Closed Dating a Harlot 110

[Matthew]

42nd of Spring, 514 AV.

After a long day and upon returning to the bedroom that Kaie and Matthew shared, the Huntress would find a smiling harlot waiting for her. It wasn't the harlot she was familar with, though. No, it was one of the whores of Ruby's Sanctum. She was waiting for Kaie, and she would quickly explain (with a certain tone of delight to her voice) that Matthew had asked her to relay a message. Unfolding a piece of paper, she would read it slowly while trying to hold back the giggles.

Kaie,

I hope your day has gone well. If your schedule is clear for the rest of the night, I would like to meet privately with you. I will wait for you at a nearby locale known as the "Aquillar Hot Springs", and directions can be found at the end of this note. Come whenever you have time. Plan to be there throughout the night and perhaps well into the morning. I wanted to continue our lessons of before. We left on something of an unfinished note, and I would like to correct that. This time, we can take all the time we need to just explore and learn together. I have reserved a room for the night and a private spring.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to seeing you there.
-Matthew

The whore would wink at Kaie, and then a short and precise series of directions would follow.

***

If she did come and she did ask Natlana about Matthew, the Myrian warrior would soon be directed to one of the three private springs. A small towel and a large towel would also be given, if she cared to have them. Upon opening the door, she would be met with the sight of the Harlot.

Kaie might very well wonder if he had been posing in anticipation for her arrival.

There he stood, tall and bronzed form arched back as he scrubbed soapy suds through his black locks of hair. The way he had curved his body worked wonders on showing off every little piece of defined flesh, especially drawing out the muscles in his stomach and the chiseled lines that made up a slim V on his hips. Soap cascaded down his form, apparently having been applied to every nook and cranny. It had found the lines of his muscles and traveled them, creating little rivers of glistening soap all over his pristine figure. His arms would stretch back to reach the back of his neck, the simple motion causing all of his body to ripple. For someone who could appreciate the male figure, Matthew simply defined a certain sort of attractiveness and allure.

It didn't even look like he was trying, really. He was completely comfortable in his nudity, graceful and slow with his motions, not noticing Kaie until she chose to speak. Perhaps most humorous (or arousing) was the fact that the V of his hips pointed straight to a rather full, thick and healthy package of bubbles. The Harlot had somehow managed to unintentionally censor himself. He would even start to hum a soft tune under his breath as he scrubbed away at his hair, further adding to the already unique scene unfolding in front of the Myrian woman.

[Kaie]

The Scarlet Sanctum might not have boasted such a "prize" as Brega within their premise, but where they lacked in possessing Sunberth's "most desirable woman," they certainly had a woman with the most showmanship. Ruby wasn't just a collector and a whore. She was an entrepreneur. Her entire business philosophy was centered on visual pleasure as much as it was on the physical act. Tantalizing shows were staged on a nightly basis (or in this case daily if one was willing to pay the price) and with so much valuable merchandise on display, security was a must. That's where the Myrian came in. Though neither the place of work or the uniform were really her first choice, work was work. Goddess only knew she needed commitment to something other than a bottle. So naturally when Ruby called for her in that sing-song voice, Kaie was obliged to answer.

It had all been rather dull from her perspective. Sure there had been that impressive bit with the contortionist (oh, how the client loved that), but all the gyrating and steamy glares had grown old. In Syliras they would've called her "savage" for her fascination over establishments like the Blood Pits rather than the skilled, innocent harlotry. Sunberth had proven far more forgiving. Shockingly, the client hadn't been too touchy-feely. No one dared to fight over which performer they might bed. It was uneventful at best and even the shirtless men had been a little dryer than usual. At the end of the show, Kaie was just glad to be trudging back to the room she shared with the only harlot she respected.

For petch's sake not even my own vest is this tight. What the petch kind of material even is this? She thought bitterly to herself, fidgeting with the laces of Ruby's latest fashion experiment gone wrong when she opened the door. Her amber eyes happened to catch sight of the whore before she eased from the bed. Immediately her hands dropped from the vest and one of her brows shot up questioningly. Without a word, the woman sauntered over and began unfolding the note.

"Hello, Kaie! Has anyone ever told you your bed is very comfortable? It's far more comfortable than mine...maybe one night we can share it? I don't think Matthew would mind," She hummed coquettishly with a knowing smile, eyes gleaming playfully in the face of the savage.

"Yeah, I don't petching think-" She started rapidly with a deep scowl at the suggestion, only to be hushed by the whore's interjection.

