Hello readers.

This is a revised first chapter, removing part of the story that I left in the introduction chapters 0.1 through 0.9.

My thanks to @H2OBorne for making the suggestion to help the story flow better.

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Chapter 1: First Light

"How long has it been?" I wondered as I sat by the campfire and looked over my shoulder at the tumble of stones that I had crawled out of.

"One month? Maybe two?" It was so hard to tell time when I had existed in nothing but darkness and stone passageways, when the entirety of my existence was searching for a way out of the depths, fighting against rats, bigger rats and even huge rats, skeletons, zombies, goblins, orcs and every kind of creature that now inhabited the depths of the lich's lair.

I poked at the coals with a branch I had picked up as I contemplated everything that I had done since I had become aware of being in that crystal. Breaking free of it and finding myself in darkness, then using the first lessons of the mage to use body magic so that I could see enough to navigate my way through the maze of the lich's lair. Finding water, and food.. Although rats aren't what I would call food, it was enough to keep me going.

I located the caches of supplies left behind by the lich's living servants, food, blankets and a bedroll, clothing, armor, weapons and a magic bag that held anything and everything that I picked up along the way. It seemed almost unlimited in what it could hold. So I stuffed it full of treasures, gold and silver coins, jeweled chests, swords, spears, arrows and axes. Armor of various materials also went into the bag at my side. In spite of carrying a mountain of treasures, it still weighed only as much as the leather it was crafted from. The best thing was that it was attuned to me, or rather, it had been attuned to the lich. So anything that he had prepared for his own uses, didn't reject me as bound items would have. Lucky me.

Among all of the treasures that I had discovered, I had chosen to wear the cloth and leather armor. It resembled the clothing worn in feudal Japan in ways, except for the leather bracers and greaves. At my hip hung the weapons that had helped me to survive it all. A sword/naginata which I had pulled from the Litch's remains, and the dagger that matched it. The weapon was of a unique design. Although I could draw the sword and use it like a katana, when I fitted the grip into the mouth of the sheath, it became a short handled naginata, and was better suited for mid range fighting.

"Today is the day, I guess." I thought. "It's time to go out there and see what this world is like."

As I packed up my bedroll and cloak, and shoved dirt over the coals as the sun finally broke the horizon and bathed the clouds in glorious golds and reds. I shouldered my naginata, settled my cloak, and picked my way down the mountain in search of people.

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Three cold and rainy days later, I managed to follow a northward leading game trail that crossed a road of sorts. It was rutted by cart wheels and any plants had been ground out by hooves, wheels and boots over time. My choices became simple, Left, or right. West or East.

I chose West in a mental flip of the coin and settled my weapon on my shoulder as I began walking. As thin as my cloak was, the midnight dark cloth kept me both warm and dry. It was finely crafted, and if my fiction addicted mind had any input, I guessed there were some enchantments on it. What they might have been, I had no clue. The clothes I wore were a different matter. The under robe stank of sweat, and the outer robe and hakama pants were starting to accumulate dirt and plant stains from my travels. All in all, I wasn't looking or smelling terribly presentable. But I just had to cope with it until I could reach some place where I could bathe and wash my clothing better than some random pool or stream. Both of which I had tried with unsatisfactory results.. And worse, it just made for damp, unpleasant traveling.

Some time, around midday, I stopped walking and turned my head, listening to the road ahead of me. Faintly, off through the trees, I caught a startled shout and a panicked scream. Instantly I began running toward the noise, Not a full out run, but one that would hopefully leave me enough wind to fight if I needed to.

It did not take me long to find the source of the disturbance, a very tall humanoid wearing nothing more than a skin around its hips and holding a tree stump for a club was chasing a rather agile figure around a cart in the middle of the clearing. The humanoid in pursuit had a sloped forehead leading to a primarily bald head with stringy greasy hair that fell to its heavily muscled shoulders.

I caught my breath and almost laughed at the antics before me, watching for a moment as the smaller figure led it in a wide circle around the cart, occasionally turning around to swing a staff at it, and only occasionally striking it on the arm and once on the side of its head. I suppose he was just doing his best to keep the attention of the ogre, because I caught the subtle movement of something in the cart, and then something shot out from under the tarp and a crossbow bolt slammed into the left leg of the ogre causing it to stumble and turn toward the cart seeking out the attacker. Then the one being chased called out in a male voice.

