stand beside him. "I could ask you the same question, boy."
"Do you challenge me, thief?" the boy demanded, stepping closer.
Adder stepped back, drawing his sword. He looked to Jhayla, who already had her blades drawn, then back to the angry young man. "Do you accept?" he asked.
The boy charged forward, barely missing Adder with his feint and counter. Adder dodged correctly, recognizing the fighting technique, and parried the blade with his own. The two stepped back and took defensive stances again.
"You're are skilled, thief," the boy said. "I am impressed."
"Thank you," Adder replied smiling. "I've seen that move before. It was around my ninth birthday. I dodged it then, too."
The boy scowled, and attacked again, this time with a surprise back slash that started as a wild vertical strike. Again, Adder dodged.
"My grandmother showed me that one," Adder taunted him.
"I am the Prince, fool," Eogan said. "You are fighting your future master."
"In that case," Adder continued. "I hope you will improve your fighting skills, Prince Fool."
Eogan, enraged, struck again, this time with a triple attack. He slashed vertically, then back up at an angle. Adder parried the first two attacks. The final slash caught him in the shoulder as Eogan leaped to the side and attacked with an inward strike. Adder grimaced as the blade sliced through his flesh, and his arm reacted on its own, swiping back as Adder stumbled forward. The blade struck Eogan in the face, slicing through the flesh and cleaving his brow all the way down to his lips.
Eogan dropped his sword and clasped his face in pain, falling to his knees. Kassir rushed forward to attack Adder, but was stopped short by the dagger that Jhayla had thrust into his heart and quickly withdrew. He stiffened immediately, his eyes open wide in shock, and fell back into the dirt. Jhayla caught Adder as he stumbled, looking back at the howling Prince Fool.
"You bastard!" Eogan hissed through his fingers. "You will pay for this!"
Adder stumbled back in his direction, swinging his sword wide to finish him off. But the Prince threw something to the ground, and disappeared in a flash of light. Adder's attack went wild, and the thief tumbled to the ground as he lost his balance.
Jhayla went to him, kneeling over him as he rolled over. "Are you alright, Fordran?" she asked, calling him by his real name.
Adder groaned, gripping his lacerated arm. "That hurt," he said. "That will take awhile to heal."
"Stand up, man," Jhayla said as the rest of the thieves gathered around to help. "We'll take you to Argan. They have the best healers."
Adder nodded, sitting up and grabbing his sword. "Well," he said, looking up at his companions. "Just because it was my arm doesn't mean I want to walk there."
Jhayla smiled, motioning for the others to help the stricken thief and carry him to Argan. Adder would heal, she knew, but the fight had raised many questions. Who was this young man who claimed to be the Prince? The Prince of what? As far as anyone knew, the Queen was childless. There would be no Prince.
Shaking her head, she followed the rest of the band, going over the many possibilities that crossed her mind. Whoever this Prince was, Adder was now his worst enemy.
Chapter Six
The assassin awoke in a strange place, his eyes snapping open at the faint sound of his own heartbeat. He was submerged in a warm liquid that was lit with a dim, orange light. Fearing that he would drown, he immediately kicked his legs in a panic, propelling himself upward. Above, bright light poured through an opening near the surface, and he focused on it as he swam toward it to escape.
When he was on the verge of taking a lungful of the thick liquid, he pushed upward with one last kick, breaking through the surface to the open air. He gasped for breath, propping himself up by resting his arms on the rim of the opening he had just broken through. He kept his eyes closed as he fought for breath. Though he knew he
"Do you challenge me, thief?" the boy demanded, stepping closer.
Adder stepped back, drawing his sword. He looked to Jhayla, who already had her blades drawn, then back to the angry young man. "Do you accept?" he asked.
The boy charged forward, barely missing Adder with his feint and counter. Adder dodged correctly, recognizing the fighting technique, and parried the blade with his own. The two stepped back and took defensive stances again.
"You're are skilled, thief," the boy said. "I am impressed."
"Thank you," Adder replied smiling. "I've seen that move before. It was around my ninth birthday. I dodged it then, too."
The boy scowled, and attacked again, this time with a surprise back slash that started as a wild vertical strike. Again, Adder dodged.
"My grandmother showed me that one," Adder taunted him.
"I am the Prince, fool," Eogan said. "You are fighting your future master."
"In that case," Adder continued. "I hope you will improve your fighting skills, Prince Fool."
Eogan, enraged, struck again, this time with a triple attack. He slashed vertically, then back up at an angle. Adder parried the first two attacks. The final slash caught him in the shoulder as Eogan leaped to the side and attacked with an inward strike. Adder grimaced as the blade sliced through his flesh, and his arm reacted on its own, swiping back as Adder stumbled forward. The blade struck Eogan in the face, slicing through the flesh and cleaving his brow all the way down to his lips.
Eogan dropped his sword and clasped his face in pain, falling to his knees. Kassir rushed forward to attack Adder, but was stopped short by the dagger that Jhayla had thrust into his heart and quickly withdrew. He stiffened immediately, his eyes open wide in shock, and fell back into the dirt. Jhayla caught Adder as he stumbled, looking back at the howling Prince Fool.
"You bastard!" Eogan hissed through his fingers. "You will pay for this!"
Adder stumbled back in his direction, swinging his sword wide to finish him off. But the Prince threw something to the ground, and disappeared in a flash of light. Adder's attack went wild, and the thief tumbled to the ground as he lost his balance.
Jhayla went to him, kneeling over him as he rolled over. "Are you alright, Fordran?" she asked, calling him by his real name.
Adder groaned, gripping his lacerated arm. "That hurt," he said. "That will take awhile to heal."
"Stand up, man," Jhayla said as the rest of the thieves gathered around to help. "We'll take you to Argan. They have the best healers."
Adder nodded, sitting up and grabbing his sword. "Well," he said, looking up at his companions. "Just because it was my arm doesn't mean I want to walk there."
Jhayla smiled, motioning for the others to help the stricken thief and carry him to Argan. Adder would heal, she knew, but the fight had raised many questions. Who was this young man who claimed to be the Prince? The Prince of what? As far as anyone knew, the Queen was childless. There would be no Prince.
Shaking her head, she followed the rest of the band, going over the many possibilities that crossed her mind. Whoever this Prince was, Adder was now his worst enemy.
Chapter Six
The assassin awoke in a strange place, his eyes snapping open at the faint sound of his own heartbeat. He was submerged in a warm liquid that was lit with a dim, orange light. Fearing that he would drown, he immediately kicked his legs in a panic, propelling himself upward. Above, bright light poured through an opening near the surface, and he focused on it as he swam toward it to escape.
When he was on the verge of taking a lungful of the thick liquid, he pushed upward with one last kick, breaking through the surface to the open air. He gasped for breath, propping himself up by resting his arms on the rim of the opening he had just broken through. He kept his eyes closed as he fought for breath. Though he knew he