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Bas had never felt cleaner in his life. Or at least not that he could remember.
He'd spent an inordinate amount of time at the Bath House in Forest that was frequented by so many Under Boughian workers. But it had been worth both the time, and the money. They'd treated him with dignity, given him a robe to wear home so he didn't have to put his filthy clothing back on. Now, in his new black and well tailored leather trousers, his surprisingly flowy sleeveless shirt (so his wings were unencumbered), his black overcoat, his newsboy cap tilted low, with his sleek black feathers shining with their natural oils, he felt untouchable.
That was, until he showed up for dinner at Archie's house. Not because of anything Archie or her family had done, not really. Rebecca Paws was just so welcoming, and asked him questions and himself. Not in a searching way. Not like she was going to turn around and report him to Horace and the Badger Guard. But like she…they, really…actually cared about him. And he didn't know what to do with that. Luckily, Archie seemed to sense his discomfort and steered the conversation away whenever he was at a loss for words. Another kindness he wasn't sure how to react to.
After dinner Archie and Bas had talked just the two of them and she had shared her news about training with the Badger Guard. She was going to try it out, but Horace had specifically asked her to ask him as well. Was this a trap? It certainly didn't feel like it, the way it was delivered so openly and without guile. Bas wasn't sure Archie was capable of real cunning. And she'd assured him it didn't mean they had to actually join the Guard.
He'd thanked her and said he'd think about it (although he'd already made up his mind to try it - he didn't get asked often to join or try something) and headed back to the not-so-hidden-anymore lair he called home. As he entered, what used to feel like a cavernous hideout seemed somehow diminished. Small, dirty, bereft of light. He folded up his new clothing - it wouldn't do for it to be dirty before even a day had passed - and sat down with a sigh. Looking around the mostly empty space his eyes landed on the bundle of letters that he'd collected over the recent weeks and months from his new friends. Grabbing them and holding them to his chest he laid back onto his bedroll and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come. The sooner he slept, the sooner he could start a new day, with a purpose.