Ghostwalker - Erik Scott De Bie [35]
Narb was handsome and young, and it was clear that Torlic had picked him for exactly those traits. The vain half-elf loved the company of men he found lovely-and enjoyed proving his superiority over them even more. Narb fingered the scar running down his otherwise flawless face, remnant of a recent rapier wound.
"Tired, are we?" Torlic asked. "Too warm? Or perhaps you're not properly motivated. Do you need another scar?" He cut his light rapier through the air, then stretched his arms.
Narb's face paled.
"It's a little too warm, I agree," said Torlic. He turned to open the window, letting in the cutting chill of the breeze.
The young watchman was walking away when Torlic cleared his throat.
"Narb, you work for me, remember?" he asked without looking back.
At the door, the watchman stopped. "Yes, but-" Narb started.
"Put up your guard," Torlic said. "I'm not done with you yet."
As he turned, Narb opened his mouth to protest then staggered away, gaping.
As though he had stepped out of the air itself, Walker stood between them, the fringes of his cloak rustling in the breeze from the window. Spikes of hair shifted around his face. His arms were hidden inside the black cloth of his cloak. His cold eyes-beautiful in the way that thunderstorms are-were fixed on Torlic.
"Your replacement seems to…" Torlic started, but his voice trailed off as the crushing weight of the ghostwalker's will fell upon him. His knees felt weak and the rapier in his hand grew heavy.
"Send him away," Walker rasped.
Torlic seemed to gather his senses again. "Go," he said to Narb without taking his eyes from his new opponent. "This is a duel between me and the dark gentleman."
"Should I call Unddreth?" Narb stammered, trembling with exhaustion and fear.
"Yes," Torlic said. He flicked his eyes toward the watchman. "There will be a corpse to cart away when I'm done."
Walker said nothing, but a hint of a smile might have creased his mouth-behind the high black collar.
Narb wasted no time in leaving, and the two listened to his rapid footfalls and the outer door slamming shut as he dashed off. Torlic tossed the rapier from hand to hand, cutting it through the air in practice moves.
The man in black did not move.
"So, Walker-if I may call you so, lovely boy-how long would you guess we have?" Torlic asked. His voice was almost lewd. "It's a disorganized Watch, and Unddreth is a heavy sleeper-"
"How soon do you wish for your death?" Walker asked.
"How about not at all?" Torlic asked with a whimsical smile. "How soon do you wish-"
Walker stepped aside as Torlic's blade flashed past.
Faster than the eye could follow, the half-elf had darted forward and thrust, thinking to end the battle right then. Walker swept a silvery long sword out of the folds of his cloak and knocked the rapier to the right, then parried to the left when Torlic tried to reverse his strike. Walker leaped away, his cloak swirling around him, and brought the blade left to right, low to high, throwing the rapier up wide when Torlic thrust a third time.
As the half-elf danced back, his offensive momentum spent, Walker continued his spinning attack. Eyes popping wide, Torlic barely got the sword up in time to knock the blow high enough to keep it from taking his head from his shoulders. Walker's mithral blade screeched against the rapier and Torlic pulled his weapon away as quickly as he could. He leaped back and wove his blade through the air to distract and ward off his opponent.
The warrior in black charged, ignoring the whipping blade. Torlic dived aside of the slashing long sword and turned a somersault on the floor, coming up with a main-gauche in his left hand, drawn from his belt.
Walker slashed in with the long sword, and Torlic hooked it on his rapier's basket hilt. He pulled his left arm back to jab, but Walker's fist was faster. The half-elf went tumbling backward, his face stinging, but he kept a firm hold on his weapons.
That was fortunate for him, since Walker was right there, slashing again.
* * * * *
"My lady, what…?" asked Garion. The voice