"Come on you ugly shit!" and struck the ogre again on the back with his staff, and the chase started all over, the ogre's club whumping down onto the ground just where the more agile prey had been one second previously.

I, on the other hand, dipped into the tree line and readied myself for the opportune moment while holding my naginata low and at the ready. I shed my cloak and waited for the ogre to pass me, then I leapt out in pursuit, slashing at the back of the ogre's knee. The impact felt like I had struck an oak tree, but my Nagi bit in nicely, severing the tendon and causing the ogre to fall on his face on the next step as it cried out in agony.

I fell back to one side of the cart as three sets of eyes turned their attention to me.

"Mind if I join this dance?" I asked with a cheeky smile.

The ogre, if it could understand me, did not appreciate my presence in the least and roared as it knee walked toward me, raising the tree-stump club over its head in preparation to make me into paste. Unfortunately for the ogre, every movement seemed horribly slow and telegraphed. I side stepped the downward swing of the club, feeling the displaced air as it whiffed past me and slammed into the ground. In response I performed a short lunge, and drove the bladed end of the Nagi into its throat, then yanked it free and skipped back twice to get out of its range entirely.

The man who had been leading the ogre on a chase stood watching me as he huffed to catch his breath again, but I also caught the sparkle of eyes from under the tarp, so I lowered my guard a bit hoping they would both relax and not take me as another threat. We all watched the ogre as it choked on its own blood, and slowly bled out on the ground, then let go its final breath and became still.

"So... Is everyone alright?" I asked to break the silence.

"Balay?" called another male voice, this one from under the tarp.

"I'm here, master." Replied the one who had been taunting the ogre. He stood about a foot and some shorter than me, and wore simple clothing. Trousers, a tunic and vest, and had a cloth wrapped around his head like a simple turban. But there was one thing that was very out of place, and that was the red and white fox-tail that swung back and forth in agitation behind him.

"Huh.. A fox man." I thought.

"Balay.. Is it dead?" asked the voice under the tarp.

"I think so, master." Balay replied, though he never took his eyes off of me. I couldn't blame him, because at this point, I might be the next danger... So I stepped back and took a cloth from my pouch then wiped the blood off of my naginata, then disassembled it and sheathed it calmly.

"My name is Nazaqi." I said, giving Balay a nod as I introduced myself.

Balay glanced at the cart, and the man who was lifting up the tarp, crossbow still in his hand, but lowered.

The man emerged from the cart and stepped down. He was older with thick gray hair and more than a little pudge around the middle. He too was wearing simple clothes; trousers, a linen tunic and a simple vest, although they were obviously made of better material.

"My name is Losca. Are you a freesword?" he asked me.

I slid my sheathed weapon into my belt and shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you mean." I said as I looked around us at the clearing. "What province are we in?" I asked with a helpless smile.

I had spent some time working up a tale to tell while I was tromping my way through the forest, and down from the mountain pass and through the forest. I thought that it would seem pretty strange if I didn't know the locations and terms that people used, or even their laws if I tried to pretend to be a native.

Losca's brows lifted. "Province? Why, we're in the duchy of Anthel, of course."

I sighed and shook my head with my eyes closed.

"That damned drunk wizard."

"Eh?" Losca said.

So I proceeded to tell him a story of how I was sent with a message to a local clan chief and ran afoul of a wizard who was deeply drunk. Then I found myself lost in the woods and had finally found my way to the road that we now stood on.

"Ha.. Wizards can do such things?" Losca asked, startled. "Eh.. that's rather frightening. Well, I haven't heard of your clan chiefs, nor of wizards like the one you describe, but it seems I owe you for your help." He looked over toward Balay and smiled.

"My good slave Balay is loyal and capable, but even he is hardly a match for an ogre." he finished.

"True enough, master." Balay replied with a bow toward Losca.

"huh, so slavery is something here, is it? I will have to watch myself." I thought.

"Well.." said Losca. "It seems that you were headed west like we were.." then he paused, eyeing me. "I don't suppose you could be convinced to travel with us, hm? We could use an able blade until we reach Hawksbarrow."

