July- Written work

Njotr insults Fiadh's hygene and she goes for a reluctant swim. This work is not beta'd, read at your own risk. Also, tis slightly spicy towards the end. Enjoy!

~

Fiadh straightened up from where she’d been crouching at the fire and fanned herself a bit. She let out a huff, watching the contents of their pot simmer, the stew a rich dark color, the smell filling her nose. Cooking over an open flame was almost impossible to bear in the mid-summer heat, and the season wasn’t exactly fit for hot stew. Still, the rich meal was a treat to be enjoyed. They didn’t always have access to fresh ingredients, and they could use a hearty meal after going on glorified snacks the last few days. The fire was low at least, mostly hot coals left, perfect for cooking. Fiadh wiped at her brow, letting out another breath but was satisfied with their meal so far. 

A splash to her left startled her slightly, before droplets of cool water landed close to her feet. 

“Hey-” She looked over at Njotr accusingly, but smiled a little. They’d camped alongside a river that was wide and deep enough to swim in, though it wasn’t fast or strong enough to be dangerous. Njotr raised a brow at her, an easy smile on his face. He stood up to his waist in the water, droplets clinging to his hair. 

“Don’t give yourself heat exhaustion. You’re already wearing enough layers for a snowstorm.” He said and Fiadh rolled her eyes a little, returning her attention back to her stew. 

“I’m sure that’s your main concern.” Fiadh muttered back with a smile, turning back towards her cooking. She heard Njotr scoff dramatically. 

“I have nothing but the purest intentions.” He claimed, playing an offended hand on his bare chest, though his smile gave him away. “I just don’t need you fainting in your soup.” 

“It’s stew,” Fiadh corrected. “And one of us should be decent and ready if someone comes along.”

“Right, because you’ll fend them off with your skirt. Or maybe your ladle.” Njotr smirked, backing up into deeper water and lowering himself until he started to float. 

Fiadh scowled at him. “I can defend myself long enough for you to get your pants on.” 

“Probably won’t even need to. The smell alone should ward them off.” 

Fiadh let out an offended gasp and turned to look at him, her hands on her hips. Only Njotr’s head was visible, his grin only barely above the water line. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Fiadh demanded. “My stew smells great, I’ll have you know.” 

“Oh I wasn’t talking about the stew.” He replied. Gods help her, sometimes Fiadh wanted to wipe that smug grin from his face. She felt her cheeks flush. 

“Wha-I washed this morning, while you were snoring away like a bear in hibernation.” 

“Coulda fooled me. And I don’t snore.” He said confidently. 

“Ha! Sure you don’t, that’s why I was wide awake at the crack of dawn.” 

“Well at least I don’t drool all over the place.” His smile widened. “No wonder I had to wash my clothes-”

“That’s it.” Fiadh stomped two steps closer to the river bank, and picked up a stone that fit into her palm. She raised it in warning, trying to look determined but struggled to hide her own smile. He only laughed, and backed up in the water a little more, raising his hands in surrender. “So violent.” 

“Mhm, I’ll show you violent.” Fiadh grumbled under her breath, dropping the rock again before turning back to kneel by her campfire. 

“I’m merely concerned for your hygiene.” His voice was full of feigned innocence. 

“I already washed-”

“The water feels great anyway, and you could cool off a bit.”

“I can’t leave the stew just on the fire, It could boil over, I need to watch it.” 

“What if I was drowning, you wouldn’t even jump in to save me?”

Fiadh gave him a deadpanned look, and Njotr’s mouth went below the waterline, though she swore she could still see the way it spread into a smile. 

“That’s right.” Fiadh puffed up slightly, nose up in the air as she turned away. She had to hold in a laugh at Njotr’s wounded exclamation of shock. 

“Typical.” He countered sadly. “Guess I’ll let the river take me away.” 

Fiadh rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but laugh. She turned to look at him, raising a brow as his body floated carelessly in the water. 

“I could place a curse upon you, would that hasten your passing?”

“You are the curse upon me.” Was the muttered response. The nerve of him- 

Fiadh pushed herself up and in a few quick strides, was at the river bed again. Njotr’s expression brightened, a laugh bubbling up from him as he moved to upright himself where he treaded water, hands already coming up. 

