I stifled a yawn, feeling mildly disappointed. If she’d never been outside this parcel of land, it seemed unlikely she’d know much about the world around her.

“Do you know anything about Varia?” I asked.

“Varia.” Astakana said the name with a slightly puzzled tone. “She rules the shining ones of a neighboring kingdom.”

“And this kingdom, from what I hear.”

“Perhaps that is what the shining ones say. My people keep free of their affairs.”

I looked over at Keeli and Jasmine to see if they had anything to add that might provide more information. So far, Astakana didn’t seem to have much to offer. But my two companions looked as though they weren’t even listening. They were too fixated by Astakana’s braiding skills and bore a dreamy, languid look. When the dryad finally finished with me, I discovered I had long since dried from the bath. She moved on to Jasmine while I sought clean clothes. After so much time bundled up, it was nice to just put on jeans and a T-shirt. When I returned to the others, I watched Astakana’s clever hands work and found myself just as fascinated as the others.

Jasmine’s hair was longer than mine, so it took Astakana a while to arrange it. When Keeli’s turn came, the dryad still took great pains with her hair, even though it was only chin-length. I sighed happily, watching the strands of hair go in and out, up and down. It was hypnotic. My eyelids felt heavy, and the afternoon heat and humidity were making me sleepy.

Afternoon?

I blinked myself awake and squinted up at the blue, blue sky. The sun was at its peak, and for a moment, I thought I was imagining things. We’d come here early this morning, and even with a “leisurely bath,” we’d only intended to spend about an hour.

“How ... how long have we been here?” I asked. A seed of panic was rising in me over the fact that I even had to ask a question like that. I honestly wasn’t sure.

“Dunno,” said Jasmine, not taking her eyes off of Astakana’s hands in Keeli’s hair.

I stood up and began pacing, trying to get my thoughts in order. “Why haven’t any of the guys come looking for us?”

“They probably didn’t want to bother us,” said Keeli. “They know how you feel about male and female nudity.”

“But after, what, four hours? I think they would’ve risked it.” The more I walked around, the more I returned to myself. Keeli and Jasmine seemed lost in their own worlds, though. “You guys? What’s the matter with you?”

Astakana glanced up from her work and gave me a pretty frown. “Why are you so agitated? Come back and join us. Once I finish her, I’ll find some flowers to put in your hair.”