Breath of Mist

T W E N T Y F O U R- Erik

The little old Bavadrin's hand pressed to my chest, keeping me back. She was impressively strong for both her small size and her age.

"Don't you dare interfere with this." Edda sounded vicious.

I was not sure who she thought she was, but no one spoke to me in such a manner, especially not her.

Iver stood beside me. His gaze fell upon Edda, her hand, and then back to the makeshift arena. For the first time in his life, he appeared serious and focused on what was occurring around him.

Ariana stood in the open circle while her opponent, who was both larger than her and more muscular, pulled out a sword.

The hand fell from my chest, but the little hag stood there looking up at me. "That girl is the only thing in this entire world that I love," she said. "If you think I would allow her to place herself in harm's way with no hope of a victory, then you are sorely mistaken."

An intense desire to toss the nuisance of a woman out a window came over me.

"How is she supposed to stand against someone with a sword when all that she has is a dagger?" Kole asked Edda, whose dark eyes lit up at the question, and she released a small dark laugh.

"That idiotic boy is trying to fight with force because that is all he has ever known, with having Fraser as his guide. Ariana needs the dagger only to draw his blood, not to win." She smiled devilishly.

"I don't understand." Kole looked at Edda as if she had just lost her last marble, though I was reasonably sure she lost it the moment she thought it was a good idea to try to physically stop me from going to Ariana if I wished to.

Edda laughed. The sound was unbelievably irritating. "The girl fights with something much more powerful than a simple sword. She has the hearts of her people. That is why she is the one to become Bavadrin superior."

Edda turned to me. "You have seen the way the people respond to her when she walks through the city. They are drawn to her, and they are drawn to her now." The little terror of a woman then turned to watch, her back to me. "Prepare yourselves. You are about to witness a rebirth. The great spirit will guide her today." She sounded giddy, and I was pretty sure that she must have been far too old for the mind of hers to function correctly.

Ariana and her opponent walked the perimeter of the circle they were in and then stopped. He flexed his muscles with each movement as if to show his strength. In contrast, Ariana moved with a calm surrounding her. She squared her shoulders, keeping her chin held high. Not a shred of fear or uncertainty lingered in her eyes. I found myself pulled in by her, intrigued that despite all that had happened to her that she was able to find herself on steady ground. Able to face opposition without a shred of doubt.

He looked down his nose at her, raising his blade. "Last chance, give up."

She merely stood there, hands at her sides.