[Amanaduial the archer]

Fionel kept talking in her submissive, pleading way, and the Huntress was swallowing it all. She was so close to Fionel now, bent close to her. Fionel scrambled backwards.

"Good aim you have."

"No it's not, if it was your hand would be pinned to the ground..." Shivana laughed wickedly. Fionel couldn't help the real fear she was beginning to feel, but in her hand the knife still was clutched in her right hand. But Shivana was not finished.

"If I was a good aim it would have done something like...this!" With the last word she stabbed down with her dagger. The blade shot straight through, pinning Fionel's left hand to the ground. In shock and pain, Fionel cried out. Shivana laughed and ripped the blade back out. She held the blood stained tip in front of Fionel's scared eyes, and a drop of blood dropped from the end of it. Shivana's head snaked forward and she caught the drop on the tip of her tongue. She smiled and licked her lips, but Fionel didn't take time to let the shudder she felt course through her, instead putting her plan into action. Despite her pain, everything was very clear now, and she whipped her hand straight up, straight towards Shivana's neck.

But luck was against Fionel. The easterling rose slightly, obviously about to stand, and the little knife in Fionel's hand only got her in the arm. Not a fatal blow, as intended, but a satisfying one- the pen knife went deep into Shivana's forearm. The blood coursed down, soaking through the fabric in her tunic, mirroring the blood on Fionel's own arm. The easterling cried out in agony, and Fionel couldn't help smiling herself. She scrambled to her feet, letting. Holding her sword loosely in her aching left hand, she held the little knife tightly in her left. Swooping down on the still surprised easterling, she sliced across the wound, cutting the fabric more cleanly off it. The blood flowed more strongly and Fionel laughed herself wildly. A strong exhileration flowed over her, the same as when she had stood in front of Ranchard, but this time she did not check it back.

"Who's playing with who now, Shivana?"

The Huntress was on her feet in a second though, and her dagger swung towards Fionel to be clumsily countered by the pen knife, knocking it flying from her hand. The slave had the sword in her right, good hand immediately though and once more they faced once another, circling, clutching each their injured arms, fueled by anger and adrenaline...