PENUMBRA (how the flowers grow)

33. Eyelashes

The town of Hazelhost has a bath house, which get more common even in smaller villages the farther you go north of Valdent. Hazelhost's bath house is fairly spacious, considering the town is home to maybe a hundred people. The stone walls are uncarved, which is typical of smaller cities. The stone keeps the room cool and the water is pleasantly warm, courtesy of a few sigils etched into the brick (and the heat radiating off Xaniphe's body, which Sabina is uncomfortably aware of).

It took less persuasion than she expected to get her to strip and join the bath along with everyone else. She doesn't think she really needed Tuluvey to coax her into the bath when she was (and still is) covered in blood and some weird-smelling ash. Most of the blood isn't hers, but she didn't manage to get out completely unscathed. Thankfully, none of the wounds scarred and she didn't lose anything except for a couple knives which shattered when she thrust them into the bellies of some weird tree-like demon things that had been lurking about in the forests of Hazelhost. The good news is that the creatures are no more, and the Goldhands are quite the bit richer for it. Sabina didn't even have a crisis.

In Sabina's opinion, being naked in a bath surrounded by your naked friends in such close quarters causes an extreme sort of awkwardness that she wasn't aware existed. It's hard to know where to look when there's so many tits and dicks flopping about the place, though everyone's cleaning blood, sweat, and general filth off of themselves and that somehow makes it all seem more tolerable.

Sabina scrubs the last of the gunk off and applies some more of the salve Flix gave her. Her tattoos have faded almost into her skin tone and they haven't been getting any lighter. They're still noticeable, like ancient carvings that have been weathered throughout time. She tries not to be disappointed.

Tuluvey grabs her hand under the water and she looks over, catches the gentle smile on his face. She must have had a certain look about her, so she smiles back to show that everything is okay. He squeezes her hand before letting go. She pretends she doesn't realize he's very naked right now and that she could scoot closer to him, do something similar to the way Xaniphe is draped over Flix's lap at the other end of the pool.

By the time they're all clean and dried off, Sabina has become an expert at looking at the face, but she would much rather bathe in a pond where she's not continually bumping feet with Robb or elbowing Jitho in the side. Maybe next time she'll insist they don't just squeeze into one pool, considering there's several in the room.

After their much needed soak, they head to the Lucky Bird tavern and order some supper. The food that comes consists of many seeded breads, beans, and cheeses, but it tastes about as good as anything would right now.

Sabina happily partakes in the meal, which helps her regain some of the energy she lost in the battle. Her limbs ache and her skin tingles on her arm where Flix healed the burns. Xaniphe kicks her feet under the table and flashes a mischievous grin that immediately serves to make Sabina wary. She beckons Sabina closer.

"What is it?" Sabina moves to sit next to her on the couch, where she's kicked her feet up on the table.

"It's going to be the full moon soon," Xaniphe says, as if it's a secret. "Know what that means?"

It'll have been about a moon turn since Whitegate, she thinks, but figures that's too simple an answer for Xaniphe to be hinting at.

"...no."

Xaniphe rolls her eyes and sits up excitedly, wearing a charming grin. "Full moons are the best time to do illu lefil."