Elements of Change

Good Company

Ezo had spent the afternoon cleaning up for the appearance before the eques. After he received the summons, the tavern keeper offered the use of a bathing room for him.

"For both of us, I think," Kammon said, tossing coin to the man for the use of the bathing room.

"You seem to have a lot of money to spend these days," Ezo mentioned. Kammon had complained before about people not paying elementalists for their work, but he'd paid for Ezo's room and food before Ezo could bring out his own coin purse.

"There was a reward for the bandits when I brought them to the jailor. I'll give you your share once I've had a chance to count it out. Until then, enjoy the bath. The eques is rather prickly and will be offended if we don't show up properly polished."

Ezo rolled his eyes. "I might not have met a nobleman before, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to behave."

Kammon laughed as he stood from the table. "Tonight will be entertaining, I think. I'll have the tavern keeper prepare a carriage for us to the castle."

He left the table and Ezo decided it was best to take advantage of the bath. He was led to a small room that held two large wooden bathtubs. They had been recently drawn and were still warm and he quickly undressed and settled into one. The warm water was a luxury he didn't normally afford himself. He was used to bathing in streams and lakes as he traveled. The chance to soak tired muscles in the warmth was welcome and he relaxed in the heat and the soft scent of the lightly oiled waters.

When he was done, he went to his room and pulled the water from his hair. He used a wooden comb and worked through the knots, leaving it loose down his back, instead of pulling it into a leather tie as he usually did. He took his finest clothes out of his pack and set them out, brushing them as clean as he could. Thankfully they had been cleaned just before he left the players. He wasn't sure it was grand enough for the eques but it was the best he had. Kammon would probably show up in his dusty jacket anyway, just to be disagreeable. If he didn't drive Ezo crazy half the time, he might admire that quality about the man.

When the afternoon began to fall, he dressed and ran his fingers through his hair one more time. His boots were freshly cleaned and he wore his brown vest with his best green over-vest. He had a jacket but it wasn't the sort of thing to wear to an appearance with a noble. Jaroh had warned him that some day they'd come face to face with a noble and he'd wish he'd bought a jacket for the occasion. He'd have to tell Jaroh, when he finally found him.

A sharp knock at the door told him it was time to go. He took a deep breath and looked himself over one more time before he opened the door.

"Damn," he mumbled as he stepped out and saw Kammon waiting for him. The man was dressed in a dark gray jacket like usual, but this was a nicer jacket with black piping around the neck and edges. A brown leather utility belt encircled his waist. The other elementalist had a clean-shaven face and he looked well rested for once. He was breathtaking and Ezo found his mouth suddenly dry.

Kammon turned to look at him and his eyes widened. "Your hair!"

"What? Is something wrong with it?" True, not many people wore their hair as long as he did. In truth few women wore their hair as long as he did, let alone men. He liked it though and he wasn't going to cut it to make some noble happy.

"Uh ... no." Kammon stammered the words out and Ezo might have worried except Kammon grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him along the hallway. "Eques Lestan tried to procure my services more than once and he isn't fond of me. It's well known in his court. If someone says something, ignore it."