9. Nakedness

I floated in the stream and waited, unsure.

Footsteps echoed along the rock and then Alric came into view.

He looked down at me and knelt on the lip of the rock.

If I stood up and lifted my hand I could have touched him.

But I was acutely aware that I had shed my scribe’s dress after scrubbing it with soap and tossing it up to where he was.

My shift and stays were pale and the robe was a gauzy white as priest robes were meant to be worn over white shirts and trousers.

With the garments wet and the light from the bedrock beneath me, my bareness was self-evident the moment I stood.

“Is River unwell?”

He shrugged.

“Apparently, she gets seizures.”

“But is she unwell?”

“Her sister was upset but not hysterical.

I’m sure the woman will recover.

Finished?”

he asked, his hand holding up my soaking scribe’s dress.

“No,”

I said, my voice small.

He stared.

His eyes visited my mouth like that first day on the road, then roamed down my neck to where my body met the water, then through the crystalline surface to the swirl of my clothes.

“What do you need to do?”

“Wash myself.

I just finished cleaning my hair and my clothes.”

“You mean this dress you had on under your priestess robe?”

I gulped. “Yes.”

“I see.

I will give you some more time.

But be quick.”

He dropped the scribe’s dress with a slap on the rock.

As he stood to walk away, I blurted out, “Do you have a comb?”

He peered back down at me. “No.”

He waited a beat and then said, as if fighting with himself, “What is your name?”

“Edie.”

“As in Edith?”

I nodded.

“Quickly, Edith,”

he said, dismissing me and standing up to face the bank.

I brought the soap under the surface and my arms back under the robe and continued my scrub of my body.

Then thinking of an idea, I waded out to the water tree cluster again to find another flowing leaf.

I brought one to my lips and sucked, the sap not unpleasant tasting in my mouth.

I swished it around so as to clean my teeth.

Then I washed my mouth out with water and repeated the process.

After the third sucking of a leaf, the paste had had an effect on my mouth and it tasted half as dry and stale as it had before.

Then, thinking I may not get a drink again soon, I started to cup the water and bring it to my face, slurping like a horse to trough.

It tasted delicious, again with that tang of citrus from the water trees.

The water tree cluster was on the bank and sat a little higher than the center of the stream’s bedrock and so when Alric came back to the edge of rock to call for me to end my bath, I was standing in water only up to the hip.

“Madam, you have had plenty of—”

he cut himself off, taking in my robe and shift plastered to my skin, my hair slicked down my back.

While the robe covered my form from the neck down, everything was visible except for my stays which were thicker and stiffer than my shift.

Beneath the translucent white priest’s robe, he followed my tattoos from my left hand’s ranunculus all the way up to my shoulder.

“Sorry,”

I said, not moving any closer.

His eyes darted away.

And he turned around.

“Please let me know when you need a hand up.

Again, quickly if you can.”

I walked slowly towards the rock, observing the tightness in his shoulders.

He had removed his breastplate to bathe and not put it back on.

He had also removed his long-sleeved black undershirt, likely to wash.

All he wore now aside from his leather breeches, a sword and dagger hanging from a belt and laced boots, was a black shortsleeved tunic.

His wiry arms hung at his sides.

Then, jerkily, he put them on his slim hips and let out a huff of air.

The thought that he was likely gritting his teeth came to me, not for the first time.

“Alright, I am finished,”

I said, as meekly as I could.

I needed to fight the Mischa part of me that wanted to poke at a sleeping dragon.

I listened to the Helena part of me that warned against playing with flame.

I had to follow my own advice and act like a cleric, graceful, polite, serene.

He turned around and not looking at me, offered his hand.

I found footholds in the rock and climbed up to where he stood closer to the bank.

When I thought I had found my feet, I had not and started to slip on the moss.

His other hand flew up and caught my other arm.

Then when I had found my bearing he pulled away and turned, running up the rest of the bank at a slant.

I was freezing.

I leaned down to find my scribe’s dress, which was very heavy, and my shoes.

It took me several attempts to climb the bank, but Alric just stood staring at the camp and did not offer me his hand again.

When I made it up, I said, “I left the soap in the river.

Or on the rock, I don’t know—”

“I do not care,”

he said and he started walking towards the others, not bothering to see if I followed.

When we reached the camp, he nodded at another man, who got up from where all the other soldiers sat eating around the two fires and saw to my being shackled back in line along with the other women.

River was lying on the ground being held by Quinn and surrounded by the others.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked, crawling as close as the shackle allowed.

“She gets seizures sometimes,”

said Quinn.

“She’ll be alright.

She needs to rest.”

“I’m sorry.

I’m such a burden,”

said River, weakly.

“No,”

Helena cut her off.

“We will all be taking care of each other now, like Edie said we should.

You tell us how we can help.”

“I’ve had them since childhood—”

River started, but was interrupted by a stockier Procurer who seemed to have the lot of making everyone’s food, who approached us now with meat on wooden skewers.

He passed them out, one to each of us.

“I love you,”

Mischa said to him, taking her skewer.

“What’s your name?”

“Stefan,”

he answered before he could catch himself and then glared at Mischa.

He turned away from her and spoke to the rest of us.

“We have found some pears.

I’ll make sure you each get a half.”

“Marry me, Stefan,”

Mischa sighed, her tone bordering on come-hither.

“Behave,”

Helena said to her.

The meat was like a king’s feast compared to the jerky we had had.

I bit into mine with relish and chewed.

With one hand holding my dripping scribe’s dress, I spread it out near me as best as I could to dry.

I settled back down, closer to the chain, and took another bite.

As everyone cooed over fresh food, Alric appeared, from where I did not know, and he kneeled on one knee next to where I sat shackled to the chain.

I flinched when I saw he was there.

He narrowed his eyes.

“Priestess, I will allow you to sleep clothed as you are now.

I would imagine it is more comfortable for you this way.

But before the sun rises, you will put that dress back on under your robes.

My men have had a long, difficult journey and we have much road ahead of us.

They do not need the torment of your near nakedness.”

He stood, spun on his feet and walked away.

I looked back towards the others and saw Helena and Mischa watching me.

I shrugged.

They returned my gesture with looks that said I would have to tell them later.

I lay down under the stars, chilled by my bath, but otherwise sated, feeling fresh and full of food, Stefan having delivered on his promise of pear halves.

I slept truly for the first time since our abduction.

When I awoke early in the morning, the sun barely yet out, so as to abide by the captain’s orders and put on my damp scribe’s dress, I found a small, tin comb nestled in my right hand.