17. Aurora
AURORA
Keeping a death grip on the towels that covered my secret, I hurried down the long stone hallway. The stone, worn smooth by generations of cadets, felt cold under my feet. But it got warmer as I followed the sounds of laughing and splashing.
Because the Old Drake was a dormant volcano, there were plenty of hot springs that bubbled up through its honeycombed interior. Its molten heart was hidden away but it still supplied heat, energy, and hot water to everyone in the Academy.
Some of the water was too hot for bathing, but the Cook-pot—the communal bathing area all the Cadets shared—was also fed by a cold stream from outside. The hot and cold water mixed to make an extra warm, but not unbearable temperature.
I had heard a bit about the Cook-pot from my father, but I’d never really tried to picture it before. As I rounded the corner and came to the vast, echoing chamber where the shouting and splashing was coming from, I drew in a startled gasp—it was huge.
It was obvious at once why it was called “the Cook-pot.” The hot springs that bubbled up from the heart of the Old Drake had worn away the limestone to form a vast, natural basin filled with the steaming water. It really did look like an enormous cauldron bubbling away.
Stalactites hung down from the ceiling in places, meeting stalagmites coming up from below and forming natural pillars that studded the water at intervals.
At the far wall, a waterfall of cold, fresh water from outside flowed into the pool.
Several boys were laughing and pushing each into its icy waters and whooping when they went under the chilly flow.
Glowing lamps lit the whole place with a golden light.
It was like an indoor lake and, if it hadn’t been filled with naked, shouting boys, I would have been charmed by it.
As it was, I wondered how in the world I would keep my secret.
I eyed the shouting, laughing boys splashing each other and looked in vain for a quiet place to bathe—or at least pretend to bathe. There was no way I was dropping my towels if I could help it. Maybe I could just find a place near the edge of the vast steaming lake and put my feet in the water.
I looked all around, careful to avoid anyone I knew. I saw Jorn-o and Leaper playing some kind of game with Toady and Bugs that seemed to involve shoving each other under the water—I wanted no part of that. One because I might be discovered and two because I couldn’t swim.
Growing up on a mountain, there had been no occasion to learn.
Auren had—my father had taken him to the deep mountain lakes from time to time and taught him—probably to get him ready for this very scene.
But the snow-melt that filled the lakes was icy-cold—it was one learning experience I’d been happy to be left out of.
Now I wished I’d gone along—not that my father would have taken me. Swimming was another thing that girls couldn’t do, according to him. So I was going to have to be extremely careful around the Cook-pot. If I slipped in, I could very easily drown or—almost as bad—give away my secret.
I found a relatively calm place to sit, slid my feet into the steaming water and sat there, waiting until the bell would sound again, announcing that First-year bathing time was over.
Since the Cook-pot was so big, it was shared by all the cadets, but they had staggered times for bathing.
First-years got half an hour before the bigger Second-years came in and started their own time.
Soon after that, the bell rang, and we had to go so the Second-years got half an hour before the Third-years came and then they had to leave so the Fourth-years could have a turn.
The schedule meant that the upper and lower classes mixed some as they did during dining hours, but every year had a little time to themselves as well.
During the time when only First-years were in the Cook-pot, I was fine. I stayed to myself and soaked my feet, making sure to keep away from the shouting, laughing boys around me.
But once the Second-year class filed in, the Cook-pot suddenly became twice as crowded.
I watched from my spot as the larger Second-year cadets poured into the Cook-pot area.
They were bigger than my class and all of them were nude.
They were more casual than the younger boys, not shouting and shoving but strolling into the steaming water as if they owned the place.
I saw the younger First-years giving way as the older cadets took over the pool.
Along with the other Second-years, I saw the huge, lumpy form of Chud Larson. He must have been hanging back to stay with his friends—if he had any. I shivered and averted my eyes, not wanting to see him without his towel. I was glad he was across the pool from me.
I looked down at my feet, trying not to see all the dangling male bits around me. I was studying the steaming water so intently that I didn’t even notice when someone came up behind me and whooped in my ear.
I gasped and turned around to see Toady standing there, completely nude. And behind him were the rest of the crew—Bugs, Jorn-o, and Leaper—all naked.
“Hey—there you are, Runt! Toady exclaimed. “Come on in—the water’s great!”
And before I could say anything in return, he pushed me into the Cook-pot.