Isabel found it difficult to formulate a counterargument so she changed the subject. “How does that work, anyway?” she asked. “They’re clearly charmed by you, why not just use your charm on me as well?”
“Very well,” Hazel said. “Ayela, you should pay close attention here. A charm spell works best on one of the opposite gender, but there’s more to it than that. A charm creates a strong emotional bond to the caster of the spell within the subject, and while this bond is artificial and temporary, it is nonetheless quite powerful while it lasts. Since women are prone to more intense emotions than men, we tend to be better able to manage such emotions. Add to that the natural need of a witch to manufacture powerful emotion for spell casting and the fact that other witches are usually all but immune to such magic.”
“Huh,” Isabel said. “That’s very interesting.”
“So why not just charm my father or brother and tell them the truth about the Sin’Rath?” Ayela asked.
“They’re already under the influence of a charm,” Hazel said, “a much darker and more powerful charm than I can cast. The Sin’Rath are descended from the Succubus Queen, Sin’Rath, and as such have inherited a number of powerful natural abilities. One of those is their venom. A single bite from a Sin’Rath witch will permanently charm any man, rendering them completely obedient to the witch who bit them. No simple charm spell can overcome something so insidious.”
“Then how can we save them?” Ayela asked, new worry quavering in her voice.
“Kill the witch who bit them,” Hazel said. “Or … as I’ve said, I’m working on a spell that will render their venom impotent. Once I’ve succeeded, I’ll be able to free the men of Karth from the grip of the Sin’Rath once and for all.”
“I say we just kill the witches,” Isabel said. “We could start with the two wandering around the swamp looking for us.”
Ayela nodded.
“And how do you propose we do that?” Hazel asked.
“I was hoping you had some magic to help us,” Isabel said. “If we could separate one of the witches from the soldiers and catch her by surprise, I think we’d have a good chance of killing her.” Isabel didn’t really expect Hazel to agree, but she was hoping to draw out more information about her capabilities without questioning her directly.
“Your plan is based on speculation and an expectation of good fortune,” Hazel said. “More than that, it’s far too dangerous. Even if we succeeded in killing one, her death would ensure that the remaining soldiers would continue their search indefinitely. Eventually they might find this place.”
“I’m not worried about the soldiers,” Isabel said. “If we kill the witches, the soldiers will come around. Surely you have something else we could use against them. Would henbane work on the Sin’Rath?”
“Possibly, but it’s hard to say for certain,” Hazel said. “Their lineage gives me pause. Besides, henbane can only be administered from a very short distance. If it failed, you would be at their mercy.”
“There has to be something we can do,” Isabel said.
“There is,” Hazel said. “We can wait until they leave. Any other course is suicide.”
“I’m not good at waiting,” Isabel said, disappointed that she hadn’t gained more insight into Hazel’s magic.
“Then I suggest you look at this as an opportunity to improve your proficiency in that regard,” Hazel said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to see how the boys are coming along with the firewood.”
Once Hazel left, Isabel reached across the table and took Ayela’s hand. “Are you really going to stay with her?”
“I think so,” Ayela said. “I could do so much more for my family if I had magic like you.”
“I understand how you feel,” Isabel said, “but I just can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. I don’t trust her.”
“I know and I even understand why,” Ayela said. “She hasn’t been exactly hospitable, but she’s willing to teach me how to fight the Sin’Rath. How can I pass that up?”
“But we already have a plan,” Isabel said. “With the Goiri bone, we can hunt the witches down and kill them without having to worry about their magic. Without it, they’re nearly helpless.”
“But what if Hazel’s right?” Ayela said. “What if the Goiri is just a myth? What if the mountain is as dangerous as she says? We could be throwing our lives away for nothing. At least here, I have a real chance to make a difference.”
“I hope you’re right, Ayela,” Isabel said.
“Me too.”
“While we have the time, do you want to learn a few things about fighting?” Isabel asked.
“I’d love to,” Ayela said.
Isabel spent the day alternately lecturing and drilling Ayela in the use of a knife. She started there because it was the weapon Ayela was already most familiar with and because it was the easiest for her to wield.
“Fighting with a knife is about speed and accuracy,” Isabel said while Ayela practiced thrusting with the blade. “Strength is secondary. Let the sharpness of the blade do the work for you. Your task is just to deliver it to the right spot as quickly as possible, then to withdraw to a safe distance in anticipation of your enemy’s counterattack.
“Remember, striking some points on the body are deadly with a single cut, but it’s often more effective to weaken your opponent with a less deadly strike first. Cut their arm or their hand to weaken their ability to hold their weapon. Draw blood to unnerve them. Put them on the defensive and pick your moment to deliver the killing blow. Be patient if you have the time, especially if you’ve already cut them. Let their blood drain away until their head becomes light and their judgment falters before going for the kill.
“Your kill strike can fall on many different parts of the body. With a knife, accuracy is all-important. With a sword, you can simply stab a person in the midsection. Such a strike is harder to accomplish with a shorter blade, especially if your opponent is armored. Target the eyes and the throat if you have a shot. Both spots are almost always unprotected and a strike to either can be deadly in the extreme.”
Ayela worked on her technique, carefully following Isabel’s instructions for handling the knife-how to hold it, when to choose a thrust over a slice, how to conceal a drawn blade to gain the element of surprise.
“Remember, regardless of how damaging a point of attack is, it’s better to draw blood than wait for the perfect opening. Wounding your enemy weakens them. If you’re down and the only shot you have is to stab them in the side of the leg, then do it. If you’re on the defensive and all you can manage is a slash along the outer arm, then do it. Cut your enemy when and where you can.
“Once you’ve committed to the fight, give them no mercy, no quarter, and feel no remorse. Press any advantage you have with single-minded determination and don’t let up until you’re certain the enemy is finished. Even when they look defeated, strike again just to be sure.”
After Ayela had learned the basics of a number of thrusting and slicing attacks, Isabel started working those techniques into combinations, targeting first the arm, then moving in for more ruinous parts of the body. She worked on several multiple-strike combinations at low speed, focusing on accuracy until Ayela was comfortable with the series of movements, then began increasing the speed of the movements until Ayela was dripping with sweat.
As evening fell, she stopped her relentless drilling and smiled at the young Princess of Karth. “You’ve done well today.”
“Thank you, Isabel. I learned so much. I’m already starting to see how to string one technique after the other to create different combinations and how it all depends on the enemy, what they’re armed with, if they have armor, how they move, where they’re standing in relation to me … there are just so many factors.”