Iron and Wood #Wattys2017

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Logir..." Ella's voice trailed off as she turned to him unsteadily.

Her husband set the candle down on the end table, his grip tightening on the sword.

"Shal," Ella took two steps to grab her by the arm.  

The Templar shoved her off roughly, and Ella fell back to the floor with a clatter.  Raising her eyes in confusion, they met with Shal's for a brief moment.

Ella's speech faltered, and Shal turned back to Logir.

"This is Imperial business, Thane," she said in a rehearsed, callous voice.  "Please return to your room so no one else will be hurt."

Logir took another step towards them.  

"What is this?" he demanded of her through gritted teeth.  "You were with them all along?"

Neither Shal nor Ella responded.  

"Is it the Templars' policy to kiss their targets?" 

Shal stepped to the side, coming in between him and Ella again.  If only he would finish it quickly--

"What is this?" Logir asked again, under his breath.  "Some plan to abscond with my wife?"

"You don't want to fall out of the Empire's good graces," Shal said threateningly.  

Logir lunged at her.  Shal side-stepped quickly, but did not strike.

Ella tried to struggle to her feet, her wooden leg slipping on the stone floor.

"Ella, you stay out of this," Logir did not move his eyes from Shal.

"But the Captain will be pleased to know you did not protect your wife," Shal taunted.  "If you let me finish my job, you might be promoted even further."

Logir lunged forward again.  Ella shrieked.  His sword connected with the front of Shal's new armor, and she staggered backwards.

"Can you even make use of the armour my father-in-law gave you?" Logir demanded.  "Strike, Templar!"

Shal swung her sword in his direction, but it was wild and erratic, a miss on purpose.  He parried her easily, opening a red line on her cheek.

Shal did not cry out.  She had allowed him to back her into a corner.  

"Come on," she murmured.

Logir raised his sword, and Shal saw the confusion in his eyes at her passive acceptance.

He hit her with the pommel, knocking her into the wall.  Blood sprang from her cut lip.  

"I will call the guard." He turned on his heel.  "She must still be a fugitive from the Empire looking to redeem herself.  Ella, are you al--"

Shal, her head ringing, sat up as his voice stopped abruptly.  There was an awful squelch, and Logir took two unsteady steps back from Ella.

He fell, and Shal saw a red stain blossoming over the front of his white nightshirt.  She shook her head quickly, hauling herself to her feet.

Ella was still kneeling in her now-bloody nightgown, tears running down her cheeks.  She was gripping in both her hands Shal's dagger, which she suddenly remembered leaving on the windowsill.  

"Ella, what have you done?" Shal ran over to her, taking the dagger from her hands.  They were covered in blood.  

"As if you've never killed anyone!" Ella's voice broke.

"It's not like that, we're in the middle of his house, I'm being tracked--"

"I couldn't lose you,"  Ella sobbed.