Chapter 46: Washing.

Chapter 46: Washing.

NEAR THE BASE of the treehouse was a second waterspout his father had made for him and his brothers to clean themselves after a fight. His mum would grumble when they traipsed into her house and got blood on everything.

Glancing around, Nigel took off the belt for his knives, the familiar weight of the blades leaving his side, and then made damn sure he was alone. Now that a real Dagerstanteen was here, Nigel had to ensure Pete never stood on the decking while he was naked.

Nigel slipped off his dirty shorts, the grimy fabric clammy against his skin, and tossed them into a smaller bucket used for clothes.

That done, Nigel grabbed the hollowed-out snakeskin his creator had turned into a pipe. The cool, flexible tube contained water. Nigel cleaned his body, the refreshing rainwater sluicing away the grime and stickiness. While washing, he drank deeply, hydrating himself.