I had managed to secure a room for a bath, the bathhouse located just next door to the tavern. Emmaline had been muttering about it for some time, and honestly I needed one too. Not just for the dirt and stray leaves stuck across my anatomy, but my aching body needed to relax. My master had always reminded me that rest was important for health and muscle growth, and I kept that in mind since. Plus, I couldn't go walking around like this with a girlfriend. An [i]aristocrat[/i] girlfriend.  

Olly managed to procure some pulled pork and two large potatoes, and later when it arrived, they would covered in cheese and tangy sauces, with the pork piled atop. I was hungry now, but I really needed a bath and knew Emmaline was anxious for it. Heading out to the patio, I found Emmaline sitting there, lost in thought. The sun gleamed off her golden locks, and I had to admit I found her perplexed look pretty adorable. But without warning, a small bird landed on my shoulder and hopped twice, giving off a high-pitched tweet. Emmaline then noticed me, and if I did not know better, her ears twitched slightly under her cascading waves of hair. 

"Friend of yours?" I asked her, then turned to the diminutive bird. It tilted its head, tweeted at me again, and then flew away. 

"Never met him," She said, and despite the fact we both knew it was facetious, she seemed to smile guiltily, as if she had just lied. She was strange, but I found it was endearing. I leaned against the back of the closest chair, enjoying the light breeze. Around us, couples and friends, or groups of travelers heckled or whispered to one another, enjoying the pleasant cool breeze and the shade. 

"We got a room upstairs, and I got us a bath." I told her. 

"Oh..." She looked as if she was about to say more, but suddenly a dozen birds fluttered into the supports of the roof above us, chirping intermittently and looking at Emmaline. My face wrinkled in confusion, considering how odd that was. Usually I was pretty good with animals, but even as I made the assumption they were there for her, my suspicions were confirmed when three of them hopped down on the desk and danced in front of her. She pulled her hands off the tabletop and waved them at the birds. "Shoo! Get out of here!" 

I laughed. "Well, I'll be in the bath. It'll be the second room down the first hall, on the left. They're pretty nice, last I remember. When you're done with your friends, you can head on in too. After that we'll grab some food, unless you're hungrier than tired." I told her, and headed off to get clean, slipping by the filled tables and walking across the small expanse between buildings. A woman in adventuring gear stepped out of the door and waved to some companions by the large fountain. I passed her, walking into a slim wooden corridor with doors and small openings between each room and the hall to let the steam air. I opened the door on the left and stepped in, glad to see the water was already hot. The steam immediately felt good to breathe in. 

Stripping off my upper gi and undershirt, I groaned gently and took a look at my form. I had a few new cuts, most shallow. There was a leech left of my chest, stuck fast. I peeled it off and tossed it, wiping the small blood that drained out of the mark it left. I appraised myself a moment further, running my hand up my abdomen, the muscles still hard and prominent from exercise and lean living. Sort of pridefully, I stretched my arms and gave them a flex, satisfied. It was a manuever I did before most baths since I was a boy, when I was first amazed at the fruits of training my body. Business as usual, but it felt nice. I finally stripped my pants off and shook my head quickly to fan my mane of hair a bit, before stepping it.  

"Can't believe I'm back here," I said softly, then decided I was too relaxed to continue the thought, and sunk into the pool.