Back to a Dangerous Land (DragonSong)

[Kingfisher]

Joshua, for all his inexperience, recognized Tara's reluctance; to some degree he actually shared it.  Sliding in close behind her, his arms crossed around the bard's waist.  As always, his body radiated heat beyond the norm, even through the kiss he placed on her neck.  He decided to try and mimic the young woman's humor as he said, "Probably for the best.  Don't want to feed the gossips, do we?"

A sound of falling wood drew the smith's attention towards the front area of the tent, and breaking from his companion, he poked his head out to see a camp steward pouring water into a large wood basin.  A few more maids shuttled in more hot water as the first woman said, "Mister Wolfram thought you and your guest might like a bath this morning.  It should only take a moment to get things ready."

Joshua did not speak immediately, glancing toward Tara, who was still invisible to those getting ready.  The maid began to hurry the others, adding, "Should the young lady like to bathe first while the gentleman waits, or...?"  There were a number of other options the woman was too proper to admit in the company of chatty young girls.

The smith could tell the question was spoken for Tara's benefit and inwardly thanked her as he looked to Tara for her intention.  "I could step out for a while.  There are always chores I could do around camp."  He spoke in a manner that made it hard to necessarily tell who he was speaking to, capitalizing on the servant's discretion.

[DragonSong]

A shudder rippled through Tara's whole body as his lips brushed against her neck. Immediately on its heels, she tensed, glancing down to where his arms clasped around her waist. She forced herself to chuckle a bit at his joke and nodded, trying to control her suddenly erratic heartbeat.

"Right, of course not."

She breathed a small sigh of relief when he moved toward the tent flap to see what was going on outside. A little closeness could be a dangerous thing, apparently. How had she forgotten that?

The sudden reminder somehow didn't stop her from suggesting blandly, "I mean, if you're alright with it I don't see the point to waste the hot water. I don't mind sharing."

Wow, that was stupid.

[Kingfisher]

The suggestion caught the smith off guard and he visibly blushed.  The maid on the other hand, broke into an almost exaggerated laugh that drew the pair's attention.  "I won't fault you two if ya do."  Glancing past Joshua, she further addressed the bard; "Not like I've never felt randy myself."

The suggestive comment caused the smith's blush to flare more as he sputtered.  "That's not what she said!"  It took all his will to not look to Tara for some cue to indicate her full meaning though and a part of him wondered, or perhaps hoped it was what the maid assumed.

"Doesn't need to say it to mean it," the maid reminded, as though reading Joshua's thoughts.  "Seem you two aren't bein' honest with yourselves so I may just leave you to it."  Leaving behind a tray of soaps, the maid quickly darted through the flap of the tent, even as Joshua rushed to overtake her.

He failed, coming up short at the entrance before eventually turning back to his companion.  He coughed awkwardly before finally mustering the courage to speak.  "I guess we won't be getting help bathing," he observed.  It was a dumb comment but was all he could come up with for the time being.

[DragonSong]

Tara quirked an eyebrow and smiled a little crookedly at him. "Do you usually need help bathing?" she quipped lightly.

She seemed to consider for a moment, then gave a mental shrug and moved toward the wooden tub, trailing her fingers through the water and deciding the temperature was suitable. Without bothering to look at her companion, she started to strip briskly, noting, "I meant what I said. Water will only stay hot for so long-- I don't mind sharing."

She didn't bother to mention that either one of them could probably heat the water up again with magic if it did cool; she found herself almost saying the words as though she was offering a challenge.

She slipped out of her underthings and paused, her head turning just slightly to glance at him over her shoulder. Waiting to see what he would do. 

[Kingfisher]

For a moment, Joshua could do nothing more than watch as his companion disrobed, before he remembered it was improper to stare.  Turning, the smith began to undress as well.  He was distracted, unable to think to correct Tara's assertion before dropping his pale shorts.

Despite his perpetual embarrassment, Joshua held the flap open as he peered out, finding the tent as empty as before, then gesturing for the bard to join him.  The wooden tub had fairly low walls but seemed just large enough to barely fit the pair.  Steam rose gently from the warm fluid but the fire mage tested the water to ensure it was the right heat.  He found soap and some other cleaning items set aside on a nearby stool and slid it within reach of the basin before awkwardly returning his attention to Tara.

