There was an air of tension as Ayawa walked through the camp, flanked by her wife and husband. Lilly had arrived twenty minutes ago and told her that Gersius wanted her to face some Doan woman. Lilly briefly went over the details of what was happening and how Ayawa was needed to help get answers. One of the Doan women was apparently so skilled a knife fighter that she carried a strange title to mark her ability. This woman was being put up as the Doan's champion, and if defeated in single combat, they would answer the question Gersius needed most.

“What kind of title is Dances with Knives?” Gedris asked.

“It is safe to assume she carries that title with great pride,” Tavis said as he tipped his new hat up. “She would not have it unless she had earned it.”

“So, it tells us she is very skilled,” Ayawa said. “Thus, I already have an advantage. I know she will be overly aggressive and attempt to humiliate me instead of focusing on her task.”

“You don’t know that,” Tavis insisted. “The Doan have shown a surprising amount of combat skill.”

“The dragons were training them,” Gedris said. “But how could they teach them combat skills without taking human form?”

“How indeed,” Ayawa agreed as they passed dozens of soldiers who all looked on the procession respectfully. Word had obviously spread already that there would be a duel, and this woman was deadly. Lilly had said that she wounded and nearly killed five heavily armored battle priests in a five-on-one battle, earning a reputation as a feared warrior.

“I suspect they used the other faiths,” Tavis said. “Who knows how many years the heads of the various orders were working with them. The raven guard could have been out there since its inception, training Doan warriors on formations and battle tactics.”

“And we know the women of Ulustrah were helping,” Gedris added. “They could have been learning from some of the best fighters in the various faiths, training for years to be ready.”

“Let's not forget the Doan were already known as fierce warriors,” Ayawa reminded them. “They didn't need much help to hone their skills. My people have clashed with them before when they raid the far western fringes of our territory looking for slaves. They were always known to be savage fighters but lacked focus.”

“That they are organized into three massive well, coordinated armies would indicate they found a measure of focus,” Tavis suggested.

“I agree,” Gedris replied, taking one of Ayawa's hands. “Oh, should you even be doing this considering your condition?”

Ayawa pressed her lips into a firm scowl as she took those words in. Gedris was, of course, referring to the possibility that Ayawa was pregnant. She certainly didn't feel it or was showing any sign, but she had made love to Tavis while under the effect of a fertility blessing, almost guaranteeing she was.

“I am in perfect health,” Ayawa said. “Even if I am pregnant, I am still more than capable of this fight.”

“But what about the risk?” Gedris asked.

“I am the most deadly knife fighter the southern tribes have produced in ten generations,” Ayawa scolded. “She may have bested five knights who underestimated her skill, but I bested dozens of my people's best warriors and hunters, who knew my ability. She will have to be very skilled if she wishes to dance with me.”

“That still doesn’t explain why this burden is on your shoulders,” Gedris insisted. “Gersius should pick somebody else.”

Ayawa let out a tense sigh as she struggled to contain her emotions. She understood that Gedris was a gentler soul who was only trying to protect the woman she loved. She took a moment to clear her thoughts and explained how the answer Gersius needed was too important. This secret event to take place on the eclipse that was soon approaching was the reason for the entire conflict. If they were right, the divines themselves were at risk, and Balisha's head was on the chopping block. The dragons would lose their human form and become rivals to humans, fighting for dominance of this world. They needed these women to answer the question, and Gersius had chosen his champion.

“It is an honor to have been picked for such a task,” Ayawa said at last. “I am the camp's best knife fighter, and he wants to prove a point by matching her with an opponent who fights the same way. Her defeat wouldn't be as impactful if he used a heavy knight or an opponent who fought very differently. But if she loses to another woman who is also a knife fighter, they will be shaken even more.”