"Matthew sent me. He asked me to read this for you. Can you read? Well, we'll talk more later."

The woman proceeded to read what was undeniably the words of Matthew himself. From what Kaie had glanced when the paper was being initially unfolded, the handwriting was just as eloquent and precise as the words written on the page. It was if he had been standing there in the room all along. He probably would've gotten quite a kick out of her reaction to the stranger's presence. What was it with all these very forward prostitutes? At least this one had the grace to include directions at the end of her spiel.

"Thank you. Well...looks like I should really be going," Kaie said with a faked tone of regret and gratitude, easing backward toward the door again. The whore merely giggled and waved her off.

"Don't worry about it. You'll pay back the favor soon enough."

The petch's that supposed to mean?

"Oh, and Kaie?"

The bronzed woman paused painfully in her spin toward the exit. Her eyes found the prostitute pathetically sprawled across the bed she shared with Matthew, but she made a point to turn her face toward the retreating Myrian. Pale fingers teased at the edges of the fabric and a mischievous smirk crept up her colored lips. "I'll keep your bed warm until you return." Kaie glared up at the ceiling as if berating the gods for their cruelty and rolled her eyes.

"Have fun with that." The door shut pointedly behind her.

Several Chimes Later

The walk hadn't been too long and no one hassled her along the way. In fact, even the whore's direction had been right on point. The very moment she entered the facility an aura of soothing washed over her in a way she couldn't quite describe. It was so very... potent. Perhaps it was all the vapor in the air. They didn't drug people here with incense did they? Kaie didn't want Matthew to have any more of an advantage over her than he already possessed. How else was she to have a fighting chance at keeping up with him?

With the two towels in hand, the Myrian followed Natlana's instruction to one of the private springs. There was a moment of hesitation on Kaie's part, but then the door was fearlessly opened and she found her way inside. At first it was just steam. Huge puffs of white engulfed her vision until the door closed behind her. That's when she saw him...no, all of him. He was just as chiseled and sculpted as she'd ever seen him. Lean and muscled from work and ambition. Capillaries of soap traced his muscles in a smooth, foamy outline. Moisture slipped down the crevice dividing his pectorals like a river carving through a pair of pristine and shaped plateaus. Goddess, he practiced glittered within the cloud of vapor that circled them. For all her discipline (at least she liked to think she still had some), Kaie couldn't stop herself from exploring the specimen before her.

Without so much as a warning she was there, the Myrian's fingers raced to the black laces twinning up her rib cage. They worked quickly and precisely, tugging each string out of the holes it danced through. It dropped carelessly to the moist earth and a skirt quickly followed suit. At least the two of them had one thing in common: their own cultures hadn't left them too shy of their own bodies.

"Come on now, Matthew. You know since you peeled me off the street I've had plenty of time to bathe. If I didn't know better I might think you were trying to insult me," She teased, suddenly down in the mist beside him. A copper arm extended outward and her fingers clenched curiously around the ghastly air. The floating droplets merely danced around her flesh and shrouded her just as it did her companion. Always there, never overwhelming. Kaie sunk down into the bath and leaned her neck back against the far edge. The water lapped up just above her breasts innocently.

"If you were trying to shut me down into submission before you started, I'll admit you're succeeding..." The Myrian exhaled deeply, watching the naked man shamelessly from her position. Already could she taste the eternally present aura that surrounded him, and as always, hers was lashing back. Could he see the hunger from him that was already in her feral eyes?

[Matthew]

A head tilted toward her as she made her presence known. Bright blue eyes locked upon her own, the angle of his head allowing a bit of light to briefly illuminate what looked to be a ring of dark blue around the iris of his eye. It was gone almost just as quickly though, vanishing even as his eyes dipped to study her in that intense way that he always did. His stare was not shy, instead quite direct in his detailed examination of her every inch. He had perhaps never voiced how he appreciated the deadly muscle that her copper body consisted of. He would have to do that one day. He had noticed the seemingly genuine smiles that seemed to grace her face when he paid her a compliment, so it would make sense to give her more of them. He carefully continued to rake his fingers through his glistening hair as she took a seat in the water, making sure that the shampoo he was using reached every inch of both hair and scalp. He took a moment to peer at the clothes she had left on the edge of the hot spring, something different than what the Myrian normally wore. He assumed that to be Ruby's work.

