Assassin's Curse (25 page)

“How have you been wronged?” she asked.

“I’ve been cheated in a fair test of skills and made to look a fool in front of the family by one who was magically enhanced.
 
My honor and standing as the master knife for our troupe is now held in suspect.
 
This cannot be ignored and I demand satisfaction.”
 

Crap, he’s talking about me
, Jeda thought, looking curiously at the big man.

“What proof do you have that you were beaten by one who was magically enhanced?” Natasha demanded.

“The proof has already been given for all to see.
 
It was the final result of the throwing contest.
 
I have tested the distance with every conceivable type of blade and none reached the distance the lightweight blade flew this afternoon.
 
No man could throw a knife that far without aid.”

There were murmurs as the crowd of men and women whispered about Bruno’s accusation.
 
Some were nodding their heads, remembering the fantastic throw Jeda had demonstrated earlier.
 
It had been an amazing throw.
 
Jeda had always been able to throw a knife much further and with more accuracy than any other assassin back at the guild, including apprentices and masters alike.
 
Everyone at the guild had always marveled at his prowess and simply assumed he had a knack for throwing.
 
Now that Bruno accused him in such a way, it gave Jeda a moment’s pause.

Do I have something within me that has helped me all these years
? Jeda thought.
 
Could my mother have somehow passed her power to me?
 
The only thing I know of her was that she was a powerful witch.
  

“I demand the satisfaction of challenge,” Bruno yelled again, breaking Jeda’s thoughtful introspect.
 
“Do you accept it or back down like a coward?”

“Our honored guests are not part of our family and are not bound to our laws and customs,” Natasha replied, trying hard to diffuse Bruno’s anger.

“But you did afford him that right when you invited him in and then you gave him the right to contest me,” Bruno pointed out.
 
“Or do you intend to rescind your word on that as well?”

Natasha could see the machinations of Mirabelle behind Bruno’s words.
 
He would have never demanded satisfaction or put her authority to test without someone behind him pushing and advising him on the proper words to say.
 
Natasha looked over to the outskirts of the fire and saw Mirabelle watching the events play out with a gleam in her eye.
 
Natasha had been manipulated neatly into a corner.
 
She could either forbid the challenge and lose credibility in front of the family or allow the challenge and watch a guest be killed before her eyes.
 
Both had dire consequences.
 
Before she had the chance to speak, Jeda stepped up beside her.

“I accept the challenge.”

Natasha swung her head around and looked at the brash, young man.

“You don’t understand.
 
An honor challenge is a true fight that could end in your death.
 
You must not enter into this contest.”

“Do not worry about me or him,” Jeda whispered.
 
“I can defeat him easily without killing him and your standing as wise woman will have suffered nothing.”
  

“You don’t know Bruno.
 
He is a vicious man who has beaten many men in this type of challenge.
 
Mirabelle is manipulating these events to make me lose face, but I can weather this storm.
 
Please do not do this.”

“Once a challenge has been accepted, neither party can back down,” Mirabelle said, stepping into the light of the fire.
 
“You know this well, sister, or have your memories and knowledge of our ways degraded beyond that simple recollection?”

Natasha reluctantly looked from Jeda to Mirabelle and back again.
 
The look on her face told Jeda the final decision was his.

“When do we begin?” Jeda asked lightly.

“The contest will begin in ten minutes to allow the combatants the time necessary to prepare themselves,” Natasha commanded.
 

Bruno stepped back toward Mirabelle and the two bowed their heads in deep conversation.
 
Natasha motioned Jeda to the side for what he assumed were the rules of the contest.
 
He followed her and waited patiently for her to begin.

“Bruno has never been beaten before and he has gone against better men than himself,” Natasha began, “and now that he has accused you of being magically enhanced I am beginning to suspect why.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about my sister and her relationship with Bruno.
 
She is not strong in the power, but I am beginning to think that she has somehow helped Bruno in the past without anyone suspecting.
 
A misplaced foot or a sudden slip would not be beyond her abilities and could easily change the tide of battle.
 
Be careful and I will ensure that she does not interfere.”

“Thank you,” Jeda said.
 
“Please watch over the babies and if the unlikely should happen, take them to the healer Gelda in the village of Willows Peak.”

“I will.
 
You have my word.”

Jeda turned and Natasha motioned to Keisha to come to her to watch over the twins.
 
Bruno waited for Jeda in a large circle carved into the dirt.
 
The fighters were supposed to stay within the circle, but Jeda would be surprised if Bruno paid attention to any of the rules of this fight.
 
The big man wore a vest of heavy leather, but nothing under it.
 
He had thick muscles that rippled across his shoulders and chest.
 
His arms were like bands of iron and he flexed them as Jeda walked forward.
 
He held two long knives in his hands, each twice the length of what Jeda carried.
 
Intimidation is the first rule of combat, but if Bruno thought his act worked on Jeda, then he was dead wrong.
 
Jeda had had too many fights with Mave and others like him to be easily intimidated by a large, muscle-bound ape.

“So, this is how you want it?” Jeda asked, casually walking to the circle.
 
“I’ve already beaten you once today.
 
Are you sure you want to go for seconds?”

Jeda’s goad of the big man incensed him beyond reason.
 
He charged like a maddened bull; exactly what Jeda had hoped for.
 
