Elsewhere

              He maneuvered her around until her back was to the steep bank of the river, making retreat impossible, and then he forced his way in closer and closer, hoping to use his bulk against her. She held him off admirably for a time before her left foot slipped at the very edge of the embankment. Lacombe waded in, but as he moved in for the kill she lunged forward aggressively. She threw up her right kali, blocking the killing blow aimed at her chest, and nearly escaped the misstep, but then Lacombe spun and caught her full in the face with his elbow.

de Baard felt her lower jaw shift in her skull, and stars shot through her vision. She fell off to the left, eyes watering from the pain as she scrambled up away from the bank and her attacker. Lacombe however, cursed softly. He misjudged the Tarina’s exact position as he spun; expecting her to be just a bit farther away where his kali would cut into her soft young flesh, but instead his elbow caught her. The blow was effective, but it was not the killing strike he was anticipating, and it allowed her to escape from the bank of the river.

              He moved after her, again attacking with relentless ferocity, but again she managed to fend him off. Lacombe could tell she was in pain and even in the darkness could make out the shift in her jaw. Finally she made a mistake and he slashed inside her defenses, but instead of slicing her throat, the blow came in a bit low and cut into her upper chest, only the top of her ribcage saving her from death.

              Lacombe almost smiled as he heard the hiss of pain escape her.

              “Tar Nacht sends his greetings,” he whispered, smiling slightly as her eyes widened. She continued to back away from him slowly and he advanced after her. “You’ve fought well…your jaw, it must hurt. You won’t be kissing anyone tonight.”

              de Baard said nothing and just continued to retreat before him. She found it hard to believe Nacht would send one of their own to kill her, but she was having an even harder time with the notion that she was near to being beaten.

              ‘Not beaten yet,’ she thought and then faked another slip. She went down but in control and did not have long to wait. Lacombe pounced immediately. She blocked his first attack easily but the force of the blow caused her jaw to flare in pain and her eyes to water. From a crouch she moved in and sent a powerful blow under Lacombe’s defenses with her right kali, but he was good and sent a return strike at her jaw. The tip of his kali sliced easily through her skin, cutting her to the bone at the point of her chin and slashing left along her jawbone. The pain blinded her and she actually released her right kali and fell onto her back, crying out. From the ground she threw up her left, expecting the final killing blow, but it didn’t come. She blinked the tears from her eyes, desperately trying to clear them. Finally he was there, falling over her. She managed to block the first blow, but the next skewered her high on the shoulder and she yelled out again as Lacombe fell on her causing more pain to flood through her.

              “He’s won,’ she thought and was surprised when he did not finish her, instead he rolled off of her onto the ground and softly moaned. She hoisted herself up, the pain in her shoulder making her dizzy but offsetting the pain in her jaw.  A shout came from the direction of the bridge and it was only then that she noticed Lacombe’s left thigh was sliced open, the leg nearly severed; blood was everywhere and draining from the Executioner’s body quickly. But not quick enough for de Baard, who with the last of her strength plunged her lone kali into Lacombe’s exposed neck. She watched him die then reached up and quickly pulled his kali from her shoulder. She screamed loudly and her jaw sent another wave of pain through her system. Her body could finally take no more and shut down. She slid into unconsciousness just as the first Massi guard reached her.

?

              Tar Nev was the one who actually opened the bridge to Herra, allowing Gwaynn and Monde to step through into the center of the city and the hub of Noble. They appeared in the plaza outside the Grand Hall where Gwaynn once revealed his sparring skills to the Island’s council members. It seemed like a lifetime ago, though it was only a little over two years past.

              ‘Time,’ Gwaynn thought with a touch of exasperation. The plaza was very busy with people bustling here and there through the courtyard. The few locals who noticed their arrival were staring at them, a little curious and a little astonished, for it was a well known fact that Travelers were not welcome on Noble, at least without invitation.

              “You there!” A commanding voice boomed from behind them. “Traveler. Noble is off limits to your kind.”

              A couple of Tars were coming toward them.

              ‘Weapons Masters,’ Gwaynn corrected himself as he recognizing the small differences in their clothing. The lead man was tall and young, maybe a half a dozen years older than Gwaynn himself. His partner was an older woman who meekly followed behind, apparently content to do so.

              “We’ve come to see Tar Kostek,” Zarina Monde said and Gwaynn could tell she was slightly offended by the greeting.

              “Not just anyone can get an audience with the High Tar,” the man said stopping directly before the Zarina. He gave Gwaynn and his kali a perfunctory glance, apparently dismissing him as anyone of importance, before turning back to the Traveler.

              “Who are you?” Monde asked with growing impatience.

              The man looked down at her with a frown as if his name was none of her concern. The Travelers were no longer a force in the land and she could not bully him.

              “Weapons Master Richtner,” he finally answered. “You were banished from our Island,” he added then reached out and took a hold of Monde’s left wrist. The immediate crowd around them stopped to watch the confrontation curiously.

              Gwaynn slowly removed both his kali; the low hiss of the weapons sliding from their scabbards seemed uncommonly loud in the now quiet courtyard.

              Richtner’s eyes went a little wide as he glanced over at Gwaynn, surprised.

              “You would challenge the Tars of Noble?” Richtner asked.

              “You are no Tar,” Gwaynn answered. “And I’d not challenge the good people of Noble, just your hand, which you will lose at the wrist if you do not release her.”

              Richtner grimaced and for the first time looked to his partner for support. She was breathing quickly, obviously concerned and a little afraid, but in spite of this she drew her own kali and turned slightly to challenge Gwaynn.

              “Perhaps we should call Tar Riley, Norman,” she said, her voice a little shaky.

              Weapons Master Norman Richter shook his head.

‘He was in charge of security here in the courtyard. He would handle this. He had it all under control.’

“Stay out of this Martha,” Richter said. “I doubt the boy wants to challenge two Weapons Masters.” And with that he began to pull Zarina Monde away. Gwaynn twirled one kali and began the first move to relieve Richter of his right hand.

“Weapons Master!” a voice sounded from behind Gwaynn, a familiar voice. “If you do not have a death wish I suggest you release the High Zarina at once.”

Richter blanched but did not release Monde.

“Yes,” the Traveler said. “Tar Nev would not be pleased.” Richter quickly jerked his hand away.

Gwaynn smiled and turned to see Tar Endid striding toward him.

“You’ve come to petition, Gwaynn Massi?” Endid asked and slapped Gwaynn hard on his back. Gwaynn grimaced but smiled. Richter went a further shade of white at the mention of Tar Nev’s pupil. As discreetly as possible he began to back away from the group. Weapons Master Martha Simpson smiled to herself and followed.

“Yes, I’ve come to petition,” Gwaynn answered and from the smile on Endid’s face he got the distinct impression the Tar had been waiting anxiously for this day.

There were only two events that could bring the training on the island of Noble to a standstill, one of course was the yearly Competitions and the other was a petition for aid from a Family against either another Family or the High King himself. The Competitions happened every year; the last petition to Noble was over a hundred years prior.