The man’s eyes brightened. “The fact that you’ve a keen enough eye to notice tells me you’ll be a worthy adversary.” He reached for the buckle of his battle belt. It fell to the ground with a thunk that Hekla felt in the pit of her stomach. She itched to do the same. Two weeks stuck in this hovel; two weeks with her every move shackled by Loftur; two weeks without her sparring partner. Hekla had kept with her morning routines but felt herself slipping. She needed an opponent. Someone to give her the challenge she craved. “Very well,” she said, reaching for her own belt.
