Sunset of Lantonne Read Online Free PDF Page A

Ishande dove back and away, drawing her own sword as she came up. Growling fiercely despite her vows of silence, the wildling warned Raeln against trying that again.
    Going in for the mock-kill, Rolus pushed his attack the instant Ishande cleared his path. He stabbed at Raeln, fast enough that Ilarra knew there was no chance of him stopping the blade in time if he did manage to connect with Raeln, but he never even came close to landing a solid hit. The flat of Rolus’ blade slid along Raeln’s forearms before being deflected, drawing barely enough blood to wet Raeln’s grey fur.
    Raeln abruptly twisted, stepping around the sword to come in on Rolus, as Ishande swept her weapon across where he had been. He drove his elbow into Rolus’ chest, knocking the breath from him. When Rolus did not drop, Raeln jabbed the elven man’s throat with the tips of his fingers, knocking him over in a fit of coughing.
    Trying to end the fight before Ishande could reach him, Raeln dashed across the clearing to where he had thrown down his knife, with Ishande following him at a quick walk, clearly allowing him to get away. When he reached the spot where the knife had been, Raeln looked around with a bewildered expression.
    Ishande cleared her throat, holding up Raeln’s knife for him—and the bystanders—to see, grinning wickedly. Then, once she knew he had seen her holding it, Ishande tucked the weapon into her belt, tying it off with a thin leather strap to keep it from being easily snatched. She tossed aside her sword, pulled off her quiver and bow and threw them away as well. Lowering herself into a stance that mirrored Raeln’s, she waited for Raeln to come after her.
    To Ilarra’s surprise, Raeln did not immediately take the invitation to attack. Instead, he relaxed and rolled his shoulders, stretching out as he began walking around the clearing, circling Ishande, forcing her to turn with him or risk letting him get behind her. The two seemed to be sizing each other up.
    When Raeln did strike, he rushed Ishande mid-step, when even Ilarra had believed him to be off-balance. He reached her quickly and the two snarled like beasts as they clawed, punched, and kicked at one another, neither able to get a solid hit.
    Ishande ducked a heavy-handed swing by Raeln, punching him in the stomach. Despite her smaller size, Ilarra could see that the blow hurt Raeln, though he could easily take more. It was Ishande’s follow-up that was far more dangerous, using her momentum from the first strike to spin and rake her untrimmed claws across his chest.
    The sheer ferocity of the attack made Ilarra gasp and wonder why any wildling would resort to such animalistic tactics. Raeln had always kept his claws trimmed short and Ilarra had never given them a thought.
    Stumbling back, Raeln did not take his eyes off Ishande, even as blood stained his ruined shirt and chest fur. The wound was deep, though Ilarra knew it probably looked worse to her, given that Raeln barely flinched. Once the fur filled back in, Ilarra doubted he would even have visible scars, but in the meantime, the injury would make it harder to keep fighting.
    The two rushed each other again, this time with Ishande trying to land a solid punch, but Raeln pushing straight through her attack to grab her and pin her arms. Growling angrily, Ishande bit down on Raeln’s shoulder, drawing blood that ran down his arm and darkened his tunic. After a moment of both struggling, Raeln managed to drive her to the ground, rolling her to her stomach to keep her from having any clear attack. Forcing her arms behind her back, he braced a knee against her lower spine.
    Despite Ishande’s struggles, Raeln held her firmly with his greater weight. He cautiously adjusted his positioning until he managed to extract one of his hands without letting Ishande free. Being careful not to slip and risk being mauled again, Raeln untied the strap on the knife at her side and pulled it free.
    Raeln lifted the knife