Naamah's Kiss - Jacqueline Carey [210]
Bao looked blankly at him. "You're that boy? And you're angry because I didn't bugger your ass?"
The others snickered.
Their leader flushed. "You promised to teach me!" Now he did look at me with a hot, appraising gaze. "I am willing to put my leadership at stake. What will you risk, Shangun? Will you risk the foreign woman? Will you give her to me if I defeat you?"
"You think you're man enough to handle a sorceress?" Bao shook his head. "Boy, she would shrivel your manhood with one glance."
The men regarded me uneasily. I raised my brows and did my best to look capable of executing his threat.
The young man's flush deepened. "We'll see. Are you ready to run away again, or will you stand and fight me?"
Bao shrugged. "I came to fight."
* * *
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
The young man attacked without a word of warning, quick as a snake, one end of his staff lashing out at Bao's head.
Bao was quicker, his staff rising to catch it. "Heh."
With that the fight began in earnest. Everyone, me included, scrambled to clear a space for them.
It was brutal and beautiful, like some strange, violent dance. They wielded their staves with two hands, the ends moving so fast it was hard to see. Back and forth across the square they went, bamboo clattering on bamboo. At first glance, I thought mayhap they were evenly matched.
And then Bao planted his staff and vaulted over the younger man's head, just as he'd done to me long ago in the glass pavilion. His opponent spun, but Bao was already in motion. He leapt backward onto the low railing surrounding the square and balanced there with careless grace. The other man swore, lashing out at his legs. Bao hopped just high enough to avoid his blows, sandal-clad feet landing with deft precision. His staff whirled in his hands, tapping his opponent on both shoulders.
A couple of the stick-fighters cheered, others groaned. And one struck Bao hard across the back of his knees from behind.
It was the tall man with the tall hat. Bao yelled and toppled forward, turning his fall into a somersault. He came up with his staff in his hands and eyes blazing, his battle-grin giving way to genuine anger.
I loosed the arrow I'd nocked without thinking. It plucked the embroidered hat from the tall man's head and thunked into a pillar of the distant pavilion behind him, the hat dangling from the shaft. "The next man to interfere gets an arrow in his chest!"
Bao's grin returned. "I told you so," he said cheerfully to the boy he'd refused to teach. "She's dangerous."
The other merely grunted, fighting for survival.
After that it didn't last long. The young leader was good; Bao was better. Somehow he got inside the lad's guard, hooked his ankle with one sandaled foot, and shoved hard with his staff, sending him sprawling to the flagstones. Bao reversed his staff, holding it poised to jab at the other's heart. "Do you concede?"
The lad closed his eyes.
Bao poked him none too gently. "Huh?"
"Yes, Shangun," he murmured. "Yes, all right!"
"Good." Bao planted his staff and extended one hand. After a moment, the lad took it. Bao hauled him to his feet. "You're pretty good. Must have found good teachers. What do you call yourself?"
"Ten Tigers Dai," the other said stiffly.
"Tigers, huh? That's a good omen." Bao patted him on the back, then turned to survey the others. "So. Who's willing to swear loyalty to me on the Thieves' Oath?"
The burly fellow he'd called Tortoise stepped forward, raising one meaty hand. "Me, boss!"
As it transpired, six others agreed, Ten Tigers Dai among them. The tall man with the hat declined.
We retired to a nearby teahouse, where the hostess' eyes lit up at the sight of Bao, although she clasped her hands and bowed formally. "Shangun! We had rumors of your return. I am pleased to find them true. Will you have your old room?"
"Yes, please," he agreed, kissing her cheek and making her giggle and blush. "You are as lovely as ever, Liling."
I raised my brows at him.
"What?" He smiled. "Don't worry, you've no cause for jealousy. No other woman