Chapter 94

Their new room was certainly quieter.

It was built like a bunker, carved out of stone by magic, Riley assumed.

No sounds from the tavern above filtered down, nor did the sound of footfalls or noise from the stairs.

Amid thick wooden doors, the lack of windows, and the depth of the place, it was as if they existed at the edge between two worlds.

The silence felt like a living thing, preternatural and omnipresent, wrapping around her like an invisible fog.

Yet, amidst the silence, there was also peace, a pause in the world, far from the fears of men lurking in alleys and the greater chaos that was Calaria.

For months she had been outdoors, where her instincts were alive with sensations of threat, half-whispered revelations in her thoughts encouraging her to ever be wary, ever watchful, and for good reason.

More than foxes, monsters lurked in the shadows on two and four legs. Nowhere was safe anymore, except maybe here. Out of sight, under cover, secured as if she was a treasure in her own right, that feeling of safety worked like a balm, pulling them both to a deep, black slumber.

The tall man loomed, with glowing eyes like Mavora, emerging from the shadows of her nightmare as her eyes shot open. She leapt and ran, into the blackness.

Tobias rolled out of bed, grabbing for his sword in the darkness, only to fall and slam into the ground.

"By the dead Gods!" he cursed, banging his head on the bed.

A sensation of stars followed an impact, her muzzle deflecting off something hard; next came choking. Her mouth and airways were stifled by her own blood as a blinding light chased away the dark.

Riley pressed up into the corner, shaking in fear, while her nose bled.

"Riley, Riley, look at me; we had a nightmare. By the Thirteen, your face," Tobias said as a wave of healing magic rocketed from around the hare.

The blood staunched, and she stumbled woozily, "It still hurts."

Tobias plopped on the floor, pulling his legs crossed, then gently lifted Riley into his lap.

"My shoulder still hurts, too. Healing fixes the damage, but it doesn't spare you the pain. You're ok now; it was just a dream," he soothed, petting her from ears to tail in gentle stroking motions.

"Third one tonight. Was it mine or yours this time?" She asked dreamily, only to perk up her head in fear of another nightmare.

"Who can tell? We share dreams now; I know that much. The things I've seen...Information tablets, ribbons of stone roads, fantastical cities, magical carriages," Tobias trailed off.

"Men with swords wanting to kill us, antlions, valkoviks," Riley muttered sourly.

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"Ok, that too. Are you going to be ok?" He smiled down at her, never stopping the slow rhythmic action.

"You're gonna put me... back... to sleep... I don't want to sleep," Riley complained.

"I don't either," for a moment the pretense of his strength parted like a veil to reveal the very real struggle still occurring underneath.

"What time is it?" Riley asked.

"Only the Gods know. Maybe I should get a pocket watch too?" Tobias mused.

"If we're going to be down here, it might be smart unless they cost like a bazillion silvers or something," she grumbled, wrestling with her foul mood.

"We have our own private bath down here since it's just us," he mentioned idly.

That caused Riley's ears to perk up.

"Bath?"

"You're covered in blood," Tobias pointed out.

"I think that would be nice. My muzzle still smarts; maybe the heat will help?" Riley wondered.

Lifting her up, he carried her into the rough-hewn washing area with a wooden tub and exposed pipe bolted to the wall. Checking a set of cabinets on one side, he found some washing soap in a glass bottle.

A moment later, the hot water was roiling with suds. Riley eagerly slunk in, hooking her back legs over the edge, struggling to find her own way in.

"You know I could help you with that?" Tobias reminded, standing with his arms crossed, watching her.

"I'm independent, and I aim to remain so," she proclaimed, flopping into the water, sending a splash of suds sliding down the wall after impact.

Riley rose out of the hot water like a sea monster.

She snorted and sneezed, the burning in her muzzle giving way to tingles.

"Adapt!" Tobias shouted.

She bounced, splashing some water, flicking with her front paw before falling into a facial groom.

"This does help, thank you," she said, cocking her head, spying red wisps of color in the murky water.

"Will you be ok if I attend to my own business for a while?" He asked, looking towards the door.

"Go, I'll be here all day. Send the servant when you need me," Riley said, mimicking a British accent.

"Spoiled beast," Tobias shook his head sadly and strode out.

Riley caught the sound of ascending boot steps as he went up the stairs until the world got quiet again, save for the popping and chattering of the suds, which filled up her hearing as the most present sound.

She knew she could hear like a safe cracker, but points of reference to what it was like before her arrival in Calaria eluded her. Her senses were her senses, and devoid of any external frame of reference, they were neither better nor worse. They simply were.

This body felt natural to her, even if it did lack thumbs. It felt familiar and like her own and had since the moment of initial shock, sitting before Grimm.

A voice like his drifted through her mind.

I am watching; you are doing well, packmate. Soldier on.

She brightened, then let the water do its work, relaxing her.

The time passed after a moment of blackness came as soon as it went.

This time, there were no dreams.

"Wha? What?" The water had gone cold, and the suds were gone. On the other side of the door, left cracked, she could hear Tobias practicing his sword forms.

Searching with her hind paw, she found the plug at the center of the wooden tub and twitched and pulled until it gave way.

Slowly, the water spiraled down, swirling around her, revealing her like a prize exhibition at some modern art show, as she was left dripping, with suds clinging to her fur.

The crackling noise of exploding bubbles caused her ears to twitch, bringing with it the faint memories of Rice Crispies.

Looking up, the pull chain for the rudimentary shower head loomed, just out of reach with no way for her to grasp it.

"It would probably be cold at first," she said in consolation before swallowing her pride.

"Tobias!" In almost the same instant she heard him sheath his sword and pad in on his bare feet.

“Rinse?” He surmised.

"Whatever do you mean? I was curious about the time," she asked as he pulled the chain. A deluge of cold water hit her, warming slowly towards comfortably warm.

"I love that you have indoor plumbing here, ass," she mused.

The last of the rid whisps of blood mixed with the soap suds, swirling around her hindpaws before rushing down the drain.

"It's just past three bells, we were up on time for us. You got into the bath about half an hour ago," he chuckled.

"Grand," Riley replied, then shook herself out, sending Tobias scurrying behind the door.

"I could have fetched a towel!" Tobias complained.

"Where's the fun in that?" She proclaimed as she hopped out.