His body rippled invitingly as he moved to his own position across from her, each simple movement causing his figure to show itself off in a variety of erotic ways. The muscle was never still and the small streams of soap and water that carved through him only helped to accent the deep definition even more. He slowly sank into the water with a deep sigh that sounded almost pleasured, certainly adding to the suggestive overtones already dancing to the air. His body arched briefly as the hot water soothed his somewhat aching muscles, and then finally he settled his back against the edge and returned his stare to hers.

The Harlot nearly opened his mouth to respond to her teasing, but paused as he realized that it was exactly that. She was teasing him. It wasn't a genuine statement. The pause extended as he tried to figure out how to reply, but was thankfully saved by her next comment. He moved to it, finding it easier to respond to. "You don't have to admit a thing. If I was looking to make you submit beneath me, then you would not be in the frame of mind that allowed you to put together any sort of proper sentence." Matthew's evolution was perhaps most noticeable in the way he now spoke. There had been confidence back in Syliras, but now his words had extended beyond that. He was not quite arrogant, he was merely assured of himself. There was no doubt in his mind that he could follow through with his words, and the brief moment of fire in his eyes promised her that he could follow through with quite a bit more. If he had become forbidden fruit to her, then his eyes now told her the reason. If she dared take a bite, no fruit would ever seem delicious again.

"Instead of hand-to-hand combat, like we practiced in Syliras, I was actually looking to learn a bit more about using a bladed weapon. A dagger, to be precise. Do you think that is something we might be able to practice together? I certainly do not mind giving you more lessons, either in seduction or some other skill. I am also happy to pay you, if you would rather have compensation in the form of Mizas." His reasons for having her here were obviously quite innocent, a far cry from the tone of his letter. That hadn't been purposeful. He had just worded it interestingly.

[Kaie]

The copper skinned woman inhaled deeply from her resting place, enjoying the absence of the chest-constricting vest Ruby had employed. An ache she hadn't even realized was there in her feet had begun to subside thanks to the warm bath. She supposed it must've been from standing as long as she had. The performances had lasted a bit longer than Kaie thought normal, though there was a very high chance the bells had just passed all too slowly.

Matthew's response to her off-the-cuff jibe was one that brought a coquettish smile to her face. She could bluff all she wanted but no matter how hard she tried to rival him, there was no misunderstanding his strength. Most imposed with power, with big and shiny blades, and intimidating growls. Matthew imposed with sex appeal and he was damn good at it. His potency was in his voice, the ice of his eyes, his body. There was nothing cocky about the way he smoothly displayed that influence either. It was just a sense of knowing and of reality.

"Now you're just trying to force me into renting your time," Kaie laughed softly, shaking her head at him though her eyes didn't seem to be considering submission at all. Amber irises traced the lines of his torso and abdomen, dipping down to where he had so coincidentally censored himself before facing his glacial stare once again. The tense pause between topics had her wondering if he really did just call her down to the bath house to tantalize her. His true intentions, not so unlike the ones in Syliras, once again caught her off guard.

So it's blood he's interested in again is it?

The lust within her eyes died down a bit if only to make room for a more focused sequence of thought. Her fingertips danced upon the surface of the water, yielding delicate ripples across the steamy bath in a way that reminded her of the rolling sea. Finally she nodded her head in consideration.

"So you did give some thought to what I said about carrying a blade then?" Kaie teased, though there was a seriousness that came to her half playful expression. Matthew might've noted by now that it was usually the case when more violent practices were involved. "I admit I'm not very good with a dagger myself. I can disarm someone that has one, but using it effectively afterward is more challenging. Sparring with air is hardly any good. We can learn together," She mused, suddenly realizing for once the two of them would be playing on an even field. The Myrian had to give the man credit. He had effectively lured her in with the letter, and made her almost as giddy with anticipation with his true request.

"Coin? I stopped giving the Miza much thought some time ago. A recent event made me realize some things are more valuable than gold. Lessons, favors, information...all worthy compensations. Don't worry about paying me now. I'll get back to you about that eventually." The Myrian female rose from the water and rolled her narrow shoulders with a deep exhale. Slowly she waded through the water until she could perch herself on the edge of the bath beside where he stood. "Do you have a pair of daggers on hand or would you like me to track some down? Oh, and did you have a location in mind to spar? I've found the killing fields but no FIghter's Pit."

