Chapter 14 #2
Per the mandates of a duel for tribe leadership, Shi had brought her fur-trimmed cloak and ceremonial headdress.
She handed both to Chief Tenilor, silently marking him as her sky watcher for this, a duty that, during a duel, included observing those around to make sure nobody tried to unfairly assist the challenger.
Shi murmured something to him that Vorik didn’t catch over the sound of the surf.
Probably that she expected the items back soon.
Vorik removed his weapons belt, drawing only his dagger, then hesitated before holding his sheathed sword out toward Jhiton.
He wouldn’t blame his brother if he didn’t want to accept it—and the implied duty of watching his back for fair play.
But Jhiton accepted the belt and scabbard without a pause.
“Do you have a plan, Vorik?” Jhiton asked as Shi also removed a few bracelets and a seashell necklace, then bounced around, loosening up her arms. She moved easily and well for a woman of fifty.
“Beyond beating her?” Vorik asked.
“One that includes beating her, I would hope, as she may have tricks ready to deploy. It should also include what to do after the fight in case you win and there are objections.” Jhiton tilted his head toward the many onlookers and also glanced at the circling dragons.
“I’m hoping you’ll handle any objections.” Maybe foolishly, Vorik wasn’t that worried about what would happen right after the fight. It would be during the night while he slept that someone might want to eliminate him as chief. “Do you still care if I die? After…” He waved toward Jhiton’s gut.
“After Father’s passing, I spent years training you to be a competent fighter and rider.”
“So you’d hate to see all that wasted if I died?”
“I’d prefer not to be embarrassed by having my pupil fall to a fifty-year-old woman.”
“Ah. I understand.” Vorik didn’t point out that Shi’s dragon bond meant she was as magically enhanced as he was. Instead, he bowed to his brother and added. “I’ll do my best not to shame the family.”
“Good.”
Vorik was about to turn away when Jhiton gripped his wrist, making him pause. That strange flare of power he’d sensed in his brother before rose again, and the grip tightened. Hard.
Vorik lifted his dagger, alarmed. Would he have to defend himself? After he’d just given Jhiton his sword belt?
His brother’s cheek twitched twice, and he shook his head.
As if he was wrestling with himself for control.
That was alarming. Jhiton had always been the essence of control.
Only during their fight in the mine had Vorik finally pushed him too far and seen Jhiton give in to frustration and anger.
But that had been understandable. This… Vorik didn’t know what this was, but it scared him.
Jhiton smoothed his face and loosened his grip.
“Are you all right?” Vorik asked.
“I’m fine.” Jhiton lowered his arm. Speaking quietly, he continued. “You may remember that when Shi challenged her predecessor for the tribe, she threw a stinging powder into his eyes. She was surreptitious about it, but I saw it. It was enough to rattle the chief, and she took advantage and won.”
Vorik remembered the fight but not the powder. Shi must have been surreptitious, indeed.
“She hasn’t had time to prepare—I doubt she expected your challenge—so she might not have anything like that with her, but don’t trust her to be honorable.”
“Oh, I won’t.”
“Let us get this over with, Vorik,” Shi called, still bouncing about, warming her muscles. “Your brother cannot fight this battle for you.”
No, Vorik had suggested to Jhiton that he should be the one to challenge her and lead the tribe, but Jhiton hadn’t been interested, saying that the people preferred their military leaders and tribe leaders not be one and the same.
“After what you did,” Shi continued, “I’m surprised he’s talking to you at all.”
Face masked again, Jhiton stepped back with Vorik’s sword belt and nodded for Vorik to get going. And probably for him not to be an embarrassment.
Dagger in hand at his own side, Vorik walked onto the bare rock bluff to face Shi.
The onlookers gave them room to maneuver, but it still felt claustrophobic with so many people gathered around.
And the dragons flying overhead didn’t make it any more comfortable.
Vorik picked out the blue dragon, Uxtar, and vowed to keep that one in his awareness during the fight.
“Try this,” someone whispered behind Shi.
Chieftess Marvola of Starlion Tribe had acquired one of the jars. With the contents more brown than berry-colored, it wasn’t jam. What was the term Syla’s female ally had used? Nut butter?
