As she followed Crystal into the bathing house, Lidea was stunned by the array of colors that overwhelmed her senses. In stark contrast to the faded hues that dominated the city, the interior of the bathhouse was adorned with a mosaic of vibrant tiles. Each was unique, leading Lidea to believe that they had been crafted by hand or perhaps by magic. It almost made her feel dizzy, prompting her to avert her gaze to the pool that dominated the room.

A steady stream of fresh water came from a pipe embedded in the wall, and Lidea surmised that a similar pipe facilitated the drainage of water into the river below, ensuring a constant gentle flow within the bath itself. It reminded Lidea of her childhood home, where a similar setup existed but on a smaller scale.

Crystal approached the pool and lowered herself to touch the water, wrinkling her nose in disapproval. Rising back up, she gazed at Lidea, seemingly contemplating something.

"I forgot that our local heater hasn't woken up yet. I would have loved to let you relax and soak, but I fear that this will have to be a quick rinse."

Lidea furrowed her brow at the peculiar way in which she had remarked on the heating system but dismissed it as a strange translation of her foreign tongue.

"I will be fine, Crystal."

"You may say that, but I wouldn't forgive myself if you caught a cold because I let you wash in cold water."

Lidea found her concerns endearing but wasn't overly worried. She had bathed in natural streams countless times and knew a quick dip wouldn't make her sick. Besides, the thought of warm water near her skin revolted her. The heat of the flames still too fresh a memory.

Crystal seemed to debate herself but finally conceded as she started to roll up her pants and sleeves. As more of her skin was revealed, Lidea could see more of the crystals dotted around her limbs. She wondered if they ever caused discomfort for the woman. Lidea could only imagine how uncomfortable it must be to lie on them. Then again, maybe she was used to it.

While lost in thought, Crystal had moved to kneel next to a mortar and pestle that had escaped Lidea's notice. It must have been there already, as she couldn't imagine it fitting in the healer's bag. She watched in fascination as Crystal retrieved a bundle of herbs from her bag and tossed them into the mortar. With a steady hand, she began grinding them, releasing a subtle hint of lavender into the air.

"Are you making some sort of soap?" Lidea asked, lowering herself down to sit beside the healer, grateful for the opportunity to rest her weary body. It was frustrating how much stamina she seemed to have lost.

"A scented oil, to be exact."

A look of incredulity crossed Lidea's face. The last time she heard the term 'scented oil' was when her sister had bought an entire collection of them for her birthday. Claiming that they made her skin feel as soft as a feather and that her flame at the time would surely notice. Lidea was certain he did notice, as Alana had drenched herself in so much of the stuff that you could smell her coming from across the house.

"Don't you have bars of soap here?"

Crystal stopped what she was doing to look at Lidea, or more specifically at her hair. Shaking her head, she grabbed a bottle of oil out of her bag and started adding it slowly to her mixture.

"Soap may remove the dirt, but it will dry out the tangled knots. To salvage that hair of yours, we will need oil, and lots of it."

Lidea hadn't given much thought to her hair since she had been imprisoned. She attempted to run her fingers through it, only to be met with resistance from the matted tangles that had formed over the weeks. A tinge of sadness washed over her as she realized the extent of the damage, but she dismissed the emotionally-driven response in favor of a more pragmatic one. Hair grows. There was no reason for her to be upset.

"Let's just cut it."

Crystal offered no response as she finished her grinding and stood up. Extending a hand, she offered to help Lidea up as well.

"No need for such drastic measures. Let's focus on getting you clean for now."

Lidea was surprised by the relief that flooded through her at those words. Apparently, she cared more about her hair than she had been willing to admit to herself. Yet, the surge of emotion left her feeling somewhat pathetic.

It was just hair.

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She hesitated briefly before accepting the healer's hand. She feared that her shorter stature might cause her to stumble, but she didn't want to offend her by rejecting the help. Her concerns turned out to be unnecessary, as Crystal exerted such force while pulling her up that she nearly lost her balance and stumbled into the pool. The shock at the healer's strength must have been evident on her face, as Crystal flashed a knowing smile.

I forgot, she isn't human.

"As I mentioned, it's best that we do this quickly to prevent you from catching a cold. Just discard your clothes on the floor; I have something clean for you to wear, for now."

Lidea nodded and waited for the woman to leave before she could start to undress, but to her surprise, Crystal showed no intention of leaving.

"I can wash myself."

The two women locked eyes, until eventually, Crystal averted her gaze first.

"Are you sure? I'll be right outside the door in case you need anything."

