“Martin will show you to your rooms,” Harlondo continued, motioning to a tall, silver-haired man in a straight cut, blood red suit and jacket. “I have business to attend to, but I’ll be joining you for dinner this evening. I can see you’ve traveled light, so a change of clothing will be brought up directly.”
“Thank you, Harlondo,” Lee said graciously. “That would be much appreciated.”
Harlondo bowed and took his leave. Gewey smiled, thinking Lee was right at home in this environment.
Martin led them upstairs and to the left. At the end of the hall, they turned right and were shown to their rooms in turn. Gewey couldn’t believe his eyes when he entered his own suite; it was as big as the common room of most inns. An oak feather bed-large enough for three grown men-sat flush against the right wall, and to its left was a glass dressing table and mirror. In the far right corner was a small, round breakfast table with two chairs, and beyond that stood a tall, carved mahogany wardrobe with polished brass handles.
In the near left corner was by far the most interesting feature: a round curtain hung from the ceiling, above a section of black tile. Gewey pulled back the curtain and saw three copper pipes protruding from the ceiling. The first of the pipes hung about a foot from the eight-foot ceiling. At the end of the pipe was a cone- shaped attachment with tiny holes drilled into the solid facing. The other two pipes ran down to his chest, each with a small brass handle. Attached to each handle was a tray; one held a small bar of soap and the other a square piece of pink coral. He knew what the soap was for, but had he no idea what purpose the coral might serve. Curious, Gewey grabbed one of the handles and turned. Water sprayed down from the pipe and poured on his head. It was hot-
Gewey heard Lee laughing behind him. “I was just coming to show you how to use that. I guess I’m a bit late.”
“This must be a shower,” he said as water dripped down his face. He wasn’t looking at Lee at all. “What a marvel!”
“I thought you’d like it,” Lee said. “Dina’s showing Kaylia how to use hers now.”
Lee showed Gewey how to adjust the water temperature by manipulating the handles and explained that the coral was used to scrub off dead skin.
“Be careful with it though,” Lee warned. “Scrub too hard and you’ll peel your skin right off.”
Gewey relished his first shower. He had never felt anything like it, and he swore that when he finally returned home, he would build one for himself.
Martin came in during his shower and announced that he had placed Gewey’s belongings next to the wardrobe and laid out fresh clothing on the bed.
“Your friends will join you in the parlor,” Martin told him. “It’s to the left from your room, at the end of the hall.”
When Gewey stepped out of the shower, he felt refreshed-more so than after a good night’s sleep even. The clothing Martin had brought was every bit as fine as the suit Lee had bought for him for his coming of age party, which he’d had to leave behind in Gristol. It was a cream silk shirt with gold buttons and gold stitching, along with a pair of shining black trousers. A short black jacket, soft leather shoes, and a belt with a gold buckle completed the ensemble. Gewey quickly dressed, but as he was about to head to the parlor, there was a knock on his door. Gewey gaped as a young woman in a baby blue housedress stood smiling in the doorway, a small basket propped against her hip.
“Lord Starfinder said that you were in need of grooming,” she said, scrutinizing Gewey. “I can see he was correct. Please sit down.” She motioned towards the chair in front of the dressing table.
Gewey wasn’t sure what to do, so he complied. “How long will this take? My friends are waiting in the parlor for me.”
“Your friends are being tended too as well,” she assured him. “To think of beautiful young women in such a state. Your elf friend-what was her name?”
“Kaylia.”
“Yes, Kaylia,” she continued, brushing the knots from his curls. “Such a lovely girl. Elsa couldn’t wait to get her hands on that one. Elves have such natural beauty. But when Elsa’s finished with her, she’ll be a goddess. The other one too. Celandine. That one is accustomed to less dirt and grime, if you ask me. Such a gorgeous complexion on her. Well tended skin and hair. It’s nice to see women who know how to take care of themselves. Don’t get me wrong, elves take care of themselves too, but it’s just different.” For the next hour, the woman talked and talked as she worked.
Gewey chuckled at the thought of Kaylia being fussed over and made up.
After a while, he found the process wasn’t so bad. The girl shaved him, then rubbed a sweet smelling cream on his face, letting it dry as she trimmed his hair. When she wiped the cream off with a warm towel, his skin felt alive, as if it had never felt the air before. ‘So this is how a lord lives,’ he thought. ‘No wonder they always look so healthy and clean.’
By the time she was done, he almost didn’t recognize himself. He had never spent much effort grooming. He cut his own hair most of the time. Occasionally one of the women of the village would do it instead, but none had ever made him look so…lord-like. Refreshed and filled with a new confidence, he thanked the woman and headed down the hall to the parlor. Lee was already there, sitting in a large cushioned chair and sipping a glass of brandy. He was wearing a navy blue suit and jacket, and an ash walking stick with a silver knob was leaning on the side of his chair.
Lee smiled as Gewey entered. “
“Thank you,” said Gewey. “It feels different.”
“We still have plenty of daylight,” Lee observed. “I thought we should see if Dina can make contact with her people. I also think we should make contact with Lord Ganflin’s friends at the Frog’s Wishbone.”
“Don’t you two look handsome?” Dina remarked as she walked in. Kaylia followed close behind.
Gewey’s jaw dropped when he saw them. Dina was wearing a dark blue satin dress that hugged her figure lightly. Her hair was lifted away from her face and tied with a silver band, allowing it to fall loosely down her back. Kaylia wore a smooth silver dress with a small diamond cut in the midriff. Her hair was left down but Elsa had added shining gold strands that caught the light when she moved.
“By the Gods…” Gewey gasped.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Dina teased. She did a little twirl, causing the skirt of her dress to swish and spin around her.
Kaylia, on the other hand, looked very displeased. “I refuse to go out in public in this,” she growled. “How am I expected to fight in this if something happens?”
“Don’t worry,” Lee assured her. “You’ll be back in your old clothes before you know it. I admit it’s a bit early for such attire, but they probably assumed we intended to stay in until the evening.”
“Actually, I think we should do just that,” Dina suggested. “My people are hard to find in the daytime, but I know where to find them after dark. We should wait until then.”
“Excellent,” Lee said. “I asked Martin about the Frog’s Wishbone, and he said it’s a very nice establishment. It turns out Lord Ganflin bought it a few years back and completely remodeled the place.”
“He should have changed the name, if you ask me,” Dina said. “It sounds like a low-class tavern.”
“Maybe, but from what I’ve been told, it’s anything but,” Lee replied. “The good news is that we can keep wearing these fine clothes a while longer.”
“Wonderful,” Kaylia grumbled.
Just then, Martin walked in, followed by three men carrying a lute, a harp, and a flute. He served everyone a glass of honeyed wine as the musicians began playing softly. Gewey took a seat and allowed the music take him. The songs were sweet and intricate-much different from the music he had heard at the taverns, or even at the festival of Gerath. When the first song was over, he actually sighed.
“There’s so much left for you to experience,” Lee said to Gewey, noticing the boy’s expression. “When all this is over, I promise to show you as much as you want to see.”
“That would be great. But right now, I wonder if I’ll ever see home again, much less the rest of the world.”
“You’ll see your village again,” Kaylia vowed. She had been listening to the music as well, but now a fire lit her eyes. “That I promise.” Gewey smiled, but he was saddened with thoughts of home.
