"You've slighted me for the last time boy." Damaris whirled, leaping into the air in the same motion. Her blade found her hand as she covered the twenty feet between her and Varden in one leap.
As she reached the apex of that leap Varden sprang into action. Grabbing me by the shoulder he gave me a shove hard enough to send me sprawling into the grass. That accomplished he spun to face his attacker. It was only then that I noticed he had neither conjured his blade, yet he wasn't retreating either. I knew he could be an idiot sometimes but this time it was going to get him killed.
Yet when Damaris landed her overhead chop met nothing but air, as Varden pivoted on one foot and cleared it by mere inches. Snarling Damaris swept her falcata as she spun in a full circle. Varden dropped in a full split and the sword passed just over his head, so close he lost a few stray hairs.
Kicking out with his right foot he caught Damaris on her left calf, giving him time enough to back spring to his feet and opening some distance between them. But the high mother gave him no rest, with a roar she flew after him as he sprinted towards one of the many trees that boarded the drive. Leaping into the air he grabbed one of the many dead branches that were low on the trunk and his weight snapped it off as he fell to earth. Landing he spun and brandished his makeshift weapon at the advancing woman.
"What are you doing?" I screamed. Had he lost his mind? What was he going to do with a stick?
Damaris lashed out with her blade, expecting Varden to try and block so her razor shape weapon could cut through it. Instead Varden's weapon snapped out and intercepted the side of the blade, knocking it wide of its diagonal cutting arc. Snapping the weapon to guard, right hand low left hand high, narrow end held high at an angle up and away from him he beckoned Damaris on with the tip of his stick.
Gritting her teeth Damaris came at him in a flurry of attacks, yet never could they get through his defense. His impromtude staff caught everyone, turning them aside with long sweeping parries, and short but powerful jabs. Damaris, for all her years of experience and battle practice fell for one of the oldest of ploys, Varden got her mad. He didn't just get her mad, he reduced her to a rage filled beast. For all her long life she had treated men with utter disdain, and with good reason. There had never been a man that was a match for her, ever.
Now standing before her was a man not even a tenth her age, and he was holding a stick, a stick. The more she attacked the higher her anger grew when she couldn't get passed his defense. She was a shaper so she wouldn't get tired, but so was he so that was no great advantage for either of them?
Then I saw it, Varden was about to change over to the offensive. I'd sparred with him for hours and knew his body language almost as well as he did. So, when I saw him shift his weight onto his front foot as he stepped forward, I knew what was coming, but Damaris didn't.
By this time, we'd attracted quite a crowd. When the high mothers' guards had run into the Sanctuary to gather reinforcements, they were followed back out with several dozen people. All knew better than to try to come between the high mother and whoever she chooses to engage in combat. So, I stood there, the only one who was rooting for the man instead of the woman. The cheering began to build as Damaris pushed Varden back with a flurry of weaving slashing cuts that had him skipping back to avoid her blade. Then with a flourish he cast his staff towards one of the far trees, everyone could hear it clatter to the ground in silence. No one in their right mind casts their only weapon away in the middle of a fight. As I said Varden's weight shifted, Damaris charged, and the whole battle changed.
With a two-handed grip on her weapon Damaris aimed to slice Varden in half, yet as the blade descended Varden shot straight up so fast he seemed to have vanished. Coming to a startled stop Damaris looked up just in time to glance the sole of a tennis shoe approaching her face at almost terminal velocity.
Damaris recoiled from the impact, head snapping back, her long black hair whirling. But Varden didn't let up, he'd seen an opening and attacked with everything he had. Charging in close he delivered a series of body blows with the palms of both hands to her ribs. Whirling to one side Damaris spun into a spinning back fist with her free hand, following the blow with her blade. Varden saw it coming and with a horizontal X-block stopped her arm cold.
Dropping his hand low he brought it up in an elevated ridge hand which connected with the inside of the high mother's arm just above the elbow. Her blade dissipated into thin air as her arm went numb from the strike. Leaping clear, Damaris shook off the tingling in her arm and leapt back into the fray.
Arms and legs began to move so fast they blurred until parts of their bodies faded from view. At any given time, I could only see parts of them, a head here, a torso there, legs or arms disjointed from their bodies. Then all at once Varden came to a complete stop, Damaris was moving so fast she couldn't stop her attack as she threw a knife hand towards his throat. Moving at what seemed like slow motion Varden jumped into a spinning sidekick. I had to keep from laughing as I watched the high mothers' eyes grow wide as she realized her mistake.
Varden's foot impacted her sternum, stopping her forward momentum cold. With a loud crack the high mother crumpled to her knees clutching her chest. Varden just landed back in his defensive stance and took a couple of steps back as her guards rushed forward. Damaris pushed them all away while climbing back to her feet.
"Nicely done boy, but next time I'm not going to go so easy on you, "She wheezed through gritted teeth.
"If I had wanted to high mother, I could have put my foot through your chest and out your spine. So next time, at least try to keep up." With a grand flourish he spun and walked towards the house.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, falling in step with him.
"Me? She's the one who attacked me."
"Yeah, after you goaded her into it. What is it with you and that woman?" I stepped in front of him and stopped him with my hand on his chest.
"She's the reason all of you are the way you are. What do you think I have against her?" He pushed into my hand, but I stood my ground.
"She is as she was taught, no more, no less. That and she hates the very fact that you exist." I shrugged my shoulders and lowered my hand.
"Oh, is that all, come on," he offered me his arm which I took, and we began to walk towards the front door. "We've got a murder to investigate."
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