Author's note: This is a fluffy little drabble I wrote about six years ago. I've gotten into a bit of a nostalgic Baldur's Gate kick, and I thought some might enjoy reading it. Perhaps I'll tidy up some older fics and post those as well. Happy reading!
It was a sunny day in mid-Flamerule, and Candlekeep was already too quiet for Imoen's liking. She was so bored that she had completed all her chores in record time, which was quite a feat, since Imoen usually procrastinated until either Winthrop or Gorion yelled at her, often multiple times. Now she had taken to wandering the streets.
Imoen passed the barn three times before she finally gathered the courage to enter. Over the past year, she had taken quite a shine to the cattle hand, Dreppin, and she wasn't sure whether he felt the same. In any case, they'd been fast friends for a while.
Imoen found Dreppin behind the barn. His cow, Nessie, was tethered to a post and a large bucket of water with a sponge floating within was on the ground a few feet away, waiting to be used. Dreppin was holding a currycomb and working on Nessie's rump. The tawny cow skittered her rear away from him. From the looks of it, this battle had been going on for about ten minutes.
"Nessie . . ." Dreppin said warningly. Nessie gave him an innocent look and wrinkled her nose.
Dreppin heard a giggle behind him and turned. "Heya, Imoen," he said, his mood brightening. "Want to help me wash Nessie? She's being stubborn today."
"When isn't she stubborn?" Imoen asked good-naturedly, picking the giant sponge out of the bucket of water. She rubbed the sponge across Nessie's side, leaving a swath of soapy water in its wake. Nessie mooed at her, annoyed.
"You just don't like being washed, do you?" Imoen said conversationally, rubbing her down from neck to tail.
"D'you think you can manage, Im? I'm going to find another pail and sponge," Dreppin said, and disappeared.
Imoen picked up the abandoned currycomb and scrubbed at a manure spot on Nessie's tail. The cow swung her head around to glare at her.
"You should have thought about that before getting dirty," Imoen said firmly. She squeezed water on the tail, deemed it clean, and started on the cow's other side. Nessie flicked her tail, spraying droplets of water onto Imoen's shirt.
"Nessie!" she scolded. Before she could berate the cow further, something large and wet squelched as it hit Imoen square in the small of her back. She shrieked in surprise and turned to see Dreppin laughing. Imoen dunked her own sponge and fired. Dreppin's tunic now sported a wet spot to rival her own.
"Why, Immy! I didn't know you had it in you!" Dreppin said, still chuckling.
"I'm not finished with you!" she said, grinning. "This means WAR!" She picked up the other sponge and lobbed it at his head. Splat! Dreppin's dark hair was plastered to his head. He stared at Imoen in shock, rivulets of water streaming down his temples. He dropped his pail and ran straight for her.
Imoen screeched and tried to get away, but backed up into Nessie and kicked over the bucket of water at her feet. Nessie stepped sideways, mooing repeatedly in irritation. Dreppin caught Imoen around the middle and fell against Nessie's wet side.
They were both breathing heavily, sopping wet and smelling distinctly bovine, but Imoen couldn't be happier about the circumstances that brought her in Dreppin's arms. He had a smile on his face and a strange sparkle in his dark eyes. Imoen thought she must be dreaming.
"I think I'm going to kiss you, Imoen."
Yup, definitely dreaming. "I think I'm going to like that, Dreppin."
Their lips met and Imoen melted against Dreppin and Nessie. The cattle hand tightened his arms around her and pulled her closer. For that, she was grateful; Imoen felt she probably would have fallen otherwise. She deepened the kiss, tasting the creamy milk Dreppin had recently drunk. Imoen was trembling from the sensations racing through her body; her knees felt weak. She pulled back slowly, licking her lips. In all her eighteen years she had never felt anything like she did now. Imoen blinked her blue eyes up at Dreppin and opened her mouth to say something.
"Moooo," Nessie interrupted. She gazed at them reproachfully.
Dreppin and Imoen looked at the cow and laughed. The awkward spell was broken, and they locked eyes once more.
"We should probably get Nessie back into the barn. She's had quite a morning," Dreppin said.
Imoen smiled slowly. "Yup," she said, and patted Nessie's neck. There was still work to do.