(FSM): Bathed in Pure Water, PG (Hot Blood)

[devilinthedetails]

Series: Hot Blood

Title: Bathed in Pure Water

Rating: PG

Words: 200

Summary: Zahir bathes before his Ordeal of Knighthood.

Bathed in Pure Water

Before his Ordeal, Zahir bathed in the traditional cleansing water clear as a sun-warmed oasis. Among both the northerners and the Bazhir, water was a symbol and agent of purification. He was supposed to be scrubbing himself clean of every violation of honor and chivalry he had ever committed before he faced the merciless judgement of the Chamber that had proven with Joren and Vinson it had no capacity for clemency.

While he scrubbed hard enough to shed his skin like a cobra's, he should’ve been listening to his knightmaster and the knight (Zahir had forgotten his name) that King Jonathan had chosen to favor with instructing his squire before the Ordeal (it would’ve been a political decision beyond Zahir’s understanding) as they offered the ancient words on a knight’s duty to the kingdom and its people.

Instead, his mind drifted like a leaf in a stream as his fingers made little splashes in the water. He thought about the splash he’d be in the north and in the desert if he passed his Ordeal. He’d be the first knight with hot Bazhir blood in his veins. A figure of pride in the desert and contempt in the north.

[Tamari]

Great use of the prompt! I like the nod to your series title in the last paragraph.

[devilinthedetails]

Tamari , thank you so much for commenting! I'm glad that you found this to be a great use of the prompt. I did want to include some reference to the series title in this piece, so I couldn't resist slipping it into the last paragraph, and I'm happy to hear you liked that little nod

[mistrali]

Love the double use of the prompt and, like Tamari, the reference to the title! This was also a pivotal moment for Zahir and it’s a nice contrast to all the deep and knightly thoughts we see Kel thinking before her Ordeal.

[devilinthedetails]

mistrali, thank you so much for commenting! I'm so glad that you loved the double use of the prompt (I couldn't resist using different definitions of making a splash) and that you appreciated the reference to the title at the end. I definitely think of the Ordeal of Knighthood being a defining moment for most of those who undergo it so I wanted to explore what this moment might have meant to Zahir, and at the same time, I wanted to look at someone whose mind might sort of drift rather than staying focused especially since my mind totally has a tendency to drift when I'm bathing. So I thought maybe Zahir's would do the same.