was interesting. Unconsciously, he hoped she’d done it for him.
She was wearing a thin red kilt that hung a little
lower on her hips, and was hiked a little higher on her thighs, than the one
she’d worn earlier. In place of her other top, she wore one bedecked with brass
discs and bangles. She even had a bit of perfume on her wrist.
The conversation nonetheless moved on to practical
matters. His disciplined mind could not allow otherwise.
“Inina, I’m interested in learning how to fight
properly. I got a little training when my father made me my sword, but I was
focused on many other things that seemed more immediately useful at the time.
So now, I find that my skills are less than I may need.”
She replied, “You should learn how to use more than a
sword. They are dangerous things, but hard to hide, and no good at all for
surprising someone.”
“Surprise?” he was startled, but then considered,
“You’re right, I may need surprise on my side, some day.”
She peered into his eyes thoughtfully, “I can almost see
the wheels of the chariot turning in your mind, Arjun. All right, I’ll take you
to a man I think might be the right sort of weapons trainer. He can teach
techniques for fights that are far from honorable, and he won’t ask questions.
I warn you though, Enlil iru Geb charges a steep price, and he isn’t the
nicest.”
“I don’t want the nicest, I want the deadliest,” was
his reply.
She gave him a black-humored smile, “Tomorrow then. In
the meantime, I think it is about time I went. I have work to do.”
“Let me walk you home.”
“What makes you think I’m going home?”
“It is your choice what you do from there, but at
least let me get you safely back. Besides, those don’t look like your most
practical working clothes. I’d bet you plan to change them back home anyway.”
She laughed, “Are you so sure I wouldn’t be protecting
YOU? I live out here, remember. Oh well, all right.”
He went to his room and collected his cloak and sword,
then walked with her out the door. It was a pleasant night, and others in large
numbers took advantage of the weather to go about business fair and foul. As
they walked the streets, passersby greeted Inina. Some of them were very rough
looking.
“See?” she said, “Around here, even the ones that
might rob YOU are on MY side. I’m home, Arjun, and you shouldn’t worry about
me. Ah, here, let’s take this way,” she pointed to a black-shadowed alley,
“We’ll save a few blocks.”
He nodded uncertainly, not liking the look of it.
As it turned out, she was right. They had no trouble
in the alley. On the other side, though, on a back street that was more than
normally deserted tonight, they found it.
A group of men in filthy wide-belted kilts swaggered
and staggered with drink. Their accents pronounced to Arjun that they were from
the city of Ershum, in the League of Kasim, a hundred miles north along the
coast, and probably sailors. They had weapons at their belts.
Some of them whistled.
“Oh ho! Look at this pretty young lady!” said one.
“Ah, but who is this ugly girl she is with?” said
another.
“You, ugly, get out of the way so we can talk to your
pretty friend!” said a third.
Arjun burned at the words. No one since childhood had
insulted him like that! In the life he’d known, such words among men could only
lead to duels and death. These men spat them out casually, expecting no
repercussions whatsoever. And why should they? He was little more than a boy,
with no visible weapon, and they were seven armed burly toughs.
They were approaching.
Inina tapped his shoulder and whispered too him
“Arjun, turn around and follow me back into the alley. We need to get out of
here.”
“All right”
But as it turned out, an eighth sailor had been
relieving himself in the shadows near the alley. He was a big man with a hairy
belly that hung over the belt of his kilt. He stepped forth and blocked their
way with
She was wearing a thin red kilt that hung a little
lower on her hips, and was hiked a little higher on her thighs, than the one
she’d worn earlier. In place of her other top, she wore one bedecked with brass
discs and bangles. She even had a bit of perfume on her wrist.
The conversation nonetheless moved on to practical
matters. His disciplined mind could not allow otherwise.
“Inina, I’m interested in learning how to fight
properly. I got a little training when my father made me my sword, but I was
focused on many other things that seemed more immediately useful at the time.
So now, I find that my skills are less than I may need.”
She replied, “You should learn how to use more than a
sword. They are dangerous things, but hard to hide, and no good at all for
surprising someone.”
“Surprise?” he was startled, but then considered,
“You’re right, I may need surprise on my side, some day.”
She peered into his eyes thoughtfully, “I can almost see
the wheels of the chariot turning in your mind, Arjun. All right, I’ll take you
to a man I think might be the right sort of weapons trainer. He can teach
techniques for fights that are far from honorable, and he won’t ask questions.
I warn you though, Enlil iru Geb charges a steep price, and he isn’t the
nicest.”
“I don’t want the nicest, I want the deadliest,” was
his reply.
She gave him a black-humored smile, “Tomorrow then. In
the meantime, I think it is about time I went. I have work to do.”
“Let me walk you home.”
“What makes you think I’m going home?”
“It is your choice what you do from there, but at
least let me get you safely back. Besides, those don’t look like your most
practical working clothes. I’d bet you plan to change them back home anyway.”
She laughed, “Are you so sure I wouldn’t be protecting
YOU? I live out here, remember. Oh well, all right.”
He went to his room and collected his cloak and sword,
then walked with her out the door. It was a pleasant night, and others in large
numbers took advantage of the weather to go about business fair and foul. As
they walked the streets, passersby greeted Inina. Some of them were very rough
looking.
“See?” she said, “Around here, even the ones that
might rob YOU are on MY side. I’m home, Arjun, and you shouldn’t worry about
me. Ah, here, let’s take this way,” she pointed to a black-shadowed alley,
“We’ll save a few blocks.”
He nodded uncertainly, not liking the look of it.
As it turned out, she was right. They had no trouble
in the alley. On the other side, though, on a back street that was more than
normally deserted tonight, they found it.
A group of men in filthy wide-belted kilts swaggered
and staggered with drink. Their accents pronounced to Arjun that they were from
the city of Ershum, in the League of Kasim, a hundred miles north along the
coast, and probably sailors. They had weapons at their belts.
Some of them whistled.
“Oh ho! Look at this pretty young lady!” said one.
“Ah, but who is this ugly girl she is with?” said
another.
“You, ugly, get out of the way so we can talk to your
pretty friend!” said a third.
Arjun burned at the words. No one since childhood had
insulted him like that! In the life he’d known, such words among men could only
lead to duels and death. These men spat them out casually, expecting no
repercussions whatsoever. And why should they? He was little more than a boy,
with no visible weapon, and they were seven armed burly toughs.
They were approaching.
Inina tapped his shoulder and whispered too him
“Arjun, turn around and follow me back into the alley. We need to get out of
here.”
“All right”
But as it turned out, an eighth sailor had been
relieving himself in the shadows near the alley. He was a big man with a hairy
belly that hung over the belt of his kilt. He stepped forth and blocked their
way with
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