Lidea couldn't help rolling her eyes before waving away her concerns.

"I am sure. I won't take long, no need to fret."

Although unconvinced, Crystal unpacked the clothing and placed a bar of soap on the ledge next to the pool.

"Alright, I'll leave everything here. Just leave your hair for now; I'll assist you with it later. Remember, if you need anything at all, just call out. And don't stay in the water for too long!"

Lidea struggled to suppress a grin at the woman's unnecessary fussing.

"I understand."

Crystal held her gaze for a moment, seemingly ensuring that Lidea had grasped her instructions, before finally leaving the room. Alone at last, Lidea began to undress, relieved to shed the clothes she had worn since her imprisonment. It puzzled her that Crystal hadn't removed them while she was unconscious, but she assumed the healer had her reasons.

Sitting on the edge of the pool, Lidea dipped her legs into the water before gradually submerging the rest of her body. The coldness rushed over her, causing her skin to prickle, and although not pleasant, it felt more soothing than if the water had been warm. As if its freshness was able to erase all that had happened to her through the last months or even years.

Not doubting that Crystal would come back in if she did not finish swiftly enough, Lidea grabbed the soap and started scrubbing herself. Soon the water had turned a pale brown as she got rid of most of the filth. She pulled her hair forward over her shoulder and frowned at the big clump of matting that her braid had turned into. Unsure if she could wet the bandage around her eye, she opted to rinse as much of her hair as possible without having to submerge herself.

She finished just in time, as her skin was starting to turn numb. Climbing out of the bathe, she hurried to dry herself, rubbing warmth back into her limbs as her teeth rattled.

Then, she turned her attention to the clothing that Crystal had left. A men's brown leather trousers were accompanied by a pale yellow doublet that astounded Lidea with its softness. Although both items lacked any decoration, she could still recognize that they were of high quality and must have cost a fortune. She wondered where the healer had gotten them from, as they were certainly not hers and seemed to be a bit different from the style popular among the knights of Lynoës.

"Everything all right in there?" Crystal's voice sounded as Lidea finished dressing, laying one of the towels around her shoulders to protect the precious item from the dirty and sodden hair.

"Yes, I'm done. The clothes are great, thank you."

The healer entered and looked critically at her outfit. "As expected, it is a bit big on you, but it will have to do for now. I will ask Warchief to get you something new soon. Remind me to measure you when we get back to the infirmary."

Lidea felt deeply uncomfortable with the idea of them giving her even more. They had already saved her life, and she was staying here for free. She couldn't ask any more from them as she had nothing to repay them with. Unless they did all this to try and convince her to go along with their plan.

"This is plenty. Thank you, but I don't need more."

Crystal snorted as she repacked her bags and then picked up the mortar with oil. "You really do need more. I'm not about to let you run around camp in a man's ill-fitting hand-me-downs. Also, how long do you think your current outfit will stay clean for? You need at least four sets of clothing to be comfortable."

Lidea considered whether she should mention how she had been wearing mostly men's clothing since her teens, finding them to not only fit better but also be more flexible and suitable for her lifestyle. Even when she found women's clothing made for working outside, they seldom fit her tall frame. Deciding against antagonizing the healer, she hoped that honesty would make Crystal understand her position.

"It isn't that I don't understand your point. It just doesn't sit well with me as I have nothing to repay you or Warchief with."

Lidea could see a flash of understanding in the woman's eyes, which caused her to turn serious. "Never feel indebted to us, Lidea. It was never our intention to force your hand. If I can be blunt with you, I would rather you choose to leave. Even if it isn't in our best interest, it is in yours to stop fighting. Find a peaceful place and build yourself a life worth living, away from violence and death. We might have to fight, but you are not like us. Anyway, we aren't so barbaric that we would send a young girl on her way with nothing."

Her words sounded sincere, and Lidea felt touched and a bit guilty about how she kept looking for ill intentions from the healer. However, she couldn't help but snort at Crystal calling her a 'young girl' despite them being around the same age.

"In that case, I will gladly accept your offer. Although I insist that the clothes are whatever you have at hand. I have a talent for destroying them, so there is no reason for you to go and spend so much money on me."

"You are so stubborn! They will be new, just accept it. Come now, so I can try to detangle that bird's nest of yours. The men will start training soon, so I thought you might want to watch."

The idea of watching them train piqued Lidea's interest, and she nodded while still chuckling at the healer's frustrated outburst. She came to the startling realization that she enjoyed annoying the healer as much as Warchief and Crystal had seemed to enjoy infuriating her.

Maybe it is contagious.