Winter Hymnal

It's not much, but wanted to share a little drabble since it is Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a great holiday! As always, this work is unbeta'd.

Shared body heat is the best thing for the bitter cold.

~

Fiadh cursed herself through clattering teeth as she traipsed through the deep snow back to camp. The sun was already starting to go down in the middle of the afternoon, though she hadn’t meant to stay out so late. It was the peak of winter, and it was so cold that it hurt her lungs to breathe. She really shouldn’t have wandered away from the warmth of the fire back at camp, but they’d needed more kindling, and she’d been drawn away by the beauty of the snowy woodlands around her. It hadn’t seemed so bad while the sun had been at the highest point in the sky, but now the temperature was plummeting to a dangerous level as night crept in. 

Still, she’d been mostly successful in finding quite a few sticks for kindling, some larger ones as well, to hold her over at least until Njotr could chop some more proper firewood. She’d bundled them and strapped them against her back before heading back to camp. But not before slipping as she’d crossed the small creak nearby. Now, half soaked in icy water, she was shivering hard and couldn’t feel her toes or fingers anymore as she followed her tracks back to camp. Just her clumsy luck. 

She followed her trail of footprints back to camp and huffed as she headed straight for her wagon. It was their saving grace for fending off the cold, otherwise they would have needed to find a room in an inn somewhere. It was cramped, with Njotr sleeping on the floor of the wagon, but it was better than braving the bitter cold nights outside. She had never been more grateful for it as she stepped inside, the small stove at the back of it still glowing with embers. The inside was fairly warm, but needed more kindling to remain so.

Fiadh shuddered as she stiffly unloaded the bundle of sticks from her back, her hands feeling numb as she tried to work quickly. She broke up a good handful of sticks and stuffed them into the tiny stove, leaning down to blow a few trembling breaths on the embers until they started to flicker into flames again. 

She made quick work of shedding out of her wet clothes, peeling off each layer and only feeling colder with each one gone. She left them to hang near the stove to dry, and pulled a spare sleep tunic from the storage drawer under her bed. It was long with sleeves slightly too long for her, but she didn’t mind. Fiadh crawled into her bed, pulling the heavy covers and another spare quilt over herself as she bundled herself up as best she could. The bedsheets felt cold still, and she blew hot air into her numb hands. 

She glanced up at the small window that was built into the side of the wagon above her bed nook. The glass was frosted over almost completely, the pale light of dusk barely illuminating the wagon. She wasn’t sure how late Njotr would be, but she expected him back soon, or at least she hoped he’d be back before the temperature dropped even more. 

She dozed off at some point, though sleeping didn’t come easy as she continued to shiver. She opened her eyes when she heard the sound of a horse outside, and then the drop of an axe into wood, and she felt relieved, knowing Njotr was back and could get out of the cold himself. It was after dark now, and she eyed the stove, huffing slightly as she realized the kindling had died down to embers again. However before she could convince herself to get up and attempt to fix it, a cold draft blew in as the wagon door opened. 

She shuddered, burrowing under the blankets for protection against it, but thankfully Njotr didn’t leave it open for long. His figure was outlined by the light of the dim embers in the stove as he moved into the small space of the wagon. It was so closed in, she could feel his cloak brush her as he moved, and it was damp with snowflakes. 

“Not much warmer in here.” She heard him huff, and thought she heard his teeth chatter slightly as well. He shed his cloak, hanging it to the side, his other arm holding a collection of splintered logs. He knelt down stiffly on one knee, his leather armor groaning from the cold as he opened the stove to shove the firewood into it. After making sure the flames took to them, he stood again, having to slouch a bit as he rose to his full height in the small space of the wagon. He turned to look at her as he started to shed his layers of wet armor. 

She couldn’t see his face well in the darkness, but she could make out the white of his teeth as he smiled, and heard him huff out a weak laugh. 

“You look like a loaf of bread.” He teased as he tugged off his bracers before moving on to his leather breast plate. 

“I wish I was as warm as one.” Fiadh mumbled back, her breath trembling in her throat as she shivered. Njotr’s head tilted slightly. 

“You’re still cold under all that?” He gestured to the heap of blankets she was swallowed up by. FIadh nodded, heaving a shaky sigh. 