That brought the discussion to an end, but she knew they were both unhappy with the situation. Tavis knew her skill well enough not to fear as Gedris did, but he still would rather she wasn't the one doing it. Ayawa wasn't sure she wanted to do this either, as thoughts of finally having a home and family had begun to dominate her mind. However, this was the only way to get the information they needed, and she was their best chance at doing it.

A small crowd had gathered by the time she arrived in the seeker's portion of the camp, and all eyes were on her as she approached the cage that held the women. Gersius and Sarah were waiting to present Ayawa to the Doan woman and explain that she was a fierce knife fighter.

“This is your champion?” Shorri asked as she folded her arms and took a very aggressive stance. “A southern warrior maiden? Are there no men in your camp with the courage to face me?”

“Do you have something against fighting another woman?” Ayawa asked in a firm tone.

Shorri smiled with wicked delight and explained she wanted to humiliate the men by showing them their strength was useless.

“Then you are going to be sorely disappointed,” Ayawa replied.

“It is you who will be disappointed,” Shorri spat. “I have cut down far greater warriors than you. At least a man in armor would give me more than a moment's entertainment.”

“Hmm, your arrogance is annoying,” Ayawa replied and took a practiced stance of a warrior, silently signaling to the woman that she was no novice to combat. It had the desired effect as the Doan woman's eyes narrowed while she sized Ayawa up.

“You are a flower of the south,” Shorri replied. “You would be good breeding stock for the Doan.”

“Is that supposed to be some kind of attack?” Ayawa laughed. “You won’t rattle my resolve.”

“No, it was an observation,” Shorri replied with a smile and turned to whisper something to the wise ones. The four debated briefly, with Ayawa catching snippets as the three wise ones urged Shorri to take this seriously. Shorri insisted they request something or perhaps demand it was a better term. The women said she was pushing things too far, but Shorri was insistent it was their way and right to make such a request. When the women finally finished their debate, the woman known as Zahain approached the bars to speak for the wise ones.

“Our champion will agree to fight this woman if our right of possession is observed,” she said.

“What does that mean?” Gersius asked.

“It means the loser becomes the slave of the winner,” Rose answered.

“What?” Ayawa asked as she turned her glare on Shorri. “This is a fight to the death.”

“It is,” Shorri replied. “But I will allow you to yield and take you home as a slave. You will produce a good bunch of children for our people and strengthen the blood of my clan.”

“That is not unacceptable,” Gersius replied. “You already agreed to the terms of the duel.”

“It is Doan custom for challengers to add personal terms to a duel,” Shorri replied. “Until we both draw weapons, we can challenge the other with whatever we like. Now, if she has any terms to add, I would be glad to hear them.”

“This is a challenge of empires, not a local dispute,” Gersius growled but paused when Ayawa put a hand on his shoulder.

“Do not let her goad you into being the one who ends the challenge,” Ayawa said as she approached the woman to lock eyes with her. They stood inches apart, only the bars separating them as the two sized one another up. “This is part of the duel, a battle of ever-increasing terms to see if the combatants are truly confident in their skills. She is hoping I will be too afraid to take the risk of ending up a Doan broodmare. I accept her terms,” Ayawa added with a mile. “Because I am not taking a risk at all.”

“You dare mock me?” the woman growled. “I have fought your warrior maidens before. You are skilled but no match for a Doan master of the knife.”

“And I have fought your kind before,” Ayawa replied. “Yet, here I stand, undefeated.”

“Then that makes two of us,” Shorri said with a slight smile.

“Why are you being so aggressive?” Lilly asked as she glared at the woman. “I have shown you the truth about our human form. Why does it have to be this way? Why do you have to shed blood to accept it?”

Shorri glared at the wise ones then looked back to Lilly before bowing her head. “Because it is the way we are. I have been born, raised, and trained to be what I am. I cannot turn my back on my way of life.”

“So you are willing to die for it?” Lilly asked.

“Are you not willing to die for yours?” Shorri asked.

“She isn’t going to die,” Ayawa replied. “She is going to yield and become my rokki.”

