Part 10 (2/2)
Thornwing had seen Sunbright's li so fast her sas a blur, she slung it across and over her shoulder, sta, and let fly
The shaot Harvester back in ti blade skinned his knuckles so they stung fiercely Hooking the blade fast backwardjump clear He folloith a short thrust, but she spanked the heavy nose down and flicked steel at his face
Sunbright jerked back, but his bad leg hae skinned his neck, and it bled freely
Blinddru was eager She'd show a cub that the lioness was still boss
Worried, Sunbright forced his throbbing leg forward, leaned on it-like driving a knife through his er blade to advantage, but Thornwing slashed a figure eight while watching closely Her blade flickered like a snake's tongue, and tagged the elbow Blinddruht's ar far to the left, Thornwing forced the sha Before he turned completely, her tip slithered in to pink him over the kidneys Noas really in trouble, for to let an opponent strike behind ht staht out,her ared Blood ran down her ribs ”The cub reht hissed Sweat in his eyesplayed a gaht had to weave like a snake before a hawk Shuffling farther, again to his bad side, she ducked low, snapped up her blade tip, thumped his wounded elbow so steel cut to bone
Pain lanced through Sunbright's frao li ”Ra-vens!”, he leaped Again, Thornwing skipped backward, counting on speed to get out of range, but Sunbright's fury energized his muscles and shut off the pain The soman raised her blade to bat Harvester aside
Rather than be brushed off, Sunbright flexed his wrists and hty ar hesitated as to which way to juht drove both feet hard and crashed into her
Bowled backward, the woht shoved until she stumbled and crashed on her back The shaman crashed atop her, and smashed both knees into her breadbasket to drive out her wind Pressing the back of his thick blade, he mashed both swords to within a whisker of her throat
Thornwing lay very still lest she be sliced, and whispered, ”Yield”
Sunbright clith had run out with blood, for he was slashed at elbow, neck, knuckles, wrist, kidneys, and elsewhere Yesterday's thigh wound had split anew and soaked his bandage assessing the wounds, he didn't feel bad about using superior strength to beat Thornwing down Idly he wondered: Would she have killedpicked up and dusted off She was alht, he noted with satisfaction, but that satisfaction didn't last long
Tired, aching, raspy-throated froled, ”Who's toer, a broad-shouldered man with scruffy red hair and beard answered ”I'll use their sword also”
Sunbright was too spent to care ”Good luck,” he er's never liked oes back to childhood I think he was jealous of the shaman's son, born with powers, while he had none, hence his name I may have failed in this, Knucklebones I need thatthe wasteland, watched the ht their roles were reversed, with Sunbright gloouises,” she told hiazed into the distance ”That sounds like shaman talk”
”I used to love one,” she said, ”so perhaps he rubbed off on , she turned his head and kissed hih, and slid off the boulder He was aching and stiff and slow, yet gaet on with it,” he said, and the thief followed quietly
Under ered and argued Off to one side, a cluestured wildly Sunbright wondered what they drew
The crowd roared when they saw the fighter, andHarvester, he kissed his ichunger had stripped off his short shi+rt to stand in breeches such as townsmen wore With his bearded face and unkempt hair, he looked more city-dweller than tundra man He carried the borroord easily in one hand The blade was polished silver-bright It had hurt Sunbright's swollen and skinned hands just to hone Harvester Griin”
”A prayer!” The crowd's roar startled hiht realized he'd forgotten More than he, the tribe led a prayer to Aer flicked up his blade
Sunbright swung Harvester to a defensive position The faued ounds, he orn down, in trouble already He sent up a personal prayer to the Keeper of Law
Magichunger knew his weakness and charged Shouting his clan na a tree The shaht Harvester around to ht lost ground as he staggered sideways
Magichunger, a poor swordsht feinted to meet this ne, then slipped his blade underneath and snapped his wrists Harvester's hook creased Magichunger's ribs, spilling a web of blood down his sweaty, tanned hide Shocked, the foe blundered out of range, then roared and charged anew On leaden legs, Sunbright backed himself, pushed with Harvester flat on, and tried to trip his eneh, and he just ticked Magichunger's
Sensing the touch, Magichunger flailed the sword backhand, even as he scraht jerked up Harvester, but too slow The borrowed blade slammed his own aside, and razor-keen steel sht's brain Slashed to the bone, stunned, the sha
He only passed out for a second, for he felt his head and shoulder strike sand Feebly, he kicked to cup his hands and rise, but missed and flopped on his back Harvester was an anchor and chain on one ar him down to drown Blood ran over his face, pooled in his ear, trickled into hisdarkness, he forced his eyes open
Standing over him, one boot planted on Harvester, blade poised to cleave his throat, waited Magichunger
”I win!” he crowed The crowd, rife with led rather than cheered
”Concede,” Sunbright croaked
”No!” a voice shouted ”No, he reeer can't concede! It is law!” yelled another
”Is that true?”
Argument spun around and around
Finally souttered sadly, ”It is true A challenger cannot concede, only win or die It is tradition”
”Finish him!” yelled a bloodthirsty soul
”No, we need him!” snapped another
”He must die!”
”Let him live!”
”Hold!” shrilled a voice above the tuht of combat!”
”What?” echoed dozens of voices A burble of confusion filled the night sky Even Sunbright was confused, until he saw so