The indoor training hall is set up much like similar spaces in the Jedi Temple, though this one in the Asgardian palace is much more opulent. The same polished stone and soaring arches from the hallways and throne room could be found here too, replete with armored statues along the far wall. Ten-foot high mirrors line one long wall, and opposite are stands of weapons and stacks of various-sized stone disks. Master Roygan and Lady Sif stand in the middle of the room talking quietly when Anara and Thor enter, still laughing at a joke Thor made at Fandral's expense.
Turning towards them, Roygan gives Anara an appraising look. "Good, you look none the worse for wear for being up all night." he states. The soldier must have given him a thorough report.
"Did you find your home world?" Lady Sif asks.
"Unfortunately no, but I think there are a few charts we didn't get through." Anara replies. Addressing Roygan, Anara asks, "So what do you have planned for me today?"
Walking over to the stacks of stone disks, he says, "I would like to start with an assessment of your strength."
Looking to Thor, he says, "Your Highness, you are welcome to stay and observe, but I do not think it will be very exciting."
"I will stay. Father will want to hear of her progress."
Nodding, Roygan turns back to Anara. "These stones here," indicating the smallest disks, "weigh ten stone. Each larger size," pointing to the row of progressively larger stones, "is ten stone heavier than the one before it." Picking up and handing her the smallest stone, Roygan continues. "I'm curious to know what you could lift before you came here and what you are able to lift now, with the gifts of the golden apples."
Anara hefts the stone in her hands. It's light, and its base weight gives her an idea of what a "stone" equates to in her world. Setting the stone down, she walks several paces down the line and picks up a sixty-stone disk.
"This is typically the heaviest I can lift and carry, without the Force, for any length of time, but it seems light to me now."
Using the Force, she levitates the disk back onto its stack. She can feel the surprise from those in the room. Thor approaches her.
"How did you do that?"
Anara realizes that except for her brief discussion yesterday, she hasn't told anyone about the Force, or her abilities. Considering for a moment, she replies, "It is one of the abilities I have as a Jedi. It's called the Force. I mentioned it briefly in my lecture yesterday, but I'm afraid I didn't really explain it. I can do that now, or save it for another time."
Thor, thinking for a moment says, "I think that is something that my brother and others would be interested in hearing as well. Maybe tonight at dinner you could explain it to us?"
"Of course."
Focusing back on the task at hand, Anara addresses Sif. "Lady Sif, we seem matched in physique. Which is the heaviest stone you can lift?"
Coming forward and walking several more paces down the line, she replies, smiling, "Please just Sif. You are now a Companion of the realm and my equal." Picking up a stone Anara estimates to be twice the weight she just lifted, Sif says, "This is the heaviest stone I can lift with ease, though I fear it is nowhere near the weight our male compatriots can heft."
She offers the stone to Anara. Unsure of just how strong she now is, Anara prepares to use the Force to keep the stone from falling, but there is no need. The stone Sif hands her is heavy and at her limit, but not so much so that she can't hold it without the Force. She cannot keep the surprise from her voice.
"This is surprising, to say the least."
Even her abilities with the Force seem stronger, for it takes little effort for her to float the heavy stone back to its resting place. Roygan seems impressed.
"Good, good. I thought that you and Lady Sif would be equally matched. Would you be willing to engage in some sparring?"
"I thought you'd never ask, " Anara replies. "Weapons or hand-to-hand?" she asks as she removes her utility belt and outer tunic, revealing a close fitting shirt underneath. She places her things off to the side, careful to leave her lightsaber accessible.
"Ladies' choice." Roygan responds.
Sif pulls a couple of staffs from the weapons rack and tosses one to Anara, who catches it and gives it a few test spins and swings. A simple, thick wooden staff, she finds it well-balanced.
The two women square off against each other, circling, looking for openings. Sif opens with a charge, and the battle is on. The women parry and thrust, not often landing blows on the other. The clash of the staves draws a crowd to the room, the dance of the two women holding everyone in thrall.
Anara senses that Sif is holding back, so she decides to push her. Stepping back, she spins the staff behind her back and launches herself over Sif's head, twisting to come down behind her. Sweeping her legs out from underneath her, Anara pins Sif, holding the staff to her chest.
