by Ian Gregoire
The sound of knocking on the door to Fay’s quarters intruded upon Kayden’s reverie. That was quick, she thought. Assuming, of course, her visitor was the person summoned by the beacon she activated. She hurriedly vacated the bathroom to see who was at the door. When she pulled it open she was pleasantly surprised to see that the tall Sister standing before her was someone she recognised.
“Sister Nelda,” she greeted the statuesque Jaymidari.
“Hello again, Kayden,” replied Nelda. “So, what can I do for you this morning?”
Kayden stood aside to permit the fair-haired woman to enter, then shut the door after her.
“I was hoping I could have a hot bath,” she said, “plus, I borrowed this uniform when I went out with Master Ari yesterday, so it will need to be laundered.”
“Very well, right this way.”
Nelda took charge, leading Kayden into the bedchamber.
“Go ahead and strip out of those clothes. I’ll start drawing your bath immediately, then I’ll bring back a bathrobe and towel for you in just a moment.”
Kayden watched Nelda exit the room while she absent-mindedly wondered if all the women from the lands of southern Karlandria were as tall and fair as the Sister. She began peeling off the uniform then neatly placed each garment in a simple pile on Fay’s bed. As she stood waiting for Nelda to return with a bathrobe, she casually sniffed her armpits. Oh, yeah, a hot bath was definitely in order, she concluded.
Listening to the sound of water being pumped into the bathtub, she began to wonder how long it would take Nelda to get the tub even half full. Seconds later, Nelda sauntered back into the bedchamber carrying a white bathrobe with a matching white towel, yet the sound of water being pumped continued. So who was filling the tub if…? Of course! she realised. Why go to the trouble of drawing water by hand when you can use Zarantar to do the job?
“Here’s a bathrobe and towel for you,” said Nelda, handing them off to her. “I’m sure your master won’t mind you using them.”
“Thank you.”
“If you like I can have your undergarments washed, also, while you take your bath.”
Kayden looked down at herself. “I guess they could do with a cleaning,” she admitted, looking back up at Nelda. “But I’m not sure there’s enough time for that. I expect I’ll be returning to Antaris campus pretty soon.”
“Your master has not returned from Lirantana,” said Nelda, questioning the idea time was short. “But, if you like, I can personally have them laundered and dried before you’ve even finished your bath.”
“In that case, please do,” replied Kayden. “And thank you.”
“Think nothing of it. I’ll leave you to get undressed while I check on your bath.”
As Nelda headed back out of the room Kayden decided she may as well inquire about Fay’s mission in the Kingdom of Lirantana.
“Sister Nelda,” she called out, stopping the Jaymidari in the doorway. “Do you know what was so urgent in Lirantana?”
“Nothing you need to be concerned about. Your master went there to help a colleague who’s been having a hard time recently. She should return sometime this morning.” With that Nelda continued on her way.
Kayden stripped out of her undergarments, letting them fall to the floor, then put on the bathrobe. The cotton fibres felt wonderfully soft against her skin. She picked up the towel and slung it over her shoulder, then waited for Nelda to finish drawing her hot bath. The wait was brief. Nelda returned moments later to let her know that her bath was ready, and to collect her undergarments and Fay’s uniform for cleaning. Before leaving with the dirty laundry in her arms, Nelda reminded Kayden that if she required anything else all she had to do was activate Fay’s desktop beacon again.
Kayden wasted little time vacating the bedchamber to go back into the bathroom. She was impressed by how much effort Nelda had made for her benefit. Several scented candles had been lit and placed in the four corners of the room, and the air was tinged with the fragrance of lavender. Steam was wafting up from the water filling the tub, while a bar of soap and a sponge lay on the fluffy mat laid out beside it. Testing the water with her hand to satisfy herself it wasn’t too hot, she found that it wasn’t; it was just right. She also realised that the scent of lavender was not just emanating from the candles, it also came from the bath salts put into the steaming water.
