The recruits laughed softly, but Sal wanted to growl. Her long ponytail swayed against her back, and she turned to face him without moving away for the advantage distance offered. Zep squared his stance, finding an easy balance, and looked down at her. Her head didn't even reach his shoulders. His chest was twice as wide as her body. They stood face to face, close enough to touch, Zep's jet skin contrasting with Sal's alabaster.
"Maybe I should be petting your ears," he taunted so only she could hear. "Such cute things, the way they wiggle like that."
"I hear it's a human fetish," she remarked snidely. "Sir."
He glared until the call from the Lieutenant came to lay on.
Those words were like a flame to fuel. Action erupted instantly. Zep swept a foot out to knock Sal's legs out from under her. She hopped in place, drawing her knees close, while striking out with one of the blades, brushing his arm as he leaned out of her reach. Instantly, his sword moved to take advantage of the opening and Sal blocked it with her off-hand. Never retreating, they bent, danced, and leapt in perfect timing. The watching recruits gasped, but she blocked out everything except Zep's next move. The speed of his swings increased to match hers. No matter how hard she pushed, using all of her iliran-born agility, he interrupted her next attack, ready to push her defense.
The gravel crunched and scuffed under their moving feet. Both were soon covered in a fine sheen of sweat and dust, but they never took their eyes off each other. He poked and she prodded. For every sway she made, he'd lean, and for each step he took, Sal matched it. Minutes ticked past and neither sword touched skin. He grunted when he dodged and she growled as she attacked. The sweet human scent tried to distract her, but she refused to lose control again.
Zep's hits became harder as he tried to force her weapons out of his way, but he would not retreat. She could feel her strength fading and looked harder for an opening – or a way to make one – but the attacks kept coming. His dark eyes were as angry now as when the fight started, and his body showed no signs of fatigue. Having tried everything else, she thought of Cyno's quick ending. If she lost, she was no worse off than any other recruit. If she could just score a touch, she'd be far ahead of most of them. Sal tossed away the idea of winning this fight and settled on simply not embarrassing herself.
Zep struck at her neck with his right hand, but rather than dodging, she threw her back against his chest, moving inside his guard. As she spun, she passed her main sword into her left hand alongside the first, settling the tip against the inside of his thigh, the other pointing up to block her body. Her empty hand snatched Zep's curved weapon, wrenched it free, and aimed his sword above her head. The wooden blade paused against his neck.
They both froze. Sal could feel Zep's heart pounding against her back. She could smell the sugar in his sweat, so close to her, but no other emotions. Silence hung in the air for a few seconds before Zep spoke up.
"I yield," he said, calmly.
The onlookers gasped and Sal dared to look at his face. Gone was the smoldering anger, replaced with genuine respect. Pulling herself from the confines of his strong arms, all too aware of his hot body against her back, she wasn't sure what to do. Clumsily, she offered the wooden weapons to him. He took the swords and turned away, completely at ease.
The eyes of the recruits smothered her when she crossed the ring to ease her tired body against the fence post once more. The respect felt good but the surprise in their eyes brought a whole new resentment. Before she could dwell on the faults of her human competition, the Lieutenant addressed them again.
"Now that you've seen my Blades in action, you know what is, and will be, expected of each of you. Few of you could match them in combat," he said with a nod to Sal and the veteran, "but you will have to be as good as any of them to pass these trials. If you cannot improve – and quickly – there is no shame in resigning your application. It will not be looked on poorly if you do and choose to apply again at a later date. Razor is bunked in cabin ten. He will arrange transportation for anyone who chooses to rethink his preparedness.
"You have the rest of the night off. The pub is behind the barns, next to the arena. We will meet again tomorrow at 1300, this time at the arena. Enjoy yourselves, and really think about why you are here." He strode out of the courtyard in the direction of their cabins.
To continue reading
Books by A.H. Hadley
An Accidental Fairy Tale (Fantasy):
In Progress - Kindle, Paperback
An Accidental Fairy Tale Series
Rise of the Iliri (Epic Science-Fantasy):
Completed Series - Kindle, Paperback
The Eidolon Chronicles (Paranormal):
In Progress - Kindle, Paperback
The Ruins Of Men (Epic Science-Fantasy):
In Progress - Kindle, Paperback
The Wolf of Oberhame (Fantasy):
Completed Series - Audible, Kindle, Paperback
About the Author
A.H. Hadley is the fantasy persona of the international best selling author Auryn Hadley. Known for rich plots and intricate world building, crossing over from romance to fantasy - and sometimes science fiction - only makes sense.
Biologist by education, horse person by choice, and an author because her muses simply won't shut up, A.H. Hadley merges her eclectic love of science and magic together to create books that will allow you to escape the doldrum of daily life. Currently living in Texas with her husband, four dogs, four cats, and a small herd of huge horses, A.H. Hadley is best known for writing strong women, intelligent men, and stories where the families we find are the ones that matter most.