Laughing, Sif yields, and Anara gives her a hand up.
"You're holding back on me. I should not have been able to gain the upper hand like that," Anara tells Sif.
"Yes, well, Iesson learned. I will not underestimate you again." Sif replies, laughing.
Thor approaches, handing a goblet of water to each woman.
"Impressive! Don't you agree, brother?" Thor says, as Loki comes forward, having appeared sometime during the sparring match.
"Aye, though I think I could take them both."
Anara rolls her shoulders, testing. Though they still pull, the exercise has loosened them. She looks at Sif and sees a willingness to answer Loki's challenge. They both look at Loki. Anara floats a staff from the weapons rack and sets it in front of him.
Thor laughs and slaps Loki on the back. "Challenge accepted, brother." In a conspiratorial tone he adds, "Watch your back. I think Anara has more tricks up her sleeve than you do."
Loki tosses his long coat to the side and grabs the staff. "Game on ladies." he says, a wicked grin on his face.
Anara finds Loki to be a worthy opponent, especially faced with two sparring partners. Anara and Sif work together, but Loki seems to be able to track them both with ease. Just as it seems they are wearing him down, Sif goes in for the kill, but finds herself caught in a choke hold by a second Loki. The sight stops Anara short, enabling the other Loki to land a solid blow to one knee. Dropping to the ground, she centers herself and leaps into a back flip away from the melee before another blow can be landed. Using the Force, she can see that the Loki that engaged her is just an illusion, though a very solid, elaborate one. Reaching out her hand, she shreds the false Loki with the Force. The destruction of his illusion startles Loki, giving Sif the opening she needs. Catching her staff around the back of Loki's leg, she flips him, and pins him as Anara kicks his staff out of his hand. Putting his hands up in surrender, Loki concedes the match.
As the room erupts in cheers, he says "Enough ladies. I give you this match, but you will not win the next one."
As they both reach down to give him a hand up, he disappears, leaving them reaching into empty space. They begin to straighten, only to find themselves caught around the waist by Loki, who carries them like rag dolls and drops them at Roygan's feet.
"I think you have more training to do, Master Roygan." he says, laughing. Turning on his heel, he gathers up his coat and walks away to the laughter and cheering from the now-crowded room.
Anara looks at Sif, both of them still sprawled on the floor at Roygan's feet, and sees the same surprise she feels mirrored in Sif's face. They burst into laughter, both willing to concede that Loki had won that round. Roygan and Thor offer them hands up.
Anara straightens her tunic and asks, "How did he do that?"
"Who knows?" Thor says with a shrug. "Loki is a master trickster, and he never reveals his secrets. I cannot tell you how many times he's tricked me with similar illusions." Appraising Sif and Anara, Thor asks, "Are you both all right? He did give you a pretty good fight."
"Nothing a good soak in the pools won't fix." Sif replies. She turns to Roygan, "If we're finished here, I'm going to go introduce Anara to the bliss that is the heated pools."
"I think we're done here." he replies. "Same time tomorrow though." he adds.
Sif links her arm through Anara's and begins leading her towards the back of the exercise hall. Winking at Thor, she says to Anara, "You are going to love this part of training." Anara lets herself be led away, using the Force to pick up her tunic and belt.
At the back of the training hall, tucked away between two large statues, is a small doorway covered by a thick curtain.. As they approach, Anara can feel the heat and humidity from the room beyond. Stepping through the curtain, Anara feels as if she's walked into another world. The room is cave-like and dim, lit only by a few torches along the wall. Steam rises from several large, stone-lined pools. A few occupants raise their hands in greeting and continue with their quiet conversations. Sif guides her around the edge of the pools to a pair of doorways carved out of the living stone. The one on the left is covered by a black curtain; the one on the right, by a white one. Sif takes Anara through the white curtain into a dressing room of sorts.
Low benches line a narrow hallway off to the right. Hooks and small shelves are placed at even intervals above the benches. To the left is a larger room with a floor that slopes slightly to a drain in the middle. Several shower heads can be seen equally spaced around the larger room. Brighter light than what illuminates the cave diffuses from an unknown source in the ceiling. Sif takes a seat on one of the benches and begins removing her boots. Anara joins her.
