Chapter 1

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  Geryll Shoresten was oblivious to everything in the outside world. He was asleep in the cooling shade of his favorite tree out of the hot midsummer heat. What did it matter he had promised Phiona that he would watch her fight in the Games today. She wasn't the only one that was going to fight. His contests were later this afternoon and he had to rest.

  "Ger! Wake up!" Another friend of his, Geoffry Staunden, woke him from his peaceful slumber. "Phiona is about to fight."

  Geryll opened one eye at the lanky boy with the unkempt hair standing in front of him. "I was sleeping."

  "Get up. You told her that we were going to be there to watch her so move your carcass." Geoff was persistent.

  Geryll groaned and stood to his full six-foot height. At sixteen years old, he stood taller than most boys his age with the small exception of Geoffry. His friend Phiona Margov was shorter than both of the boys standing at 5'8 but that didn't really matter because she could use a sword better than most of the men in the small village. He picked up his sword that had lain in it's sheath next to him and buckled it on then followed Geoff to the marked ground that served as the arena for the village Games held every year in midsummer.

  As they got closer they saw Phiona standing a little ways off out of the crowd. She waved and ran over to them as soon as she saw who was coming.

  "Who are you fighting?" Geryll asked the shorter black haired girl standing in front of him with a sword buckled around her waist.

  "One of the out-of-towners that registered for the Games," Phiona answered. "I think I might get a run for my money this time. When are the rest of your fights?"

  "I've got mine later this afternoon. When are the stave bouts held Geoff?" Geryll answered Phiona then turned to Geoff.

  "Tomorrow the finals will be held. I think I'll do pretty well. The others I've seen are mostly visitors who just practiced by beating up disorganized bandits. Shouldn't be any trouble at all."

  Geryll and Phiona just looked at each other and laughed.

  A roar went up from the crowd accompanied by the groans and moans of those who had just lost bets.

  "Well that's my cue to go. Wish me luck." Phiona turned and pushed through the crowd to stand in her place as she was announced. Geryll and Geoff followed at a distance.

  In a couple seconds the bets were placed and the challengers had squared off. Phiona was fighting a heavy looking girl that carried two short swords. She looked as if she could just swat Phi to the ground but Phiona was holding her own. Phiona's sword flashed with the bright sunlight as she attacked. It was quickly batted aside by one of the shorter blades and the other came in for a low attack. Phiona blocked it and the attack from the first blade as well.

  "Hmm. Geoff did you place any bets yet?" Geryll asked Geoff.

  "Nope. I don't usually bet on or against outsiders. I bet with outsiders if it's one of our village guys."

  "How much gold you got on you?" Geryll held his hand out for some money.

  "How much do you have?" Geoffry didn't move just stood there and looked at Geryll.

  He thought for a minute. "I've got about ten golds total. I want to bet it all. If I can get at least two to one then I'll be happy. I wonder if Phi will let the match go on a bit longer."

  "I've only got eight." Geoff started reaching toward his belt purse hanging at his side.

  "We can make thirty six gold or more if we do this right. Take five and find somebody. One of the professional bookkeepers. The others will try to cheat you. Use the other three with somebody else."

  A few minutes later Geryll and and Geoff met back in the same spot.

  "Somebody was so confidant that Phi would lose they gave me four to one on five gold. I got three to one on the other three gold." Geoff reported his luck.

  Geryll laughed. "I only got three to one on all ten of mine. I'll share the one extra gold with you later." He turned back to the match.

  Both girls were sweating heavily. So much that their shirts were plastered to their chests giving all the spectators an eyeful. The bigger girl stumbled and Phiona followed up on the advantage by knocking one of the short swords out of her hands. Most of the crowd got kind of quiet at that.

  "Guess most of them bet on the other girl. Think we'll have to go forcibly take our winnings?" Geryll asked Geoff.

  "I would hope not for their sakes."

  The bigger girl now had to play defensive and she made a move to her fallen blade but Phiona wouldn't have any of that and moved into the way. Phiona's opponent lunged toward her blade first but Phi jumped out of the way and managed to kick the blade farther away as she did so. Another stumble and now the bigger girl really had to go on the defensive. But that wasn't going to happen as she fell off balance again. Phiona rushed her and as she brought her short sword up to block, she was thrown back by the sheer force of the blow and landed hard upon the ground. A semi-universal groan went up from the crowd.

