Wayfarer's

Chapter 13.

Eradan struggled relentlessly, squirming awkwardly. Hands roughly shoved him to the right, then left, then straight, causing his world to spin. The indecisiveness of the men grated on the man's nerves, and he cursed. A large wooden door was flung open, light filtering into the dark hall and making it hard to see. The creaking of the old hinges was drowned out by loud cheers of men that were seated in rough bleachers. Eradan was beyond confused and looked around continuously. But the smaller elf seemed to be calm. He clearly had done this a thousand times, and though he looked frustrated he also looked prepared. However, it still didn't put his mind at rest. There was a reason they were in a pit with a crowd outside, and he didn't like the conclusion he was drawing.

The warrior was shoved forward again and pushed into a large room. This time, Eradan was not only met with the hands of his captors, but the men around him began to shove him back and forth, cursing and yelling insults.
Bad choice. The thief thought, letting a grin cross his features. He vaguely imagined what would happen to these men when he got free. Roughly, Eradan was yanked by the chains that bound his hands, stopping him abruptly. Then, Caranfëa -the smaller elf- was shoved up beside him. Eradan stood almost a head taller than the elf, which made him smile.

So much for all those elf tales. I always thought they were tall, strong warriors. Not this one, the man thought with a small snicker.

"Okay... Listen to me.... You don't know what you're doing. I do. They will not give you a weapon because this is your first fight. Me, this is my hundredth. So I will. Now, Nahar will want money -and lots of it- so you need to make sure you don't do well at the start. Make them think you're weak. Make them bet on the other player. Then strike hard and fast. Understand?" The fiery elf explained shortly, keeping his voice low and hushed.

"Look, you overgrown baby. I know how to fight, with or without a weapon. I don't need you to coach me on how to kill someone-"

"Well, your funeral not mine." Caranfëa answered haughtily in annoyance. So much for him trying to keep this arrogant man alive!

Eradan smirked, you won't feel that way if I were to steal your weapon. He straightened as he watched Nahar cross the room, speaking with a few men. The human sniffed the air distastefully, tensing when he was pushed up to the edge of the pit. The man quickly dug his heels into the dirt, feeling the natural urge to resist. There was no telling what the people around him wanted.

"Go in you idiot!" The man behind him snapped, and smashed his foot into the back of Earadan's knee. His legs buckled. Before the blonde man could do much, he was on his knees. Or rather, there was no ground for him to fall on, and he tumbled into the pit. The impact knocked the wind from him, and he wheezed for breath. Panting softly, the youth rose to his feet, heart racing when he realized his hands were still bound. But, before he could even blink, there was a loud cry from the crowd.

"Great... This will be fun..." Eradan said under his breath. Another warrior leapt down into the pit, smiling cockily.

"He looks more dignified than you." Caranfëa called down to the man with a snarl.

Eradan growled lowly and yanked against his bounds in a failed attempt to loosen them. There was a bloodthirsty warrior, and his hands were bound. These odds weren't good.

"I think you're lost little man." The warrior said, holding a large broad sword in one hand and letting his other rest against his side.

"No, I do not think so. I believe you are." Eradan replied with a cocky grin.

The youth's attention was taken from his component as the pit was sealed off by a wooden grid. The large man charged.

Eradan jumped to the side, barely dodging the edge of the sword. Grunting softly when he landed wrong on his ankle, he pulled himself together and lapsed into a warriors crouch, quickly trotting towards the other side of the pit. He couldn't fight with his hands behind him, so his best bet was to exhaust the other man.