Chapter 37 #2
As this was Luna’s idea, I put her in charge of announcing the rules, and how the victor would be decided.
She stands in the center of the grounds, dragging a spear behind her, creating the perfect circle before she stands in the middle of it.
The competitors and spectators fall silent as she finishes and looks around expectantly.
“The rules are simple. Stay in the ring, and you win. Get beat out of the ring, and you lose. Winner is the last man standing.” She takes a step, as if to leave, before pausing. “Winner replaces Tane in the inner circle.”
My mouth drops open.
That is not what was decided upon at all. But she holds her hand up. “Only the best can serve my queen. As Tane no longer feels he’s capable of that, he must be replaced for the benefit of the realm. The strongest only.” Her voice resonates around the grounds.
I make to step towards her, but Mathilda grips my arm. “Don’t. She’s right.”
“What?” I splutter, whipping my head towards her to see her staring at Tane. His face displays a tenacity I haven’t seen in quite some time.
“I do not want Tane to think we would ever replace him,” I whisper to Mathilda.
“It doesn’t matter what we think. He needs to prove this to himself. We could tell him he’s worthy until the world turns to ash. But until he proves it to himself, it won’t matter. Tane needs this, Lena.”
He steps into the ring and is challenged by a wiry man from the Roman district. Tane defeats him in two moves. The next challenger steps into the ring and even I pause.
A behemoth of a man rivaling even Harald in size. Speaking of the devil, he walks through the archway with Piominko. They make their way to my side and the warriors in their path give them a wide berth.
“King of the Ring, is it?” Harald asks, watching as the giant of a man swings a broadsword at Tane.
“Yep.” The word comes out of my mouth like a pop. I lean around Harald to see Piominko watching the fight intently.
“Do you think he’ll win?” I ask. The behemoth keeps charging at Tane, but in a move that’s surprising, Tane flits out of his way, quick-footed.
“I think he’ll win if he chooses to,” Piominko speaks quietly, and it’s difficult to hear him over the cheering spectators as Tane strikes, catching his opponent unaware. Lachlan appears at my side with Evander in tow, having caught Piominko’s answer.
“What do ye mean, if he chooses to?” Lachlan’s voice is laced with concern, but he flashes a smile at me before placing a kiss on my temple.
“I mean, the opponent is not the man before him, but the two wolves fighting inside of him.”
He’s not wrong. Tane is one of the best warriors I know, but his self-loathing is the biggest threat to his victory.
“That’s an old parable, isn’t it?” Evander asks, his eyes never leaving Tane as he dives out of the way of the broadsword.
I nod, but Piominko answers. “Yes. The Cherokee are accredited for it, not my people. But the meaning rings true. Whichever wolf you feed—wins. And Tane has been feeding the wrong one for a long time.”
He crosses his arms over his bare chest. The swirls of his tattoos look new as the ink shines in the afternoon sun. Eyes of his woodpecker tattoo seemingly stare at me from his skin.
He doesn’t move, doesn’t grimace, doesn’t outwardly show at all how much this fight means to him, except for his eyes. They never blink as he watches Tane heave himself back up after getting knocked down.
Harald, however, laughs. “Did you see the big guy tackle him?”
I bristle at his words, but Lachlan bumps me with his hip. “Ignore him.”
My gaze flicks to him. “Is that what you do?”
“I’m trying to.” Lachlan settles a possessive arm over my shoulders and I grin at him.
Tane grabs the big guy by the throat and with a mighty heave shoves him outside of the ring. I jump up and down clapping, relief lightens my chest. Piominko uncrosses his arms.
A small breath slips from his lips. But Harald makes no remark. In fact, he’s not even watching the end of the fight as his attention is locked on the tiny female that makes her way under the archway. Mina.
He takes an involuntary step towards her before remembering where he is and who is watching. When his eyes meet mine, I smile, but he glares and leans over, whispering something to Piominko before striding away. Mina takes up the spot he vacated and beams at me.
“How’s he doing?” She nods towards Tane.
“Really well, actually. You just missed his last battle against that guy.” I gesture towards the giant leaning against the fence across from us. Her eyes alight with excitement before she realizes it’s not Harald. She surveys the warriors gathered and I smirk, leaning in to whisper to her.
“Harald left.”
She throws an elbow at my unguarded stomach, but I dodge it before bursting out laughing. “What? I thought you would want to know!”
Piominko stands quietly, watching the entire interaction, but the tiniest of smiles tugs at his lips. I look back at the ring to see Tane having a drink by the refreshment table alone.
I need to say something to him, to spur him on.
“Excuse me,” I murmur to my friends before slipping through the crowd and heading to Tane.
On my way towards him, a woman with gray hair and steely eyes races past me, nearly knocking me over as she charges towards Luna. She presses something in her hand and they exchange a few clipped words.
Weird.
But that’s not who needs me right now.
Tane stiffens as I approach and he places the glass down on the table.
“How are you doing?” I ask him, leaning my butt against the table and facing the ring.
Tane stares out at the gathered crowd. “Fine.”
I make a face, but don’t reply.
“Why?” he asks, studying me.
“You and I both know you haven’t been fine for a long time.”
His head hangs between his shoulders and he leans against the table beside me.
“Can I ask you something?”
My voice is soft, but my heart pounds forcefully in my chest. I hope this isn’t the wrong move.
“You are the queen.”
I snort, rolling my eyes. “Why are you even doing this?”
