Tanys Gladiatrix (The Chronicles of Tanys Book 2) by Andrew Hunter Page B
Authors: Andrew Hunter
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back, staggering him. Jorva howled as a spear pierced through his unarmored calf.
Tanys sprang from her seat, thinking to aid her friend in some way, but Baran pulled her down again. She turned on him, swinging her fist. Baran took the blow on his cheek, grabbing her wrists. "No!" he said, "There's nothing we can do!"
Tanys closed her eyes tightly, letting her rage subside. She nodded, spreading her fingers in submission, and Baran released her. She did not look at him, but turned her attention back to the arena where men were trying to murder her friend.
Jorva had killed another man, leaving four uninjured and one mortally wounded man bleeding in the sand. Jorva circled the tight knot of warriors, limping visibly. The little man growled and hissed like the wild animal he pretended to be. He paused, as though thinking, then slipped clear the chinstrap of his spiked helmet and pulled it from his head. With a sudden motion, the dwarf hurled the helmet at the nearest hunter, and the crack of metal on the man's skull could be heard from across the arena.
Before the man had time to fall, Jorva was among them. He leapt, springing off the shaft of a missthrust spear, to land astride a gladiator's shoulders. Jorva took the man's head between his hands, twisting it backwards with a sickening pop. A huntsman grabbed the harness of Jorva's mail and yanked him free of the dead man. Jorva landed on his back in the sand, even as the second huntsman drove his spear down through the open collar of Jorva's scaled shirt.
Tanys screamed. Baran grunted, his mighty arms straining to hold her back.
Jorva lay motionless for a second, as though stunned. Then he kicked out, his heavy boot crumpling the knee of the spearman who had stabbed him. The man cried out and fell, releasing his grip on the spear. Jorva regained his footing, his left arm dangling limp. The long spear protruded from his bloodied shoulder. The dwarf took its haft in his right hand and turned his face to gnaw at the wood. With a loud crack, the better part of the spear broke away, and Jorva cast it aside, leaving the splintered stump sticking out of him.
The last, uninjured man stepped back, looking between his crippled comrade and the bloody dwarf. Jorva's teeth gleamed in a broad grin. The crowd roared for blood. A look of mad desperation washed over the man's face, and he charged.
Jorva spun, deflecting the spear with his good hand and whipping his forearm across the man's throat as he stumbled past. The man's body landed in the sand, throwing up a cloud of dust that settled slowly around the motionless form. Jorva turned to face the gladiator whose knee he had smashed. The man looked up at him, face white with terror and pain, and then he fainted. Jorva tried to shrug his shoulders and winced as he noticed again the bloody stump of the spear transfixing his collarbone. He tugged ineffectually at it as the audience leapt to their feet in wild applause.
Baran smiled as he turned to speak to Tanys, but she and Danella were already gone.
"No more matches!" Tanys shouted.
Haru looked utterly miserable, sitting in the corner of the poorly lit surgeon's cell beneath the arena. The surgeon himself was nowhere in sight, having been driven from the room by Danella the moment they got Jorva on the table. At last Haru'Luk managed to speak, "But the..."
"It was all set up!" Tanys said, "They're trying to kill us off one at a time. We have to stay together and keep on our guard. You or Danella could be the next one they try to kill. Look at what they did to Jorva!"
"Jorva fine, Tanys. Jorva just get poked... a little," the little man said, his voice shaky and weak as Danella, sweating and cursing, dug the iron spearhead out of his shoulder.
"We have to do the Prince's match," Haru said, "I've already..."
"The Prince's match is the one match we are doing!" Tanys hissed, "The last match we are doing. I'm going to kill that little Malchesse monster, and then we are getting the
Tanys sprang from her seat, thinking to aid her friend in some way, but Baran pulled her down again. She turned on him, swinging her fist. Baran took the blow on his cheek, grabbing her wrists. "No!" he said, "There's nothing we can do!"
Tanys closed her eyes tightly, letting her rage subside. She nodded, spreading her fingers in submission, and Baran released her. She did not look at him, but turned her attention back to the arena where men were trying to murder her friend.
Jorva had killed another man, leaving four uninjured and one mortally wounded man bleeding in the sand. Jorva circled the tight knot of warriors, limping visibly. The little man growled and hissed like the wild animal he pretended to be. He paused, as though thinking, then slipped clear the chinstrap of his spiked helmet and pulled it from his head. With a sudden motion, the dwarf hurled the helmet at the nearest hunter, and the crack of metal on the man's skull could be heard from across the arena.
Before the man had time to fall, Jorva was among them. He leapt, springing off the shaft of a missthrust spear, to land astride a gladiator's shoulders. Jorva took the man's head between his hands, twisting it backwards with a sickening pop. A huntsman grabbed the harness of Jorva's mail and yanked him free of the dead man. Jorva landed on his back in the sand, even as the second huntsman drove his spear down through the open collar of Jorva's scaled shirt.
Tanys screamed. Baran grunted, his mighty arms straining to hold her back.
Jorva lay motionless for a second, as though stunned. Then he kicked out, his heavy boot crumpling the knee of the spearman who had stabbed him. The man cried out and fell, releasing his grip on the spear. Jorva regained his footing, his left arm dangling limp. The long spear protruded from his bloodied shoulder. The dwarf took its haft in his right hand and turned his face to gnaw at the wood. With a loud crack, the better part of the spear broke away, and Jorva cast it aside, leaving the splintered stump sticking out of him.
The last, uninjured man stepped back, looking between his crippled comrade and the bloody dwarf. Jorva's teeth gleamed in a broad grin. The crowd roared for blood. A look of mad desperation washed over the man's face, and he charged.
Jorva spun, deflecting the spear with his good hand and whipping his forearm across the man's throat as he stumbled past. The man's body landed in the sand, throwing up a cloud of dust that settled slowly around the motionless form. Jorva turned to face the gladiator whose knee he had smashed. The man looked up at him, face white with terror and pain, and then he fainted. Jorva tried to shrug his shoulders and winced as he noticed again the bloody stump of the spear transfixing his collarbone. He tugged ineffectually at it as the audience leapt to their feet in wild applause.
Baran smiled as he turned to speak to Tanys, but she and Danella were already gone.
"No more matches!" Tanys shouted.
Haru looked utterly miserable, sitting in the corner of the poorly lit surgeon's cell beneath the arena. The surgeon himself was nowhere in sight, having been driven from the room by Danella the moment they got Jorva on the table. At last Haru'Luk managed to speak, "But the..."
"It was all set up!" Tanys said, "They're trying to kill us off one at a time. We have to stay together and keep on our guard. You or Danella could be the next one they try to kill. Look at what they did to Jorva!"
"Jorva fine, Tanys. Jorva just get poked... a little," the little man said, his voice shaky and weak as Danella, sweating and cursing, dug the iron spearhead out of his shoulder.
"We have to do the Prince's match," Haru said, "I've already..."
"The Prince's match is the one match we are doing!" Tanys hissed, "The last match we are doing. I'm going to kill that little Malchesse monster, and then we are getting the
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