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Valek was liquid in motion As I watched him, one word came to my mind: beautiful His movements had the speed and cadence of a complex dance performance In co and jerking his ars as if this were his first tiraceful parries disar with his sword, he sent his beaten foe to a sroup ofon?" I asked

"Valek’s challenge," Janco said

"What’s that?"

"Valek has declared a challenge to anyone in Ixia Beat hiht with the weapon of your choice, or hand to hand, and you can be proestured to Valek, now engaged in coraduation froht Valek at least once, although you can try as many times as you like The Captains watch thesoldiers And if you e to impress Valek with your skills, he ence corps"

"How did you guys do?" I asked

"Okay," Ari de him Valek was pleased But Ari would rather be a scout than a spy"

"I want all or nothing," Ari said with a quiet intensity

We continued to watch Ari and Janco hts, but I couldn’t tearoff his sword, he dispatched two more men He tapped them with the flat of his weapon, just to let the any blood The next opponent approached with a knife

"Bad choice," Ari said

Valek put down his sword and unsheathed his blade The ," Janco coile, she wielded a long wooden staff Ari called it a bow She held her own against Valek, and their sparring lasted longer than any of the previous six fights With a loud crack, her bow snapped in two, ending the match As the crowd dispersed, Valek spoke with the woman

"That’s Maren," Ari said "If she doesn’t disappear into Valek’s corps, you should ask her to teach you the bow With your sainst a taller attacker"

"But you can’t conceal a bow," I said

"Not around the castle But if you’re hiking through the woods, you wouldn’t look out of place holding a walking stick"

I looked at Maren and considered the possibilities Would she agree to help ain?