Washing Away

JP with Omni, and Lorem

When the aftermath of the battle had been taken care of satisfactorily for the moment, Voah was finally able to get some much needed rest. She was exhausted though sleep would be elusive until her nerves had the chance to settle.

Enough was enough. It was time to settle down. Gonyaul, as promised, helped set up a tent for her and carried buckets of water from the well for her to wash up.

She wanted a REAL bath to wash away the undoubted stink of days without a full and proper wash and change of clothes.

Settling for buckets and the toiletries she had brought from Ostiarium would do for now, but Gods did she miss the bathhouse of the rectory.

Gonyaul stood nearby with a clean fur, as she quickly washed the important bits behind a makeshift changing wall. The night was warm but the mountain breeze made her skin feel like every hair was growing at the same time.

Everything hurt, but moving her left deltoid and contorting her waist a certain way especially made her groan audibly.

As a sister of Hoi, she shouldn’t have felt bashful to ask, but tonight she was feeling exceptionally vulnerable.

“…could you… help me finish? Nnn… in private… please?” she sighed. “Or… ask Nicolaus. I just need fresh bandages and I cannot patch myself up properly.”

She felt a little… nervous? asking Gonyaul. Whatever this feeling was, she hadn’t felt in a long time, something awakened from ages ago. Inadequacy? Like her body would be too hideous for Gonyaul’s eyes to behold. Those eyes that could bore into her soul were too intense for her to take right now.

‘For you… anything.’ The thought back to his words made her tense a little. There was no deluding herself now, she REALLY cared what he thought, but it was a contradictory feeling. How could she even feel like this when the man had confessed he would essentially die for her? When she knew he would probably gladly bathe in her grey water?

So she just reached her good arm out for the fur and when it came, she wrapped it tightly around herself and headed to the tent as Gonyaul went off for fresh cloth and bandages. Nicolaus was still busy tending to others and Gonyaul didn’t want to bother Alexis who was staying close to Tarmen. So back he went with fresh wraps.

When he arrived, she was sitting up, facing away, with the fur draped around her shoulders.

She prepared herself, like this was the first time anyone would see her… she let it drop to the small of her back, revealing the red gash on the right side of her ribs that wrapped a little bit around behind. It was already beginning to clear up.

“Hoi…” Voah whispered.

Gonyaul made haste in getting the fresh bandages for Voah in order to afford himself the time to wash up himself. He drew up some frigid water and took an invigorating frenzied bucket bath. His Arisha Ikeburer was left at their old campsite, he was disappointed that the special garment would never be restored back to its original splendor. He was glad he brought his winter attire, as he at least had a change of clothes; he wore the dabbled grey cloak just to keep the whole outfit together. As he hustled back to the tent Voah was in, he braided his wet hair with a braid down the center top of his head and let the rest just be free.

Upon arrival he paused at the entrance. He was nervous and excited at the same time; however, didn’t know which of the two feelings was the greater. As he was invited in, he felt like he was passing through a threshold into a sacred space.

Gonyaul was stalled just inside the tent entrance by the enchanting sight of Voah wrapped in a fur. His breath was taken away, held as he made his way over to her. When the fur lowered he was further entranced. It was like watching a beautiful design being unveiled. He savored every curve and detail.

Kneeling behind her he took the bucket of water and began gently washing her skin. His pace and attention was very intimate, as if the wash cloth was an exploratory extension of a curious lovers touch. He noticed her collection of wounds actually looked significantly better. He would have to remember to ask her about that.

“Beautiful” he let loose from his lips. It was just audible, he didn’t even realize he said it out loud; it just laced in with one of his flushed exhales. “You are remarkable woman.” He whispered.

He actually asked a soldier on his way there another word for very good, and remarkable was added to his vocabulary.