Chapter Eleven

Lina blinked her sleep-fogged eyes. When had she fallen asleep? And that drinking contest, a dream? She looked around. No, it was real. Mangix snored contentedly away on the floor, Rylai sprawled in a tangle of limbs on a pile of cushions. She got up, her robes clinging to her sweaty body. Too hot. If only Rylai was awake. She inspected the urns. Surely even the formidable pair couldn't have finished all three urns, could they? No, there was one still full and another half full.

So, who won? I'd love to see Mangix's face if he lost.

She descended the stairs to the third level and into a bathroom. Quickly, she stripped off her robes, sticky with sweat and nudged the door shut with a lazy kick. There was a large tub of water maintained there through a clever system of pipes. Lina contemplated heating the water, a simple task for her, but decided against it.

I'll melt…

The bathroom had wooden slats arranged to drain away the water. Lina snagged the bucket and filled it with water. A bucketful from top to bottom would feel really good.

Sploosh.

Aieeeeee! Brrrr…

Cough, cough, splutter splutter…

Rylai…

"That was ABSOLUTELY not funny." Lina told the door severely. Giggles, familiar giggles. She sighed. That imp of a sorceress… Her teeth had stopped chattering, but she was still shivering.

With a touch of her mind, Lina heated the water back to its original lukewarm temperature and continued with her shower. She could hear the howls of laughter and deep chuckles in the distance. She ignored them. The warm water sluicing over her skin felt heavenly as it warmed her chilled body.

Always a daring one, imp.

Lina smiled. In war and in peace, there were things to be cherished.