"He's pretty good, actually." Acen sat beside me, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

On my other side, Kor chimed in. "Wouldn't've lasted this long if Jalor was in top form."

"No," Acen agreed with a nod. "But Jalor was exceptional, and Riacine is obviously new. If he enlisted to fight in the war, he would have been quickly trained and sent out. For him to be this good, he clearly has talent. He just needs more practice. I can see why Jalor likes him."

I let their commentary wash over me as I watched the fight. Jalor was still exceptional, even though I could see how his missing arm effected his fighting. More than once, he seemed unbalanced for a heartbeat. Or he moved in a way that looked awkward, as he overcompensated for his missing arm. But he still looked good with a sword in his hand. He still looked dangerous and deadly.

And it was clear that Riacine was trying his best. He wasn't going easy on Jalor, or being cautious. He was fighting as hard as he could, swinging and blocking, stepping forward or backward, side to side. Jalor met every one of Riacine's strikes, for the most part making the blocks look effortless.

"Ah." Acen tutted as Riacine was blocked once again. "That was too predictable."

"He's got the idea now," Kor said, as Riacine moved to try to take advantage of Jalor's left side. "Not much good it'll do, though."

And he was right. A moment later, a clatter rang out as Riacine's sword was knocked from his hand. Startled, the young man took a step back, hands at his sides. "I yield, sir."

"That was well done," Kor called, clapping his hands together. "Not many lads can last that long against Jalor!'

A genuine smile flashed across Jalor's face. "You certainly couldn't."

Kor sprung to his feet. "Aye? Let's have at it then, old man."

"No." Acen stood. "I'm next."

Jalor rotated his wrist to spin his sword in a circle. "I don't even get a break?"

Acen, already striding forward, pulled out his own sword. "Do you need one?"

Jalor replied through laughter. "No." Then he swung his sword up to meet Acen's. They stood face to face, swords locked above their heads. "Not even a warning? Not very chivalrous, Atricen."

"Do you need a warning?" Even though his back was to me, I could hear Acen's grin in his voice. The swords shrieked as he slid them apart and took a step back.

Now Jalor was grinning. It was the cocky, confident grin of a man who knew he was one of the best. "No," he repeated.

Then the fight started in earnest.

***

Acen and Jalor were evenly matched as swordsmen. It made sense, both of them, like Tannix, had been trained to use a sword almost since they could walk. Aside for Jalor's missing arm, the biggest difference from their earlier duels was that Jalor was using a shorter sword, more similar to Acen's. Before, he had typically used a longer, two-handed weapon.

They were impressive. I tried to notice the things Acen had taught me to look out for. Every time I noticed something and then heard Acen comment on it, I felt a little thrill of victory.

"You're tensing up," Acen said, just after I noticed that Jalor was lifting his shoulder before every block. Whatever he said next, I didn't hear it, because beside me Kor started talking.

"Acen's about the only person Jalor ever took advice from. This'll be good for him."

I nodded. "Isn't that why he's the captain?"

"Hmm. He's got a knack for the training aspect of the job, that's for sure." With a chuckle, Kor nodded towards another bench, where Evrik was sitting with Karian and Valari. "What're his chances, d'you think?"

I thought of the advice I'd given Riacine. The young knight was sitting further down out bench, looking tired but intently listening to whatever Ender was telling him. "I think he should duel her again and see what happens."

Kor nodded thoughtfully. "Aye. All right." He clapped his hands against his thighs and stood up. "There's room enough in this courtyard for more than one duel. Who'll take me on?"

"I will," Joen replied. "But just one fight, then I need to go see my nephew in the city."

"Swords then," Kor said, "Because I can't match you with hammers."

Joen nodded as he got to his feet. Kor was right to be concerned. Joen usually used his hammers if he was practicing against Evrik, who was capable of defending against them with his shield, or Mandell, who used a similar style while fighting with his maces.

The two of them moved to a clear space to begin their practice fight. For a while my attention shifted between the two fights. Acen and Jalor had slowed down, and their duel had become more of a discussion. Kor and Joen had a lively fight, until they were both tired and declared it was a draw.

Joen said his goodbyes and headed out. Karian moved over to Acen and Jalor to show them his curved sword, and they started comparing the slight variations in their styles of sword work. Evrik managed to convince Valari to duel with him again, and for a time their fight became the centre of attention. It ended when one of Valari's kukri made contact with Evrik's right forearm, causing a thin line of blood to appear.