I tilted my head to the right, eyeing him in return. "And what pay might you be willing to give for that able blade for that distance?" I asked.

Losca smiled and in that moment, I knew I was dealing with a merchant. "What say you to two copper a day and two meals?"

I shook my head, sighing. "A guardsman of my clans would be paid two silver and two meals, but if you are willing, I will take one silver, two meals and what knowledge of Hawksbarrow you have."

We bartered back and forth, even though I wasn't all that interested in the coin, it would be suspicious if I did not keep up appearances.

We finally agreed on five copper, what advice he could give, and the meals.. I was actually happy about the food because I was getting damn tired of eating squirrels and risking questionable mushrooms.

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Along the way, I had found Losca to be intelligent and talkative. He helped me to understand that the Duchy of Anthel controlled the southwestern quarter of the kingdom that bordered the Highwall mountains to the South. It also kept control of the coastal traffic to the west in regards trade and pirate suppression in the Sea of Tarakal. The Sea of Tarakal was an inland sea that touched on the kingdom of Vahl, where I was, and two others to the west and south.

The Highwall mountains stretched west to east, creating the border between Vahl and Burundahl where Balay's folk came from.

At night, while Losca slept, Balay and I would talk. It was he that told me there were three kinds of slaves. Humans could sometimes find themselves in debt, and became indentured servants. Indentured servants served until their debt was paid off, and then left with nothing but the skills that they had learned, and if they were lucky, the good recommendation of their debt holder. They still had some legal rights though. They could not be unreasonably abused physically, although the more disreputable debt holders would simply shrug away any claims to that effect.

Humans were only enslaved if they were criminals, arsonists, smugglers, murderers and the like. Their lot was typically hard labor in the various mines and quarries of the kingdom, or galley slaves for the coastal duchies. It was a hard and brutal life.. And often very brief.

Beastkin and other demihumans though could only expect to be slaves in this kingdom. They had no rights, and were disliked by most humans due to the constant back and forth wars along the highwall mountains and the seas to the east and west. Many, like Balay, had been born in Vahl, sons and daughters of slaves, they became slaves by default, and freedom for one of the beastkin or other demihumans was rare.

When I asked him if he had ever thought of escaping, he laughed and shook his head.

"Where would I go, master Nazaqi? To the north and east is only Vahl." He poked at the fire and smiled sadly. "Oh, if I managed it, I could live like the bandits, starving and stealing from travelers. But even among bandits I would be nothing but a drudge,.. And I would have far less than I do now."

Then he looked southward toward the Highwall. "To the south?" he shook his head again. "There are slave hunters that constantly roam those forests, always seeking out stray bands of the southern folk. And even if I made it past them, how would I survive the Highwall?" he asked. I knew what he meant. I had seen the Highwall during the previous day. It stretched as far as the eye could see, and was snow and ice capped, craggy and harsh. Such places are deadly to the unprepared.

At midday, two days later, We passed out from the forest's edge and I caught sight of the town of Hawksbarrow in the distance. What I saw reminded me of a late medieval village surrounded by a moderately high stone block wall. The tallest building may have been three levels high, with a stone first floor and wood above that. The better built buildings had slate shingles, but most of them were wood shingles or thatch. The town was situated on a hill that rose above the pastures and farmland around it, and straddled a river that flowed from the southern mountains toward the western coast.

"Hey Losca," I said while walking beside the cart, helping to push it along as Balay pulled from between the handles. "What kind of herds do they have here?"

"Oh.. the usual, I guess. Goats and sheep.. Narmis on the far side brought some hillman cattle with him when he settled here from the east a few years back. And he seems to be doing well with them too." Replied the man as he scratched his nose in thought. "Why d'ya ask?"

"Ah, no reason other than me looking forward to eating something other than squirrels and the rare deer." I said offhandedly, which gave him a chuckle. I let my eyes roam over the fields of grain and the few plots of vegetables. Some of which I could identify, but others were lost on me.

As we approached the east gate, Losca said that Balay and he would be turning north before the town and heading for home in the next village two days away.

I thanked him for his knowledge, tossing Balay a nod, and he dug out a silver for my time as a guard. But I held my hand up and shook my head.

