It was dark as I woke up from a knock at our door.

“Get ready for making breakfast!” I heard a female voice calling.

I sat up in my bed and with a loud thud I hit something hard with my forehead.

“Ouch!” I yelped falling back in my bed again.

“Did it hurt?” Caroline asked from somewhere below me.

“Of course not!” I retorted groaning.

The door was opened and Loraline entered with a lantern in her hand. I propped my head on my elbow. Loraline was already dressed, wearing a green skirt with plaits and a white apron on top of it. Completed was her outfit by matching blouse. Her brown hair was braided into a bun.

“No need to hurry. You have enough time to dress.” she explained closing the door behind her.

“Still alive up there?” asked Milly.

“Barely!” I snapped. “There is just a visible dent in the beam!” I exaggerated.

“Are you bleeding?” Caroline asked worried as she scrambled out of her bed below me.

“All over the floor! Don’t slip!” I declared, stifling a giggle.

Milly and Tilly got up as well an the meantime. I waved as they looked up to me.

“Nothing serious then.” Milly stated.

“No, just a few scratches.” I admitted.

“The last time you said that you were covered in blood all over!” Tilly commented.

“She was what?” Loraline asked wide eyed.

“We helped fending off a bandit on the way here.” Milly admitted.

“It was three of us versus one!” I tried to appease. “And I wasn’t the only one who got hurt that day.”” I added.

“Sounds scary!” Loraline exclaimed.

“Lilly is scary!” Caroline piped up. “At least when she attacks someone!”

“Would you mind to tell me the story?” Loraline asked curiously.

“Maybe later!” Milly interjected. “Let’s get ready for the day. We can chatter later.” she offered while pulling her nightgown over her head.

There is a stranger inside! I blushed.

On the other hand there was nothing to see Loraline didn’t already know. I climbed out of my bed and after a few minutes we were ready for the day. A dull pain was on the spot of my forehead where I hit the beam. This would develop into a visible goose egg.

We went to the kitchen to prepare everything for breakfast. There were some leftovers from the dinner in addition to simple bread with cheese and sliced sausages. We set the tables in the dining room then.

Later the rest of the people came for breakfast. We had to serve them and got the leftovers after breakfast was finished. Loraline helped us clear the tables thereafter.

“The men will return for dinner, as they will be out hunting for the day.” Loraline told us while clearing the table.

“There will be not much of a lunch today.” Loraline concluded.

“We need fresh herbs for the dinner and It’s my task to go out gathering herbs. I asked Mommy to take you with me, showing you all kind of herbs while gathering. She spoke with Miss Tessa who agreed. We get a lunch package and will be the day in the forest around the lodge.” she laid out the plans for the day. “We have to be back soon enough to help preparing dinner.” she added.

Well. I was content with day without sitting on my butt most of the time.

“Sounds great!” I exclaimed. Milly and Tilly shrugged.

“I’m kind of a town girl, but I’ll manage for the day I guess.” Caroline accepted her fate.

We didn’t have much of a choice.

“Then let’s prepare something for lunch!” Loraline exclaimed.

We went back to the kitchen and filled three small with food for the day. A larger basket got topped off with a blanket and a bit cutlery.

Caroline got the large basket while we each carried one of the smaller ones. Loraline got herself an empty basket for the herbs, and we set out in the forest.

“It’s nice to have some company gathering herbs!” Loraline exclaimed.

“And you’re in for as surprise later!” she sang smiling.

“A surprise?” Tilly asked. “What surprise?”

“I won’t be a surprise if I tell you!” Loraline answered with a smug smile.

Most of the morning we were walking through the forest, collecting different kinds of mushroom. herbs and some berries. We kept on deer crossings most of the time. Loraline seemed to know her way around the forest and we learned about plenty about the plants and animals around, not just herbs or mushrooms. I payed close attention. It would be useful knowledge some day.

Just before noon we climbed up a rocky outcrop and arrived a nice rock shelter, the ground overgrown with thick moss. The place was a bit over the tree tops, I had a decent view over the surrounding forest. I could see thin line of smoke rising up in the air in the direction where I supposed the lodge to be. We spread out the blanket. Loraline put a smaller table-cloth in the center where we set up our lunch. Finally we sat down in a circle. It was quite comfy.

“We have everything we need for today!” Loraline declared looking at her basket.

“Then we go back to the lodge after lunch?” Caroline asked.

“We hadn’t our surprise yet!” Tilly objected.

“Right!” Loraline agreed. “No one will know how long we would actually need for collecting all we need. I use gathering to have some spare time once in a while, as a kind of compensation for being alone in the forest all day. My siblings refuse to go gathering, and when they do they stay out long since they are bad at it.” she explained.

“Would you tell me the story about the bandit? No one would observe us here.” she asked. “The walls in houses of nobility tend to have ears, thus I could understand not telling it at the lodge.”

“Wall with ears?” Caroline asked.

“Yeah. For one you don’t know who’s listening around the corner. And there are enchantments which will allow certain people to listen in to conversations.” Loraline explained. “The lodge is used for all kinds of political events. Hunting is quite popular among nobles.” she added.

“Our quarters are for housing servants of guests, right?” I mused.

“They are.” she confirmed. “Your own permanent quarters are probably safe since enchantments are expensive and nobody is that interested in a servants personal affairs. Other servants listening in on your conversations around the place is a given as far as I know.” she added.

“I would tell both, Loraline and Caroline, about the ambush.” I decided looking at Milly and Tilly.

They nodded.

“Assuming you tell no one else about.” I continued looking at Caroline and Loraline.

They nodded as well

“Okay. Chime in if you have something to add.” I requested looking at Milly and Tilly.

While we had lunch I recounted the ambush in the forest. Loraline and Caroline were listening with the eyes glued to my lips. I skipped the aftermath though.

