As rough as Briar was with her words, it was enough to help Polly feel a bit better. Her sobbing eased, and she was soon trying to climb out of Dirk's arms.
"Easy now," Dirk warned, "don't slip and crack your head on the rocks."
He gently set Polly down beside him, and immediately started to take off the gloves to give to Briar. Dirk set them beside her, and went to his bag to fetch implements for tending hair. He didn't use them often himself, only when he trimmed his own hair every month or so.
The shears, brush, and comb, were all recent acquisitions. The plastic ones he'd had before were damaged by the cold when he had gone far to the north. These ones, crafted from bone, antler, and porcupine quills, as well as silver for the shears, were much more durable, and weather resistant. Polly's hair was so matted and snarled, it would take a decent effort to untangle. So much of it was damaged and broken, it would be many different lengths. It would have to be cut to look at all normal. Luckily, hair would grow back.
With the hair tools handed over, Dirk climbed from the water to fetch the bundle of laundry he'd brought. He pulled a washboard from the haversack, and went to work scrubbing his clothes and bloody apron, Briar's clothing, and now the tattered mess that was Polly's old dress. It didn't take long to do once he decided to use his bracers again, and soon he was peeling off his translucent garb to scrub as well. Once it all had been washed, Dirk stood nude in the warm sun, hanging the wet laundry on his heating rack. The glistening wet muscles in his back caught the sun as he shook and straightened the clothes so that they would dry quickly and evenly. He turned back to the basin when he was done, catching Briar staring at him. She seemed to do that a lot when she thought he wasn't looking, and Dirk wondered what sort of plot she was scheming.
For now, Briar was being kind and helpful. Tending to Polly was probably a bit nerve wracking with the prospect of experiencing the girls trauma. For the first time he admired Briar, and so he took a moment, standing naked in the sun, to really admire her. She was a beautiful, if rough, creature. He also took that time to actually look over Polly. He hadn't had time to inspect her during the rescue, and had decided to give her space for now.
Rinsed of the majority of the grime that had covered her before, Polly was quite pretty. Pale olive skin, Raven black hair, and bright grey eyes. Most of the swelling in her lips was gone, and he could see that they were full and plump. Her nose was sharp but small, her cheek bones pronounced in a way that brought attention to her eyes. Her eyebrows were thick, but grew neat and mostly even, and as the bruises around her eyes healed, they would do more to enhance her beautiful eyes. She was definitely no older than fifteen, maybe sixteen, as she did have a somewhat womanly figure, though her frame was sleight and she showed signs of malnutrition. She was just a touch taller than Briar, and though her bust was somewhat small, her breasts were noticeably larger than Briar's as well. The girl shivered. With both the sun and water warm, and barely a breeze to be felt through the trees, it was likely the trauma she'd endured. Her face was mostly downcast, but she did flit furtive glances at their surrounds, searching for an imagined threat.
Dirk stepped down into the water again, sitting just out of reach of the girl. She stared at him, with a mixture of fear and awe, that made him feel sad, and a bit uncomfortable. Her mouth twitched, and then formed into a demure smile for just a moment before she covered her face with her hands and trembled more fiercely. Dirk didn't know what that was about, but with the awkward moment passed, he decided to wash, while Briar warred with tangles of hair.
