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I can even see little ice pebbles in the water as we bathe.

Arina is clearly more relaxed in the cold water, and so am I.

The restlessness is gone.

I feel good again.

This is what I notice in the cannis females that surround us.

There are at least five dozen of them here with us in the bathing rooms. Reeina said that they occupy the most diverse positions in the fortress. They are scholars, auri fens, engineers, tzauris. They talk to each other, and I notice that they try to stay submerged with as much of their body as they can, for as long as possible.

The feeling of being among so many women takes me back to my times on the Island of the Goddess, with my Sisters.

I think Arina thinks the same when I see her looking around.

An intense feminine energy flows around us. It's calm, familiar. There is no auri fen serving anyone today. They are in the water too. In the corner, near the door, there is a large table with refreshing food and drinks, and everyone can go there and serve themsel