Three days passed in agony. Every part of Beaux's body ached and groaned. The lack of sleep made his brain foggy, and senses dull. When a village rose in the distance, he believed it a mirage. The houses were made of wood and the road changed from dirt to cobblestone. The horses clacked as they pushed past the point of exhaustion. Their hooves a steady tempo against his rising heartbeat. Beaux had not visited this village before, it was completely unknown.
Lance shot from behind, skipping towards the houses joyfully.
"This is a Venu village!" He called behind him to the others.
Sandaval picked up speed and Beaux followed suit.
The houses were cramped and shoddy. Dark curly hair was on the head of every person he passed. Lance had spoken true, and was now chatting excitedly to a woman with a long scarf tied around her head.
He darted back to Beaux with a wide grin.
"I have an aunt who owns an inn here."
Beaux let out a long sigh of relief; a bath and hot meal was exactly what he needed. Behind them Kali and the others were eyeing the villagers with suspicion.
[Those three don't trust too easily.]
Some may have called the wooden home an inn, but it looked and felt more like a brothel. Beautiful women lined up across the front patio in slips and nightdresses. Beaux left his saddle and started leading his horse to the water trough nearby.
"This is not the type of place one can sleep in." Sandaval said, still on his horse. "It's clearly improper."
He might have agreed with Sandaval if it weren't for the thick layer of dirt under his nails and in his hair.
"Agree to disagree." Beaux followed Lance past the women who cooed and whistled.
Inside, there were more women lounged across beds and sofas smoking from long pipes and twirling hair around their fingers. Tapestries hung from every wall, depictions of the ocean and scantily clothed mermaids on large rocks. It smelled like incense and smoke.
A small old woman pushed a tapestry aside, and when she saw Lance there were shouts of joy. They spoke in the Venu language, but by the looks of it, this was the sought after aunt.
She was only just above Beaux's hip in height, but a long bejeweled pipe was in her finger. Trails of smoke surrounded her and Lance as they held hands and spoke lovingly. Her breasts were the largest Beaux had ever seen, pushing up out of the silk dressing gown she wore. It was broad daylight, and most of these women looked as if they were ready for bed at any moment.
"Would you have a few weary travelers at your fine establishment, madame?" Beaux asked politely, bowing his head in respect.
The woman looked to Lance and back at Beaux, then cackled like a witch.
"Many travelers come," she said, swinging the pipe towards the women, "we make them less weary, for a price. The question is can you pay?"
Lance squeezed her hand and spoke again in Venu.
[This is most definitely a brothel.]
"We only seek a place to bathe and eat madame." Beaux said, pointing behind him towards where Sandaval was lurking at the door. "I am prepared to spare a few cons for the inconvenience."
Women were already rushing towards Sandaval's side, pushing against him and writhing. He was clearly uncomfortable and trying to back out of the door.
The Madame whistled, and the ladies pushed aside leaving Sandaval to breathe in relief.
Her accent was thick through the smoke and heat.
"I like a reasonable man," she said in a near purr, "my nephew is always welcome, for you two there is a three copper fee. This discount is very generous because the blonde one is nice to look at."
She ashed her pipe in a nearby cup, and took another long drag. Beaux reached for his money pouch, but Sandaval pushed between them.
"We have three others in our party." He said between coughs, as the Madame blew a cloud into his face.
Beaux sighed, he was so close to ridding himself of those three mongrels. At least for a single night.
[Here Sandaval goes with the honor bullshit again.]
"I see only two strangers here, little boy," snapped the Madame "that is what I offer, take it or leave it. Your choice. Two beds, for two strangers.'
Beaux pushed the mumbling fool out of his way, and placed three copper in the woman's hand.
"You can sleep with them if you'd like," Beaux said to Sandaval harshly, "but I am in desperate need of a bath and a drink."
The Madame clinked the coins in her hand and smiled lazily.
"That is what I like to hear."
Sandaval stormed out of the front door, his anger rippling in waves. Their shoulders met with an aggressive slam. Beaux might've cared, if it weren't for the pleasant idea of resting his head on an actual pillow.
The room they were shown was bare except for a couple of soft mattresses placed on the floor, and blankets strewn around. The bath was another story, an unusual room that seemed to suggest that more than just baths happened there. Engraved into the floor was a square stone pool that steamed and made the air feel heavy. Occasionally, a woman with her eyes averted, would dump a boiling bucket of fresh water into the great bath. Keeping it hot.
Beaux stripped at a lightning pace, nearly diving head first into the hot water. Lance was trailing behind him, a bit nervous to go bare into the bath with Beaux.
"Get it over with Lance, I promise I won't judge." He said waving his hand behind him towards the boy.
Lance undressed at a slow pace, folding his clothes next to the awkward pile of Beaux's.
[What I wouldn't give to have one of these back home.]
Beaux frowned, it wouldn't matter what he wanted. There was no doubt that going to war marked the end of his life. A bath like that could never end up in the Poncè house because there would never be a chance for Beaux to build one. The thoughts were beginning to nibble at his heart, so he sank lower in the water trying to wash them away with the dirt under his nails.
"She's not really an aunt." Lance said, from the other side of the pool.
The steam was blushing his cheeks, and his curls were now soaked. Beaux sat straighter, pushing back his hair from his forehead.
"Oh? The resemblance was uncanny."
Lance stifled a laugh and splashed water in his face.
"She helped my family get to the Sow. Put in good words for us."
Beaux leaned his head back against the cool tile behind him looking up at the tile ceiling.
"How about Sandaval?" Lance asked, Beaux deeply did not want to think of him at that moment.
"I'll go looking for him later." He said, closing his eyes, and trying to let the heat fill every pore of his sore body.
[The bloody fool doesn't know what he's missing. If he wants to sleep out in the streets he can go right ahead. I'm not his damn mother.]
The idea of Sandaval's chivalry irked Beaux in a strange way.
[Why constantly play some heroic knight act?]
It was irritating the hell out of Beaux to feel like the one who'd given up his pride for bed and bath. While Sandaval would be in the streets, surely looking haggard but perhaps a bit more manly. Certainly, if something bad happened to the prick, the Sturruk family would pull their support. That was a chance not worth risking so Beaux sighed deeply, letting himself sink lower into the water.
[So there is no choice. I have to convince the idiot to take a bath and sleep at the damn brothel.]