“We will see,” Shorri replied with a look of rage in her eyes.

Gersius took Ayawa and her family aside to give her a chance to decline to be his champion. He offered Alayse as a replacement, but Ayawa refused to be dissuaded. She could see why he picked her because beating Shorri in her own combat style would dramatically affect the others and increase his chances of getting the answers he wanted.

“You are sure you want to do this?” Tavis asked as he put a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t want you to have regrets.”

“We need to know more about what they are planning,” Ayawa replied. “This is the best way to get those answers.”

“But the risk you are taking,” Gedris insisted. “Anything could go wrong in a duel like this; if I lost you, I would die. I need you to be my head and train me to be a warrior.”

Ayawa smiled and cradled the woman’s head before kissing it. “I rather like you being a flower of a girl. Stay soft and gentle for me, so I can enjoy that about you.”

“After all that running in my armor, you made me do?” Gedris asked with a funny look.

“I did that to make you understand we were not playing a game,” Ayawa scolded. “You ran recklessly into every fight hoping a way to win would present itself once the battle was started. I wanted to punish some of that foolishness out of you.”

“You told me I needed to learn how to fight,” Gedris countered. “You have made me practice every day since.”

Ayawa nodded and grabbed the woman's face so she could look deep into her eyes. “I did that because of how dangerous our situation was and because I was still being hunted. But circumstances have changed, and this war may soon end. When it does, I want to leave all this behind us and spend our lives being the family we should be. I want to see you in a pretty dress, smiling as we tend our garden.”

“This is because of the battle and how close Tavis came to dying when he lost control, isn’t it?” Gedris asked.

Ayawa could only nod as the fear and pain of that night threatened to come rushing back. She was sure they had seen the last of their husband as he was carried away on the back of a dragon, cackling like a madman as his body burned to ash.

“I am ready for this to end,” Ayawa said. “But I have one last battle if I am to have the family I want.”

“You had better be there to hold my baby,” Gedris demanded. “I will never forgive you if you are not.”

Ayawa tried to laugh and promised the woman she would not die today. She told Gersius to prepare the ring and to give the dangerous woman her knives back. She then went to meditate and clear her mind as Gedris rubbed her shoulders. Tavis paced nervously before them but remained silent, knowing Ayawa needed to focus.

She used the technique Lilly showed her to try and enter the dream, seeking a place of absolute calm away from the storm. She slowed her breathing as her mind focused on the sound of every exhale. She found her focus drifting, and before she knew it, she was standing on a grassy hill. The sky above was pure blue, with a rare white cloud to break up the expanse. She felt the warmth of the sunlight on her skin and the wind's caress as it blew through her hair. She didn't let anything distract her as she stared into the distance, searching for where the green field met the blue of the heavens. She did her best to have no thoughts, but one kept coming to mind. She thought of all the bloodshed in this senseless conflict and how closely it mirrored the war that ended her people's connection to the land.

“Earth mother,” Ayawa called in a quiet voice. “Please forgive us.” She closed her eyes to take a deep breath when she felt something change. She opened her eyes to see she was now standing in a shadow and turned to see what was causing it.

“By the divines,” Ayawa gasped as she looked at a wooden pole as wide around as a stout tree carved into seven distinct images of black cats. It was a variety that dwelt far to the south and was often avoided by her people for its great skill at hunting. “A panther,” Ayawa said and reached out to run her fingertips over the face of an image. “But what does this mean?”

Suddenly the wind began to blow, and she heard what sounded like chanting. She couldn't make out the words over the roar of the wind that was growing so strongly she found her footing tenuous. Then it was gone, and she opened her eyes to find Gedris holding her from behind.

“Is it time?” Ayawa asked.

“It is,” Tavis replied as he stood nearby.

“Then let’s go,” she said and stood up.

