Free Mage-Guard of Hamor by L. E. Modesitt

find some suitable reading material to pass the time."
    "What would you consider most suitable, ser."
    "I'd suggest one of the histories of the mage-guards. It might give you a better feel for the traditions, but try to read between the lines and the words. What is not written is often as important as what is. Try the most slender volume first."
    "Yes, ser." Rahl had to wonder how he was supposed to determine what had not been written. Taryl was sounding like Kadara, and that bothered him.
    "Off with you. The armory and exercise chambers are in the smaller separate building to the south, across the paved rear area and next to the stables."
    Rahl nodded and headed for the main entry foyer, passing several other mage-guards and nodding politely as he did. Outside, even as early as it was, the air was warm and nearly as damp as it had been in late summer in Swartheld. The green-blue sky was faintly silvered with a thin haze that did nothing to reduce the heat and glare of the sun.
    Unlike the main headquarters, the armory was a low one-story building with two entrances. Rahl took the eastern one and found himself in a foyer with three corridors branching from it. In the middle of the foyer was a table with a fresh-faced mage-clerk seated behind it.
    "Might I help you, ser?"
    "I'm supposed to meet with armsmaster Khedren."
    "Yes, ser. He said he had a sparring session."
    "That's what I'm supposed to be doing," Rahl admitted.
    "He's in the main sparring chamber. If you'd take the right corridor to the second set of double doors halfway down."
    "Thank you." Rahl smiled and followed the mage-clerk's directions down the empty corridor. He passed one door, and he could sense a number of people beyond it. He also heard a strident voice.
    ". . . juniors! All of you . . . the next one who makes that mistake gets to spar with a senior . . ."
    A faint smile crossed Rahl's lips.
    When he reached the second set of doors, Rahl paused, taking a long, slow breath and wondering exactly what to expect. Then he opened the right-hand door and stepped inside. The stone-walled chamber was well lit by four large skylights, but each had what looked to be a black shade to one side and a rope dangling from one end.
    Rahl nodded. The arrangement was similar to what Taryl had used in Luba to train Rahl.
    "Taryl said you'd be here." The man who stepped forward wore a worn khaki uniform of a mage-guard, but without insignia. He was the only one in the chamber besides Rahl.
    "Yes, ser. You're armsmaster Khedren, ser?"
    Nodding, Khedren picked up two staffs, extending one to Rahl. The armsmaster was one of the few men in Hamor taller than Rahl, yet even in the few moments Rahl had observed him, Rahl saw a spare grace in his movements and gestures. He bore only the slightest traces of white, but Rahl suspected that was because of the effectiveness of his shields.
    Rahl set aside his visor cap, hanging it on one of the polished wooden pegs on the rack beside the door, then took the proffered staff.
    "You might as well strip down to your undertunic," suggested Khedren. "Taryl said to give you a workout."
    "Yes, ser." After leaning the staff against the stone wall, Rahl took off his shirt and hung it on another peg, then took out his truncheon and laid it across the space between two of the pegs. He reclaimed the exercise staff and turned.
    "Taryl said you were tolerably good with a staff and truncheon. I'd like to see how tolerably good that might be. Let's see your defenses, first. No attacks." The armsmaster took his staff and walked to the center of the exercise chamber without waiting for a response.
    Rahl followed and then squared off, waiting for whatever attack Khedren might offer.
    For several long moments, Khedren did nothing, and Rahl waited, shifting his weight from foot to foot, trying to keep loose, yet alert. More time passed, but Rahl waited, knowing that Khedren was simply trying to unnerve him . . . or get him to attack and thus fail to follow