Page 17 of A Soul to Guide

Even if she trusted that Merc wouldn’t spy on her like a face-pressing creep through the window, she didn’t want him accidentally seeing her from outside.

Knowing her chance at privacy could be limited, Raewyn got to work undressing. For the first time in three days, she removed her cloak, blindfold, and head wrappings.

She opened a jar of oil, poured a few drops into her palm, and rubbed her hands together until she’d smeared it evenly. She then worked it through her two braids, taking particular care with her hair to ensure it would continue to stay protected throughout their travels.

Once done, she wiped her body down. She also scrubbed at her eyes, noticing the sensitive skin on her face was irritated with tiny bumps from the blindfold.

The oil she’d used for her hair was also good for the skin, so she smeared a small amount across her face. She also took extra care with her feet, trying to soothe her blisters and the general aches she obtained just from walking on them. Even her knees got attention due to their stiffness.

The entire time, she listened carefully to make sure Merc hadn’t come back or called out to her. The floors were old and creaky, and that gave her comfort in her ability to sense him.

When she was clean from head to toe, she sat there on the ground for a long while with her knees to her chest.

I hate this,she thought as she rested her chin on her knees.I hate having to hide. It’s terrible for my skin, and it’s making this journey far more unpleasant than it needs to be.

If she could, she’d spend the night locked away in this room just to be free of her clothes and feel more like herself. But, when her ear twitched at a random noise outside, she sighed and reached for her dirty clothes.

With the last of the water, she scrubbed them clean with the bar of fabric soap she had. She left them in the water to soak as she pulled out clean clothes from her bag and dressed before wrapping her hair once more.

She threw on her cloak and a pair of socks, but she refused to put her shoes back on for now.

She opened the door, and while holding the pot of washed clothes, poked her head out. “Merc?”

She received no answer.

She made her way outside so she could wring her clothes of excess water and brought them back inside to dry them in front of the fire. She sat in front of it as well.

Just as she was wondering where Merc was, the chime of jingle bells moved around the house. At each corner, those chimes dwindled in number until the last one, and then there was complete silence, apart from her breathing and the low flames.

Footsteps creaked on the porch, and a gust of wind blew his fresh, clean-of-soot scent into the house.

“You’ve been gone a while,” she stated.

As usual, Merc grunted instead of replying. The door closed, and she followed the sound of his movements, mapping where he was in the house. The fire cracked when something large was placed inside it, likely more fuel.

Then he sat down against the wall next to the fireplace. Despite the size of the house, he’d chosen to sit relatively close to her.

“Why are you wearing your cloak?” She flinched when a fingertip brushed against her cheek, as though he was pushing the hood back. “We’re inside; you don’t need it.”

She shoved it back over her head properly.

“I just prefer to wear it,” she answered, before shining a smile his way.

His back shifted against the wall as though he’d leaned to the side to view her face better.

“What are you hiding under there? I didn’t expect to see you dressed from head to toe again.”

“I’m not hiding anything.” The lie wasn’t very convincing, especially since she’d said it rather defensively.

He sighed with true annoyance, as if his patience was wearing thin.

“You’re even wearing a new piece of material over your face. I’m sure it’s uncomfortable to wear all that. It’s summer, for pity’s sake. Most people bake in the heat even while wearing very little.”

“I get cold really easily,” she admitted. “Even now, I find it a little chilly in here.”

“I noticed you shiver a lot, but that still doesn’t explain why you are dressed for winter. No one is this cold during summer.”

“I-I heard you moving around the house before with bells. Why?”

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