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Avina gazed at the herbs that lay on the table before her, all neatly bundled for drying. Normally, bundling herbs brought her a bit of peace, but she’d been doing so all morning and her mind was as restless as ever.
She’d been like this ever since Hild—a tall, fair-haired woman of Rohan—had left several weeks ago. Eadgyd and Eadgar had brought her home one day after she’d been badly injured in an orc attack and Avina had helped her heal. She’d gotten to know Hild well in those weeks of tending to her wounds and quickly found herself falling for Hild’s fair speech and warm smile.
But Hild had not meant to stay forever, so she’d departed for Esgaroth once she was well enough to travel, leaving Avina alone and lovesick. She’d toyed with the idea of confessing her feelings time and time again, but eventually decided that it was better to keep them to herself. Hild had the same spirit in her as Eadgyd: she was strong and free and would go wherever she pleased. She had spoken so eagerly of seeing other lands, and Avina did not want to hold her back. Perhaps she would return someday, and if she was still unattached, then Avina might say something.
But until then, she would treasure the memories she had of the auburn-haired warrior and hope that Hild might visit again someday. She had gotten along well with the rest of the family, so at least Avina’s hope was not in vain.
A knock on the door drew Avina from her brooding. She frowned in confusion—most visitors didn’t bother knocking, so whoever was on the other side didn’t visit often. Avina took a deep breath, praying that whoever was on the other side of the door had no ill intent and opened it.
She couldn’t manage to hide her gasp of surprise at seeing Hild on the other side, her greatsword and pack slung over her shoulder as though they weighed nothing. A grin spread across her face as soon as she saw Avina. “Good to see you again,” she said.
“Hild?” she asked. “I thought you would be in Esgaroth or Dale.”
“I was, for a time,” the woman admitted, walking into the house and setting her pack on the floor, “but I found them both lacking the thing I want most.”
“Oh,” Avina said as she shut the door. “I’m sorry—that must be quite a disappointment, but you are more than welcome to stay with us as long as you need.”
A smile curved Hild’s lips. “Let me finish before you offer such things,” she said. “I could have made a life for myself in Dale. I befriended a smith who would’ve let me work alongside her until I had the coin for my own forge. I found a place where I might build a home once I saved enough coin, but all of these small triumphs meant naught if they meant a life without the one reason my heart beats.”
“And what is that?” Avina asked.
“You,” Hild murmured, reaching out to wrap an arm around Avina’s waist. “You had me charmed from the very first moment you spoke, and I have thought of little else but your sweet mouth since that day.”
Avina stepped closer to Hild, raising onto her tiptoes to look the taller woman in the eye. “You say that my lips are sweet with such conviction,” she teased, “and yet you have not tasted them yourself.”
“A misstep that I mean to remedy,” Hild said as she lifted Avina into her arms and kissed her.
Avina gasped softly before tangling a hand in Hild’s hair, deepening the kiss as she pulled the taller woman closer.
Hild set her back on the ground, her mouth lingering on Avina’s for a moment before she pulled away. “Mmm,” she murmured. “Even sweeter than I imagined.”
Avina laughed breathlessly, still struggling to believe that this beautiful woman had returned for her. “You’re sure?” she asked. “Because if you mean to travel more, I will wait until your curiosity is sated.”
Hild shook her head. “I don’t want that anymore,” she said. “I may not have seen all of the lands I set out to visit, but I have seen enough to know that this is what I want.”
Avina took Hild’s hand in her own and gave it a firm squeeze. “Wonderful,” she said. “We can work out the details, but right now, I’m going to make you something to eat.”
“Oh, thanks be,” Hild sighed. “I never have much luck hunting, so I’m famished.”
Avina made a sympathetic noise and gestured for Hild to sit down, clearing away the herbs so there was some space before her. “Does your horse need anything?” she asked.
“Not now—I made sure to bring plenty of food for her,” Hild said. “She’s glad to have a good long rest, though—I rubbed her down before I came in.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Avina said as she reached into one of the cupboards and drew out a hexagonal package. “Here, have a honey cake to hold you over while I make you something proper.”
Hild took the cake and unwrapped it, sighing contentedly as she ate. “Can’t believe I forgot how good these tasted,” she said.
“Well, you’ll never have to forget again,” Avina said as she pulled various foodstuffs from the shelves in the pantry. “We always have some on hand.”
Hild sighed contentedly, leaning back in her chair. “A beautiful woman, a family that cares for me, and the best food I’ve ever tasted...I don’t know why I ever thought to leave this place.”
“Well, the important thing is that you found your way back,” Avina replied as she cracked an egg into a skillet.
“And I’m glad I did,” Hild said. “Because right now, the greatest adventure I can imagine is spending my days at your side.”