"Hold!" Lyam boomed, and at once all swordplay ceased. Alaire didn't catch on right away that this meant practice was over, and made ready to thrust again. A warning look from Lyam froze him in mid- attack. His sword dropped.
The entire exercise couldn't have taken a quarter of an hour, but Alaire found himself quite exhausted. His practices with the Dark Elf were nothing like this. It was as if they were training for a battle the next day in which only one side would walk away.
In an odd way, Alaire felt terribly pleased with him- self. He hadn't let Lyam score on him. He'd even managed to pick up some new tricks from the Cap- tain, and looked forward to using them with Naitachal the next time they sparred.
Kai was breathing heavily, his hair and clothes soaked with sweat. The boy's exhaustion was no real wonder, given Lyam's special attentions and the rota- tion of partners. He had no doubt sweated out every drop of alcohol he'd ingested since the day before.
"Well done," Lyam said, and Alaire grinned shyly, uncertain which of them he meant. Some unspoken cue had dismissed the two assistants, who had disap- peared to parts unknown without a comment.
Lyam turned to scowl at Kai. "If you come into practice drunk tomorrow, I'm going to really wear the drink out of you!"
Kai bowed slightly, but as Lyam turned and left the ring, Kai made an absurdly comical face at his retreat- ing back, mouthing some mute retort Alaire could only guess the content of. The ridiculous expression caught Alaire at an unguarded moment, and he almost laughed out loud. He stifled his outburst with a great effort, saving it for when Lyam was far, far away.
Moving a little slower now, Kai took his blade to another rack. Althea had a similar arrangement at the palace guardhouse, although it was more ornate, and the minions were always present to take them person- ally for sharpening. Metal though they were, these were practice blades, and a lot sharper than Alaire felt comfortable with. Alaire racked his weapon as well, suddenly aware of muscles he didn't think he had.
"Gods, Kai," Alaire said as he lay the sword beside his friends. "Is that typical for a workout?"
The familiar, arrogant look returned. "You didn't think that was hard, did you?"
"Well..." Alaire began, unwilling to admit just how soft his own training with Naitachal had been, in com- parison. "Does he usually trade off partners like that?"
Kai grinned, like a fox. "All the time. It's why I can kick the behind of anyone I want, whenever I want."
Alaire allowed that this made sense, but he didn't like what it implied about Kai. He hadn't thought the lad was a bully....
"Now it's time to get cleaned up in the sowna," Kai said, shaking some of the sweat out of his hair.
"The what?"
"Come on. I'll show you."
Alaire didn't know what to expect, but this wasn't anything he could have imagined for himself. Kai led him to a part of the palace grounds somewhat con- cealed by trees, where he found a crystal clear pond fed by a generous freshwater spring. Near the shore was a short, squat building made of timbers, built into the side of a small, and clearly artificial hill. Smoke poured out of a chimney, its fires apparently stoked by servants prior to their arrival. The sweat was chilling on his back, and he was looking forward to getting out of the stiff breeze that had suddenly arisen.
"This is the sowna," Kai explained as they entered the small structure through a narrow door. "I heard you didn't have these down south. Shame, really.
They're really good for getting rid of muscle aches."
Within the sowna were two smaller rooms, the first furnished with towels, bottled perfume and soaps, a large wooden bucket of water, and a shelf where someone's clothes were drying. A strong, acrid smell of pine and cedar made him briefly dizzy, and cleared his head in the process. Kai immediately began shedding clothing.
Alaire hesitated, but began doing the same, won- dering if the ritual included females. Kai sported a lean, wiry frame, well developed for a seventeen-year- old. Though Alaire was two years older, he found himself comparing his own larger but less muscular body with Kai's, sucking in a bit of baby fat that had taken residence around his middle. He envied Kai's build; but then, Kai had a torturer for a trainer.
When Kai opened the door to the second room, a wave of heat and steam nearly knocked Alaire over, and he recoiled reflexively.
"You get used to it," Kai assured him, but Alaire bent lower, where the air wasn't as hot. Inside were a few wooden stools, and mixed with the steam was a strong scent of smoke. In one corner a hot bed of coals heated a cluster of pitted, round rocks.
"What is this, an oven?" Alaire asked, sitting on one of the stools. He yelped as his backside touched the hot wood; he leapt up again, and did a little dance around the stools.
" 'S not funny!" Alaire wailed. Kai chuckled. "You could have at least warned me!"
"You are new to this, aren't you?" Kai said. He'd brought the bucket of water in with them, first pour- ing some on Alaire's stool, then sprinkling some on the hot rocks. The temperature rose sharply.
"It's good for you," Kai said firmly. "Do you hurt anywhere, after that match?"
"A few places," Alaire said. In truth he had strained several muscles. Before practice he would normally do several stretching exercises, but today he hadn't enjoyed that little luxury. Also, he had unconsciously tensed when he had realized Lyam was going to run him through the same meat grinder he had Kai, and that had added to his injuries.
"This will take care of that Sit down. Relax."
He did, finally, breathing the steam in through his nose and exhaling through his mouth, as Kai demon- strated. More water went on the coals, hissing an angry protest. Little droplets of sweat ran down his back and face. The heat relaxed him, and the steam cleared his head.
"See what I mean?" Kai said, stretching his arms.
"You should take this idea back with you when you return to Althea."
"I just may do that," Alaire said, feeling a little light- headed.
"I didn't realize how good you really were," Kai said off-handedly. "Lyam wasn't holding back when he had at you. And those two he had sparring with us, those are a couple of his best men. Who trains you, back home?"
"The Ambassador," Alaire replied without thinking.
"The Dark Elf."
Kai offered a low whistle of surprise. "Remind me not to try taking him on! He's a good trainer. Must really know the sword"
Alaire was about to boast about some of Naitachal's previous conquests with the blade, but thought better of it. It would be too easy to mention the magic. I really have to watch how much I tell. He eyed the boy slyly, but Kai was only working a strain out of shoulder muscle. Is he fishing for information? Better be on guard.
"Where I come from, everybody trains for the sword," Alaire said casually. "Even farmers. You never know when someone might declare war on us."
If the last remark made any impact on Kai, the boy didn't show it. "But you must admit that being a prince does grant you certain privileges. Best trainers, best equipment. What you did back there really impressed me. And what's one better, it impressed Lyam. He doesn't impress easily."