  "Time to go collect." It didn't take Geoff or Geryll long to get their winnings and as they got back to the spot where they had met before the fight, Phiona was there with her opponent.

  The girl nodded in the direction of the money, "For or against me?"

  Geryll just smiled but Geoff answered. "It had nothing to do with a lack of confidence on your behalf but overwhelming confidence on Phiona's."

  She just rolled her eyes.

  The girl had shoulder length brown hair and stood about an inch or two taller than Phiona. She was well muscled from what Geryll could see. He figured she was probably a mercenary or something of the sort.

  "I don't think you have been introduced to Mara yet so there. Mara these fools are Geryll or Ger for short and Geoffry or Geoff," she pointed to each in turn.

  Geryll gave a short bow and Geoff did the same.

  "I need to get cleaned up. Let's go back to the inn. Mother is expecting me back to tell her if I won or lost. Think your Da will be by later Ger?" Phiona headed to the part of the town where her parents owned the Golden Rod, one of the better places to stay in the village and the other three followed behind her.

  "He said he'd be by so he could drop off the wine from the vineyards. He's got some ale to." Geryll answered then turned to Mara. "Do you want something to drink. My friend and I won a little bit of money off of you so the least we could do is treat you to lunch or something to eat. After a fight with Phi you must be starved."

  "Thanks. I'd like that a lot. Breakfast seems so long ago right now." She answered gratefully. "So your dad owns vineyards, Phiona's owns an inn, so what does Geoff's do?"

  "He does carpentry and comes highly recommended. Our parents have a sort of agreement. If one of their parents want carpentry done they come to my dad and they either put him up for the night or give him a bit of wine. Ger's dad keeps the inn supplied and my family gets lower prices on wine and such. All of our families eat free at the inn as long as it's not expensive and really often. Works out perfectly from all angles." Geoff heard and answered.

  "Hmm. Sounds like a good plan."

  "So what do you do if I may ask?" Geoff in turn asked Mara a question.

  "Mostly mercenary work if I can get it. If not then I do whatever needs done."

  Soon they arrived at the inn that Phiona's parents owned.

  Most of the people must have been at the contests because there weren't many people in the common room. The ones that were in there must have just been arriving because Geryll didn't see anybody without items of some sort.

  Phiona headed straight toward the back of the room to the door that led into the kitchen.

  Mistress Lita Margov was a large woman by anybody's standards but her size was only a tribute to her cooking. She had shoulder length brown hair when it was down but usually she had it up in a bun on the top of her head to keep it from getting in the way. Her face was gracefully proportioned and was often a natural rosy red from being in the heat of her kitchen. She had large hands and ample bosom and could wield an iron skillet better than most either in the kitchen or in a troublemaker's face.

  When traveling conditions were good, people would come from miles around just to sample her delicious fare and hear tales from the other patrons at her inn. She rarely had any trouble from anybody not only because of her skill with her skillet but because the other visitors wouldn't stand for such a disturbance in their place of comfort and so would probably hurt somebody worse than she could.

  "When's your father coming by?" She asked Geryll after she dusted her hands off and finished giving orders to one of her serving women.

  "He'll be here soon. He said he'd be at my fights and will probably be dropping the drinks off before that."

  "And who is your friend here, dear?" She turned and gave a small curtsy to Mara who curtsied back.

  "My name is Mara and your daughter beat me in the last fight," Mara smiled as she spoke. "It was a fight well fought."

  "Glad I am to hear you say that. Is there anything I can do for you? A bit of meat and bread perhaps."

  "We'd kinda like a bath, mom. Is there any water left upstairs? And Mara might need some more clothes for afterwards." Phiona answered.

  "Gerome should have put some more in the basin in the room your father and I share. You could use that." Mistress Lita referred to the only boy that worked there who served as stable boy and anything else that needed a man's hand. "You'll have to see Martha about the clothes. Geoff, do you want some of pork ribs and bread?"

  Phiona led Mara out of the room and Geoff answered, "Two cuts for me and Geryll here. He needs something for this afternoon."

  Geryll gave an exagerrated stomach rub. Mistress Lita just laughed and turned back to the ovens.

  "Have two racks made of for the boys, please." She turned and addressed one of the girls then to the boys she added, "Do you want it in here or in outside?"