Kyrin felt herself coming out of the dream. In it, she was speaking to Daemionis and walking along one of the dark plateaus that filled the Valley of the Dead in Paramide. Creteloc was there in the dream, and Kyrin missed her. She was the closest thing Kyrin had to a friend, and had introduced her into Daemionis’ followers in lieu of killing her as a sacrifice.
“Kyrin?” Alric asked when she started to stir.
She remembered she was in the middle of a punishment, but could no longer feel the cleansing of pain. If she was prematurely out of pain, then she couldn’t be fully absolved of trying to kill a member of her master’s elite guard.
“Come on, Kyrin. Open your eyes.”
Once she was able to pull free of the deep sleep, she looked over at him to see if he was mad.
Alric smiled, “Welcome back.”
The soft bed at her back was uncomfortable and unfamiliar, so she sat up slowly and looked around the room.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“No”
“I should rephrase that… you need to eat.” Alric stood up and then walked over to the table, “I took the liberty of bringing you some breakfast.”
Kyrin looked down at her arms where the burns should have been.
“I healed you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t punish.”
“That is why I did it.”
“Sit, eat.”
Kyrin finally sat down and Alric watched as she picked up the food with her hands and ate it.
“Remind me to introduce you to a spoon,” he said, amused.
She licked the butter from her fingers and kept eating.
“While you eat, I want to tell you about a task I have for you.”
He waited to see if she would respond, but she continued to eat, “I need an assistant. Someone who follows me on day-to-day tasks and keeps track of things I need to remember.”
She frowned slightly, “You have a lot of faith in my memory.”
“You can write it down.”
Kyrin stopped eating and smiled crookedly, “You think I can write?”
“Oh, I hadn’t considered that you can’t write.”
“Why would I be able to write?”
“Why not?”
“Fighters don’t need to waste time learning to read and write.”
He smiled, “I know how.”
“May I ask you a question?”
“Yes”
“You said magic is dead.”
“Yes, it has been for a century.”
“If it’s dead, how do you heal someone?” she asked, and then sat back in the chair.
“Sithias has given me the ability.” He reached out and handed her a napkin when he saw butter dripping from her chin.
Kyrin took it and then frowned, “But it is magic.”
“No, it is a blessing from Sithias.”
She shrugged, “So now that I can’t write your notes, what will I do to pay you back?”
“I still want you with me.”
“As protection?”
He fought back a grin, “No, not as protection. I do rather well at protecting myself.”
Kyrin finally remembered to wipe her face, “So you want me to just follow you around all day?”
“Yes, after you put on clean clothes.”
“Do you realize you all care too much about appearances?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“I wore the same clothes for three years and didn’t seem to suffer.”
“Just do as I ask,” he said, and then smiled and left as he shook his head.
Several minutes later, she came out dressed in clean clothing, and was tying her hair into a braid.
“Ready?” he asked.
“I am.”
He smiled and then started out toward the castle’s foyer. Kyrin turned around when three Knights fell in behind them. She narrowed her eyes and then placed herself between the Knights and Alric.
They all stopped at a line of magnificent white horses and Kyrin watched when Alric mounted and looked down at her, “Are you coming?”
She stepped back away from the nearest horse, “On that thing?”
“That thing, is a horse.”
“I don’t care what it’s called. It could feed an outpost.”
“We use them for transportation.”
“A waste.”
“Just get on, from the left.”
“I’ll walk,” she told him, and crossed her arms.
“You can’t keep up with a horse.”
Kyrin wanted to just cast a spell to make herself faster, but knew doing so would get her killed. She walked up to the large beast and watched as one of the Knights mounted. Mimicking his movement, she pulled herself onto the horse and then swayed and hung onto the saddle when she almost fell off.
“There are no horses where you come from?” one of the Knights asked.
“If there were, we ate them,” she said, irritated.
Alric chuckled and clicked his tongue. Soon, the rest caught up with him as they headed into Valhara. Kyrin started to get the hang of riding a horse, though she didn’t like it and felt awkward on it.
“When is she supposed to arrive?” one of the Knights asked.
“She should be arriving within a few minutes,” Alric answered. Kyrin knew better than to ask where they were going or who she was, but she was curious.
People from Valhara came out of their houses to watch them pass. Most waved and smiled, but some looked at her questioningly, and she couldn’t help but check to make sure her flail was still on her hip.