The trip to the seeker's camp saw many praise her and wish her luck in the coming duel. Others bowed their heads solemnly, understanding the danger of what she was doing. The site chosen for the battle was surrounded by hundreds who had come to witness the clash of the most skilled warriors of both cultures. Ayawa strode toward the ring to cheers from those gathered, but she tuned it all out. All she could see was the woman who stood at the far side of the ring, her leather armor bristling with weapons.

“She had a belt of throwing knives,” Tavis pointed out as they reached the edge.

“I see them,” Ayawa replied, her eyes fixed squarely on her adversary. “She also favors her left foot. I should expect leg sweeps.”

Tavis nodded and turned to face her even as people waited anxiously for the moment to begin. He tipped his hat up to look deep into her eyes as he smiled slightly. “I love you,” he said. “Now, go make this woman yield so I can have her tonight.”

“You are terrible man,” Ayawa laughed.

“You accepted her challenge,” he reminded her before leaning in for a kiss. “Now go show them all the skill of a warrior maiden princess.”

“Hmm,” Ayawa said with a smirk and stepped into the ring. She knew Tavis was trying to prove he was confident in her skills, but the moment she locked eyes with Shorri, she knew this fight was far from over. The woman was taught and ready to spring as her deadly eyes tracked Ayawa's every movement. She walked forward, her steps flowing in the practiced grace of a warrior until the two were only ten steps apart.

“You can still run,” Shorri said with a voice that sounded like a threat.

“I promised my husband I would bring you back to our bed,” Ayawa replied.

“Hmm,” Shorri replied with a slight smile. “I will do the same when I win.”

“I won’t yield,” Ayawa replied.

“Neither will I,” Shorri growled.

The two stood facing one another as Gersius walked into the ring with Sarah at his side. He pointed to the other Doan who were gathered at the edge and formally announced the terms of the fight. If the Doan champion won, they would all go free and take Ayawa with them as a slave. If Ayawa won, they would answer his questions, and Ayawa would claim the Doan champion as a slave.

A hush fell over the onlookers as Gersius came to stand beside the two women who looked ready to explode into motion.

“There will be no use of magic, blessings, or weaves. You will use only your knives or your body as your weapons,” Gersius stated. “The fight is to the death or a yield. Are you two sure you wish to continue?”

“I will continue,” Shorri said.

“As will I,” Ayawa replied as the tension hung in the air.

The crowd was silent as Gersius stepped back, giving the two deadly women all the space they needed. For safety, he had men with shields stand along the outer ring and present the shields to form a wall that would protect the crowd from any projectiles. As he passed through the gap, Lilly nervously took his hand, pleading with him to find another way.

“There is no other way,” Gersius said, turning to the two women. “You may begin.”

The motion was instant as the two women closed the ten paces in the blink of an eye. Ayawa saw the way Shorri moved and how she flowed from side to side using a rare but effective technique as they clashed with a knife in each hand. A flurry of slashes and cuts ensued as metal rang out, and the women turned in a circle around the center.

“I can’t watch!” Gedris cried and hid her face in Tavis’s shoulder.

“Do not underestimate Ayawa,” Tavis assured her as he put an arm around his wife. “I have seen her best three women of this skill in one fight.”

Ayawa flowed through the posses and even had to improvise when Shorri dived to the side, spinning as she went by, her blades creating a torrent of slashes. She was forced to step back, unsure how best to parry the attacks, giving her opponent more room. She had never seen a move like that before as the Doan woman rolled back to her feet in one fluid motion. Ayawa dived as the throwing knives came up with her, one of the blades catching her in the shoulder as it left a bleeding line.

“Oh!” Lilly cried as she and many others were stunned the Doan woman had drawn first blood.

“So you are not so good,” Shorri said as she foolishly stood to boast.

“I admit you have a fighting style I am unfamiliar with,” Ayawa replied. “But I am willing to bet I know several you don't as well.”

“Then let me sample your styles,” Shorri said.

