Rinnet of King's Helm (COMPLETED)

Chapter Seven

He squinted when he saw her face. "You betrayed us. The fate of traitors will be a thousand times that of the Tevarians themselves."

She tossed her discarded leather helm next to the man's head. He blinked but could not flinch. "I'd love to see you follow through on that threat."

"You show your cowardice by saying that to a disarmed soldier."

"I'm no more coward than the Guardsmen who left all of Goldsriff to the Tevarians," Rinnet said, fitting the visor over her face. "You were there, weren't you? I think you look familiar. You left with Grimond."

"And what if I did?"

"Then it's a pity you were the two to survive. Well...until now, anyway."

"You're going to kill me with my own sword?"

He coughed out a scratchy laugh, but Rinnet could always detect fear. She returned a polite smile as she looked beyond him to the fight. "No. You haven't earned that dignity."

"Grimond was right to leave. I wanted to stay, but he must've seen it was a trap from the beginning. You country-dwellers will do anything for a little gold and glory, even betray your own kingdom. Not one of you had the guts to be a Guardsman."

"Oh, I've seen the guts of a few Guardsmen by now. I imagine they look much the same as my own." Rinnet bent to rap her knuckles on the man's breastplate. "Enjoy keeping yours inside for a while longer."

She stood and waved her fingers at the Guardsman as she trudged through the grass at full height. Though she had considered it, she didn't take the man's shield — it took more than enough effort to wield the lengthy broadsword with both hands. She expected to plunge into the battle defending Coreti, but her conversation with the Guardsman made her think twice. What was there for her to defend, really, after all that happened? She harbored nothing but contempt for the Guard at this point.

But Rinnet had spent too long pretending to be weak, and it grated on her. The sword in her hand felt unfamiliar but comforting. Her lack of allegiance, she realized, wasn't a drawback. She wouldn't have to limit her skill to one side or the other.

She was nearing the clamor of the battle when something struck her bruised side, though she couldn't see what it was for the visor. As she spun she threw her elbow back. It connected with flesh and knocked someone to the ground. Without hesitation she gripped the sword with both hands and pointed it down at the throat of the person trembling beneath her.

It was Flensing. "Help me, please," he squeaked, pointing behind himself. "Tell her I'm not a traitor!"

Rinnet looked up to see a Guardsman and her horse bearing down on them, the same one who chased Rinnet before. Rinnet jumped over Flensing's head and lunged, slashing the horse's legs and dodging under the rider's shield. With a shriek the horse pitched forward and threw the rider hard into the earth. Rinnet wasted no time getting to the woman's side, but she was quick to her feet despite the fall. She countered Rinnet's wild sideways arc with a downward block and thrust upward, throwing Rinnet off balance.

The Guardsman swung again. Rinnet threw her weight forward and plunged the sword's point into the ground, crouching to keep her entire body behind it. When the woman's sword slammed into hers, the impact rattled in Rinnet's arms and sent a painful spike through her ribcage. She ignored it and slid past her sword to kick the woman's legs out from under her. It took all the force she could muster, and pain bit into her shins as they hit the steel leg plates.

It was enough to get the woman on the ground. Rinnet attacked in quick succession to keep her on her back. As long as she could prevent an opening, Rinnet hoped to tire the Guardsman into making a mistake. But her own arms started to tire, the bruising in her legs and side flaring with every breath. Her strikes slowed, and the woman rolled away and leapt to her feet.