[Matthew]

He nodded at her teasing comment, realizing it was quite true. He hadn't really thought about it until now, but she had been the first to implant the idea of carrying a bladed weapon. He supposed he owed this current train of thought to her, then. How appropriate that he had now come to her to teach him once more. Another nod was given to agree that they would just put this on his tab. At her final question though, at the one about if he had a pair of daggers and where he would like to train, his head tilted and he pondered it. The Harlot took a brief moment to duck beneath the water, covering his body in the steaming liquid and then coming right back up.

When he came up though, he came up in a great splash of water that only helped take away from the misty visibility of the hot spring, his body spinning to stab the tip of a dagger at her chest. A quick glance would reveal it to be a wooden practice dagger, but one with a metal core that would still produce quite the ache.

The tigress and her warrior of a mind would perhaps be able to quickly put together the pieces. The dagger had been hidden under the water before she had even gotten here. The fog, the splash, the surprise attack out of nowhere... it had all been plotted. There was no start, there was no place. Matthew had thought very long and hard about how best to spar with the Myrian female, about how to make it that she would learn from it as much as he would. He had also tried to think about what she would find the most fun. In doing so, Matthew had decided on a course of action that he thought might be the best. He tossed aside the silent rules of his kind and delved into the mind of a Myrian. He would not allow this to be a simple spar. He would drag the Myrian into a fight, and to do that he had to use every bit of his wit to make sure the playing field stayed at least somewhat close to even.

The soap and water combined in a slick coating, causing every inch of his body to invitingly shimmer as he blurred in the spin. He wasn't so sure if this would be enough to land a blow on her, but if it wasn't, he only had one follow-up in mind. He had to stick close. He had to keep on her, keep close to her, keep close enough so that she couldn't pull back her arms or legs enough for any sort of powerful blow. He wanted to force this to a grapple or to a place where he could continue to assault her with his weapon.

In a final surprise, after the first blow was dealt with, the second one would come fast on the heels of the first. The blow was sloppy and aimed only at her body as a whole, but it was still another blow. He had two practice daggers.

[Kaie]

Like one of those long beaked birds she'd seen diving between waves after fish below the surface, Matthew disappeared beneath the bath water. Curiosity caused her to slip from her seat back into the misty spring. He wasn't gone long. Next thing she knew, the harlot had come spinning and bursting through the steam, and jabbed a weapon to her chest. The Myrian's brow shot up in surprise. Her lips parted as she gaped down at the edge pressed against her flesh. Its concentrated point of impact throbbed at her sternum. "Dead," Her old trainer Yitmah taunted her from the depths of her younger memories. There was no gasping, no blood to color the relatively pure spring water. It had only been a wooden dagger after all. Matthew had never truly put her in any danger with his trick, she knew. The idea of the act itself plagued her nonetheless.

You idiot. Stupid, stupid idiot. He hasn't just tricked you with a training weapon. Whether he meant to or not, he just reminded you what happens to those that let their guard down for a familiar face, Kaie thought miserably. By the time her eyes had drifted back up from the placement of the dagger, his body was already back in motion. There came that tell-tale flex to his opposite arm. Another attack was on the way. Learn from it. And just like that the savage knocked the first dagger away from her chest with a sweeping forearm across her body. Then the opposite forearm would snap toward the oncoming blow, guiding the shoddy attempt past her body while she stepped off center. Her fingers snapped to the harlot's wrists. Next her other hand would return, fingers clasping over his. Finally she'd begin to twist his wrist inward toward his glistening middle, feet moving back in to square up with him. All was a rushed hope of earning the dagger.

If she succeeded in the attempt, the dagger would slip from his grasp toward the heated water below. The Myrian would snatch it before visibility stole the opportunity from her, and Kaie would dance away from the wall in a combat-ready stance. Otherwise she'd make a desperate splash of water to buy her time enough to earn space to work with.

[Matthew]

Matthew had come into this knowing that there was absolutely no way that he could stand before her as a genuine threat. While he would no doubt be able to learn something from the encounter, would he be able to pay her the same respect? It would be like a mother handling an unruly child for the Myrian. One or two well-placed blows and the Harlot would be down and out, and that would be the end of that. She would have no new knowledge. For someone such as Matthew, someone who found knowledge to be so very invaluable... he wouldn't dare pay one of the closest things he had to a friend such a disrespect. So he had painstakingly plotted out every single bit of this. He had decided there was one thing that he could attempt to teach Kaie. He would teach her about planning and tactics, and how they could sometimes be used to give a lesser opponent an upper hand. That was the idea at least. He hoped it would work.

