CHAPTER FIVE - GAMBLING
Chrissie gave the guard that pulled her sharply to her feet a frown.
"What's going on? Where are we going?" Chrissie demanded.
The guard looked up as he unbuckled Fred's chains. They'd only put them on her soon after the last questioning yesterday, but already they were chafing.
"Captain Faramir has ordered you to be brought to the courtyard. Apparently you're to be the prize for some fight or something."
Chrissie fumed. "I am not a prize to be won!"
The guard threatened to hit her across the face. "You are whatever Captain Faramir deems you are. Now come along quietly or I will see the Master of Arms doesn't treat you so lightly next time."
Chrissie winced and felt Fred wince as well. That had not been a pleasant experience.
***
Kelly stood on the far edge of the combat square, on the surface calm; but inside she was roiling with nerves. Why couldn't she just be diplomatic and organise their release, she wondered? Hell, even stealthily breaking in and rescuing them would be smarter than to challenge the Captain of the Watch to a swordfight.
It was true she'd heard much about him from the local gossip, mostly about his gambling habits, but a few had mentioned admirably his skills in battle. Kelly had conveniently forgotten them when she'd stormed in.
She strapped Karth's dagger around her ankle and twisted her sword in her hand. She'd kept Karth's dagger as a memento of him and somewhat as a good luck charm. If she remembered correctly, they were the only weapons she was allowed.
The Master of Arms strolled into the courtyard, at least six foot three and built like a brick wall. She was glad she wasn't fighting him, especially as he seemed sober now. He looked her up and down, seeming to appraise her skill just with that glance. He shook his head and headed over to the sidelines. Kelly was feeling worse by the minute.
***
Chrissie and Fred were almost hyper-active by the time they reached the courtyard. Although they'd been annoyed at first, when Fred had wondered out loud if perhaps Duin-Shiel had come back to fight for their freedom, Chrissie had been instantly excited.
As they looked through the door at the slim figure with jet-black hair nervously shining a blade, they realised instantly it was not Duin-Shiel.
"Is that Kelly? Cos' if that is we're in big trouble." Chrissie said, completely not impressed.
"But Kelly has brown hair and even I can see that person has black hair." Fred whispered, squinting in the sunlight.
"Yeah, but look at that blade and the dagger in her boot. They look suspiciously like the ones she got from that person Duin-Shiel killed."
Chrissie and Fred looked at each other as they came to a unanimous decision. Kelly was fighting for their freedom and they were in big trouble.
***
Kelly tried to stand calmly as the Master of Arms seemed to take forever clarifying the rules of combat. She raised her sword as Faramir did the same, but she couldn't help but see her blade shaking slightly.
She watched Faramir grin slightly. She raised an eyebrow. If that was what he thought of her, why change it?
As soon as the Master of Arms shouted for the start, Faramir dove straight in and Kelly deliberately slowed herself so she barely missed it. She wanted him to think she was an easy fight. That was the mistake Karth had made the first time they'd fought and it could be easily made again.
As she relaxed into the rhythm of battle, she let herself speed up a little, throwing a few off-balancing strikes to confuse him. His eyes flicked up to hers and she knew in that moment they'd only been dancing around each other, neither letting themselves go completely. That was about to change.
He twisted and sliced towards her face, much faster than she would have imagined he could have. She blocked just in the nick of time with the leather band on her wrist. She checked out the slice down her wrist as he backed off for a minute, circling her, almost daring her to come at him. If he hit her wrist again, the band could come off.and then there would be serious trouble.
***
Kelly watched him taunting her, making subtle swings of his blade. She tried to work herself into a fury, it was so much easier for her to fight when she wasn't thinking. This man had kept her in prison for over a week, the thing that she hated the most. He had laughed at her and ridiculed her, been a generally sexist pig towards her and now he was holding her friends captive. There was no knowing what he might have done to them already.
Kelly felt the familiar warmth of fury seeping through her bones, felt her hands steadying as adrenaline flooded her body. She smiled that hungry smile, the smile a predator gave it's prey before the chase.
