advances each time she had applied herself. She knew all too well how to arouse his body, she had been raised in a brothel after all, and Seth was a man much like every other man. Even so, though his body might scream for hers, he had yet to step over that line, and said he would not do so until they were joined. So it would be that though Sara did not have the same old fashioned opinions, she would not expect Seth to give in to what she wanted. However, if he planned to make her wait, she would do her best to make him think twice about it. Smiling to herself, thinking about how she might tease him the next four nights that they would be sharing a bed, she began to wash herself.
As promised, just a few moments after Garret had gotten in the tub small hands reached under the stall door and collected his soiled and dirty clothes. He washed his hair and body quickly but thoroughly and laid back in the tub letting his head fall back. The water was relaxing and he eased every muscle in his body allowing the warmth to sooth him. Fully relaxed Garret closed his eyes allowing his mind to wander. It did not wander long, and soon Garret drifted into half sleep.
Again Garret stood among an army on a battlefield. This time he stood watching the black masses of the enemy swarm towards him. The enemy was upon him in minutes and he hefted his sword high and thrust it forward giving the signal to attack. “For Valdadore!” The battle cry echoed across the plains as steel met steel. The nearest of his enemies sprinted at him in a mass. All of them looked otherworldly with blackened armor and weapons gleaming wetly with blood. Their teeth snapped as they ran at him as if they were some breed of savage animals starved into attacking wildly. Onward his enemy came and Garret let his head roll back on his neck. Whispering something into the sky, his words lost in the sounds of battle, Garret’s eyes gleamed with energy and his body exploded.
Garret sat upright with a gasp. Shaking his head to clear it he looked around unsure of where he was. Absorbing his surroundings he recalled the memories temporarily displaced by the dream. Looking down he saw his clothes folded in a neat pile below the door. Realizing he must have slept for longer than he originally thought he had, he quickly got out of the tub and dried himself. Dressing quickly Garret stepped out of his stall.
Ashton watched Garret come out of his stall and smiled to him in greeting. Ashton too was refreshed and redressed in his now clean clothes. Each walking halfway the distance between them they spoke quietly about the giant copper tear hanging in the center of the room.
Sara, her body and hair already washed, sat on the edge of her tub spreading one of the available salves over the entire surfaces of her legs and another more sensitive region of her body. Allowing the salve to sit until it began to burn, she then quickly wiped it away with her damp washing cloth, wiping the hair away with the salve. Feeling her legs to be sure the hair had been eradicated, and assured it was, she then quickly rubbed a cream lotion over her legs to make the skin soft. Sara then dismounted the tub and toweled her hair dry and redressed. Finished dressing, Sara brushed the tangles from her hair with a brush from the shelves in her stall and pulling it over her shoulder she braided it loosely and tied it at the end with the leather strap. Feeling she had made herself as pretty as she could for Seth she stepped out of her stall just as he did.
Seth had washed up quickly, and to be sure he smelled clean for Sara he washed his body again, three more times in fact. Seth had no idea what all the creams and salves were on the shelves, but he was able to find a small sharp blade and a mirror which he used to scrape away the prickly facial hair that had sprouted across his face in a little over a week since he had left home. Only managing to cut himself twice he was impressed with himself. Once the bleeding stopped Seth washed the blood away, and quickly dried and got redressed. His clothes smelled exceptionally clean, and he stepped out of his stall feeling terrific.
Sara and Seth smiled at each other as they both allowed their stalls to close behind them. Taking Seth’s hand with one of hers, Sara reached up with the other to feel his smooth face with her fingertips.
“Smooth… I like it.” Sara said with a grin and a giggle.
They walked hand in hand to meet the others and they all decided to find Sasha so they could take their packs and equipment to their rooms. Exiting the bathing room they walked back down the long corridor towards the dining hall. Rounding the corner into the dining hall they could hear voices around the corner. The voices came from the very counter where they had met Sasha earlier, and she was there again speaking to a man that was apparently another customer. They waited patiently for the conversation to end, and when it did the man handed Sasha some coins and turned and left the inn. Sara motioned for the boys to remain where they were, and releasing Seth’s hand she walked to the counter and greeted Sasha. The three boys were still some distance from the counter and so were unable to hear the women’s dainty conversation but they watched as Sara spoke pausing periodically as Sasha responded with a nod.
Sara left the boys in the dining hall hoping they would be far enough away to remain out of range to hear what she was going to talk to Sasha about. She was a bit embarrassed as it was just asking a stranger what it was she planned to ask, she did not want the added embarrassment that would come if the boys could hear her. Walking towards Sasha Sara greeted her and came to stand mere inches away from the woman.
“Hello Sasha.” Sara greeted.
“Hello again M’lady.” Sasha replied
“It’s Sara. Sorry I didn’t introduce myself properly earlier.” Sara said unused to the title Sasha had labeled her with.
Sasha nodded in understanding.
“You said you could send someone to the market for us if we needed?” Sara asked already knowing the answer to her question.
Sasha nodded in response.
“I was wondering if you might have someone pick up something for me?” Sara asked in a voice barely over a whisper, and continued without waiting for a response. “I have nothing to sleep in, and I plan to share a bed tonight.”
Again Sasha nodded in understanding.
“I would like to get something a bit provocative, yet not too revealing if that is possible.” Sara said still barely above a whisper and unable to meet Sasha’s eyes as she said it.
“That can be arranged, would you like something for your man as well?” Sasha asked mimicking Sara’s muted tone.
“If it’s not too much trouble, I’m not sure if he has anything.” Sara stated. “Though I wouldn’t mind if he didn’t.” She added as an afterthought smiling as she said it.
“Consider it done.” Sasha stated with an assuring tone. “Would you care to see your rooms now?”
This time it was Sara who nodded in response, and the two of them turned and walked towards the boys who waited patiently. As Sasha passed the boys she asked them to follow, and before Seth would comply he made sure Sara’s hand was firmly in his.
Sasha fist led them to the room Sara and Seth would be sharing, and opening the door for the young couple, allowed them to enter and closed the door behind them. She then continued to lead Garret and Ashton to the room they would share.
Seth and Sara walked through the door and stepped directly into a dream. The room was beyond comprehension. The floors here were covered from corner to corner with an amazingly soft rug. The room had various luxurious pieces of furniture throughout its expanse, but both of them instinctively looked towards the bed. The bed was an enormous mass of satin and stained wood. Each corner of the bed was a massive post that rose from the floor to nearly touch the ceiling. The footboard of the bed was carved in a scene depicting nude silhouettes of people dancing in couples, their bodies entwined together in various vertical positions. The headboard was a large frame of stained and polished wood surrounding a large oval piece of some sort of metal polished to a mirror finish reflecting the bed back upon itself. From the tops of the four posts was stretched a white satin canopy that fell in tendrils around the entire expanse of the bed partially hiding the mattress and bedding from view. Pulling back the satin tendrils revealed pillows made from the softest down feathers piled high across the head of the bed. The blankets and sheets were all satin and silk wrapped around an overstuffed down mattress. The bed somewhat resembled a cloud and Sara could hardly wait to see if it was as soft as it looked but restrained herself. Looking around the rest of the room revealed a large writing desk completely stocked with various types of parchment and ink along with small blocks of colored wax. Also opposite the bed there were several overstuffed upholstered chairs. To either side of the bed was a small stand each containing several candles and a small vase of flowers. In one
