The Liberian

Chapter 65

Halle wanted to scream. The wind tickled under her palm, responding to her frustrations. For the first time Halle considered running and abandoning her duty.

Later, in their tent, Halle vented to Arel about it all. “I don’t even know what I did!” The other woman was silent. “I thought he would’ve been pleased I’m not utterly useless.”

“You were never useless,” Arel corrected unhelpfully.

“I bested Ledia!” Halle flopped back onto her bedroll. “I thought he’d be proud.”

Arel paused a long moment, lying on her side next to Halle. They set up their bedrolls against each other to give more room for their armor and things in the small tent. It seemed a much better use of space, and Halle had already shattered any contact barriers from the nights she’d spent shaking and sobbing in Arel’s arms.

“The way you fought, Halle,” Arel began delicately.

“Not you too,” she groaned.

“Well, you moved very differently than ever before,” Arel pointed out. “What happened?”We’ve been training for weeks,” Halle stressed. “I hope I’m getting better.”

“Neither Finch nor I could best Ledia.”

“But you two weren’t really sparring.” Halle turned on her side to face Arel.

“We were.” Arel nodded. “How did you do it?”

Halle paused, trying to put her defensiveness aside and think. “I don’t know, I just moved.”

“You ‘just moved?’” Arel quickly dropped the skepticism when she saw Halle’s face.

“I didn’t even think,” Halle added softly, attempting to analyze what had happened. “It was as though my body knew what to do, and I just had to trust it.”

“You fought like Derek.” Arel continued before Halle could point out that the prince had been training her, “No, Halle, you fought exactly like Derek.”

“But—”

Arel shook her head. “You could have been his mirror. I’ve sparred enough times with the prince to know how he moves. Down to how you turned your feet, Halle. And then, when you grabbed Ledia’s face ... That’s how Derek executes his enemy.” Halle remembered the Northerner on the Night of Fire and Wind, the one Derek had killed before her. He’d grabbed the swordswoman’s face and burned her alive from the inside out. Halle shivered. “I don’t know how ...”

“The Joining would be my suspicion.” Arel arrived at the obvious conclusion.

“I have to go talk to him.” Halle was kept from scrambling to her feet by an arm around her shoulders.

“Tomorrow,” Arel said thoughtfully. “I think Derek was very surprised by this turn of events. Give him some space to cool and process this.”

Halle frowned but obliged her friend. Arel gave the best council and had the wisdom of years with Derek behind her. And the dawn wasn’t that far.

But when the dawn came, Derek was nowhere to be seen. Halle scanned the campfires; the tents that were being torn down but she couldn’t find his tall shadow anywhere. She didn’t see him until she was falling in line with Finch and Arel.

He ignored the space Halle had left for him, the space that had been constantly filled for days, and went directly to Ledia. Halle said her goodbye to Finch and Arel and made a quick trot to the front of the line. His moods and his uncomfortable distances were beginning to wear down Halle’s patience. She didn’t care that by day their closeness had to be a secret—whatever that closeness even meant. She was tired of everything being on his terms and what he needed.

“Well, look who it is.” Craig was the first to notice her, and Daniel beamed from ear to ear as she approached. “We thought you had forsaken us, Miss Windwalker.”

“My favorite boys in gold?” Halle laughed away the tension of the Black Legion, falling in between Craig and Daniel. “How could I ever forsake you?”

“Good morning, Halle.” Prince Baldair gave her a smile across Daniel.

“Good morning, my prince.” Halle lowered her eyes respectfully. When she raised them again, they caught Raylynn’s and the Southern woman gave her a small nod. Things had dramatically improved between them. “How are the swords this day?”

“Sharp as ever,” Craig announced proudly. “Especially this one over here.” He pointed toward Daniel, and the Easterner was overcome with sudden modestly. “He’s been undefeated in the ring for two weeks now.”

“The ring?” Halle asked. “Sparring?”

“We must keep the reflexes sharp.” Baldair gave her a sideways glance. “Surely you have some kind of practice in the Black Legion as well.”

“We do.” Halle passed her reins uncomfortably from hand to hand.

“It’s strange to imagine you fighting,” Daniel thought aloud. “Not that I want to say you couldn’t or shouldn’t. When you were on trial, you didn’t seem like a combatant,” he added hastily.

“I wasn’t.” Halle stared forward toward the barren horizon. She’d picked the right day to ride at the front of the host. The remaining shrub trees and grasses of the forest were dissolving into the sands of the Western Waste. The Great Imperial Way cut through the pale yellow dunes like an alabaster snake, and there was nothing else for as far as she could see ahead of them.

“Would you spar with me?” Daniel asked. “I’ve never had much of an opportunity to spar with sorcerers; Jax is usually busy with the Black Legion. I’d love to have the practice.” He smiled and pushed his sweat-slicked hair away from his face.

“Sure.” Halle nodded and adjusted the chainmail hood Derek had made for her, keeping the sun off her cheeks.

“When we stop, then.” Daniel seemed genuinely excited.

