Someone to Watch Over Me

Prologue

Alfryd swung and she winced as he caught the dwarf's shoulder. The dwarf withdrew his own steel, swung back, and the tip nicked Alfryd's cheek. Alfryd leaped back, two fingers swiping at the bloody gash and when he drew back his hand to look at it, he growled, "You'll forfeit your life for this, dwarf."

"Do your worst."

Metal clanged as the battle began and she carefully crept along the curved path for a closer look. Alfryd towered over the dwarf by at least a foot, but the dwarf either didn't notice or didn't care, for he did not back down.

But, he also must not have known Alfryd well, for he closed the gap between them, and then let out a howl of pain and jumped back, his free hand pressed to his side. Seren was close enough to see the small scarlet stain creeping across the dwarf's midsection.

Alfryd sneered, and spun about, his fist meeting the dwarf's jaw with a resounding crack and the dwarf dropped to the ground. His sword hand opened, the blade skipped out of his grasp and out of his reach.

Steel glinted in the brilliant sunlight as Alfryd raised his blade, grasped in both hands, blade down, and started his downward swing.

"No!" Seren lunged, swinging her own sword to catch Alfryd's blade and knock it far enough to the right that it sank into the dirt instead of the dwarf.

"What the— what are you doing? This is not your concern!"

She swung again, the vibration of her blade meeting his rattled up her arms, but she only tightened her fingers about the handle to keep her hold firm. Alfryd was not so lucky. He yelped, grabbing his sword hand by the wrist as his blade went sailing.

"You little whelp! I told you to mind yourself!"

"And I will not let you hurt this man."

"Man?" Alfryd spit into the dirt. "He is but a lowly dwarf. One who thinks too highly of himself, as if he is good enough for a daughter of man."

"I mean it, Alfryd. Leave him be or I will run you through."

His eyes narrowed. "Threatening me, are you? Just you wait, whelp. I know where you live."

"Everyone knows where everyone lives here," she told him, standing over the prone dwarf, one foot on either side of his thighs, between him and Alfryd, "that hardly makes you a genius. Now," she held out her blade, almost touching his cheek, "take your leave or you can explain how I bested you and gave you that scar."

"What scar?"

"This one." A flick of her wrist and the blade sliced cleanly along his cheekbone.

He howled, his hand clapping against the wound. "You cut me!"

"I told you I would. And I'll do so again unless you take your leave now. Oh, no," she shook her head as he moved toward his steel, lying innocently in the dirt just beyond her right foot, "that remains with me."

He backed away, hand still to his face. "You'll pay for this, whelp," he growled.

"Is that so?" She took a step toward him, smiling as he spun about and ran like a whipped dog, back up the slope and out of sight.

Dust settled as she slid her sword back into its small scabbard at her right hip. A low groan wafted from the ground, and she turned back, sinking to one knee alongside the dwarf. His black hair fanned out beneath him, his black lashes lay like crescents against his cheeks. He was older than she was, with a long, full black beard as well. He was also tall for a dwarf, with broad shoulders and a wide chest.

"Easy," she said, letting her hand come to rest on his chest, just above the wound. "Let me see—"

He came to at once, shoving her hand from him as he sat up, snarling, "Take your hands from me!"