Page 18 of Tender Captivity
She was waiting for a bell or chime to ring to start the battle, but apparently Talins didn’t do that.
Holian turned to face his opponent, and the two silently stood staring at each other. Then without warning, the massive male sounded a loud rattle and charged.
Reaching down, she grabbed Lakin’s hand and held it tightly. Holian wasn’t moving. The other Talin was rushing at him as he stood his ground and let the large male close the distance between them.
Was she about to watch Holian die right in front of her eyes? She had no time to distract the crowd and run. She didn’t even have time to scream.
“I love you, you dumb bastard,” she whispered. “And if you leave this life, I’m following you. I won’t be left behind again.”
Chapter 10
Holian wasn’t impressed with his adversary in the least. Tarquin might be an imposing Talin, but Holian was hard to intimidate. Besides, many fighters found out quickly when they trained with Holian that size didn’t necessarily equate to superiority.
Holian didn’t let fear or worry take hold. A diligent warrior worked on keeping a calm mind. As his father had been fond of saying:A boat will make faster progress in tranquil waters than roiling waves.
The urge to seek out Jinna with his eyes was strong, but he fought it. Looking at her would not help his composure. He had to trust that Renalan would watch out for her. But that made him think of something else.
As one of the Facilitators talked to the crowd, he glanced over at the man he considered a brother.
“I’ve never seen Tarquin fight,” he admitted.
“It doesn’t matter,” Dalt said. “All we need to know is that he’s not militarily trained. You will be better than him.”
Holian sounded a rumble of agreement. “Perhaps. But I need you to swear to do something for me.”
Dalt made a quiet rumble of assent and answered without hesitation. “Anything.”
“If I lose, you need to take Jinna and hide her away. I know you and Lakin are clever enough to do that. But don’t leave her on her own. She might do something foolish like try to follow me to the House of the Ancestors. Put her someplace where she can be part of a community and help others. That will give her focus and purpose without me.”
Dalt was perfectly still and silent for a moment, regarding him with an unwavering gaze. Holian felt Dalt’s quiet strength. This soldier, who’d endured more than anyone should, had a serenity few achieved. This was the one male Holian repeatedly sought out when he felt he could speak to no one else about the troubles weighing on him. He thought they were more than friends. He thought they were closer to brothers.
But what was causing Dalt to hesitate?
Finally Dalt spoke, but the words weren’t what Holian was expecting. “I will accept your request with the understanding that I won’t need to fulfill it. If you expect failure, it will happen. You told us that in the beginning of every class you taught. When the war with the Braxin started, you said it before every mission. I don’t want to be the one to call my mentor a hypocrite, but the word does hold some truth at this moment.”
Holian couldn’t help the rattle of surprise that came out of him, followed quickly by a rumble of amusement. “Consider me suitably chastised, my dear friend,” he answered. “I withdraw my request. When I’m finished here, we’ll all go back to my compound and enjoy a meal together.”
“Those terms are acceptable,” Dalt responded as he held out his hand for Holian’s regalia. “It’s time.”
Holian’s hands were steady as he unclipped his belt and handed it to Dalt with his Ident Cube and pouch hanging from it.
“Fight well and bring honor to us all,” Dalt intoned the formal words.
“Honor in life or death,” Holian responded with the rote phrase.
They nodded to each other one more time before Holian turned to face his opponent. One of the Facilitators had finished giving the formal address and stepped back to stand with the rest of the gray-robed Talins and the healer.
It was time.
Wordlessly, the two of them stared at each other. This was the first part of the Challenge: a battle of wills. Which one of them would break and attack first?
It was no surprise to Holian that his younger challenger didn’t last long. His war rattle was impressive, but Holian had heard louder.
He stood perfectly still as Tarquin charged. At the last possible moment, he gracefully pivoted to the side. The large male couldn’t check his speed before crashing into the stone wall. Although Tarquin was unlikely to fall for that again, this first interaction gave Holian a good idea of the male’s speed and reflexes. Now he had a basic plan—let Tarquin wear himself down before trying to best him.
More cautious now, Tarquin circled Holian, throwing out blows to test Holian’s defenses. It was a smart strategy but one Holian was far better at. Instead of blocking, he evaded Tarquin’s attacks and returned very few volleys. He was quickly learning Tarquin’s rhythm and habits while giving none of his own away.
“Yield to me, old man,” Tarquin growled as he swiped his claws through the air. Holian made sure the blow was close enough to give Tarquin the illusion of almost making contact. “Idon’t want to hurt you. You’re a legend, and my sibling is alive because of your tactics during the battle of Dimitor. She was serving on your ship, and you kept her alive. But I owe a debt to the Lolian family and couldn’t refuse this fight. Let me take you down. I’ll be quick and make it look good, but I won’t hurt you.”
