the Dance," Swift pointed out.
"I did not."
"You didn't deny it." Swift raised a mocking brow. "Do you deny it now?"
"I demand that my elders are informed of this."
"I'm an elder," Sting stated. "There's no need for others."
"Archer is senior. You can't judge me alone."
"We're not judging you, only challenging you to a Trial of the Dance."
"A Trial of the Dance is to weed out incompetents and malcontents, assassins who have slipped from their training and fallen into the debauchery of common thuggery or thievery."
Sting frowned. "I don't need to be reminded of the laws of the guild. You've admitted that you can't complete the Dance of Death. The laws state that you must be able to, unless you retire."
Blade looked away. "Then I retire."
"No!" Swift swung on Sting. "You can't allow this! I must win back my title as Master of the Dance."
Sting pondered this, frowning. "Blade, you were challenged before your announcement, therefore you must accept it."
Blade raised his head to glare at the Vordan elder. "What is this then? A Duel or a Trial? If the former, I've already beaten this man, and will do so again without performing the Dance. If the latter, Swift can't win back his belt, and therefore the exercise is pointless, since I've already volunteered to retire."
Sting glanced at Swift, looking perturbed.
Swift snarled, "Both. Since you're so old and frail, we'll combine them for your benefit, to ascertain your ability to complete the Dance and defend your belt. You can't defend the belt if you can't complete the Dance, which means your prior defence is null and void."
"Then I'll return your belt to you."
"No!" Swift reddened with rage. "You humiliated me in front of my guild, I demand retribution! I challenge you to better my rendition of the Dance of Death. That's my right."
"That's the right of an assassin wronged by another, the loser being stripped of whatever status he has. I have not wronged you. You have no right to claim a duel of this kind."
"You defended your belt under false pretences. You can't complete the Dance. In this, you have wronged me." Swift looked at Sting, who nodded, but looked a little anxious.
"If you lose, Swift, it's you who'll be stripped," the elder declared.
"I won't lose." Swift glowered at Blade. "I claim the right to challenge him."
Blade met Swift's hot glare with an arctic stare that made the younger man blink.
"Stop this at once!"
All eyes focussed behind Blade as a woman's voice rang out, and the assassin cringed inwardly as he glanced back. Chiana tried to push past the assassin who had blocked her path while Sting and Swift had argued with Blade. Now that the debate was over and Blade's fate decided, she evidently could not keep silent any longer. The Vordan assassin held her back, but Sting nodded and the man stepped aside, allowing her to march up. She stopped behind Blade and scowled at the Vordan assassins. Sting bowed with a touch of mockery as Blade faced him again.
"My lady."
"You will release Lord Conash this instant!" Chiana said. "He is under the Queen's protection. Harm him, and you will incur her wrath."
"We have no intention of harming him, my lady. Our laws forbid it."
"Then release him."
Sting smiled, his expression hard. "You don't understand. He has been challenged to a duel of strength, nothing more. He'll be returned to you whole and hearty, I assure you."
"Not if you make him perform the Dance of Death. He cannot. He was injured badly, and has yet to recover his strength. This is -"
Blade twisted in his captors' grip. "Chiana, be quiet!"
"Why?" She looked astonished. "You are not well. You cannot be expected to accept this challenge."
He groaned and looked away.
Swift sneered, "How prettily your wife springs to your defence." He stepped forward and gripped Blade's hair, jerking his head up to glare into his eyes. "You're an abomination, an insult to the Guild of Assassins. You're a lord, and wed, as if being the Queen's plaything wasn't
"I did not."
"You didn't deny it." Swift raised a mocking brow. "Do you deny it now?"
"I demand that my elders are informed of this."
"I'm an elder," Sting stated. "There's no need for others."
"Archer is senior. You can't judge me alone."
"We're not judging you, only challenging you to a Trial of the Dance."
"A Trial of the Dance is to weed out incompetents and malcontents, assassins who have slipped from their training and fallen into the debauchery of common thuggery or thievery."
Sting frowned. "I don't need to be reminded of the laws of the guild. You've admitted that you can't complete the Dance of Death. The laws state that you must be able to, unless you retire."
Blade looked away. "Then I retire."
"No!" Swift swung on Sting. "You can't allow this! I must win back my title as Master of the Dance."
Sting pondered this, frowning. "Blade, you were challenged before your announcement, therefore you must accept it."
Blade raised his head to glare at the Vordan elder. "What is this then? A Duel or a Trial? If the former, I've already beaten this man, and will do so again without performing the Dance. If the latter, Swift can't win back his belt, and therefore the exercise is pointless, since I've already volunteered to retire."
Sting glanced at Swift, looking perturbed.
Swift snarled, "Both. Since you're so old and frail, we'll combine them for your benefit, to ascertain your ability to complete the Dance and defend your belt. You can't defend the belt if you can't complete the Dance, which means your prior defence is null and void."
"Then I'll return your belt to you."
"No!" Swift reddened with rage. "You humiliated me in front of my guild, I demand retribution! I challenge you to better my rendition of the Dance of Death. That's my right."
"That's the right of an assassin wronged by another, the loser being stripped of whatever status he has. I have not wronged you. You have no right to claim a duel of this kind."
"You defended your belt under false pretences. You can't complete the Dance. In this, you have wronged me." Swift looked at Sting, who nodded, but looked a little anxious.
"If you lose, Swift, it's you who'll be stripped," the elder declared.
"I won't lose." Swift glowered at Blade. "I claim the right to challenge him."
Blade met Swift's hot glare with an arctic stare that made the younger man blink.
"Stop this at once!"
All eyes focussed behind Blade as a woman's voice rang out, and the assassin cringed inwardly as he glanced back. Chiana tried to push past the assassin who had blocked her path while Sting and Swift had argued with Blade. Now that the debate was over and Blade's fate decided, she evidently could not keep silent any longer. The Vordan assassin held her back, but Sting nodded and the man stepped aside, allowing her to march up. She stopped behind Blade and scowled at the Vordan assassins. Sting bowed with a touch of mockery as Blade faced him again.
"My lady."
"You will release Lord Conash this instant!" Chiana said. "He is under the Queen's protection. Harm him, and you will incur her wrath."
"We have no intention of harming him, my lady. Our laws forbid it."
"Then release him."
Sting smiled, his expression hard. "You don't understand. He has been challenged to a duel of strength, nothing more. He'll be returned to you whole and hearty, I assure you."
"Not if you make him perform the Dance of Death. He cannot. He was injured badly, and has yet to recover his strength. This is -"
Blade twisted in his captors' grip. "Chiana, be quiet!"
"Why?" She looked astonished. "You are not well. You cannot be expected to accept this challenge."
He groaned and looked away.
Swift sneered, "How prettily your wife springs to your defence." He stepped forward and gripped Blade's hair, jerking his head up to glare into his eyes. "You're an abomination, an insult to the Guild of Assassins. You're a lord, and wed, as if being the Queen's plaything wasn't
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