NEVER SPLIT THE PARTY: Adventures of the Creeping Bam (BOOK 2: One Cold Trail)

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: THELGAEWYNN

I'll admit, this kid's a lot better than I figured he'd be. He's definitely a half-elf, the way he moves is just too slick, every movement of his long, slender limbs is too graceful, he moves like it's a dance and the sword in his hand is just an extension of his arm. To begin with he was largely running rings round me, or at least more than most fighters I tangled with in my time, but he's not that great, actually. He's got some pretty sweet moves, but he's also only got so many of 'em. I was taught that if someone you're fighting's actually good, then watch what they're doing. Maybe you could learn something new by fighting 'em, but more importantly you might start to learn what they're gonna do if they do it for long enough.

That last part took me a long time to learn, but I had one hell of a teacher. Muldred drilled me every day in that ratty shack, taught me to dissect my opponent's style and work out how to counter it. I suspect Kesla's probably had similar training, I seen how impressive she is, she probably doesn't even think about it anymore. I'd hate it if I ever actually had to fight her someday, that's one match that scares the hell outta me.

Tog is not as impressive. He's starting to show tells to me now, or at least I got his number on a few moves, I know what he's doing when he initiates, or how he might react to something I do. So as I skip back from his latest admittedly deft flick with my axes wide I can't help grinning as I start to dance in a rough circle while he draws his sword close and turns to follow my progress, watchful behind his mask. I gotta admit, I'm actually enjoying this now. If circumstances were different I'd buy this lad a drink at the end for being such a rewarding sparring partner, instead of killing him.

Giving my right-hand axe a little flourish, then the other, I stop dancing and plant my feet at last, tightening up now as I ready myself for the next round. Lifting my right axe in front of me, I give it two little flicks, beckoning him in, and I catch his eyes narrowing through the holes in his mask as he thinks it through. He's growing more cautious now, I'm starting to notice, he's not enjoying this anymore. He's rethinking his earlier bravado, I suspect. Wondering if he might've bit off more'n he can chew with this fight, but realising he's in too deep to pull out now ...

So he doesn't come when I want him to, not this time. He holds his ground, his own sword raised between us much like my axe, as much a ward as ready caution. Waiting for me to move instead, I suspect. Oh no, two can play at that game, mate. I beckon with my axe again, narrowing my smile into something more dangerous.

I see his eyes flicker to the left, then the right, evaluating his options. He's getting it into his head that he probably can't win this, because I've taken everything he's thrown at me and he ain't landed a single tag on me the whole time. He may have blocked my attacks too, but I've given him a few near scares too. At least once he was lucky I didn't just end it right there, I could've split his skull if I'd tried a little harder. But then I was still playing.

Everything round us lights up brighter than the clearest, most cloudless day I ever encountered down South, it's so bright I could count every stitch in the wool of his cloak and hood if I wanted to. A split later something hits me hard in the back and I'm sent sprawling as the air seems to split with a great cracking sound that sets my ears ringing. I hit the ground and tumble, I don't know where, suddenly I'm just tumbling and a few times I'm lifted right off the ground again before I finally settle. I skid when I hit the ground the last time, feeling myself getting shoved by something that doesn't have any actual form that I can really see. Then it just stops as suddenly as it came and I'm just left lying there.

My head's spinning like nothing else I ever experienced – I been drunk out my skull before and even then the world's never shifted so inexplicably round me as it's doing now. Looking up into the rainy sky as it starts to fill my eyes and before it gets all blurry I just manage to make out the turmoil of the storm ain't actually turning at a mad clip like it feels like, it's just the vertigo screaming in my head. I been knocked for a loop and I'm a mess.