By the Sword - By Sara Flower Page 0,2

a fallen shield and sprinted toward the thick of the battle. She sliced her way through more enemy knights with a new surge of energy.

Today my father will see just how capable I am.

Talya turned to help an injured knight fight off an enemy. Her calf suddenly stung. She looked to her feet. A dying Malinorian had stabbed her with his knife.

Talya bent down to slash the man’s neck, but her eyes rested on a face beside him. A face without a body. A very familiar face.

She dropped to her knees as several shivers rushed down her limbs.

Oh, God, no.

Hanten.

Talya screamed as she arose and drove her sword through the closest Malinorian’s chest. Tears blurred her vision. She wiped them with her free hand and rushed toward the next barbarian.

Hanten was gone.

Fueled by sorrow and rage, Talya attacked the Malinorians with a renewed fury, killing every man in her path.

*****

Commander Jalarn’s anger grew by the second. Malinor’s men were faltering all because a scant number of horsemen from Sanctus had shown up.

One of his knights stumbled backward and almost bumped into Jalarn’s horse. A long arrow stuck out of his chest.

Jalarn looked up into the trees for the cowardly archers. He hated men that resorted to sitting safely in a tree, picking off skilled warriors one by one. He would kill every single one of them. One day, he would rid the whole world of them.

He spotted a scrawny young archer standing close to the battle, firing at several Malinorians with great precision.

Gripping his war scythe with both hands, Jalarn jumped off of his horse and sprinted toward the unsuspecting lad. As Jalarn swung for the archer’s head, an enemy knight blocked his blow with an iron shield.

Jalarn kicked the shield away and a slender, light-haired maiden stood in its place.

Jalarn swung for her throat, but she fluidly leaned backward. He came at her again, but she blocked his attack. She had some skill, but her arms were already shaking from fatigue. He would finish her off in moments.

A hateful haze clouded Talya’s mind as she stared down the enemy commander. As he raced toward her, all she could think about was Hanten.

Talya screamed as she swung her sword at the large warrior. She missed.

He was as skilled as he was strong.

Of course you have to come against me now. I’ve never felt so tired in all my life.

There was something particularly unnerving about his eyes as they glared into hers through his cast iron mask. They were harder, more calculating than the others.

Since when do I notice this stuff in the middle of fighting?

Talya tried to focus. She had not endured two years of intense training just to fall dead at the hand of a monster. He had a great amount of strength and momentum, but she had agility and speed.

She allowed him to close in on her.

Just a little closer…

He lifted his massive scythe.

So predictable.

Warriors like him were all the same. They fought with intimidating weapons that just slowed them down.

As he brought his weapon down, Talya dove out of the way and jabbed her opponent in his side. She had hit the area where there was no armor protection.

His eyes widened as blood seeped down his armor. He attacked her with another series of slashes. For his size, he was very quick.

Too quick for how weak I have become.

Despite the rapid succession of swings, Talya dodged each one. She hated being on the defense, but at least she was staying alive.

He dropped his scythe and withdrew a blood splattered broad sword from the sheath at his hip. He took a run at her again. She blocked what would have been a bone-shattering blow.

Their surroundings had grown darker. Talya and her enemy had traveled much deeper into the forest. Thick smoke surrounded them. They were very close to the fire. There were no other men fighting nearby. She had allowed herself to be lured into a trap.

A trap I can and will get out of.

Talya’s legs trembled from exhaustion, but she refused to give in to defeat. She had slaughtered more than one hundred men that day. All she needed was the right stab and the unwavering opponent before her would be dead like the rest.

The sword maiden was not as easy of a kill as he had anticipated. She was much tougher than she looked. The competition was energizing, but Jalarn had other Cardamonian knights to slay.

And a king to taunt and kill.

He leaped into the air,