Paul Crilley - Night of Long Shadows

He managed to walk a full mile before he collapsed. Scouts carried him back to the camp, where Thalian watched over him, tending his body as Cutter spent the next week hovering between life and death.

Only six of the original captives were left, the others dead from accidents or killed by Malleas for displeasing him.

“Did you hear me?” asked Thalian, adding wood to the fire.

“I heard you. What does he plan on doing with us? I assume releasing us isn’t on the agenda.”

“I … don’t think so, no.” Thalian leaned closer to Cutter. “Maybe I can help. Find out how to break the spell-”

“Forget it. The only way we get free is if Malleas lets us go.”

Cutter stood and stretched his limbs. He glanced at the largest tent, set in the center of the camp.

He looked to Thalian and smiled coldly. “Or if he’s dead.” Cutter strode toward the tent. “Malleas!” he shouted. “Face me, you coward!”

Cutter was aware of the whole camp turning to look at him in amazement. He didn’t care. What did he have to lose? He was dead if he did nothing. He might as well go out fighting.

It was what he did best.

He stopped before the entrance to the tent. A moment later, two hands slipped between the flaps and parted the hide to both sides.

Malleas ducked through the opening. He yawned and looked around the camp, checking to make sure everything was proceeding normally. Acting like he didn’t have a care in the world. Only when he had satisfied himself that all was well did he turn his gaze to Cutter.

“What did you say, little man?”

“I said you are a coward. Your ancestors have abandoned you, Malleas. You shame them with your actions.”

Malleas stepped forward. He was the same height as Cutter, but Cutter was broader than the chief, the labor of the past years sculpting his body.

“What do you know of my ancestors?” Malleas said softly. He rested his hands on twin Khutai blades strapped to his waist. “My ancestor came to this continent with four companions at his side. They raided a human village and defeated their best fighters. The rest they took as slaves.” He took another step forward until he was no more than an arm’s length from Cutter. “So do not presume to tell me I shame my ancestors. I praise them.”

“So do I. Every morning when I take a piss.”

That did it. Malleas’s eyes went dead. He moved forward until his face was inches from Cutter’s. “You will choke on those words, outlander. I raise prayers to the ghosts of my ancestors every night and they whisper sweet compliments in my ears.” His voice rose in volume. “I please them with my actions. The pyres I burn lift their names to the sky in honor! Every death, every wound inflicted is a salute to their names, and never is it enough! So do not tell me I shame my ancestors!” Malleas stopped, seemingly aware that he was losing control. He straightened, glanced about at those watching, then turned to Cutter with a smirk. “Now run along and do your job, Cutter . Chop the wood I will use to burn your worthless carcass. I will inhale the smoke of your soul. I will own your death.”

Cutter waited a moment, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. He was dead. He knew that. He reminded himself that the only choice left was to decide how he would go. He wondered what his brother would think of him now. Would he be proud? Disappointed?

“You will own no part of me, vadis nia.” In the months he’d spent among the Valenar, Cutter had picked up a lot of their speech-especially insults, which they often hurled at the prisoners. Vadis nia was about the worst thing one could call a Valenar- disgracer of the blood .

That got the reaction Cutter was looking for. Malleas roared and pulled his blades out, but his anger stripped his attack of any precision. Cutter stepped into his reach and blocked the frenzied swipes with his forearms, the dull smack of skin on skin louder than the elf’s snarls.

Cutter waited until he saw Malleas forcibly calm himself, saw the light of calculation enter his eyes, and in that instant of transition, Cutter lashed out and connected with Malleas’s face. His first punch broke the elf’s nose. Then he grabbed hold of the warlord’s wrist and rammed the hilt of the blade into his head. Blood flowed from the scalp wound and dripped into his eye, forcing the elf to blink rapidly to clear his vision.

Cutter managed to get one more hit in, a blow to the stomach, before he leaped back. But before he could dodge out of Malleas’s reach, the elf brought one of the blades down in a wild slash that left a deep gouge in his arm.

The two circled each other warily. The whole camp gathered around to watch the confrontation. Cutter tried his best to ignore them. He was under no illusion that he would survive this day. Even if he won the fight, he would be executed by the clan. Honor would keep them from interfering in the fight, but it wouldn’t stop them from cutting his head off and dragging it behind the horse of the new clan leader.

But that gave him the edge. It meant he had nothing left to lose.

So he ran straight for Malleas. The move surprised the elf, if only because it was suicidally stupid.

Just before he charged within reach, Cutter dropped and barreled into the elf’s legs. They both tumbled to the ground in a confusion of flailing limbs.

Cutter felt a searing pain along his back as one of the blades cut through his clothing. They tussled for position and Cutter grabbed the first thing he could lay his hands on-Malleas’s kneecap. He twisted it as hard as he could. It popped and the elf screamed in pain, thrashing beneath him.

Something smashed into the side of Cutter’s head-the pommel of one of the blades, held awkwardly in Malleas’s hand. Cutter grunted and snapped his head forward, again and again, smashing his forehead into Malleas’s face. All the while he could feel the elf reaching over his shoulder and stabbing into his back with the free blade. The thrusts were weakening, however, and Cutter loosened his grip so he could grab hold of the elf’s neck.

But it was a ruse. As soon as he tried to shift his hold, Malleas grunted and pushed up with his leg, lifting Cutter to his feet. The human stumbled back a few steps, trying to keep his balance, but his heel caught on a clump of scraggly grass and he fell onto his backside.

Malleas was on him in an instant. He collided with Cutter knees-first, forcing Cutter flat onto his back, and brought his knives in on either side for killing blows. Cutter punched the elf in the throat. When Malleas swayed backward, Cutter pulled his legs out from under the elf and kicked him as hard as he could in the chest, sending the elf staggering back into the fire. His trousers caught in the flames, and Cutter used the distraction to push himself to his feet.

He felt blood trickling freely down his back from the numerous wounds. He knew he wouldn’t last much longer. He staggered forward and picked up a piece of wood from the fire. Flames licked at his hand and he felt his skin blistering. Cutter ignored the pain. He brought the log up in a swinging arc that caught the elf beneath the chin. Cutter heard the crack as Malleas’s jaw broke. His head snapped up. Teeth and blood burst from his mouth and fell sizzling into the fire. Cutter dropped the brand and grabbed hold of Malleas’s wrists. He still held the curved knives, now covered in Cutter’s blood. He looked into Malleas’s eyes. The white of the right eye had filled with blood. His face was a ruined pulp of meat. He heard a wet, nasal gurgle as the elf tried to breathe.

Cutter gasped for breath. “You … named me Cutter. You … you thought it an insult.”

Malleas struggled in his grasp.

Cutter tightened his grip. “It is not. I accept the name.”