Afterwards, Ender coaxed Riacine into a fight against him, and the knights joyfully watched, calling out advice for Riacine and occasional taunts for Ender. The carefree atmosphere in the courtyard felt like being back in West Draulin, watching the knights playfully duel when I had first met know them.

Then, someone sat beside me.

I glanced at him, then did a double take when my mind caught up with the sight of his long braids.

"You're supposed to be on the ship," I said dryly.

"Hmm." Jindev tore a bun in half and put a piece in his mouth. After swallowing, he said, "If Lord West Draulin had ordered me to stay on the ship, I would have. But he didn't."

"You were chained up. He didn't have to tell you."

"Ah, but we both know I wasn't really chained up." He grinned, winked, and ate the second half of his bread.

Annoyed at him for ruining my mood, I didn't really think my next words through before saying them. "I don't like you."

Jindev shrugged. "That's wise."

Mandell's deep voice came from nearby. "All good, Finn?"

Jindev answered. "Finn has nothing to fear from me. Kassiandra would have my head if I lay a finger on him, and she isn't an enemy I want to have."

I sighed. "Thanks, Mandell. I'm fine."

Mandell grumbled and turned back to the fight, but I knew he was still listening to us. And even though I was fairly confident that there was truth in what Jindev had just said, I appreciated Mandell's protection. I wished I could back to watching the fight and simply ignore Jindev, but talking to Kassia was almost always the right decision, and Jindev felt the same.

He had the same sort of pent up aggression, hidden behind a polite exterior. Like Kassia, he felt like a predatory animal who was only safe to be around because he wasn't currently hungry.

"So," I said, although I wasn't looking at him. "You're a medic."

"Does it seem wrong to teach an assassin how to save a life?" Jindev asked. "If I get injured on a mission, I need to know how to help myself. I can't rely on other people to bandage me up."

"Why not?"

He chuckled. "Because that would mean trusting someone else, wouldn't it? Not something we do particularly well."

I did glance at him then. He had produced another bun from his pocket. "You trust Kassia."

He ripped the bun in two. "She was an exception."

The other knights had noticed him. As Ender and Riacine's duel came to an end, there was a lull in the courtyard. Jindev noticed everyone was looking at him, and he smiled.

"Good showing," he said. "It really is no wonder Lord West Draulin is untouchable."

The sound of a metal sword slipping out of a scabbard drew everyone's eye to Acen. "Come fight me."

Jindev heaved a dramatic sigh, but up close, I could see the glint of excitement in his eyes. "Want to see what I'm capable of, Captain Lord Atricen?"

"Yes," Acen said. "If you're going to part of this team, we need to see what you're capable of. And so far, all we know you can do is pick locks and get captured."

Jindev laughed. "Harsh words. I'm also notably capable of regicide." Gasps and growls came from all of the knights, but he waved them off without a care and dropped his hand to my shoulder. "Then again, so is your thief."

Acen's expression hardened. "Touch him again." The threat in those three words was palpable.

Jindev lifted his hand. Gracefully, he stood. "Lord West Draulin has made it very clear that I'm not allowed to touch weapons."

"Come fight me," Acen said again.

Closer, Riacine pulled out his sword and held it towards Jindev. Kor and Ender had drawn their bows.

Jindev shot me a look over his shoulder. "Demanding, isn't he? But I supposed Lord West Draulin can't be too disappointed in me if I'm following his captain's orders." He stepped forward and accepted the sword from Riacine, then looked it over with a scoff. "Teltish weapons have no elegance. Where's the beauty? Where's the art?" He flashed a grin towards Valari. "Those kukri are beautiful."

She didn't even know who he was, but she still frowned. "They will be more beautiful decorated with your blood."

"Navirians," he said lightly. "Can't take a compliment. Well, Captain Lord Atricen?"

Acen signalled with his free hand. The knights backed up to make room, but I saw hands reach for weapons. Kor and Ender kept arrows knocked on their bows, and Evrik held one of his throwing axes loosely in his hand.

Jindev took all of that in with a lazy glance. "Are your men going to kill me when I win this duel?"

"Fight fairly, and we won't have a problem," Acen said.

"Did you tell the Deorans that before you killed them?"

Acen let the taunt go, although I heard muttering from some of the others. He stared at Jindev, his focus unbroken. When Jindev moved forward and swung his sword, Acen blocked him smoothly.

Once again, I tried to understand what I was seeing. Beyond the exchanged blows. I had never seen Jindev fight, but I had watched Acen more times than I could count.