"Most choose to bathe in the pools naked, however, I can have a servant bring appropriate clothing if you'd prefer."
Anara, never really one for overt modesty, shakes her head, and continues to disrobe.
"Is it customary to shower before going to the pools?"
"Typically, yes."
Anara stands and removes her tunic, turning her back on Sif to hang it from a nearby hook. She hears Sif gasp. Anara is not surprised and knows it was the sight of her scars that startled Sif.
"If my scars will be found offensive, maybe I should wear something into the pools." Anara says as she turns back to face the other woman.
"No, no. Forgive me. I did not mean to offend. It's just that I did not really believe Thor when he told us about your scars." Sif removes her leggings and folds them neatly, placing them on the bench. "How many battles have you been in?"
"More than I care to remember actually."
"Perhaps you will grace us with some of your glorious stories in the mead hall then. " Sif says as she motions for Anara to precede her to the showers.
"Perhaps."
The two women walk out of the dressing room to find the pools deserted. Sinking slowly into the warm water, Anara sighs.
Sif slips in next to her and says, "These pools are known for their healing properties. They're great for sore muscles and even the occasional broken bone if the healers are busy."
Anara nods, feeling the tightness leave her shoulders. Sinking further into the water, she lets herself relax, enjoying the moment.
Awareness of another presence in the caves reaches her mind. She sits up and looks to the black-curtained doorway. Sif follows her gaze. Loki sweeps aside the curtain, walking out to join them on silent feet, his tall, lean body shimmering wet in the torchlight. Unabashed and with the grace of a panther, he slides into the pool next to them, ducking his head underwater and slicking his hair back as he surfaces.
"I hope I'm not intruding ladies."
Sif, a mischievous look on her face, replies, "Back for more, dear Loki?"
"You know I can never get enough of you Sif." he purrs back. Sinking further into the water, he leans his head back against the edge and closes his eyes. Sitting back herself, Anara gathers the end of her braid and begins undoing it.
"Here, let me help with that." Sif says, taking Anara's braid and motioning her to turn her back towards her. Loki opens his eyes a crack and watches the women from under hooded lids.
Anara relaxes into the feel of Sif combing out her hair. One of her guilty pleasures has always been having someone else comb her hair. Sif finishes combing out the braids at her temples with one final pass. Anara's hair, now free of its braids, floats around her, its tendrils reaching out across the pool. Loki catches an end and twists it idly around his fingers. Following the tendril through the pool, his eyes find Anara's.
"Don't you ever worry that all this hair could be used against you in a fight?" he asks, his voice low and husky.
"Oh, it has a few times," Anara says. "But I've learned to use it to my advantage." Loki lets her hair slide through his fingers as she gathers it to one side. Teasingly she says, "Besides, I quite enjoy it when I get my hair pulled."
Sliding under the water, she misses Sif's laughter at Loki's widened eyes, but catches Loki's appraising look when she resurfaces.
The three pass the rest of their time in the pools in quiet companionship. Sif is the first to leave. Anara, telling her she'll join her shortly, uses the time alone with Loki to try to get to the bottom of his disappearing act the day before.
"Loki, I meant what I said yesterday about owing you my life."
Loki holds up a hand to stop her, but she continues on. "No, let me finish. Different cultures take a life-debt in different ways. If you wish not to accept mine to you, then say so. There is no loss of honor for me in your denial, if that is your wish."
Loki looks away from her for a few moments and then meets her gaze, his green eyes piercing. "I've seen the way you look at my brother. I would not have you forced to make a choice between us should that day ever come." he says, his words practically hissing. "One day, I may change my mind and call for payment on your debt, but for now, consider your debt cleared."
Loki turns his back on her and jumps out of the pool, disappearing behind the black curtain. Anara is floored by the feelings of jealousy that trail in Loki's wake. Were her budding feelings for Thor so obvious today? Or is there more to it? Shaking her head at her failure to right the earlier situation with Loki and even somehow making it worse, Anara gets out of the pool and ducks behind the white curtain. She has a lot to learn regarding these Asgardians.