Travelling Rifleman

Pye had eaten in a hurry and wolfed down everything that was set before him. Once he felt ready to burst, because - something fortunate of his hosts - his stomach was rather unused to a great amount of food, he stood and still had some will to have the plate as clean as if it had been washed. With a grin, and colour coming to his cheeks, he moved quite eagerly again to where he was to have his bath and his change of clothes. His hair would be good to be cut, and any head lice burned off. A prolonged bath would make him somewhat more presentable.

Though upon the arrival to the big tub, that he was to enter to be rid of his small friends, he looked rather apprehensive of it. Not of course of the fact that the vermin might die, but rather of how grand it looked. He gave a startled yelp, when, upon entering the water, he found it not freezing cold but surprisingly... the opposite. Of course, this might as well be the last time he was afforded such luxury. He sunk into the water at last, and with amusement found the little animals gathering at the top of his head, probably squealing something along the lines of - the ship is sinking, save oneself, who can -. The water very quickly became murky and filthy, but Pye's skin revealed itself much more pale, his tan in stark contrast to the paleness of the parts which were not exposed to the sun.

He sighed contently. Perhaps his thieving days were over. If he really was allowed to stay here, he'd be delighted to settle down a bit and work just as hard.

He surfaced again, a hesitant moment in which he had been reminded of that time when he had nearly drowned. His eyes opened and he watched the water around him. He would need to figure out how to clean it before others came. But how could he do that when he was not used to the splendor of hot water and tubs.

Picking at his hair, he began to scratch an itch at the back of his head. He sighed. Well, if all this was a dream and he would soon wake up, he was the wiser to enjoy it as long as it lasted. No pinching his arm. He did not want to wake up just yet.