“I meant blessing!” He added quickly, but Fiadh already had a stone in her hand again. She chucked it in his general direction, not intending to actually hurt him, and it splashed near him. 

“Woah, calm down. Don’t want you to go all killer-deer on me.” He tried to say seriously, but couldn’t help the grin on his face. Fiadh narrowed her eyes at him, fighting a laugh herself but huffed in frustration as she picked up another stone. She raised her arm, trying to school her expression to dare him to say anything else. He must’ve felt refreshed from their sleep the night before because he’d been pushing her buttons all morning, with pure amusement. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t admit their banter had lifted her spirits as well. Even if he was insufferable. Maybe they’d both needed a little fun.

They reached a stalemate for a few extended seconds, Fiadh with her raised stone, Njotr with his shit-eating grin. When he didn’t say anything, she cautiously lowered her stone, her eyes narrowed at him. She turned away, stone still in hand. 

“It’s a good thing deer can’t aim.” 

Fiadh huffed and whirled around as she threw the stone towards him. His laugh was cut off as he dropped down into the water, submerging himself fully. The stone landed with a splash directly where he’d disappeared. 

Fiadh couldn’t help but huff out a laugh then, shaking her head. She watched the disrupted water level out again, waiting for him to pop up. Seconds passed, and a few bubbles surfaced, but then nothing else. 

Fiadh paused where she stood at the bank, her eyes scanning the water for an extended moment. She started to hold her breath, and as seconds continued to pass with no sign of him, she suddenly felt concern drop heavily in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t meant to actually hit him, but what if she had? The stone had admittedly landed in the water over where his head would have been. 

“...Njotr?” She called, feeling fear prickle over her arms and down her spine. A moment later he resurfaced, but it was his shoulders, the back of his. His body bobbed to the surface, face down in the water, and Fiadh felt as if her soul had left her. 

Before she even registered the cold water, she was rushing into the river, hands hiking up the fabric of her skirt as the water soaked heavily into it. She stumbled over slippery stones as she waded into the deeper water as quickly as she could, her heart in her throat. Oh gods, she’d killed him.

“Njotr!” She gasped, the water up to her waist by the time she reached his floating body. Her hands lunged for him, desperate to turn him over. “Njotr-” 

Fiadh shrieked loudly as his body suddenly lunged up and his arms wrapped tightly around her. Without any warning, he pulled her down into the cold water until she was fully submerged. A moment later she managed to push up to the surface, sputtering and gasping in shock, her hair plastered over her shoulders and face. The water was cold and stole her breath, and she couldn’t see past her wet bangs, but could hear his gargled laugh ringing clearly in her ears. Her arms floundered, struggling to find her feet in the river bed as her clothes weighed her down. 

"YOU-” She barely got her accusation out, gasping for air as she managed to push herself up. She wobbled on her feet, shoving the wet hair from her face in a fury to see him smiling brightly, his own hair equally plastered to his head. She attempted to lunge at him, wet sleeves swinging in his general direction but he dodged easily, and she yelped as she fell forward into the water again with a splash. 

“You missed.” He said smugly, and Fiadh let out a frustrated cry, struggling to find her feet again as she whirled and attempted to splash him. Despite his audacity, she couldn’t help but find his laughter infectious, and it made it very difficult to portray herself as an intimidating force. But then he was wading towards her, a devilish grin on his face. Fiadh’s eyes widened and she tried to put distance between them, fully knowing his intention.

“No, don’t you dare-Njotr!” She screamed as he bent down and his arms wrapped around her thighs before he hoisted her up into his shoulder. She felt the air push out of her lungs with breathless laughter, hitting her palm against his back in a weak attempt to fend him off. Fiadh struggled, trying to kick her legs in vain as he waded deeper into the river, but his grip held firm as she wriggled over his shoulder. 

“Put. Me. Down!” She insisted through her laughter.

“Alright.” She heard him say before he heaved her quite easily, and Fiadh squealed as she was dumped into deeper water with a large splash. Finding her limbs and pushing up to the surface was a bit of a struggle, her layers of soaked clothes heavily weighing her down. She huffed in frustration as she eventually found her feet, wobbling slightly in the gentle current. She could hear Njotr chuckling, sounding rather proud of himself, as she pushed her thick hair away from her face again.

