"Brid! BRIDLYNG!" My brother yelled.

I laughed and smiled at the sight of my younger brother, standing in the wooden stockade he had dubbed "The Arena", swinging his sword about his head, charging at a dwarf, who could not have been much older than me, in full armor.

The wooden toy connected with the plating of the dwarf's armor and left the air resounding with a thwack.

The dwarf staggered back as Danruhl danced in victory.

"Bridlyng! I won! Did y'see?"

"Yes, Danruhl, I saw you beat the lumbering oaf, but let's see if you can beat your big old sister." I called to him, jumping over the barrier and landing with a soft thud on the dusty arena floor.

"Briddie, you can't beat me!" Danruhl taunted, stout little hands on his hips.

I mimicked his stance.

"Oh really, dwarfling? And why is that?"

"Because I'm better!" Danruhl fell into a fit of laughter.

"Well now, now you are just asking for it." I picked up a practice sword from the edge of the stockade and tried swinging it a few times.

Balance wasn't so bad for a wooden plaything.

I stood square to my little brother and peered down at him. He smiled back at me and charged.

Thwack!

My blade blocked his.

"Cheat! You aimed for my face!" I exclaimed.

Thwack!

The flat of my blade hit his side.

"Oooouchhiee, Briddie, that 'urt!"

"I'll show you hurt, pipsqueak!" I laughed, smacking his other side.

"Ain't fair! Ain't fair!" Danruhl squealed, trying to sound pained while smiling all the same.

The armored dwarf pushed himself off of the stockade railing and came to my brother's rescue.

He snatched the wooden sword from Danruhl's hand and fended me off.

I took a second to look at him and almost keeled over laughing, Danruhl's blade, once a mighty broad sword, had shrunk to the size of a dagger in the stranger's hands.

My brother stuck his tongue out and jeered from the safety behind his legs.

Thwack, hack, stab, he advanced.

"You'll have to do better than that." I grinned and beat him back.

I could almost see an eyebrow quirk beneath the visor.

He tried an experimental sweep to my knees.

I parried and brought the wooden blades, still crossed, in an arch over his head.

"Beat 'er! Beat 'er!" Danruhl called.

"Thank you, traitor! By Valor, I thought you were my brother!" I teased through gritted teeth. My opponent had pressed back against my advance and was now bearing down on me. I pivoted in ward and slammed my elbow into his chainmail covered gut.

He let out an ooph, and released the pressure on my blade.

I went on the offensive, bringing the practice sword to collide with his opposing knee. Danruhl shrieked and shifted sides.

Swing, block, thrust, parry, it went on until I saw my opening.

He tensed, muscles in his back leg coiling, preparing to stab.

I swung my blade up as it came, twisting my crossguard as it connected with his, sending his blade flying out of his hand. I brought my foot down on his and spun around him, grabbing Danruhl by the waist and lifting him off the ground.

He kicked and squealed like a wild boar, struggling to get out of my one-armed-vice grip.

I leveled the wooden sword at my opponent and blew the loose strands of hair out of my face.

He held his arms up in surrender and lifted the helm off of his head.

My brow furrowed.

He looked familiar, but I could not place him.

"To the victor goes the spoils." He conceded with a bow, his grey eyes smiling.

"You hear that?" I asked Danruhl, looking down at him. "That means you'll have to take that bath you're due for."

Danruhl yelped in protest and fought hard to get out of my hold.

I gave the dwarf a grateful nod and climbed back over the palisade, squirming baby brother and all.

"You will come back, won't you?" The dwarf called. "Y' fight very well!"

I halted, and considered it for a moment.

My father would murder me-

I turned and gave him a half smile before tossing Danruhl onto my hip and continuing into the hall