The Mage's Familiar

08. A Long Bath

As the sun began to set they prepared to leave the temple, rejuvenated from their rest. Olwen and the guards received a blessing from the high priestess and ate a simple meal before continuing their journey. The town was active just before dark. Merchants were setting up stalls for the night market and children played in the streets, sending laughter ringing down every alley. Dogs and cats roamed, searching for food dropped by vendors, and birds returned in great flocks to their roosts in the chimneys and gables of every building. Olwen could not help but appreciate the liveliness and happiness of this community and as music began drifting from the pavilion she was hesitant to leave. The streets were lit with small lamps as night fell and she was glad the bustling townspeople hindered their departure. The sounds and scents were new and exciting and Olwen was regretful to watch them fade away as the cart and guards on horseback hastened down the road and left the town behind.

The road was less treacherous than before and the cart's movement was steady. They moved much more quickly than the previous day and covered a great distance as the moon rose. The heaping rocks that had previously framed their path had fallen away to reveal vast swaths of grassland and meadows, inhabited by deer that spooked and bounded away as the cart rumbled past them. The stars overhead were dazzling, spilling over the horizon and helping to light their way. The landscape seemed to stretch on forever with few trees or hills to break Olwen's line of sight as she gazed into the darkness. The party stopped just before midnight to rest and eat. The guards did not speak to her but Olwen didn't have the energy to notice. Nas had whispered stories to her for much of the night and she found his voice soothing as she tried to stave off boredom. The few books she had brought were useless after darkness fell and the guards seemed to only want to travel at night. The roads were empty after dark and there was nothing to entertain, distract, or interrupt them. This must have been by design but Olwen was always growing weary of the constant silence. She was more grateful than ever for Nas and his endless stream of fairy tales.

Many days passed in this way. Each morning near dawn the party would leave the main road and rest at a small town or village. One night they even spent sleeping under the stars with their traveling cloaks wrapped tightly around them. They spared very few words, rarely speaking to Olwen unless giving her instructions. They ate simple meals of bread, cheese, and dried meat and fruits and traveled through every night at a surprising pace. It wasn't long before she noticed the unmistakable signs that they were nearing the capital city. The towns became more elaborate and aristocrats and their carriages began appearing on the main roads. Instead of nature there was industry in the form of carefully manicured pastures, elaborate public gardens, and larger structures that Olwen had ever seen before. They crossed over a stone bridge, something rare in the territories near her village. The flowers lining the roads had been planted there and the exotic colors and aromas were unique and tempting. Olwen took notes of the plants they passed wondering if perhaps some would be useful in medicine or other potions. Despite years of study there were a few species she did not recognize. Even Nas was quiet as he observed the changing scenery. On the final day of the journey they stopped in a large town outside the city walls.

It appeared to be a town of the middle class. Olwen had rarely interacted with this type of society. She and her village were all lower class, little more than peasants. They led a happy life but the work was long and constant and there was little time or money left over for luxuries or comforts. This town was very different. Aside from a small slum on the border the town was manicured and vibrant with a dizzying array of shops, theaters, and other entertainment on the main streets. Performers did acrobatics and played music in the arts district and food vendors were on nearly every corner, selling a startling assortment of foods that Olwen had never seen or smelled before. The market was sprawled across several blocks and the sheer number of people was enough to make Olwen feel small and overwhelmed. This was not the biggest town in the region but she had never seen anything like it. Every building was splashed with color, each park was bursting with wildlife, and immaculately dressed merchants and business owners seemed to glide down the sidewalks with a sense of untouchable entitlement. It was an alien world that Olwen never could have conceived of. And within the high walls of the capital city it would only become even more unfamiliar. She and the guards stopped at an inn at the center of town and she was escorted inside and led to a cozy room on the bottom floor. It was finely decorated with pale lavender walls, white linens and fresh flowers. She was delighted to find that she had a private washroom, something that was rare in her home village. Nas hopped from her arms and onto the bed with a yawn. It had been a long night. Once Olwen had removed her traveling cloak and boots she only had one thing on her mind. A bath.

"I'm going to bathe, Nas," she sighed, pulling the pins from her hair to let it fall down around her shoulders.

"Shall I join you, Master?" His voice was suddenly audible and Olwen turned quickly around to find him in his human form, still sitting on the bed with a sly smile on his face. She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue, tossing her cloak over his head.

"Don't cats clean themselves?" she scoffed, shutting the door behind her.

She glanced at the mirror above the small washbasin and could see a flush spreading across her face. Nas had been quiet for most of their journey out of consideration for Olwen. They could not openly converse with the guards so nearby so aside from telling her a few stories and checking on her every so often he had left her to her thoughts and slept comfortably in her arms. She knew it was probably a relief to him that he could finally stretch his legs and speak with his own voice. But he had caught her off guard. As she filled the bathtub she was enchanted by the hot water pouring from the faucet; it was a luxury she had never experienced. Sinking into the steaming water was heavenly and she could feel her body relaxing fully as she leaned back and enjoyed the few minutes of peace she had before she was interrupted by her impatient familiar.

"Master!" he called to her from the other side of the door.

"Yes Nas?" she grumbled back.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Nas. I have only been in here for a few minutes."

"I am anxious when I'm away from you," he whined. "Let me come in."

"Absolutely not. You can wait."

She could hear his groan of frustration and laughed to herself. They had never been apart for more than a few minutes since their first meeting. Since learning his identity she had even taken him to the village with her on errands and only left him alone for a few short visits with her family or to visit patients. They had become accustomed to being together. As Olwen washed her hair and body she realized that they would probably be parted much more often from now on. He could not accompany her as a cat wherever she went if she was to serve as a knightmaiden. There would be so many places he could not go and so much time that they would have to be apart. The thought of it made her ache. Suddenly she did not want to have a door closed between them. She emerged from the bath, dried herself with a towel, and pulled a robe hanging on the wall around her body, bursting into the bedroom with her hair still wet. Nas was laying back on the bed with a scowl on his face and he turned to her still pouting, completely disregarding her state of undress.

"Master, that was the longest time any human has ever taken to bathe."

Olwen's anxiety melted away instantly as she suppress a laugh.

"That is an exaggeration," she retorted. "Will you bathe?"

"You have already bathed without me so there is no point," he grumbled, turning away so his back was facing her. Olwen sat on the bed beside him and yawned, feeling tiredness finally wash over her. Tomorrow they would be in the capital city. But she didn't want to concentrate on the unknown. So she laid back and pulled the comforter over her, waiting for Nas to turn over and stop pouting.

"Your hair is wet, Master," he whispered. "You cannot go to sleep like that."

"I am too tired to dry it," she teased. "I am weary from traveling."

He groaned and flipped over, stomping to the bathroom to get a fresh towel and sitting her up to dry her hair himself.

"You must not neglect yourself," he muttered.

"It's nice to have you do it," she insisted, and his grumbling quieted immediately.

Her hair was soon dry and she braided it to protect it as she slept. They were too tired to speak anymore and slid beneath the blankets with their eyes heavy. Nas remained in his human form and pulled her close to him, nestling her against his chest until they both fell asleep, lulled by the sound of their mingled heartbeats.