The Robber Knight's Love

56. Swords, Lies and Shadows

The two knights’ swords met with a glitter of sparks. But before Reuben could lock their blades, Luca whirled to the side, evading the full power of his opponent.

Ayla thought a very bad word she would never have uttered aloud. No! She had hoped Luca would be foolish enough to meet Reuben head-on, and the Red Knight could bring his far superior strength to bear. Apparently, this was not going to happen. Instead, Luca attacked Reuben from the side, and when the Robber Knight's huge sword came swinging around, ducked out of the way.

Even Ayla could see after only moments that Luca was no novice at sword-fighting. He didn't have Reuben's strength, but he was sneaky and clever, and was going to make the most of that advantage. With a few quick steps, he retreated towards one of the towers of the gatehouse, always just out of reach of Reuben’s sword, and took up a position next to one of the two doors.

“Coward!” Reuben growled, advancing towards him. “Stand and fight!”

Reuben had barely reached the other knight, when Luca grabbed the doorknob beside him. Ayla, guessing what dastardly trick he was planning, opened her mouth—but it was too late. Luca had already flung upon the door, directly into Reuben's face.

“Boo!”

“Bastard!”

Protesting shouts went up from the watching crowd. The heavy oak rushed towards Reuben with enough force to knock a man senseless. But before it could hit home, Reuben's fist came up and smashed into it, reversing its course and slamming it shut with an almighty boom. Through the slit of his visor, he regarded Luca with blazing gray eyes.

“I think you have yet to learn something about me, Sir Luca,” he growled.

“Oh yes? And that is?”

“These tricks of yours, dirty tricks that would catch any ordinary, fair-fighting knight off his guard easily....”

Luca feinted to the left, the whirled around and struck at Reuben's other shoulder. Reuben's sword was already there, blocking the strike.

“....They won't work on me!”

Reuben whirled his blade around in a masterly move, tugging on Luca's blade so strongly it made the knight scream. The bad news: it wasn’t strong enough for the blade to fly out of his hand. The good news: it was strong enough for him to fly off his feet sail past Reuben, crashing onto the stone of the walkway. Quickly, he scrambled to his feet.

“Because, you see,” Reuben continued, and Ayla could hear the explosion approaching under the superficial calm of his voice, “I’m not ordinary. And I most definitely do not fight fair.”

“Yaa!”

Dashing, forward, Sir Luca again pretended to strike at Reuben with his sword. This time though, he didn't change the direction of his blow, but simply stopped it and moved his leg up sharply, to sink his knee into Reuben's crotch. With a dull thud, his knee made contact.

It had absolutely no effect.

For a moment, just a moment, all the eyes of the men on the wall went wide, and Ayla could see it in their faces: they weren't thinking about the fight anymore. Hands went to areas between legs. Hundreds of male faces twisted in mixed pity, awe, and incomprehension. It was obvious to Ayla that whatever Reuben had done before to weave a legend around his name, this would easily outstrip it.

“Satan's warty prick...” Burchard murmured behind her, his voice raw. “What's the matter with the fellow? How is he still standing after... that? He isn't... you know... missing something?”