His first blow was deflected at a speed that didn't allow him to understand what had occurred. He was prepared for this, allowing his body to continue with the second blow. That one was caught and guided away, the Harlot tucking the new technique away for later examination. When she grabbed his wrist though, Matthew instinctively reacted, though there was no subtle grace to his motions like Kaie managed to impart to hers.

Everything had a reason, including the fact that he had made sure every single inch of his body was slick with soap and water.

His wrist was twisted and yanked, the addition of soap hopefully allowing his arm to rip free from her hold. If it did not, she would successfully disarm him just as planned.

Matthew would not stop coming, though. He did not plan to let her catch her breath, did not want her to form a plan, merely wanted to push upon the only advantage he had. If she had splashed or if she had danced away, the Harlot would just keep on going. He spun again, making sure to dip one hand in the water as he did so, kicking up even more water in the already foggy air. His dagger would sweep around in that spin, still aiming for her, the Harlot doing what he could to get close and keep close. It was perhaps obvious why he wanted to put himself into such a close-quarters position. He had taken steps to make sure his body would be hard to get a hold of.

[Kaie]

"You failed," a long forgotten voice within her head scolded bitterly the moment Matthew's soapy wrist jerked from her hands. "Better move your ass now, girl." Kaie grit her teeth and dashed backward away from Matthew's range. She could feel the uncomfortable way in which the water slowed her movements, how her calves seemed almost weighted down in the water. It was like sprinting through thick mud during the Monsoon season. She could remember the way the Earth sucked her deeper toward its core with each step, and how strong its pull when she tried to escape its clutch. Part of her almost longed for that desperate struggle in the jungle filth. At least in that scenario she'd be the one better acquainted, and despite his clear advantage for the moment, Kaie would have a higher probability of gaining control of the situation. Hoping and longing would do her no good for the meantime. It certainty wouldn't halt the harlot's vicious advance.

"Improvise," the voice commanded in a harsh bark. The Myrian woman was quick to comply. Her arms extended out and back to her sides, and in one sharp whoosh forward, a massive spray of warm water was splashed at her attacker. Two more would follow. She felt some splashes of Matthew's own strike her, but a blind pivot and change in the direction of her retreat allowed her to avoid his spinning strike.

"Clever set up, Matthew. Really, I'm impressed!"

Quickly enough, she felt her back touched one of the bath walls. Adrenaline tingled through her veins and her eyes dilated as they fixed upon the maddened opponent hurtling her way. Another sharp splash was offered while Kaie inhaled deeply, and ducked down beneath the bath water. Her hands dipped down to the floor and her feet launched off the wall, sending her beneath Matthew's wild strikes and diagonally toward the opposite wall like an arrow from a string. However, the copper-skinned woman didn't follow all the way through.

In a flurry of droplets, she emerged a few feet behind the prostitute. If she had him off guard like she hoped, she'd look to catch one of his dagger-wielding hands before her right foot shot out flat toward his back. It would a forceful shove more than it was a kick, intended to move the man rather than to inflict pain. Perhaps the sudden forward jerk of his body and the pull on his wrist would force him to release the weapon after all. Otherwise, the Myrian would merely brace in a combat-ready position with her free hand at a guard.

[Matthew]

Matthew was not as put-off by the water as she was, but that was mostly because he was completely new to all of this. Sure, he had been involved in some formal lessons, but this? This sudden attack of his, designed to force them into a on-the-spot spar that would hopefully educate her just as well as it would educate him? It was wild and felt dangerous, more like real combat than anything else he had encountered before. The water did not feel like a hinderance because the Harlot didn't know what it was like to dance freely in the flow of battle. He had never stepped through falling bodies like the vicious Myrian seemingly did on a daily basis. That was part of his plan too, though. He had hoped she had never fought while waist-deep in water, much less warm and soothing hot spring waters. He couldn't tell if it had an effect but it was certainly a start.

Even with the water dragging her down, Kaie was annoyingly fast. His arms felt like they were just swinging at thin air, her lithe body still managing to dance even after he had tried to shackle her down. His practice dagger slipped through the air and then his fist, a slash followed by a sweeping arm strike, all of them completely missing her. He was combining all he knew about armed and unarmed fighting and it was getting him absolutely nowhere. She even had time to throw a taunt in his direction. The Harlot didn't respond, continuing to lunge toward his bronzed opponent. He struck out again, his spinning attack allowing him to chain blow after wild blow.

