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“Yep, that’s me. A shining example.”
“Speaking of examples...” Ari tilted his head.
Janco turned and groaned. “Here comes Little Miss Assassin. What have we done to get saddled with her?”
“It didn’t help you were caught snooping in that warehouse. Some sneak you are.”
“I was far from caught. I was just...biding my time.” Janco eyed the young pup sourly.
Little Miss Assassin moved through the groups of soldiers with ease. No discomfort from being surrounded by armed men and women. She joined them without a word and warmed up. Her long brown hair was braided down her back. She wore a light-colored tunic and pants and her feet were bare! And people called him crazy.
He stretched and bantered with Ari until he saw them.
“Ari, look.” He elbowed his partner.
“What? Oh, crap. This can’t be good.”
“Ya think?”
The Commander and Valek headed toward them followed by some grunt, who looked terrified. Didn’t blame him.
Little Miss Assassin froze for a second when she spotted the threesome. Scared of Valek? Not from what he’d heard. The Commander? Ditto. A slight hitch in the big grunt’s stride gave him away. She knew him and vice versa. Valek also watched the young pup’s expression. Probably testing a theory.
But why was the Commander here?
Valek introduced the grunt—Sergeant something or other. Seemed he might be another member of their team. Oh, this day was just getting better and better. He should have stayed in bed.
“We’re going to do some sparring,” Valek said. “Janco versus Gerik, Ari versus Onora, then switch.”
The Commander leaned against the wooden fence that lined the training yard. Better put on a good show.
“Weapons?” Ari asked.
“Your choice.”
Janco sensed a trick. He glanced at his partner. Ari shrugged. No help there. Janco studied the grunt. Taller than him, but not as broad as Ari. Best to wait until the grunt chose a weapon before he picked his.
Sergeant Grunt chose a bo staff. A surprise. Janco was sure he’d go for the sword. No worries. He’d learned a thing or three from Maren. Picking up his bo, he slid his hands along the wood of the staff and faced the grunt.
Valek refereed the match. “Go.”
The grunt swung his bo, aiming for Janco’s temple. He blocked and the loud crack of wood hitting wood vibrated in the air. The man meant business. Janco countered and soon all he heard was the rhythmic cracks of the two bos. His opponent was good, but Janco was better. Natch.
“The grunt can swing, but can he sing?” Janco shuffled close and jabbed at the man’s groin.
He hopped back. “Hey! No blows below the belt.”
“Who says?”
The grunt glanced at Valek. Oh, this was too easy. Janco poured on the speed. Rib strike, rib strike, temple, temple, feint to the ribs and then sweep the legs. Sergeant Grunt landed with an oomph and Janco pressed the tip of his bo just under the man’s Adam’s apple.
“Gotcha!”
Valek called the match. Janco refrained from smirking.
Ari slapped him on the back and almost sent him sprawling. “Nice.”
Janco pulled Ari aside. “Watch out. She almost beat Valek, so she’s probably very fast.”
“That’s why I’m not choosing a knife.”
“Use your scimitar.”
“Why?”
“No one in Ixia uses it. She’ll be unfamiliar with what it can do. Plus it’s intimidating as all hell.”
“Great idea.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
“Ready?” Valek asked.
Little Miss Assassin waited with her knives drawn. Ari approached, holding his scimitar in one hand. The thick, four-foot-long curved blade gleamed in the sunlight. The sucker weighed a ton, but Ari hefted it with ease.
Although she clenched her weapons tighter, Little Miss Assassin kept her cool. This ought to be good.
“Go.”
She moved first, rushing Ari. A suicide move, except she cut to the right and sliced at Ari’s neck. Ari just blocked her attack. Janco had been right—she was not just fast, but superfast. And she used it to her advantage, snaking inside his strike zone and then dancing back.
Ari adjusted and used his scimitar to keep her from getting close. But she managed a few more strikes. The match lengthened. When Ari grabbed his hilt with both hands, she smiled, probably thinking she had worn him down.