A coach was arriving when they rode up, and Kyrin stopped her horse a ways from it. Alric got off of his horse and moved quickly to the door. When he opened it, a woman appeared and Alric pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly.
Kyrin frowned. She’d not seen a kiss, and it seemed a disgusting and odd practice. Alric let the woman go, and then she stepped back and watched as the coachman unloaded her bag. The woman wasn’t very pretty, but was in a long pink and gold dress that was embellished with sparkling gems. Her hair was blonde and piled high on her head.
Alric handed her bag up to one of the Knights and then easily lifted the woman onto his horse, though she had both legs off to one side, which Kyrin wondered how she was going to stay on. Alric mounted behind her, and they kissed again before starting back for the castle.
Alric and the woman spoke quietly, and Kyrin fell back with the Knights, as it seemed that was what she was supposed to do.
As Kyrin watched them, she started to understand that Alric had just purchased the woman and would probably force her to marry him soon. The entire thought made her stomach tighten, and she wondered if the woman already had a mercy plan in place, or if she should offer her services.
More armored Knights met them out in front of the castle, and Alric lowered the woman into the hands of Finn, who was in full armor and looked ready for a fight.
“It’s good to see you, my Lady,” Finn said, setting her down. Two servants came out of the castle that Kyrin hadn’t seen yet, one young man and one young woman. The man went and took her bags, then disappeared into the castle, while the servant girl went and stood behind the woman beside Alric.
Alric kissed the woman again and then walked up to Kyrin as she tied her horse up just as the Knights were doing.
“Kyrin, I wanted to introduce you to Genessa,” Alric said, motioning to the woman.
Kyrin bowed, “Nice to meet you.”
Genessa smiled, “I hope he’s been treating you well.”
Kyrin tensed and nodded, not sure she wanted to see the punishment that type of statement could bring to a newly purchased bride.
Genessa turned to Alric, “Why have you given her the clothes of a boy, Alric?”
He smiled, “Her request. I assure you.”
With that, Alric put his hand around Genessa’s waist and led her into the castle. Kyrin wasn’t sure where to go. He’d asked her to stay with him, but she knew what happened to newly purchased brides, and it wasn’t something that required an audience. Of course, if he needed Kyrin to help, then that would make sense.
Deciding that’s what Alric needed from her, she started into the castle after them, but Finn put a hand out, “I think you should probably stay out here.”
“He asked that I follow him,” she explained.
Finn smiled, “I’m sure he did, but they need time alone.”
Kyrin nodded and then looked over when she saw a large orchard off to the side of them. She’d never seen trees in a fence, and hadn’t noticed the orchard before. She walked closer to it when she saw red balls hanging from the trees. They seemed odd, and she wondered what they were.
Finn followed her and then leaned up against the fence, “Want an apple?”
“Those red things?”
“Yes”
“What do you do with it?”
“Eat them. Do you not have trees where you come from?”
“Of course we have trees, don’t be silly. They are just all mostly dead,” she said, and crawled through the fence.
“Right, the no water thing. Well go ahead, pick an apple and eat it.”
“Are you teasing me?”
“No”
Kyrin reached up and picked a bright-red apple and then smelled it and looked over at Finn, “It’s not poisonous?”
“Why would I ask you to eat a poisonous food?” he asked, watching her closely.
Kyrin tossed the apple to him and then crossed her arms, “You first.”
“You’re the most untrusting little thing I’ve ever met,” Finn laughed, and then took a bite of the apple.
Once he swallowed and took another bite, Kyrin picked another and then hesitantly took a bite of it, still watching Finn.
He grinned and kept eating.
She couldn’t imagine having this much food just outside of your house. She took bite after bite, reveling at the sweet water that burst into her mouth with each bite. When she finished the apple, she tucked the core into her pocket and then started for the fence.
“Have another,” Finn told her.
She stopped and looked over her shoulder, “Another?”
“You can have as many apples as you want.”
“I can?”
“Sure”
He was high enough ranking she figured he could give her permission, so she turned and began loading apples into her pockets. When her pockets were full, she tucked her tunic in and filled the front of her shirt with more of them.
A sound caught her attention, and she froze and listened. It sounded like laughing. Kyrin walked toward it and deep in the trees saw a little boy and girl playing. They were tossing an apple between them and laughing each time it hit the orchard’s ground.
Kyrin’s fury rose and she yelled at them, “Get out of here, or I’ll remove your heads!”
The children’s eyes grew wide, and they immediately ran.
