he put you in this room,” she said quietly, seemingly more to herself than me.
“Like I said, I’m going to work really hard. I won’t cause any problems,” I poured out in a rush. Sigwulf had already assured me that I could stay, but it still didn’t feel real.
Her eyes found mine again through the steam.
“You sound anxious! Don’t be. You’re welcome here and we’re glad to have you. We’re not going to send you away. Sigwulf kept you for a reason.” Her mouth curved into a thoughtful smile. “I think I know what that reason is, now. It’s the same reason he stormed into my kitchen looking like someone had taken a shit in his stew. No one did, by the way,” she added hastily when my eyes darted to the bowl beside me.
Hildfree rose out of the chair. Without Dragon Caste blood, she wasn’t as big as Sigwulf, but she still took up an impressive amount of space.
“Enjoy your meal and welcome. I look forward to all the things you’ll do in your new role and the changes you’ll bring about,” Hildfree said. There was a knowing, mischievous glint in her eyes when she spoke. One I couldn’t figure out.
“Thank you,” I said weakly, feeling rather disoriented by our conversation.
Hildfree left and I soaked in the water a while longer, trying to make sense of everything she’d said. Despite her expressive face, she’d turned out to be nearly as mysterious as Sigwulf. Must be an Orcborne thing. I feel like I’m always one step behind here.
