(Leap Of Faith) A Hot Bath and Some Self Medication

[Moria Black]

Timestamp: Sundown , Second Brightening in the Second Cycle of Melora, in the season of Winter
Era I of the Celestine Manadate, Era XV Post Fractum


Moria enjoyed walking through the rain , other people rushed inside but the lost Rhagrnd reveled in it. The tempurature was so hot compared to the cold mountains she was used to, but the rain cooled her down . She was actually so enarmored with the rain that she had got quite lost wandering around the streets of her new home. She stopped and looked around sevral times to try and get her barrings but to no avail.

She need to find a Inn of some kind, to clean herself up, sleep off the beating she took, and hopefully rememeber how she got here. She did finally find the Inn after wandering around for about and hour after sundown. By the she was quite wet and cold , not that it bother her.

The Inn was rather crowded she assumed because of the rain , loud and noisey. Full of jollly drunks and lusty adventures looking to pick a fight. The smell of human sweat, waste , and drink nearly gaged her but she managed to make up to the bartop and catch the barkeeps attentions.

The barkeep on duty tonite was a dark haired women , proably Kemite, who didn't lack curves or pretty smiles. Most the men at the bar where vying for her attention. Lucky Moria got her attention and asked for room . The barmaid took a while to consider and Moria almost passed out. The noise and the smells weren't helping her aching head.

" Sure I got a room for you darlin' going rate is a 100 crown a night ," she paushed and looked Moria over , " But you look like you deserve a discount 50 crowns gives you a place to stay for the night. What do you say?"

Moria nodded and put her coin on the bartop, " Deal.." the barmaid was proably swindling her but the pale haired women didn't care . She just wanted a place to stay that wasn't wet and didn't reek of horse maniure . The barkeep took her oin and handed Moria the key ,

"Room six up the stairs and to the left," the barkeep looked at her again , " You sure you'll be alright?"

Moria turned away before she could answer. She climbed the stairs slowly one at a time and found her room. She turned the key and opened the door. She step and once the door was locked , Moria collasped on the floor in a broken little heap. And that is where she stayed.

[Moria Black]

Moria woke up stiff and dirty . She stared at the celing for a mintue trying to remeber where she was , she sighed and began to notice the running promblem with her memory. Counldn't remember how she got the bumb on her head, now she couldn't remember where she was at.

After a few moments she remeber yesterday but not much past that, frustrating as it was it was all she had at the moment. She got up and went into the bath . There was a piece of polished metal hung on the wall that served as a makeshift mirror . She exiamened the gash on her temple and blew out a sigh of relief it wasn't infected and it didn't need stiches. She hated giving herself stiches , it was painful and messy and her stiches where always uneven. She found a clean cloth and cleaned it up ans best she could without water, atleast all the dried blood was off.

She was still exaiming the wound when a knock rang through her room. She jumped and after cursing herself for being so jumpy calmly walked to the door .

" Coo 'ur up early Miss. Mos' people I wait on ain't even up by midday . But not you, 'ur up with the **** you are ," Moria had opened the door to a very small person , a maid of some sort she couldn't have been more than 12. The girl breezed past Moria and kept talking, " That's a nasty cut you got on 'ur 'ead there. Kitty, she's the barmaid, Kitty mentioned you las' night . Said you 'ardly said but two words to 'er. Thought it was awfully rude, what with her giving you a discount and all . But she had me come 'ere anyways on account of you didn't look so good. I brought you some breakfeast ." The girl lifted the tray she was holding higher to show Moria. " I'll just set it on the bed here , and then I'll come back with some hot water fer 'ur bath. "Cuse me.." and the girl walked back out the door. Moria arched an eyebrow and dissmissed all of what just happened and turned back to the tray on the bed. It smelt wonderful. A few slices of ham, a nice selction of fruit , some fresh bread , hardboiled eggs, and most wonderful of all orange juice. Moria had only ever had it once before , Immediatly after leaving the mountains she came upon a vilage and that's where a local farmer gave her lodgings his wife had fixed her breafeast like this. Back home fruit didn't grow so orange juice was luxury she savored. Moria dug in savoring the wonderful tastes smells and textures of the food infront of her. By the time the maid came back she was nearly done.

" Somebody was 'ungery I see. Good thing I brought that food up with me or you ight 'ave eaten me instead." The girl giggled in an annoying manner and took the two buckets of steaming water into the bathroom. Moria didn't move but watched from the bed where she sat. After the girl poured the two buckets in the tub she came back out, " Coo you looks like one 'um statures like by the fountain. Ain't moved and inch since I walked in here," she stopped and paushed and approached Moria the way one would a wild animal. " Now Miss Kitty said you might have one of them cuncsion things and that I wasn't to leave you alone for even a minute other wise you might go to sleep and not wake up, sos I gots to stay with you until you leave. The Kitty says your nots our promblem any more."

Moria looked at the little girl again, she looked like she was afraid Moria would tear her to pieces. She smiled and shruged. Then she got up and marched to the bathroom, not noticing the little shadow behind her. She started to undo her hair when she felt a little pair of hands unbuttoning the back of her pants . Moria twisted around with an angery look on her face that would have sent the strongest of men cowering in some corner but not this little girl, " Now don't look at me like that Miss. I work here at the Inn not the Pleasure District. I ain't got nufin funny in mind . But you can't very well take a bath with 'ur clothes on . Besides Kitty offered me 25 coin ifin I help you out this mornin. 25 coin ! Thats' what i make in a whole week. I can't turn that down." The girl paushed to take a breath , " Now either you be nice and let me help you out or I'll hog tie you and scub the flith off you me self. Do We have and accord?" Moria sighed and let the girl undress her and lead her to the bath tub like some old women. She sank into the bath tub and tried to relax but then the girls tiny hands where ontop of her head pushing her down into the water. Moria tried to fight back but slipped and submerged into the water. Then the girl pulled her back up by the hair, not being gentle at all . this processed countined several times , making moria feel like a smelly dog. Finally she got her berrings, stood up in the tub and after much sputering she said,

" What the Hell is wrong with you ?!" she pushed the wet hair from her eyes to glare at the girl. " Your supposed to be helping me not drowning me."

The tiny girl glared back , " I was 'elping you. It aint my fault that you smell like a dead dog. Now sit down before you slip and hit your head again."Moria glared at the girl a while longer and decided there was no point in agruing with someone so infurating. So she sat back down in the tub. and let the girl wash her.

The girl produced a bar of sweet smelling soap and chattered on while she washed Moria's hair . Moria closed her eyes and tuned her out letting her tired muscles relax.