So I recognized that he wasn't fighting like he usually did. Acen tended to move first and put his opponent on the defensive. Now, he was doing the opposite. Maybe to someone who didn't know him, it would look like he was the weaker fighter, but I could guess at his reasoning.

Maybe he was trying to let Jindev tire himself out. Maybe he was giving himself a chance to watch the assassin, and get a feel for how he fought. Maybe he was trying to lull Jindev into making overconfident mistakes. He had to be up to something.

I switched to focus on Jindev. He was fast, moving with the sort of fluidity women like Valari and Kassia used. My thoughts caught on the observation, confused as to why he would be fighting like a woman.

But then I realized, the actual similarity between Valari and Kassia was that they both fought with a knife in each hand. Jindev would have looked more natural with two long knives, as opposed to Riacine's short sword. Surely Acen had come to the same conclusion.

While dueling each other, the knights often kept up a friendly conversation, a mixture of casual comments and brotherly banter. In this fight, Acen was quiet while Jindev kept up a steady stream of cruel taunts. He was clearly trying to upset Acen into overreacting and making mistakes, but it wouldn't work.

Acen continued to make blocking Jindev's strikes look simple. Jindev moved around him, trying to find openings, and Acen didn't give him any.

The knights were quiet, but every one of them looked proud. Riacine's expression was one of rapt awe. Valari and Karian were whispering to each other in hushed Navirian.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed before Jindev backed out of Acen's range and held out both arms, his shrug exaggerated by the sword in his hand. "This is tedious, Captain Lord Atricen. Are you going to fight back? Or, are you worried that if you do, I'll gain the upper hand?"

Acen smirked. "If I was worried about losing, I wouldn't have challenged you."

Jindev laughed loudly, dramatically looking up at the sky as he did so. "The confidence! I have no doubt that you are among the best swordsmen in your uncultured country, but Teltish swordsmen are boring. You can't adapt. You're keeping on the defensive because you know that I'll out maneuver you if you try anything else." He started walking the edge of the circle made by us spectating, forcing Acen to spin to face him.

"I know your type," Jindev continued. "A little Teltish noble, taught to hold to sword your whole life. You obviously didn't buy your way into power, because you're truly skilled, which means you spent a lot of time practicing. Well." Jindev pressed his free hand against his chest. "So did I. The difference is that I wasn't a pampered, favourite son. When you practiced dueling as a boy, what happened when you lost? Encouragement? Extra training? A chance to try again? If I lost when I was a child, I would have been killed." He stopped pacing in front of Karian. "I couldn't afford to lose."

We didn't know much about how the Associates trained their members, but as horrible as Jindev's words were, they didn't shock me. Neither, apparently, did they shock Acen, who shrugged.

"I don't recall ever losing."

Jindev moved quickly, rushing forward. Acen threw up his sword to block one strike, and before I had even realized Jindev was suddenly holding two swords, Acen had moved to block the second.

Jindev danced back a step, Riacine's sword in one hand, Karian's curved blade in the other. He was grinning again. "That was very good."

Acen shook his head. Jindev's second attack had been a close call, close enough that Acen's hair tie was cut and dangling. Strands of his long hair hung loose, drifting down around his face and sticking to the sweat on his neck. With his free hand, Acen brushed some hair away from his eyes.

"You're not good with a single sword," Acen's voice was calm, like he was making a simple suggestion to one of his men. "It wasn't hard to understand why. I could have pressed, forced you off balance, but I wanted to see if you'd do something like this."

Jindev laughed darkly. "You are good."

"Are you yielding?"

Jindev snarled and darted forward again with both swords. Acen's sword flew from side to side, deflecting each of Jindev's attacks with a clash.

They exchanged blows so quickly it was sometimes hard to keep track of what was happening. It didn't seem like either of them really had the upper hand, even with Jindev fighting with two swords against Acen's one. If anything, the two swords were throwing Jindev off. They were bigger than the knives Valari and Kassia used, and so it seemed a reasonable conclusion that they were too big for Jindev.

With a flash of movement, it no longer mattered. Karian's curved sword clattered to the ground and Acen ducked a blow from Jindev's other hand to kick it, sending the sword clattering across the cobbled courtyard. Someone moved to pick it up, but I wasn't sure who it was because I couldn't tear my eyes away from the fight.