Somewhere outside herself, she heard Chrissie and Fred gasp. They had seen that smile once before; when she had come after them.
Kelly rushed at Faramir, slicing back and forth in a frenzy, cutting high, cutting low and not even stopping to parry. Faramir didn't seem to have to worry about attacking; it was all he could do to hold her off.
She cut in hard to the left, and hit him hard with right hand across the face. Still reeling in surprise, he hardly put any resistance when she slammed her hilt into this hand, making him drop his sword.
She grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed her knee into his nose, then threw him behind her, back into the centre of the ring. He looked up from the ground to her, eyes white with fear, but slowly succumbing to a fury not unlike her own. She had hit his pride now.
***
"Chrissie, oh my God! She's going to kill him!" Fred squealed from the side lines.
Chrissie looked around. "Like that's so bad?"
Fred grabbed her by the shoulders. "Of course it is, who else is going to help Frodo in the Two Towers?"
Chrissie's eyes widened when she realised what Fred was saying. If Faramir died, Frodo might not survive.
"KELLY! You can't kill him, he's got to help you know who later on!" Chrissie shouted at the top of her lungs. (This really was quite loud)
Kelly paused and looked at them, then down at Faramir. She sheathed her dagger and took a step back. She held a hand out to Faramir and helped him up. Only Faramir wasn't quite finished with her yet.
She walked away from him to fetch her fallen sword and didn't hear him unsheathing his dagger from his boot. He flung the dagger with all his might towards her.
Chrissie and Fred tried to scream out to Kelly, to tell her what Faramir was doing, but it seemed that everything was happening in slow motion.
Kelly turned just in time for the dagger to plunge into the right side of her stomach. Chrissie and Fred watched her eyes widen in shock as she sagged down to the floor. They couldn't move as the guards casually picked up her limp form and carried her back into the cells.
The guard that had brought them up gave them a shove towards the door and let out a curse when they failed to move.
"Get a move on ladies. Your friend's already dead so pull yourself together already."
Chrissie gave the guard that pulled her sharply to her feet a frown.
"What's going on? Where are we going?" Chrissie demanded.
The guard looked up as he unbuckled Fred's chains. They'd only put them on her soon after the last questioning yesterday, but already they were chafing.
"Captain Faramir has ordered you to be brought to the courtyard. Apparently you're to be the prize for some fight or something."
Chrissie fumed. "I am not a prize to be won!"
The guard threatened to hit her across the face. "You are whatever Captain Faramir deems you are. Now come along quietly or I will see the Master of Arms doesn't treat you so lightly next time."
Chrissie winced and felt Fred wince as well. That had not been a pleasant experience.
***
Kelly stood on the far edge of the combat square, on the surface calm; but inside she was roiling with nerves. Why couldn't she just be diplomatic and organise their release, she wondered? Hell, even stealthily breaking in and rescuing them would be smarter than to challenge the Captain of the Watch to a swordfight.
It was true she'd heard much about him from the local gossip, mostly about his gambling habits, but a few had mentioned admirably his skills in battle. Kelly had conveniently forgotten them when she'd stormed in.
She strapped Karth's dagger around her ankle and twisted her sword in her hand. She'd kept Karth's dagger as a memento of him and somewhat as a good luck charm. If she remembered correctly, they were the only weapons she was allowed.
The Master of Arms strolled into the courtyard, at least six foot three and built like a brick wall. She was glad she wasn't fighting him, especially as he seemed sober now. He looked her up and down, seeming to appraise her skill just with that glance. He shook his head and headed over to the sidelines. Kelly was feeling worse by the minute.
***
Chrissie and Fred were almost hyper-active by the time they reached the courtyard. Although they'd been annoyed at first, when Fred had wondered out loud if perhaps Duin-Shiel had come back to fight for their freedom, Chrissie had been instantly excited.
As they looked through the door at the slim figure with jet-black hair nervously shining a blade, they realised instantly it was not Duin-Shiel.
