The one time I actually need a fucking bodyguard—
Rina suddenly felt Zarrik’s hand on her wrist, pulling her down the steps of the dais. “Lady Rina, hurry! We need to get you to safety before—”
Something metal flashed past her, and Zarrik grunted, twitched and let go of her.
The general fell dead at her feet. A ring of metal spikes had killed him, some sort of throwing weapon. One of the spikes had buried itself deep in the middle of his forehead. His eyes were open but lifeless, mouth twitching.
Oh, Dumo, help us . Her hand went automatically to the sword strapped to her waist, but it wasn’t there. A young lady did not wear a sword with a dress on formal occasions.
Damn it!
The Perranese soldiers continued to slaughter the men of Klaar. In seconds, the battle would be over.
The Duke backed up the dais to stand next to his steward. “Giffen, take my wife and daughter and flee out the back hallway. I won’t be able to hold them, but maybe I can buy you a few seconds to—”
The Duke’s breath caught. He looked down, saw Giffen’s hand holding the dagger he’d just jabbed into his side. The Duke’s eyes came back up to Giffen’s smiling face; he worked his mouth, trying to speak, but couldn’t find breath.
Giffen withdrew the dagger, plunged it in again.
Rina watched in horror. “Daddy!”
The Duke dropped to his knees, the rapier tumbling from his hand to clatter on the stone steps. He turned his head to look at his daughter, his expression one of utter bewilderment.
Rina rushed to him, glancing at her mother who sat agape, nearly catatonic.
Rina scooped up her father’s rapier and swung at Giffen in the same motion. The steward threw up an arm out of reflex and the blade tore a gash across the bottom of his forearm. He screamed and backed away.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Perranese warriors approaching. She turned, sword in front of her. She was aware of all the bodies behind them. The Klaarian soldiers were dead to a man.
A young Perranese bounded up the steps, thrusting at Rina. His sword was long and curved, but only slightly heavier than her father’s rapier.
Kork’s teaching immediately took over.
His armor was made up of overlapping discs of some shining metal. Kork’s enormous sword could probably bite through easily, but she’d need to find a weak spot for the rapier. The mesh under the arms might be fabric or dark, thin chainmail.
But the Perranese warrior’s wide-brimmed helmet had no face guard.
She stepped past the thrust, parrying with the rapier. A flick of her wrist brought the blade around and over the warrior’s sword hilt and at his face.
The Perranese warrior had been surprised twice in less than a second. First, by Rina’s speed. Second, by the sword blade that buried itself deep into his left eye socket.
Rina almost lost the sword when the warrior screamed and turned away, but she held on and pulled it free of his skull, spinning to face the other warriors who came up more cautiously.
“Take her alive.” Rina heard Giffen’s voice behind her.
The remaining warriors stormed up the dais at her. She swung the sword, lunged, turned, swung again. She caught one on the hand, drawing blood, another on the thigh. Her blade bounced off of the chest armor of another, and finally she felt hands on her as they crowded around.
She kept thrashing as they pressed against her. There was no room to strike with the sword, but she swung backhanded and smashed the hilt into a warrior’s nose, heard the cartilage pop ; blood streamed from his nostrils.
“It’s just one little brat,” yelled Giffen.
Something sharp struck Rina on the back of the head. The world tilted and blurred and then went black.
CHAPTER SIX
She heard the voices before she could open her eyes.
“Your men found the ropes at the secret spot near the back gate?” Giffen’s voice.
“Yes.” A light Perranese accent. “The men who came over the wall were in bad spirits. They
Rina suddenly felt Zarrik’s hand on her wrist, pulling her down the steps of the dais. “Lady Rina, hurry! We need to get you to safety before—”
Something metal flashed past her, and Zarrik grunted, twitched and let go of her.
The general fell dead at her feet. A ring of metal spikes had killed him, some sort of throwing weapon. One of the spikes had buried itself deep in the middle of his forehead. His eyes were open but lifeless, mouth twitching.
Oh, Dumo, help us . Her hand went automatically to the sword strapped to her waist, but it wasn’t there. A young lady did not wear a sword with a dress on formal occasions.
Damn it!
The Perranese soldiers continued to slaughter the men of Klaar. In seconds, the battle would be over.
The Duke backed up the dais to stand next to his steward. “Giffen, take my wife and daughter and flee out the back hallway. I won’t be able to hold them, but maybe I can buy you a few seconds to—”
The Duke’s breath caught. He looked down, saw Giffen’s hand holding the dagger he’d just jabbed into his side. The Duke’s eyes came back up to Giffen’s smiling face; he worked his mouth, trying to speak, but couldn’t find breath.
Giffen withdrew the dagger, plunged it in again.
Rina watched in horror. “Daddy!”
The Duke dropped to his knees, the rapier tumbling from his hand to clatter on the stone steps. He turned his head to look at his daughter, his expression one of utter bewilderment.
Rina rushed to him, glancing at her mother who sat agape, nearly catatonic.
Rina scooped up her father’s rapier and swung at Giffen in the same motion. The steward threw up an arm out of reflex and the blade tore a gash across the bottom of his forearm. He screamed and backed away.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Perranese warriors approaching. She turned, sword in front of her. She was aware of all the bodies behind them. The Klaarian soldiers were dead to a man.
A young Perranese bounded up the steps, thrusting at Rina. His sword was long and curved, but only slightly heavier than her father’s rapier.
Kork’s teaching immediately took over.
His armor was made up of overlapping discs of some shining metal. Kork’s enormous sword could probably bite through easily, but she’d need to find a weak spot for the rapier. The mesh under the arms might be fabric or dark, thin chainmail.
But the Perranese warrior’s wide-brimmed helmet had no face guard.
She stepped past the thrust, parrying with the rapier. A flick of her wrist brought the blade around and over the warrior’s sword hilt and at his face.
The Perranese warrior had been surprised twice in less than a second. First, by Rina’s speed. Second, by the sword blade that buried itself deep into his left eye socket.
Rina almost lost the sword when the warrior screamed and turned away, but she held on and pulled it free of his skull, spinning to face the other warriors who came up more cautiously.
“Take her alive.” Rina heard Giffen’s voice behind her.
The remaining warriors stormed up the dais at her. She swung the sword, lunged, turned, swung again. She caught one on the hand, drawing blood, another on the thigh. Her blade bounced off of the chest armor of another, and finally she felt hands on her as they crowded around.
She kept thrashing as they pressed against her. There was no room to strike with the sword, but she swung backhanded and smashed the hilt into a warrior’s nose, heard the cartilage pop ; blood streamed from his nostrils.
“It’s just one little brat,” yelled Giffen.
Something sharp struck Rina on the back of the head. The world tilted and blurred and then went black.
CHAPTER SIX
She heard the voices before she could open her eyes.
“Your men found the ropes at the secret spot near the back gate?” Giffen’s voice.
“Yes.” A light Perranese accent. “The men who came over the wall were in bad spirits. They
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