Aeleva; The Viking Saxon

Chapter 4

"FIGHT!"

She didn't move. She stared. Frozen. The only movements from the flames between us and the feathers on the pole. The huge wings flapped in the wind. They cast shadows on her face. The darkness flickering over her skin to reveal sliver scars that punctured her cheeks.

The crowd hushed as she whipped her wrist, the dagger flipped and turned in her hand. She played with it in her fingers but never stopped looking at me.

My chest and throat were caught tight, in a cold grasp. And it was getting stronger. Everything about her was ready to kill. Her black, heathen eyes found places to pierce my skin, her hair braided so it would not blind her in her swings, her wrists were wrapped with leather so that every strength could be generated. She was growling.

I stepped backwards and the planks creaked beneath my weight. I froze at the sound.

Her head snapped sideways. Her smile grew. Then she ran.

She soared over the flames. Screaming, wide eyed and dagger outstretched.

Her body crashed into mine and propelled both of us to the floor. My back collided with the stage. The woman wailed in my face and exposed every single one of her rotten teeth. Her nails clawed in my arms. She pinned me into the floor. I desperately writhed beneath her. Trying to jerk her weight off me.

One hand let go to raise her dagger above her head. Her head fell back and she stuck her tongue out and cried an animal's cry. Then plummeted the blade to my neck.

But I grabbed her wrist. She had let go of my arm.

She wailed in frustration. And shot the dagger lower. The blow wasn't clean. The butt slammed into my eye. White hot pain shot from my socket and I screamed. The first sound I made all day.

My hips jerked and she fell just enough for me to yank her hair. Her body crumbled off me.

I stumbled from my feet, cradling my eye. The pain blinded me; tears seeped from my eyes. I tried to breath but only shaky half breaths entered my lungs.

The Dane was on her feet. I saw her calculate her moves from my one good eye. I still had my dagger. I squeezed the wooden handle in my hand. Moved my wrist to feel the balance, how it rose and fell.

She came for me again. She lunged and I dodged. She struck and I ducked. She kicked and I flinched. She was strong but I was faster.

A high-pitched shriek escaped her lips and she dove at me. But I had seen it before. Her body flew through the air and I tipped to the side. I hit her. I hit her on her back and she collapsed to the ground.

"Hit her harder!" Hagen yelled.

I kicked her in the side and the Dane groaned. She turned on her back but before she could stand, I threw myself on her. My weight winded her for a moment but not before she punched me in the jaw. Her knuckles sent an unnatural crunch to my ears.

A huge cheer erupted from the crowd. She flinched and, in that moment, I pinned her arms to the floor. I rammed her wrist into the planks until her grip released her dagger and I watched it skid across the wooden platform. SCREAMED IN HER FACE?

I looked down at her face, it was not smirking now.

The Danish crowd screamed in their excitement. The girl writhed beneath me, fighting to get free.

I felt every single shout, every single wish. I felt their violent nature. I thought what the Dane beneath me would do if the roles were reversed. I thought of all the bodies ripped apart.