The Shield Maiden stormed into the baths just as the Swordsman was leaving them clad in a long white Elven robe.

"Good morning, Serna. How goes it?"

"It goes," The Shield Maiden walked past him without even looking at him and into the baths closing the door behind her.

"What was that about?" Irzen asked shaking his head before he decided to listen to his stomach and follow his nose to the kitchens so he could get something to eat.

Serna dropped her shield, quickly disrobed and promptly jumped into the nearest hot bath she could find all without missing a step.

The Shield Maiden took her time both to calm down and to cleanse herself. Although she had to admit that the baths were lovely and this was exactly what she needed.

***

Alyson walked back in the palace with a very wet kurori that looked more like a cat who gotten a bath against her will. Caliaphy hung in sheer defeat defiantly with her arms still crossed with the biggest fat lip she could produce as they approached Lazheros looking out over the balcony.

"Alyson was MEAN to me, Bronze Man!" The kurori protested.

The bronze man looked in their direction and burst out laughing, "Hahahahaha! I see Alyson has bested you finally!"

"But--"

"I warned you several times Caliaphy, not to underestimate her." He calmed down enough gesturing towards the baths, "You will find Serna there."

"It shouldn't take too long giving this one a real bath, so she smells normal again," The elementalist smirked. ~The look on her face was priceless.~

Alyson continued on towards the baths with Caliaphy passing the swordsman on the way there, "You look better, Irzen."

"Thanks, I feel better too!" The Swordsman continued on towards the kitchens, "I'll see you guys later. Breakfast calls. By the way, what is that ungodly smell?"

"Oh? I gave Caliaphy here loooooooooong over due payback for all the times she bailed on me back in Asylum when I visited during the summer time." Alyson stepped to the side. "She smells of horse crap but when you came back from the battle field last night, you...you ah took the award for being ripe."

"If you say so," Irzen responded flatly.

"THIS isn't OVER!" Caliaphy protested again.

"I think War Scribe would approve of my method of payback, eh? See you in a bit, Irzen." The elementalist laughed again as they walked to the baths.

"Well, this thing you two have got going on sounds like a personal beef to me," The Swordsman concluded as he walked off, "As far as I'm concerned, my name is Bennett and I'm not in it. I will see you two at breakfast, ciao!"

*****

The elementalist entered through the door of the baths with a firm grip on a disgruntled kurori. With one hand she undressed Caliaphy and dropped her into the pool with a splash. "There, now you can get cleaned up, my little friend."

"Hmph!" The kurori huffed.

"Good morning, Serna." Alyson waved to the shield maiden and went over to wash herself off of the mud and stink from chasing Caliaphy throughout the palace.

"Good morning, Alyson," The Shield Maiden waved back to the Elementalist.

"Serna, didn't you hear me?" Caliaphy waded over to the shield maiden, "I was hoping you would of come to my aid."

"No! I didn't hear a thing." Serna replied honestly, "I was talking to Laz before I came to the baths. Were you attacked? Are you hurt?" The Shield Maiden caught a whiff of her friend and clamped her fingers over her own nose, "And why do you stink?!"

Caliaphy waded back over to the soaps and lathered herself all over really good, including her hair. After scrubbing every part thoroughly, the kurori went over and washed it all out. Satisfied, Caliaphy waded back over to Serna, "Umm, Alyson pranked me."

"Correction," Alyson finished drying herself off, "I got her back for all the times she left me with the blame when I was a kid, Serna. So, watch out for her tricks because when the going gets too tough, she'll hang you out to dry."

"Anyway, I'm done here. Catch up when you two can for some breakfast. I have a feeling it'll be a long time before we get another hearty meal like this," The elementalist left Serna and Caliaphy alone in the baths.

"Is that what you're going to do to me, Caliaphy?" Serna asked with some concern, "When things get tough, are you going to leave me out to dry the first chance you get?"

Caliaphy lowered her head in shame, "....I-I won't do that to you, Serna...at least not here or anywhere else in the Realm. Asylum is my home and it was easy for me to just bail and hide using magic. The Bronze Man wouldn't let Alyson use her magic, so...that gave me an unfair advantage on her. But you're a normal human with a magical shield to protect you. So, from here on out, I will stay by your side and help you out. I promise!"

****

Lazheros had followed Alyson with Caliaphy half way down to the baths and stopped as he saw Irzen pass by them. A drow among all these wood elves must be quite a sight for Willow's kin. He watched the Swordsman head to the dining hall where everyone had met last night before the enemy crashed the gathering.

The Swordsman marched into the dining hall to see whether or not the Wood Elves had prepared the morning's breakfast for them. Irzen noticed some She-Elf Servants were in the process of moving food out onto a nearby table. So, the Swordsman decided to lean against the dining table and wait until they had finished setting everything up.

Alyson came back out into the hallway where Lazheros waited for her. Her stomach grumbled loudly, "Shall we?"

The bronze man walked side by side with the elementalist to the dining hall and saw the swordsman there.

"Good morning, you two!" Irzen declared with a friendly wave, "I hope the both of you had a good nights sleep. I know I did. Who knew the floor of an Elven bathhouse could be so comfortable?"

Alyson looked over at Lazheros and shrugged, "Each to their own," And turned to the swordsman, "How are you not pruney?"

"I think it has something to do with physical form as a drow being resistant to the moisture of the Underdark?"