Once she was done admiring all the trouble Nelda had gone to for her sake, Kayden allowed her bathrobe to slide down her body and fall around her feet. She dropped the towel along with it, retrieved the bar of soap and sponge then carefully stepped into the tub.
A quarter of an hour later, Kayden slowly reclined in the water with a contented sigh, letting her arms rest on either side of the tub. It felt good to have washed away the exertions of her trek with Master Ari. Now she could just sit there and relax. She had no intention of getting out of the tub for at least another quarter-hour.
Kenit was rather irritable when Fay roused him at dawn, bright eyed and bushy tailed. She seemed highly amused by his irritation, he thought, but worse than that she wouldn’t entertain his request for an extra hour’s sleep. To his chagrin, he was compelled to get up from the hardwood floor. Fay was adamant they leave the inn right away and make the journey down to the Sisterhood seminary outside town.
Within a couple of minutes he was ready to check out of their room. There was no need to get dressed, having slept in his uniform. All that was required was to put his hooded cloak back on, and retrieve his weapons. Following Fay’s lead out of the room, he took out a chew-stick from one of his pockets and proceeded to scrub his teeth with its bristles. As for answering the call of nature, followed by a bath and breakfast–that would have to wait until later.
Upon leaving the inn, Kenit and Fay set off on horseback through the quiet, deserted streets of Relona, heading south, by dawn’s early light. Once they were beyond the outskirts of the town, Fay urged her mount into a canter, prompting Kenit to follow suit. He made no attempts to engage Fay in light conversation during the journey as she didn’t seem inclined to talk, which was probably for the best, he decided. Especially as he, too, was rather distracted himself. Something about the previous night’s events was nagging away at the back of his mind—something he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
When they entered the grounds of the seminary some time later, the sun had chased away the last of the early morning gloom. Kenit noted, right away, that the quarantine in place the previous day had been lifted. The seminary was a hive of activity—in stark contrast to the barren sight that greeted them when they had first arrived from Temis Rulan—apparently confirming Sister Inara’s assertion that the quarantine was the result of misdiagnosis. There were scores of Jaymidari beavering away doing chores, or whatever it was they did at such an early hour. Several of the women briefly stopped what they were doing to wave or smile as the Sanatsai duo passed by while guiding their borrowed horses back to the stables. There was a time, not so long ago, when Kenit’s head would have been turned by some of the Sisters. But now that he had met Fay Annis, the beauty of other women paled in comparison.
He and Fay left the two horses in the care of the group of Sisters tending the stables, then made their way to the main building. The same middle-aged Sister they had encountered the day before greeted them at the entrance; Fay called her Sister Briella. Kenit’s expectation that they would be led to the seminary’s portal chamber right away was dashed when Briella asked if they would like to have breakfast before returning to Temis Rulan. Fay declined the offer—for both of them—but did request the use of the bathhouse.
Oh, great! he thought. Was there some reason why she couldn’t wait until they were back in Temis Rulan before having a wash?
He was even more put out when, after making use of the privy, he was forbidden from using the bathhouse also. Apparently, the seminary did not have separate facilities for men. Instead, he was provided with a small bucket of lukewarm water, a bar of soap and a spo
nge, then left to his own devices—to find a quiet, secluded spot on the grounds where he could have a quick wash away from prying eyes.
Eventually, he settled for a space between a wall and the back of a tool shed where he stripped off his uniform. He levitated a couple of inches off the ground, then spent the next five minutes soaping himself down while bitterly wondering what was the big deal about using the bathhouse. Did they honestly think he would see anything he hadn’t already seen numerous times before? He was a red-blooded male in the prime of his life; he was more than familiar with the female anatomy. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe the Sisters assumed he couldn’t be trusted in a building with several naked, wet women without wanting to ravish them.
