Yun-Men snarled in rage. The young Shou prisoner had impressed her with his bravery, as he obviously had no real field expertise, his uniform clean, his hands soft. He had impressed her to the extent that her heart had softened and she had decided to bring water for the boy. And now this Western stranger was taking her prisoner away, wherever the deepest pit of Hell she did come from. This was what happened to the softhearted.
- "Stranger. Die," she said in her broken common, her blades locked with the stranger's large one, their eyes intent on each others'.
- "I'd rather not," the stranger replied. There was no similar hatred in her. She pulled her blade off, and Yun-Men anticipated an opening, striking a finishing thrust. But the stranger dodged and almost brought her blade on Yun-Men's arm! Her eyes widened in spite of herself. She had never met a warrior like this one. Who was this woman?
The woman started to attack her with astonishing speed, the blade of her large sword murderous whirlwind. Yun-Men started to go on defensive, thinking quickly. A part of her enjoyed sparring with someone so skilled, but she realized there was a good chance she would get killed in the duel. Yun-Men was not afraid of death. She had used well what had been given to her and led her people to glory, but her empire was not finished yet. She wanted to live to see that. She yelled, hoping that her archers would hear.
- "Come here, soon! Enemy at the command center! And you," she addressed the male guard fighting the troubled prisoner, "subdue him!" If that happened, she could use the prisoner as leverage in order to make the strange warrior surrender.
But the woman seemed to anticipate this.
- "Shui, quick! Pull off and cut that horse loose! I'll keep them both off you!"
Now she was protecting the prisoner more than attacking Yun-Men. The Khan tried to take advantage of this, but simply couldn't break the woman's defences.
- "Who ARE you?" she asked, awed in spite of herself.
- "I am Peri, spawn of Bhaal," the woman replied, her glossy reddish-brown hair swirling around her like a veil.
It meant nothing to Yun-Men, but this was not time for extended pleasantries. In anger she could see that the frightened and disoriented boy managed to get loose the horse that was pulling the prisoner wagon.
- "I am the Khan. Do not make me enemy," Yun-Men said.
- "I have had a lot of enemies, Yun-Men Khan," Peri wheezed. "But go on... I will just save this guy and be gone... Shui, jump on the horse and hold tight!"
She spared a glance and saw that Shui had managed to hug the frantic animal. And a good thing too, as she could see a few archers in the distance squinting at them, apparently pondering what was going on here. She leapt and prayed that she would make it right the first time.
At that precise moment Yun-Men slashed her blade again. Peri landed atop the horse, but the warlord managed to cut a deep wound in her thigh. She hissed in pain and countered, blocking the stab of the male warrior at the same time. Yun-Men yelped as the greatsword cut her arm. There was one last intense look between the women, and then Peri urged the horse to gallop away, trying to hold Shui who was barely conscious. A shower of arrows was following them, and one of them hit Shui near the elbow. The boy moaned lightly.
- "Shui, hang on... you will be okay as soon as we get back to Ankiang," Peri said.
- "All... are they all dead?"
- "Nope. Chen had time to arrange the defence, and my family is helping them."
- "Why you..."
- "Shhh. Now just hang on."
Meanwhile the young male warrior looked at Yun-Men, wide-eyed.
- "Khan. That woman was a warrior who..." he swallowed and shivered a bit.
- "Yes?" Her voice. Smooth and glittering like the surface of a frozen puddle. The eyes like the waves of the Frozen Sea.
- "Er... that is..."
- "She was a better fighter than I am," Yun-Men said evenly.
- "I thought... such a thing can not be," the boy whispered.
- "Do not be silly, soldier. It is best to assume that there can and will be those more skilled than any of us. Then we must only find alternative ways to defeat them."
She had briefly considered killing the young man, in order to keep the myth of her invincibility intact. But no. They must not be too dependent on her, thinking that she would lead them to victory merely by existing. Everything in this world had to be earned. Everything.
