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General and Commander of the Night Court’s Armies. Prince of Bastards and Lord of Bloodshed. Brother to the High Lord and Lady of the Night Court. Largely considered one of the most powerful Illyrian warriors.
And Nesta was making him sweat.
Not just a little either. He had shed his shirt hours before in anticipation of their latest match and it was almost a shame. To see the rough-spun material cling to his sweat drenched body would be an added bonus to making such a highly respected warrior at work to win. So, it was almost a shame to be deprived of such a view. Almost. The glistening tattoos and rippling muscles far made up for it.
“Getting tired, Pigeon?”
Cass huffed a laugh and parried her blow to his exposed right side, only to step back to keep from being gutted by her sister-sword.
“Hardly,” another storm of live steel fell upon him, “With all your fancy Valkyrie training, I would have thought it was you who would tire first.”
This time it was Nesta who had to parry a perfectly executed offense.
“It would appear that our ‘fancy Valkyrie training’ has superseded your outdated Illyrian training.”
There were a few murmurs of dissent at her claim, but Nesta didn’t dare to look away. Besides, the feminine chuckles did more to stifle them than any of her infamous glares might’ve.
With his larger sword, Cassian swung wide and Nesta dropped like a rock on instinct, catching his left ankle between both of her feet and pulling herself closer. He made to step away, surprised at the unorthodox move, but his center of balance tipped backwards. His trapped foot doing nothing to aid his balance. Planting her feet firmly again, Nesta sprang up under his guard. She’d dropped one of her swords in the mud and palmed a dagger, better suited for close combat. Even as Cassian righted himself, Nesta was pulling him forward, over-correcting his balance and hauling him past her and into the mud.
Cassian dropped his own sword and palmed a hunting knife with one hand. With the other he caught Nesta’s wrist. Even if she broke his hold easily, she leaned into the fall. In the span of a heartbeat, she’d driven her shoulder into his stomach and delighted in the sound he made breaking her fall. Not even a breath later and the two were moving again. Brought quickly to a grinning halt.
Looks of triumphant were divided equally among the Valkyrie and the Illyrians, matching those of their Commanders.
“You can’t learn everything from a book, Nes.”
Nesta leaned into the blade held only a hairsbreadth from the collar of her Valkyrie’s Armor, her wide smile making Cassian doubt his victory.
“You should be more careful with this, I’d hate for you to lose it.”
It was then that he felt the edge of her dagger pressing into the space between his legs. One of the few areas that couldn’t be covered with thick armor, and she’d gone straight for it.
“All I’d have to do was push - ”
“At that angle?” she smiled devilishly, “You’d waste time sawing through my windpipe, by then I’d have already nicked an artery and you’d be bleeding out.”
The observing Valkyrie whooped at their Commander’s victory in a most unlady-like, but a most Valkyrie-like way.