And so the story goes on…
Day 56: Anna shed her clothing and stepped into the bath.
Anna shed her clothing and stepped into the bath. The fragrant water felt glorious on her skin. While the cleansing spell took away dirt and sweat, leaving her clean, there was something simply magnificent about being able to run a soapy cloth over her skin. When she felt clean again, Anna lay back in the tub letting the warmth of the water sink into her bones.
While her muscles were sore from her travels, the last few nights had been cold and she felt as though she carried that cold with her nestled against her bones. The warmth of the water broke that up like the spring thaw and floated the internal ice away.
As she bathed, Anna let thought go, content to simply be for the moment. No plans, no expectations, just the warmth of the water soothing her cold and tired body.
Eventually the water cooled and with a sigh, Anna stood. She pulled the plug out of the drain and wiped down the tub so it would be ready for her next use. She then wrapped her fluffiest towel around her body and used a smaller one for her hair. Anna dried herself, leaving her hair bundled up in the towel while she slipped into the softest garments she owned. Usually she left this set for summer use as the thin fabric was perfect for sleeping in the hot and muggy summer nights. However today, she wanted the softness.
‘And I’ll be sleeping in my bed tonight, under the blankets.’
The thought sent her yawning and even though it was still early and thoughts of a good meal cooked in the kitchen flitted through her mind, the call of sleep was too much to resist. Anna unwound the towel from around her hair and hung it up to dry. Her hair was damp but not dripping. She combed it through and set the comb to the side, her yawns too much to ignore. Anna pulled back the covers, slipped inside and lay down.
‘I’ll look in on Marcus after a little nap,’ she told herself as she snuggled deep under the blankets.
Anna was soon asleep. She slept dreamlessly until morning.
As the first light of the day tinted the windows a molten gold, Anna stretched. She luxuriated in the softness of her bed after so many nights on the hard ground and marveled at the length of time she managed to sleep. She slid out from under the covers, went to the bathroom to relieve her self and then washed her face. The cold water took the last of the sleep from her eyes and Anna felt the last dregs of her tiredness fall away.
With them gone, her belly protested her ignoring it for too long and she shuffled to the kitchen. Anna quickly made herself a bowl of porridge and liberally draped it with honey. She wished she had cream to add, but there was none left in her kitchen. Anna brewed a strong cup of tea and took her breakfast to the table.
It felt like pure luxury to sit at a table and eat a bowl of something hot instead of chewing on a travel bar while walking. She enjoyed the travel bars and knew they had all of the nutrients and calories she needed for a day of travel, but they still left her feeling somehow unsatisfied. She was certain the bowl of porridge lacked something as it had no additives to make it nutritionally complete, but the warm bowl was soothing to her soul.
‘I’m going to need to go shopping though,’ she told herself.
Ten til Midnight 