Page 43 of The Warrior and the Monk

"Call off the hens, if you would!" one of the men said, his voice full of frustration.

Avery was undeterred. She charged forward again, giving a battle cry that was more of an indignant cluck than anything else. The three men made sounds that could hardly be described as courageous, their feet dancing back from Avery’s relentless pecking.

"It is difficult to tell Avery what to do," Wilder said, striding forward and scooping her up into his arms. Sheimmediately began pecking at his fingers in an affectionate but firm manner, as though reminding him of the importance of her fierce defense of her territory.

"I apologize for her," Wilder added, looking at the trio of warriors with an apologetic smile.

One of the warriors raised an eyebrow as he surveyed the rest of the flock, still following Avery’s lead and keeping their distance from the men. "The others?" he asked, eyeing the hens warily.

"They cause no trouble when not following Avery," Wilder explained. As if on cue, the rest of the hens, who had been agitated just moments before, slowly lost interest now that Avery was no longer charging forward, her task momentarily complete. Avery huffed against Wilder's chest, giving him a haughty look as though to say,You’re lucky I’ve decided to spare you for now.

Wilder gently stroked her back and lowered her to the ground. "Enough now," he said, his voice soft but firm. Avery, with one last disdainful glance at the men, rejoined her flock, though not before giving Anders’s foot a quick, pointed peck as he finally emerged from the longhouse.

"There you are, Anders," one of the warriors said, grinning. "Don't suppose you missed all that, did you?"

Anders chuckled, rubbing his chin as he approached. He was clearly amused by the whole spectacle, his grin wide.

The three men quickly launched into a flurry of excuses, their embarrassment evident as they tried to explain their intentions.

"Didn't want to harm your livestock—" one man said.

"Don't know naught about birds, who has time to learn about birds when you're learning the sword—" another added, clearly trying to save face.

"Ah, well, let's keep this all to ourselves, shall we?" the third man interrupted, his voice friendly. "Anyhow, let's get youboth ready for your wedding," he said, gesturing toward the edge of the forest. Wilder followed his gaze and saw a cart wreathed in wildflowers, two horses tied nearby, their heads lowered as they sniffed at the vibrant blooms on the cart.

Wilder’s heart skipped a beat. The wedding? Today? He hadn’t been expecting it, not this soon. "Oh, but we're not ready—we didn’t expect—" he began, his voice trailing off in confusion. His mind was spinning with thoughts of the chores that needed doing, the last-minute preparations that hadn’t been made. He had been so caught up in his life with Anders, in their new home, that he had completely lost track of the upcoming ceremony.

One of the warriors, noticing his sudden panic, smiled and pointed to himself. "That’s what we’re here for. You two get yourselves ready, and we’ll take care of the work. It’s still early yet."

Another of the men gave Wilder a once-over, his gaze lingering on Wilder’s bare legs and feet with something like admiration. "Take your time," he said with a wink.

Wilder’s cheeks flushed, but it was a different kind of reaction than he had experienced with Harald and his men. These were men Anders knew well, men who had sailed with him, fought beside him. The teasing was lighthearted, not cruel. It was an unfamiliar but pleasant feeling to be looked at with such appreciation, and Wilder couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed by the attention. He gave them a shy smile in return.

"I’ll wash up," Wilder muttered, glancing back toward the longhouse. "Inside," he added as the man's gaze went hopefully toward the river. He could tell the man was hoping for a chance to enjoy the view, but Wilder wasn’t quite ready for that.

As he hurried inside to wash up, he heard Anders growl in mock frustration, followed by one of the warriors muttering, "Stop that teasing. You might make him nervous before the ceremony."

Nervous? Wilder couldn’t contain his excitement. By the customs of the land, he and Anders had been married since that first day when Anders had driven his sword into the sand and claimed him. But in Wilder’s heart, they had truly wed long before that, on the day at Frode's house, when they began to learn one another’s language—hands and fingers speaking the words they could never say aloud. Every touch, every gesture, every shared moment had been a vow, culminating in their first, real kiss.

He quickly stripped off his tunic and crouched at the basin of water, scrubbing at his skin with a damp cloth. As he worked, he heard the sound of Anders’s footsteps approach, and then the comforting shadow of Anders’s presence loomed over him. Fingers brushed his bare back, warm and familiar.

I’ll help you wash, Anders signed against his skin, his motions soft and tender.

Wilder smiled and handed him the cloth. "Thank you."

Anders hummed a little as he worked, his hands gentle as they moved over Wilder’s skin. When they made love, Anders was deliciously rough, a contrast to the softness with which he treated Wilder when they were at peace. It felt comforting, reassuring, that Anders held him so carefully, as though he were something precious.

But today, Wilder felt a little impatient. He was eager to be clean for the ceremony. "Anders, don't be so timid!" he urged, grinning.

I don’t want to hurt you," Anders signed, eyes full of concern as he held the cloth, water dripping from it.

Wilder grinned. "You're not nearly as soft as this when we're in bed."

Anders paused, his hands still.That is different,he signed, before pushing a little harder with the cloth. Wilder moaned softly at the sensation, his body responding to the pressure.

A shout from outside interrupted them. "Hey! None of that before the ceremony, now!"

Wilder grinned, rolling his eyes. "Right, we should be getting ready." He let Anders finish washing him, then allowed a brief kiss and a playful squeeze on the bottom before quickly drying himself off. The excitement building within him couldn’t be contained.

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