Hal - The Duellist #1

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Death

"What are you doing here?" Hal stared at Orla in disbelief.

"The same thing as you, I imagine. I'm here to fight."

It could only be a terrible dream. The duellist closed her eyes, willing herself to awake, but when she opened them nothing had changed. A soft rain began to fall, and she shivered.

"I'll not fight you," she said at last.

Orla snorted indignantly. "That's not a choice for you to make. You see, my friend, if you don't fight me, these men are going to hack you down just the same."

"Besides," Léac cut in, "if you won't fight the soldier, my men will dispense with your friends too. So if you want to save them, I suggest you start now. I've not the patience to stand here in the rain and watch a lovers' spat."

"Girls, get out of here now." Hal turned anxiously to the thieves, but Jools shook her head. "We'll not leave without you. We've already told you that. Orla what are you doing? Come back with us, you can't fight Hal."

"I'll fight whoever I want. And as for you two..." Orla addressed them jeeringly. "Look at you. Just following her blindly, doing whatever she says. Have you not got minds of your own? Can you not see she's just one of them?" She gestured broadly in the direction of Cara and Léac. "She's simply another aristocrat. She'll trick you and deceive you like the rest of them, and then leave you with nothing. She's using you, and the pair of you are too blind to see it."

"Orla don't be stupid!" Jools grabbed the soldier's sleeve in desperation, but Orla pushed her backwards and she fell on the grass. Kris helped her up.

"You're mad! Hal in heaven's name get out of here now."

"Just tell me why, Orla." It was raining harder now. Hal wiped the water from her face and hair, turning wildly. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because I hate you; don't you understand? Must I tell you such an obvious truth?"

"But we agreed to part: it was your wish as much as mine. You said yourself, it would not work."

"It never worked because you were too selfish to ever notice me. And then, after all that, you had the audacity to bring that bitch with you to The Emperor, as if I wouldn't care. But I did. I do. You can charm these idiots, but it doesn't work with me, Hal. Not anymore. The thought of you kept me going through those awful days in that stinking southern territory. So how should I feel when I come back here and see you with her? It's time you learned what life is about Hal, and I'm about to teach you. It's not about impressing a few punters for the sake of a pretty duel. It's about survival, and the survival of one means the death of another. That's how this world works. But you've never had the chance to see it."

"Even if I had, I would never reach such a conclusion."

"Oh you would, if you'd been to the places I'd been, instead of spending your time up here, drinking and whoring. You could have come with me – I asked you to. You refused, do you remember? If you'd come, my life might have been more bearable. But you were too content with your comforts up here, in Colvé to choose the life of a soldier."

"I came to see a fight!" Léac yelled suddenly. "If there's no duel, there'll be a massacre."

"Alright, Orla" Hal murmured, strangely calm as if her former lover's words had frozen her blood. "If it's to save the thieves, I'll fight you. But just remember this..." she brought her face very close to Orla's, almost whispering. "I loved you once – you're mistaken if you think otherwise. But now I love Meracad. More than I ever loved you. And nothing you do will change that."