Kyrin took another bite and then went back toward where Finn was waiting, at the opposite end of the orchard. He laughed when he saw her, with her clothing full of apples.
“The orchard isn’t going anywhere,” he said, highly amused.
She stopped walking, “Am I not allowed to take that many?”
“No, no it’s fine.”
Kyrin walked up and stood beside him as she took another bite.
“So if you don’t have apples at your home, what do you eat?”
“Whatever you can find,” she managed to say with a full mouth.
“How did you survive?”
She shrugged and took another bite so big she couldn’t chew with her mouth closed.
Finn watched her, fascinated. He’d never met anyone without any manners before, nor one that could take down so many of his Knights. He wanted to learn more about her, but she always became guarded when someone began asking a lot of questions.
“Saw you have a tattoo,” Finn said finally.
She nodded and tucked the apple core into her pocket.
“Why a wolf?”
Kyrin looked toward the castle, “How much did he pay for her?”
“How much did who pay for whom?”
“Alric, how much did Genessa cost?”
Finn smiled, “He didn’t buy her.”
Her eyes narrowed, “He stole her?”
“No”
“So she’s indentured.”
“No, she was a courtesan, and they fell in love.”
“Right,” Kyrin said, rolling her eyes. She started back for the castle, “If you don’t want to tell me, just say so.”
Finn simply laughed and followed her, “So besides flail work, what else do you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you hand-to-hand fight?”
“I can hold my own, but I’m too small to make it worth my time. I keep my flail with me.”
“Can you shoot a bow?”
“No”
“Swords?”
“What’s wrong with my flail?”
He shrugged, “Nothing’s wrong with it. Diversity is nice though, in case you are ever without it.”
She stopped and looked at him, “Diversity doesn’t make mastery.”
“I’m a sword master, but if you attack me right now, and I don’t have it, I can still defend myself.”
“Why would you be without it?”
“Well I don’t sleep with a sword at my side.”
She just watched him.
Finn leaned his head back and laughed.
“What?”
“You do sleep with that flail, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
He shook his head, “Do you ever just… relax.”
“No”
“You should try it.”
She shrugged, “Anyway… you can’t be a sword master if you are also excellent at hand-to-hand.”
“And I’m pretty deadly with a bow.”
“Then you aren’t a master.”
“I am though.”
“No you aren’t,” she said, watching him. “If you were a sword master, then every minute you have spent training otherwise would have been spent with the sword.”
“Let’s take the scenario that I’m in battle with another of equal strength and skill as mine.”
“Ok”
“During the battle, I lose my sword.”
“If you were a master, you wouldn’t lose your weapon.”
Finn shook his head, “Would you just go along with me on this one?”
“Fine”
“He’s armed and I’m not. I would still win this fight.”
“Doubt it. If you’re incompetent enough to lose your only weapon, then you aren’t smart enough to get out of that situation.”
“But I’m skilled in hand-to-hand combat.”
“This would be hand-to-sword.”
“Not for long.”
She looked at him, unimpressed, “You can disarm a man with your hands?”
“Yes”
“You’d need more than arrogance to do that.”
“You’re calling me arrogant?”
“Yes, I am. I understand that the common male ego prevents you from accepting the fact that you aren’t a master of your trade. However, confidence isn’t necessarily going to help you win in hand-to-sword fighting.”
He frowned slightly, “I’m starting to get offended.”
“You have to admit that those who wield a sword are sometimes ruled by sheer brute and no brains.”
“Now that I am offended by!”
“No offense intended.”
“How can I not be offended? In just the last few minutes you’ve called me arrogant, ego-driven, inept at my own sword, and stupid.”
She smiled softly, “Don’t be offended. I apologize for speaking so bluntly, I was out of line.”
“Telling me what you think isn’t the problem. The problem is that you doubt my abilities because my training is multifaceted.”
“I only know what I’ve seen over the last 17 years. What I’ve seen are men who stretch out their resources and end up a master of nothing.”
“Jack of all trades, master of nothing?”
“Pretty much.”
“Still… in a battle between you and me, I would have the advantage.”
“How’s that?” she asked, and her hand twitched at her side. She’d been taunted enough into a fight to know what was coming.
“All I have to do is disarm you. Once you have no flail, you would be an easy kill.”
“I didn’t say I can’t fight. I just said it wasn’t something I spent a lot of time on.”
“So you were trained in hand-to-hand.”
“No, not trained. Mika taught me nothing but the flail. Once I left though, I had to learn to fight.”