Kenit was startled out of his thoughts when a young Sister silently came around the back of the tool shed. He instinctively placed the soapy sponge over his groin with both hands, though he quickly noted she had little difficulty maintaining eye contact. In fact, the Sister displayed no interest in his body, whatsoever—her purpose for intruding upon him was to bring a towel, and ask if he had finished with the bucket, soap and sponge.
“Thank you,” he said, dropping the sponge into the bucket of water and reaching for the towel with his one free hand. “And yes, I’ve finished with the bucket.”
The bucket—with its remaining water, bar of soap and sponge—floated up off the ground and gently glided into the outstretched hand of the Sister. She departed without another word, leaving Kenit in seclusion once more. He dried himself off then put his uniform back on. The quick wash had taken no longer than ten minutes, he estimated, so it was more than likely Danai Annis would still be in the bathhouse for a little while longer. Slinging the damp towel over his shoulder, he sauntered back to the bathhouse. Outside the building he sat down on a nearby wooden bench, waiting for Fay to emerge from within.
A quarter-hour later he was growing impatient. There was no sign of Fay, still, yet he had seen a number of Jaymidari enter and leave the bathhouse. As he let out a sigh of frustration, the Sister who intruded upon him earlier reappeared to ask if she could take back the towel she’d given him.
“Yes, of course,” he replied, handing over the damp towel. Once again, she departed without a word. “Excuse me,” Kenit called out to her. “Sister…?” His voice trailed off; she hadn’t given a name earlier.
Stopping in her tracks, the Sister peered back at him. “Alma,” she offered with a smile. “Alma Rayis.”
“Kenit Darbandian,” he said, standing up to introduce himself. “I wonder if I could trouble you for a moment, Sister Alma,” he said. “Would you mind checking if my colleague is still in there?” He gestured towards the entrance of the bathhouse.
“Yes, Miss Annis is still inside,” said Alma. “I’m sure she won’t be much longer. Would you like me to wait with you?”
He was slightly taken aback by the offer. “I… I wouldn’t want to trouble you further,” he managed to say. “I’m sure you have other things you’d rather be doing.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” Alma came back to the bench to sit beside him as he sat back down again. “So, as I understand it, you and Miss Annis had quite the adventure last night.”
It was funny she should mention that, Kenit thought. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had transpired in Sharadi Forest, something about it just wasn’t quite right.
“You could say that,” he replied. “But the more I think over everything that happened, the more I…”
“The more you…?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted with a sigh. “Have you ever had the nagging feeling that things aren’t quite what they appear to be? That somehow you’re not seeing something that’s right in front of you?”
Alma didn’t answer. But her silence, coupled with the look in her eyes, said enough to cause Kenit to suspect she knew more about the previous night’s events than she should.
“What do you know that I don’t?” he said, quizzically.
“Only what I was told,” Alma assured him. “But if you believe there is more to what happened, perhaps your instincts are correct. If so, maybe you’ll work out what it is about yesterday’s events that troubles you.”
To Kenit’s mind, that response more or less confirmed his suspicions. Something was off about last night’s events, something that continued to elude him. But he would work it out eventually, that much he was sure of.
“You’re rather enamoured of her, aren’t you?” said Alma unexpectedly, changing the subject.
“I’m sorry?”
“Miss Annis. You’re very taken with her,” Alma teased.
Kenit flushed, in spite of himself. What gave the Sister that impression? he wondered. Was it that obvious?
“I… I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he lied. None too convincingly, at that.
“Anyone who saw the way you were looking at her when you arrived here this morning, will know what I mean.” Alma seemed to be enjoying his discomfort. “There’s no need to be embarrassed. I doubt you are the first man in the world to ever fall for her—you certainly won’t be the last. However…”
In the blink of an eye, Kenit went from wanting Alma to shut up, to wanting her to continue speaking.
“However…what?” he pressed, eagerly. He couldn’t just let her stop in mid-sentence like that.
The playful smile left Alma’s face, replaced by a pensive expression.
