‘Only a coward refuses to let his opponent stand and fight.’
‘Only a fool allows his enemy a sight of victory,’ said Takaar. ‘Though I am glad you remember my words.’
Auum pushed himself upright. He was groggy from the head kick and his breath was pained. Takaar had bruised a rib or two.
‘I am not your enemy,’ said Auum. ‘You are my Arch, my general.’
‘Was, Auum. Was.’ Takaar paced in, his stride easy, his body relaxed. ‘We were talking, on the swim to shore.’
‘I’m sure it was a fascinating conversation.’
Takaar ignored the jibe.
‘And we decided that no one comes to take a fallen hero to glory, only to his doom.’
‘That can be one and the same thing,’ said Auum.
Takaar glanced left. ‘I told you he’d say something like that. Tell me, Auum, are you afraid to die?’
‘Only a fool is not when life is blessed by Yniss himself.’
Takaar clapped his hands slowly, four times. ‘It appears you have ingested my every word.’
‘Only the ones that made any sort of sense.’
Takaar was close. Within ten feet. Close enough to strike without warning. Auum tried to remain relaxed. He was clinging to the belief that Takaar did not actually want to kill him. If he had wanted to, a jaqrui would have done the job before he planted his first kick.
The trouble was, of course, that Takaar was several places removed from sanity most of the time. His perception of the situation was not knowable. Another of Takaar’s maxims came to mind.
To know the enemy mind is to beat him before he stands before you.
To know Takaar’s mind was to know crushing guilt, a decade of solitude and an unhealthy focus on how to die in the rainforest while being extremely careful not to actually do so. Incomprehensible.
Takaar struck.
Auum was ready because he had studied under the master.
Takaar ran straight at him, planted his left leg and kicked out with his right. First kick a feint to the gut, second full force to the throat. Blocked with crossed wrists. Foot deflected left. Follow up left punch, straight and full. Sway right. Riposte. Forearm smash blocked easily. Foot sweep. Jump. Crouch. Left leg to right kneecap. Target gone. Blow to the head. Unblocked.
Auum went down flat on his back. He rolled right. He heard the sound of a punch striking the earth. Auum was on his haunches. Very quickly. Takaar came again. Two feet, head high.
Sway left. Elbow into side ribs. Strike connected.
Takaar tumbled sideways, rolling against a thick stand of bamboo at the stream’s edge. Auum ran at him. Takaar pushed off the ground with his hands. His feet whipped into Auum’s body left then right. Takaar’s momentum carried him to a crouch. Auum steadied. Both elves moved to a standing position. Takaar’s words rolled around Auum’s head.
Instinct gets you through the first blow. Anticipation gets you through the rest.
Auum smiled. Takaar glared. He didn’t mean to but he felt his ribs where Auum had struck the only blow he’d landed so far. Auum sprang forward, unleashing a multiple strike. Straight punch, head. Triple jab, body. Straight finger jab, neck. Straight kick, gut. Roundhouse, left temple.
He didn’t land a single one of them. Takaar’s defence was quicker than Auum could follow. His ripostes just predictable enough to evade. The two TaiGethen bounced away from each other, sizing up the space around them and each other’s weaknesses.
‘Takaar. I am not here to kill you or lead you to your death. As Yniss is my witness and Shorth owns my soul. I am TaiGethen. You can believe me without fear of betrayal.’
Takaar was staring to his right.
‘He is who he says he is. I never forget a face.’
‘I shouldn’t have come, you’re right. Best on the cliff top, rocking over the drop. Perhaps tomorrow I will tumble.’
‘I am not here to prove myself to you. I do not have to prove myself to anyone. I am Takaar. I-’
Takaar’s expression darkened.
‘I did. I killed them. All of them. Blood is on my hands. But I can wash it.’
Takaar scrambled back down to the stream and plunged his hands into it, scraping at his palms with his nails.
‘See? It fades. It fades. And one day it will all be gone.’
Takaar stood up and jabbed a finger at Auum.
‘You are a spy. You would steal all my secrets.’ Takaar ran up the slope towards him. ‘I want them back. Where is all my work?’
‘It’s in the boat,’ said Auum. ‘Completely safe and completely untouched.’
Takaar planted his left foot on level ground and leapt at Auum. His right leg outstretched, fists balled and covering his face. Auum swivelled his torso, putting his weight into a two-handed block. Takaar tumbled in the air, came down and rolled to his haunches, springing up in the next movement.
Auum took up a crouched defence, legs wide, centre of gravity low. Takaar’s fists blurred. Auum defended on instinct. Left high, block right. Right torso, block down. Riposte palm to chest. Blocked. Straight kick groin, block right foot. Riposte right fist to head. Evaded. Roundhouse right temple. Landed. One, two, three.
Auum sprawled on the ground, rolling over and on to his haunches. Takaar was on him. Left fist cracking into his jaw, sending him down again. Auum tumbled, bounced back to his feet, ran three paces up a tree trunk and grasped a branch ten feet from the ground. He spun around and dropped, both feet flat. Takaar dodged. Auum landed, ducked low. Takaar’s foot washed over his head. Auum straightened, powered into a standing jump and kicked out first left, then right foot.
Takaar caught his right foot and twisted. Auum followed the movement with his body to avoid his ankle being snapped. Takaar pulled his foot in and smashed a kick at Auum’s groin. Auum blocked with his left thigh. Auum landed on his back, twisted his foot from Takaar’s grasp.
Takaar hurdled him. Auum scrambled to turn round. Not fast enough. Takaar kicked out backwards, catching Auum in the kidney. Pain blossomed up his back. He pitched forwards. Auum rolled onto his back. Takaar’s fist was at his face. He knocked it aside but not the second blow which slammed into his nose, bloodying but not breaking it.
Auum’s head thudded against the ground. He brought his knees up sharply and twisted, catching Takaar’s side and unbalancing him. Auum’s fists licked out, the left catching Takaar in the side of the jaw. Takaar pushed himself away back to his feet. Auum ran at him, steadied and kicked out to the knee. Takaar moved easily aside.
Auum blocked a punch to his throat. The second and third were too quick though. One made more of a mess of his nose, the last, an elbow caught him in the side of the neck. He hit the ground again. Takaar pounced on him, cocked his hand for a straight fingered jab to the throat.
‘No one should look for me,’ said Takaar. ‘I am not to be found. Not ever. And you. Came here alone and you will die alone. We see it and we agree.’
Ghost white loomed overhead. Fingers with cruelly sharpened nails closed around Takaar’s throat and a knife point came to rest at his temple.
‘You of all people should know that a TaiGethen is never alone.’
Chapter 27
Speed is nothing without the wit to use it. ‘Why did you authorise this? What purpose was there? We are here to subdue not slaughter! We want to keep them divided. You are forcing them to reunite.’
Sildaan was incandescent. Screaming her rage. She kept rubbing her hands over her face and walking round in tight circles. Garan let her exhaust her dismay, keeping his expression neutral and his lieutenants elsewhere entirely. Here, in the middle of the Park of Tual, with the stacked bodies beginning to stink in the heat of a day which had yielded little rain, they could be quite alone.
‘I cannot believe what you have done here!’
Sildaan pointed at the bodies. Carts and oxen were being found to take them out to the rainforest for reclamation. Garan found the idea repellent. Apparently, elves drew great comfort in knowing their bodies would be torn apart by a thousand different species of animal and bug when they died. All it did to Garan was make him itch more.