enough. You're not worthy of your mark. You're nothing but a pet killer." He turned to Sting. "Enough of this arguing, let's get on with it. Bring him!"
The men dragged Blade to his feet, twisting his arms when he tried to wrench free.
"The Queen will hear of this!" Chiana raged, trotting after them when the assassins strode towards a door in the wall behind them. "You will not escape unpunished!"
Blade glanced back at her. "Go back to the palace."
"No!" She caught up and tried to free one of his arms. The man who held him shoved her, causing her to trip and sit down in the mud. Blade kicked him in the shin, and the Vordan assassin hopped and cursed, another taking his place as he bent to rub his smarting shin. The new man twisted Blade's arm until his tendons cracked, making him grimace and grit his teeth.
Chiana picked herself up and hurried after the assassins, clearly determined not to let Blade out of her sight. Sting led them through a dingy building and out onto a less crowded common, where several stages had been erected for the benefit of performers. The assassins mounted the steps onto one of them and shoved off the four female dancers. The crowd that had been watching them hissed and spat, dispersing. Swift stepped up to Blade, who was shorter than him, but untroubled by this.
"I'm going to enjoy watching you fail, old man."
"You're going to do it here, in front of commoners? This is forbidden."
"Not where I come from."
"I have heard that you're quite the entertainer," Blade sneered.
Swift grinned. "At least I've stayed in shape."
"You may win, but you'll get no satisfaction from your victory."
Swift's eyes narrowed. "If you're planning on making a mockery of this, you'd better think again. Unless you give your best performance, I'll burn that mark from your hide anyway. If you want to keep it, you'll have to try to win." He gripped Blade's collar and ripped the shirt from his shoulders. "You even dress like a damned palace fop."
Swift swung away, and Blade's captors released him and quit the stage. Blade rubbed his arms, then stripped off the torn shirt and threw it down. The assassins formed a ring around the stage, settling down to watch, and Sting called up from their ranks, "The Trial will be according to the rules. The challenger dances first."
"And who will judge?" Blade demanded. "You're biased. I'm not from your guild."
"All assassins belong to the same guild. You'll be judged fairly," Sting averred.
Swift straightened from tying the metal pieces to his boots. "There will be no need for judging, since you won't be able to complete the Dance."
Blade walked to the edge of the stage and leant against one of the posts that marked its perimeter. Folding his arms, he waited while the Vordan assassin went through a few limbering up exercises, stretching and bending to touch his forehead to his knees. Swift grinned and raised his arms, leaping into the first twirling jump energetically and landing lightly, his feet tapping out the set steps of the Dance of Death. Blade scanned the crowd around the stage, hoping to glimpse a black-clad figure who might be one of his own guild. If word of the Trial reached Talon or Archer, they might be able to stop it.
The crowd, seeing a fascinating dance being performed, drew nearer, gathering just beyond the ring of assassins. Blade turned his attention to Swift, assessing the assassin's performance with critical eyes. If Swift stumbled or missed a step the Trial would be over, but this did not seem likely. The assassin performed the Dance with consummate ease and obvious enjoyment, using the whole stage. His steel-shod feet tapped out a perfect rhythm on the boards, his kicks reached above his shoulders and his leaps were high and perfectly timed, so his landing continued the rhythm of the dance.
The Dance was open to additions, but not subtractions, and Swift added in several moves to prove his mastery, which only the best could do and still complete it. It
The men dragged Blade to his feet, twisting his arms when he tried to wrench free.
"The Queen will hear of this!" Chiana raged, trotting after them when the assassins strode towards a door in the wall behind them. "You will not escape unpunished!"
Blade glanced back at her. "Go back to the palace."
"No!" She caught up and tried to free one of his arms. The man who held him shoved her, causing her to trip and sit down in the mud. Blade kicked him in the shin, and the Vordan assassin hopped and cursed, another taking his place as he bent to rub his smarting shin. The new man twisted Blade's arm until his tendons cracked, making him grimace and grit his teeth.
Chiana picked herself up and hurried after the assassins, clearly determined not to let Blade out of her sight. Sting led them through a dingy building and out onto a less crowded common, where several stages had been erected for the benefit of performers. The assassins mounted the steps onto one of them and shoved off the four female dancers. The crowd that had been watching them hissed and spat, dispersing. Swift stepped up to Blade, who was shorter than him, but untroubled by this.
"I'm going to enjoy watching you fail, old man."
"You're going to do it here, in front of commoners? This is forbidden."
"Not where I come from."
"I have heard that you're quite the entertainer," Blade sneered.
Swift grinned. "At least I've stayed in shape."
"You may win, but you'll get no satisfaction from your victory."
Swift's eyes narrowed. "If you're planning on making a mockery of this, you'd better think again. Unless you give your best performance, I'll burn that mark from your hide anyway. If you want to keep it, you'll have to try to win." He gripped Blade's collar and ripped the shirt from his shoulders. "You even dress like a damned palace fop."
Swift swung away, and Blade's captors released him and quit the stage. Blade rubbed his arms, then stripped off the torn shirt and threw it down. The assassins formed a ring around the stage, settling down to watch, and Sting called up from their ranks, "The Trial will be according to the rules. The challenger dances first."
"And who will judge?" Blade demanded. "You're biased. I'm not from your guild."
"All assassins belong to the same guild. You'll be judged fairly," Sting averred.
Swift straightened from tying the metal pieces to his boots. "There will be no need for judging, since you won't be able to complete the Dance."
Blade walked to the edge of the stage and leant against one of the posts that marked its perimeter. Folding his arms, he waited while the Vordan assassin went through a few limbering up exercises, stretching and bending to touch his forehead to his knees. Swift grinned and raised his arms, leaping into the first twirling jump energetically and landing lightly, his feet tapping out the set steps of the Dance of Death. Blade scanned the crowd around the stage, hoping to glimpse a black-clad figure who might be one of his own guild. If word of the Trial reached Talon or Archer, they might be able to stop it.
The crowd, seeing a fascinating dance being performed, drew nearer, gathering just beyond the ring of assassins. Blade turned his attention to Swift, assessing the assassin's performance with critical eyes. If Swift stumbled or missed a step the Trial would be over, but this did not seem likely. The assassin performed the Dance with consummate ease and obvious enjoyment, using the whole stage. His steel-shod feet tapped out a perfect rhythm on the boards, his kicks reached above his shoulders and his leaps were high and perfectly timed, so his landing continued the rhythm of the dance.
The Dance was open to additions, but not subtractions, and Swift added in several moves to prove his mastery, which only the best could do and still complete it. It
Similar Books
