The Robber Knight's Protege

24 - Love, Blood, and Ice

"I'm fine," Fye said. "Most of the blood is his." She gestured at the dead man on the ground. She had killed a man. For the first time in her life, she had killed. She didn't know how she had expected it to feel, but at the moment, she felt nothing for the idiotic would-be assassin who was littering her tent. She had more important things to consider. Like the tournament. And whoever had sent the assassin in to kill her.

"You are not fine," Lady Ayla said. "And a lot of the blood is yours. Lie down!"

Fye shook her head.

"Is she going to be all right?" Reuben asked.

"Probably," was Ayla's response.

"Then I won't feel bad for calling her stupid. Why did you kill him before you found out who sent him, you fluff-headed maggot-lover?

Fye smiled, but the smile disappeared when the needle went into her flesh again. "Sorry, sir. It's the first time someone tried to assassinate me."

He waved a dismissive hand. "Well, I'm bored. I'll go remove a few kidneys and get the truth out of someone. I'd bet my honor that it was Lord Arken."

"Do you have honor, sir?" Xander asked.

Instead of answering, Reuben turned to leave the tent.

"Wait!" Fye cried, her voice louder than intended because the wound that Ayla was stitching up was over her bruise, which made it even more excruciating when the needle passed through it. Don't pass out, Fye told herself. That would not be knightly at all.

"What?" Reuben asked.

"I want to take care of it myself."

"Satan's hairy—"

"You know," Fye said. "When you say that, I can never figure out if you're talking about your old horse or the devil. If it's the devil, I want to know how you're so certain that his ass is hairy." Don't pass out. Don't pass out. "Please, Sir Reuben. I..." Black spots danced at the corners of her vision. "I'll take care of it."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"By winning the tournament."

"Winning the tournament?" he snapped as his eyes examined her wounds. "How do you expect to—" He cut himself off with a chuckle. "That would be quite amusing. You win the tournament. Winterhaven becomes Lady Ayla's... Lord Arken and all his vassals would therefore be trespassing on our lands... No. I like my plan better." He turned to leave.

"No!" Fye said as she moved away from Lady Ayla and stood up. She had to clutch her nightgown so it didn't finish falling and reveal more of her than she wanted Sir Reuben or Lady Ayla to see. If Xander saw it, that might be all right, but... I'm losing my mind. The needle and the fiber that Ayla had been using hung from one of her wounds, and Fye could sense the irritation radiating from Lady Ayla even without looking at her. 'Sir Reuben, I don't want you to fight my battles for me. Leave this to me."

He scowled at her. "Fine. But if you don't win, I'm going to kill every last one of those filthy codpieces." He strode out of the tent.

Fye sat down again before she fell down, and she shared a smile with Xander. "I take it my armor is polished by now, squire?" she asked.

*

24.3

Xander wanted to ask if Fye was sure about this, wanted to cajole her into forfeiting. There would be future opportunities for her to show her skills. This battle with Lord Arken wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth her life.