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I laid still for a while, and just enjoyed it. I didn’t want to wake her up. But as my sleepy state subsided, I remembered there was something I had to do. And it would be better to do it now, while Claire was still asleep.
Every morning, to prepare for the day ahead, I fetched water from the river. Today would be no different. There was no closer source of running water, so I was going to fill a large jug and keep it in the hut.
Claire needed to clean herself. None of her cuts and bruises seemed particularly dangerous, but I knew that it was always a good idea to keep wounds clean. Plus, after the rough day she’d had, I had a feeling that freshening up would make her feel better.
That created a bit of a conflict. I needed the water, of course. But I didn’t want to leave her alone in the hut. I hated leaving her here unsupervised, afraid she might take off.
Realizing that I’d woken up before her was a happy accident, but it did give me a certain advantage. Knowing that I could sneak out now, while she was asleep and unable to run, eased my mind. It just meant that I had to get going.
She’d healed enough that I was sure she’d escape if I gave her a chance. If she did, I knew there was no way I’d harm her. No matter what I had threatened her with earlier.
Mostly, I just didn’t want to give her a chance to leave, because I didn’t want her to go. I wanted to spend every second with her. Even going to the river seemed like an impossible distance, not because it was a far walk, but because I had to do it knowing that I was leaving her here. I just wanted to stay by her side, and only consoled myself with the thought that I wouldn’t really miss anything while I was gone.
Still, as I gazed at her peaceful face, watching her slumber, even missing out on this felt painful. I finally tore my eyes away from her, wanting to fetch the water sooner rather than later.
Besides,you’re doing it for her,I told myself.She’ll be happy to have a chance to clean up, and she needs fresh water for that.
I shut the door of the hut quietly behind me, taking care not to wake her. Outside, I picked up the large water jug. For cooking and drinking, I typically only needed a few gallons. Today I would fill the jug to the brim.
I trotted easily down to the river. It was only a little more than a mile away, a five-minute journey with my long legs. When I arrived, I submerged the jug, letting it fill up. Then I pulled it out of the water, placed it on my back, secured it with straps, and headed back to the hut.
I hadn’t been gone long, but I still felt anxious at being away. I kept reassuring myself that she probably hadn’t even noticed my absence. I let out a breath that I didn’t know I’d been holding when I entered the hut and found her still sound asleep.
I poured water into a large pot, hanging it over the fire to heat it. The remaining water I set aside, saving it for other needs later in the day.
When the pot began to bubble, I swung the iron rod out so that the pot was further away from the heat. This would keep it warm, but not boiling. The goal was to maintain a temperature that would be comfortable for Claire to bathe.
She began to stir a few minutes later. I laid a large, flat stone on the floor near her, and then set the pot of warm water on top of that. I dipped a cloth into the water, testing the temperature with my hand. Perfect.
She fully woke up while I was preparing. She sat up, eyeing me curiously.
“I warmed some water so that you can wash yourself,” I explained, holding up the cloth. She stood up, moving closer and peering into the pot.
Then she looked up at me. “Thank you. I’ll need some privacy, though.”
“What do you mean?”
She was inside. Wasn’t that privacy enough?
She blushed, and an attractive shade of red filled in her cheeks.
“I don’t want to get naked in front of you. You can’t be here when I take off my clothes.”
“Oh.”
Since my kind didn’t wear clothes, other than armor in battle, I hadn’t considered this. We didn’t have the same concern over modesty, and I’d forgotten that humans had such a bizarre moral code for clothing.
“I don’t know why humans wear clothes anyway,” I pointed out, voicing my thoughts. “They look uncomfortable. Why do you need to hide?”
Centaurs only bothered with clothes when they had a practical purpose, such as protection. Most human garments were so flimsy that they certainly weren’t offering any safety advantage.
She shrugged, looking frustrated. “I don’t know, we just do. And you can’t see it.”
“The best I can do is turn my back,” I offered.
I wasn’t going to leave her completely unattended here in the hut. The last time I did, she went rummaging through all my things!
She seemed to consider, and then nodded her agreement.