Janco waited, and sure enough, Ari’s lumbering swings, slow shuffles and heavy breathing lured Little Miss Assassin within striking distance. She stepped in, and he punched her in her solar plexus. Collapsing with a whoosh, she looked up in time to see Ari placing the tip of his very sharp blade on her neck.
“Gotcha!” Janco yelled, because Ari was too much of a gentleman to gloat.
Ari offered her a hand up, but she ignored it, rising to her feet. Indignation furrowed her brow and her mouth opened as if to protest. She shot Valek a sour look, but then pressed her lips together.
Wiping her hands on her pants, she picked up her knives and faced Janco. He chose the bo staff again.
“Go.” Valek stepped back.
She attacked. Boy oh boy her speed was impressive. If he’d held a knife, the fight would be over by now. However, the longer bo staff kept her from getting close, and he was also known for his speedy little jabs. He worked on her ribs as her blades cut chunks from his staff.
“Little Miss Assassin is as slow as molassin,” Janco sang.
“Molassin? That’s not even a word,” Ari called.
“Everyone’s a critic. I’d like to see you find a word that rhymes with assassin.” Janco backpedaled as the young pup came after him with a flurry of slices aimed at his throat and stomach.
The tip of her blade nicked his neck.
“This kitten has claws under her puppy-dog paws.”
She growled and Janco bit down on a chuckle because her next series of attacks almost knocked him over. Impressive. He endured two more assaults. Then on the third, he planted the end of his bo in the ground and, using his momentum, flipped over her head. He landed, swept her legs, then followed her down, pressing the bo staff against her throat.
“Gotcha.”
“The correct term is ‘pinned,’” she said, panting.
“That’s boring. Besides, we don’t do ‘correct’ around here.”
Ignoring his hand, she stood and brushed a lock of hair from her sweaty face. “I’ve noticed.”
“Next,” Valek said.
Sergeant Grunt faced Ari without a weapon. “Hand to hand?”
“All right.”
“Bad move,” Janco muttered.
?
?Why?” She moved closer to him.
“You’ll see.”
While the grunt had an impressive array of techniques, Ari had spent the past ten years perfecting hand-to-hand fighting. In order to beat Ari, an opponent had to have brute strength, speed and to make no mistakes. Grunt gave a good fight, but his inexperience proved his downfall.
“Gotcha,” Janco said when Ari pinned the grunt.
“Not bad,” Valek said. “Final fight. Ari and Janco against Onora, using knives.”
Janco had been about to protest until that last part. He sensed he and Ari were about to get their balls handed to them.
He hated when he was right. Actually, he preened and bragged when he was right, but being soundly beaten by Little Miss Assassin was a huge blow to his ego. And the Commander had watched it! Absolutely mortifying.
Ari wiped the blood and sweat from his arms. “Nice fight.”
Janco glared at him. “Nice? That—”
“Oh hush, Janco. Can’t you just admit when someone is better than you?”
“Obviously not.” He pouted.
“That explains why Valek had such trouble with her. Be glad she’s on our side.”
He gazed at her. She talked to Valek while the grunt stood nearby. The Commander had left. Probably disgusted by their fight.
“Is she? Her and the grunt know each other.”
“Probably why Valek brought him along today.”
“He could be the reason she got into the castle without trouble.”
“Could be.”
“You don’t seem concerned.”
“I’m sure Valek has a plan.”
“Humph.” Janco moved closer to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“...obvious you never completed the training,” Valek said to the assassin. “You’re deadly with your knives. Now you need to be deadly with a bo staff, a sword, hand to hand. These two can help you with that if you let them.”
Ha. Not unless Valek ordered him. Or... Hmm. If she shared her knife-fighting techniques, he might be tempted to show her a few moves.
Valek called Ari over. Once they were assembled, he said, “I’m counting on the four of you to work together and find how the smugglers are transporting illegal goods into Ixia. Ari’s the team leader for this mission. Keep me updated.”