More of Acen's hair came loose, flinging around his shoulders as he ducked and spun. Likewise, Jindev's long braids snaked through the air like thin ropes. Their hair added to the appearance of frenzied speed as their single swords clashed together again and again. And then—

Silence. Stillness.

Heavy breathing aside, Acen and Jindev were frozen in the middle of our circle. Acen's sword, unexpectedly in his left hand, was locked with Jindev's, forced off to the side. The movement had knocked Jindev onto one knee, and there he had stayed, because the long knife in Acen's right hand was pressed against his neck.

I had seen Acen pull out his knife before, but he usually used it in his left hand and kept his sword in his dominant hand. I had never seen him switch mid-fight, although I knew all of the knights had trained with both hands.

"Ah," Jindev said slowly, "Maybe you can adapt." He dropped Riacine's sword and held both hands outstretched, an echo of his earlier shrug. "You just became much more interesting. Do you all have fun tricks?"

"Evrik," Acen said, without averting his gaze. "Find some rope."

Jindev laughed. "There's no need for that, Captain Lord Atricen. I'll behave."

Once again, Acen ignored him. "Riacine, take your sword."

The young knight hurried forward to grab it, all the while staring at Jindev warily, as if he was going to jump up and attack.

What Jindev did instead was much stranger. With a grin, he leaned into Acen's knife. A thin stream of blood trickled down his neck. Disgust flashed across Acen's face, but as he went to pull the knife back Jindev's left hand darted out to catch his wrist and hold it still.

Acen's valiant effort to ignore him faltered. "What are you doing?"

Jindev grinned. Using his grip on Acen's wrist, he pressed his neck more firmly against the knife. He let go just as Evrik returned with a rope, and without even acknowledging him, Jindev slid his hands behind his back for Evrik to tie them together. He was still staring at Acen.

"Scars remind me of my losses, Captain Lord Atricen. This isn't one I want to forget."

Evrik hoisted Jindev to his feet. Acen slid his sword back into his sheath, but before doing the same with his knife, he stepped forward to wipe the blood off on Jindev's shoulder. "Mandell, accompany Evrik and Jindev back to the ship. I'll send someone with instructions once I've spoken to Tannix."

The knights nodded and led Jindev away. The rest of us were silent. Riacine awkwardly tried to look busy, straightening out his clothing. The twins put away their arrows. Karian and Valari were whispering to each other in Navirian.

Only Jalor and I still stood near Acen, and it was Jalor who broke the silence between us. "Did he let you win?"

Acen huffed a tired sigh. "No. I surprised him this time. I'm not sure it'll happen again."

"So you're in trouble if he turns on you?"

I expected Acen to reply, so it came as quite a surprise when I realized they were both looking at me.

My mind fumbled for an answer. "We don't know why, but Kassia gave him to us. I don't think she did it so that he would turn on us. Loyalty to her will keep him in check, I think."

"She isn't the most trustworthy person, either," Acen said.

"I know." I sighed and crossed my arms. "But she's in our debt because of Valkiros. And she's never really tried to hurt any of us. I think, for now at least, we don't have to worry about her. I can try to ask her more about Jindev when we stop in Deorun."

That seemed to satisfy Acen. "All right. But until then, somebody needs to have eyes on him at all times." With a groan, he rolled his shoulders. "And I need to tell Tannix about that fight. Any insight would be appreciated." He looked at Jalor, the twins who had wandered closer to join us, and me. "If he's going to be around, we need to understand how he fights, and how he thinks. Jalor." Acen's bright tone made it clear he was changing the subject. "Riacine's good."

Jalor frowned, but after a pointed pause, allowed the conversation to shift. "I know. It isn't his fault I'm frustrated, I know that, too."

They started walking, leaving the rest of us to fall in behind. Acen grabbed his hair and twisted it back up into its usual knot. "I can help you work out a training schedule, if you'd like."

I wasn't particularly interested in hearing the details of the training schedule, so I fell back in the line once again to walk beside Riacine. He blinked at me, his eyes still wide with awe. He looked like I imagined someone would look if Zianesa herself appeared in front of them.

"Of course he's disappointed in me," he said. "Did you see who he's used to working with?"

I shook my head. "He's not. They're talking about training you. You impressed them. Just let Jalor see that you're willing to practice and improve, and keep asking him to duel once in a while. You're going to be a great guard."

Riacine's left hand settled on his sword pommel, and he took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm going to show him that I'm the best man for the job. Thank you."

I smiled at him, but my thoughts were already drifting back to Jindev and the puzzle of why Kassia had sent him to us.