"No, Losca. After that ogre, there was nothing to protect you from, so I will not take your coin."

This surprised Losca and he laughed. "Boy, you are going to make a terrible freesword if you refuse payment like this. Go on.. Take it." he said tossing the coin to me. I smiled at him as I caught it and gave him a wave as I walked toward the tall heavy beamed gate, and a new adventure.

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"Hold there!" called out a woman dressed in what I took to be a guards uniform. She had short curly brown hair and intense green eyes. I couldn't tell all that much about her figure under the padded armor and gambeson she wore, but at a guess she was fit. I had stood in the brief line behind a farmers wagon, and was next to enter as the tired and burdened draft horse began pulling the heavily laden wagon past the gate.

"Lower your hood, stranger." she commanded, seeming watchful of me as were the other four guards.

I brought my hands up and pushed my cloak hood back from my face, letting it fall around my shoulders, and lifting my gray eyes to meet hers.

"Right then.." She said as she glanced at my ears and back to my eyes. "What's your business in Hawksbarrow?"

"I've come to register as a freesword." which, I had learned from Losca, was the equivalent of an adventurer. The guardswoman did not seem pleased with that answer and I saw her lips turn down.

"Where are you from then, and why haven't you signed on before now?"

I gave a sighing laugh and shrugged, gesturing to my clothing, which Balay had told me were very unusual for the region.

"My homeland is called Elay, and I had an unfortunate run in with a magician of great power, but no tolerance for drink." I turned and gestured back toward the southeast. "I ended up in the mountains to the south, and that is where I have been for the last three weeks, doing my best to survive here and reach civilization."

One of the guards on the wall called down. "Hey Dana, what's the hold up? You've got people waiting to get in."

Dana grumbled in irritation then looked back in my direction and then past me at the growing line of carts and people. "Be quiet, Warron." she called back.

"I've never heard of Elay." she said, eyeing me suspiciously with those green eyes.

I shrugged and planted my hands on hips, left hand resting over my sheathed naginata and dagger. "I had never heard of Vahl until a week ago when I saved a merchant and his slave from an ogre."

That got her attention. "Which merchant?" she asked.

"Losca. He lives in a village to the north of here, or so he says." I replied.

"Huh, I thought I saw him heading north. And how is his slave bolo." she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You mean Balay, and they are both fine, if a little tired and ready to be home already." I replied. I had figured she was testing me at this point.

Dana sighed and nodded. "Fine, it will be five silver to enter. And you have one week to register at the freeswords guild. If you don't, or you can't, you will be fined or jailed, if found, and then thrown out of the town." she said, holding out her hand.

I smiled and reached into my pouch, pulling out several coins, counting out the five silver into her hand and then holding up two more.

"I would love to know where I can find a bath, someone to launder my clothes, get a meal and a clean bed to rest in?" I said, waving my hand back and forth.. "Know of anywhere like that?"

Dana grimaced, in thought and then looked at me for another long moment while people behind me started grumbling at the delay.

"Head toward the market, then past it on the main road through town. Look for the Crow and Shield. It will be on your right." she took the coins from my fingers and waved me through. "Tell Loira that I sent you."

I hesitated for a moment longer, causing the person directly behind me to groan in irritation.

"Ah, one more thing, Guardswoman Dana.." I said, causing her to sigh in exasperation and stare at me. I just smiled in return. "Please, don't take this the wrong way. But would you happen to be free to take a meal with me by chance?"

She blinked, and then glared at me. I had to admit, it was rather attractive in its own way. She stood there with her hands on her hips, barely reaching my chin at her full height, but having no problem projecting authority. But I had to admit, it was the intensity in her eyes that got to me.

"I seem to be in need of a tutor,.." I continued, tapping into my mind magic and giving her a gentle suggestion to trust me, and her expression changed to confusion. "Someone who can help me understand the local laws?" I clarified, and she seemed to be thinking it over.

"I am willing to pay for dinner and a drink for each lesson.. No more than an hour or so of your time for a few lessons.. At least enough that I don't unknowingly break the law and find myself.. ah.. assisting the kingdom in paving its roads?"

At that she chuckled and shook her head. "Not tonight, silvertongue. But if Loira has a room for you for a few days, I may be able to give you some understanding as we share a meal."