"Is that Kelly? Cos' if that is we're in big trouble." Chrissie said, completely not impressed.
"But Kelly has brown hair and even I can see that person has black hair." Fred whispered, squinting in the sunlight.
"Yeah, but look at that blade and the dagger in her boot. They look suspiciously like the ones she got from that person Duin-Shiel killed."
Chrissie and Fred looked at each other as they came to a unanimous decision. Kelly was fighting for their freedom and they were in big trouble.
***
Kelly tried to stand calmly as the Master of Arms seemed to take forever clarifying the rules of combat. She raised her sword as Faramir did the same, but she couldn't help but see her blade shaking slightly.
She watched Faramir grin slightly. She raised an eyebrow. If that was what he thought of her, why change it?
As soon as the Master of Arms shouted for the start, Faramir dove straight in and Kelly deliberately slowed herself so she barely missed it. She wanted him to think she was an easy fight. That was the mistake Karth had made the first time they'd fought and it could be easily made again.
As she relaxed into the rhythm of battle, she let herself speed up a little, throwing a few off-balancing strikes to confuse him. His eyes flicked up to hers and she knew in that moment they'd only been dancing around each other, neither letting themselves go completely. That was about to change.
He twisted and sliced towards her face, much faster than she would have imagined he could have. She blocked just in the nick of time with the leather band on her wrist. She checked out the slice down her wrist as he backed off for a minute, circling her, almost daring her to come at him. If he hit her wrist again, the band could come off.and then there would be serious trouble.
***
Kelly watched him taunting her, making subtle swings of his blade. She tried to work herself into a fury, it was so much easier for her to fight when she wasn't thinking. This man had kept her in prison for over a week, the thing that she hated the most. He had laughed at her and ridiculed her, been a generally sexist pig towards her and now he was holding her friends captive. There was no knowing what he might have done to them already.
Kelly felt the familiar warmth of fury seeping through her bones, felt her hands steadying as adrenaline flooded her body. She smiled that hungry smile, the smile a predator gave it's prey before the chase.
Somewhere outside herself, she heard Chrissie and Fred gasp. They had seen that smile once before; when she had come after them.
Kelly rushed at Faramir, slicing back and forth in a frenzy, cutting high, cutting low and not even stopping to parry. Faramir didn't seem to have to worry about attacking; it was all he could do to hold her off.
She cut in hard to the left, and hit him hard with right hand across the face. Still reeling in surprise, he hardly put any resistance when she slammed her hilt into this hand, making him drop his sword.
She grabbed him by the shoulders and slammed her knee into his nose, then threw him behind her, back into the centre of the ring. He looked up from the ground to her, eyes white with fear, but slowly succumbing to a fury not unlike her own. She had hit his pride now.
***
"Chrissie, oh my God! She's going to kill him!" Fred squealed from the side lines.
Chrissie looked around. "Like that's so bad?"
Fred grabbed her by the shoulders. "Of course it is, who else is going to help Frodo in the Two Towers?"
Chrissie's eyes widened when she realised what Fred was saying. If Faramir died, Frodo might not survive.
"KELLY! You can't kill him, he's got to help you know who later on!" Chrissie shouted at the top of her lungs. (This really was quite loud)
Kelly paused and looked at them, then down at Faramir. She sheathed her dagger and took a step back. She held a hand out to Faramir and helped him up. Only Faramir wasn't quite finished with her yet.
She walked away from him to fetch her fallen sword and didn't hear him unsheathing his dagger from his boot. He flung the dagger with all his might towards her.
Chrissie and Fred tried to scream out to Kelly, to tell her what Faramir was doing, but it seemed that everything was happening in slow motion.
Kelly turned just in time for the dagger to plunge into the right side of her stomach. Chrissie and Fred watched her eyes widen in shock as she sagged down to the floor. They couldn't move as the guards casually picked up her limp form and carried her back into the cells.
The guard that had brought them up gave them a shove towards the door and let out a curse when they failed to move.
"Get a move on ladies. Your friend's already dead so pull yourself together already."