Page 156 of Shadow Queen
“He’s not even wearing a helm,” she said through her teeth.
“All the more thrilling.”
“This is a game to you?” she snapped.
He shot her a gaze of icy fire, serious now. “This is most certainly not a game.”
They watched as the men fought on. The early beat Adrian back with a brutal attack. But on a downward swing, he opened his shield arm. Adrian twisted and caught it with his own shield, knocking the man’s arm out and exposing his front. Adrian was ready. He barreled forward with his shoulder, sending the man sprawling to the ground. Adrian leapt atop him, pressing him down against the earth with the edge of his shield and sweeping the tip of the blade to the early’s neck. The man held his hands open, conceding.
But Norah didn’t have time to feel happiness for him. Another swordsman stepped forward, and her anxiousness rose. Adrian was tired. These weren’t general soldiers that one might find in everyday battle. These opponents were earlies. Many would be men of the Crest, and besting them took an immense amount of skill and energy. She questioned if he’d be able to withstand another bout.
The early charged forward in a fresh attack, and Adrian defended, but he was slowing. Their swords rang through the air and fell upon each other’s shields in fatal blows. Adrian moved in a side swing, but his rebalance was slow, and his opponent delivered a hit with the edge of his shield, knocking Adrian to the ground.
“Soren,” she breathed, her alarm growing. “Please.”
The opponent sprang forward in a subsequent attack, but Adrian rolled away, stumbling back to his feet. The early saw Adrian’s strength waning, and he attacked again. Their shields clashed together, and Adrian fell back with the man on top of him. But Adrian used the force in the fall, kicking the early up and over his head. With both men now on the ground, Adrian rolled to his stomach and reached forward. In a single motion, he grabbed a fistful of the early’s hair, pulling his head back toward him and bringing his blade to his throat. They held until, reluctantly, the man yielded. Both men lay on the ground, taking a moment to regain their breath.
Then Adrian rolled and staggered to his feet, and a wry smile came to his lips with his triumph.
“I said all,” Soren growled, and the men around the field looked at one another in surprise.
“You can’t be serious!” Norah exclaimed. “He just beat three earlies! That’s what you asked of him.”
He looked at her with a scowl. “I saidall,” he repeated.
Another soldier stepped forward. Adrian’s right eye had swelled shut, and blood trickled into his left. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. The early charged forward. Adrian moved to meet him, but he was slow, and the man spun with a blow, knocking him to the ground with his shield. He rained lethal strikes at the downed Northman, but Adrian rolled away and stumbled back to his feet. The early charged again.
“There’s got to be a hundred men here,” Norah said angrily. “You ask the impossible!”
The lord commander didn’t respond. He only watched as Adrian suffered blow after blow, fall after fall. But Adrian didn’t stop. He rose again and again. Beaten and bloody, he still welcomed the battle.
The early charged him again. Adrian sidestepped, but he caught the man’s arm as he passed, pulling him back. With a sheer force of will and strength, he swept his blade to the early’s armpit, threatening a thrust to the heart. The man stopped, his wrist in Adrian’s grip, and he nodded his submission. Adrian swayed on his feet, but he stayed upright, waiting for his next opponent.
The next soldier stepped forward, and he looked at the lord commander hesitantly.
“Soren,” Norah pleaded again, but the commander nodded, prompting the man to continue.
The soldier stepped forward, first to attack. Adrian deflected his first blow with his shield, but the early knocked it to the side with his own and delivered a kick that sent Adrian sprawling backward, to the ground. Before Adrian could fully recover, the early swung his shield again, catching Adrian in the chest and knocking him down again.
But the man didn’t spring on his advantage.
Adrian struggled to his feet once more, but he could barely lift his shield. The early advanced again, throwing an elbow and catching him in the chin. Miraculously, Adrian stayed on his feet, but he didn’t have the strength to defend against another blow.
Norah couldn’t stand it any longer and stepped forward, but Soren caught her arm. “Don’t dishonor him,” he warned, his voice low.
She was about to argue when a soldier within the ranks of the watching earlies started to beat his shield with his sword—a slow and persistent drumming. Another soldier joined him, then another. And another. The circle of men all around them joined the rhythm.
Even the soldier facing Adrian beat his shield.
Norah looked at Soren in utter confusion. The commander stood for a moment, then he turned to the training captain, who handed him a sword. Her heart raced as Soren stepped out onto the field. Even as the shadow of the lord commander loomed over him, Adrian stood, bloody and bold, determined to fight on.
But Soren didn’t attack. He only faced the Northman in silence. Then he gripped the sword by the blade and held it for Adrian to take. Adrian dropped his own sword to the ground and reached for the one offered to him. The beating of shields grew to a deafening thunder.
Norah glanced at Calla by her side, still not fully understanding.
The girl grinned. “He got it. He earned the entitlement. He’s an early now.”
Norah looked back out to the field as Soren returned to where she stood.
