4

Dmitri left the butcher's shop, having sold him the deer carcass. As usual, Gleb had refused to pay the going rate for the deer, but Dmitri's mind was wandering the whole time. He was leaving the valley, he had decided, but somehow felt that he had unfinished business here. He couldn't think of what was holding him back, but as he walked through the town towards the inn, he continued to have doubts.
As he reached the inn, he looked behind him. He felt instinct tell him that the was something amiss, but decided that there could be nothing here in town big enough to warrant investigation. Besides, he hadn't felt right since making his decision to leave the valley. This was probably just another symptom.
"Vlad!" he called, as he walked into the inn, "Is my bath ready?"
"Should be, Dmitri!" Vladimir responded from what sounded like the kitchen. "Iluska's upstairs, she was heating your water."
"Thanks!" Dmitri shouted as he walked through the inn's great hall. As he passed the roaring fireplace, he remembered lying, teeth chattering, before the fire. He was pleased that the inn was quiet, as he'd have more time to himself with Iluska. He took the stairs two by two, and crept into the fire lit room where Iluska usually placed his bath.
Iluska was there, pouring water from into the large iron tub. Her black hair was matted to her head and back, and the room was filled with steam. Dmitri admired her shapely behind, and contemplated his next move. His original intention was to surprise her by sneaking up behind her, but he wasn't sure how she'd react. Instead, he crept back out of the room and knocked the door.
"Oh!" gasped Iluska, as if awoken from a daydream, "you startled me." Dmitri suppressed a smile,
"Sorry, your father told me that my bath would be ready."
"And so it is, I was just keeping it warm for you." Iluska flashed him a wondrous smile. For a moment, Dmitri's heart was in her hands, and she could have asked the world of him. In that moment, he knew where his unfinished business was. He was entranced, until her voice broke the spell.
"I'll go down and start dinner. Salmon OK?"
"Anything but veal." Dmitri winced, remembering Greb's poor price. Iluska laughed, an intoxicating sound to Dmitri, and drifted off through the steam.