Chapter 9: Quiet repose.

“This is it?” Akane asked, somewhat nonplussed. Together Ranma and Nabiki had led the other three to the Singing Sparrow. They were now stood outside, preparing to go in, much to Akane’s disapproval.

However the moment they stepped through the door Akane’s complaints stopped. The hanging silks and breezy caftans rendered the whole place an air of mystery and luxury.

“Welcome back my friends,” Tomolo declared, his great frame appearing around a hanging gauze, “and these must be your friends. Ukyo-chan has told me much of you.” That raised a few eyebrows. “Now come, sit, Food shall be brought, and wines” he waved his hand expansively towards one of the low tables and its accompanying cushions.

“Uh, if it’s all the same” Akane interrupted, “what I really want is a bath and a rest.”

“That sounds divine” Gos agreed, and Ryoga soon joined in, never one to pass up the luxury of warm water.

“Me” Ranma disagreed, “I’m eating.”

“I’m with you” Nabiki agreed. “We had a sort of wash earlier.”

“Huh?” Ryoga asked.

“Pervert” Akane mumbled, just loud enough to set Ryoga off. Fortunately Tomolo was not to be put off.

“Of course!” he enthused, “I shall have baths drawn immediately. Those who wish to bathe shall bathe and those who are clean shall eat!” he pronounced as if it was the brightest idea since sunlight. “Abivale” he began, indicating one of the ‘harem girls’ “shall show you to your suite and I shall send up baths to be filled. Should you require anything else, perfumes, sweetmeats or company you have but to ask.” It took a while for Akane and Ryoga to work out what he meant by ‘company’ and the results were less than ideal.

“I am not a Pervert!” Akane insisted at the suddenly confused Tomolo. Meanwhile Ryoga had gone dumb and slightly brighter red than Ranma’s old favourite shirt.

“What they are trying to say,” Gos began, trying to smooth things over, “is that where we come from it is considered wrong to take a slave to your bed.”

“Ahhh” Tomolo replied, as if he actually believed Gos, “Never fear my diminutive friend, all my staff are free and work for me from choice alone. “Should you wish to take one to your bed you may do so with a clear conscience,” he finished with a happy beaming, smile.

“Perverts” Akane re-iterated but quieter but the lure of a bath finally beat her indignation and she let herself be led away.

Once in the privacy of their suite the three of them found it to be laid out much as below, with two rooms splitting off from a central ‘lounge’ area, separated only by hanging curtains of caftan. Even as they were making themselves at home servants carried up baths and began filling them.

The baths turned out to be of a western design but scorching hot and, once the Nerimites had got in, almost overflowing. As each one of them got into their bath, Gos helped by a very attractive young lady, they let out an almost theatrical sigh of contentment. The attendants were quickly waved away and for the first time in a very long time the three of them were alone in their own little world. One by one they dozed off.

Meanwhile Ranma and Nabiki set about the serious business of stuffing their faces, Ranma because he’s a Saotome and Nabiki because she had lost the contents of her stomach.

Eventually they were well and truly fed, even Ranma’s bottomless pit of a belly was feeling slightly full. The wine that came afterwards was again heavily spiced, and strong. What little alcohol tolerance Nabiki had was quickly taken up by her lack of stomach lining. The drink conspired with the food and the emotional day to sneak up on the two of them. A mere half jug later the two of them were suffering from severe contentment and soon found themselves relaxing into the cushions.

Ten minutes later Tomolo came to check on his guests only to find the two of them fast asleep on the cushions. Nabiki was curled up child-like into Ranma’s arms, her head rested on his shoulder. He in turn had one arm thrown protectively around her and his body half turned as if to shield the sleeping girl from the world itself.

“No Bungaroo” he told the servant with him, “let them sleep, they will be happy enough there till morning,” he finished with a paternal smile on his face.

O

O

“That bath was heavenly” Nabiki said. She had just come down to join the others, co-incidentally just as breakfast was being served. She had just had one of the most restful night’s sleep in her life and a fantastic soak, she was actually relishing the morning.

