{"id":98,"date":"2017-10-16T13:18:01","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T13:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/?p=98"},"modified":"2017-10-16T13:18:01","modified_gmt":"2017-10-16T13:18:01","slug":"twenty-three-cleaner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/16\/twenty-three-cleaner\/","title":{"rendered":"Twenty-Three: Cleaner"},"content":{"rendered":"

They made it to the bathhouse without further incident. \u00a0Raizel had never been inside a place like this, but she\u2019d heard the stories and descriptions from people in the town that went down into the flatter lands: There were rainfall devices where you soaped off, and then big drinking-trough tubs to soak in and bathhouse boys and girls to wash your back and your hair. <\/span><\/p>\n

She left her things in the locked box she could see from her tub, the key around her wrist, and stood under the lukewarm falling water scrubbing herself with a bar of soap her trei had bought them. \u00a0Next to her, the Diamond Raven, clad in nothing but a golden rope around his neck, did the same. <\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel took a moment to let her gaze travel over him before turning back to the cleaning at hand. \u00a0For someone who had been described to her as a wastrel who preferred to beg for his food rather than do honest work, he had a very toned body, and there were old scars on his back she did not think he\u2019d gotten from something as simple as sitting around a temple – or apprenticing to be a wizard, although she didn\u2019t know how violent or dangerous <\/span>that<\/span><\/i> could be. <\/span><\/p>\n

The kitten, who the bathhouse had been uncertain about until Raizel had paid for its fee, too, forwent the shower for a quick and careful bath in a foot-soak tub, delivered by a bath-house boy who had put ON clothes for this particular duty. \u00a0Once cleaned, she was put in a deep box by Raizel\u2019s tub, where she could put all of her fur back into place, one hair at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Raizel sank deeper into the tub, content and comfortable. \u00a0She couldn\u2019t stay long, of course, but for a few minutes, it was nice to think of nothing except the way the bath-house boy\u2019s fingers felt massaging the oil into her scalp. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAre you Raizel of the mountains?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

She opened her eyes to find herself staring at a man in the uniform of a guard. \u201cWho\u2019s asking?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Honorable Judge Peor Lytanzya. \u00a0Are you Raizel of the mountains?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not a judge, and I\u2019m not wearing any pants.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Honorable Judge wishes to see you at your earliest convenience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere can we go find him, when it\u2019s convenient?\u201d \u00a0The fingers massaging her scalp had not stopped, and she had no wish to leave the comfort of this bath. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI will take you to him. \u00a0Now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on, the kitten isn\u2019t even dry yet.\u201d \u00a0Raizel was having far too much fun being petty. \u00a0Soon, that was going to bite her, and likely quite hard, but for the moment, it was entertaining. <\/span><\/p>\n

The man considered her. \u00a0\u201cI can wait for ten minutes. \u00a0It can have taken me that long to have found you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTen\u2026\u201d she considered bribing him and decided she wanted the remaining trei for herself.<\/span> \u201cTen. \u00a0<\/span>.<\/span> Thank you. \u00a0You, ah, .. Timotea. \u00a0Please tell me when five minutes have passed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u00a0<\/span>miss.\u201d \u00a0The bathhouse boy went back to massaging her scalp and shoulders.\u00a0<\/span>When he finally said, dutifully, \u201cit\u2019s been five minutes, miss,\u201d she had\u00a0<\/span>no problem at all slipping him what she hoped was a generous-enough tip for the\u00a0<\/span>area.<\/span><\/p>\n

She\u00a0<\/span>dressed in the last clean clothing she had in her bag while the bathhouse boy\u00a0<\/span>toweled off the kitten and made a little sling for it out of an old towel.\u00a0<\/span>She wore the kitten under her vest, close to her chest, and didn\u2019t mind\u00a0<\/span>the lump it made in her shirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>Diamond Raven looked particularly dapper. \u00a0Someone had tidied up his\u00a0<\/span>clothes \u2014 or maybe h\u2019d sent someone out for clothes for him \u2014 and he looked a\u00a0<\/span>gentleman and not a beggar. \u00a0He bowed to her when he caught her looking.<\/span><\/p>\n

