Liodari.
Terena straightened, watching them a moment more while she pulled on the sheet to cover more of her head. A cheer erupted, and she turned to look at the pit. Rydon’s opponent was on the ground with Rydon atop, one knee on the man’s sternum and his dagger poised at the man’s throat. Rydon straightened and in a move so fast all Terena saw was a blur, he swiped his blade across the man’s shoulder, leaving a thin cut in its wake as he moved away from the man.
Money exchanged hands again, and the patrons became more frenzied.
Terena looked across to the right where she’d seen the Liodari, but they were no longer there. She turned and headed toward the gate to the pit.
Rydon reached her side, his hand sliding out to grip her left arm.
“Don’t react,” he said, his voice low enough only she could hear him. She looked up at his narrowed green eyes. “Your opponent is a Liodari.”
Terena froze, and Rydon’s hand squeezed her arm. “Listen,” he whispered. “They haven’t seen you and no one knows who you are. You can leave right now and no one will care.”
Terena looked over his shoulder, seeing one of the Liodari waiting at the gate to enter. He looked neither left nor right, as if who he was to fight was of no consequence to him. It irked her.
Shouldn’t. But it did.
“I’m fine,” she said to Rydon in a hard voice and pulled her arm from his grip. “Might not finish as quickly as you two, but I’ll be back before you know it.”
Terena pulled up the sheet to cover her mouth, securing the back so it was snug to her head. She patted the sheath at her thigh and made her way through the gate and into the pit, following behind her opponent once the announcer gestured their way.
As they gained the center of the pit, the Liodari turned to face her at last. Terena smiled to see the look of surprise fly across his face before he schooled his features into an impassive mask.
Was it her size or the mask, she wondered as she unsheathed her daggers. He did the same, giving a brief nod before getting into his fighting stance. Terena returned the nod then dropped into her stance, her legs braced and hands raised slightly, daggers gripped tight.
As soon as the announcer’s bell rang out, Terena surged forward, feinting right, then left as she danced in and out of his reach. He moved with her, his blades lashing out in deadly response. Terena moved, her body reverting to the Mummer’s Dance her father had taught her all those years ago, the fluid movements designed to confuse and anger the opponent, the swift arm motions making his own jerk reflexively as she teased in and out of his line of sight.
He grunted, whether in exertion or frustration, Terena didn’t know. But she saw the change in him. His attacks became stronger, quicker, and more lethal. He spun, his sandy blond hair sticking to his forehead. His eyes narrowed and Terena moved to the side.
He stepped forward and twisted, snapping his elbow into her nose. Terena’s head snapped back, and the blood soaked the cover over her mouth. She tugged it down quickly. With no time to recover, she watched as he flipped the dagger in his right hand, catching her eye, and then slashed out with the one in his left. She barely moved in time to avoid it. He leaned forward and roared, his right arm striking out, catching the end of the bedsheet and twisting. For a second, it tightened at Terena’s throat. She reached out andtugged the other end, letting it fall forward, and stepped back to let it drop.
When it fell to the ground, she had a moment’s satisfaction at the surprise on her opponent’s face before she sprang backwards onto her hands and kicked him in the jaw as she flipped. The people roared, pressing against the pit barrier. The Liodari spat out blood and came at her in a series of moves so fast Terena stumbled back, each one harder and harder.
Her arms tired.
Buzzing built inside her chest. in her ears, slowly drowning out the crowd. Terena blinked, seeing her opponent slow, then stop as if suspended.
The Liodari’s eyes fixed on her face, his lips screwed up and his face tight with tension.
But he just… stood there.
Terena moved from where he was about to strike. All at once, he lunged forward, his jaw dropping, eyes wide as if surprised Terena wasn’t standing where he’d expected her to be. She moved then and he turned, his face flushed as he pounced forward once, twice, his arms quick—and long!—and she barely jumped back enough to miss the tip of his dagger as she dropped to her knees and rolled behind him.
Feeling a bubble of excitement, Terena sprang to her feet, only to cry out when something hot lashed her back. She stumbled a few steps.
The spectators erupted, bodies surging forward so fast Terena was sure they’d break the barrier. She took a couple of deep breaths, trying to slow her heart rate and erratic breathing. Blinking against the hissing sting at her back, she reached a hand up to find it as the Liodari came forward and clamped a hand on her shoulder.
Terena spun and saw the Liodari had raised his hands. The dagger in his right hand was red with blood.
Her blood.
Buzzing pounded in her ears, and she took a few more breaths.
“You fought well,” the man said as he sheathed the dagger. He heldout his arm to her. She looked at it for a few seconds, then took it. He nodded, his lips twisted in a half smile.
He held on to her arm a moment longer than was customary and pulled her close. “What’s your name?”
“Ren,” she replied, giving him the nickname Gabriol had given the fight master.