I smiled and she put her hand on my shoulder and shoved me toward the gate.

"My name is Nazaqi... not silvertongue." I called as she turned her attention to the grumbling farmer who had been waiting behind me.

"Sure, sure..and get a bath, freesword.. You stink!" Dana replied, waving me off without looking back at me.

I laughed and began walking into the town of Hawksbarrow, moving aside as wagons and carts made their way along the packed dirt street, and dodging the random pack of children chasing each other in some game without rules. At one point, I felt a tug on my magic bag, and spun, only to see several poorly dressed kids running away in several directions.

"huh.. So, pick pockets are something I should be aware of here." I grinned though, knowing enough of my bag that only I could access anything within. So I turned back and continued along the main road, passing through a fairly busy market with stands and stalls, and a few blankets laid out with trinkets, or garden vegetables. One stall in particular seemed to be semi permanent, and I wandered past in curiosity.

The man standing behind the counter was selling knives and other metal work, including some iron pots and pans. I resolved to come and see him, because it never hurt to have such things for camp cooking. The market was fairly busy with traffic coming from the west and some, from what I overheard, coming from the north and heading west to the coast. People of many shades and hair colors surrounded me, though I found out that my particular shade of hair was a rarity. My clothes also stood out, though not because I was packing along a few weeks worth of grime and stains.. That was pretty average for a few disreputable looking fellows. I stood out because most folk were wearing either simple homespun tunic and trousers, or had a wool vest or long coat compared to my loose sleeved robe, hakama pants and sandals.

Heh, I looked almost the part of an Asian man in renaissance Europe, not that anyone in the market would have known the difference. To them, I just looked odd.. And dirty.

I scurried along though as the sun was on its way toward the horizon. I still had a few hours, but I didn't feel like I wanted to spend them scratching at myself the whole time, and stinking like something that got dragged out of a muddy riverbank.

I followed Dana's directions, and just as she had said, I found the hanging sign with the image of a crow sitting on a broken shield. I walked up to the wooden door and thumbed the latch, then opened it and walked in, closing the door behind me and found myself in a tap room with just a few tables spread out on a wood-planked floor. The windows, made of crudely made glass and wood slats, provided abundant light to see by, and gave it a welcoming feel. To my right, was a staircase that led upward to what I guessed were the guest rooms. To my left was a dining room and a hallway further back that probably led out to a stables by the sound of light hammering and horses kicking their stalls, demanding their dinner.

"Something I can help you with?" asked a solidly built woman that looked to be in her late forties, with curly red hair touched with a few streaks of pale gold going on white. She wore an apron and stood behind the bar near the taps, and I hoped that this was Loira.

"Ah, Guardswoman Dana recommended that I find the Crow and Shield, and to speak to Loira about getting a room for the week." I said as I walked closer to speak to her. Though, I did stop at a distance.

"Oh? Did she now?" She said, looking me up and down. Probably assessing my ability to pay, based on my filthy clothing and foreign style.

"She did indeed. She also suggested that I could find a hot bath, and someone willing to launder my clothes..." I continued. "I hope she wasn't mistaken."

"No. We've all that and a bit more, sure. Have you the coin though, is the question." She said doubtfully.

I smiled. "Ah.. And how much is a room in this fine establishment?"

Loira narrowed her eyes a bit, then started listing prices in a bored, and often repeated litany.

"It's two bronze for the room, three copper for each meal, anything from the tap is separate. The bath and laundry is four copper each. A copper more for soap." and I thought I heard her mumble "and it looks like you need that for sure."

I tried to do the math in my head, but I was probably missing something, and my time with Losca hadn't been enough to get the coinage system well understood in any way. So Instead I reached into my bag, and brought out two thick silver coins and set them on the counter in front of her.

"In advance." I said, and watched both of her eyebrows lift for a moment, then her eyes locked on mine as her hand made the coins vanish.

"Good. That's one week and four days. You get your meals when we serve 'em, dawn and dusk. You get your bath and laundry when you ask, but only if the girls aren't already busy." She leaned on the bar as she narrowed her eyes at me. "An' I don't care how pretty you are under that dirt.. You keep your hands off my girls, or I will toss you on the street and you'll get no refunds." I would find out later that she had stiffed me for a few days, but at the moment it wasn't worth the time to argue the difference.