“Tell me about it” Gos replied, remembering the skilled hands that had helped him to his bed last night and ‘tucked’ him in.

“Uh-huh” Ryoga agreed, looking slightly spaced in the morning light.

“You should see Tomolo’s” Ukyo offered, “man that thing was huge.”

“His bath or his…” Nabiki teased.

“Oh well you know” Ukyo joked.

“Pervert” Akane accused, the only one out of sorts this morning.

“I ain’t even told you what we got up to yet sugar” Ukyo replied, refusing to be baited.

“How could you?” she whispered harshly, “What about Konatsu?” she accused. Suddenly everything went still. “Forgotten about him already?” she sniped.

“Akane” Nabiki interrupted trying to play the peacemaker.

“No Nabs” Ukyo interjected, “I got this one.” Then turning to Akane she looked the smaller girl direct in the eye, “I loved Konatsu” she began, “More than any of you will ever know. But the simple truth is that it wasn’t like that. He and I had something special, and yes sometimes it took us to bed together. Not that that is any of your concern. But as a couple? No, neither of us really had what the other wanted, neither of us was man enough for the other.”
”You mean?” Akane asked, incredulous.

“Is that so hard to work out sugar?” Ukyo replied, “Yes Konatsu was queerer than a Thai lady boy.”

“So that makes it alright that he’s dead?” demanded Akane, changing tack.

“No it doesn’t” Ukyo replied through gritted teeth. “But unlike some others I said my goodbyes on the ship.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Akane demanded.
”Are you really sure you want me to go there” Ukyo replied, pointedly looking at Ryoga. Akane actually had the good grace to blush a little.

“That’s different Ryoga and I are-“

“Don’t want to hear it sister” Ukyo interrupted. “Simple truth time. On the ship you were feeling vulnerable and he filled the gap, so to speak.”

“Hey-“ Akane objected.

“Hey nothing,” Ukyo corrected. “I ain’t married, or even engaged any more, how I choose to spend my nights is up to me! Last night I was in need and Tomolo helped me. If” she continued, drawing out the word, “you have a problem with that then, tough!”

“Ukyo!” Akane began.

“No Akane” Nabiki cut in, “just let it lie okay.”

“Why should-“

“’Neesan!” Nabiki hissed.

“Morning guys” Ranma said, coming around the curtain, and taking a seat. If he noticed the sudden lack of conversation then he made no indication of it. He had woken up not far from where they were sitting, with Nabiki in his arms. After a moment of extreme panic he had calmed down enough to think. So he had carried her upstairs and with the help of a maid, laid her out in the ‘lounge.’ He had then gone to do his morning Katas. When he had returned he had all but walked in on Nabiki in the bath. Which for him was a major achievement, after all he only ‘all but’ walked in on her.

Now he was back, and desperately trying not to think about the way he woke up this morning, or what he nearly saw.

“Man that smells good!” he declared, loading up a plateful. He then proceeded to demonstrate that whatever else had changed his appetite was not one of them. For a moment everyone sat watching him eat.

“What?” he asked, “do I have something on my face?” The others smiled and the ice was broken, soon all were digging into their meals.

“So Gos what d’ya find in the library?” Ukyo asked between mouthfuls.

“Well-“ he began only to be cut off by Nabiki.

“Whoa” she said, “Guys I think perhaps we should keep at least some of our business to ourselves,” she finished, looking directly at Ranma.

“So how are we supposed-“ Akane asked.

“How is Engrish yours?” asked Ranma in badly accented English and around his latest mouthful.

“A lot better than yours” Ukyo replied. “Guys?”

“Mine is Good very” replied Akane.

“Speak srowry” Ryoga replied, “I understand prenty good”

“Okay guys” Nabiki began, “I’ll make this simple. We found out where the gate is and that its guarded.”

“How?” demanded Akane and Ryoga nodded along.