He couldn’t help but sigh, “I wish I could see what you’ve seen and know what you’ve been through in your life.”
Pity was something she loathed, and she wasn’t going to have Finn pity her because her life wasn’t as pleasant as his had been. Kyrin reached out and pulled her flail from her belt, and then smiled when Finn gasped and instantly had his sword readied.
She surprised him by tossing the flail off to the side and then crouching slightly into a defensive posture. He grinned, taking the challenge, and tossed his sword over by her flail.
“I’m almost a foot taller than you and outweigh you easily by 100 pounds,” Finn said as he cracked his knuckles.
“Yes, that does give you the disadvantage. When I win, I will take that into consideration,” Kyrin told him.
“Here are the rules…”
“Rules to a fight?”
“Yes, I’ve seen you fight, and I don’t want this to turn into a blood bath. This is for fun.”
Kyrin stood up and crossed her arms, “Fine, name it.”
“You win when the other surrenders. No death, and I won’t hit you.”
“I’m not afraid to be hit.”
“Still, I won’t hit you, but you may swing at me if you like.”
“No then,” she said, and started for her flail.
Finn stopped her, “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t need you going easy on me. If the rules aren’t equal, then it’s not a real fight, and I’m not going to waste my time.”
He smiled, “Ok, even rules then. All’s fair until someone surrenders.”
“Deal,” she said, and slipped off her long-sleeved tunic. Careful not to lose an apple, she wrapped them carefully in the tunic. The fierce wolf tattoo on her shoulder stood out from under the sleeveless shirt she wore.
Taking her lead, Finn stripped off his armor and then cracked his neck and faced her, “Whenever you’re ready.”
Seeing their Captain face-off against the young girl, the Knights began to surround them to watch. It wasn’t at all uncommon for two to face off in a friendly fight, but they’d seen her fight before and knew she took things to the extreme. They also wondered how their Captain would fare against the feral girl.
Finn was just starting to count down when Kyrin lunged at him. He was expecting it though, and was easily able to dodge. It didn’t pass his notice that she’d gone directly for a round-house kick to his groin, and he realized this was going to be a real fight, not a joke.
Against what he’d told her, he couldn’t hit her. Gentlemen wouldn’t hit a woman, no matter how much they might ask for it.
His goal was to make her cede to him before the Knights, to show her that her ways weren’t necessarily the best, and that she wasn’t a better fighter than he.
When she came for him again, he quickly grabbed her wrist and spun her around, trapping her arm behind her back. She ducked and twisted hard, and then kicked off from his chest, surprising him. She flipped mid-air and landed in front of him, her wrist still in his grasp.
“You’re quite the little vixen, aren’t you?” he asked, tightening his grip.
Her eyes were almost black as she glared at him and then turned and tried to back-kick his knee. He jerked at the last second, let go of her wrist, and grabbed her foot, mid-air. Finn quickly slammed his fist into the back of her knee, and it buckled as he pushed, sending her onto the ground.
She turned immediately and flipped onto her feet, again ready to attack. By now, all of the Knights had gathered, and some of the servants were stopping to watch the fight.
Kyrin balled her hand into a fist and swung for his neck, hoping to collapse his airway. He caught her wrist, spun her and slammed his elbow against her arm, dropping her to the ground where he pinned her against the ground with a hand to her neck.
Just as a cheer erupted from the Knights, Kyrin got a hand free and slammed her palm against the side of his neck. He let go of her when a loud boom sounded through his ears, and a bright light flashed before his eyes. When he could see again, Kyrin was just getting to her feet and rounding to attack.
She could feel the blood pumping through her body, and the need for blood grew stronger. There was a part of her that remembered that this was a game, a fun fight, but another part had to win to save her life.
Finn stood and tried to grab Kyrin when she ran at him. She nimbly dodged to the side, grabbed his hair and put one foot against his hip, then kicked off and swung her other leg over his shoulder. He grabbed for her, but she leaned forward, throwing him off balance and both of them tumbled onto the grass.
“What’s going on?” Alric asked, running up.
“The Captain and the girl are play fighting,” one of the Knights told him.
“This doesn’t look like play.”
“Yeah, well, she’s a serious fighter.”
“So we should stop them.”
“It’s an honor fight, Sir. No death, just a surrender.”
Alric nodded, “That may actually be good for her.”
