Read Online Silver Dragon by Jason Halstead - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jason Halstead
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just been a farm boy who became a warrior. What did that mean an innkeeper's daughter could do?
She shook her head. " Sir Amos, I would take my turn and be tested."
"Recruit, you have seen this test and you understand its consequences. Three times this day , wearing full armor, we have seen men grievously wounded," he warned her.
"I have seen it and I accept the risks," Aleena confirmed. She glanced at Leander's symbol and said, "I place my faith in Saint Leander that he will value my courage and resolve to spread his word."
She dipped her head in prayer to the icon and heard some of the priests talking in hushed voices amongst themselves. She lifted her head and looked at the trace of a smile on Sir Amos's face. "Very well, recruit. Prepare yourself."
Aleena made her way to the racks and slipped a loose-fitting chain shirt on and then added greaves, pauldrons, and vambraces, which were all too large for her. She slipped the smallest helm on she could find and then grabbed up a shield. She adjusted the slippery helm so she could see through the slits and then selected her weapons before moving to the center of the chamber.
"Good luck, recruit," Sir Amos said before he rang the bell to announce the start of combat.
A fresh warrior walked out and then stopped. He stared at Aleena and then turned to look at everyone else assembled. He resumed walking out and then offered Aleena a salute before advancing to square off against her.
Aleena used her sword defensively, deflecting his strikes and moving out of the way of heavier strikes. It took only a few moments for her to realize she was moving faster and more easily than he was. Aleena used it to her advantage and began to circle around him, forcing her opponent to move to keep her in front of him.
After guiding him for several minutes, he landed a strike against her shoulder that sent a jolt of agony into her back from how her armor dug into her flesh. Seeing her stunned, he tried again but she dodged away from the strike. He advanced on her, confident in his steps and forcing her back away from the open center of the room.
Aleena smacked her sword into the side of his armored leg and caught the return swipe he launched on her shield. She tried again, jabbing into the steel plate protecting his belly and finding her sword sliding away. He trapped her blade between his shield and his side, forcing her to grunt as she yanked it free and fell back a step.
She pushed forward, feigning a lunge and drawing his shield in to protect himself. She twisted the blade away and rotated it up and around to drive his sword high above her head. She kept pushing, keeping their swords out of the fight. That left her shield, which she'd pulled back. She punched out with it and jammed it into his face. Both the force and the clang of her shield against his helm staggered him back a step.
Aleena tried to push the fight and kept her shield jammed into his head. She drew her sword back to jam it against him again but failed to realize that freed up his weapon as well. His sword smashed into the side of her helmet a nd upended the world for her.
Aleena crashed to the floor and tasted blood from where she'd bitten her lip. She looked up in time to see him smash the pommel of his sword into her helmet, stunning her further and loosening her helmet on her head. She was blinded and confused when she felt his metal-shod foot crash into her side.
Aleen a stared up after a moment of blinking the colors and lights out of her eyes. She coughed and tried to move her arms and legs to right herself. She heard a ringing in her ears that added to the confusion.
"This stage is over," she heard Sir Amos state.
"No!" Aleena coughed the word out and rolled onto her knees before she put one shaky foot under her and rose to stand. "Please, Sir Amos, I'm not done yet."
He stared at her for a long moment. Aleena looked down at herself and saw that blood had fallen from her helmet down her chain shirt and
She shook her head. " Sir Amos, I would take my turn and be tested."
"Recruit, you have seen this test and you understand its consequences. Three times this day , wearing full armor, we have seen men grievously wounded," he warned her.
"I have seen it and I accept the risks," Aleena confirmed. She glanced at Leander's symbol and said, "I place my faith in Saint Leander that he will value my courage and resolve to spread his word."
She dipped her head in prayer to the icon and heard some of the priests talking in hushed voices amongst themselves. She lifted her head and looked at the trace of a smile on Sir Amos's face. "Very well, recruit. Prepare yourself."
Aleena made her way to the racks and slipped a loose-fitting chain shirt on and then added greaves, pauldrons, and vambraces, which were all too large for her. She slipped the smallest helm on she could find and then grabbed up a shield. She adjusted the slippery helm so she could see through the slits and then selected her weapons before moving to the center of the chamber.
"Good luck, recruit," Sir Amos said before he rang the bell to announce the start of combat.
A fresh warrior walked out and then stopped. He stared at Aleena and then turned to look at everyone else assembled. He resumed walking out and then offered Aleena a salute before advancing to square off against her.
Aleena used her sword defensively, deflecting his strikes and moving out of the way of heavier strikes. It took only a few moments for her to realize she was moving faster and more easily than he was. Aleena used it to her advantage and began to circle around him, forcing her opponent to move to keep her in front of him.
After guiding him for several minutes, he landed a strike against her shoulder that sent a jolt of agony into her back from how her armor dug into her flesh. Seeing her stunned, he tried again but she dodged away from the strike. He advanced on her, confident in his steps and forcing her back away from the open center of the room.
Aleena smacked her sword into the side of his armored leg and caught the return swipe he launched on her shield. She tried again, jabbing into the steel plate protecting his belly and finding her sword sliding away. He trapped her blade between his shield and his side, forcing her to grunt as she yanked it free and fell back a step.
She pushed forward, feigning a lunge and drawing his shield in to protect himself. She twisted the blade away and rotated it up and around to drive his sword high above her head. She kept pushing, keeping their swords out of the fight. That left her shield, which she'd pulled back. She punched out with it and jammed it into his face. Both the force and the clang of her shield against his helm staggered him back a step.
Aleena tried to push the fight and kept her shield jammed into his head. She drew her sword back to jam it against him again but failed to realize that freed up his weapon as well. His sword smashed into the side of her helmet a nd upended the world for her.
Aleena crashed to the floor and tasted blood from where she'd bitten her lip. She looked up in time to see him smash the pommel of his sword into her helmet, stunning her further and loosening her helmet on her head. She was blinded and confused when she felt his metal-shod foot crash into her side.
Aleen a stared up after a moment of blinking the colors and lights out of her eyes. She coughed and tried to move her arms and legs to right herself. She heard a ringing in her ears that added to the confusion.
"This stage is over," she heard Sir Amos state.
"No!" Aleena coughed the word out and rolled onto her knees before she put one shaky foot under her and rose to stand. "Please, Sir Amos, I'm not done yet."
He stared at her for a long moment. Aleena looked down at herself and saw that blood had fallen from her helmet down her chain shirt and
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