“I…I slipped and fell in the creek.” She mumbled, more annoyed by her own clumsiness than embarrassed. Njotr only snorted, sounding amused as he imagined it. 

“Ah yes, the creek, your biggest foe today. And it bested you.” He said, and Fiadh could hear the grin in his words. Fiadh glared up at him from under her blankets, but it was weak at best.
“Well, that does sound uncomfortable.” He added, sounding a little more sympathetic. “Even with all my layers, the cold is pretty persistent today.” He shed the last of his armor, left in his tunic and pants. 

“I’ve been under here a little while but it’s d-done nothing, I’m still so c-cold.” Fiadh admitted then, voice shaking as she trembled beneath the blankets. 

“Mhm.” Njotr pulled another old quilt from under the bed, and gave a shudder of his own.
“Sit up for me?” He offered her a hand. Fiadh hesitated, reluctant to leave what little warmth she’d managed to accumulate under the covers, but did as he asked. His hand brushed along her arm, and his skin felt cold as well. 

“You are cold.” He observed. He pushed the covers back a bit, and pulled her up to stand. His hands moved to gather up her tunic, and Fiadh blinked, but didn’t stop him as he pulled it off her. 

“W-what are you doing?” She mumbled, her arms crossing over her chest. She watched as his hands tugged his own tunic off next, and she watched the firelight dance over his skin. 

“We’ll warm up faster this way.” He explained, and his pants were next to be discarded. 

“Convenient.” Fiadh raised a brow at him knowingly. 

“Well, it does have its perks.” He grinned, "But I am cold as well.” 

Fiadh rolled her eyes and smiled. “Not a single layer of cloth can be left between us.” She teased and he huffed out an amused breath and smirked.

“In this weather? I’m not risking it.” He laid a hand over his chest and Fiadh couldn’t help her own small laugh.

“What a gentleman.” She countered dryly.

“Mhm.” He hummed in reply, wiggling his eyebrows a little at her before his arms wrapped around her, pulling her in gently. Fiadh had to admit she was eager to welcome the embrace, and could feel him shivering slightly too as their bodies pressed close. 

“Here, we can both fit.” He said and pulled her with him as he sat down on the bed. The bed nook was narrow, and wasn’t big enough for them to share it side by side, but he managed to lie back on it, though it required him to bend his knees a bit to fit in the small space. Fiadh followed his lead and settled on top of him, and after a bit of adjusting and intertwining, they did manage to find a comfortable position. 

“Odin's ass, your feet are cold.” He hissed and Fiadh giggled, the sound slightly muffled against his neck. “I don't suppose I could retract my offer and go back to the floor?” 

Fiadh shook her head, smiling. “Nope. You're trapped now. This was your idea after all.” 

He only grunted shortly in reply, unable to argue. 

Despite how she could feel him shiver as well, his body felt warm under hers, and she readily huddled closer to him as he pulled the covers back over both of them. Fiadh sighed shakily in relief, closing her eyes as her chest pressed to his, her face tucked against his shoulder. As his arms enveloped her again under the heavy pile of blankets and quilts, she actually started to feel warmth again. 

“Better?” He hummed against her temple, and Fiadh nodded slightly. 

“Mhm.” She answered, heaving another breath of relief against him. She felt his hand rub up and down her back in a slow rhythm, encouraging heat back into her muscles again. Fiadh listened to their shared breath and could feel his heart beat faintly against her chest, and after several minutes, their shared shivering faded away. 

Fiadh could feel him relax in the warmth of her, as she did in his. As the fire popped softly from the stove, it finally started to properly heat the interior of the wagon. There was something so comforting about it, and a peaceful feeling settled in her, like the heat from his body against hers. They laid in silence, with nothing but the sound of the winter wind outside as it snowed, and the gentle rumbling of the fire. Despite the bitter winter outside, they were safe and warm with each other, skin against skin and heart against heart. 

Fiadh felt sleep start to tempt her as his hand slid up her back to her head, fingers gently pulling her hair back over her shoulder, and repeating the soothing motion. He started to hum at some point between sleep and consciousness, the low rumbling of his voice quiet and close to her. But it blissfully lulled her before she could listen to the rest of his song, and fell asleep against him.