ARWIN

  Three of the enemy remained.

  The leader scowled at the sight of his sword in enemy hands but cast a look at the two men now in their custody and chuckled, regaining his confidence. He mock-bowed to Arwin. “Well done — for an amateur. Look at you, taking out two of my men and even taking my weapon. Although, from the way you’re holding it, you don’t have the first idea of how to use a sword. And I’m actually better with these.” He reached behind his back and pulled out a pair of wicked-looking knives with bdes as long as his forearms. “Shame; looks like I’m still gonna win.” He ughed and twirled the knives in his hands, then circled around Arwin until he reached the guard holding Harl. Fingering the sve colr on Azamont’s throat, he looked thoughtful.

  Arwin, breathing hard and feeling every ache and pain in his head and back, had no doubt that the man was the type who would be thinking about a double cross. Why rescue the noble paying you pennies when you could just take him for everything now that he was colred?

  There was all that gold back in the chateau. Arwin had the key in his pocket. Should he try to bribe the man? It was worth a try. He’d been lucky so far in the fight, but that would probably come to an end if they went another round.

  Aoi stood on shaky legs. She gred at the leader and the guard standing over Harl. Unfortunately, her only weapon was a riding crop. She looked ready to fight, though, and you had to admire the young woman’s courage.

  Arwin took a gnce around. She’d be able to reach the forest and escape on her own if he gave her time. And, maybe if he didn’t have to protect her, he could get to Harl and free the older man. Then again, one of those guards would probably just chase Aoi down while Arwin was busy with the others. And really, what hope did Arwin have against the guy with the knives? He clenched the sword until his knuckles whitened.

  The leader shrugged, apparently deciding against a double cross. “Bah, too risky, I think. Best get this off him then.” He spoke to the guard standing over Harl while sheathing one knife. “Hold him down. We need a blue tooth.”

  Harl yelled and fought as the leader brought his remaining knife to the old man’s mouth.

  Arwin took two steps in that direction before noticing movement to the side.

  The lone guard in that direction was coming hard for him, club raised.

  A fsh of the sword drove the guard back.

  Growing desperate, Arwin called to the leader, “Hey. I’ve got the key to his safe. Let us go, and it’s yours.”

  The leader chuckled. “Nah. Nice try, but I already figured that course is no good. I’d rather not be branded a thief and have to look over my shoulder for the next ten years. His kind tend to hold a grudge against that sort of thing. Forever.”

  Aoi insisted, “You won’t have to. We’re bringing all the nobles in the Blue Region down. Help us do that, and the gold is yours. There’s enough to live like a king in there.”

  Hawk shook his head a tad reluctantly. “More trouble than it’s worth. A bunch of buffoons like you won’t be able to take down all the bluebloods. You’ll fail. And then this guy and those like him will retaliate. It’s what they do to discourage this sort of thing in the future. I prefer an easy life without having to worry about assassins comin’ after me.” He forced Harl’s jaw open and bloodily gouged a tooth from the old man’s mouth, then freed Azamont.

  Watching Harl suffer, Arwin hated his helplessness.

  Azamont came to himself. He tore the colr off and threw it to the ground. His eyes bzed with righteous fury. “You ungrateful, stupid peasants. You think you can treat your betters this way and get away with it?”

  Aoi mocked him, though her voice wavered, “Betters? Where?”

  Azamont sneered at her. “I see you’re in need of a lot more training before being worthy of—“

  Aoi cut him off. “I’ll never be one of your belles. Never.”

  Azamont mused, “Is that so?” Mulling something over for a few moments, he regarded both Aoi and Arwin and spared a half, dismissive gnce for Harl at his feet before his eyes roamed over the remains of the guards and their injuries. When he caught sight of the files in Aoi’s hand, his eyes narrowed, and his demeanour changed. “Well, enough violence for today. No need to make anything worse here, is there? I see you have some of my things. I can’t imagine they’re all that important, but you can hand them over and then go on your way, both of you, unharmed. I can respect the bravery it took to get this far. You can even take this worn-out old thing here with you, too.” He nudged Harl with a toe.

  Aoi managed a ugh. “I don’t think so. I think I’ll keep these, they being the deeds to your house and nd and the source of all your wealth and power.”

  The blueblood’s face reddened. “And how much is it going to cost me to take them off your hands?”

  Aoi threw him a look of contempt. “As if you could buy me off. That’s always the first thing you scum resort to, isn’t it? It won’t work on me. My freedom is worth more than all the gold in that oversized house. Besides, you can’t pay anyone anything while we have the key to the safe.”

  Azamont’s face twisted in rage. “Enough of this nonsense. Kill them! Now!”

  The guards stormed in. Once again, the leader was willing to let his ckeys go first and absorb any damage before he came in for the kill.

  Arwin swung club and sword, trying to keep Aoi behind him. He cracked one skull hard enough that it might have killed from the way the guard practically melted to the ground. The other he sshed across the face, splitting an eyeball and taking him completely out of the fight. That was two more guards down. But in the melee, he took several hits to the body and arms along the way, getting even more beat up.