“We talked to a dragon,” Nabiki explained.

“A Dra-Urrk” Akane began loudly before being cut off by Nabiki’s hand.

“A Dragon” reasserted Nabiki, “who was an integral part of the city sewage system-“

“Integra? Isn’t that a girl from that anime?” Ukyo asked, Ranma just shrugged. “You’re gonna have ta use easier words sugar. If I ain’t getting it they sure won’t.”

“Domo, The dragon was a fire for poo” Nabiki explained, “we let him go.”

“You let the dragon go” Gos said, “They’re really proud of that dragon!”

“You let a dragon go?” Ukyo demanded. “Dragons burn things!”

“Ellegon promised not” Ranma interrupted.

“And you believed him?” Ukyo demanded incredulous.

“Wha?” Ranma asked, not getting the drift.

“Yes we did” replied Nabiki, “and he flew off without toasting the town. So it would seem we were right no?”

“Huh?” Ranma demanded.

“Now we were talking about the gate!” Nabiki insisted.

“Want go home!” Ryoga broke in.

“So do we all,” Nabiki agreed. “And to do that we have to sort some things out…” she prompted.

“Here’s the map” Akane said, unrolling Ryoga’s contribution form the library. “We’re here” she said, pointing to the city symbol by the bay, “and this is Bremon” she said pointing to the range of mountains beyond the waste. According to the scale that is about…”

“A bloody long way” Gos interrupted.

“It’s not so far” Ranma objected.

“Can you see Nabiki walking there?” Gos responded dubiously. Ranma took the point.

“Horses” Ukyo interjected.

“Huh?” Ryoga responded.

“We need horses” she explained, “with horses we can cut the trip in half at least.”

“Huh” Ranma grunted, not exactly agreeing.

“How many of us are you going to carry?” Ukyo asked in a less than nice way. “And this waste of Elrood is something like a desert right?” Ryoga and Akane nodded.

“You gonna carry our water for those weeks in the desert?”

“Okay!” Ranma exclaimed, “But there is still a problem. Who can ride?” Ryoga, Ukyo and Akane raised a hand each.

“Huh?” Ranma exclaimed.

“School trip” “Learnt as a kid” “Exploring China” they replied.

“Ah yes” Nabiki mused bitterly, remembering the scams she had been forced to pull to pay for that trip.

“Your funeral” Ranma replied, remembering a conversation with an old man about just how uncomfortable it was breaking in a new saddle.

“Still you are right” Nabiki mused, “but that’s the problem, horses ain’t cheap and they aren’t the only problem. We’re going to need at least one wagon, more weapons, probably some armour for the slower ones of us…”

“Damn” Ryoga muttered. Nabiki nodded.

“How short are we?” Ukyo asked.

“A lot” Nabiki replied, mournfully.

“So how...”

“The Games” Ranma supplied.

“My thoughts exactly” Nabiki replied. “Coming up tomorrow is one of the weekly draws but three days later they are holding a big one for a city holiday-“

“Founding day” Gos supplied.

“Founding day” Nabiki agreed, “I say we enter you all into the competition and see how much we can win.”

“And you’ll be running a book?” Akane asked, used to her sister’s ways.

“Uh-huh” Nabiki agreed. “We’ll win a stake in the small one and lay it out for the big one.”

“But what about the whole Dragon thing?” Gos objected.

“We Lie low” Nabiki replied, “When we aren’t working we keep to ourselves.”

“Working” Akane replied saying the word with distaste. She was suddenly seeing gloom in her future, she just knew Nabiki was going to be awkward about this.

“Sorry princess,” Ukyo replied “you may even have to get your pretty little hands dirty” she mocked.

“Why you…” Akane said, rising to her feet and colouring.

“Not now!” Nabiki “Children!” she muttered. “For now we go haggle. The moment we get the dough we blow, okay!” When nobody immediately agreed she insisted, “Okay!”

“Okay!” they chorused.

“Now we need some details….”