Under his cloak, Ulysses had somehow managed to strap other essentials over his shirt. A leather pouch safely conceals his razor and other items. When in hiding, he often switches between growing his beard and shaving it completely.
His right sleeve is empty, with only what’s left of his scarred, cursed bicep peeking out. He unclips a few items from himself and gathers up his dirty cloak, nodding in silent thanks.
The ivy plant is easy enough to spot. Once he’s by the basin, he strips down and tosses the rest of his clothes to the side. He’ll wash them after. Will he even fit in there? It’ll be tight. The water heats just as the old man said and he kneels, nude, to check the temperature with his hand.
“If there are any bloodhounds in this town, you’re going to want to cook plenty of meat,” he calls out before lowering, carefully and awkwardly into the basin.
Gods… How long has it been since he felt warmth like this? He’s lucky winter didn’t come early, but he’s been living cold and dirty for so long.
He lets out a long, long sigh and closes his eyes. He’ll do the actual washing… as soon as he’s enjoyed this enough.
Foxwort is the herb the botanist ultimately settles on, so named for its ability to completely cloak the smells of runaway foxes. Sometimes the simplest answer really is the correct one and he keeps several vials of it on hand to disguise the scents of his food caches when he’s out camping. A few rings around the yard and it doesn’t matter how strongly his impromptu houseguest smells.
At least, it won’t as long as the guards don’t come knocking. But one thing at a time.
When he returns to the house, the steam of the bathwater is in the air, and like a thief in the night -- like the very namesake of the herb that’s keeping the bloodhounds at bay -- the thought of the stranger’s bare, wet muscles noses around the corner of his brain. His hair plastered soaking, the scars on his bicep. He shoos it away as quickly as it comes and clears a few things around the kitchen, focusing on the issue of the guards, what their options might be if they ever come around.
Hell if he’s got a solution, but the sooner Ulysses is safe and on his way, the sooner they can both go on with their lives.