(You wished for something inspired by Dracula?
Well, here you go my hungry little ones.)
It had proved to be a long and arduous day; the crops had grown in well this year and it had taken many hours to harvest and prepare the ones for selling.
Uncle Alver had been hard to crack the whip to make sure everything was prepped and carted by sundown so he could set off in the morning, lugging his stock to sell to surrounding villages for a bit of extra coin.
I was glad to finally be able to relax for the evening, especially as I had the next day to myself, a needed rest for my sore arms.
"You're buildin' muscle," Uncle had grinned, backhanding my already sore arms, "ya'll 'ave everyone swoonin' if ya keep it up."
I could only grit my teeth and give him a pained smile in response, my muscles now throbbing at his enthusiastic encouragement.
Even hours later, as I said in the village tavern with a tankard clutched between my hands, I could still feel the worsening stiffness in my biceps. Father said it'd take me a few months to reach the peak I'd need for the muscle stiffness to wane, until then I would have to grin and bear it while working through.
"Keep kneading yourself like that and you'll be ready to bake in a couple minutes."
Snapping from my daydreaming, I looked at the barkeep with raised eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, pardon?"
He nodded towards my arm, his salt and pepper beard touching his chest as he did so.
"You nervous 'bout something? You're sure working your muscles there."
"Oh," I said, looking at my arm before adjusting my position and resting my hands atop the counter, "I am fine, thank you."
He gave me another nod in response then turned away to the patron a few seats down from me, giving me the opportunity to pick up my drink and find seating elsewhere.
It wasn't that I disliked that particular barkeep, it was more that I wasn't feeling in the most sociable mood and my usual night company wasn't on shift.
No one seemed to pay me any mind as I weaved around the tables, being mindful of the unintentional jostles from over rambunctious patrons in the middle of re-enacting their latest traveling tale.
Luckily, I managed to make it to a table in the back with only a few drops of my drink lost down someone's collar or on the floor, something that I would consider a win, especially as the man hadn't seemed to notice and didn't wish to pick a fight with me that I would surely lose.
I may have height and litheness on my side, giving me a small edge in dodging attacks with my nimbleness compared to his stocky build, but I would still be considered scrawny and thin enough to be taken out with a single punch from his beefy fist.
The thought sent an unpleasant shiver down my spine and I found myself glancing towards him as I sidled into my new seat, trying to pick up if he had noticed the new wet patch.
Now that I was securely in my seat, I doubted that he would pick up that I was the cause and thus felt considerably more secure in staying there for a couple more drinks.
My intention was the whittle away time by people watching.
It was always fascinating to see the kinds of people who would pass through the village, they always added a flare of excitement to an otherwise quiet and small place.
The village that my father's farm looked down upon was a go between for the two larger selling villages and was the perfect resting stop for those looking to sell their merchandise, though the village itself had few shops to purchase goods from.
There was space for lodgings and shops to pick up food and basic supplies for traveling, but beyond that it was a place of lower society who could struggle to get by at times until an annual flareup of salesmen passed through.
This was also when the night girls would make their best lot of money and there was something intriguing about watching them go about their work, even if I couldn't imagine myself participating.
There were fewer night men, but I could imagine that the ones that were picked up got paid a handsome sum, not only for their services but for also keeping a secret. As if they wouldn't talk between themselves about their customers as the ladies did, which led to some disturbing and hilarious stories when only in local company.
On that night, there were three night workers on patrol around the bar, two women and a singular man to work around the influx of travellers in hopes of enchanting someone into a night's pay at most and a five minute fix at least.
Anything was better than nothing.
As I sipped from my tankard, which was slowly starting to get lighter, I found my eyes wandering from one to another as they interacted with the patrons and flashed their charming smiles and batted their eyelashes in the hopes for some coin.
"It's truly something to behold, is it not?"
For the second time that night I was pulled out of my thoughts, only this time violently enough to cause me to jump and near spill my drink down myself.
This earned a deep chuckle from the man, who slid into the seat opposite me without invitation.
I had every intention of making a polite comment and then trying to deter him from speaking to me further, but I found all words and thoughts faltering when I laid eyes upon him.
He was truly something to behold, an ethereal beauty unlike any I had witnessed before.
His hair was dark and long but well taken care of, framing a deathly pale face with high cheekbones and peculiar coloured eyes in a way that could only be described as inhumanly attractive.
I couldn't see much of his attire beyond the black cloak resting on his shoulders, but a hint of a black leather vest and a green undershirt flashed as he moved to pick up his own goblet, which I hadn't even notice him put down.
He gave me a smile, one that almost seemed both predatory and alluring as his eyes twinkled with an intention I could only imagine.
It was hard to determine his age, but he was neither old nor young.
He simply was and something about his entire being and the aura he exuded in a mere gesture drew me in, I wanted to be near him.
"What is?" I found myself asking, unable to tear my eyes away as he took a sip from his goblet and lowered it with a lick of his reddened lips.
"Watching them work their magic, attempting to get temporary company for a single night," he replied, his voice accented in a way that would only suit him.
"Oh, I suppose it is."
He regarded me for a moment, eyebrow raised as his eyes scanned my body up and down multiple times.
"Have you ever sought such company?"
"Not as of yet," I frowned a little, the edgings of discomfort bristling up.
"Shame, were I as young sprung as you and perhaps more sociable, I would most likely take advantage."
An involuntary laugh left me as I returned the favour in looking him over once again, my fingers drumming again my tankard.
"I would hardly describe you as old."
"Maybe I'm not, but I'm not as young as I used to be either."
"Are any of us?"
"A young man such as yourself would still be considered so."
He gave me another smile that made my heart flutter and I had to try and fight off a burning that was growing in my cheeks, as a means of distraction I took another bit of my drink, which happened to be the last drop.
Most likely noticing my change in demeanour, he chuckled once against and sat up straighter, his eyes boring into mine.
"Or are you not looking for the company of a lady?"
His stare held mine as I tensed my jaw and cleared my throat, moving the tankard as a means of distraction.
"I have never thought of it, sir."
"Sir!" He laughed, throwing his head back as if it were the funniest thing he had ever heard. "Please, Loki will do."
"Loki," I repeated slowly, almost like I were in a trance.
"And I must say that it's a pleasure to formally meet you," he smirked coyly, leaning forward to reach across the table and entangle a hand within my own wild hair.
His fingers moved down to my jawline, his cold digits tracing over my skin as he rested his tilted head atop his other hand, propped up by his elbow on the stained table.
Normally, I would have jerked my head away and made a hasty retreat and yet, I couldn't.
Loki's content smile and his comforting touch made me want more, almost crave it.
"If you do not wish to pay, perhaps I can be of some assistance."
I should have said no, then and there.
Instead, I found myself nodding as I smiled, taking hold of his cold hand in my own.
"I was hoping you'd say that," he said smoothly, leaning back once again. "I am new to this area, perhaps in the coming evenings you can teach me all I need to know."
"I can," I said without hesitance.
"Excellent."
Loki's smile widened and I could swear, for the briefest of moments, that I noticed a glint coming from pointed teeth that would look more in place within a dog's mouth but I didn't have time to dwell upon it, as quickly as it had come the thought disappeared as Loki stood from his seat.
Guiding me up from my own, he picked up his goblet and downed the rest of his wine, the scent of it lingering on his lips as he set the cup down then put an arm around my waist to lead me outside to an awaiting carriage.