made good work of them. Derk thought to hasten the end of the fight by bringing a chair across the back of the closest one. A smack with the broad side of the young man’s sword sent the last man to the floor. By then the only people standing in the bar were Derk, the young man whose head was bleeding, and the young woman with the torn sleeve.
“Many thanks,” said the man, wiping off his short sword with a cloth on his belt but keeping the blade unsheathed; his dark eyes scanned over the fallen foes, his knuckles white on the hilt of the blade. “It would’ve taken me much longer to get rid of those three without you.” He reached out a large, muscular hand and Derk took it in his own, feeling weak for the first time in his life. “I’m Asa and the woman over yonder,” he said, pointing to the girl in the corner who rushed over, picking over bodies and turned furniture, hugging the large man in front of him. “This is Devra, my sister. We both thank you for helping us.” His accent made Derk cock his head. This was apparently a country crow trying to pass as a city crow. Asa’s dark hair and beard were trimmed to a more urban style, but his tunic and belt were dead giveaways. The sword and scabbard was nice enough though. The young woman was dressed eccentrically, colorful skirts and
shawls draped over her frame. A little garish, but it suited her well, especially with her bright eyes. Her gloves were fingerless and embroidered.
“Yes, we do,” she said, her voice shaking, her green eyes swimming with tears. She buried her face in her brother’s chest. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t help. I just…I couldn’t.”
“I know,” Asa replied, hugging his sister. Derk tried not to stare at the two. He took the opportunity to look around for Old Gam, wondering if she had ducked out of the bar when the fighting got bad or was still hiding somewhere.
“And your name?” After a few breaths, Derk realized the young man was speaking to him. The young man’s bushy eyebrows were furrowed with the question, and Derk realized Asa was his age or a few years younger.
“Right, well…I’m Derk. At your service. Glad to be of help.” He bowed politely as a joke, looking over the siblings. He narrowed his eyes at the girl, then looked up to her brother. “Will she be all right?”
“Yes, she will, long as I keep on watching over her.” For a brief moment Derk thought the man was kidding, but the look on Asa’s face told him he wasn’t and he did his best to let his face match the man’s. “Those men were gambling with us and carrying on and well, one of them disrespected my sister. I simply could not have it.”
“Of course,” Derk said, finding himself agreeing with the man. He never had a sister of his own, but courtesy dictated the proper treatment of all people regardless of sex, including not ripping their clothes unless they liked it.
“You were useful back there,” Asa said, wiping the blood and sweat from his brow, his dark brown hair sticking to his damp skin. “My sister and I could use another sword where we’re going. You could cut down on my workload by a third if you keep it up.”
Derk failed to follow the man’s math, but a look from his sister, still clinging to the large, formidable frame told him not to bother. “Right,” he said, looking around the bar, trying to survey the scene for damages. A few bar patrons trickled in through the door and out from under tables, used to outbursts of this nature. They turned their chairs upright, sitting back down and checking on the status of their drinks, the din steadily rising in the room. The bartender returned from the back of the bar and sent a kitchen boy for the brown cloaks, making Derk’s heart thump. A groan from one of the men made Derk look toward the door, eager to leave. “Perhaps we can talk about this outside?” he offered, looking around for Old Gam before he raised his brows at the pair
“Many thanks,” said the man, wiping off his short sword with a cloth on his belt but keeping the blade unsheathed; his dark eyes scanned over the fallen foes, his knuckles white on the hilt of the blade. “It would’ve taken me much longer to get rid of those three without you.” He reached out a large, muscular hand and Derk took it in his own, feeling weak for the first time in his life. “I’m Asa and the woman over yonder,” he said, pointing to the girl in the corner who rushed over, picking over bodies and turned furniture, hugging the large man in front of him. “This is Devra, my sister. We both thank you for helping us.” His accent made Derk cock his head. This was apparently a country crow trying to pass as a city crow. Asa’s dark hair and beard were trimmed to a more urban style, but his tunic and belt were dead giveaways. The sword and scabbard was nice enough though. The young woman was dressed eccentrically, colorful skirts and
shawls draped over her frame. A little garish, but it suited her well, especially with her bright eyes. Her gloves were fingerless and embroidered.
“Yes, we do,” she said, her voice shaking, her green eyes swimming with tears. She buried her face in her brother’s chest. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t help. I just…I couldn’t.”
“I know,” Asa replied, hugging his sister. Derk tried not to stare at the two. He took the opportunity to look around for Old Gam, wondering if she had ducked out of the bar when the fighting got bad or was still hiding somewhere.
“And your name?” After a few breaths, Derk realized the young man was speaking to him. The young man’s bushy eyebrows were furrowed with the question, and Derk realized Asa was his age or a few years younger.
“Right, well…I’m Derk. At your service. Glad to be of help.” He bowed politely as a joke, looking over the siblings. He narrowed his eyes at the girl, then looked up to her brother. “Will she be all right?”
“Yes, she will, long as I keep on watching over her.” For a brief moment Derk thought the man was kidding, but the look on Asa’s face told him he wasn’t and he did his best to let his face match the man’s. “Those men were gambling with us and carrying on and well, one of them disrespected my sister. I simply could not have it.”
“Of course,” Derk said, finding himself agreeing with the man. He never had a sister of his own, but courtesy dictated the proper treatment of all people regardless of sex, including not ripping their clothes unless they liked it.
“You were useful back there,” Asa said, wiping the blood and sweat from his brow, his dark brown hair sticking to his damp skin. “My sister and I could use another sword where we’re going. You could cut down on my workload by a third if you keep it up.”
Derk failed to follow the man’s math, but a look from his sister, still clinging to the large, formidable frame told him not to bother. “Right,” he said, looking around the bar, trying to survey the scene for damages. A few bar patrons trickled in through the door and out from under tables, used to outbursts of this nature. They turned their chairs upright, sitting back down and checking on the status of their drinks, the din steadily rising in the room. The bartender returned from the back of the bar and sent a kitchen boy for the brown cloaks, making Derk’s heart thump. A groan from one of the men made Derk look toward the door, eager to leave. “Perhaps we can talk about this outside?” he offered, looking around for Old Gam before he raised his brows at the pair
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