Ayawa could see the woman was trying to bait her into making the first move, so she gave her exactly what she wanted. She came in, blades leading the way as she closed the gap on the Doan woman. Shorri looked pleased and launched into motion, but the knives were not her attack. Instead, a single leg came around, heading right for Ayawa's stomach. It was exactly the move she wanted the woman to make as she dropped into a roll, going head first and sweeping a leg up as she went. Shorri was taken by complete surprise when it was she who was kicked firmly in the stomach. Her own momentum carried her forward, but not without causing her to groan loudly and fall to the side.

Ayawa came to her feet through the roll and quickly closed the gap on the staggered woman. Shorri recovered before they met, and the two returned to a series of cuts and slashes. Not a word was said between them as they danced around, the sound of metal ringing out as they parried blows.

Shorri was the first to make a bolder move, suddenly wrapping one of Ayawa's arms. She tried to tangle the woman and take her off balance but Ayawa jumped into the pull, using her weight to carry the woman down. They hit the ground, still trying to stab one another, and it was Ayawa who landed a cut this time, scoring a slash across the woman's thigh.

People in the crowd cried out as Shorri rolled away and came to her feet as if the injury were nothing. Ayawa stood to face her and saw that look of determination. She could see that Shorri was a skilled fighter, having well earned her odd title. Shorri ran in, uttering a battle cry as she came around in a fluid motion, and the two were at, dancing with knives as hundreds watched in awe.

Ayawa took another cut to her lower arm but repaid Shorri with a slash at her side. The crowd gasped as blood began to fly, and the two women grimaced in pain. Nevertheless, they pressed on, neither woman slowing as the dance of deadly blades reached a new frenzy.

“You are much better than I expected,” Shorri admitted as they tangled up. “I am honored to meet such a woman.”

“You are a surprisingly good fighter,” Ayawa admitted while trying to remain focused. She knew the woman's words were just a distraction meant to throw her off. She stayed on focus, keeping up her strikes as Shorri dished them back. She took another slight graze to her leg while Shorri was cut on the shoulder. Neither of them reacted to the wounds as they kept at it, dancing and slicing in an effort to kill one another.

“Your champion is good,” one of the wise women called to Gersius. “But she does not have the heart of Doan. We will soon be free, and you will have gained nothing.”

“We shall see,” Gersius replied as his eyes narrowed on the fight. Lilly clung to his arm in nervous tension as the two women traded yet another series of cuts that left them bleeding.

Ayawa panted as they locked arms and tried to overpower one another. She hadn't fought a woman this good since her days of training in her homeland. She and one other woman had been the great hope of her people as they were so well matched in the blade. Aywaw tried to focus on the fight, but in the back of her mind, she kept trying to remember that girl's name. She leaned away from a slash that nearly took out her throat and forced Shorri back with a scissoring slash. The two were panting now as their very energetic dance of attacks took its toll, but neither was willing to yield. They ran with blood from a dozen wounds as their eyes met across the narrow gap.

“You would have made a good Doan sister,” Shorri said.

“You would have made a good warrior maiden,” Ayawa replied.

They rushed in, and the dance began anew as each woman lashed out with all their skill. People were struck silent by the ferocity and skill on display as each ignored their injuries and focused on their task. Ayawa realized that this woman would never give up, and her skill with the knife was equally matched. It was all going to come down to who made the first mistake if they didn't both die of blood loss first. She realized that Shorri would be thinking the same thing, so she decided on a daring plan.

She went into a series of cuts designed to drive Shorri back until the woman countered. Ayawa feigned, stepping away but leaving her leg exposed, pulling it away too slowly. She grit her teeth as Shorri took full advantage of the move, plunging a blade deep into her flesh as Gedris screamed. Then the woman did exactly as Ayawa hoped, hesitating to see if her blow had caused Ayawa to falter. Instead, her free arm was tangled as Ayawa cut up, plunging her blade into the woman's armpit and out her shoulder.