I kept myself from laughing and raised my empty hands in surrender.

"Terms accepted."

She nodded and turned toward the dining room, giving a bar room shout. "Milaya! Get some bath water going!" I heard a muffled response from the back and Loira gave me a nod. "There's stairs back near the stables' door after your bath. No sense showin' up in the tap room in your bathrobe and towel." She set down the rag she had in her hands and searched under the bar for a moment, then brought out a well worn brass key, handing it to me and tapping the bow and the markings cast into it.

"You look for that above the door, that's your room. Leave your things there and bring your clothes down the back stairs. Milaya will meet you and show you the baths."

"Thank you." I said, and turned for the tap room stairs, eager to be clean for the first time in.. longer than I could remember.

Finding my room was easy, it was one of only four rooms on that end of the hall, and at the right end of the hallway. What I found wasn't much, but then, I wasn't expecting something from the Ritz Carlton or Grand Casino. A bed with a stuffed mattress, a small desk near the window, an oil lamp and a small table with a pitcher and wash basin, with a couple of rough woven cloth towels next to it. I left my naginata and dagger on the bed, draped my cloak over them and proceeded to shed my clothing and sandals. I could go barefooted long enough for a bath, and it wasn't as though I had not spent a couple of weeks traipsing around without shoes and cutting my feet on sharp stones while I was in the lair.

I also had a spare robe.. A short one, that was supposed to be inner wear under the cloth robe armor I was using, but it would do for after-bath wear. I bundled up my clothes, nabbed a towel from the table and headed toward the back stairs. I had to jump back at the last moment when I reached the top of the stairs, because a large bundle of bedding was coming up the stairs in a rush.

"Oi! Whersha! Beggin yer pardon, m'sir." said the young woman under the load of laundry. The small cannonball carrying the laundry passed me and thudded down the hall to a different room. I stepped aside and allowed her to pass, then continued down the stairs where another young woman was waiting. This one stood about average height, five foot five being average for the region, a bit on the willowy side with straight sandy brown hair slipping free of her headwrap. "You would be Milaya?" I asked.

I seemed to have startled the girl as she stood there, mouth agape and eyes big as saucers until she blinked and blushed a bit, and finally managed to speak. "uhm..Yes master. The bath'd be this way." She gave a slight curtsey and turned to lead the way, occasionally glancing over her shoulder at me as I followed her down the hall.. We passed through a wooden door and into a medium sized room with a long basin on one side, two low stools opposite and one beautifully steaming bath at the far end. The bath, as it was, was just a large barrel cut in half, but it was still beautiful to me. As I looked around, I found a short counter near the stools and a little smile stretched my lips.

"If you would please put your laundry in the basin, master.." Milaya said and I did as she instructed. "The bucket there, is for the hot water. I.. I'm sure you know how to bathe." she finished as she turned her attention to filling the basin with warm water, her cheeks brightening a bit.

"I do, thank you." I replied as I took up one of the small buckets, and filled it from the bath, then shed my robe and poured it over myself. The tiled floor was slanted toward a drain, and I chuckled inwardly as I thought "A sento in a fantasy world. Why not?" I sat on one of the small stools and began scrubbing myself, groaning in pleasure as I felt a month of ground in grime being scrubbed away.

"Master, you are making taking a bath sound..um, rather indecent." said the young woman behind me.

"Ha!" I replied. "You spend three weeks in the forest with nothing to bathe in but cold mountain streams while watching for goblins and what all else, and tell me your first hot bath wouldn't be enough to make sounds to make a priest blush."

That got a healthy laugh from her, and damn.. That was music in my ears. It was high and sweet, and sounded like heaven, but I had to keep Loira's warning in mind. Maybe later I would see what this town had in regards to companionship.

Or not I sighed and bent over to dunk my head into the second bucket, scrubbing furiously at my scalp before I attacked both scalp and hair with the soap. I was listening to Milaya dunk and scrub at my clothes, and the light patter of footsteps in the hall when the voice of another woman came with the sound of the door opening.

"Mila, Loira wants to know if you can wash the merchants... oh."