After a moment of pause, he said, "Right...um...did you...want to get in first?"  The man knew he had to stop thinking about it, as every second that passed made this feel like an increasingly worse idea...

[DragonSong]

Already waiting by the wooden tub, Tara allowed her eyes to move up and down Joshua when he approached, almost appraising.

Slowly, cautiously, as though approaching a frightened animal, she stepped around the tub to stand in front of him, arms folded loosely in front of her body. She kept her eyes on his face— though whether that was really for his benefit or hers she really couldn't say.

"If you're uncomfortable, I can wait behind the divider," she murmured after a moment, not answering his question but rather seeming to rescind her own unspoken challenge.

[Kingfisher]

Joshua had trouble finding a response to the woman's advances, or her offered 'out.'  He knew that taking turns would be far less awkward but did not which to part either.

"No," the smith finally replied nervously, before taking Tara's small hand.  "Stay."  He tried to coax her into the water, letting himself sink down.  As expected, there was just enough space for the pair to share the warm water if she sat in Joshua's lap.

[DragonSong]

Tara flinched slightly when he took her hand, and for a moment she just stared down at it in silence. Then, slowly, she allowed him to guide her into the water.

There really wasn't any space for her to be anywhere but pressed against him, but she tried to arch her back just slightly to at least create the illusion of some distance between them.

But despite the sudden tension in every line of her body, the hot water felt positively divine. She sighed quietly and let her eyes drift closed for a moment. She shifted slightly, moving to lean up against the side of the tub, and rather abruptly realized that she'd never let go of Joshua's hand.

A very faint flush crept up her neck and she disentangled their fingers carefully, then forced a quiet laugh. "We'll never get anything done if we can't use both hands," she murmured, trying to keep her tone playful but not sure that she quite managed it.

[Kingfisher]

Joshua acknowledged the bard's intent, muttering, "Right; of course," before letting go.  The smith turned away for a moment, evading the moment of humiliation while also retrieving the soap round, as well as a palm-sized brush, from the nearby stool.

Nervously, the smith shifted back so that he could sit facing Tara as he began to build a lather with the supplies.  "I-if you turn around, I can reach your back," he offered.  There were other tools as well: combs and a hair-brush, ear-spoons, nail-picks, -trimmer and file to name a few...

That aside, the pair's mutual nudity pushed Joshua to hurry, lest his interest be revealed unnecessarily....

[DragonSong]

"...Alright."

It sent every single one of her instincts firing into intense wariness, but Tara put her back to the smith and reached up to pull her damp hair over one shoulder. She inhaled, reaching up to comb her fingers through her hair almost in a nervous gesture, then forced herself to release the breath with a soft shudder and slight release of tension.

It would be so, so easy for Joshua to break that comb off in the back of her neck, go for her throat and she wouldn't have time to avoid the attack.

He's not going to hurt you, she told herself firmly, clenching her hands in her lap under the water. He's not going to hurt you, this is fine...

Repeating that mantra silently, Tara reached out to pick up the comb and began running it through her hair slowly, trying to focus on keeping her breathing even.

[Kingfisher]

Joshua did his best to focus on only the most immediate task, rubbing the soap against Tara's skin using the brush to drag out the grime of their earlier journey.  He first cleaned the areas that Tara would likely have difficulty reaching and move outward.  She could stop him at any time but it seemed she was content to let him work.

Still, he had expected he to handle her own...front, and was at a loss when it seemed his chosen task seemed half done.  Before long, though, the smith reached for a nearby bowl and scooped water against the bards to rinse away the filth, before offering the simple cake of soap to Tara.  "Could you get my back, too?" he asked, though he secretly hoped a reversal in their position would put her at ease.

[DragonSong]

Gradually, almost despite herself, Tara began to relax under the gentle attention. She allowed  him to move over most of her back, sort of absently scrubbing at her face and neck.

Then he offered her the soap, apparently giving her her own turn in this odd game of trust and nerve, and she nodded, taking it. "Turn around," she murmured, twisting in her own spot carefully so she could face him.

