Page 117 of A Tribute of Fire

“Get out!” a woman’s voice called. “Go destroy someone else’s business and leave mine alone!”

I hesitated for a moment too long. I should have immediately run or found a hiding place. But I was in the midst of honoring my sister and had naively hoped the men would leave me alone.

They did not.

“What do we have here?” one of them said. He was large and already had a black eye.

Someone who didn’t mind getting into a scrape.

“You shouldn’t be out here all alone. You never know what kind of men you might come across,” another said, and the whole group laughed.

I knew the best way to end a fight was to not engage in one to begin with. They were drunk, which would give me an advantage, but they were large men. From their swagger and muscled arms, they might have even been professional soldiers.

Time for me to go. I turned around but the man who had spoken grabbed my cloak and yanked me back toward him. “I asked you a question!”

I quickly assessed the situation I was in. Their looks were predatory, instantly telling me their intentions. Nothing good was about to happen. As confirmation they began to spread themselves out. I couldn’t allow them to do that.

When you have multiple attackers, keep them in a line so that you only have to fight them one at a time! Use their bodies to create distance and keep the other combatants at bay!Antiope’s voice was the one filling my head at the moment.

I knew what to do. I had literally trained for this.

I’d just never expected that those skills would become necessary.

The leader tugged me closer. “Come here and give us a kiss.”

When he leaned in, I used the front part of my skull to headbutt him and was rewarded with a sickening crunch when I broke his nose.

He swore and then said, “Get her!”

I twirled around to jerk my cloak from his grasp and withdrew my xiphos at the same time. I backed up, taking small, quick steps, forcing them to follow. It prevented them from being able to surround me.

Because if they did, I was done for.

This was an area full of taverns and brothels. I was sure no one paid any attention to a woman screaming for help here.

I would have to deal with this on my own.

And I had to attack first so that I could control the situation. I wouldn’t be able to defend myself from multiple directions.

There’s no such thing as a fair fight,Antiope reminded me.When your life is on the line, anything goes.

A calm settled into my limbs. I knew what to do. My breathing slowed, my body ready.

I feinted at the closest man and he responded the way I’d hoped—he lurched forward, intent on grabbing me, and I used the element of surprise against him. I reared back and kicked him square in the chest, right into the attacker behind him.

Another man reached for me and I slashed at his forearms, making contact and dragging my blade through his flesh. He yelled in pain and I kicked at his left knee, knocking him to the ground. I punched him hard in the face and he fell back, unmoving.

One down, five more to go.

Always know where all of your attackers are,that Antiope voice said.

Blood pumped through my veins quickly as I continued my nimble steps to stay on the edge of their group, not letting them flank me. But one of my attackers darted to the right and moved past me at the same moment that his companion went to hit me in the face.

Raising my left arm, I easily blocked his shot, gritting my teeth against the impact. I turned slightly, elbowing the face of the man behind me before carrying the swing through to the attacker in front.

The man to my rear regained his balance and I felt him surging toward me. I ducked down, twisting myself out of the way so thathis punch landed on the man who had been directly in front of me. I kicked out at the two entangled men and they went sprawling.

An attacker moved out of the way so that he wouldn’t be caught up by his falling companions and lunged at me with his sword, thrusting forward. I veered left, grabbing his hand and turning his wrist hard so that he had to drop his weapon, and then I shoved him into his friends.

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