Dark Thane

"Mistress!" Haruk cried in surprise, dropping his staff and falling to his knees.

Crystal rubbed her stomach, momentarily frightened by what had happened. Haruk's blow hadn't been a hard one, but if it had been a spear, it would have spilled her belly's contents onto the floor. Haruk kneeled before her in abject apology.

"I never taught you that," she complained.

"My uncle, Jungor Stonesinger taught it to me. He said I should try it on you. Please forgive my impertinence," he said, head bowed almost to the floor.

"Stand up," she said, touching him on the shoulder. "No harm done, I think." She crossed the chamber and seated herself on an upturned keg. Haruk rose to his feet. "Shall I fetch Auntie?"

"I'm fine," Crystal sighed. "Come, tell me what your uncle said. You didn't even try to defend yourself. Yet what you did would have killed me, even as I killed you, had this been a real battle."

"That's what Uncle Jungor said," Haruk said, nodding. "He said that if you cannot defeat your opponent, you should consider sacrificing yourself in order to get close enough to kill him. Thus many a dwarf has bravely died in defense of his homeland."

"When he has no other choice," Crystal countered sternly. "When his sacrifice may save the lives of his family or companions. It is the height of folly to throw away your life needlessly. A good fighter also knows when not to fight"

"I understand, Mistress," Haruk said.

"I'm glad you do, Haruk. Your uncle is wise in his way, and I would not speak against anyone from your family, but he is a hard, uncompromising individual, and he holds with ancient ways and ancient traditions that are no longer always best. The world has changed, as King Tarn has said many times. New times demand new ways."

"Any word from the king?" Haruk asked.

"No word yet," Crystal sighed. "A messenger arrived from Pax Tharkas two days ago saying that the evacuation of the elves was proceeding well." She rose to her feet and picked up her staff. "Now, I believe the score is two to one in my favor."

"Are you certain you are recovered, Mistress?" Haruk asked in concern. "Perhaps it would be better-"

"I'm fine," Crystal snapped. "It is you who must beware. I intend to give you a good drubbing. On your guard, sir dwarf." With that, she gripped her staff and swung.

Desperately avoiding her blows, Haruk hopped across the dusty floor and retrieved his weapon just in time to block a thrust that would have unhinged his jaw. He tumbled across the floor, thrusting wildly at her feet to give himself time and room to maneuver. Crystal seemed to dance atop his weapon, nimbly avoiding his blows while shouting, "Good! Good! Just what I would do."

He rolled to his feet and began to backpedal as the blackened end of her staff flicked again and again in his face, mere inches from his nose. He blocked each thrust only by the most heroic effort, and he knew he couldn't keep up with her much longer. He tried to force the charcoal tip of her staff over his head so that he could step inside the range of her weapon and grapple. At that instant, she hammered his instep with the butt of her staff then leaped back, on guard once again.

Howling in pain, Haruk hopped on one foot while clutching the other injured one.

"A spear is but a staff with one end sharpened. The blunt end can be just as dangerous," she shouted. She twirled the staff humming through the air, passing it from hand to hand. Haruk noted that she wasn't even breathing hard. He shook his head in disbelief.

"You should fight in the arena," the young dwarf said with undisguised admiration.

Crystal laughed, tossing her staff into a corner. "The king would flay my hide and hang it from his wall," she said as she took Haruk by the hand and helped him to a seat atop a barrel.

"If he didn't, I surely would!" An elderly female dwarf stumped into the room and pointed one quivering finger in Crystal's face. "I thought I heard staff work in here. You should have better sense than this, Crystal Heathstone. Frolicking around like you are still a girl in your father's army!"

"Oh, Auntie, I was just teaching my pupil his staves and spears."

"Pupil? He's supposed to be your personal guard," Aunt Needlebone snarled then turned on Haruk. "And you, young fellow. What have you to say for yourself? Haven't you better sense? You might have injured your queen."

"No disrespect, Aunt Galena, but I doubt I could seriously injure Mistress. Not on purpose, anyway," the young dwarf answered sheepishly.

The old woman glared at him then back at Crystal, but there was a twinkle in her rheumy gray eye.

"You're probably right at that, lad," she cackled suddenly, slapping him on the shoulder. "Ouch! Hard as stone, that is. Why, if I was a hundred years younger… "

Haruk flushed a deep scarlet up to his ears, to the delight of both women.

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