Shorri cried out as she fell away, clutching her armpit as it poured with blood. Ayawa struggled to stand straight with a knife in her leg. Her injury was serious, but Shorri's was fatal. The artery in her arm was severed, and she had minutes to live at most. The wounded woman fell back, crying in frustration as she drew a throwing knife and hurled it uselessly.

“Yield,” Ayawa said as she stalked in. “Yield, and they will heal you.”

“No,” Shorri said and shook her head. “I will die with honor.”

“You proved your honor in that fight,” Ayawa countered as she limped closer. “You have nothing more to prove to me or anyone else.”

“I will not bring the shame of the Doan’s first female general being taken as a slave,” Shorri cried as she fell back and lay on the ground. “I will die here, a free woman.”

“You are the first?” Ayawa asked as she knelt beside the woman.

“Men always lead the armies,” Shorri whispered. “I had to fight hard to prove I could do it. But I have failed in everything I set out to do. I have proven those who say women cannot fight to be right.”

“You could have bested any man standing around this ring,” Ayawa said and reached out a hand to stroke the woman's head feeling her skin going cold as her life ebbed away. “And I am honored to have met you.”

“I am honored to have died at your hand,” Shorri replied as her eyes took on a faraway look.

“Can we heal her now?” Lilly pleaded as Gersius held an arm in her way.

“Not unless she yields,” Gersius said.

“But she’s dying!” Lilly cried. “I can see her light fading.”

“Not unless she yields,” Gersius said firmly to ensure she understood.

“Please, yield,” Ayawa begged. “I promise I won’t take you as a slave.”

“Then I can return home in shame,” Shorri sighed. “The wise ones will tell all of my failures.”

“No,” Ayawa said as she leaned closer and rubbed one of her hands between hers. “You are already home. Stay here with me. Stay and join my family as a wife.”

“Stay?” the woman said with a fading voice. “With you?”

“You have proven you are a worthy warrior,” Ayawa said quickly. “Stay, and we will stand side by side as battle sisters.”

“I always dreamed of a family one day,” the woman said as it was clear she could no longer see. “Do I dare?”

“Please, your life is almost gone,” Ayawa begged as she shook her hand to keep her awake. “You foolish Doan woman, why must you make me beg?”

The woman went to say something, but her voice was faint. Ayawa bent over to hear her words, then, with a loud voice, called for the healers.

Lilly ran in, holding her dress high as she raced across the field. She was in her song even before her hands hit the woman's chest, and the golden light began to flow.

“This cannot be,” Zahain said in shock. “Our greatest warrior has yielded to become a wife?”

“She never had the heart,” another said. “She failed in her attack and her duel.”

“You two keep silent,” Thayle snapped and turned to glare at them. “That woman fought to the death for your foolish cause. She's only here now because she refused to abandon her remaining soldiers and was determined to bring them home. I have never known a woman so honorable and serving of her people. She could only relinquish her duty a few seconds before she bled to death in service of it. I dare any of you to say you could do half as much.”

“Arrgh!” Ayawa cried as Tavis pulled the dagger from her leg. Gedris quickly began the healing song, soothing away the injuries as the crowd watched. When Ayawa could finally stand, she reached down and picked Shorri up, cradling the weakened woman in her arms.

“Why do I feel so weak?” Shorri asked.

“You were a heartbeat away from death,” Lilly said. “When you heal somebody that close to the grave, they are often weak for a few days. Your strength will return.”

“The wise ones will spit venom at me and slit my throat,” she said.

“You aren't going back in that cage,” Ayawa said as she cradled the woman and walked away. “You are a part of my life now. And you will sleep in our bed.”

“We are united in blood,” Shorri laughed weakly.

“You certainly spilled enough of it,” Ayawa replied as they walked away.

The crowd finally cheered as the group headed away and left the remaining Doan warriors stunned. Gersius turned to them when the voices finally quieted and folded his great arms over his chest.

“I believe you owe me some answers.”