Page 43 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

“Are you a coward?” Garros shouted to the air. “Come out and fight me like a man!”

Vaara sighed, resting his chin on the heel of his hand. Humans were so godsdamned stupid.

It seemed that he could wait there as long as he liked. Garros had a hostage, but one he wasn’t willing to damage. He had no leverage.

It was just a matter of waiting until Garros got impatient and let his guard down.

Garros cursed again. He turned to Crow, then bent to grab the end of the rope that was wrapped around her and started dragging her across the clearing away from Vaara.

Vaara straightened. The rope had been caught under one of her arms and tangled in her cloak, which was the only reason it wasn’t strangling her. She grabbed weakly at the length above her head, gasping as her legs scrabbled beneath her.

There was a chance Garros was stupid enough—or enraged enough—to accidentally kill her. Maybe Vaara didn’t have the luxury of waiting for the most opportune moment to attack.

He circled around the edge of the clearing, following Garros from the safety of the trees. He waited until Garros had crossed close to the trees, then rushed at him.

It was a mistake. Garros dropped Crow’s rope and whirled to deflect the attack. Garros’s sword came down and Vaara had to parry and back away from the heavy blade.

“So you are still around,” Garros said. Vaara saw his eyes struggle to find him, focusing farther away and then closer. Then, quicker than Vaara had expected, Garros’s sword lashed out toward him again.

He was forced to spin out of the way, back into the clearing, as Garros pressed in. Garros kept pushing, never giving him time to recover, until Vaara stumbled and fell.

He kicked out to catch one of Garros’s legs between his and twisted, wrenching Garros’s leg sideways, and the man went sprawling to the ground. Vaara scrambled to his feet and jabbed.

Garros deflected the blow, but not by enough. Vaara’s sword dug into his side. But again, recovering far quicker than Vaara had expected, Garros swung wildly, forcing Vaara back until his back hit a tree. His sword flew toward Vaara’s face, the blade a silver flash.

Vaara shifted, and the blade hit his shoulder. Pain exploded in his neck and arm as muscles were severed and veins cut. A jolt of panic hit him as he realized Garros was about to strike again.

Then Garros stopped, shouting in pain. He looked down. Crow, still on the ground behind them, had taken the knife from her belt and stabbed him in the foot, embedding the blade deep in his boot.

In a rush, Vaara lifted his sword and thrust.

There was a second of stillness as Garros’s movements abruptly halted. Vaara’s sword had penetrated between his lower ribs. Blood was seeping through his shirt.

Garros looked down at himself, then up at Vaara, teeth bared. He tried to raise his sword again.

Vaara withdrew his sword and stabbed it through his chest this time.

With a huge, pained exhalation of breath, Garros dropped to the ground and grew still. The snow around him was slowly dyed a garish red.

It was quiet again. Thick snowflakes fell steadily, indifferent to all that had just happened.

Chapter 11

Vaara lowered his trembling blade, panting. He looked down at Crow. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing shallowly. There was a rope burn on her neck and another on her wrist, but he saw no other obvious injuries.

He bent down beside her and uncoiled the rope from around her. “Crow?”

She slowly looked up. Then she found the wound on his shoulder, and her eyes widened.

“What happened?” he asked.

“He made me…” she breathed, “…drink something...”

A pang of apprehension hit him. Poison? No, they had wanted her alive. “Something to sedate you,” he said.

She squinted at him, then shivered. Her clothes were wet from the snow. She looked… afraid.

“Help...” she began to say, and trailed off. Her eyes closed.

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