“What did he say?” Tam asked excitedly, as they all began to stretch for a short run. Gwaynn joined in without asking.
Vio looked at the ground. “He said it would be a Council decision but at the rate I was progressing he could not foresee any problems. He was sure Tar Amon would put in a good word about me.”
“I’m sure he will,” Gwaynn added, and the rest agreed.
“Remember only two miles this morning,” William said as they all took off down the river together. “No need to tire yourself out before this afternoon.”
Vio agreed and they all fell in step, at least until she and Gwaynn began to pull away.
?
That afternoon the arena was packed to capacity and then some, as the general populace prepared for the match that was the highlight of the entire Competition; the kata finals. The fog had long since burned off, and there was a strong southeasterly breeze clearing the sky, pushing what clouds remained quickly across the deepening blue. Workers were still busy laying down sawdust on the damp arena floor to draw out any further moisture as Vio and B’dall entered led by Tar Kostek. Gwaynn was sitting in the Council’s box with Tar Nev on one side and Tar Amon on the other. Tar Endid, who was selected as judge for the match, was down on the arena floor with the two students, who apart from their dark Deutzani features could not have looked more different. Obviously Vio was female, but aside from that she was lean and wiry. She looked very small next to the broad shouldered and powerful B’dall. Their physical differences necessitated that they each develop different methods of fighting. Vio relied mostly on speed and guile, where B’dall relied on power. It would be a classic conflict of styles. The Tars, and in fact, most of the more knowledgeable spectators, were eager to see the distinct techniques clash.
The air in the arena was electric as both students and Endid walked to the center of the floor, Vio testing the footing as she went.
Gwaynn, who watched from his seat above, was on edge, far more nervous in the stands than he would have been on the arena floor. He noticed Vio’s foot slip and frowned. The dicey footing would definitely favor B’dall and his lumbering style. Vio would have to be very careful or her opponent would get in a few easy points, and it only took seven strikes to win.
Vio was thinking much the same thing as she caught and righted herself from the slip, then she circled B’dall, testing the footing once more, which seemed adequate in most places, but she did come across another area which was a cause for concern. B’dall made a move to come in, but slowed as Vio skipped back away from him. Still he came on, quickly realizing that his opponent could not use all of her speed. He maneuvered after her, unaware that he had a slight smile on his face.
B’dall continued to pursue and Vio continued to attack quickly then pull away, never wanting to get into a long engagement where her opponent’s power could be brought to bear. The first few minutes of the contest were a slow, methodical feeling out of each other’s abilities. B’dall was almost always the aggressor and he finally worked Vio into a small damp area near the back of the arena close to the north wall, and then he moved in very quickly. He attacked and she parried, the smile never leaving his face until she ducked under one of his especially hard blows and made contact on his elbow with her left kata. It was a glancing blow, unlikely to cause any real pain or handicap, but it was spotted by Endid, who shouted and raised one hand for Vio. The crowed cheered, as B’dall backed away then moved in again, now a grimace on his face and with three powerful blows knocked Vio’s right kata aside and came down full force on her left wrist hard enough to break it. A gasp went through the crowd as Vio yelped and dropped her kata, dancing back. She managed to block another blow with her remaining right kata before moving off to relative safety.
Endid yelled again and raised his hand in B’dall’s favor. B’dall did not hesitate now that he had his opponent at a distinct disadvantage. He rushed in and attacked. Vio, with only one kata, parried, ducked and retreated with no thought of attack, no thought of scoring a hit, only hoping to hold off her relentless attacker. She held her wounded arm close to her body, which hampered her balance and speed. Yet she somehow managed to deflect or dodge a half dozen fast, powerful attacks with one arm before finally scoring another miraculous hit with a kick to the knee of B’dall, who went down with a curse. Vio retreated quickly as he rose and tested his leg. It held but he had to flex his knee several times to drive away the numbness. The crowd roared its pleasure.
B’dall began to advance once more as the crowd, which clearly favored Vio, continued to buzz in amazement. This time B’dall just continued to press forward, working his way in as close as possible before striking Vio hard on the left hip, and then quickly on the right shoulder, using almost the exact attack Gwaynn had warned her about. She tried to back away, berating herself for falling for a technique she had been told to watch out for, when her left foot slipped out from under her. Her right hand flew up but not fast enough and B’dall’s right kata struck her full in the side of the jaw. Vio saw stars as blood and pain filled her mouth. She was only dimly aware of another blow coming down on her left collar bone breaking it, before another struck the bridge of her nose, and then another on her right shoulder.
Gwaynn watched with horror as B’dall struck blow after blow, not stopping, not relenting before an obviously defenseless foe. He managed to strike her six times before Tar Endid stepped in and stopped the contest. Gwaynn was surprised to find he was on his feet, not moving, making no sound, just staring at the Vio’s prone body lying on the floor of the arena. She was not moving and at first he feared the worst, but then his attention was diverted as B’dall made another lunge for her, but was held back by Tar Endid, then B’dall backed away and looked up directly into Gwaynn’s eyes.
“Your next,” he mouthed or possibly said. It was hard to tell with all of the noise in the arena. Some booed, some cheered but it seemed everyone present was yelling something and then Pugg rushed in and was at Vio’s side.
“Come. Let us leave now,” Nev yelled almost directly into Gwaynn’s ear, but Gwaynn made no move. “We can make our way to the hospital tent and meet her there,” his Master added and gradually he got Gwaynn’s attention. Gwaynn looked at him and nodded. They quickly picked their way through the crowd, followed closely by the Tars Kostek and Amon.
Their progress was relatively unimpeded because for the most part the crowd remained in their seats, most shouting, booing, cheering or screaming incomprehensibly. Once on the mulch covered ground they were completely unhindered and exited the arena without delay. They reached the hospital tent before Vio and Pugg, and it was all either Nev or Kostek could do to keep Gwaynn from running back out to find her. As it was, he paced the tent continuously, never pausing even for an instant.
“Quite a scene you’re putting on for a young Deutzani woman,” Nev finally said with a tilt of his bushy head. The comment surprised both Tar Kostek and Gwaynn, who immediately stopped pacing and just glared at his Master.
“She will be fine,” Nev said leaning close and whispering into Gwaynn’s ear. Gwaynn wondered how he knew, but moments later Pugg pulled back the tent flap and held it in place as two other men brought Vio in on a stretcher. She was conscious, her eyes bright with unshed tears. She broke into a rueful smile, which made her wince, when she spotted Gwaynn waiting for her. There was a bulge in her nose and a good deal of drying blood on her chest and neck, and her eyes were beginning to blacken, but Gwaynn thought she looked wonderful and couldn’t help but smile back. She tried to sit as soon as the stretcher was placed on a table, but a sharp pain in her right shoulder insisted that it might be better to lie still.
“How are you?” Kostek asked only slightly more worried for her than he was for B’dall, his other student; the one who had lost complete control.
Pugg moved in closer to examine her once more in the privacy of the tent, keeping her from answering her Tar directly. He worked on her for nearly ten minutes, examining nearly every part of her body, much to her embarrassment. Finally he spoke to her as well the others present. “She has a broken left clavicle and wrist and her right shoulder has a very deep bone bruise, as does her hip bone. She has a broken nose and she lost a tooth, but thankfully her jaw was not broken, other than that I would say she will live.”