They turned back to the fight, and both Kyrin and Finn were on their feet. Kyrin dove at him again, this time going for his groin. He caught her wrist, twisted it and slammed her against the ground. She screamed in anger when he put his knee in the middle of her back and rotated her arm further.
“Do you surrender?” he asked, out of breath.
She didn’t answer, but struggled to get out from under his weight.
“Say it,” he said angrily.
When she didn’t give up, he raised her arm until he was a fraction of an inch from breaking it. Her face showed the pain it caused, but she refused to surrender.
“Say it!” Finn yelled, applying just a little more force.
With a scream, Kyrin dislocated her own shoulder and turned over beneath him. The cracking sound shocked Finn. He stood up quickly and backed away from her.
When Kyrin started for him with her good hand in a fist, Alric stepped in front of her, “Enough.”
She started around him, but he put his hand out, “I said enough.”
Finn was watching her, still in shock at the extreme measure she took to keep from losing a fight that meant nothing. He was breathing hard as he looked around at the gathered crowd. They were all completely silent as they watched Kyrin and Alric. She was panting and tense as she stood to face him. She couldn’t defy him, but it angered her that he’d stopped the fight.
“Disperse,” Alric said, not taking his eyes from her. He’d seen enough battles to know that she was moments from finishing the fight she’d started.
Kyrin turned angrily as her arm hung limply at her side. She walked over and grabbed her flail with her good hand, and then tucked it into her belt. Finn was beside her when she stood up, and he picked up his sword and sheathed it.
“Let me see your arm,” Alric said from behind her.
“It’s fine,” she told him.
“No it’s not. It’s not even fully attached right now.”
Looking into his eyes, Kyrin grabbed her bad arm and jerked it forward, wincing as it popped back into place. Alric was stunned when he heard the grinding pop.
“There, it’s attached,” she said through gritted teeth.
“I could have done that without pain,” he told her.
“Why are you so afraid of pain?”
“Not afraid, but it’s unnecessary. Now let me look at your arm.”
“Is that an order?”
He thought for a moment and then shook his head, “No, it’s not an order.”
Finn frowned, “I don’t understand how it dislocated. I didn’t put that much pressure on her arm.”
“She did it to herself,” Alric explained.
Kyrin seemed un-phased at their surprise.
“Why would you do that?” Finn asked.
“I don’t surrender.”
“It wasn’t a real fight! That was for fun.”
“I don’t surrender,” she said again.
Alric turned to Kyrin, “I want Dewell to look at your arm. He’s inside the castle right now. If you won’t let me heal it, at least let him use medicine to help you.”
Kyrin reached down and picked up her tunic, “Fine.”
“When you’re done, meet me in the ballroom. We have an event tonight, and I want you there.”
She nodded and walked into the castle.
Finn walked up to Alric, “Every time I talk to her, I get the impression she’s an evil.”
“I do too.”
“Why are you letting her go to the wedding?”
“Because I want to see what she does. Sithias is learning from her.”
“I’ll watch her.”
“Please do so.”
***
Finn and Alric turned when everyone in the ballroom fell silent. Kyrin had just entered with her arm in a sling and her flail on her left side. The people from Valhara had heard about the fight and were starting to wonder about her being an evil. While no true evil had existed in over 100 years, rumors still held them in grips of fear.
She ignored the glances and how the people moved back when she came closer.
Alric watched her, “How is your arm?”
“He’s making me wear this,” she said, looking down at the sling.
“If you let me heal your arm you won’t need it.”
“I’m fine.”
He nodded and then sighed, “Were you in the orchard this morning?”
She froze and her eyes grew wide, “Yes.”
“I said she could have the apples,” Finn told him.
“I’m not worried about the apples. Did you threaten children playing there?”
Kyrin smiled, “Yes, and your welcome.”
“Why did you threaten to remove their heads?”
“The vile little beasts were playing.”
A soft murmur ran through the crowd.
“Children are allowed to play in the city orchards,” he told her. “And they aren’t vile beasts.”
Her brow furrowed, “You allow them to run free?”
“They’re children.”
“They’re repulsive, and an embarrassment that should be hidden.”
“Just those children or all children?” Alric asked her. He knew Sithias would be quite interested in this new development.
“The whole idea of children.”
“Sire,” Trox called out to them. They all turned and watched him walk up. He had a natural presence that demanded respect. Kyrin figured he’s the oldest person she’d ever met and his eyes held wisdom and understanding beyond her comprehension.
“Is there a problem?” Alric as