Working for Lavender (3)

Writers: Aaron, Heather
Date Posted: 10th March 2021
Series: Lavender Run

Characters: Brennault, Zavek
Description: The loser of the bet is determined and a back is to be scrubbed!
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 8, day 21 of Turn 10

Brennault

Brennault had done farm work before – just as he said. But it was still not part of his regular work, and it was most definitely a different sort of exhausting than running long distances. But nevertheless, he was not about to lose a bet. Especially because either way this particular bet went, there would be a bit of back scrubbing.

Luckily for Brennault, he was almost certain that this particular man already knew his way around another man's body and that he was sending all the right signals. He had played this game for much longer with a Hold boy before – and most of the time never gotten anywhere, anyway. But it felt like he had started off much closer to the goal with Zavek than he did with most Hold men.

He told the other workers the truth about his visit when they asked, about his quest to earn swordplay lessons. He wondered whether some of them might not have thought he was on a fool's errand or a wherry chase for someone who had no mind to deliver, but he kept it to himself who the swordmaster was, and they did not pry.

Many of them thought he would give up, too, but by the end of the work day, he had managed to keep up with the fieldhands, and he got a few claps on the back for his perseverance.

And he was most definitely pleased with himself by the time he returned to the farmhouse. He was tired, and muscles he did not usually use ached, but he had a back scrubbing to look forward to. He smelled his hands again. They were going to smell of lavender for a sevenday, but that was fine.

"Did the foreman vouch for me?" he asked when he found Zavek again.

"He did," Zavek said, and he secretly had to admit, he wasn't the least bit put out with losing the bet. This was a safe way to test out Brennault and his ability to be discreet. If he went around blabbing about having his back scrubbed by Zavek, then Zavek would know that things couldn't progress any further. He could explain a back scrubbing to his father, but nothing more serious than that or the old man would disown him.

"Dinner's been left in the warmer, and I have taken the liberties," he gestured toward a large tub that had been pulled in front of the fire and filled with water, "of preparing your bath."

Brennault's eyes went wide. By Faranth, this was almost downright romantic! If not for the fact that they had only just met the day before, he would have easily dropped the 'almost'.

"This is worth far more than the lavender, coming from you," Brennault grinned. "I think it might have been a lopsided wager, but I don't have to feel bad, since you made it yourself." He pulled his shirt off and folded it as neatly as he could.

"A deal's a deal." Zavek replied, casually turning his back to fetch the bathing brush while Brennault undressed.

Brennault finished undressing and then slid into the bath. Zavek would be able to see plenty without Brennault pushing the envelope too quickly. He knew what was going on here – this was an exercise in trust. In finding whether Brennault could be trusted. Well, Brennault never kissed and told. Or... bathed and told, he supposed.

"A deal's a deal," he agreed. "And word is bond." Anyone who could not be trusted to deliver everything they were given very soon found themselves shunned from the runner community.

Using a fresh cake of soap, Zavek lathered up his hands and the brush and began gliding the soft bristles along the tops of Brennault's shoulders. Shoulders smoothly planed and muscled from carrying things great distances. "How long have you been a runner?" he asked, as he realized that he should probably get an idea of Brennault's age before things went any further - if things went any further.

"My whole life, basically," said Brennault as he closed his eyes. "I got started when I was about thirteen... and my father let me get out on my own for the big cross-country run I did when I was sixteen. I spent most of that whole Turn on the road. And I've been on my latest assignment for about a Turn now, since I was nineteen."

**Ah, twenty,** that was a good safe age, in Zavek's estimation. The last thing he needed was a teenager on his hands and then possibly some angry parents. "And your latest assignment is the sword? Or something else?"

"The sword is more of a side project," said Brennault. "My official assignment is running messages from the Weyr to the first station on the west road and back." He hoped that would not put a damper on his aspirations there, but lying would make things worse than the truth in the long run.

"Hm, that's a pretty long trek from here," Zavek commented, dragging his fingernails lightly across the runner's back.

"I like long treks." Brennault shivered, goosebumps breaking out on his skin.

"Mhmm," Zavek made a noncommittal noise low in his throat. "Lean forward," he instructed so that he could scrub the brush down across Brennault's lower back where he knew his muscles were probably tired from picking lavender.

Noncommittal though it may have been, the noise followed by the command made the hair on the back of Brennault's neck stand up all the more. He shifted forward to expose all of his back.

There was an unmistakable tension, a spark of electricity, in the air that Zavek hadn't experienced in quite a few Turns. He felt certain that he wasn't misreading the situation.

"All done," he said, setting the brush aside. "Unless you need help with the front, too." There was the hint of a promise there, but also a bit of teasing.

"Oh, I would say the front is in need of a little help," Brennault said. He nearly sighed with disappointment when the scrubbing ended, but even if Zavek played it off as a joke _this_ time, Brennault felt good about his prospects whenever he could see him again.

And he certainly would need a few minutes before he could stand up if Zavek did play it off. And maybe a dousing of cold water.

With a laugh, Zavek tossed a wash cloth at Brennault. "There you go, then. I'll give you some privacy." He said before disappearing into the kitchen area.

Brennault called his thanks after Zavek and then finished washing thoroughly. He dried off, used the bathwater to give a quick scrubbing to his dirty, sweaty clothes, and then hung them over the edge to dry. He tip-toed off quickly to the room Zavek had lent him to pull his tightly-rolled change of clothes out of his messenger bag, dressed, and then joined him in the kitchen. His stomach growled as he smelled the waiting dinner.

"That does smell amazing..." he said.

Last updated on the July 21st 2021

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Working for Lavender (3)