Ruins of Camelot Read Online Free PDF

beneath the arm and slamming into his ribcage.  Deftly, she ducked under her shield and came up behind Goethe.  Her sword finished its long arc against the middle of his back, thumping smartly on his leather armour.  A surprised cheer arose from the gathered students.
    "Two points," Barth called with an appreciative nod.
    Goethe barely paused.  His elbow shot out behind him, knocking Gabriella's sword away.  A moment later, he pivoted to meet her, raising the haft of his axe in a blur.  Gabriella caught it against her wrist gauntlet, but the force pushed her backwards.  Goethe pivoted again, reversing the axe's direction and bringing the blunt end down over her shield, aiming for her helmet.  Gabriella ducked to the side and brought her sword down on the lowering axe, driving it to the floor.  The heavy axe head clanged to the stone.  An instant later, Gabriella's shield rammed upwards into Goethe's chest.  The bigger boy grunted with rage and lashed out, using all of his weight.  Gabriella stumbled but transformed the momentum into a backwards roll.  Deftly, she kicked up with both feet, connected with Goethe's midsection just below his breastplate, and flipped him over her.  He crashed to the floor behind her, and his axe clattered away.
    Gabriella was back on her feet in seconds.  She planted a foot on Goethe's shield, pinning it to the floor with his arm beneath it, and leveled her sword at his heart.  Panting and triumphant, she turned to glance back at the Battle Master.
    Barth's fingers were steepled beneath his chin, his eyebrows raised patiently.  What was he waiting for?
    Suddenly, Gabriella was thrown aside.  Amazingly, Goethe had lifted his shield despite the weight she exerted on it and used it to fling her to the ground.  He scrambled upright, threw himself upon her, and unsheathed a dagger from his wrist gauntlet.  In an instant, it was pressed firmly under the shelf of her jaw.  She felt the cold metal against her skin.  Goethe panted down at her, grinning and sweating, his face only inches from hers.  He was going to kill her, right there in the centre of the dueling theatre floor.  Gabriella saw it in his eyes.
    And then, amazingly, he was gone, pulled away so swiftly that the dagger fell from his hand.  Gabriella blinked, gasped, and scrambled backwards, dropping her sword and shield, her armour scraping and clattering on the stone floor.
    "Did you not hear the Battle Master?" a voice seethed furiously.  "NO daggers!  NO blood!  I will KILL you if you touch her again."
    A heavy figure ran past Gabriella.  She looked up and saw Barth struggling to get between Goethe and another boy—Darrick of course.  Darrick's fists were buried in the fabric of Goethe's tunic, pulling the bigger boy to his feet.  Treynor leapt over the low wall, sword drawn, running to join the fracas on the battle floor.
    "Let him go!" Barth commanded, shoving Darrick back.  "I am the master here!  Do as I say!"
    Darrick didn't obey at first.  He stared balefully into Goethe's eyes.  Finally, with a fierce shove, he released his grip on the boy's tunic.  Goethe straightened slowly and brushed himself off, his face set with stony triumph despite Barth’s obvious fury.  Treynor eyed the three severely, his sword still raised.
    "Fault!" Barth called furiously at Darrick, pushing him backwards with one meaty hand.  He turned to Goethe.  "And double fault!  You know daggers are not permitted in the theatre!"
    Goethe shrugged lazily and peered aside towards Gabriella.  She had gotten herself to her feet again, but she was shaking.  She could still feel the place on her throat where the blade had pressed.  She touched it and shuddered.
    "I forgot I had the dagger," Goethe said dully, not taking his eyes from hers.  He winked, and a beastly smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
    "You forgot," Barth scoffed.  "Get out of my theatre.  But leave the damn dagger."
    Darrick stood at the entrance to