Then she was gone. He blinked, thrown off, though his mind quickly pointed out the obvious to him. She was underwater. But no, she was moving. She had kicked off the wall, she hadn't been pinned at all.

She was behind him in a heartbeat, grabbing him in such a way that he barely had any time to try and twist before she had suddenly struck him. He was jolted forward and the dagger was painfully stripped from his fingers, leaving him wincing.

He didn't hesitate though, knowing that he was going to have to put everything he had into this in order to keep up with the well-trained Myrian. He still had something, though. There was still one last thing. Knowing that he needed to keep the pressure, knowing that he had lost some of the momentum that he had gained over the course of the fight, Matthew spun and simply drove forward. He lowered himself and leaped forward, a low leap that skimmed the surface of the water and exploded the liquid around them in a great splash, a leap that ignored the one dagger he had left and instead opted to just tackle Kaie in the stomach.

[Kaie]

So it would seem her clever improvisation had proven rewarding after all. One chime she had been reeling desperately backward on her heels in the wake of Matthew's duel-wielding rush, and the next she found herself staring at the won dagger clenched firmly in her grasp, with a look that suggested even she was shocked it had found itself there. Her thumb rubbed against the handle curiously. Beneath each roll and readjustment made by the pads of her fingers, the Myrian could feel the surprisingly smooth surface of the wooden practice weapon. The last dagger she wielded in battle was rather simple and perhaps even more dull than it should've been. The time before that one left her standing before Tinnok of the Tempered Steel in her early childhood, staring at the strange slitted eyes and the faintest hint of glistening scales belonging to her playmate. In either case, Kaie had found herself feeling awkward as ever with the very short blade. It was no different now.

The harlot didn't need to see a day of true bloodshed to know better than to leave her to settle in, though she wouldn't be too surprised if he had read the lesson in some sort of book if there ever was one. Nonetheless, he was upon her like the Barricade to a loose Dhani too far from home. His glistening torso spun to meet her with a whirl of droplets in its wake. It all happened so quickly, but it was only the Myrian's keen eyes trained sharply to his body that caught the hint of what was to come: the backward shift of his hips and the bend to his knees. Shyke. One of her feet made a step to retreat in hopes of escaping his range, but her actions were not carried out swiftly enough. She had but a single moment to inhale and dilate her eyes in surprise. Then he was upon her.

It was a low drive, one that surely meant to take her off her feet. The planes of his chest brushed across the steamy surface of the spring, sending a miniature tidal wave that momentarily masked him from her view. With the thousands of droplets splashed into her eyes, Kaie found herself raising her left hand like a crude shield against the onslaught, and jerking the knife forward with her right. The clean extension of her elbow met with no resistance. The only thing she might've wounded was humid air. "How many times have I told you to see with more than your eyes, girl?" The bronzed warrior felt the foreboding rise within her stomach, and the adrenaline jolt through her veins like wildfire. By the time she truly realized her grievous mistake, Matthew already had her tumbling unceremoniously down into the warm depths of the pools.

Petch! She howled furiously within the confines of her own head, just before she felt the air whoosh through her nostrils in fat air bubbles. Her dagger hand whipped wildly through the water, the dull wooden edge dicing at anything within her reach in hopes she might find her assailant. She was too distracted by her lack of oxygen to notice if she had truly hit him. One of her kicking feet finally found ground and the other was soon to follow. Her left hand waved toward the surface, pushing the harlot away if necessary, and soon enough the Myrian battled her way upward. She broke the liquid barrier with a gasp and whirled back toward the man.

"Whatever experience you lack, you sure as petch make up for it with your head," She allowed begrudgingly with a backward roll of her glistening shoulders. The dagger was toyed with for several ticks, her grip switching and reversing as if she couldn't get comfortable with the thing. At last she seemed to settle with the traditional approach rather than common reverse. "But a more skilled warrior won't be so easily fooled out of the water." Kaie could still feel the concentrated point upon her chest where his first wooden dagger had prodded her. A sensation she could only describe as heat pierced her there, and she knew it was shame rather than pain she felt. How was it that a prostitute had already seemed to best her with a weapon? Was she not the blood of Myri? What would her kin say, hearing a man known almost exclusively among the common folk for his skill between the sheets defeated one of their own in a spar?

"Well, what are you going to do?"

Work.

With a sudden jolt, she sprung forward through the water with a battle cry. Her body eased toward his right, and then his left where she thrust her dagger forward. The hope was to dash the wooden blade against his curving side.