“It’s made from almonds, I think, but sweet,” Marvola added, tilting the jar toward Chief Tenilor, who stood to the side with several other chiefs.
A few also stood with Marvola, a noticeable gap between the groups.
Maybe where the leaders had positioned themselves here represented how they planned to vote.
Tenilor sneered and lifted a hand in refusal. But Chief Velesh leaned over, curious, and poked a finger in. He was standing in Tenilor’s group but not scowling as much as some of his colleagues.
Marvola noticed Vorik watching them and gave him a gesture of encouragement for the duel—or maybe that indicated approval for the treat.
Watch out, Agrevlari warned.
Without preamble, and doubtless because he was looking in another direction, Shi attacked.
Vorik leaped lightly to the side as she rushed, her long dagger slashing toward his chest. Landing in a crouch, Vorik brought his own blade up, his free hand guarding it.
Shi turned and rushed again, throwing numerous feints while trying to back him toward the ledge—toward the hundred-foot-drop to the sea below.
Again, Vorik leaped to the side, fast enough to avoid her attacks, though she had far greater speed than a normal opponent her age—or any age. As he’d predicted, her dragon bond lent her power, stamina, and speed.
Mutters came from the crowd as Vorik dodged again.
Since he had initiated the challenge, he would be expected to attack soon, but he’d never fought Shi before and wanted to get a feel for her favorite moves and her blade skill before he rushed in.
He also wanted to gauge whether she had some of that powder that his brother had mentioned.
She wore leggings without pockets and had removed most of her accoutrements of fashion and rank, leaving only a single bracelet, the bauble loose enough to slide up and down her wrist with each dagger slash.
A small knife remained sheathed in her boot.
He doubted that had been an accidental oversight.
After one of Shi’s swipes came close to taking off his ear, Vorik turned from the defensive to the offensive.
Instead of dancing away when she slashed again, he darted in, using his free arm to knock her dagger hand wide.
She was almost fast enough to yank it back and avoid his touch, but he caught her, opening up her chest briefly.
He stabbed for her shoulder instead of her heart.
She spun her torso away so that the blade merely sliced open her tunic, then brought her opposite knee up toward his groin.
He pushed into her while her leg was in the air, suffering a glancing blow as he used his weight to shove her backward.
The maneuver unbalanced her, and she slashed wildly toward his head.
He caught her wrist before the dagger reached him, gripping it hard as he knocked her back again.
He forced her arm into a painful twist, and she gasped and dropped the dagger.
He released her and she fell to the ground, turning it into a roll that took her away from him and gave her time to spring to her feet again.
Vorik could have followed, leaping upon her to keep her down, but he picked up her dagger instead. In a duel, disarming an opponent was usually seen as a victory.
“Bastard,” she growled. “You’ll not betray our people because you’ve fallen for some enemy female.”
“She’s their queen, not some enemy, and she’s wonderful. Do you yield?”
Snarling, Shi rushed in, flinging her arm toward him as she used the other to yank the knife from her boot. Gasps went up from the observers.
Reminded of his brother’s warning, Vorik leaped back as powder flew from her hand, forming a small green cloud in the air. He shut his eyes and turned his face away. Even so, the air around him pricked his skin, immediately raising pain as if he’d rolled through a clump of dragonfire thistles.
Fortunately, he’d closed his eyes in time to save them.
When he sensed Shi charging close, he spun and kicked her in the gut before she could swing the knife.
She must not have expected him to recover so quickly because he caught her square in the abdomen, hitting her hard.
She flew back, managing to twist in the air and get her feet under her, but, this time, Vorik didn’t hesitate to leap after her.
Without a chance to fully catch her balance as she landed, she slashed wildly, trying to keep him back.
But he easily dodged the swipes and knocked her arm wide, then caught her and bowled her to the ground, pinning her under his weight.
Before she could bring her blade back in close, Vorik pressed the edge of his dagger to her throat.
Watch out, Agrevlari warned again.
Vorik sensed his winged ally diving toward the bluff, but another dragon was closer. Uxtar. Even though Shi had clearly cheated, her ally dove toward Vorik’s back with his talons extended.
Vorik pulled Shi up, spun her, and thrust her toward the descending dragon. Not positive Uxtar could stop his dive in time, even if it meant striking his rider, Vorik scrambled to the side.