as to which way to jump. In that instant, Sunbright drove both feet hard and crashed into her.
Bowled backward, the woman grunted. Sunbright shoved until she stumbled and crashed on her back. The shaman crashed atop her, and smashed both knees into her breadbasket to drive out her wind. Pressing the back of his thick blade, he mashed both swords to within a whisker of her throat. Thornwing lay very still lest she be sliced, and whispered, 'Yield.'
Sunbright climbed off wearily. Much of his strength had run out with blood, for he was slashed at elbow, neck, knuckles, wrist, kidneys, and elsewhere. Yesterday's thigh wound had split anew and soaked his bandage. Assessing the wounds, he didn't feel bad about using superior strength to beat Thornwing down. Idly he wondered: Would she have killed me?
The crowd stirred, watching Thornwing picked up and dusted off. She was almost as bloody as Sunbright, he noted with satisfaction, but that satisfaction didn't last long.
Tired, aching, raspy-throated from screaming, Sunbright gargled, 'Who's tomorrow?'
'I,' Magichunger, a broad-shouldered man with scruffy red hair and beard answered. 'I'll use their sword also.'
Sunbright was too spent to care. 'Good luck,' he muttered, and limped off.
'Magichunger's never liked me. I don't know why. It goes back to childhood. I think he was jealous of the shaman's son, born with powers, while he had none, hence his name. I may have failed in this, Knucklebones. I need that miracle.'
They sat again on the rock overlooking the wasteland, watched the mountain shadow like a great sea wave eat the land. Tonight their roles were reversed, with Sunbright gloomy and Knucklebones oddly content. 'Miracles come in many guises,' she told him.
He squinted at her, but she gazed into the distance. 'That sounds like shaman talk.'
'I used to love one,' she said, 'so perhaps he rubbed off on me.'
'Used to?'
Smiling, she turned his head and kissed him, but he broke off with a sigh, patted her thigh, and slid off the boulder. He was aching and stiff and slow, yet game. 'Let's get on with it,' he said, and the thief followed quietly.
Under many torches on long poles, the tribe bickered and wagered and argued. Off to one side, a clump of men and women drew in the sand and gestured wildly. Sunbright wondered what they drew. The crowd roared when they saw the fighter, and made way. Unsheathing Harvester, he kissed his mother, then his lover, and limped into the circle.
Magichunger had stripped off his short shirt to stand in breeches such as townsmen wore. With his bearded face and unkempt hair, he looked more city-dweller than tundra man. He carried the borrowed sword easily in one hand. The blade was polished silver-bright. It had hurt Sunbright's swollen and skinned hands just to hone Harvester. Grimly, the shaman planted his feet.
'Let's begin.'
'A prayer!' The crowd's roar startled him. 'The invocation! It's tradition!'
Stunned, Sunbright realized he'd forgotten. More than he, the tribe led a prayer to Amaunator. After, Magichunger flicked up his blade.
Sunbright swung Harvester to a defensive position. The familiar heft comforted him, but the heavy nose sagged. Plagued with wounds, he was worn down, in trouble already. He sent up a personal prayer to the Keeper of Law.
Magichunger knew his weakness and charged. Shouting his clan name, 'White Bears!', he swung two-handed as if chopping a tree. The shaman dodged on legs afire, and brought Harvester around to meet the blow. Their blades clanged fearfully, and Sunbright lost ground as he staggered sideways. Magichunger, a poor swordsman but strong, hastily drew back and swung again. Sunbright feinted to meet this new blow, then slipped his blade underneath and snapped his wrists. Harvester's hook creased Magichunger's ribs, spilling a web of blood down his sweaty, tanned hide. Shocked, the foe blundered out of range, then roared and charged anew. On leaden legs, Sunbright backed himself, pushed with Harvester flat on, and tried to trip his enemy. His tired foot didn't travel far enough, and he just ticked Magichunger's.
Sensing the touch, Magichunger flailed the sword backhand, even as he scrambled by. Sunbright jerked up Harvester, but too slow. The borrowed blade slammed his own aside, and razor-keen steel smacked his temple. Lights blinked in Sunbright's brain. Slashed to the bone, stunned, the shaman saw the crowd dim, then black out as if swallowed by fog.
He only passed out for a second, for he felt his head and shoulder strike sand. Feebly, he kicked to cup his hands and rise, but missed and flopped on his back. Harvester was an anchor and chain on one arm, pulling him down to drown. Blood ran over his face, pooled in his ear, trickled into his mouth so he spluttered. Fighting darkness, he forced his eyes open.
Standing over him, one boot planted on Harvester, blade poised to cleave his throat, waited Magichunger.
'I win!' he crowed. The crowd, rife with mixed emotions, gurgled rather than cheered.
'Concede,' Sunbright croaked.
'No!' a voice shouted. 'No, he must die!'
'No!' someone else yelled, though in agreement or denial no one could tell.
'A challenger can't concede! It is law!' yelled another.
'Is that true?'
Argument spun around and around.
Finally someone prevailed on old blind Iceborn, who guttered sadly, 'It is true. A challenger cannot concede, only win or die. It is tradition.'
'Finish him!' yelled a bloodthirsty soul.
'No, we need him!' snapped another.
'He must die!'
'Let him live!'
'Hold!' shrilled a voice above the tumult. 'I claim right of combat!'
'What?' echoed dozens of voices. A burble of confusion filled the night sky. Even Sunbright was confused, until he saw someone step into the ring.
A small woman, stripped to leathers, barefoot, brass knuckledusters winking on both hands, called in a steady voice, 'I am Knucklebones of Karsus. I have listened to the tales of your tribe, and the arguments over custom, but one rule is clear. A person too young or too old or too ailing to fight may choose a champion. I claim the right to fight for Sunbright!'
Tumult, bickering, squabbling. Someone argued, 'He is none of those!'
Knucklebones answered, 'He was ailing before he began the fight!'
'But she's not one of us!' came a cry.
'No matter!'
More noise, customs, and curses hurled back and forth.
Knucklebones cut to the chase, pointed her finger at Magichunger, and called, 'Do you accept?'
'I do!' the man yelled before thinking.
'Then stand aside!'
Stooping, Knucklebones caught Sunbright's arm, levered him up, and passed him to Monkberry and a few willing hands. Sunbright finally found his voice. 'You're a miracle… in disguise?'
'A gift from the gods,' she quipped. She picked up his sword. 'I said I'd help however I can.'
Helpless, and knowing protest was useless, the shaman didn't argue. 'You'll need a few years' practice to heft that sword,' he said.
'This pig iron? This crowbar?' A brittle laugh. 'I've all I need here.'
Handing the sword past the ring, the tiny thief approached the towering Magichunger. He'd wrapped a hasty bandage around ribs, his only wound. The redhead sneered, 'Sunbright sends a half-grown girl to fight?'
'I've seen forty summers, stripling!' the part-elf shot back. Sunbright blinked. He hadn't known she was that
