Chapter 60 - Fifty-Eight

Before I got closer to my brother I stopped behind a pillar being covered by its branches, trying to catch my breath and get back to my normal color, brushing my hair back up and fixing my clothes.

What… What just happened?

Did… did I just…

As the very vivid fresh memories flooded my mind quickly I blushed once more, having to hold it down as to not have another problem down there.

I put my hands on my face, trying to stop myself from blushing, so embarrassed yet… so light.

My thoughts did not go further down the rabbit hole as my brother appears down the hall, with a pouting expression and teary eyes.

"Broother! The horsies are meany! They-they bite my ears and hair like they were grass! Is all nasty and smelly now! And, and… they started pooping out of nowher- wait, you smell funny."

At that my ears stand on alert and my eyes widen, but I caught myself fast and try to relax my expression.

"Well, you don't smell like flowers either."

"Tsk, meany, that's not what I meant!" He says, bumping my shoulder with his hand. "Still, are you ok? You are all red and sweaty, are you overheating or something?"

"What? No! I just-"

"Oh, there you two were! We were looking for you!"

I stay still at that, tensing up as Aeglos voice sounds from behind me. We? I have no courage to look back as Aeglos passes me and goes to Hunthor at the same time that I feel a presence behind me, so close that I could feel the warmth of his body engulfing mine.

I didn't turn; and didn't need too to know who it was, his smell was engraved in my mind.

"So, what were you two up too?"

"Oh, Agy, I was telling that my brother doesn't look so well."

Agy?

"Oh, right, he looks a little red, and is sweating-"

"Yeah, and he smells funny! Actually…" He sniffs the air, coming closer with his arms behind his back and his tail wiggling. "Leo is smelling the same way too…"

Ahhh! What do I do, what do I do?

"It must have been the products we used." Nice save Leo!

"Uhm…But why is the smell coming from your c-"

"You-Just! Just shut up! Just stop talking will ya?!"

"No! You don't tell me what to do!" He says, showing his tongue to me.

Oh no he didn't just do that. I narrow my eyes at him and he knows that he is in trouble.

"Oh really? What made you suddenly be this bold uhm…?"

"Oh, no, is just that, is a joke, a joke right? Ha, haha."

We stare at each other down.

Then I jump up at him, screaming: "Attack!" My hands in claws form as I start tickling him as he tried to wiggle away, out of breath, ending with him kicking me back and jumping at Aeglos, hiding behind him.

"Agy! Save me!"

"Oh no, there is no salvation for you now!" I say, circling around Aeglos to catch him, until he sees that he wouldn't be able to escape like this so he runs away.

And hides behind Leo.

I wasn't prepare to have his presence so soon, so close to… to that, so I stop once his eyes lock on mine, a mischievous look on them.

I would have stayed stuck there for eternity; and ran away from any movement he could have done forward; if my brother didn't choose that moment to come out from his back and throw a fireball at my face.

The nerve that one had!

Coughing the smoke away, with my tail and ears high up in the air I close my hands into fists, ready for a good chase.

"Now, now, you two, please don't burn the place down will you?" Say Aeglos, trying to calm us down, going sideways and waving Hunthor towards him. We keep staring each other down, tails wiggling, but he ended up beside Aeglos again as he passes his arm over my brother's shoulder and start stroking his neck.

What the heck…!

I was about to protest; and separate them not so nicely; when Leo stood by my side and did the same.

Hell, his touch, is just… heck, I couldn't think straight like this, with his body so close to mine and his long fingers tracing my neck like this.

There is another someone who is getting bold now isn't he?

Even worst is that he was so close that any movement from my tail was bound to touch him, and not in the friendly of places…

So behave tail!

"How about a bath then? We could all use one…" The hidden meaning behind his words almost made me shiver, but made me lose the knowing look that was exchanged between Aeglos and him

"Yay, swimming! I really need to get this horse smell out of my hair too!" Says my brother, all cherry and merry, unaware of the second meaning that their words were starting to care.

Quick to recover from anything he steps up and grabs my hand, giddy saying: "Let's go brother! Bath time~~ warm water~~" He starts to point out all the good point of a bath in a sing-song voice; thankfully not singing, ugh; as he hopped around the halls while dragging me with him.

Then he stops, making me bump on his back as he turns around, lowers his ears and looks away, shyling saying:

"Whe-where is the bath?"

I almost snort at that, if only I knew where the baths were; we had walked all the front part of the building to get here to the quarter rooms part, so probably on the back? Makes sense to be closer to the rooms for sure.

"Probably on the back I think." I look back too only to have both nodding at me, my eyes quickly passing towards Leo's figure.

My heart just skipped a beat there. Dumb heart, getting all giddy for nothing.

I let a smile appear on my face as we start to walk again, my brother humming all happy and still pulling me. Dumb dumb he is. My smile widens.

We start to smell water at the back, increasing our speed as we reach what seems to be the end of the building, a double white door that slides sideways standing in front as finally my brother let's go of my hand and opens it up.

And well… We both stood there, looking, as Aeglos and Leonel finally approach and do the same, looking inside the room… And I should have known that it would be like that right?

After all, if we needed to clean the place all up, the showers wouldn't be different… right?

Right.

It was similar to the one the elves had, thought smaller; it had a smaller place to clean yourself with buckets before entering the bath itself, like a lagoon with some human touches. There was a wooden surface that led towards it, plus covering the front, and the back had big stones with big bamboos covering the place up from prying eyes and encaging the water in, water that came from a bamboo piece.

But…

The water was all muddy, green and brown, somewhat tick and gross, probably from staying still for so long without care, plus all the muss on the rocks, though the building itself stayed intact beyond a layer of dust, no rotten places visible.

Maybe some kind of spell?

Uhm…

The biggest difference between this one and the elves is that it was technically inside the building, having a roof almost to the end and bamboo walls behind it all, enclosures it in and giving a more cozy atmosphere, plus being smaller.

Once we all look the place up I can feel the others are holding their breaths, waiting for someone to say something, knowing who and what they would say, but disliking it nonetheless.

"We need to clean this up." Says Leonel, earning growls and complains from us. "Now."

Unable to say otherwise; because this time I totally agree and really really wanted a warm bath in some clean water; it took us quite some time to get all in place, mostly because we needed to take the water off to clean the hole, and just then allow the water to come back in, which thankfully was clean after some jolts of dirty mud.

By now I was hungry, very tired and sleepy; since I was awake for, what, 32 hours? Don't even know anymore. But, most of all, I was hangry, so much that is worth to say twice, and mixed together even.

Ugh.

At least the place was clean… right?

We all stay standing, waiting for the water to fill up, and it gives a good feeling of accomplishment for having this place sparkling clean. We all look up towards Leo, who with a serious face, analyzing the place, passing his finger here and there, finally nods, earning cheers from us as me and my brother high five each other.

All happy and merry.

Until I see Leo smirking on the side, and amused look on his face, as his hands reach down and he starts to undress, giving me a full view of his toned abs and muscular chest.

Uhm…

I think taking a bath all together in this small place wasn't a good idea…?

Ha.

Haha…

Too late now…Shit.