"At this rate, you’re going to drown in all those clothes.” Njotr looked very smug indeed, a lopsided grin on his face as he started to back up in the water, as if waiting for her challenge. Fiadh huffed, water dripping down her face and hair as she raised her chin defiantly. 

“Fine.” She reached for her belt, jerking it open. She had no chance of keeping up with him in the water if she was fully clothed, and she was eager to wipe that smug look off his face. Njotr’s eyes lowered down her body, raising a brow as Fiadh yanked off her skirt, and flung the heavy fabric and the belt towards the shore. Next was her bodice and with some struggle, her pants, leaving her in her white under shirt. She flung the two upon the shore as well, before wading towards Njotr, squaring up with him, ready for a fight. 

“Alright, assassin. You asked for it.” Fiadh glared, though couldn’t help her smile still. Njotr's eyes were traveling south more than anything, Fiadh's tunic clinging wetly to her, and she had counted on the distraction to give her an advantage. 

“That’s more like it.” He grinned. 

Fiadh hit the water, splashing at him to try and deflect from her attack before she lunged. His hands were ready for her despite her attempt, and they caught her wrists before she could wrap her arms around him. It felt like fighting an uphill battle, not only did the water slow her movements, but he was taller. That damn smirk was on his face still, and his laughter only added insult to injury. 

“Help! I’m being attacked by a deer!” He feigned distress, as Fiadh wriggled and tried to free her hands from his grip. Njotr tilted his head at her, as if the fight she was putting up was hardly anything. “Or maybe it’s a drowned, blonde rat. Can’t really tell.” 

“Ugh!” Fiadh cried in frustration, all the while giggling herself. She shoved her weight against him harder, trying with all her might to knock him over, but he stood his ground. Seeking to use the river as an ally, Fiadh swooped her leg under his, and she laughed in victory when he finally lost his footing and was forced down into the water again. 

“Aha! Who’s the drowned rat now!” She laughed, managing to cling to him and pushed his head under water again. Her victory was short lived as he twisted and pulled her under with him, before the two of them resurfaced, both sputtering. However, he was quicker to find his feet, and he loomed over her, hair plastered and dripping as he grinned down at her. 

“Still you.” He huffed and Fiadh squealed in protest as he scooped her up again. She could barely see with her long hair half plastered over her face again, but she wriggled and kicked as he turned and started to carry her back to the shoreline. Fiadh tried twisting out of his grip, laughter pressed out of her as she tried to free herself, but her limbs tired. 

“I would say put me down, but I know where that gets me.” She huffed breathlessly, then yelped as his hand slapped against her ass cheek, barely covered by the soaked tunic. “Njotr-!” 

“I see you’re catching on.” He grinned, sounding out of breath himself as he trudged up onto the shore, still hauling her on his shoulder. “Maybe if you ask nicely. It’s the least you can do after trying to drown me.” 

“Ha!” Fiadh huffed, trying to push herself up off his shoulder and wriggle free again. “I was trying to save you, before you-” Fiadh’s sentence was cut off with a sharp gasp as Njotr bent forward and she suddenly found herself deposited on the bedroll with a thud. She huffed, blinking up at him, and she very much felt like a drowned rat in that moment, water soaking into the mat under her, her hair clinging to her shoulders and neck. Standing above her, Njotr didn’t look much better off, his hair equally as wet, water rolling down his body and catching the light of the afternoon sun. His cheeks were flushed slightly from the exercise, and was still trying to catch his breath. 

“Before I what?” Njotr asked and Fiadh raised her eyes to his. Suddenly Fiadh couldn’t recall what she’d been about to say, and could only focus on the way he looked down at her, his eyes traveling down her body. He looked like he was enjoying the view, given the way the corner of his mouth turned up, among other signs. Fiadh’s eyes lowered down his torso, and she swallowed, still a little out of breath herself. 

“Before you rudely got me all wet again.” She huffed out in some defeat, and felt warmth rise in her cheeks as his smile widened. 

“Did I, now?” He asked, a playful look in his eyes.

Fiadh’s eyes narrowed. “My clothes-” 

“Sure, sure.” Njotr laughed.