Perhaps two further hands of reckid passed as the males attempted one another; though it had seemed at first that Aysayn would be quickly done, it soon became apparent that the Shadow was easily the superior of the second male. Had the second not had both spear and shield, he would have been upon the sand at their first exchange. With the added advantage came little more than added life for the male; Aysayn swung, blocked and attacked so swiftly and skillfully that the second was hard put to keep shield up, spear in place, and threatening edge from his body. His occasional spear thrust was able enough, yet over-caution slowed and shortened his attempts which Aysayn was then able to block with the haft of his own weapon.
The end came unexpectedly, for the two males as well as for those who watched. The second male, desperation having entered his movements and stance, abruptly seemed to decide upon a last, equally desperate attempt. He jumped at Aysayn in attack, causing the Shadow to back in proper defense, then himself moved rapidly backward before Aysayn began to counter. The spear which had been held for thrusting was suddenly held for throwing, and just so quickly was it on its way toward its unshielded target, mere paces away.
“Sigurr!” gasped Chaldrin, clutching at the stone of the wall, his exclamation drowned in the rolling screams of the watchers, yet he need not have feared. Aysayn twisted quickly away from the thrown spear, striking out with a two-handed grip upon his own spear as the enemy weapon hurtled past him, sending it away and down before it might approach any more closely than it had. His opponent now stood shielded yet weaponless, a condition which had proven to his opponent’s advantage earlier; clearly did it seem that it would be so again.
And again were we who watched mistaken. Though his opponent was now able to concern himself only with defense, Aysayn seemed abruptly intent upon an end to the bout. He faced the other male and deliberately closed with him, struck at him repeatedly with both blade and haft, then swung far left and immediately back, catching the far edge of the shield with the knob of his spear and driving it away from before the male with the strength of the swing. Disconcerted, fearful, and thrown off balance, the other male staggered backward through the sand, his free arm flailing in vain, for the blade of the crescent spear already swung toward him, following the strike of the knob. Soundlessly the blade passed across the male’s middle, leaving behind it a rapidly widening stream of red, which flowed just as soundlessly toward the sands. The male continued on down toward the sands himself and then lay still, the shield he had won still in place upon his left arm. There was little need to ask whether life remained within him, and the approval of the no-longer-seated watchers echoed and thundered from every wall of the cavern.
“It is now clear why Aysayn has survived as Sigurr’s Shadow,” said Chaldrin, shouting so that he might be heard above the din. “To have the dark god’s approval is important to a man, yet not quite as important as battle skills such as his.”
“Which he will soon require in large measure,” said I, indicating the frenzied gesture of the male in the mask of gold. It was not immediately evident as to whom he gestured toward, and then my fist tightened again upon the hilt I held. Eight lines of knotted leather whispered down from the high reaches, and then black-clad males appeared and descended quickly, hand over hand, filled scabbards slung at their hips. Three males to each leather line appeared, and Chaldrin took his weight from the wall he had leaned upon as Aysayn turned from the still body of his opponent and became aware of his new opponents, some of whom had already reached the sands.
“Two dozen to less than a dozen of ours,” growled Chaldrin, stepping to his left to take up the sword which awaited him. “By their loincloths they are all warriors, yet our fighters are all experienced; we may survive this set-to yet,”
He then led the way onto the sands, signaling with a sweep of his arm that the others who waited at other crevasses were to join us. The watchers high above now buzzed in puzzlement over the unexpected turn of events, yet I paid them no heed as I ran toward those who hastened toward Aysayn. I had not yet grown used to the feel of the coarse body cloth upon me, yet such an unimportant thing would not distract me from the coming battle. The stains upon my honor would be away, and then the final darkness might be faced without regret.
As I had started forward first, I was able to reach Aysayn before the others and stand myself beside him as the black-clad males drew near. The attackers had slowed their forward charge as they approached, giving Aysayn’s gracefully circling crescent spear the respectful distance it merited. Their swords were tight in their fists, the points jerking here and there as they sought an opening in the Shadow’s defensive movement, their leather-clad feet following the same directionless path through the sands. I remained beside Aysayn no more than a moment before moving off again to the right, luring two of the males into following my steps. Surely did I then seem the more desirable target, for I held a sword rather than a spear, and I was clearly no fighter. The males paced me a short distance and then attacked, intending to clear Aysayn’s right of protection, yet the deed was not so easily done. He who stood to my left attempted to spit me, foolishly overextending in the attempt; a step farther to the left and a bit forward brought his throat within reach of my blade, and as he sank to the sands with lifeblood gushing, I was able to face the one to the right with undivided attention. Again did I feel the joy which battle brought, honest battle with honest weapons, and easily did I move in straightforward counter-attack, striking all about before knocking his blade aside and burying my point in his belly. He, too, fell to the sands, and I turned with deep satisfaction to see how the others fared.
All about were white-clad males engaged with black-clad, and easily might it be seen that more black-clad males littered the sands than white. A second look showed me that only black-clad males were down, and then came a thought filled with strangeness: these Sigurri warriors were not so poor that their defeat should have been accomplished so easily. The two I had fought had been scarcely better than ordinary city males, scarcely worth the attentions of a warrior. Aysayn accounted for two together, one to each side of his crescent streak of silver, and he, too, wore a frown. Our forces were clearly victorious, and such a condition met the full approval of none save the wildly shouting watchers. The victory we had hoped for should not have been so easily attained.
And then we turned to see that others now stood upon the sands, below the leather, fully as many as had stood there earlier, yet with a difference. These males began to move toward us with slow deliberation, uninterested in rushing forward as the others had done. These males were warriors in truth rather than in covering only, fresh, able—and fully aware of our numbers and abilities. Those who had been sent first had been used to lure us out and expose our strengths and weaknesses; those who followed were meant to destroy us. He who sat behind the Golden Mask seemed well pleased with his doings; we who stood upon the sands growled our fury.
“Move more closely together and form a circle,” called Chaldrin from where he stood with dripping sword. “We must guard each other’s backs and deny them easy access to us. Do it now!”
The others moved quickly to obey his word, yet I looked upon the advancing males and wondered how many I might slay if I were to attack them before they reached us. How long I stood depended upon Mida’s will, yet how many might be reasonably accounted for? Enough to justify the loss of another sword to those who had circled in defense? Was I able to judge truly when I knew not how those males fought?
“Jalav, come to the circle!” shouted Chaldrin from behind me, interrupting my thoughts. “Should they cut you off from us, they will pause to slay you before continuing on!”