Roo couldn’t help but gulp again. Peaches and her peaches and cream scent was so seducing, but the way she changed since they last met …
The half-timber houses echoed the murmurs of the crowd. The mud, if they wrestled in it, she’d no doubt really try to strangle him dead, and no one would jump in this time.
Then again, this was his job.
His duty to stop her madness.
The madness of the fallen light.
Peaches even huffed haughtier than warlord witch.
“Now my light powers are fell?” she said, “Am I really …”
With a tsk she even flicked her hair again for ditzy emphasis, without the slightest worry she’d be mistaken for a ditz.
Roo couldn’t bring himself to grin stupid this time.
But this would certainly be the center of gossip in Appleharth for a while, and that he blabbed so much about his past to some stray enemy elf girl …
The murmurs from the crowd nearby got louder and louder. As far away as the half-timber houses and muddy road allowed them, but the crowd still gave them plenty of space for the incoming fight.
In fact, they were already throwing bets for how much it would take to repair the half-timber houses, the painting jobs on them, and betting on the kinds of damage that would be inflicted on house, cart, and road, but …
Okay, not so much wondering, they knew why, it was fucking obvious, but so what if everyone here was a bit disappointed and annoyed?
Her movement sent a good cool breeze of peaches and cream right at his face, raced his heart so — but he didn’t let go of the stick with the apple.
As stupid as it sounded, let’s end this the right way.
“Yup,” Roo said, “A warlord witch wannabe, a mere third rate, since, even you admitted that any skilled witch needs to see all possibilities. even one she didn’t like.”
This time he scratched his chin. Ready for that final “go.”
Since a true slowpoke would lose by default.
Peaches pouted almost growly but also jolted shocked.
“Hmmmm,” she said, “Now I’m a third rate witch for not—”
“I’m alive,” he said, “Despite an oath bound on my clan, that if broken, would of killed me too. On top of which the counter oath would of killed all the forest elves, which, when they betrayed their oath …”
Peaches scowled. “I …”
“Your first death,” he said, “Was shared by all forest elves, right?”
“That was from the Oak of …” Peaches said, “Don’t shake you head at me!”
“Then how did the Vorshaya Clan,” he said, “Avoid complete—”
“I don’t know!” she said, “But I’m sure that—”
“Faith of the Fallen Light,” he said, “Arguments and facts don’t matter. Just whatever some dumb light said.”
“You’re dumb for believing that nonsense,” she said, “I can’t believe you’d go—” Peaches played paper. Roo played razors. “—and and and … shit.”
She really slumped. As if she was about to lose her life and couldn’t do anything about it.
She grimaced. “And your mother knew ways to … adjust oath bonds, right?”
“She studied oath bonds,” he said, “But not … exactly.”
“Not exactly. Really,” Peaches said and grimaced even more.
His mother didn’t exactly want him to blab out her research results to anyone, let alone a potential enemy, but …
“Erasing the bond,” he said, “Requires … an awful lot more power than anyone involved in the bond. Given how powerful my clan was … I’m not sure there’s anyone anywhere powerful enough. Just as importantly. The technique, well, isn’t something just anyone can do. Really. I shouldn’t of told you that much but—”
“I’m really supposed to believe that?” she said, “If it can be changed then …”
Roo bit the apple.
“Who changed it?” he said, “Obviously not the Vorshaya Clan, or are you accusing the Vorshaya Clan of being stupid beyond words too?”
“Well …” Peaches said, and slumped again.
He tickled her chin. “You want to find out the truth now?”
She jumped with a gasp. “I …” she said, “You know the truth?”
She even gulped. “I … the elders insisted you humans lie like …”
He grimaced. “Really … listen to yourself. It’s like your whole childhood—”
“Okay okay!” Peaches said, “But … my home. It’s … if darkspawn don’t destroy it humans will now and …”
She gulped. Perked up.
“You promised …” she said, “Back then …”
“Yup,” he said, “Protect you with my life. So first, let’s crush that vampire bitch what’s her face, that warlord witch Camilla something or other.”
“Camilla Reaps,” Peaches said, “And her little sicko sister Rouge Reapist, but the stampede of darkspawn, this town … what I have done …”
Roo grimaced, yet chuckled too.
“Baited them into a trap,” he said, “I’m not the only exorcist knight here — or badass ready to — oh, and don’t move.”
The shock on Peaches’ face was priceless.
Her huff. Biting her half of the apple.
“I demand a rematch,” she said, “If you win, then … I’ll acknowledge the possibility that … the elves are really wrong and … but if I win …”
She gulped. “You let me go and — AH!”
Roo couldn’t help but smile sneaky this time.