2

He had been around the little town of Gorentsk for two moons already. Here he could get a good price for his wolf pelts from the local fur traders, but the butcher was a scoundrel, and he'd have to haggle over the big deer he had killed earlier today.
He was looking forward to spending some time at the inn which faced out onto the lake. It was a beautiful spot all year round, but in the autumn, it took on an orange-red cast, as it reflected the hues of the nearby Juniper and Birch trees. The foothills of Gornah Ceph Range were visible in the distance behind the lake. His favourite thing about the inn, however, was Iluska.
Iluska, oh Iluska. She was the innkeeper's daughter. On busy days, her pale, dainty hands could be seen carrying drinks to the patrons, and Dmitri would be mesmerised by her curves and lines. Her jet black hair contrasted delightfully with her lightly coloured skin. She cleaned the rooms in the early afternoon, and he would sometimes wait until she knocked, just to see her. When it was not too busy, she would cook. She was a wonderful cook, and she had been teaching him how to make simple meals taste better, using herbs that were readily available in the wild lands. He loved their time together, and sometime found himself making excuses not to go out on the hunt, just to stay for a few days longer.
Iluska and Vladimir, her father, would not let him into the inn with his wares, however. They held their noses, saying "How can you stand the stench!". In fact, he recalled the first time he come to the inn, in early spring four years previous. Vladimir had begged him to bathe before he came into the hall.
"I have a business to run! I can't afford to loose any guests!" he pleaded. Dmitri thought it a grave insult, as he'd grown accustomed to the stench he had carried around with him.
"You'll not make money by turning away customers, old man," Dmitri accused, he turned and ran to the lake and dove in. He immediately regretted his impulsive decision. There was still patches of ice on the water, which had been thawing after a long, cold winter.
It was then that he beheld Iluska for the first time. She had grabbed two tablecloths, and was running down the path toward the freezing water, cursing at her father who had sent this stranger to his doom in the lake. When she got close to where Dmitri had dove in, she turned running down a path to the where the lake shallowed to the water's edge.
"Come out of there before you catch your death!" she cried, her breast heaving as she struggled to regain her breath. Watching those heaving breasts, Dmitri felt the warmth return to him, but knew this to be an illusion when he heard his teeth chatter. He swam to her and, shivering, began to climb out of the water.
"Th-th-th, th-th-th" he stuttered.
"Quiet now," breathed Iluska, cutting off his thanks as she wrapped the tablecloths around him, "we'll have you warm and dry in no time."
He spent the rest of the day lying before the great fireplace in the hall, where Iluska served him with soup and apologised repeatedly for her father's bad manners. Since then, Vladimir had always welcomed Dmitri at the inn, but had insisted that he take him up on the offer of a free heated bath before eating.
So, Dmitri had to off his load of furs and meat before supper time, or he would miss Iluska's cooking lesson.
"Might as well get this over with" he sighed. Bracing himself for the obstinate butcher's impudent first offer, and his perverse, degenerate wit, Dmitri hauled his sled into Gorentsk.