"Yes, Tio.. Just get them down here soon. I need to be in the kitchen after this."

Suddenly my eyes began to sting and I cursed and dropped the soap to one side, and fumbled around for the bucket of clean water.. And proceeded to tip it over, spilling the water across the tiles. "Well shit!"

I blindly grabbed the bucket and stood up, with the soap burning my eyes even more and started toward the tub to get more water.

"Uhm, Master.. Wait." pleaded Milaya,

But she spoke just a moment too late as my head located one of the low beams of the ceiling. "Ow!.. damn damn damn.. " I grumbled, now with one hand holding an empty bucket, one hand on my aching forehead and soap still burning in my eyes.

"Master, what happened?" Milaya asked as I heard her voice and footsteps coming closer.

"Ah... I just got soap in my eyes, and it burns like fire." I confessed.

"Oh, well, just stay put, I will get some fresh water." She said helpfully and I felt the tug on the bucket. I let go and stood where I was, still rubbing at my forehead, the ache slowly fading but my annoyance at the carpenters having a new foundation. As Milaya fetched water, I heard a gasp beside me.

"Oh, Valya's bounty.. It's beautiful." Tio's soft voice sounded next to me.

Milaya must have turned around at that point because I heard a soft "oh!" of surprise and then a harshly whispered "Tio.. get out of here. We'll both get in trouble!"

"Ah.. is something wrong?" I asked the air.

"Oh, no master.. Nothing wrong." She replied, though by the annoyance in her voice I thought she might have been doing something as she brought back the water. "Just.. let me help you sit down, master. You're a bit tall for me to pour this over your head."

I obediently shuffled back to the stool, which I found with my heel, and sat down.

"Thank you.. Now, just tilt your head back." she said while holding her hand on the back of my head.. And then I felt relief as warm water sluiced over my face and began to clear the soap out of my burning eyes.

"Ahh.. thank you, Mila." I sighed, gratefully.

"You are very welcome, master." She said.

"Nazaqi." I said.

"Pardon?" she asked as she altered the flow to start rinsing my hair.

"My name. It's Nazaqi." I clarified.

"Oh, well.. You are welcome, master Nazaqi. Though, I have to say, I have never heard a name like that."

"Ah.. well, I am from pretty far off, so I guess you wouldn't have." I said as I blinked my eyes open. They still burned from the soap, but at least now I could see. And what I saw was a furiously blushing Milaya, standing beside me with a bucket in her hand and her face turned toward the door, very much not making eye contact with me.

"Uh.. well. I guess I will hop in the tub and soak for a bit." I said as I stood up again, this time ducking as I made my way to the large barrel of hot water and stepping into it.

"Oh, of course." she replied.. And then quickly stepped over and continued her task of scrubbing my clothes, but now with a bit more vigor.

Silence reigned other than the sound of Milaya dunking, scrubbing and dunking again.. Then the footfalls outside of the door came again and Milaya interrupted her work to take more clothes, ushering out whomever had delivered them.

For my part, I simply melted into the tub completely ignoring the fact that my knees poked up out of the water. "it's... just... fine." I sighed in satisfaction. Then I started thinking about the things I had to do in town.

The first thing was to get myself signed up for the Freeswords guild, and hope that I passed any tests or requirements they had. If that worked out, then I would need to see what else the town required for me not to be tossed out of the gates. Then..

I would need to see what kind of work I could find. Hopefully something would come up that was local to the town. If not, then I would have to move on, which was a thought that did not please me. I needed to get used to being in civilization again, but I was convinced that going west to the city that Losca had told me about would be going a bit too fast.

I opened my eyes and watched as Milaya started hanging clothes, mine and someone else's, up on long poles along the wall.

"Milaya?"

"Y... yes, master Nazaqi?

"I am feeling a bit.. Wrung out after this day, and I am sure no one wants to see me in nothing but a robe. Is it possible to have my dinner brought up to my room?" I asked.

"Certainly, master Nazaqi. I will ask.. someone to do so."

"Thank you." I said, wondering briefly about the pause in her voice, then I sighed and closed my eyes to just enjoy the warm water for a little bit longer.

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Thank you for reading Chapter 1 of the story. As always, suggested edits, or story clarifications are welcome.

Skaldic.