A Blade from the Wastes - Throne of Glass

The Assassin

The smirk on Aelia's face still scared Chaol. The princess was dressed in fitted pants and a slightly too large white tunic with her hair in two braids down her back. When she whirled, her hair spun around her neck, but it hardly bothered her as she focused on Chaol. Aelia had two deadly daggers in either hand whilst Chaol beheld a sword. The two had paused their fight to catch their breath. Though, Aelia had far more stamina than Chaol.

Aelia had a wound on her left bicep from Chaol's sword, but she didn't mind the pain. Chaol stalked around her with his blade high.

"You might want to get that taken care of."

Aelia flipped her left dagger into a backward hold.

"I've had far worse."

Chaol shrugged. "Who knows what might have been on the blade."

This time Aelia scoffed. "You know I would have sensed it long before you arrived."

Chaol lunged and Aelia caught his swing with her short blade. She forced Chaol back. Chaol staggered back a few steps, but he wasn't surprised by her strength.

"You know these fights are never fair."

Aelia licked her lip. "Says who?"

"Says the fully blooded human against a Demi-Fae." His words were quiet and almost teasing.

Aelia shrugged her left shoulder. "You got in a slice."

"That was luck."

Chaol went to lung again and Aelia turned around him and brought her blade across his leather vambrace. The dagger didn't slice more than fabric, but there was enough force in the strike that Chaol lost his grip on his sword. In one final smooth motion, Aelia palmed her daggers in one hand and secured her right hand around the blade of Chaol's sword. She meant to grab the pommel, but she cut short.

She felt the steel bite into her hand just as she heard Dorian's shoes on the rocks of the path leading up to where Chaol and Aelia were sparing on the grass. She turned her sensitive ears to the sound and saw the prince walk up to them with his hands in his pockets.

The first thing Dorian saw when he cleared the hedges, was Aelia in one of his old tunics. The second thing he saw was the blood on Aelia's arm. He saw her full fist on the blade a breath later.

"Having fun slicing up my wife?"

Chaol rolled his eyes. "She got in far more strikes to me."

Aelia handed Chaol his sword and examined her palm. The two long cuts were shallow but stung. At least the wound on her arm was deeper and only throbbing. Aelia sheathed her blades, took the end of her tunic, and ripped a strip off. She tied it tightly around her wound as Dorian fully approached them.

"How long did he last this time?"

Aelia smirked. "I dragged it out."

Dorian took Aelia's hand to look at the cuts as Chaol spoke.

"You just wanted to tire me out."

Aelia shrugged. "Works every time."

"And yet here you are without armor, yet again."

Aelia heard the disapproval in Dorian's tone.

"What fun would that be?"

Dorian tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

Aelia waved her good hand. "Oh, don't give me that look. It's too hot for leather."

"Chaol's wearing it."