‘.… don’t dawdle.’ They both stood up and headed off to their room with renewed energy.
‘Do they…’ Tahon was clearly struggling to find the right words. ‘Do they always talk like that?’ He turned his puzzled gaze towards Einar.
‘Most of the time, yes.’ Toinen shrugged. ‘You’ll get used to it,’ he added, rising from the table himself. ‘I’d advise you to hurry up, too, because apart from taking turns to speak, they can be really irritating if you make them wait for you.’
‘Mmmm… I’d rather not find out.’ The beastsman went to the other door, shaking his head as he did so.
Einar returned to his quarters and immediately took off his embroidered shirt and his better trousers, replacing them with a plain linen shirt and thick leather trousers, which he usually wore for training. They were worn and even patched in places, but they were also extremely comfortable. He also quickly found his leather vambraces and a matching breastplate. It wasn’t armour, but rather protective gear. Einar, like his brothers, was prone to getting carried away and taking training too seriously. As he left, he grabbed the steel helmet he’d been given a year earlier and ran downstairs and out of the house.
It turned out, however, that his brothers had been quicker and were already waiting at the door. They were dressed just like Toinen, except that, in addition to their swords, they also carried blunted axes and large round shields marked by the scars of many duels.
Einar hadn’t even had time to speak when the door behind him swung open again and a beastsman came out, adjusting the fastenings on his gauntlets. Ceet hadn’t put on his full armour, but had opted only for gauntlets and a helmet. Tahon glanced at the brothers and for a moment it seemed as though he hesitated. However, he quickly took a deep breath and approached them.
‘Shall we go?’ he asked energetically. When Ceet stood beside Kari and Leif, Einar could see that he was indeed taller than the already tall twins and, moreover, was built
