“Ahhh shit I fucked up this time, ahhh fuck!”

Lock huddles in the corner of the room. It appears that he made his way back to the place where the girl was last by instinct or maybe something else.

But she is here no longer.

‘ well wasn’t sure what to expect but shit…

…

…Something…

…

… something smells of rust?’

I guess I will follow that’

*********

Light rained down on her as she covered her eyes and squinted at the opening in the ceiling.

A massive opening and open field of rocks and ultimately it just a big pit that seems impossible to climb.

She turns her head to face the voice that saved her and see that he is crouched down in front of a puddle of water washing his face. He is wearing the same slave rages as she is and is about the same height but he has a deep brown hair and a rusty sword strapped to his waste. “ Come sit we need to clean and bandage your wounds come here ok.”

Hesitantly she makes her way forward in the form of a waddle. Once she sits down he then begins to work on her leg. He holds her down by the side of the water as she struggles but cares not as he forces the arrow to finish its path through her then with a copper cord he sticks up the two new holes on her thighs. For the arrow in her shoulder he doesn’t do this instead opting to pull the arrow out. Although she could feel it she couldn’t see it but that thing in her back was more of a dart than an arrow. He washes both the wounds with the water.

She see a wooden ornament in his hair and thinks as to whether she should remark on it or not. The boy speaks saying “ I am Troy please be at ease. I am a warrior of the Mardie we see young women as valued objects that need protection so I will shelter you.” The girl speaks not by the words do more harm than comfort for her. Object. Is that all she is an object? But she is happy that she may yet live. The speed at which this person moves is remarkable and beyond anything she has ever seem. “ You are wise not to speak to me. You know not the truth of my claim so do not fear I am not offended. This the world of Navarne we can die at anytime and life is short, cruel, long, painful,and remarkable beautiful all wrapped up into one.” The man speaks with an accent that the girl finds… funny… the girl feels bad about that later thinking that he must get that a lot.

“ Go sit” he follows his words and points to a spot in corner and she goes and sits.

A little while after he brings over some bread and a strange condiment and offers half to the woman and takes half himself.

They sit in silence as they eat but after half an hour the man speaks “ I am Troy… I do not remember if I have given my name please give yours” but the woman remains silent. The man nods but frowns and then “ are you tried it's been seven hours since this has begun and the sun will set soon. I expect that this will be over in 7 days people tend to underestimate how easily people kill each other… “ some time passed and the man asked “ Can you speak?” The girl replied with a simple “yes”

Troy nodes to himself before he draws the rusty blade and stands. It's a one handed sword that curves and isn’t very thick. It also has a guard.

Troy turns to face the path in which they came “ I see that it is you who won? Or did you flee, the fight man like beast? ”

“ I fucking knew it. So I was being lead. Hahahaha quite the stunt you pulled shame you didn’t take into account that the old man was a magician.” It was someone the girl recognises it was the tattoo man.

“ Magician? This is a problem? He will still die if cut no?” Troy asked puzzled.

“ Maybe I don’t know” Lock gave a frank answer. Then he launched himself at Troy. As he stepped from the shadows it was revealed that he hand one arm missing and the other held a bloody knife.

What followed was a quick flurry of attacks that seemed to be without logic when Troy counted each but was pushed back in the process as he slowly lost ground.

Lock was pale but his attacks still carried weight that could be seen by the recoil that Troy did every time their blades connected but they were still blocked by Troy.

Despite all of the apparent randomness to Locks attacks he still managed to knock the rusty sword up into the air. Like it was meant to be Locks knife glides before the neck of Troy before it stops. Troy looks confused. Lock leans over “ That old man said something about killing everyone. I have no doubt that he will want to keep the knowledge of him being a magician a secret so he will likely come for me and If I could track you I think he probably could. If you cannot beat me then what chance do you have with him… it cannot be that high so how about this? We work together to kill him I mean look at me. One armed I don’t feel as if I could make it to the end anyway with this injury. So what do you say. Let's hunt the bigger beast together ?”

“ Very well. My people tell me that a graceful defeat is one that they struggled in till the end. You are a respectable beast I will try hunt this great old man that you cannot beat alone with your help.”

Lock places his blade away and he waddles into the small pool of water but despite the girls estimates he dives into it and vanishes. After a few minutes he climbs out and Troy throws him the rest of the copper wire. Lock goes to stitch up his arms but its clear he is having trouble.

The girl watches this for five minutes before she… simply gets fed up and walks over to Lock “ I can… do it better” Lock turns to her.

“ Sure”