Bathe in the sea.

I was about to call one of the **** girls to show me the way to the bathhouse when I happened to glance back at the bed I had just been lying in. The fine linen that covered the padded mattress was stained with a deep red patch where I had been lying. I had been so exhausted from the battle previously that I hadn't even changed out of my Roman breastplate. I checked my body and found the source of the blood. All the material down my left side was caked with dried and matted blood. I thought back to the battle and how I could have got this wound and not realised it. I remembered that one of the barbarians had indeed got inside the defenses of my shield arm but I was certain that I had avoided the thrust of his crude sword.

I did not want to bath in the dirty waters of a bathhouse, visited by who knows how many filthy men and risk a catching a fever that I would not recover from. I would bathe in the clean waters of the ocean so that the fresh water could save me from such a fate. I called out for the house slaves and when Martha and Gabriella came I had the uglier of the two, Martha I think, change the soiled linen. The other I instructed to gather together some soap, some bandages and a selection of herbs I had learnt in my many years as a solider would prevent the onset of poison.

When Gabriella returned with the items I had her guide me to a secluded beach outside of Tarracco. She led me to a small cove that was truly beautiful to behold. The beach was hidden from the town by large craggy cliffs on either side of the small stony beach. Above the cliffs majestic tall pines formed a thick forest that would prevent anyone from looking down on me. I discarded my blood soaked armor long with the rest of my clothes that I instructed Gabriella to wash while I bathe. The water was wonderfully warm as I gradually waded out into the sea. Naked apart from a small loincloth it felt so good to be cleansed of the dirt, blood and grim that came from battle. The water stung my wound painfully as I used a sponge, which seemed to grow commonly in these seas, together with the soap to clean the deep cut. The sword strike had luckily not gone deep enough the hit the bone so provided I was able to avoid the wound becoming poison I would recover all right.

When I had done washing myself I left the water to go bask in the glorious warmth of the sun until Gabriella returned with my clean clothes. I lay out next to my armor and weapons and soon dozed off once again. I did not know how long had past before I was awoken by screams coming from the woods above me. I snatched up my sword and climbed as quickly as I could up the step banks of the cliff trying to locate the sounds of fear.