Based on the position of the sun in the sky, it had to be close to mid-afternoon when they finally walked out of the cave.
"Are you alright Enkidu?" Hakuno noticed they were blinking and squinting in the sunlight.
"It has been so long since I've seen the sun. I've forgotten how bright it can be. And how warm."
Hakuno gave Enkidu a quick hug and she released a burst of magic to give them more strength. The trip up had been slower than the walk down. Enkidu needed to take breaks to rest, eat and drink. Now, in the sunlight, it was quite evident how much the Underworld had taken away from them. And how dirty they were.
"Will we be traveling back to Uruk now?" asked Enkidu.
"Soon. I think first order of business should be a bath." Gilgamesh unhitched the horse and mule and began digging in the packs. "If I remember correctly, we passed by a river on the way here."
"Oh, right." Enkidu looked down at themself and grimaced.
"Did we bring a needle and thread?" Hakuno dug around a pouch. "I can sew one of the blankets into something for Enkidu to wear."
"Yes. Here. Ah-ha, I found it!" Gilgamesh pulled out the bar of soap.
Hakuno sighed and shook her head. "It was where I put it from the last time we used it."
"Well it's not my fault you always put it back in this pocket. I always put it in that pocket!"
Enkidu laughed. "You two have not changed."
"Well I'm glad you find us so amusing," grumbled Gilgamesh.
"I will admit I am happy all of you escaped unharmed."
Gilgamesh let out a string of curses. Enkidu dropped on all fours, a snarl escaping their lips. Hakuno readied her magic, ready to heal Gilgamesh and Enkidu if needed. Hakuno was the first to relax as she registered it was Gula. A dog was by the goddess's side.
"Gula." Hakuno bowed low.
Gula gave Hakuno a slight nod. "I do not usually do this but my dear sister is sulking and you, Hakuno, were blessed with my gift." She smiled. "Congratulation on passing the trial."
"Has the bull…"
Gula nodded to Hakuno's question. "The bull of the heavens will return to its home once it is freed from the shackles you have put it in without harming Uruk. And Ishtar will only involve herself in business regarding her temple and her disciples."
Hakuno felt a weight lift off her shoulders. They were safe now. And Uruk would be safe. And Ishtar would leave her and her family alone.
"I will leave many offerings at your temple when we are back in the city," she promised. "And visit Ninsun often."
"Wait, why?" Gilgamesh looked at her funny.
Gula chuckled. "I will like that very much." She patted her dog on the head and was gone as quickly as she had arrived.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to that," grumbled Gilgamesh.
"But at least we know Uruk will be safe." Hakuno let out a long sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," said Enkidu.
"It was not your fault. It was that useless goddess's."
"Gil," scolded Hakuno.
"What! She can't bother us anymore."
"But still do not tempt fate," Hakuno said with a sigh.
"I have to agree with her," put in Enkidu.
"Both of you are no fun," grumbled Gilgamesh.
"Both of us are being smart about it," replied Hakuno. "Anyway, shall we get to that river? No offense Enkidu but you are really starting to smell."
"I'm not pulling too hard on your hair right?" asked Hakuno.
Enkidu shook their head.
"Honestly, just dunk them a few times in the river. It's bound to be enough to get rid of all of that grime." Gilgamesh sat in the river, the water running over his bare form.
Hakuno gave him a look to show what she thought about his suggestion. They had ducked Enkidu into the water and it got rid of a good chunk of the dirt and grime but there was so much caked in that Enkidu needed a lot of scrubbing to get it off.
"I almost have everything out of this section Enkidu. How's things going in the front?"
"I feel like I'm very clean now. I'm sorry for using all of the soap."
"Trust me, you needed it," replied Gilgamesh.
Hakuno scrubbed as best she could and was glad when the grimy clump finally freed it itself from Enkidu's hair. "There you go. I think we're about done."
Enkidu turned around and smiled at her. "This is like when we were in the forest and we took a bath together for the first time."
"Oh yes, it was similar to this wasn't it?"
"Hang on, you two have done this before?" Gilgamesh frowned.
Hakuno rolled her eyes and stepped out of the river to let the sun dry her skin. She grabbed the blanket along with the needle and thread and got to work on making Enkidu something functionable to wear until they reached the closest city. "It was when someone was harassing the people of Uruk."
"That was not my fault," he grumbled. "Alright, perhaps it was," he relented as Enkidu and Hakuno stared at him.
He sat down next to Hakuno. "Your stitches are so uneven."
"I'm sorry if my sewing is not up to your standards," she huffed.
Enkidu sat cross-legged in the water and watched the two of them. "How is Nungal?"
"He was doing fine when we left." She winced as she pricked her finger. "He was missing his favorite sibling though."
"Sibling?"
"Oh sorry Enkidu. It's just that you would be a good older sibling for Nungal when he gets older. And for the future children." She glanced over at Gilgamesh and smiled.
"Does this mean I can finally go back into your bed again!?" Gilgamesh grinned in a way that could be taken as creepy.
"Are you two going to mate now?" Enkidu looked back and forth between them.
"Of course not Enkidu. We need to return to Uruk first." Hakuno eyed Gilgamesh.
He crossed his arms and grumbled under his breath.
"I'm almost done Enkidu. I think this one will end up looking worse than the one I made you before though."
"It'll be perfect no matter what." Enkidu's expression shifted to a frown.
Before Hakuno could ask, Enkidu had jumped out of the river and pounced on something on the river bank.
Gilgamesh stepped in front of Hakuno. "Enkidu?"
Enkidu turned around to face them, a snake with a broken neck hanging from their mouth. They spit it out. "It was a poisonous snake. I remember them from my time in the mountain."
"See, what would we do without you?" Gilgamesh laughed. He shifted into a wrestling pose. "While Hakuno is working on that, let's wrestle! It's been a long time!"
"Naked?" Hakuno raised an eyebrow.
"Yes! It adds another layer of challenge I would say! And we're right by the river so we can just clean ourselves off."
Enkidu chuckled and stood. "I think I have an advantage here over you Gil."
She rolled her eyes and continued her work as Gilgamesh and Enkidu wrestled. By the time she was finished with the makeshift tunic, Gilgamesh had won a round and Enkidu had won two. Hakuno had a feeling it had more of something to do with Gilgamesh protecting his parts rather than skill.
"Well if you two are done, get cleaned up so we can get going." She put the tunic down on a rock before putting on her own dress. "Although…" She looked up at the setting sun. "Perhaps it would be better to start our journey home tomorrow."
"Excellent, we can wrestle a couple more rounds then!" Gilgamesh put on his clothes and turned back to Enkidu. "Come on! I cannot be defeated now!"
Enkidu laughed and put on their tunic. "That is what you think Gil."
Hakuno rolled her eyes again and began setting up a campfire while they had fun. It wasn't like she could blame Gilgamesh for wanting to make up for lost time. She knew on the way back, her and Enkidu would have plenty of conversations.
She set up the firepit and sat down next to it and really took in everything. Everything that had happened and everything that was to come. She was the queen of a nation. She had a King by her side, a friendship that could never be broken, people that cared deeply for her and a son that she would love and raise with all her heart. Who knew all of this would happen from that one meeting in the gardens of Uruk?
A caravan girl turned slave and then turned Queen.
A King now beloved by his people.
A being of the forest that learned the ways of man.
And no matter what was to come, everything was going to be alright.