ordered, helping Berlin to her bed before removing her pants and boots. When she began to back away, she was brought up short by Berlin's voice.
"Bar fight."
Cherry turned back. "Berlin, you need to sleep."
"No. I need to tell you. I should've told you." She took a few deep breaths through her mouth, and Cherry came to sit on the floor beside the bed.
"I got in a bar fight. I went and drank too much 'cause I know I don't think straight then and I got in a fight with the first brute I came up with an insult for. I didn't want you to know."
"But … why did you do it?"
Berlin turned onto her back and whispered, "I fight before Kage's birthday every year."
" Why ?"
Berlin closed her eyes. "For me. So I don't forget. So I don't make that mistake again. To punish myself for giving him away."
Cherry didn't know what to say so instead reached for Berlin's hand and held it until she fell asleep.
*~*~*
When the day of Cherry's first non-rigged fight dawned, Berlin's eyes were still black and blue, but she could breathe properly again. It was a bit disconcerting at times when Cherry was caught off guard but for the most part she was used to it.
The pre-fight nerves were back. Cherry didn't feel like she was going to throw up, but as she waited in the arena tunnel with Berlin, she couldn't stop moving. She sat down to focus on her stretches as Berlin gave her advice.
"This girl, Ginnifer, is a biter."
Cherry stopped what she was doing. "Excuse me?"
"She's a biter . She's just as likely to bite you as hit you. More, actually."
"No way."
"She might pull your hair or try to scratch your eyes out."
Cherry snorted, returning to her stretches. "Great."
"Yeah. If she comes at your face, close your eyes ."
"And you're just telling me this now because …?"
Berlin grinned. "Didn't want you to worry your pretty little head about it, Cherry Babe."
Cherry raised an eyebrow at her. "'Cherry Babe?'"
Berlin laughed. "You called me 'Bee' the other day; I didn't want you to feel left out that you didn't get a nickname, too."
"'Bee' is at least logical—and shorter than your name. And I can't believe you even remember that."
"I was in shock, not drunk, Cherry Babe."
Rolling her eyes, Cherry got to her feet. "I'm going to go let some girl bite me and pull my hair."
As she walked away, Berlin called after her, "I'd bite you and pull your hair!"
"Later, Bee."
Ginnifer was a biter. She bit Cherry and pulled her hair as promised, and the crowd loved it. Cherry did not. How was she supposed to fight such tactics? Bite her back? That was a common suggestion from the crowd.
She stuck with her own tactics, wrapping her body around Ginnifer's to avoid her mouth, matching Ginnifer's blows and delivering her own.
In the end, Ginnifer's biting was her undoing. As she bit down on Cherry's bare shoulder, Cherry swung out with her braid and clipped Ginnifer just above the eye. She quickly followed up with a knee to the gut and a punch that put Ginnifer on her back.
Cherry had just won her first fight.
Berlin was beaming at her when she got off the field and immediately kissed her full on the mouth. "You did good."
"Cherry Babe," Cherry added with a smile, and Berlin laughed.
"You did good, Cherry Babe."
Because Berlin wasn't fighting, there was no need to stick around, and they were escorted back to the house.
Neel arrived in the evening and gave Cherry a pouch of coins. "There's your cut of the winnings. Don't spend it all in one place. Or do. It's your choice."
Peeking in the purse, Cherry's excitement escalated even more—if that was possible; a couple more fights like that and she would be able to pay off her debt.
Cherry couldn't stop grinning, especially when Berlin told her, "Go stash your gold. We're going out to celebrate. My treat."
'Out to celebrate' meant The Zone's pub. It was loud and crowded, but Berlin was able to find them a free table. Beer and food made everything better and just added to Cherry's untamable
"Bar fight."
Cherry turned back. "Berlin, you need to sleep."
"No. I need to tell you. I should've told you." She took a few deep breaths through her mouth, and Cherry came to sit on the floor beside the bed.
"I got in a bar fight. I went and drank too much 'cause I know I don't think straight then and I got in a fight with the first brute I came up with an insult for. I didn't want you to know."
"But … why did you do it?"
Berlin turned onto her back and whispered, "I fight before Kage's birthday every year."
" Why ?"
Berlin closed her eyes. "For me. So I don't forget. So I don't make that mistake again. To punish myself for giving him away."
Cherry didn't know what to say so instead reached for Berlin's hand and held it until she fell asleep.
*~*~*
When the day of Cherry's first non-rigged fight dawned, Berlin's eyes were still black and blue, but she could breathe properly again. It was a bit disconcerting at times when Cherry was caught off guard but for the most part she was used to it.
The pre-fight nerves were back. Cherry didn't feel like she was going to throw up, but as she waited in the arena tunnel with Berlin, she couldn't stop moving. She sat down to focus on her stretches as Berlin gave her advice.
"This girl, Ginnifer, is a biter."
Cherry stopped what she was doing. "Excuse me?"
"She's a biter . She's just as likely to bite you as hit you. More, actually."
"No way."
"She might pull your hair or try to scratch your eyes out."
Cherry snorted, returning to her stretches. "Great."
"Yeah. If she comes at your face, close your eyes ."
"And you're just telling me this now because …?"
Berlin grinned. "Didn't want you to worry your pretty little head about it, Cherry Babe."
Cherry raised an eyebrow at her. "'Cherry Babe?'"
Berlin laughed. "You called me 'Bee' the other day; I didn't want you to feel left out that you didn't get a nickname, too."
"'Bee' is at least logical—and shorter than your name. And I can't believe you even remember that."
"I was in shock, not drunk, Cherry Babe."
Rolling her eyes, Cherry got to her feet. "I'm going to go let some girl bite me and pull my hair."
As she walked away, Berlin called after her, "I'd bite you and pull your hair!"
"Later, Bee."
Ginnifer was a biter. She bit Cherry and pulled her hair as promised, and the crowd loved it. Cherry did not. How was she supposed to fight such tactics? Bite her back? That was a common suggestion from the crowd.
She stuck with her own tactics, wrapping her body around Ginnifer's to avoid her mouth, matching Ginnifer's blows and delivering her own.
In the end, Ginnifer's biting was her undoing. As she bit down on Cherry's bare shoulder, Cherry swung out with her braid and clipped Ginnifer just above the eye. She quickly followed up with a knee to the gut and a punch that put Ginnifer on her back.
Cherry had just won her first fight.
Berlin was beaming at her when she got off the field and immediately kissed her full on the mouth. "You did good."
"Cherry Babe," Cherry added with a smile, and Berlin laughed.
"You did good, Cherry Babe."
Because Berlin wasn't fighting, there was no need to stick around, and they were escorted back to the house.
Neel arrived in the evening and gave Cherry a pouch of coins. "There's your cut of the winnings. Don't spend it all in one place. Or do. It's your choice."
Peeking in the purse, Cherry's excitement escalated even more—if that was possible; a couple more fights like that and she would be able to pay off her debt.
Cherry couldn't stop grinning, especially when Berlin told her, "Go stash your gold. We're going out to celebrate. My treat."
'Out to celebrate' meant The Zone's pub. It was loud and crowded, but Berlin was able to find them a free table. Beer and food made everything better and just added to Cherry's untamable
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