His brows knit together, shadowing his dark eyes. “What do you mean?”
I shake my head, gesturing out towards the people. “You don’t think you’re worthy to be here. So why are you even trying to keep your position?”
He stays quiet.
“Look—I think you are amazing.” I gesture to our friends.
“Mathilda thinks you hung the moon. Mina threw Harald against a wall for his words against you. Lachlan and Evander love you like a brother. Even Luna jumped in to save your life. Yet none of that seems to make you realize you are important here. Why?”
Tane shakes his head, closing his eyes.
“I know you think you shouldn’t be here.
And that there were warriors who were killed under your command, so maybe some part of you feels guilty that you’re here and they’re not.
But you are squandering this gift. You were brought here for a reason, and I believe that reason was because you were better than the rest of them.
And we need the best for what’s coming. The warrior that you are could change the tide of this war.
The world needs you. That’s why you are here.
So win, please.” My voice wavers. “You could be the reason she makes it out of this—alive.”
I jerk my chin towards Mathilda and his eyes widen as if that thought never occurred to him. That he could save her the way she’s saved him.
His gaze meets mine, confident and clear. “Thanks, Lena.”
I squeeze his shoulder. “You got this.”
He pushes off the table and heads back towards the ring while I slip through the crowd again, taking my place next to my friends. The weight on my shoulders eases. Hope courses through my veins. I think I might have gotten through to him.
Tane cracks his neck, his eyes gleaming, as he enters the ring again. Ready for the next opponent. A few men who had been standing on the sidelines leave the grounds before even trying. And I relax even further. That’s a good sign.
Slow and steady, Tane battles his way through the challengers. Defeating each one with a lethal grace he hadn’t even shown with two arms. I’m thinking that the remaining challengers will throw in the towel before gasps ring out and I squint to see what just happened.
Mathilda steps into the circle.
My breath catches as I watch her swagger around the perimeter of the ring.
“She can’t do that, can she?” I look from Lachlan to Evander, and they both shrug. “But she already has a place in the court. Is she going to hold two?”
Tane holds his sword out in front of him, following her movements with a predator’s focus.
Beads of sweat drip down his face, his long braid sticking in places onto his tattooed back.
He’s been at this all day. He must be exhausted, but it doesn’t show.
There’s a fire in his eyes still as he prepares for this next battle—the last one.
Mathilda flips her sword from hand to hand, taunting him.
“Gods dammit, Mathilda,” I grumble under my breath. Mina’s eyes widen next to me and she brushes against me, stepping closer.
Tane’s face goes lax before his eyes narrow.
“Do you still have what it takes to defend this realm?” Mathilda’s voice rings out as she goads Tane.
My stomach pitches, and I ball my hands into fists at my side.
Tane’s face stays calm, even though his voice trembles. “I don’t want to do this, Mathilda.”
She launches the first attack, and Tane deflects it. His knuckles turn white against the hilt of his sword. They break apart and circle each other around the ring.
“Are you going to let us all down?” she grits out.
Tane pushes her sword back before retreating a step.
“Mathilda—stop,” he growls. His brow lowers, casting his face in shadow.
Mathilda sidesteps towards him and lunges. The motion has Tane stumbling. She throws a punch to his kidney.
“You think you’re not good enough? Yet here you are. Fighting for your position. So fight me!” Mathilda yells.
Mina groans beside me, wrapping her arms around her middle.
“I don’t like this,” I mutter.
“He’s got this,” she breathes.
“I don’t think he ever beat her with two arms…”
“Because he never tried,” Piominko answers.
Tane flinches, but spins out of her reach. I bite my lip, reigning in the scold I want to give her. This feels absolutely unnecessary.
Like kicking a man while he’s down.
Tane lunges at her, his blade gleaming. Mathilda blocks the first swipe, but the second one comes too quickly and grazes her arm. Even in the fading light, the blood blooms a bright red. My heart stutters in my chest. I don’t like this at all. Mina grabs my hand.
“She’s okay,” she whispers. “Look.”
Sure enough, Mathilda throws a lazy grin at him.
But his face blanches in horror at the blood dripping down her arm and he takes an unguarded step towards her, apologies written all over his face.
She wipes the trickle of blood off of her arm, the cut already healed. “You couldn’t even manage that with both arms.”
Tane loses it.
He slings his sword. The pommel vibrates as the blade sticks in the ground. My palms sweat as I unclench them. Blood pulses into my fingertips.
This is it. He’s going to walk away.
But that’s not what happens…
He chants.
His voice booms across the grounds. He widens his stance and sinks into a partial squat as he beats his fist against his chest.
The words he’s saying grow louder and louder, more rhythmic.
“The haka,” Mina whispers. “Finally.”
Tears run down my cheeks, my exposed skin erupting into goosebumps.
A call to challenge, a show of strength and pride.
Tane’s chant builds and builds, the rhythmic stomping, and the beating of his fist rising to a crescendo.
With the last word, he juts his tongue out. The last syllable still reverberates around us.
The world pauses.
Tane rips his sword from the ground and swings with incredible force.
There is absolutely no way to block it.
Mathilda throws herself backward out of its trajectory.
But at the last second, Tane freezes. His blade held in midair right above where her body was only a split second ago.
I hold my breath, squeezing my eyes shut.
Cheers erupt and I blink my eyes open in time to see Mathilda sliding on her back—outside of the ring.