She\u00a0<\/span>bowed back. \u00a0\u201cThe judge has summoned us. \u00a0Um. \u00a0The right\u00a0<\/span>honorable someone\u2014\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0<\/span>Honorable Judge Peor Lytanzya,\u201d the guard repeated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Honorable Judge Peor Lytanzya,\u201d she parroted dutifully. \u201cHe wants to see us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt we could have gotten in trouble already \u2013 even about the – \u201d \u00a0The Raven shook his head. \u00a0\u201cAll right. \u00a0If it\u2019s another quest, though, I reserve the right to run screaming.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as you\u2019re running away from Esteronzerai, I won\u2019t complain. \u00a0Too much.\u201d \u00a0She bowed at the guard. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re ready.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The courthouse was not all that far from the bath-house, but it was up a steep hill and two very long sets of marble steps. \u00a0The kitten mewed twice in complaint, probably because it was still damp. \u00a0Raizel gave it a finger to chew on and hoped that sufficed to quiet it.<\/span><\/p>\n

They walked through an antechamber, past two more guards and a very cute attendant, and into an office dominated by a huge desk and a tall, narrow man<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAh, and you are the Raizel of the mountains that we have been hearing so much about.\u201d \u00a0He gestured at the chairs in front of his desk. \u00a0\u201cI have a task for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They made it to the bathhouse without further incident. \u00a0Raizel had never been inside a place like this, but she\u2019d heard the stories and descriptions from people in the town that went down into the flatter lands: There were rainfall devices where you soaped off, and then big drinking-trough tubs to soak in and bathhouse… Continue reading Twenty-Three: Cleaner<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Side Quest Chapter Twenty-Three: Cleaner\r\n~\r\nHey, they\u2019re getting a break. Right? Right?","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Tn4Q-1A","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":95,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/11\/twenty-two-lost-and-found\/","url_meta":{"origin":98,"position":0},"title":"Twenty-Two: Lost and Found","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"October 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWhy her?\u201d The Diamond Raven shifted so he was standing almost between Raizel and the Left Hand. \u00a0\u201cWhy this stranger on the street?\u201d \u201cBecause she\u2019s not a stranger, is she? \u00a0She\u2019s the one that everyone\u2019s been muttering about. \u00a0She\u2019s got you, which is interesting in and of itself. \u00a0She\u2019s made\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/11\/twenty-two-lost-and-found\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":117,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2018\/01\/05\/twenty-seven-the-train\/","url_meta":{"origin":98,"position":1},"title":"Twenty-Seven: The Train","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"January 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cAm I really here?\u201d Raizel muttered to the Diamond Raven. \u00a0It felt unlikely. \u00a0She had been trying for this for what seemed like months, even if it had only been days, and here they were, on the platform, buying two tickets for the train. \u00a0 That she had the Diamond\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/03\/day-one-chapter-one-the-quest\/","url_meta":{"origin":98,"position":2},"title":"Day One, Chapter One: The Quest","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"New Story with a short timeline! \u00a0This is Side Quest, a story for Camp NanoWrimo July 2017. \u00a0 And so it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Tzar Vimyxa that representatives of all the families of the nation should come to Buscontra, in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":121,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2018\/01\/16\/twenty-eight-the-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":98,"position":3},"title":"Twenty-Eight: The People","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"January 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Raven had done something, she was sure of it. \u00a0She had expected to be in the part of the train where people crowded onto benches or sat in the aisles. \u00a0That was cheap part, the part where most people like her rode. Instead, she and the Raven and six\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/25\/eleven-the-diamond-raven\/","url_meta":{"origin":98,"position":4},"title":"Eleven: The Diamond Raven","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Esteronzerai was the biggest town Raizel had been in yet, and it was where the carriage\u2019s route diverged from Raizel\u2019s, whether or not she had been stopping to lasso a wizard. \u00a0She bowed to the driver and, her grandfather\u2019s words in her mind, tipped him, although she had not been\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/08\/three-the-black-missive\/","url_meta":{"origin":98,"position":5},"title":"Three: The Black Missive","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The walk to the strange man\u2019s cave was only an hour because of the rolling limp that affected his walk, and, it seemed, his speech patterns. \u00a0He would go up and down, up and down with his tales as they walked, telling Raizel all about the Empire\u2019s plans to read\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98\/revisions\/99"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}