The Adels - Part 14
The Adels part 14 has been posted. Does Blackheart escape?
Tale of the TawsheThe Adels-Part 14Wolf Blackheart saw a man walk out of the trees. He strolled casually through the Far Darrig, carefully stepped over the mushrooms, and entered the ring. Wolf watched him approach. Clearly he was a fighting man. His weapons and his movements spoke of that, but he was young, maybe twenty cycles, if that. Wolf outweighed him, and he estimated his reach was longer. The man stopped about three strides away, and dropped Wolf’s pack to the ground. It had been in the supply cart, but the donkey had run off during the fighting, dragging the cart behind it and taking all the food supplies with it. “Have you been sent to kill me, son? If so, you should just skulk back to your friends. I can beat you with one hand while carrying this old witch around with the other. You’re no match for Wolf Blackheart, boy.”“That is probably true, so I’ve come to offer you a way out, not to fight you. The Far Darrig will let you leave if you free the old woman. They would prefer not to see her die.”“Sure, and as soon as I release her I’m susceptible to their magic. I’ll find myself cutting my own throat before I get out of this bloody circle. No way, kid,”“I can offer you another way of holding off the magic,” Bray informed him as he pulled one of his knives from where it was thrust into his belt. “This is a Nadian blade. It isn’t as powerful against their magic as the old woman’s ability, but with some effort it works.”“Why should I trust you?” Blackheart countered.“Because the alternative is suffering without food and water until the old woman dies leaving you unprotected and weakened. They are willing to wait for that, but would prefer to keep the old woman alive.”“How do I know the knife will work?”“I will hand you the blade. You can let go of the woman to see what happens. The Far Darrig told me that if they see you release her they will drop the barrier around the ring, and all but one of them will leave.”“And then I just walk away?”“We walk. I want my knife back when you are safely away. That is the deal.”Wolf considered the offer. His options were limited. If this worked, and he really was free he could kill the kid and take the Nadian knife. It was worth a small fortune. At least he would come out of this fiasco with something.“How do I know you’ll keep your word, and not double cross me?”“I will honour my promises as long as you honour yours.”“So tell me again what happens.”“I give you the knife. You release the woman. The Far Darrig will drop the barrier and leave. I give you your pack. We leave. My companion, a young woman from the fishing village will remain to nurse the woman after we leave. When you agree we are safely away, you return my knife, you go your way, and I go mine.”Wolf didn’t take any longer to consider the offer. Minutes ago he had been staring death in the face now he had a way out. It was a good plan. It could work especially when he added his own little twists into it. He would kill the kid, and walk away with his knife and whatever else he had.“Deal! Now give me the knife.”Bray handed it over. The rest of the plan went off without a hitch. The two men walked out of the circle, through the trees, and off down the cliff top trail. At first Blackheart was wary. He kept a watch out for anything suspicious, but after a while he started to feel safe. After more time had passed he started studying the Nadian knife he was carrying.“I knew someone who possessed two Nadian swords once. His name was Yucan Vee. He was the leader of a pirate horde until he got stupid and tried to take over a city.”Bray had tensed at the mention of Vee. “Isn’t he the pirate who led the attack on the city of Waysley? I heard that was quite the battle, were you there?”“As a matter of fact, I had a ship in Vee’s armada until the merchants attacked the harbour and destroyed it. That was when I decided that things weren’t going according to plan and left. It was a crap plan anyway. Vee was a fierce fighter, but he couldn’t come up with a good plan if his life depended on it, which it turned out it did.” Wolf finished with a laugh.“I heard that a number of his men ran off and deserted him. It doesn’t say much for your loyalty oaths.”“Deserting a sinking ship isn’t breaking an oath. It’s just smart. We all do what we must to get ahead.”The tone of Blackheart’s voice caused Bray to stop walking and turn to face him. Wolf had his hand resting on the handle of his sword. “Are you breaking our deal?” Bray asked.“Afraid so kid, no hard feelings, but this venture cost me plenty, and I have to start recouping my losses. This blade of yours will be a good start.”Wolf had expected the kid to look troubled, or argue, or plead, but all he did was smile.“I would have lived by our deal, but after hearing you were part of Yucan Vee’s hoard I am glad you broke it.”“Lose someone to Vee, did you?”“Lost some things to him, but I got them back.”Blackheart laughed. “And what exactly did you get back from Vee. He didn’t like to return anything.”“Those Nadian swords he wore,” Bray answered as he drew his sword and his second knife.Blackheart suddenly knew who the kid was, and what he had done. He had been so confident. Now he was unsure. “Wait . . . wait a minute, kid. Let’s just forget I said those things about breaking our deal. I don’t want to keep your knife.”“Too late, and you never were going to keep it.”
Wolf was a good swordsman. You didn’t get command of a pirate ship in Vee’s armada by being anything else. Maybe not as good as Vee with his Nadian swords, and maybe not as good as that monster, Cracker, but he had stood against some of the best around and won. Unfortunately, he understood after the first few seconds that he wasn’t good enough, but he tried. He attacked with as much fury as he could muster, administering fast, efficient, strokes that had seen him through a thousand fights, utilizing tricks, feints, and combinations that had killed many men, but the kids blades were always there to block his moves. His attack faltered. The kid became the aggressor. His blades flashed. Their speed increased. They became a blur. Wolf retreated more and more. The kid pressed him. Wolf’s blades seemed useless. He felt as if he was standing unarmed in front of a whirlwind. He could feel cuts happening all over his body, but he couldn’t even see the strokes that were causing them. He also didn’t see the stroke that killed him. He felt it only, as it pierced his black heart.
