[Reminder: This story contains explicit sensual content, violence, mature themes, and references to trauma/abuse. Reader discretion is advised.]
After the day's speed of travel and the match with the zazi, despite having cleaned her arms for dinner, she was painted in dirt from the neck down.
The water wasn't especially hot, but it was quite fragrant of eucalyptus, which blended well with the earthly scent wafting from the cave.
She scrubbed each inch of herself and wrestled with her curls before rubbing down the rest of her.
Bazil had been guarding a long while and was even closer to the small cave's mouth than the Ogglan servants waiting on her.
He couldn't help his urge to shield her, and it truly drove him mad to think of all the times he couldn't for one reason or another.
Some may have called him obsessed, but he long forfeited any desire to feign nonchalance in the matter.
And so, when much time had passed, and he heard her whimpering from within the cave, he didn't think twice before charging in, fearing a snake might have gotten her. But all he found was her splayed out just before the water, her naked skin gleaming, her breathing uneven.
She cast her half-lidded eyes over to him, surprised, her expression slow to change as if in a daze. But upon realizing, she quickly turned herself and lifted her hands from her thighs to her chest.
"Are you alright? I thought you got hurt," he said, unsure what to do with his eyes. "I apologize, but I heard a sound, so I thought…"
He stopped speaking and turned around, too, trying to hide the part of him that stiffened at his sudden awareness of her nakedness.
If he had dared to observe more, he might've noticed just why her face was so flushed, and her hands were so quick to retract from between her legs.
Though even if he had, he would've still said the same thing as he did without knowing, which was, "It must've been a falling stone that made such an echo."
"Hmm," Salīa said, not wanting to lie or correct him.
All that could be heard in the stretched silence was the dripping of water and the rubbing of a towel.
"I'll get the Ogglans to tend to you and show you to where you'll be resting."
"What about you?"
"I'll be near. You should be able to see me from where you lie."
With that, he walked out, though quite stiffly.
She was led to a different cave and given the most private spot amongst the Ogglan women.
The servants who were men took their own small cave beside it, and she figured that's where Bazil would be made to rest.
Though when she peeked through a window-like hole next to her pallet, she could see Bazil was still outside.
To her surprise, he was sparring with some zazi. No doubt the chosen contenders were all of high rank. And she was in awe of how agile and resilient he was.
He had fewer layers, and so she could see his muscled arms and carved calves glistening under the distant light.
Even the sweat trickling down his face just pronounced his features more, hardening each place it was cut and smoothening each place it was soft.
He was ruthless yet sincere in his battles, and many couldn't help but say, "yoh," in reverence as he got another win.
Salīa caught sight of big, bushy curls belonging to that young zazi she fought with. She couldn't help but feel pity for this poor recruit, as Bazil did anything but acknowledge him.
Each time he raised his hand when Bazil asked whose next, he was always ignored, sometimes blatantly, for another zazi standing right beside him.
Salīa sighed and lay back, staring out at the stars instead.
Her fingers traced over the links to her pendant. It all felt quite tranquil, but her thoughts were anything but.
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