Take A Bath

Willow pointed me toward a hot spring just a little outside of the castle walls were I could soak my sore body and clean up before bed. Both of which I could use after the tumble I had taken killing the centaur. I had been so focused on killing it that I hadn't really thought about the landing afterwards. I got a change of clothes and headed to hotsprings. Sadly Aurora didn't want to come along. I knew she hadn't gotten much sleep at the Eldergrove so it meant it was just me. I had always wanted to visit a hotspring but there were none to the east. This one hinted at how close the village was to the darkwoods, home to the night elves empire.

I stripped down and climbed in. It was hot at first but I got used to it pretty fast when I could feel it in my muscles.

"Oh. Hello." A voice said. I opened my eyes and turned to see the Arch magus.

"Arch Magus."

"Mind if I join you?" She smiled.

"Not at all." I shook my head. She pulled off her cloak and robe revealing one hell of a body for a woman her age and she didn't seem shy in the least.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did today for Ava and the rest of us." She smiled and came over walking into the water.

"It was nothing."

"I disagree, sadly besides myself the elves would never had agreed to allow me to bring anyone skilled in combat magic." She shrugged.

"You seemed to be able to more then handle yourself." I said finally looking her in the face and rubbed my shoulder.

"I can help with that shoulder if you like?" She smiled.

"Help yourself." I turned around. She place her hands on my shoulders as her breast rubbed against my back. I think she was more then close enough then she had to be actually be but I wasn't complaning.

"Sana ulcus musculos sana dermis livore." She said smoothly running her hands over my shoulders and arms. I felt the pain slowly ease. "Better?" She said moving away.

"Much. Thank you." I said rolling my shoulder.

"You are very welcome." She nodded.

"Can I ask? What business do you have with the elves? I know it can't be just to bring the princess home." I shook my head.

"Suspicious of my motives?" She grinned.

"No offense but I don't know you. I have people who I care about with me."

"The nature of my trip is political, I am delivering books written by myself and previous arch mages written on the very understanding of magic itself." She said as she found a shallow place to sit and soak her body.

"And in return?"

"The same essentially." She shrugged. "I couldn't help but notice your traveling companions ring. I have seen similar magic on dark elf **** collars to block magical powers. She must have been the one the queen consulted me about for the barrier spell a month back. A **** from the darkwoods she wanted to make a barrier spell for."

"Yes." I nodded.

"You do know that..." She began to say.

"That she can't go into the capital? Yes." I shook my head. The eldergrove was only a taste of the magical energy at the world tree.

"I can teach you the spell if you like." She smiled.

"I don't think I have enough magic to cast anything large enough to conceal a house." I shook my head.

"Not yet. Though I was impressed with your use of magic I saw today. You have more then enough for a room or a tent. I use something similar when I have to travel. The only catch is they are only temporary unless you find a magical focal point." She shrugged and stuck up one of her legs as she began to wash it.

"You mean the place where the queen cast the spell?"

"Yes. It had to be one for the magic to last. "The school itself is built upon one as well. The elder trees are built upon a similar spot. The magical pools they use for healing is filled with magical energy that the trees draw up from the ground. The water in the pool does not heal the person. It instead gives the healers abilities a boost.

"I take it one has to be skilled in magic to find such a spot?"

"Depends on the person more then experience." She shrugged. Your friend would be able to find it easily even with her ring on since she is an elf. Even a novice could find one with practice since there would be a major boost to their powers." That kind of explained the first time I used the whirlwind spell that had almost undressed the girls. I soaked for a little bit longer before we both got out as it started to get dark. I got one last good look at her body. Part of me wondered if there was any magic involved or if it was all her.

I went back to our room to see aurora fast asleep. On her chest I saw our little fairy friend curled up into as she slept between Auroras cleavage. I guess she was going to tag along now. She had tried to warn us about the trolls that she somehow sensed before the elves did so she was more then welcome to tag along as long as she liked.