Daughter of the Eagle by Don Coldsmith Page A

tell you, Eagle Woman, it is not that way. As a warrior, you must prepare for hand combat. Can you do that?” Without waiting for an answer, he hurried on. “The next contest will answer. We will wrestle.”
    There was a hoot of derision from somewhere in the rear, and Walker jerked his head around sharply. He was met by silence. There was none in the crowd who dared openly to criticize so able a man as Long Walker. It would be a matter of quiet chuckles and obscene jokes in private.
    â€œIt is good,” announced Standing Bird, feeling full well that it was not. “You will use no knives or other weapons. You will fight until one is held helpless.”
    The horses were led away, and an area of smooth, level ground was chosen, swiftly ringed by the crowd. Betting was slow. There were few who believed that the slim girl would be skilled enough to prevail against the strength of Long Walker.
    The contestants circled, warily looking for an opening. There were several feints and quick withdrawals, neither combatant attaining a grasp. The onlookers began to cry for action.
    Long Walker, seeing an opportunity, rushed forward to grapple, but the girl was quick. She pivoted, seized an outstretched arm, and used the momentum of the young man’s rush to effect the ancient hip throw. Walker landed heavily flat on his back, stunned and out of breath.
    Eagle Woman circled, waiting, while the crowd howled with laughter. She was attempting, at all costs, to avoid the grappling that would depend on sheer strength. Her only chance was to use skill and finesse.
    Long Walker rose slowly, burning with anger, and rushed again. Once more the girl avoided him, this time by skipping nimbly aside.
    By the third rush Walker’s mood had steadied, and he was thinking more sensibly. He feinted, then grasped, and the two grappled to roll on the ground.
    It seemed only a heartbeat’s time to Eagle Woman until she found herself pinned on her back. Her opponent held both her wrists firmly, and she felt his weight on her outstretched body. Both were breathing heavily. Her vision was blurred, and she heard only dimly the shouts of the crowd. In her left ear she could feel the hot panting breath of Long Walker. She stopped struggling for a moment.
    Here was a new and exciting sensation, something foreign to her experience. The pressure of Walker’s muscular chest, flattening her breasts against her ribs, was not completely unpleasant. She was acutely aware of the weight of
his body on her hips and thighs. Aiee , she felt, rather than thought, why not give it up? She longed to simply relax and wished to think more about this new sensation which had startled her.
    The next moment Eagle Woman was furious with herself—furious, ashamed, and embarrassed that she should even have such thoughts before a crowd of gawking spectators.
    She sank her teeth into Long Walker’s neck near the shoulder and kneed him in the groin. As Walker grunted in pain and surprise, she took advantage of his loosened grip to pull her arms loose. They rolled over and over, the girl biting, kicking, gouging, scratching, ultimately pulling free to spring to her feet. The crowd shouted with delight.
    Eagle Woman had no delusions. There would appear to be no way she could pinion the stronger warrior to win this contest. Eventually Long Walker would break free.
    He was rising, now, to hands and knees, breathing heavily, hurting. Blood trickled from his neck and from scratches on his face. The girl circled, panting and exhausted, fighting the impulse to run to him and minister to his injuries. Long Walker rose to his feet, swaying, teeth clenched against the pain in his belly, to make another rush.
    This time Eagle Woman was unable to evade his grasp. He seized a wrist, whirled her around to grasp her hair, and they tumbled again into the dust.
    The girl fought ineffectively as her strength ebbed, and he pushed her, face down, against the ground. He sat