Tale of the TawsheThe Adels-Part 14Wolf Blackheart saw a man walk out of the trees. He strolled casually through the Far Darrig, carefully stepped over the mushrooms, and entered the ring. Wolf watched him approach. Clearly he was a fighting man. His weapons and his movements spoke of that, but he was young, maybe twenty cycles, if that. Wolf outweighed him, and he estimated his reach was longer. The man stopped about three strides away, and dropped Wolf’s pack to the ground. It had been in the supply cart, but the donkey had run off during the fighting, dragging the cart behind it and taking all the food supplies with it. “Have you been sent to kill me, son? If so, you should just skulk back to your friends. I can beat you with one hand while carrying this old witch around with the other. You’re no match for Wolf Blackheart, boy.”“That is probably true, so I’ve come to offer you a way out, not to fight you. The Far Darrig will let you leave if you free the old woman. They would prefer not to see her die.”“Sure, and as soon as I release her I’m susceptible to their magic. I’ll find myself cutting my own throat before I get out of this bloody circle. No way, kid,”“I can offer you another way of holding off the magic,” Bray informed him as he pulled one of his knives from where it was thrust into his belt. “This is a Nadian blade. It isn’t as powerful against their magic as the old woman’s ability, but with some effort it works.”“Why should I trust you?” Blackheart countered.“Because the alternative is suffering without food and water until the old woman dies leaving you unprotected and weakened. They are willing to wait for that, but would prefer to keep the old woman alive.”“How do I know the knife will work?”“I will hand you the blade. You can let go of the woman to see what happens. The Far Darrig told me that if they see you release her they will drop the barrier around the ring, and all but one of them will leave.”“And then I just walk away?”“We walk. I want my knife back when you are safely away. That is the deal.”Wolf considered the offer. His options were limited. If this worked, and he really was free he could kill the kid and take the Nadian knife. It was worth a small fortune. At least he would come out of this fiasco with something.“How do I know you’ll keep your word, and not double cross me?”“I will honour my promises as long as you honour yours.”“So tell me again what happens.”“I give you the knife. You release the woman. The Far Darrig will drop the barrier and leave. I give you your pack. We leave. My companion, a young woman from the fishing village will remain to nurse the woman after we leave. When you agree we are safely away, you return my knife, you go your way, and I go mine.”Wolf didn’t take any longer to consider the offer. Minutes ago he had been staring death in the face now he had a way out. It was a good plan. It could work especially when he added his own little twists into it. He would kill the kid, and walk away with his knife and whatever else he had.“Deal! Now give me the knife.”Bray handed it over. The rest of the plan went off without a hitch. The two men walked out of the circle, through the trees, and off down the cliff top trail. At first Blackheart was wary. He kept a watch out for anything suspicious, but after a while he started to feel safe. After more time had passed he started studying the Nadian knife he was carrying.“I knew someone who possessed two Nadian swords once. His name was Yucan Vee. He was the leader of a pirate horde until he got stupid and tried to take over a city.”Bray had tensed at the mention of Vee. “Isn’t he the pirate who led the attack on the city of Waysley? I heard that was quite the battle, were you there?”“As a matter of fact, I had a ship in Vee’s armada until the merchants attacked the harbour and destroyed it. That was when I decided that things weren’t going according to plan and left. It was a crap plan anyway. Vee was a fierce fighter, but he couldn’t come up with a good plan if his life depended on it, which it turned out it did.” Wolf finished with a laugh.“I heard that a number of his men ran off and deserted him. It doesn’t say much for your loyalty oaths.”“Deserting a sinking ship isn’t breaking an oath. It’s just smart. We all do what we must to get ahead.”The tone of Blackheart’s voice caused Bray to stop walking and turn to face him. Wolf had his hand resting on the handle of his sword. “Are you breaking our deal?” Bray asked.“Afraid so kid, no hard feelings, but this venture cost me plenty, and I have to start recouping my losses. This blade of yours will be a good start.”Wolf had expected the kid to look troubled, or argue, or plead, but all he did was smile.“I would have lived by our deal, but after hearing you were part of Yucan Vee’s hoard I am glad you broke it.”“Lose someone to Vee, did you?”“Lost some things to him, but I got them back.”Blackheart laughed. “And what exactly did you get back from Vee. He didn’t like to return anything.”“Those Nadian swords he wore,” Bray answered as he drew his sword and his second knife.Blackheart suddenly knew who the kid was, and what he had done. He had been so confident. Now he was unsure. “Wait . . . wait a minute, kid. Let’s just forget I said those things about breaking our deal. I don’t want to keep your knife.”“Too late, and you never were going to keep it.”
Wolf was a good swordsman. You didn’t get command of a pirate ship in Vee’s armada by being anything else. Maybe not as good as Vee with his Nadian swords, and maybe not as good as that monster, Cracker, but he had stood against some of the best around and won. Unfortunately, he understood after the first few seconds that he wasn’t good enough, but he tried. He attacked with as much fury as he could muster, administering fast, efficient, strokes that had seen him through a thousand fights, utilizing tricks, feints, and combinations that had killed many men, but the kids blades were always there to block his moves. His attack faltered. The kid became the aggressor. His blades flashed. Their speed increased. They became a blur. Wolf retreated more and more. The kid pressed him. Wolf’s blades seemed useless. He felt as if he was standing unarmed in front of a whirlwind. He could feel cuts happening all over his body, but he couldn’t even see the strokes that were causing them. He also didn’t see the stroke that killed him. He felt it only, as it pierced his black heart.
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