The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold

Chapter 21: Provisions

I tossed Ruck's dirk to Niako and yanked Tibo's sword from its sheath as I spun toward the sound. Five men in tattered clothing stumbled toward us with the jerky movements of puppets on strings.

"Ruffians, not bounty hunters," Niako breathed from beside me. "They have been out here too long to know about the reward."

The man in front splayed his palms before him, offering us a smile as jagged and lopsided as the rocks beneath his feet. "Your Highness! What a surprise to meet you out here, so far from your home."

Another man shouldered past the first, blinking rapidly as his gaze darted around us. "And without any guards, it would appear? You must really trust that Claimed."

The first speaker slipped a sword from his waistband and propped the tip against the ground, fingers drumming against the hilt. "You've given him a sword and everything. Given the history between you, it is rather amazing he does not slice off your head and make a run for it."

"He is exceptionally well-trained," said Niako. "As a Claimed and as a sword fighter."

The men exchanged quick glances, and for a moment, I thought they might retreat. But then two men split from the group, circling around to approach us from behind.

I turned my head slightly toward Niako to whisper, "We fight back-to-back." 

When the men had formed a circle around us, they stopped moving. As I locked eyes with the three ruffians on my side, even the river seemed to stop.

Then they charged.

From fighting back-to-back during partner sword fights in Fooja, I knew how much understanding and trust was required. I also knew Niako and I lacked both. Still, we somehow immediately fell into sync. Niako feigned right and I covered his left. I retreated one step, and Niako dropped back to regroup. Though I barely had a chance to glance in his direction, his every move complemented my own.

None of the three ruffians I fought had great skill or efficient weapons, but their number advantage forced me to maintain a tight defensive position. I parried just hard enough to knock each blade aside before flipping the sword around to meet the next attack. The clashing blades beat out syncopated accents over the smooth symphony of the rushing river.

Between each parry, my mind jumped to Niako just behind me. He fought off only two ruffians, but he was using Ruck's dirk rather than a sword, and I feared his mysterious injuries still plagued him. I needed to be extra cautious, but I also needed to end this fight before Niako ran out of energy.

Then a rock tipped beneath the man nearest me, throwing him off-balance. As his sword flung askew, I jabbed my own up through his ribcage. 

Before the man even hit the ground, I brought my blade up to parry another attack. But to my surprise, the other two attackers had retreated, slipping behind the trees. With no time to worry about what this could mean, I whirled back toward Niako.

I tensed when I realized how much ground he had lost, his back now a mere foot from my own. Still, his dirk lashed out with precision, graceful parries redirecting the attacks away from himself. As he parried another blow, I leapt out from behind him. Before the man could bring his sword around to parry mine, I sliced my blade through his throat.

As he gurgled a cry, the man in front of Niako screamed. Almost in unison, both bodies thudded against the ground. I whipped back toward the last two assailants, but they had disappeared. For a brief moment, victory rushed over me like the river.

Then I saw the two remaining ruffians riding our horses off into the sunset.

Even as my heart plummeted, I forced myself to inspect Niako. Remarkably, he appeared completely unscathed. Somehow, his shirt even remained a crisp white, except where I had left red handprints on his shoulders and waist. Only the quick rise and fall of his chest gave any sign that we had very nearly just died — or that our hope for making it to Trebalda was vanishing as quickly as the specks on the horizon.