Chapter 35 - Baths

Following Violetta through the winding tents and to the far edge of the settlement to the baths was a short, but difficult walk. As they woke and left their little rooms, more and more women were moving about, some in their towels and heading towards the bath. Their eyes and words were directed at her as if she did not know their language.

"What is that thing doing here?"

"Disgusting. Why is it following her?"

"Even as a slave it should not be here. Did it come on the ships?"

Violetta gave a reassuring glance back, but she did have an expression that bordered on worry. None of the women actually approached or attempted to block the two of them heading to the baths, but their words stung.

The baths were split into a large pool of seawater that flowed in with the tide down by the shore. A wall of rock and earth made a little barrier, most of it having been thrown up in the process of making the bath. Planks of wood were driven into place to keep the gravelly beach from filling in the hole. It was a large and squarish pool that was larger than several of those tents put together, enough for the dozens of women to soak and congregate in little groups around the side. Most of them were sitting on the edge of the planks or soaking in the water. A mass of towels lay folded on the edge as dozens of womanly forms were in full display before her. Light pale skin, reddish clay skin, darker skin, the variety of tones of their bare flesh did not make sense. These were all people from the same land, but they looked all different in hair color, size, and features. Here in the baths, no two women looked truly alike and each of them seemed to vary in age and status despite their nudity.

"Don’t be staring." Violetta warned as they approached, "Just take off it off and set it down and enjoy the cold water."

Violetta showed her how to slip off the towel and fold it on an empty space. She gave a little hand wave to the others and slipped into the water, her arms immediately going to her side as she gasped at the cold water, "Ah, why is it so cold today?!"

She followed and was about to slip into the water when a stern voice called out from behind, "You are not getting in that water, muckwalker!"

She turned instinctively, but Violetta was quick to call out in defense, "She's cleaner than you, Harle the Harlot. You should go to the men’s bath. This here is for ladies."

Harle was a large and dark-haired woman whose figure was closer to Marsol in female form. She looked closer to a Gobbo than a Mahn, with her large ribcage and flat chest, a thin waist and wide hips. Her arms and legs were thin but toned with muscle. If she was green and devoid of the mass tangled of hair on her head and elsewhere, she’d pass as a giant among Gobbos. That and she lacked the swept and pointed ears, but facially she also seemed to have a too-wide and too-short nose that made her closer to a pig-faced one. Could this woman really be a harlot? Was she considered attractive? She lacked the curves and softness of voice, but they were all strange creatures still.

"What are you looking at, muckwalker?" Harle looked at her.

"Come into the water." Violetta all but demanded.

Turning and slipping into the icy water was a shock, it was cold, and it did seem to stab the whole body. A strange numbness lasted for a moment and then seemed to fade as her body adjusted to it. She did not know how to swim, but the depth was only up to her neck, allowing her to stand and walk over to Violetta.

Harle grunted and crossed her arms defiantly, "You are going to regret this… you."

"Oh, look it is that, Lady Hilda?" Violetta called out and waved as an even larger woman, a full head taller approached from behind, "Thank you for your assistance, Lady Hilda."

The approaching woman was a head taller than Harle, and with feminine form larger than the other woman’s head. As large and wide as Harle but rounded in such a way as to completely overshadow her. The difference was as great as herself and Violetta. With each step, the strong Lady Hilda’s assets naturally bounced, and her sauntering walk emphasized herself in a way that only a particularly bold Gobbo would. Her wild red hair hung down around her back and flowed over the top of her chest, similar to a mass of red snakes. If the coloration of hair was anything like the banding on a snake, then this was a woman not to mess with!

"Ah... Hello, Violetta. Good morning, Lady Raeyn." She was particularly clear in addressing her, "I am always happy to assist those who are graced by Maelyn’s favor. Astra, herself, would demand it if it were not already my honored duty."

Harle turned and found herself toe to toe with the greater woman, she had to look up over the mounds of flesh to look Lady Hilda in the eye, "Who do you think you are? That is a dirty muck-"

Lady Hilda pushed herself forward, pressing her body into Harle, those huge mounds acting like two large fists, easily knocking the smaller woman into the icy water, "Ah. Oh, I slipped. Hard to see directly under my chest. Unlike you, dear."

Harle thrashed and stood up in the water and she growled, "You want to fight! You big-boobed firecr-"

Lady Hilda’s eyes became slits, and her head tilted as if to hear better, "Were you seriously going to use a slur towards nobility? I don’t suppose even a harlot like you wants to face the flagellant for using such vulgarities."

