Free The Eventide Child by C.A Hines Page B

mind.
    “Alright, alright ... I look forward to getting to know you,” she finally spoke, gently removing Samar from her person as she breathed out a little sigh. She’d somehow managed to gather quite the band of followers, though she knew none of it had been of her own doing. Her eyes fell upon Cass. The older woman’s messy red hair framed her pale face with those emerald eyes constantly prowling, constantly seeking. It was all because of her.
    This one has ambition.
     
     

Chapter VII
    The days passed by like grains of sand passing through the hourglass. Days dragging into weeks and weeks into months as they waited for news about their quest.
    Alexandra rushed forward, the dulled blade clutched in her hand as the fiery haired figure elegantly avoided her attack.
    “Too obvious,” Cass said, her eyes narrowing as she watched for the riposte. Drawing her practice blade back she parried the quick strike. The sound of metal continued to ring throughout the halls, the two forms dancing back and forth, ebbing and flowing as they avoided or parried the others attack.
    “Too slow,” Cass instructed, as she sidestepped Alexandra's lunge. The redhead wrapped an arm around her own, stopping the swing of her sword before suddenly slamming into her shoulder with her own. The force of the blow caused the sword to topple from her hand and clamor on the ground with a terrible racket. Alexandra grunted as Cass swiveled around and brought the sword against her neck.
    “Feh ... I yield.”
    Cass looked a mixture between pleased and disappointed as she stepped free of their little embrace, a blade slung over her shoulder. Clad only in simple leather armor, Cass had tossed her black cloak and robes away. Likewise, Alexandra was dressed in a similar style of leather armor.
    “You’re better than most beginners, love,” Cass said with a grin. “But still not good enough.”
    “The journey is going to be dangerous,” Alexandra said. “And I don’t want to find myself faced with murderous priests unable to defend myself again!” She lunged forward, shifting hard to the left as she thrust the sword toward Cass who moved with all the grace of a dancer to avoid the blows. Each step Cass made was calculated, but Alexandra was learning. Her senses were keen and every mistake she had made over the past month was etched into her body with pain and bruises. The clanging of metal upon metal echoed again, the two women parrying and dodging each other in their deadly dance.
    In the distance, two sets of eyes watched. She couldn’t quite make it out, but she knew them to be Samar and Titus. They watched with sharp eyes as Alexandra sidestepped a blow from Cass and charged forward again. Her own attack was parried, but she did something Cass didn’t expect. She stepped into the oncoming blow, hand releasing the hilt of her blade as she lunged forward and promptly wrapped her arm around Cass, pulling the woman in close and slamming her shoulder into her target just as the redhead had done to her early. However, Alexandra threw her own little twist into it as she used the momentum to push Cass off balance, her foot hooking Cass’ pulling her down.
    “Oi! That’ll get ya killed!” Cass cried even as she went down.
    Alexandra placed her boot clad foot on her chest. “I won, didn’t I?”
    Cass just furrowed her brow, sighing with a tinge of reluctance, “Aye, ya won.”
    Alexandra stepped off her prey and grinned, extending her hand to help Cass up to her feet.
    Cass shook her head as Titus and Samar erupted into a howling cheer.
    “That’ll do for now,” Cass said, much to her disappointment.
    A frown crossed Alexandra's lips as she folded her arms over her chest, though Cass seemed less than amused. “Sore because you lost that one?” she asked, only to receive a short glare from her mentor.
    “No. If it had been a real fight you’d have died.”
    Not likely.
    Cass just lifted an arm, her thumb pointing toward the side of the