An angry man does not think during a fight, but moves on pure emotion.
 
Some thought that gave a fighter an advantage of strength or hysterical bravery, but, in reality, it simply made them an easier opponent to beat.
 
He sidestepped the big man, but warily did not take the opening presented as he flew past.
 
It was a good thing he didn’t because Bruno swung his arm back blindly in a vicious cut exactly where Jeda would have been had he acted on the opening.

So he does have some brains in that head of his
, Jeda thought, seeing the charge for the feint it really was.
 
He danced out of the range of the big man.

Bruno swung around, puzzled at how he had missed cutting Jeda.
 
His eyes narrowed as he watched Jeda move and realized that he would not be an easy opponent.
 
Bruno gave an almost imperceptible nod in Mirabelle’s direction as he moved in to attack again.
 

Jeda had seen the nod and stood stock still as the big man advanced.
 
He feinted left and at, the last second, he moved right.
 
As he expected, his foot
slipped
out from beneath him when he tried to dodge Bruno’s swing.
 
Instead of fighting the slip as most men would, he turned into it and propelled himself forward under Bruno’s attack.
 

Bruno was so surprised at the move that Jeda easily rolled under the man’s outstretched arm.
 
When Jeda came up behind him, he struck and left a long gash along Bruno’s arm.
 
It wasn’t deep or serious, but it was enough to get Bruno’s attention.
 

“First blood,” Jeda called out.
 
“We can stop now and end this once and for all.”

“It ends when you’re bloody and dead at my feet,” Bruno replied through clenched teeth.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jeda saw Mirabelle suddenly slump to the ground.
 
Standing over her prostrate body was Keisha, grinning wickedly and holding a stout piece of wood.

So she has other talents besides stealing my knives
, Jeda thought.
 
“Last chance,” he said, nodding toward Mirabelle.
 

Bruno looked over and saw his accomplice laying on the ground out cold.
 
“I don’t need a witch to beat the likes of you,” he said, a sneer curving his lips.

Bruno began to weave his knives in an intricate pattern of circles and flourishes designed to confuse his opponent.
 
Jeda had never seen the pattern before and kept stepping back to study it further.
 
Bruno may have been a brute and bully, but there was no denying he was a master knifeman.
 
As Jeda blocked and parried Bruno’s attacks, Bruno mistook his retreat as a sign that he had him on the edge and pressed his attack with greater furor.
 
He was finally surprised when Jeda stopped retreating and began his own attack.
 
Bruno stood toe-to-toe with him as he tried every imaginable attack against the smaller man.
 
Jeda was just too quick and too experienced for Bruno to get past his guard.

“I’ve seen enough,” Jeda said, as if in explanation for his previous actions.
 
“Time to end this.”
 
He launched into his own, devastating series of attacks.
 
The big man was quickly cut with lightning-fast slashes on both of his arms, chest, and one across his cheek.
 
He had no defense against Jeda’s attack and had to back up as he found himself against an opponent of much greater skill.
 

“Enough,” Jeda cried out, stepping back away from Bruno.
 
“You are beat and I have no desire to kill you.”

Bruno was bleeding from half-a-dozen cuts and panting as he looked around with frenzied eyes.
 
He saw the entire troupe watching in
fascination
as he was soundly beat down.
 
His loss of face in front of all these people was simply too much to accept.
 
With a final burst of energy, he screamed out a primal roar and rushed Jeda headlong.
 
He rushed forward with both knives raised over his head and drove them down into what should have been Jeda’s head.
 
To Bruno’s surprise, Jeda dropped his own knives and grabbed Bruno’s wrists.
 
Jeda rolled backwards and sent the big man flying over his head.
 
Bruno tried to break the fall, but his impact on the ground was so severe that his arms collapsed beneath him.
 
As he crumpled forward, the air in his lungs burst out explosively.
 

Jeda quickly recovered and stood waiting for Bruno to catch his breath and rise.
 
After a few minutes, when Bruno did not get up, Jeda walked over to him, suspecting a trick.
 
Probing him with a toe, he saw Bruno was not breathing and turned him over on his back.
 
As Bruno rolled over, Jeda saw his hands still clutching his blades.
 
They had been driven into his chest when he tried to break his fall.
 
The impact and his own knives had killed him instantly.
  

Mirabelle was regaining consciousness and when she saw Bruno lying dead, she screamed for all to hear.
 
“Do you see?
 
Do you believe me now?” she cried.
 
“I told you that they would bring nothing but death to our family.”

Natasha motioned for a few of the woman to gather her sister and take her to her wagon.
 
Several men came forward and took Bruno’s body away as well.
 

Jeda looked to Natasha standing to the side with the twins and shook his head in dismay.
 
He walked over and gathered up the girls and headed toward his wagon.

Natasha touched his arm.
 
“You’re leaving?”

“Yes, I think it’s best,” Jeda said.
 
He looked at the gathered crowd watching their dead knife master being carried off.
 
“It seems I may have worn out my welcome.”
 

“I’m sorry things worked out as they did,” she replied.
 
“I would have wished at least one more day with you and the babies, but it looks like Mirabelle has won after all.”

Jeda surmised that Mirabelle’s cries of despair were part of an elaborate act, but had hesitated to say so.
 
He was glad that Natasha had also seen through her subterfuge.