After we finished lunch, we soon packed everything back into our baskets. We had brought too much food.

“Doesn’t matter. We could make an early dinner before we go back to the lodge with the rest.” Loraline suggested. “Now follow me and be careful where you put your feet!” she added while walking away from the path up to the site where the place narrowed down to a narrow ledge.

I followed her cautiously, and the others followed suit. Caroline was the last.

“Be careful!” Caroline announced as well.

Suddenly Loraline vanished into the cliff!

“Loraline, where are you?” we cried.

“In a small small crevice. Just carefully walk forward.” she replied.

I went ahead and after a few steps there was a slim crevice inclining backward to the direction we came from. Loraline offered me her hand. As I accepted she pulled me in. With the forest below the crevice was well hidden. I hadn’t noticed anything from our lunch site.

A few moments later Milly appeared and let herself pull in by Loraline as well.

Tilly came, quite tense, a few minutes later, firmly holding Caroline’s hand.

“All there!” Loraline exclaimed. “Follow me!” she added squeezing along the crevice. After a while I heard the sound of flowing water from ahead. We went up a little and after about 15m the crevice widened and the air got noticeably warmer. A small, steaming creek ran from the right to left in a wider crevice.

Loraline carefully stepped a few meters downward, where the creek formed a pool about 4 meters diameter under a rock shelter. The main current ran by the pool which was separated by some larger rocks.

I followed Loraline cautiously. There as a ledge at the backside of the pool, just two hands with over the water. Whisps of steam wavered over the pool.

“We will have a hot bath together!” Loraline exclaimed. “This place is rather secluded, since most people couldn’t even come here when they wanted.” she exclaimed as the rest arrived by the pool.

“Marvelous!” Milly exclaimed, starting to get rid of her clothes.

“How about swimsuits?” Tilly asked cautiously.

“What are swimsuits?” Caroline wanted to know.

“Aehmm.” Tilly let out while blushing.

“Come, it will be nice! Normally there is a place beyond the waterfall at the bottom of the outcropping for bathing. The spring is upstream near the top of the outcropping and too hot to enter.” she explained while disrobing.

“Bathing?” Caroline asked shaking her head.

There is nothing I have to hide from those girls and a long warm bath would be something I had definitely missed. Most of the time baths here were rather rushed.

I started to disrobe, folding my stuff in a neat pile away from the water as the other had done before me.

The water was not too hot, almost optimal. The ground was sandy with some rounded boulders once in a while. Milly and Loraline crossed to pool and lingered by the rocks separating the pool from the creek. The water in the center of the pool reached up to my belly, but it was shallower at the water’s edge. At the place I had entered the water it was knee deep. I squatted down to immerse myself in the water. I glided to one of the stones by the creek, too, laying in the shallow hot water. The stream itself was a bit warmer as the pool.

Caroline came into the pool after a few minutes later, closely followed by Tilly.

We silently laid in the warm shallow water for a while.

“It’s nice!” Tilly finally broke the silence.

“You don’t get something like this often.” Loraline replied. “I refrain from frequent visits, because maybe someone would notice and forbid it. It would be easy to close this place off.” she added.

“Mmmmm.” Caroline moaned. “Without the actual washing it’s quite a leisure.” she added.

“Yes. I want to come back here some time.” Milly declared.

“Maybe when there is a hunt and you are here, we will find the time.” Loraline suggested.

“I’m in.” I piped up after a few moments.

“I too.” Tilly chimed in.

We chattered quietly as we enjoyed the warm water. After while I felt someone touching me from behind, while an arm sled around my waist. I tensed up. The only one I couldn’t see at the moment was Milly. Of course.

I decided to let it be, as cuddling was permitted. After a while another arm carefully snug around my neck. She pulled in close and I could feel her body snugly on my back. I could feel my heartbeat slightly increasing. I was blushing as well. The rest of the girls were absorbed in a story of Loraline, as she went hunting deer with her dad.

“Milly?” I whispered “What are you planning?”

“Nothing.” she whispered in my ear. “Just enjoying to be near you!”

“Aren’t we too young for such things?” I whispered back.

“What do you fantasize about? Tell me!” she whispered right in my left ear.

My heart skipped a beat while I was blushing further. I had no idea how to continue.

“Too embarrassed to talk about it!” she whispered “So exciting!” she cooed with a whisper.

“We’re both adults and technically not family. While it is necessary to play the kids role as long as we’re hiding, I don’t mind to take this further!” she whispered.

“Maybe you’re right. I asked you for some time regarding going further, you remember?” I whispered back. “Cuddle as much as you want though.” I added.

Milly’s left hand started to caress my face while the other one explored my tummy. All the while she rubbed her front to my back. After a while I started to get excited and began to caress her arms in turn while snuggling into Milly.

After a while I turned around. We hold each other close while caressing each others back. I felt relaxed and cared for, stirring up memories from long ago.

“Maybe we can go further eventually.” I whispered. “But let’s try to free ourselves first and find some safe place.” I added.

Milly pulled me close and she pushed her half open mouth. After a moment I started close in for a kiss. We let our tongues dance in each others mouths for a few moments.

“Definitely adult!” Milly whispered.

“We should leave in a few!” Loraline interrupted us and we quick let go of each other.

I don’t know if anyone noticed what we had done, but they behaved normally, as far as I could tell. We left the water, used a few towels that were hidden at bottom the larger basket to dry us off.

Then we left the pool through the crevice and enjoyed an early dinner in the low afternoon suns. Our hair nearly dried in the time.

We went back to the lodge where we helped to prepare everything for dinner.

After finishing the chores for the day we went to bed. We decided not to talk more about the day. There are walls with ears and we would have to get up early next morning.

My goose egg was nearly gone thus I slept rather well.