Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Assignment

Treasa stood cautiously at the door of the roughly built wooden building, staring within it with Glenora. Both of them had been a little wary, being led off from the main group to this building, and they weren't very reassured when the Guard had opened the door and growled in rough Clairvalan. "Don't make trouble."

When they stepped into the building, they had been met with the warm, humid scent of clean water, soap, and a warm fire. It shocked Treasa more when they realised that there were two deep tubs filled with clean, steaming water, towels and additional sets of clothing folded in neat rows off to the side.

There was a middle-aged human woman there, standing and watching them curiously. "You can come in. Clean up. I know it's a surprising luxury, but the Rulin have sensitive senses. They probably can't stand the smell of you right now."

"I had expected to be dunked in an icy river or something, to be honest." Glenora grinned and walked towards one tub, moving to strip down and climb in with a groan of pleasure. "I didn't think I would live to experience a warm bath again."

"Usually it is cold baths if you're off working, but if you get assigned to work here, you'll be able to take one every day if you want. You just are expected to help keep the place clean, as part of the community, and there are female Rulin warriors and a few other human women here." The woman offered a grim smile, before looking to Treasa. "Come. If you refuse, then they will come and force you in. They're respectful, probably the least grabby of any males I've ever met, but they'll leave no dignity to you if you force their hand. You will be washed and clothed like a child."

"She is a child." Glenora murmured softly, looking towards Treasa and splashing a little in the water. "It's alright, there's no trick here."

Treasa shook her head, glancing around the room and starting towards the second filled tub. "I was just trying to settle an understanding as to why they would care about giving us the dignity of a bath. But it makes sense. We smell horrible. If they can smell better than us, then they're doing this for them, for their comfort. I'm not a child."

"It's a little bit of that, but neither are they cruel." The lady spoke, relaxing a little as Treasa got undressed and climbed into the tub.

"So you work here?" Glenora asked curiously. "They hired you from the city?"

The woman laughed and shook her head, though her cheeks flushed a little as she turned too busy herself with folding towels. "No, they arrested me for hiding my son, a highway robbery suspect, from the Queen's justice. They found and executed him eventually, anyway. Then, for not cooperating, I was sentenced to his punishment, or fifteen years in Rulin. I should have just become a highway robber myself, for all my efforts to steer him right did for me. The camp is my assignment."

Treasa listened to the woman's story as she cleaned herself, glancing over to her curiously after a moment of quiet. "This is pretty close to the city. I didn't notice a lot of guards."

"Oh. Don't worry, when you're cleaned up and presented to the General for assignment, they'll memorise your scent. If you try to run, they can track you better than the Lord's hounds in Clairval. Faster too. Seeing as how they can fly."

The woman's gaze locked on her for a moment before glancing away again, perhaps believing that she had given enough of a warning to dissuade Treasa from causing trouble. The woman was another mothering sort, Treasa assumed.

"Another reason for getting us to bathe." Treasa murmured thoughtfully, washing a bit more, biding her time as if she weren't looking for a specific answer. After Glenora didn't speak, she allowed herself to ask the question she wanted the answer to. "So, do you get visitors from the city, then? Could someone come into camp who wasn't a guard or worker?"