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I second-guessed my decision to stand at his side.

As if sensing my doubt, the big one tossed his gaze my way. “We won’t spare your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girl,” Leif said at the same moment which I realized he didn’t know my name. “She can fight for herself.”

As if he’d thrown down a gauntlet, they all reached for their blades. “Guess we are about to find out.”

The tension between us snapped as they advanced. Leif met the big one with a clash of swords, steel against steel, their heels digging into the soft earth. The other one might be bigger, but Leif is quicker, and fights with more finesse. He twists his blade so the other one slides off, then slides upward. The big one steps back and hisses.

The other two are advancing at me. Coming for the easy kill.

I draw my axe and say my prayers.

Then they are lunging, but they have even less grace than the big one. They are all strength and no brains, whacking like drunk fools trying to slice down a tree.

No, not fools. I realize. Cowards. They are swinging so hard to keep the fight at arm’s length. If I can get close, they will break.

In the meantime, I’m using all my strength to block their swords with my axe while trying to catch one on the hook of the arched blade. I can’t. They are too strong. Too skilled. And I’ve had zero training.

Fighting won’t save me. I shove my ego aside, and remind myself that surviving is what matters, not that I bested them by my own strength.

I yanked my axe away and threw myself toward the pine trees. Their full branches shielded me, pine needles digging into my skin, and put up a barrier between me and the swords.

When one swung again, his blade was slowed by the branches.

Now I could hook it. I yanked my axe through the bushes, hooked the sword with my blade, and yanked down.

He fumbled while trying to hold on. I pressed my heels into the ground for balance and finished ripping the blade free.

The opponent wasn’t defeated. Not by a long shot. But he had to waste time in picking up his blade, and his eye was on me.

Behind him, Leif had been dealing with one opponent. But he kept watch over me, and when one of my two attackers knelt for the blade, Leif swiftly threw his dagger at the second. It sunk into the soft skin of his neck, and he went down. His body fell into the trees, landing at my feet.

Leif’s dark gaze swung to me. I tried to read his expression, but it pulled away too fast. Back to his own problem.

Before the other attacker could retrieve his sword, process the death of his friend, and come after me, I slunk backwards, out the back end of the pine tree, and into the coverage of another.

It wasn’t glorious. I hated myself the entire time. But I ran from tree to tree before anyone saw me, and crouched to survey the damage.

It wasn’t pretty.

The one who’d been attacking me looked ready to snap. Red eyes scoured the trees for my frame, before landing on Leif. Leif braced against the one he’d been fighting, swords between them, their limbs shaking, sweat dripping down their bodies. But Leif appeared more in control. His movements were sure. His stance unwavering.

Until the other jerked back, and swung up with his steel knuckles.

Red erupted along Leif’s cheeks. My heartbeat tattoo thumped wildly.

I felt for the dagger at my hip. The attackers were closing in on Leif. They’d be coming for me next.

He’d be dead in a moment.

With that thought, I aimed my dagger, and threw.

It wasn’t a perfect throw. But it sank into the shoulder of the largest one, the one fighting Leif, and he roared.

Leif delivered the final blow with a sword through his chest.

As he went down, I shifted position again, darting back through the trees. I was aware of Leif at my side, searching for me, before he grabbed the dagger I’d thrown and used it to cut down the remaining one.