Harle’s eyes widened as she realized Lady Hilda was licking her lips.

"I wouldn’t mind applying the salves afterwards, but I’d love to hear your repentance as the whip scars your well-oiled and salted backside." Lady Hilda let out a little moaning noise at the thought, "Harlots like yourself really know how to entertain."

Harle’s face drained in color, maybe in part from the icy water, but she knew that she had overstepped her bounds, and she exited the water and stormed off in frustration.

"Thank you." Violetta said softly, knowing that all eyes had fallen on them from the disturbance.

"Oh whatever do you mean?" Lady Hilda smiled as she slipped into the water next to her, the woman was so tall that the water barely reached her upper thigh, "Such vulgar brutes do not belong in the women’s bath."

Lady Hilda had to sit down to soak herself and the red-haired giant seemed to be fixated on looking at her, it really was uncomfortable as Violetta had mentioned. She decided to speak up after a few moments, "Are you interested in me?"

Lady Hilda’s face started to redden, and she bashfully turned away with a dramatic look, "Too bold, Lady Raeyn. Love the confidence though. To think that you know the language and use it so well… perhaps it is true that you are from the estate. To think you have joined the expedition shows your generosity."

Violetta chimed in at the suggestion, "Ah yes, well she may be a Gobbo, but who else can understand the natives."

She realized this was deceitful and that Lady Hilda had done all of this to introduce her in public? They were schemers! Particularly, vicious ones at that. Gobbos who stayed within the warren, and particularly those who controlled the hunter-gatherer Valo caste with orders made such displays of favor to build alliances. Those who did not have to work outside the warren could spend all of their time working on their plots while those who gathered often found themselves isolated and too busy to notice what went on in the depths. To do this in a place where there could be no weapons and to so thoroughly shame a harlot in the process, assuming she was a harlot, was a masterful use of an opportunity. But how did she know her name? And why did she use the term ‘Lady’ to address her?

Once they were done soaking, the three of them moved to a collection of five barrels that held water that was heated by fires underneath. Each of the five barrels resembled a large cooking pot. She was not eager to slip into the barrels, but Violetta insisted that it was the only way to get clean. Due to her significant size, Lady Hilda took one all to herself and while Violetta and she had to share. The water was a mix of strange milky oils and a thin layer of dirt which churned up to the surface, most of which was siphoned off by an attendant before they entered. The large barrels were still a little close for comfort for her, being only an arm’s length from Violetta, but having to hold onto the edge of the barrel to prevent from sinking was its own struggle.

"When you dip your head under, close your eyes." She warned, "The soap will sting your eyes and your nose if you are careless."

She said that right before dipping down and immersing herself completely, shooting up for air and shaking her head with a short invigorating gasp, "Ah! It is too hot near the bottom. Nothing like a little fire and ice to start the day!"

Violetta pulled herself out first and waited for them, but Lady Hilda seemed to enjoy soaking just a little too much, but few would question her so long as no one was waiting for their soapy dip. The three of them wiped the water off their bodies and donned the towels. Violetta seemingly lost in thought until Lady Hilda broke the silence.

"Time for breakfast. Would you two care to join me in my personal quarters?" She asked a question that sounded more like an obligation.

"Sounds delightful." Violetta sarcastically responded, "What are you having?"

"Cold milk, melons and rump roast. Perhaps some green tea to wash it down with." She grinned.

Violetta scowled, "You are doing this on purpose."

"Of course, most noble women wouldn’t appreciate commoner’s humor, but you…" She blew a kiss, "Your reactions are delicious."

It was hard not to think that all of these women had too much free time to do such things. All of this back and forth was exhausting but trading insults and teasing one another seemed to be some sort of bonding ritual. Were the males this stupid? She’d need to find that out later, but she suspected that it was likely that they were probably dumber. Males fought over silly things, but females were petty and social creatures. If anything, males would fight one another and end up friends while two women in a fight were liable to kill one another. Hopefully Violetta and Lady Hilda did not want to go around stripping names or rights from one another; she really did not want to find out how furious a leader of two thousand people would be over such nonsense. Still, it seemed it was time to eat and just the thought of food made her stomach growl.

"Follow me, Ladies." Lady Hilda smiled and led the way, "To a hot meal and cold milk!"