The steam filled the small bathing chamber until anyone's vision would have been impaired. Closed off to the public for the day, this small anti-chamber in the Scathachian Temple along the river was the go-between for the worship faction of the building and its next door companion: the Scathachian Healing Springs. Having figured significantly into the days of the RBF outbreak and used as a hospice for Rhydin's public, today the Temple was silent except for one lone bather. Of course, Eudora the faithful keeper was busying herself in the worship area, no doubt being aided by Kai. They had cordoned off this area of the Temple where the hot springs bubbled the warmest. The sound of gently rolling waters hummed just above the quiet sigh from the bather, Isuelt.
Her dark hair spread out behind her among the flagstone surface at the edge of the spring; her head tipped back as she let the naturally heated mineral waters boil and froth around her, playing at her neck. Isuelt opened her eyes, but they might just as well have remained closed. The gray murkiness of the chamber dared her to try and see to the opposite wall, of course without result. She surmised she had been soaking for long enough; she couldn't truly remember how long she'd been in the waters, although she could feel that the tips of her fingers were wrinkled sufficiently.
The heat was beginning to play tricks on her. She was hearing voices, seeing figures she knew not to be there. Twice she thought she had heard Scorp's deep voice from a corner...so smug, she could feel his smirk. After she figured it was a trick of the brain, she found herself cursing the steam and heated water for playing such a cruel trick. It didn't matter anyway. She knew he was far away. She also knew that if he was bathing at this moment, that he probably had no fewer than three other ladies as company.
Isuelt's thick lashes closed once again as she grunted and stood up to pull herself out from the spring waters. The extreme heat from the water had colored her skin a deep pink; steam was pouring off of her like an aura. She moved away from the spring like a plume of smoke and reached down to pick up the white cotton sheet folded in the far corner at the furthest part of the chamber. She stood there for a moment in the steam-filled dimness. There were lanterns on the walls giving off a muted glow, and for the moment, Isuelt gave thanks for the change in temperature. She had been in the waters for a little over an hour, letting her thoughts come and go as they pleased. It had felt like much longer, but she was sure that was due to her curious sobriety and the strange lucidity that it brought. Still, her time in the Scathachian Spring had cleared much of her troubles, even if only for the afternoon.
Finally, Isuelt opened the clean sheet and wrapped it around her body, letting it cling as it wanted. Modesty was left behind in a room of solidarity. For a few moments, she stared at that far corner where she thought she had heard Scorp. After a while, she simply shook her head and told herself to let it go. As if she had shut the door on something, she turned and pushed through the archway and into the small adjoining room where she had left her clothing and weapons. It was going to be a long night, she could feel it coming. She could feel the whiskey calling her, trying to seduce her into a sublime state of I-couldn't-care-less. Isuelt bit her lip and dropped her sheet, now begrudging the cold air as it scraped at her naked skin.
Damn it.
That dark time was starting again; the downward spiral that began a different way each time, but always led her to the same spot: self-hatred. Her mask for the world, for her Sisters was always one of strength and iron. But inside, she trembled at the thought of having to face another day without answers, without certainty, without a net. Her fingers ran lightly over her skin, feeling the mixed multitude of scars on her body. Some were from battles, some were self-inflicted. Those were the ones that almost hurt as she lingered on them. Looking back at the archway that led to the waters, she thought how incredibly quickly the blood would drain from her body...
Lashes clenched tightly shut as she shook her head, trying to push those dark thoughts from her mind. This was not the time for that. She had work to do, miles to go before she slept. A deep breath and she began to dress. Eudora and Kai were probably beginning to think that she drowned... or had finally succeeded in what she had fantasized about for so many years. Again, she pushed the thoughts back as she pulled on her boots. "Miles to go, darlin'. Keep pushing." She urged her inner self aloud.
Her dark hair spread out behind her among the flagstone surface at the edge of the spring; her head tipped back as she let the naturally heated mineral waters boil and froth around her, playing at her neck. Isuelt opened her eyes, but they might just as well have remained closed. The gray murkiness of the chamber dared her to try and see to the opposite wall, of course without result. She surmised she had been soaking for long enough; she couldn't truly remember how long she'd been in the waters, although she could feel that the tips of her fingers were wrinkled sufficiently.
The heat was beginning to play tricks on her. She was hearing voices, seeing figures she knew not to be there. Twice she thought she had heard Scorp's deep voice from a corner...so smug, she could feel his smirk. After she figured it was a trick of the brain, she found herself cursing the steam and heated water for playing such a cruel trick. It didn't matter anyway. She knew he was far away. She also knew that if he was bathing at this moment, that he probably had no fewer than three other ladies as company.
Isuelt's thick lashes closed once again as she grunted and stood up to pull herself out from the spring waters. The extreme heat from the water had colored her skin a deep pink; steam was pouring off of her like an aura. She moved away from the spring like a plume of smoke and reached down to pick up the white cotton sheet folded in the far corner at the furthest part of the chamber. She stood there for a moment in the steam-filled dimness. There were lanterns on the walls giving off a muted glow, and for the moment, Isuelt gave thanks for the change in temperature. She had been in the waters for a little over an hour, letting her thoughts come and go as they pleased. It had felt like much longer, but she was sure that was due to her curious sobriety and the strange lucidity that it brought. Still, her time in the Scathachian Spring had cleared much of her troubles, even if only for the afternoon.
Finally, Isuelt opened the clean sheet and wrapped it around her body, letting it cling as it wanted. Modesty was left behind in a room of solidarity. For a few moments, she stared at that far corner where she thought she had heard Scorp. After a while, she simply shook her head and told herself to let it go. As if she had shut the door on something, she turned and pushed through the archway and into the small adjoining room where she had left her clothing and weapons. It was going to be a long night, she could feel it coming. She could feel the whiskey calling her, trying to seduce her into a sublime state of I-couldn't-care-less. Isuelt bit her lip and dropped her sheet, now begrudging the cold air as it scraped at her naked skin.
Damn it.
That dark time was starting again; the downward spiral that began a different way each time, but always led her to the same spot: self-hatred. Her mask for the world, for her Sisters was always one of strength and iron. But inside, she trembled at the thought of having to face another day without answers, without certainty, without a net. Her fingers ran lightly over her skin, feeling the mixed multitude of scars on her body. Some were from battles, some were self-inflicted. Those were the ones that almost hurt as she lingered on them. Looking back at the archway that led to the waters, she thought how incredibly quickly the blood would drain from her body...
Lashes clenched tightly shut as she shook her head, trying to push those dark thoughts from her mind. This was not the time for that. She had work to do, miles to go before she slept. A deep breath and she began to dress. Eudora and Kai were probably beginning to think that she drowned... or had finally succeeded in what she had fantasized about for so many years. Again, she pushed the thoughts back as she pulled on her boots. "Miles to go, darlin'. Keep pushing." She urged her inner self aloud.