She steers me away from the side of the pole she must have pummeled a thousand times, judging by the worn patches, and instructs me how to stand, how to hold my thumb, and how to deliver a strikeup close.
“Try it,” she says, hovering beside me, her arms extended, as if she’d pull me away from the pole if I as much as twitched the wrong way. “Gently.”
I learned my lesson from throwing myself over Nara’s back this morning.
Slowly gliding my arm forward, applying the technique Lilis taught me, I tap the pole lightly, then look to her for confirmation I did it correctly.
“Good,” she says. “Again.”
Another three hours later, I’m pouring with sweat. We’ve stopped multiple times for hydration, but I haven’t eaten anything and I’m not sorry about it. I’d only bring the food back up.
She finally steps back from me. “That’s enough for today. Take a few minutes. Cool down. Make sure your temperature is regulated before you step outside.”
Using the time it takes to unstrap my hands, I manage to say between breaths, “Thank you.”
She blinks at me. Then her jaw visibly clenches.
“Don’t worry, Frost General,” I add. “I won’t thank you in public.”
I’m goading her and I know I shouldn’t. Asking for help is a sign of weakness in Frost, and now, judging by her response, it’s clear that thanking someone could be a mortal sin.
She snaps back, “You’d better fucking not.”
Despite her obvious fury, she reaches carefully for my hands after I unstrap them, inspecting my knuckles.
Not a single mark.
Still, she says, “Put them in ice tonight to make absolutely sure bruises don’t develop. You can keep the training suit. I’ll ensure the palace staff provide you with five more like it. Be back here first thing in the morning. We’ll train six days a week, today being day one. This week, we’ll train full days, but fromnext week, we’ll train only in the morning. I have other duties I can’t put off forever. Don’t be late.”
I quickly take note of all her instructions. My breathing has now evened out again and my skin has cooled.
I hold my tongue before I thank her again, knowing it would be like poking a wolf and I should consider myself lucky to be leaving unscathed.
After scooping up my discarded clothing, I make my way back down the hallway.
I pause at the closed door to what could be the bathing room, grimacing.
I really need to pee, but she’s right: this is her private space and she was forced to open it up for me.
I walk on.
Stellen and Nara wait outside the door. I don’t worry about telling him what Lilis said. I’m certain he heard it.
Before I can reach Nara’s side on my own, Stellen scoops me up and places me lightly on her back, sliding on behind me.
Nara’s moving before I can catch my breath.
“Bathing room,” Stellen says.
My eyes widen at the hint of humor in his voice.
He adds, “You drank a lot of water.”
I’d laugh if I weren’t so desperate.
Then he says, more quietly, “My silences don’t mean I’m not paying attention. Each one of your needs is important to me.”
Oh.My breath catches. Strange for my heart to feel so warm when his promise was prompted by my near-embarrassing bodily need, but then…
