Page 62 of Sword & Shadow
Deckard glanced at Evylin, then shook his head. “You three go. I’ll join Ethenn.”
Evylin gave him an appreciative smile she didn’t quite feel. He must have felt her irritation with him constantly at her side, and now, he was giving her space.
With no setup necessary in their barren camp, the groups split off, leaving Auden and Ilain with the horses. Evylin, Thom, and Rafferty struggled to find a clear spot for their practice. If the trees weren’t densely packed, the ground would be littered with rocks.
“I swear,” Thom said, “Wauld may be the worst place on Terraeus.”
“Your ladylove seems to enjoy it well enough,” Rafferty teased.
“Ilain grew up here,” Thom replied. “And trust me, it isn’t love. She’s fun to flirt with, that’s all.”
Evylin sidestepped a rain-spotted fern. “I’ll never understand that sort of behavior.”
He scoffed. “What are you talking about? You flirt with people all the time. Hell, you’ve flirted with me.”
“I have not!” she exclaimed.
“You’ve flirted with all of us,” Rafferty said. “Well, maybe not Auden. But I’m not sure that man would know a flirt if a woman lifted her skirts and flashed her knickers at him.”
While Thom laughed, Evylin glowered at them. “You’re both disgusting.”
The reprimand exerted no effect on Rafferty. “I will grant that in Estshire, banter is the conversation of choice, so you may not be aware of your wiles, Eve. However, even poor little Ethenn has blushed clear up to his scalp from your attention.”
“Have you ever noticed what a feat that is?” Thom remarked. “Ethenn’s tanner than all the rest of us combined, and yet he turns redder than a tomato anytime a woman looks his way.”
“Ridiculous,” Evylin said. However, she worried that they might be right. She’d mistakenly encouraged the crown prince of Ephria once, thinking they were merely having a pleasant conversation. Oftentimes, she didn’t realize how flirtatiously her comments could be received.
Seeing what appeared to be a clearing ahead, Evylin dashed away from the subject. Though not large, there was an opening amongst the trees. Big enough for the three of them to spar, at least.
Evylin began some light stretching, attempting to ignore the aching hollow in her chest. If she could get moving, she could tap into her focus. She could feel the rush of magic and forget her pain. “What do we think?” she asked. “Two on one?”
Thom and Rafferty exchanged a look, then shrugged.
“Good thing I brought these,” Rafferty said, brandishing the short swords he’d made of wood. They didn’t stand up well against the dull edge of the training swords, but there was no shortage of supplies to make more.
Thom tossed the second training sword to Evylin. “You take the right,” he told Rafferty.
“Sure, give me the easy side,” Rafferty grumbled.
Evylin set her stance, failing to smirk as she normally would. “Either way, you’re going to lose.”
Neither man bothered to reply.
Rafferty and Thom charged, attempting to flank her. She ducked under Rafferty’s swift jab, sliding away from the men.The muddy terrae aided her flight, but she knew she’d have to watch her footing carefully over its slick tread.
Evylin brought her sword up to meet Thom’s attack, parrying it away before slashing out and knocking one of Rafferty’s short swords out of his grip. Her mind began to cool with the first vestiges of magic, her fingers tingling on the leather hilt. She made an internal grab for the feeling, desperate for the escape.
While Rafferty recovered his fallen blade, Thom kept Evylin’s attention. He relied on his strength, distracting her. Each hit sent tremors along her arms. Her muscles trembled, then flexed, her vision centering.
The slapping footfalls of Rafferty’s approach from behind drew Evylin down to a crouch. The men’s attacks struck one another’s blades instead of her.
As she rose, she tilted her shoulder up, ramming it into Rafferty’s gut. He let out an “oof,” but she couldn’t relax. Her sword met Thom’s with a resounding clang.
Evylin’s heart thudded wildly. The magic raced through her body, twisting and alive. She felt like she was back in the Keep, surrounded by Shades. She could hear their humming in her head—pulsing, crashing, and piercing.
Fighting became effortless for Evylin. She thrust, parried, and blocked without thought. One attacker was in front of her, and the other was behind. Her head filled with the sound of battle: swords crashing together, grunts of exertion and pain, and the sharp staccato of breathing. Sweat beaded on her forehead, at the nape of her neck, and down her spine. Her lungs burned with the strain, fighting as though for her life.
Someone said her name, but Evylin didn’t stop. She disarmed one opponent, dropping the Shade with a smack to the side of the head with the pommel of her sword. Then she spun back to the other, striking out with her foot. She hooked it around theShade’s leg and jerked back. It fell into the mud with a splat. But she wasn’t safe yet.