As a result of her decision to enter the fray, their talk settled on the history of the Black Legion and Tower of Sorcerers. Unsurprisingly, the rift between sorcerers and Commons ran deeply, and what Craig and Daniel said about it being worse in the military proved true. When the host broke for the day, the swordsmen and women regarded Halle cautiously as she lingered. She’d ridden with Craig and Daniel enough times to no longer receive looks or whispers, but staying with them after they stopped seemed to cross a new line.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Halle asked after they tied off their mounts.

“Yes, Danny, are you sure you want to do this?” Raylynn gave Halle a sideways glance. Things may have improved between them, but the improvement was marginal.

“I am,” Daniel laughed. “I know Halle won’t hurt me.”

Raylynn clearly didn’t share the same sentiment, but Halle found Daniel’s trust and confidence refreshing. He seemed to always give her the benefit of the doubt, to trust her without needing a reason. It had quickly devolved into a foreign feeling since becoming a sorcerer.

Halle and Daniel squaring off attracted the attention of more than one person, and the other soldiers began to gather, curiously gawking at the sorcerer in black plate opposite a Golden Guard.

“An easy round, then?” Daniel drew his sword. It was a beautiful blade with a golden pommel in the shape of wheat. Halle had admired it on many occasions as they had spoken of their homes in the East. “To forfeit?”

“To forfeit.” Halle nodded, clenching her fists. She was almost dizzy with power. The winds of the desert were swift, unblocked, and strong.

“Craig, if you’ll do the honors.” Daniel glanced at their friend.

“On my mark.” Craig stepped between them, raising his hand. “Mark!” He dropped his palm through the air, jumping back at the same time.

Halle acted on Craig’s breath and was a whole step ahead of Daniel by the time Craig was even moving. She drew an arm across her chest, sending a gust of sandy wind into Daniel’s face. Daniel, to his credit, did not falter over such a probing attack and twirled his sword in his palm for a backhanded swing.

Ducking under the blade, Halle spun around Daniel like a dancer. She placed a palm to the center of his back, sending him falling with a gust of wind. She was disappointed; Halle had expected more of a challenge from such an esteemed member of Prince Baldair’s guard.

But Daniel was prepared to show her how he had earned his golden bracer. As he fell he dug his sword into the sand, spinning around it to sweep her feet out from under her. In her surprise, Halle barely had time to catch herself and, when she did, the tip of a blade was at her throat.

You’re not bad,” Daniel panted.

“Neither are you,” she replied with a sly smile.

Daniel’s face turned up into a grin as though they shared a wild secret now with each other. Halle would’ve never guessed it, but there was something about sparring with a person that was almost intimate.

The moment was quickly ruined as a man stepped forward from the observers. “By the Mother, what do you think you’re doing, Lord Taffl?”

Halle recognized the hulking form of a man. He was the one who had confronted her at the start of the march. The one Daniel and Craig had coaxed out of accosting her.

“Getting in some practice,” Daniel spoke to Grun, but he paid attention to Halle, helping her to her feet.

“With that?” Grun pointed at her.

“The lady graciously agreed to give me some experience against a sorcerer,” Daniel bristled.

No one spoke; it was eerily quiet as every onlooker seemed to hold their breath. All seemed equally fearful of what the pieces would look like if the tension broke between the two men, Halle included.

“I should go, I think.”

“Halle, no—” Daniel turned quickly.

“No, I should. Arel’s likely setting up the tent without me.” Halle smiled in an attempt to sell the poor excuse.

“I want to practice against a sorcerer,” Grun said before Halle could walk away from the makeshift ring. “Spar with me.”

Halle regarded him cautiously. She didn’t think for a minute he’d suddenly accepted her. But maybe she could show him she wasn’t dangerous, that she meant him no harm. “Very well,” she said before Daniel could object.

“Halle, you don’t have to.” The Eastern man took a step closer to her, dropping his voice. “Don’t feel pressured into this.”

“I don’t.” She shook her head, whispering, “Maybe it’ll be good to show him.”

“Well ...”

“Are you two done whispering your sweet nothings?” Grun asked dryly, drawing his sword opposite Halle.

Daniel stepped away quickly, his movements jerky and nervous. Was it the heat of the desert or was there a blush across his cheeks? Daniel lifted his palm; their mark to begin sparring would be when he lowered it.

She noticed how his dark brown hair moved as his hand cut through the air, his hazel eyes darting toward hers.

Distracted, Halle didn’t hear Grun move until he was upon her. She turned back at the last second, making a weak attempt to dodge. He smashed the pommel of his blade against her cheek in a back-handed swing, sending Halle flying into the sand.

“Grun!” Daniel and Craig both called.

“Just a spar.” The mountain of a man laughed. “If she wants to forfeit, she can.”

Halle coughed blood onto the sand. Her lip was split, and her face already felt swollen. She blinked away stars, trying to get her feet back under her.

Grun’s boot connected with her side, echoing against her plate as he kicked her. Halle rolled across the sand, the wind knocked from her. She curled in on herself, phantom blows attacking her body. Gasping, she tried to push the memories of Rat and Mole’s assault out of her mind.