Into The Darkness

Leofsig kicked him in the belly. It was like kicking a plank. Me grunted, but he slammed one fist into Leofsig's nibs and the other into top of Leofsig's head. He'd meant to hit him in the face, but Leofsig ducked. Merwit howled then. With any luck at all, he'd broken a [..]

Being smaller and lighter, Leofsl knew he'd need all the help of tha sorthecould et. He tried to end the fight in a hurry by kneeingMerwi in the crotch, but Merwit twisted away and took the knee on the hip. H( seized Leofsig in a bearhug. Leofsig knocked his feet out from under him.

Thev went down toizether, each doina the other as much damage with [..]

"Halting! You halting!" somebody shouted in accented Forthwegian [..]

Leofsig did nothing of the kind, having a well-founded suspicion that Merwit wouldn't. "You halting!" This time, the command had teeth

That must have convinced Merwit because he stopped trying to work mayhem on Leofsig. Leofsig gave him one more inconspicuous elbow then pushed him away and got to his feet His nose was bleeding. A couple of his front teeth felt loose but they were all there. None was even broken - pure luck, and he knew it.

He looked over at Merwit. Merwit looked as if he'd been in a fight one of his eyes was swollen shut, and he had a big bruise on the othe cheek. Leofsig felt as if he'd been pummeled with boulders. He hopec[..]

The Algarvian guards who'd stopped the brawl were shaking thel heads. "Stupid, stupid Forthwegians," one of them said, more in sorrow

Now you seeing just how stupid you being Come!' themselves Sometimes without rhyme or reason Leofsig could see the chose to make examples of them. He eased a little when he saw they were taking him and Merwit to Brigadier Cynfrid, the senior Forthwegian officer in camp, rather than to their own commandant. Cynfrid had far

"What have we here?" the brigadier asked, looking up from some paperwork. With his gray hair and snowy mustache and beard he seemed more a kindly grandfather than a soldier. Had he been a better soldier - ha~ a lot of Forthwec~an commanders Ieen better soldiers - he miolt not have ended up in a captives' camp, but might instead have kept th going.

"These two, they fighting," one of the Algarvian guards said.

"Oh, aye, I can see that," Cynfrid said. "The question is, why they fighting?" The guard gave back an extravagant Algarvian shru that declared he not only didn't know but found beneath him the i wondering why Forthwegians did anything. The brigadier sighed dently having encountered that attitude before. He examined Leofsig [..] Merwit. "What have you men got to say for yourselves?"

"Sir, this stinking Kaunian-lover called me a filthy name," said, his voice dripping with righteous innocence and indignation. sick of it, so when he started the fight, I did my best to give him for."

"I didn't start the fight," Leofsig exclaimed. "He did! And he's, calling me names since we got here - youjust heard him do it again

I finally called him one back. He didn't like that so much. Most are better at giving it out than taking it."

"Conflicting stories," Cynfrid said with another sigh. He glance toward the guards. "I don't suppose you gentlemen know who di the fight?" The redheads laughed, not so much at the idea that should know, but at the notion that they might care. The Forthw brigadier sighed yet again. "Any chance of witnesses?"

Now Leofsig had all he could do not to start laughing himself. low captives wanted as little to do with the guards as they coul would make themselves scarce and deny seeing anything… or wo of them? Slowly, he said, "Sir, I think the Kaunians in my barracks tell the truth about what went on."

"They'd lick your arse for you, you mean, like you [..]

Merwit snarled, his eyes blazing.

Leofsig had succeeded in gaining the guards' attention. e nearly sure he wanted it. To Cynfrid, one of the Algarvians [..]

Kaunians, they is no to being trusted, eh?"

"No, probably not," the Forthwegian brigadier said, "altliOUI haven't done nearly so much to Forthweg as you Algarvians, xou you think?"

If the Algarvians thought any such thing, their faces didn't

With a dismissive gesture, the one who did most of the talking said.