Soon they were settled to a rhythm - Renna was filling up the buckets in the tub and Arion was hauling them away to a drain in the back corner. It was laborious work, at first so they had no breath left over for chatting, but quite enough idle time in their mind to be lost in their thoughts.

At first filling the buckets was fast work - scoop, lift to the edge and grab the next bucket. Much faster than hauling them to the drain two at a time. This left Renna with time to admire the view. And there was quite a lot to admire. Arion had tossed off his shirt because the air was hot and humid. Perfect abs, broad back and muscular arms were glinting in candle light. Renna found ideas about what fun could be had with the beautiful male specimen suddenly stirring in the back of her mind. No man had aroused in her anything but disgust so this was… new. And felt kind of good. But it wouldn’t do to let him get the wrong idea, so Renna did her best to ensure that she wasn’t caught staring.

As the level of filth went down, Renna’s part of the work got harder - she needed to fill the buckets with a third one, scraping a bucket full up in multiple scoops leaving her no time for enjoying the sights.

In turn now Arion could have brief pauses with nothing more to do than watch her work. She was wet and filthy from head to toe. She had smears of filth on her face from wiping hair out of the way. The now very grubby greenish brown dress clung to her skin, outlining her stocky curves.

Her arms and legs were muscular and stout and body shaped like a very squat hourglass. She was stronger than he had known any woman to be for sure. She could hoist a full bucket to the edge of the tub without even straining much. And somehow, against his own usual preference of small, slender women he found the sight arousing. So much so that he had to carefully stand in a way that would hide any signs of excessive interest. Fortunately, she was too busy working to notice anything at all.

Around mid-day one of the fire ladies brought a tea tray to them - passed it in through the door and left quickly.

Renna realized this wasn’t not a room they could tolerate. The air was full of steam. Hence also the muck. They would be unable to clean it for him. And if he didn’t do it… She was standing smack in the middle of the consequence. Soon the work continued. By late afternoon all that could be scraped up with a bucket was gone and it was time for the next phase.

“Stay there!” He told Renna, who was now standing about chest deep in the circular tub hole with bench shaped steps in all directions leading out of it. It was just about too wide for her to reach the sides standing in the middle of it.

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Arion was doing something with the hot spring gates and soon hot water was flowing in the tub. He tossed her a wooden scraper and told her to start scrubbing the bottom. A moment later he hopped in with a bucket as well.

Now Renna was scrubbing the tub walls while he was bailing dirty water down the overflow drain. The space was limited for both workers and unavoidably there would be accidents. It started with Arion dumping a whole bucket of warm, filthy water on Renna’s chest and face. He had been throwing it and she had stood up unexpectedly. He couldn’t help laughing at her face.

Renna’s brow furrowed and an evil glint appeared in her eyes. She knew this game quite well. She had played it a lot with her brothers. Next a piece of particularly sticky and gross sludge hit the back of Arion’s head and slid down his back leaving a trail of filth. When he grabbed it and snapped around to look at Renna she was innocently prying filth off the tub. “Oops…” was all she had to say about it, smirking.

Arion looked at the handful of muck with a speculating look. Renna grew suspicious.

When he started coming towards her with an evil grin, Renna squealed and started backing away. Soon there was a very circular chase in the tub with water flying everywhere. Occasionally it would suddenly change direction when there was a change in the role of chaser. Soon both collapsed on the bench step, exhausted and laughing.

Her dress now had filth not just on the outside, but also inside. Same applied to Arion’s pants. That’s where one puts mud in a mud fight - in other people's clothes…

“Well, it seems the running took care of most of the scrubbing needed…” Renna observed finally. They both grabbed a bucket and bailed the last of the most dirty water out.

Then, they settled down on the benches to wait for it to fill up. They were too dirty to go anywhere as they were anyway. Now there was time to talk.

Renna just had to ask, “Am I a prisoner?”

Arion’s eyes looked almost sad when he responded, “Yes.”

Renna nodded.

“Will you kill me?” She asked next.

Arion was silent for a moment… “I don’t intend to, but… I can’t promise to be safe for you either.”

Renna thought about that for a moment. It sort of made sense. There had been 6 girls before her. They aren't here now… Something happened to them. And someday she would find out what. If not sooner, then when it was happening to her, she would. She shuddered. Her imagination was conjuring up old horrors and mixing them into her future.

He whispered her name. She looked up.

“I can only promise you this… I will not rape you. Ever.” He said quietly and Renna’s heart skipped a beat.

It was her captor's promise. Nothing bound him to it, but his own honor. And yet, it meant something for her. It meant that maybe… this could still work out alright.