Chapter 2
June 15
Tihr, Nord Empire
A fortnight passed and I was stuck in the hot arena surrounded by other competitors. Most were young with barely any combat skills like me; folks who came from the farms for a bit of thrill. The rest were professionals. Sword sisters, hired mercenaries, knights, and some folks who looked as though they know their way around a blade shuffled their feet as they waited for King Ragnar to appear and start the opening ceremony.
People from all over the land crowded the seats. For most, this was the most people they have ever seen in their lives. It sure was mine and it was nauseating. The sound they made when the lord of the Nords appeared on the platform where he and his family sat to watch the games made the walls shake and the ground quake with their reverie. It was overpowering and I found myself looking for Hannah, the sword sister who was staying in the same room with me. I lost her in the crowd coming here and I was ashamed standing here scared like a trapped animal.
King Ragnar lifted his arms to call for silence, but only served to fuel the fervor of the masses. He left for a moment and returned with a hornsman to wail a shrill cry that cut through their shouts. When the masses calmed enough for the king to speak, he began. "Welcome warriors to Tihr and the Nordic Tournament. I see there are many of you from every part of the empire and many more who traveled from a far and through treacherous paths just to participate in this blood sport. I wish you all the best of luck as the gods can give and so we begin with the Ceremony. Be merry, for after the morrow, all of you will prove yourselves in battle."
The crowd returned to its loud cheering as a troop of minstrels played music while sirens danced to their tunes. The crowds started leaving, for the real parties were outside the arena. I started pushing for the exit when I felt a hand grip my shoulder. "Hey, you! Where did you go?" I turned to see Hannah puffing red and sweating from the heat.
"I was going to say the same to you," I laughed.
"Hey, let's go out and celebrate," she said stretching her arms, her breasts rising as she raised her arms over her head. I tore my gaze from her and looked at the people talking to each other. "A couple of my companions are gathering at the Dragon's Den for drinks. Do you want to come?"
"Uh, yea sure."
The Dragon's Den was a small bar near the arena. It was as clean a place as anything got around Tihr. The keeper was a bearded old man with a large scar running across his left cheek. He looked like he had seen more than his fair share of blood before settling down. There were several tables and chairs strewn across the floor. A large broadsword hung from the wall over the bar. It was chipped and almost broken, but the old man looked at it with a reverence one gave to the gods.
When we entered, a group called for Hannah from near the fireplace. They seemed like such a lively group; when we sat down they were singing an old folk song about the old country. There were thirteen of us: eight men and five women, gathered around the table, drinking and eating. The women all came from Chalbeck Castle where they practiced in secret near Gisim and protected the villagers from bandits. The men were hired hands from Suno in the Swadian Empire. They knew each other from one of the sword sisters' outreaches to the villages around Praven. Together, they were able to wrest the stranglehold a powerful gang had over Praven that not even the nobility could handle. They shared their tales. The hired hands traveled all over Calradia, seeking more work from the nobles who were busy with their enclosed circles and mistresses.
They started sharing jokes and I joined in with a few witty remarks. The time passed and our drinks waned. I got up, my legs feeling like liquid. I was on my way to the bar to ask for more ale when I fell on the waitress. She dropped her tray full of mugs on one of the patrons, a big man with a drunken ire.
He stood up and grabbed the collar of my shirt. "You, filthy peasant," he raised a fist and the next thing I knew was the taste of blood and the smell of the floor. There was screaming everywhere and a strong kick to my stomach.
"Stop it, you bastard," Hannah held him back. The big man struggled out of her hold and backhanded across her face. I was up on my feet and rammed the brute to the floor. I grabbed Hannah's arm and lifted her up. "Let's go."
"Right," I said as the guy stumbled back up. As we left the pub, the brute yelled curses at us. We stumbled around in a drunken stupor to the inn, yelling profanities at invisible enemies and laughing noisily. We weren't the only ones out doing the same. Booze flooded the streets of Tihr like a mighty river.
Several drunks sang folk songs at the steps to the inn and hackled others passing by to join in with them. We joined in; a disharmonious symphony of slurred words and forgotten lyrics filled the night before Hannah and I walked up the stairs noisily. I dropped like a dead weight on the bed and suddenly felt all of the day's fatigue wash over me. I heard Hannah drop on the other bed and felt her eyes on me. I flipped over and flashed a drunken smile and she lifted her leg, begging me to take off her boots.
Unbeknownst to me, she lured me into a trap. Once I helped her take off her boots, she grabbed my tunic and pulled me close. Her lips touched mine and I felt a flurry of emotions. I moved closer and the night ended with us in each other's arms.