Read Online 08 Blood War-Blood Destiny by Connie Suttle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Connie Suttle
Tags: Vampiros
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blades clacking against each other grew louder. "You'll either be eating with me there, as my bodyguard, or bringing both our meals back to the tent if I have work to do while I'm eating," Solis said. I nodded mutely.
His eyes, just like mine, were now on the practice ground and the sparring that was taking place there. Some of the men barely knew how to hold a blade, and if they did, they held it badly. Dragon and Crane would have scowled before wading into that mess and yelling at all of them. Dragon always said if you didn't have enough strength to hold a sword with one hand, then you'd best use two hands and be faster than your opponent. These guys would have washed out of the Warlord's army, I think.
"I hope the enemy either gives up or dies laughing," Solis muttered sarcastically as we watched. Desmun caught up with us as we stood and watched.
"Pitiful," he grumbled. "Are they taking civilians off the street?"
"I believe so," Solis replied.
Desmun stared at the hilts over my shoulder. "Steal those blades?" he asked.
"They were a gift," I said. "Sir."
"Of course they were." Desmun turned back to the sparring. One particularly clumsy young man dropped his wooden practice blade and got thumped when he stooped to retrieve it. A Sergeant, standing nearby and watching, yelled at him, causing the boy to flush to the roots of his light-brown hair. If he'd done that in a real battle, his head would have been missing when he straightened up. I didn't understand what had motivated him to join the army to begin with, without benefit of any training.
"Lack of money," Solis commented, as if he were reading my mind. I'd been shaking my head; I realized it after a moment. Desmun turned to watch the clouds gathering behind us.
"Messy night, tonight, and messier day tomorrow," he complained. Great. Rain was coming. "I hear those Green bastards can make it rain anytime they want," Desmun went on.
"Sounds like you're jealous," Solis replied indifferently. "I hear the locals who've joined the Green Fae once practiced a different version of the same religion the Pelipu practices," he added. "They rejected it in favor of living a peaceful existence."
"I wouldn't repeat that rumor near the Pelipu's troops," Desmun snorted. "They think religious deserters ought to be boiled in oil."
"What do you think, Liss?" Solis asked, his dark eyes studying my face.
"I'm still trying to find something worthwhile in this whole, sorry mess," I answered truthfully. If Toff weren't somewhere on this planet, I wouldn't have bothered.
"Mind if I see what your bodyguard is made of?" Desmun asked.
"You want an excuse to take your shirt off?" Solis wasn't looking at Desmun.
"I won't whack her around too much," Desmun replied.
"Use wood blades," Solis didn't sound as if he cared. Desmun took off to find some wooden practice blades. I started to follow him. "Liss," Solis said softly, catching me by the shoulder, "If you don't know what you're doing, now's the time to say. If you do, don't let him hurt you. If you're better than he is, best not to let him know. Not right away, anyway. He'll warm up to you after a while." Solis jerked his head toward the practice ground, where Desmun had claimed two wood practice blades.
"Fuck," I muttered, causing Solis to snicker.
Desmun only fought with one blade, and only handed me one. I let him whack me lightly after about a minute, and then let him whack me again a couple of minutes later. In between, I settled for blocking his blows with the flat of my blade, just as I'd been trained. Honestly, one of my twins could have knocked him senseless wearing a blindfold and armed only with a knife. I let him get one last blow in—he was satisfied with that—and I walked away, rubbing my wrist. That's where Desmun's last blow had landed. Desmun challenged a Sergeant afterward. I had no desire to stay and watch. Solis was ready to go, too.
"Someday," he said, as we walked toward his tent, "I want to see you fight with
His eyes, just like mine, were now on the practice ground and the sparring that was taking place there. Some of the men barely knew how to hold a blade, and if they did, they held it badly. Dragon and Crane would have scowled before wading into that mess and yelling at all of them. Dragon always said if you didn't have enough strength to hold a sword with one hand, then you'd best use two hands and be faster than your opponent. These guys would have washed out of the Warlord's army, I think.
"I hope the enemy either gives up or dies laughing," Solis muttered sarcastically as we watched. Desmun caught up with us as we stood and watched.
"Pitiful," he grumbled. "Are they taking civilians off the street?"
"I believe so," Solis replied.
Desmun stared at the hilts over my shoulder. "Steal those blades?" he asked.
"They were a gift," I said. "Sir."
"Of course they were." Desmun turned back to the sparring. One particularly clumsy young man dropped his wooden practice blade and got thumped when he stooped to retrieve it. A Sergeant, standing nearby and watching, yelled at him, causing the boy to flush to the roots of his light-brown hair. If he'd done that in a real battle, his head would have been missing when he straightened up. I didn't understand what had motivated him to join the army to begin with, without benefit of any training.
"Lack of money," Solis commented, as if he were reading my mind. I'd been shaking my head; I realized it after a moment. Desmun turned to watch the clouds gathering behind us.
"Messy night, tonight, and messier day tomorrow," he complained. Great. Rain was coming. "I hear those Green bastards can make it rain anytime they want," Desmun went on.
"Sounds like you're jealous," Solis replied indifferently. "I hear the locals who've joined the Green Fae once practiced a different version of the same religion the Pelipu practices," he added. "They rejected it in favor of living a peaceful existence."
"I wouldn't repeat that rumor near the Pelipu's troops," Desmun snorted. "They think religious deserters ought to be boiled in oil."
"What do you think, Liss?" Solis asked, his dark eyes studying my face.
"I'm still trying to find something worthwhile in this whole, sorry mess," I answered truthfully. If Toff weren't somewhere on this planet, I wouldn't have bothered.
"Mind if I see what your bodyguard is made of?" Desmun asked.
"You want an excuse to take your shirt off?" Solis wasn't looking at Desmun.
"I won't whack her around too much," Desmun replied.
"Use wood blades," Solis didn't sound as if he cared. Desmun took off to find some wooden practice blades. I started to follow him. "Liss," Solis said softly, catching me by the shoulder, "If you don't know what you're doing, now's the time to say. If you do, don't let him hurt you. If you're better than he is, best not to let him know. Not right away, anyway. He'll warm up to you after a while." Solis jerked his head toward the practice ground, where Desmun had claimed two wood practice blades.
"Fuck," I muttered, causing Solis to snicker.
Desmun only fought with one blade, and only handed me one. I let him whack me lightly after about a minute, and then let him whack me again a couple of minutes later. In between, I settled for blocking his blows with the flat of my blade, just as I'd been trained. Honestly, one of my twins could have knocked him senseless wearing a blindfold and armed only with a knife. I let him get one last blow in—he was satisfied with that—and I walked away, rubbing my wrist. That's where Desmun's last blow had landed. Desmun challenged a Sergeant afterward. I had no desire to stay and watch. Solis was ready to go, too.
"Someday," he said, as we walked toward his tent, "I want to see you fight with
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