The Sword Maiden

Redwar's Interference

I blocked, but before I could try a counter move, Corban withdrew.  His face was still slightly scrunched in calculation.  

Suddenly the lines eased as his face lit with comprehension.  "You fight like a Ravager."  His voice held finality, without any doubt.  

I did not reply with voice but rather with another flurry of strikes.  Months ago, such an attack would have left my arms burning.  Now, it just left me with a slight breathlessness which was easily remedied. 

He blocked time and again, and I was forced to withdraw.    

"Yes.  You fight like a Ravager."  The unspoken question was in his voice:  How did you learn?  

My lips remained firmly sealed.  I was not about to give away the fact that it was Redwar that had educated me.  

The surroundings play as much a role in the fight as the sword does.   The memory came bolting through my memory, brought to life by the thought of Redwar.

Suddenly stirred from my narrowed focus, I quickly glanced around.  The bandit camp was still in confusion, but most were headed towards the rocks.  Valeria was firing her arrows, and hitting her mark more often than not.  

Somehow I sensed something had changed in the camp.  The bandits were more focused, more determined.  Now they knew they were under attack.  And they weren't going to give up without a fight. 

Most of them were hiding behind tents and other things to avoid being the target of Valeria's arrows and Daxton's stones.  But a few of them were trying to take down Redwar, and they were close enough Valeria couldn't shoot safely.  

However, Redwar batted them away relentlessly, their sword skills and speed were nothing compared to his, even though he was older than them.  He was making his way towards me.  

Derrek had come out of the tent, and was looking helplessly around, I sensed, for a weapon.

All of this I took in in a brief glance that took less time than you did to read that.  Corban tried to take advantage of it, but my sword was ready for him and beat his attack back.  Redwar had trained me well. 

Again I glanced behind Corban at my brother.  He knelt down and grabbed the dagger I'd dropped.  Our eyes locked, and an understanding passed between us as if we'd never been separated for months on end.  

Together, we would eliminate our enemy.  

My gaze returned to Corban.  And I did not hold back.      

Where our dual before had been filled with hate and cunning, now it was even more so. Now I was even more determined to finish him off.

Corban defended and countered, I was forced to back off. I growled and shifted back a step, before returning to deal more blows.

And all the while I looked behind him. My brother was watching, and carefully making his way up behind Corban.

He stepped back on step. Two. Now Derrek was just outside of the reach of his blade, should he swing about.

Any moment now...

With a shout Derrek sprung forward and wrapped his arms around Corban's neck, pulling him down to the ground and pinning him. Corban's sword was flung to the side.

For the first time, my sword hovered over him without obstruction.  For the first time, he was at my mercy.

He knew it, and he glared up at me, but without fear.  "Do what you will," he growled.  

"This is for my parents," I spat out and raised Bound. 

A hand caught my wrist from behind.  I cried out and whipped around to fight whoever it was that dared stop me from my revenge.  

It was Redwar.  

"No, Ravine."  

I glowered at him with more anger than I ever had before.  "You have no right to take this from me, Redwar.  He must pay."

"Yes.  Yes he must.  But it is not yours to make him pay, nor yours to decide when he should."  

"Then who's is it?  Who has more right than I and my brother?" 

"Yes, Ravine, think of your brother."  He gestured to the chaos happening around us with his sword hand.  "We don't have much longer done here, do you want to risk loosing him for good?"  

"If you'd just let me kill him, we would have been gone already," I growled back.  

"I'm not going to let you, so the sooner you realize that, the sooner we can get out of here." 

I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth started to protest.  Redwar was holding me hostage and he knew it.  

"Fine."  I glared at Corban with a message:  this isn't over yet.

"Do I have your word?"

"Yes."  I kept glaring.  

As soon as he loosened his grip, I ripped my hand away.  I refused to look at him. 

"Well well, now I know why you fight like a Ravager, Ravine.  Never dreamed there'd be a day where I'd be saved by the infamous Redwar Volan."  

Derrek was glancing from me, to Redwar, to Corban with much confusion evident on his face.  

Redwar took one long stride towards Corban, his face hardening with fury that surprised me.  I half wondered if he was going to kill him himself.  

Derrek let Corban go and scrambled backward, his eyes widening in fear.  Corban, finding himself free, tried to scrabble upward, but found Redwar's blood-stained blade pressed against his throat.  

"I didn't save you for your sake, Corban.  For all the harm you've brought to her and others, justice must surely be taken.  But it will not be dealt out today.  Now go.  Go crawl back to your Ravagerian lords.  Explain to them why you've failed.  And be glad I even let you live this day."    

Corban flinched at the word 'failed.'

Redwar took his sword away, leaving a mark of blood on Corban's neck.  "If I ever see you again on Thathian land, I may not withhold her or myself."  

Corban slowly stood up and backed away, glaring at all of us.  But I didn't see what he did next, because suddenly I saw Megidil and three of his men heading towards us.

Redwar turned and pushed me towards Derrek.  "Take Derrek and get to Valeria and Daxton!"    

I lunged towards Derrek and grabbed his hand like I had on that fateful night.  "Come on Derrek!  To the rocks!"  

I pulled my confused brother along so fast he nearly tripped and fell.  I led him back through the tents and up to the base of the rocks.  Valeria provided cover for us with her arrows, shooting them over our heads.  

I shoved my brother ahead.  "Start climbing and don't stop!"  He took my word for it started slipping between the boulders.  

It was then I realized that Redwar had not come with us.  

AN:  Hmm... Interesting little chapter here, don't you think? 

By the way, the way the reads are going up on this book I know there's GOT to be a silent reader or two out there somewhere.  

Now because you're silent, I don't know who you are.  Which is a little sad to me, 'cause I'd love to interact with you.  But still, thank you for checking out this book if you've made it this far :)