  Hawk came fast at st, twin knives in motion.

  As Arwin desperately defended himself against the leader and his twin knives, Azamont wrestled Aoi away, the girl kicking and screaming. Arwin threw himself after them and cut the blueblood badly in the back, but Hawk pushed him back, and Azamont dragged Aoi off.

  “Arwin!” she called, frantic. She bit and cwed but to no avail.

  Hawk backed off, leaving injured or dead men behind.

  Aoi tried to escape, briefly breaking free, but Azamont kicked her in the stomach and took hold of the back of her dress.

  Despite being the only enemy left, Hawk sneered. “Looks like you keep losing. I’ll give you credit for being able to hurt so many of these pathetic louts I got saddled with, but, to be honest, they’re a pretty rag-tag bunch, so don’t go getting a swollen head. Still, you lost the old guy, then Lord Azamont, and now the papers, key, and the girl, one after another. You’re a loser.” He ughed.

  Azamont commanded, “Stop bantering like a child and kill him. Then cut the throats of these two. I do not need cattle that can’t understand their pce in life.” He looked down at Aoi and Harl and snorted in contempt.

  But the captain was wary of Arwin now. He kept his distance, knives at the ready. Perhaps Arwin was only an amateur fighter, but he was doing well enough so far, thanks to his athleticism.

  Azamont spped Aoi across the face. “Remember doing that to me, wench?” He spped her a few more times. “I’ll teach you to y your hands on a noble.”

  Arwin shouted, “Don’t touch her!”

  The blueblood hauled back on her hair until her neck was bent at a painful angle, then looked over at Arwin. “Give yourself up. Maybe I’ll consider letting this wench live. We can put a colr around her throat instead of cutting it. I’m sure we’ll find some use for her then.”

  Arwin’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think so.”

  “Then I’ll just kill her myself, shall I?”

  Arwin spoke with confidence, “I might not survive the attempt, but I’m pretty sure that if you try that, I can kill you before he kills me,”

  The blueblood huffed in disbelief.

  The mercenary chuckled. “Yeah, you might just. But I’ll definitely gut you like a pig for it.”

  “If we’re all gonna die, then at least I’ll take the sadistic, rich piece of garbage with me.” Arwin noticed movement at Azamont’s feet but was very careful to keep his eyes on Hawk. He detected a nod. With a barbaric cry, he charged at the captain.

  The merc’s eyes lit up, and he grinned. His knives fshed.

  Arwin threw his club.

  This time, the leader guessed what was coming and flinched aside. Not that the throw was anywhere near him.

  Because Arwin had been aiming for Harl.

  The club nded on the paving stones and skipped into Harl’s arms. The old man snatched it up, heaved himself to his feet, and attacked Azamont. He might have been down for a moment, but he was still in the battle.

  Arwin had no time to watch. The leader met him, knives sshing, and Arwin found himself in the fight of his life, hard-pressed and backpedalling fast to stay out of reach. With only the sword, it was all he could do to try to knock away the leader’s attacks as he scampered about, trying to keep distance between the pair of them. He had no hope of striking back.

  Hawk, sensing his advantage, ran hard at Arwin, knocking the sword to the side.

  Arwin threw himself backward to evade the deadly steel. In doing so, he lost his bance and fell to his backside on the stone.

  The mercenary grinned and kicked the sword out of Arwin’s hands.

  Aoi darted away from the others. She grabbed a stray club from the ground.

  Hawk bent low to stab Arwin.

  Gripping the club tight in both hands, Aoi ran up behind the mercenary and smashed the iron end of the blunt weapon into the back of the captain’s skull. One, twice, three times, with all her might.

  Hawk crumpled, and knives fell from nerveless hands.

  Everyone paused in shock for several seconds.

  Arwin finally looked up at Aoi in amazement. “Thank you.”

  She stood over the dead man, staring at the bloody mess that was the back of his head. Her hands began to shake.

  Arwin got to his feet, feeling his whole body ache and went to her. He pced a hand on the weapon and gently took it away. “It’s ok. You’re ok.”

  She looked up at him, face pale and blinking, then seemed to return to herself. She nodded once. “I’m fine.”

  They turned to see that Harl now wrestled with Azamont.

  Arwin rushed over, and together, they subdued the noble and re-colred him. With the fight over, Arwin sank to the ground, breathing hard. “Good job, both of you. Can’t believe we survived that.”

  Harl slumped in pce and y on the ground next to Arwin. He groaned, “I’m too old for this stuff.”

  Aoi picked the riding crop up from the ground, then picked her way amongst the fallen guards. She took the papers from Azamont’s hands and back-handed him with the crop. “Look how many more people were hurt because of you. You’re going to wear that colr for the rest of your miserable life to make up for it.”

  Arwin caught her eye and grinned, relief flooding his body.

  She grinned back.