“A wise woman once said, ‘Never set yourself unattainable goals. You will spare yourself the disappointment of false hope’. I think you should take heed of those words.”
It was difficult not to feel insulted. No man wants to be told he’s not good enough for the object of his affections. And while he freely accepted that Fay had no interest in him, either romantically or sexually—at least at present—there was no reason to believe that couldn’t change in the future.
“Is that your way of telling me Danai Annis is out of my league?”
“I wouldn’t want to put it like that,” replied Alma, “especially as I do not know her personally. But from the way some of the older Sisters speak about her, I have to assume a woman like Fay Annis would be out of reach for most men—including those more worthy than you.”
Kenit wasn’t sure how he was supposed to respond to that. Alma seemed to possess more insight into Fay’s history and persona than he did—which wouldn’t be too difficult given he’d only met her for the first time the previous evening.
“It’s better that you know now,” continued Alma, gently placing a hand on his knee, “before you become too besotted with her. Hopefully it will make it easier for you to guard your heart.”
The conversation quickly moved away from matters of the heart to more mundane matters. Kenit found Alma to be very engaging company—so much so, he failed to notice a good half-hour fly by. It could have been half a day, and still he would have been oblivious to the passage of time.
“I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Fay’s voice took him completely by surprise. Not only had he not seen her appear, he’d almost forgotten he was waiting for her.
“Not at all,” replied Alma. “I was just keeping Kenit company until you returned.”
“I hope he didn’t bother you too much, Sister. Likes to complain a lot, this one,” Fay shifted her gaze to her colleague, “if you give him the chance.”
Kenit would have taken issue with the dig if not for the twinkle in Fay’s eyes, letting him know she was just teasing.
“I take it you’re ready to leave now, Danai?” he asked, fidgeting on the bench in preparation to stand up.
“Yes, I’ve been ready for a while,” said Fay. “While you were talking the poor Sister’s ears off, I was indoors sending a message back to Temis Rulan to arrange for a boat to be waiting for us when we leave here.”
The reply caused him to wonder how much time had elapsed while he was conversing with Alma. And how had he not noticed Fay leaving the bathhouse to go into the
main building? But there was no time to dwell on either thought. Fay bid Sister Alma farewell, then instructed him to follow her as she departed towards the main building of the seminary. He paused long enough to say his own farewell.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Alma,” he said, rising up from the bench. “If I have cause to be in Lirantana again I’ll be sure to pay you a visit, assuming I’d be welcome.”
Alma rose to her feet, still clutching the damp towel. “It was nice to meet you, Kenit. And yes, our doors are always open to the Order; it would be a pleasure to have you visit us in future.” As he departed with a smile, to catch up with Fay, she added, “Remember what I said!”
Kenit stopped and looked back at Alma, questioningly.
“Save your heart for someone who will appreciate it.”
He was still for a moment, pensive, as he considered her words. Finally, he continued on his way.
“And trust your instincts!” Alma called out, one last time.
Swiftly, he rejoined Fay, and they entered the main building together. They were met by Sister Briella, once more, who guided them down to the portal chamber beneath the seminary. As he stood before the opening of the portal, he thought it odd that Fay would take the time to thank the handful of Sisters gathered nearby for their assistance. What assistance? They hadn’t done anything other than allow Fay the use of the bathhouse.
When Fay returned to stand beside him in front of the portal, his heart skipped.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
There was a part of him that did not wish to return to Temis Rulan yet. He would welcome the chance to prolong his adventure with Fay for a while longer. He could get to know her better and, more importantly, she could get to know him. Once they returned to Temis Rulan who knew when, or even if, they’d have the opportunity to spend any time alone together again. He was aware that Fay was currently a campus administrator, and would be returning to Antaris campus sooner rather than later. It was very doubtful he had made enough of an impression on her to ensure she didn’t forget all about him once they parted ways, and as the old adage warned, ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ although in his own case, absence was sure to make his heart grow fonder.