[Kingfisher]

Turning away from Tara gave the smith a chance to obscure himself.  For all his emotional turmoil, he was able to easily drift though the rigors of his bath, using a handful of lather to wash most of himself, even kneading the substance into his scalp.  Gradually, the water darkened as the soap pulled more and more dirt away form their skin and hair.

Still, his mind ventured toward awkward fantasies that took every ounce of discipline to try and ignore.  The pair likely had other things to do that day and remaining too absorbed by this intimacy...Joshua quickly forced his thoughts elsewhere.

[DragonSong]

As before, the rhythms of a familiar activity were oddly soothing, and after a few moments Tara found herself relaxing slowly. Her eyes occasionally flickered toward his hand, still instinctively preparing for him to make a sudden move, but consciously she found that...well, she actually wasn't all that worried about it.

Eventually, she laid the soap on the side of the tub and simply sat behind him with her hands resting flat against his back for a long moment.

Then, moving almost dazedly, she leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to the nape of his neck before allowing her cheek to come to rest between his shoulder blades. "...Done."

[Kingfisher]

Despite the growing intimacy of their moment, a deeply pessimistic part of Joshua's subconscious told him that he should stop this.  His awkwardness was reveals in a sudden tension pulling through his naked back; he doubted Tara would fail to notice.

Still, she had kissed him.  It was a new experience and the smith was unsure how to respond - he was content to let the bare relax a moment.  Eventually, though, he turned, darkenning water churning around them as he came to face his companion, putting an arm around her waist.  It was a spur of the moment response as leaned in to return her intimate gesture.

[DragonSong]

Tara's eyes widened--she probably shouldn't have been surprised, but somehow she still was. Maybe she just hadn't thought he'd be bold enough to return the strangely intimate gesture, even if--despite the fact they were both naked in a bath--the contact between them was still rather chaste.

She sort of hitched up against him, not sure herself if she was really trying to lean into his chest or lean away from his arm.

"Joshua..." Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips instinctively, but they were so close that even that tiny movement caused her bottom lip to brush against his. She froze, unsure and awkward in the sudden increase in intimacy. It was a rather new experience for her.

[Kingfisher]

Though she had leaned in close, Joshua could feel a moment's discomfort flow through Tara, made more obvious by her nudity.  This, combined with his own nervousness, guided the smith away, hands sliding up to her shoulders as he leaned back.  With a moment to think, the smith realized how unprepared he was and gave an awkward cough before turning way from his companion.

He was about as clean as he could be and said as much, rising out of the tub.  "I'll let you finish up..." he added before grabbing a thick towel and walking toward the divider, slipping into his quarters again.  He needed to dress, as well as calm himself down; he was turning somewhat red despite himself...

[DragonSong]

A soft, shuddering sort of sigh that might have been relief or disappointment--and she really couldn't tell which--shivered its way through Tara's body as she sat back and averted her eyes while he climbed from the tub.

"Right. I'll just...be a few more minutes," she mumbled, hoping she sounded at least a bit more relaxed than she feared she did. She waited until he had vanished behind the divider before rising herself, quickly making her way back to her side of the tent to dry herself off and dress.

She was blushing. She never blushed.

Gods be damned pyromancers...

[Kingfisher]

Once he had done up the last button of his yellow doublet, Joshua was reluctant to pass through the improvised washing area but knew that staying and listening to Tara bathe would only fluster him further.  Talking a calming breath, the now dressed smith steeped back out, steeping toward the tub.  "I was going to see if there was work to do for the Guard..."

It was an awkward thing to explain in context but once said, Joshua made his stiff way toward the entrance...

[DragonSong]

"Wait."

Tara stood from the tub, having snatched up one of the towels that had been left and wrapping it rather haphazardly around herself. She just stared at her companion for a moment, then shook her head and glanced away, a hint of color dusting her cheeks.

"Just...gimme a few minutes so I can get dressed and go with you." Trying for her usual sardonic smirk, she added, "Who knows what trouble you could get into without me?"

Please don't leave me alone. I don't know these people, I don't know what I'm doing, I...I'm scared. Don't leave me here alone.

She didn't say any of that, of course, just picked her way out of the tub and back behind the dividing curtain so she could dress herself. She wasn't sure if Joshua would humor her or not, but...well, she could hope.