"Speech"
"Others"
"Others"
Ssanya furiously shook her head at the notion that she was a carpenter's daughter, of all things. It took a lot of effort not to sigh with frustration - being a fake mute was more challenging than she would have imagined. Then again, as she looked down at the sheet with her minimal list of skills, it made sense that 'carpenter's daughter' was what Einar would imagine her to be. She should have agreed with him, but it was too late for a change of opinion. Ssanya ticked over what she could explain her skill set as, and settled for the job she'd taken when she had first moved to Alvadas, albeit somewhat begrudgingly.
She scrawled down the word artist -carver - beeds and necklases. That would have to suffice. She showed it to the man, to Einar, and then promptly stood up with a jolt as a loud knock came from the closed, ratty old door, followed by a voice and a crack of light as the door was nudged open.
"I've got your bath here. Food's coming soon." It was the innkeeper. At his feet, a small wooden tub bound in iron, was sloshing with water that was slightly steaming. A grey cloth hung over the edge, the hem damp with water that had already seeped into it. The man gestured to the Dhani woman impatiently. It took her a few ticks to realise he wanted her to carry the tub into the room, but when she understood what he meant she walked forwards and grabbed the handle and dragged the heavy tub into the room properly.
"Sir, you'll want to make sure your slave knows her place." He turned, almost confidentially, towards the grim-faced Einar and stood with his arms crossed as he delivered his small lecture from the doorway. The man's tone was warm and confiding, even stretching to fatherly if you used a bit of imagination, but his words were at odds with the cheery tone. "When y'haven't had a slave before it's difficult, but it's a slave's job to do things for you. Things will go better for both you and her if she knows that. Now, I'll get the maid to bring the food up in a short while- let you get settled again. Ta ra, and good evening." The innkeeper signalled his intent to leave with a small inclination of his head, and then he shut the door carefully behind him, leaving Einar and Ssanya alone with the steaming bath.
The Dhani only realised after the man had gone that her jaw was clenched so tight that her teeth were hurting. She breathed deeply, and then turned her gaze on Einar. She pointed at herself, and then at the tub, with her head tilted as if to ask, is this for me? If it was - and she assumed that it was given his previous statement - the woman glared at Einar as she began to take off her clothes in the grim hope he wouldn't ogle. Not that she was particularly bothered if he did. Nudity wasn't something she was that prudish about.
Besides, there wasn't much to see. She pulled the rough clothes from her body, revealing tan skin that was paler than it had been for some time. There were few, tiny scars across her body, and most of them were self-inflicted from her malediction practice's demand for blood. She climbed into the cramped bath, but there was little space, so her knees poked up from above the surface. It was just warm enough to be pleasant, but she hurried with her washing, keenly aware of the other person in the room and feeling horribly vulnerable.
"Meaning Through Death"
.